My Idea for Reboot RWBY - Chapter 15 - SpiderSlayer15 - RWBY [Archive of Our Own]
I apologize for the lack of progress of updating a Rose of Light and Dark and Reboot RWBY. My family moved down to Orlando, so I had to pack and then unpack, leaving my house I spent for the past 6 years, and I was worried I wouldn’t much spend time with my BFF anymore. Those worries are still there, but I’m still able to talk to him, and then see him in the next two weeks, while also being able to visit. I’m finished with this Reboot RWBY chapter right now, and then I should take time to work on the long overdue chapter 4 for a Rose of Light and Dark. Afterwards, I'll do Chapter 8.

It's crazy that there is so much building around cities like Orlando, but further south closer to the Gulf, If you look at Google satellite map images you can see tons of neighborhoods that were never built out. There are a couple of houses and streets in the shape of a neighborhood. What happened there?

Source: https://www.mtgo.com/decklist/modern-challenge-32-2024-05-1712638673
Source: https://www.mtgo.com/decklist/modern-challenge-32-2024-05-1812638683

Winners

• tigress on Domain Zoo [Jegantha]
  
• @joetruuu on 5c Omnath
  

Decklists

65	Friday Modern Challenge 1 (May 17 2024)
1.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(9-1) tigress
2.	BR Grief	(6-3) yeojlil
3.	Amulet Titan	(7-2) Jumba
4.	61-cards Amulet Titan	(7-2) mcwright_	@mcwright_
5.	Amulet Titan	(6-2) Bob49	@Bob449449
6.	Domain Rhinos	(6-2) mrounds1216
7.	Hardened Scales	(5-3) LordEgg
8.	4c Living End	(5-3) LucasG1ggs	@GiggsMtg
9.	BG Coffers [Umori]	(5-2) Walri
10.	BG Yawgmoth	(5-2) lunaloveee
11.	Amulet Titan	(5-2) ziofrancone	@ZioFrancone	[Twitch]
12.	4c Control [Kaheera]	(5-2) TheSandwichKing
13.	RG Crimes [Jegantha]	(5-2) kharmic
14.	4c Omnath	(5-2) Sharkym02
15.	Hardened Scales	(4-3) kePs
16.	BR Grief	(4-3) Bugsy69	@BugsyOP
17.	BG Yawgmoth	(3-3) SleepingSnorunt
18.	BR Grief	(4-3) Manny-	@MannyStach
19.	RW Burn	(4-3) rastaf	@MtgRastaf	[Twitch]
20.	Amulet Titan	(4-3) HouseOfManaMTG	@HouseOfManaMTG	[Twitch]	[YouTube]
21.	BG Yawgmoth	(4-3) Graciasportanto	@MauroSasso2
22.	BG Yawgmoth	(4-3) toondoslav	@toondoslav
23.	5c Creativity	(4-3) FourzTV
24.	BR Grief	(4-3) Marcuzinho
25.	4c Living End	(4-3) kahluah777
26.	4c Goryo's Vengeance	(4-3) twister66
27.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(4-3) SpikeLi
28.	Domain Rhinos	(4-3) cigarettesaftershrek	@wheredmyjuulgo	[Twitch]
29.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(4-3) JackSparr0w
30.	UR Murktide	(4-3) JahBoodle
31.	4c Living End	(3-4) drVendigo
32.	UR Murktide	(3-4) O_danielakos
33.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(3-4) avb
34.	UR Murktide	(3-4) SoIMBAGallade	@SoIMBAGallade	[Twitch]
35.	BG Yawgmoth	(3-4) Misplacedginger	@misplacedginger	[Twitch]
36.	GW Emeria Control	(3-4) levunga21	@levunga
37.	Bant Living End	(3-4) DevinShave	@Opt_gg	[Twitch]
38.	BG Yawgmoth	(2-4) CptInglo
39.	Jund Saga [Jegantha]	(3-4) crzmvx
40.	BR Grief	(3-3) EvolveMTG
41.	RW Burn	(2-4) Gugutcge1
42.	Esper Control [Kaheera]	(2-3) Who_Now
43.	BR Grief	(2-5) sokos13	@sokos13_
44.	RW Convoke [Jegantha]	(2-4) Paul-Blart-Mall-Cop
45.	RG Prowess [Jegantha]	(2-4) Hamuda	@hamudao3	[Twitch]	[YouTube]
46.	BR Shadow	(2-5) ale_ax95
47.	RW Burn	(2-3) nedyahiske
48.	RW Burn	(1-2) Dreddybajs	@PocketJacesCast	[Twitch]	[YouTube]
49.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(0-3) JakeTMS
50.	61-cards RG Ponza	(1-2) OrnatePuzzles	@Jaawls
51.	RW Convoke	(1-3) davy2892
52.	RW Burn	(1-4) _Shatun_
53.	4c Goryo's Vengeance	(1-4) SinKarma
54.	61-cards Mono G Tron	(1-3) narca
55.	Amulet Titan	(1-6) Garyseven84
56.	BG Yawgmoth	(1-2) Xerk	@Xerk_MTGO
57.	Esper Urza	(0-3) Silvermage447
58.	BR Grief	(0-2) KatieKat
59.	BG Yawgmoth	(0-3) Control4Daze			[YouTube]
60.	Domain Zoo	(0-2) raiden6
61.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(0-2) mtgobazaar8
62.	4c Living End	(0-3) MeninoNey	@MeninooNey
63.	BG Yawgmoth	(0-2) TheMeatMan	@MeatMTG	[Twitch]	[YouTube]
64.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(0-2) k00p4
65.	Mono G Tron	(0-2) Dictator_4_Life
	Mono B Rack	Selfeisek
	BR Grief	_Falcon_
	BR Grief	mtgua

59	Friday Modern Challenge 2 (May 17 2024)
1.	80-cards 5c Omnath	(7-1) joetru	@joetruuu
2.	UR Murktide	(7-2) O_danielakos
3.	4c Living End	(7-1) manohito
4.	BG Yawgmoth	(5-2) ARCll
5.	Esper Urza	(5-2) Silvermage447
6.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(5-2) nahuel10	@Nahuel10Mtg
7.	BR Grief	(4-3) samsoni1	@Samsoni1MTG	[Twitch]
8.	BR Grief	(4-3) Misplacedginger	@misplacedginger	[Twitch]
9.	Mono G Tron	(4-2) mwatts10
10.	Amulet Titan	(4-2) yPrincipe	@yPrincipeMTG
11.	GW Emeria Control	(4-2) SoggyCheerios
12.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(4-2) Shadowz2005	@Shadowz2005	[Twitch]
13.	4c Living End	(4-2) MeninoNey	@MeninooNey
14.	4c Living End	(4-2) LucasG1ggs	@GiggsMtg
15.	BR Grief	(4-2) doom580
16.	Amulet Titan	(4-2) Jumba
17.	RW Burn	(4-2) gazmon48	@gazmon48	[Twitch]
18.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(4-2) k00p4
19.	Jund Creativity	(4-2) musasabi	@flyingsquitou	[Twitch]
20.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(4-2) fingers1991	@fingers1991
21.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(3-3) JAJC
22.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(3-3) Venom1	@OowashiAkatsuki
23.	BR Grief	(3-3) Buwen
24.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(3-3) jakobpablo	@jakoboffline
25.	Mardu Burn	(3-3) quinniac	@GeneralQuinniac
26.	Abzan Amalia	(3-3) xerioc
27.	4c Living End	(3-3) kahluah777
28.	RG Assault Loam	(3-3) whiterknight
29.	Hardened Scales	(3-3) Chichichi
30.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(3-3) Alan07	@AlanLB07
31.	BR Grief	(3-3) ShadowTitan1
32.	Mono U Merfolk	(3-3) Casket2
33.	BR Grief	(3-3) AmadeusPro
34.	BG Yawgmoth	(3-3) HelpfulHobo
35.	RW Midrange	(3-3) DragonFodder	@BrindRobert
36.	Timeless Lotus Amulet [Jegantha]	(2-4) ScreenwriterNY
37.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(2-4) _and_one_
38.	4c Goryo's Vengeance	(2-4) 567konner
39.	RW Burn	(2-4) lazerbeam
40.	RG Crimes [Jegantha]	(2-4) Sandile
41.	UB Shadow	(2-4) Murmurs
42.	BR Grief	(2-4) Bugsy69	@BugsyOP
43.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(1-4) jcubby02100
44.	Amulet Titan	(1-2) HouseOfManaMTG	@HouseOfManaMTG	[Twitch]	[YouTube]
45.	BR Grief	(1-3) Azja	@AzjaMTG
46.	BR Grief	(1-2) EvolveMTG
47.	GW Bogles	(1-4) B1GR4T
48.	RG Crimes [Jegantha]	(1-4) cantillon
49.	Affinity [Jegantha]	(1-2) TheAcidicHasidic
50.	BG Yawgmoth	(1-2) claudioh	@claudiohmtg	[Twitch]
51.	UR Murktide	(1-4) Mogged	@CKikidis
52.	Affinity	(0-2) TheNectar
53.	RW Burn	(0-2) YungDingo	@YungDingoMTG	[Twitch]	[YouTube]
54.	Amulet Titan	(0-3) skydemon63
55.	Restore Balance	(0-3) Laranjinha-BR
56.	Mono B Rack	(0-2) 2805667
57.	Mono B Grief	(0-2) solace
58.	RW Burn	(0-4) marito9911
59.	61-cards 4c Control [Kaheera]	(0-2) Parrotlet
	Grixis Grief	_Batutinha_	@_Batutinha_	[Twitch]
	4c Living End	AFX	@afxmtg

Full Metagame Breakdown

9 BG Yawgmoth 7 BR Grief 6 Amulet Titan 5 Living End (4 4c, 1 Bant) 5 RW Burn 5 Rx Prowess (4 Temur, 1 RG) 4 Domain Zoo 3 UR Murktide 2 Domain Rhinos 2 Hardened Scales 2 UWx Control (1 4c, 1 Esper) 2 4c Goryo's Vengeance 2 RW Convoke 2 Mono G Tron 1 BG Coffers 1 RG Crimes 1 4c Omnath 1 5c Creativity 1 GW Emeria Control 1 Jund Saga 1 BR Shadow 1 RG Ponza 1 Esper Urza 

10 Bx Grief (9 BR, 1 Mono B) 6 Domain Zoo 5 Rx Burn (4 RW, 1 Mardu) 4 4c Living End 4 Temur Prowess 4 Amulet Titan 3 BG Yawgmoth 2 UR Murktide 2 RG Crimes 2 Affinity 1 5c Omnath 1 Esper Urza 1 Mono G Tron 1 GW Emeria Control 1 Jund Creativity 1 Abzan Amalia 1 RG Assault Loam 1 Hardened Scales 1 Mono U Merfolk 1 RW Midrange 1 Timeless Lotus Amulet 1 4c Goryo's Vengeance 1 UB Shadow 1 GW Bogles 1 Restore Balance 1 Mono B Rack 1 4c Control 

X-2 or better Archetype Breakdown

4 Amulet Titan 1 BG Yawgmoth 1 BR Grief 1 Living End (1 4c) 1 Domain Zoo 1 Domain Rhinos 1 Hardened Scales 1 UWx Control (1 4c) 1 BG Coffers 1 RG Crimes 1 4c Omnath 

3 Bx Grief (3 BR) 3 4c Living End 2 Domain Zoo 2 Temur Prowess 2 Amulet Titan 1 Rx Burn (1 RW) 1 BG Yawgmoth 1 UR Murktide 1 5c Omnath 1 Esper Urza 1 Mono G Tron 1 GW Emeria Control 1 Jund Creativity 

New Cards (OTJ/BIG)

Roxanne, Starfall Savant Lavaspur Boots Pillage the Bog Three Steps Ahead Magda, the Hoardmaster Freestrider Lookout Slickshot Show-Off High Noon Caustic Bronco Spinewoods Armadillo Assimilation Aegis Honest Rutstein Scorching Shot Lively Dirge Jace Reawakened Pest Control Nexus of Becoming Ancient Cornucopia Simulacrum Synthesizer Fomori Vault 

Follow me on Twitter!

• @bamzing_mtg

Source: https://www.mtgo.com/decklist/modern-challenge-32-2024-05-1612638652
Source: https://www.mtgo.com/decklist/modern-challenge-32-2024-05-1712638663

Winners

• Tubaba on BR Grief
  
• Filho_do_MOL on Amulet Titan
  

Decklists

65	Thursday Modern Challenge 1 (May 16 2024)
1.	BR Grief	(8-2) Tubaba
2.	Amulet Titan	(7-3) kanister	@kanister_mtg	[Twitch]	[YouTube]
3.	Amulet Titan	(7-2) DrakeHaven
4.	BG Yawgmoth	(6-3) Graciasportanto	@MauroSasso2
5.	4c Living End	(6-2) manohito
6.	BR Grief	(6-2) sokos13	@sokos13_
7.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(6-2) _Falcon_
8.	Hardened Scales	(5-3) LordEgg
9.	BR Grief	(5-2) Martin_Dominguez	@RuloMTG
10.	UR Murktide	(5-2) Alico
11.	BG Yawgmoth	(5-2) lunaloveee
12.	GW Emeria Control	(5-2) levunga21	@levunga
13.	4c Goryo's Vengeance	(5-2) twister66
14.	BG Yawgmoth	(5-2) ARCll
15.	RW Burn	(5-2) rastaf	@MtgRastaf	[Twitch]
16.	4c Living End	(4-3) LucasG1ggs	@GiggsMtg
17.	Jeskai Urza	(4-3) gyyby297	@gyyby_mtg297
18.	UB Mill	(4-3) GingerGuy83
19.	4c Omnath	(4-3) TrueHero	@IsThatTrueHero
20.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(4-3) Alan07	@AlanLB07
21.	BR Grief	(4-3) _Batutinha_	@_Batutinha_	[Twitch]
22.	UR Murktide	(4-3) O_danielakos
23.	UR Murktide	(4-3) Shiny_Beest
24.	RW Burn	(4-3) rasvd
25.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(4-3) milikin
26.	RG Crimes [Jegantha]	(3-3) grinderA
27.	Mono B Rack	(4-3) medvedev	@m3dvedev
28.	Mono W Hammer	(4-3) Akeel
29.	4c Living End	(3-4) MeninoNey	@MeninooNey
30.	Amulet Titan	(3-4) Jumba
31.	BR Grief	(2-3) KatieKat
32.	BR Grief	(3-4) Capitano_CL
33.	4c Living End	(3-4) drVendigo
34.	RW Midrange	(3-4) DragonFodder	@BrindRobert
35.	4c Omnath	(3-4) alemilan19	@alemilan_19
36.	4c Living End	(3-4) Linden_43
37.	Mono W Hammer	(3-4) CARLONEE
38.	BR Grief	(2-4) JFoster
39.	Mono B Rack	(3-4) Selfeisek
40.	Jund Crimes [Jegantha]	(2-4) stefanocanclini
41.	Mono B Rack	(2-3) Makitren
42.	4c Goryo's Vengeance	(2-3) 2radMTG
43.	Affinity	(2-4) Dreddybajs	@PocketJacesCast	[Twitch]	[YouTube]
44.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(2-3) pepeteam
45.	RG Tron	(2-4) AlpInco	@Alp_MTG	[Twitch]	[YouTube]
46.	RW Burn	(2-5) FranMtg
47.	4c Living End	(2-4) Sven745
48.	Bant Living End	(2-5) DevinShave	@Opt_gg	[Twitch]
49.	61-cards Mono G Stompy	(2-4) p00pInMyFacex3
50.	Jund Grief	(1-3) jeunejulio
51.	4c Omnath [Kaheera]	(1-2) McWinSauce	@McWinSauce
52.	BG Asmo	(1-3) Trollolas
53.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(1-3) Venom1	@OowashiAkatsuki
54.	Esper Soulherder	(1-5) ChuckNoris43
55.	4c Rhinos	(1-2) Hatsunelol
56.	Glimpse	(0-3) Laranjinha-BR
57.	4c Living End	(0-2) magaramagara
58.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(0-2) k00p4
59.	Jund Creativity	(0-2) avb
60.	Grixis Shadow	(0-2) Gernardi
61.	61-cards Amulet Titan	(0-2) Mistakenn	@Mistakenn1	[Twitch]
62.	4c Goryo's Vengeance	(0-2) ScoopDog
63.	RG Crimes [Jegantha]	(0-2) hugtheaquilifer
64.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(0-1) Ale_Mtg	@Ale_mora_02
65.	BR Grief	(0-4) _ruda_
	Amulet Titan	gurig	@TaintedOpt
	BG Coffers [Umori]	Walri
	4c Living End	death_grips

50	Thursday Modern Challenge 2 (May 16 2024)
1.	Amulet Titan	(7-2) Filho_do_MOL
2.	RW Burn	(7-2) absoluteragez
3.	BG Yawgmoth	(6-2) Nammersquats	@Nammersquats	[Twitch]
4.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(5-3) AnothaPlaya
5.	Amulet Titan	(6-1) HouseOfManaMTG	@HouseOfManaMTG	[Twitch]	[YouTube]
6.	RW Burn	(5-2) izzy-wilde
7.	RW Prowess	(5-2) Bosseidon	@BosseidonRed	[Twitch]	[YouTube]
8.	Affinity [Jegantha]	(5-2) jfariv
9.	Grixis Grief	(4-2) SinKarma
10.	BR Grief	(4-2) Capitano_CL
11.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(4-2) mtgobazaar8
12.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(4-2) Alan07	@AlanLB07
13.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(4-2) k00p4
14.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(4-2) The_Kingpin
15.	Amulet Titan	(4-2) Jumba
16.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(4-2) jcubby02100
17.	4c Omnath [Kaheera]	(3-3) Viatt
18.	BR Grief	(3-3) AmadeusPro
19.	61-cards Amulet Titan	(3-3) _EzMud1
20.	BR Grief	(3-3) jben
21.	Amulet Titan	(3-3) Ivan_Draw_Go	@Ivan_Draw_Go	[Twitch]
22.	Abzan Amalia	(3-3) xerioc
23.	Affinity	(3-3) TheNectar
24.	BG Yawgmoth	(3-3) SleepingSnorunt
25.	Amulet Titan	(3-3) gurig	@TaintedOpt
26.	4c Living End	(3-3) death_grips
27.	UW Control [Kaheera]	(3-3) nahuel10	@Nahuel10Mtg
28.	UR Control	(3-3) Joryago
29.	BR Grief	(3-3) No_e_that_knows	@Noe_leal_jr
30.	BG Yawgmoth	(3-3) Zorro7x4
31.	BG Coffers [Jegantha]	(2-3) selesneal	@selesneal
32.	Domain Zoo [Jegantha]	(1-4) _and_one_
33.	UW Control [Kaheera]	(2-4) bless_von
34.	BR Grief	(2-4) jvidarte
35.	UR Murktide	(1-4) Toki_85
36.	UW Control [Kaheera]	(2-4) vSUPREME973
37.	4c Living End	(1-4) Oppa
38.	RW Burn	(1-4) _BOI_
39.	61-cards RG Ponza	(1-3) OrnatePuzzles	@Jaawls
40.	Temur Prowess [Jegantha]	(1-3) jessy_samek	@Jessy_samek
41.	Esper Control [Kaheera]	(1-3) 2805667
42.	RW Burn	(0-2) Cachorrowo
43.	BR Grief	(0-3) DannyStarchild
44.	BG Yawgmoth	(0-2) TheMeatMan	@MeatMTG	[Twitch]	[YouTube]
45.	BR Grief	(0-3) f1shmagic
46.	RG Crimes [Jegantha]	(0-2) bunnyfat
47.	UG Infect	(0-2) ItsMattox
48.	UR Breach	(0-2) YungDingo	@YungDingoMTG	[Twitch]	[YouTube]
49.	Bant Living End	(0-2) WingedHussar	@WingedHussarMTG	[Twitch]
50.	Dice Factory	(0-3) Spy_1

Full Metagame Breakdown

9 Bx Grief (8 BR, 1 Jund) 8 Living End (7 4c, 1 Bant) 4 Amulet Titan 4 Temur Prowess 3 BG Yawgmoth 3 UR Murktide 3 4c Goryo's Vengeance 3 RW Burn 3 4c Omnath 3 Domain Zoo 3 Crimes (2 RG, 1 Jund) 3 Mono B Rack 2 Mono W Hammer 1 Hardened Scales 1 GW Emeria Control 1 Jeskai Urza 1 UB Mill 1 RW Midrange 1 Affinity 1 RG Tron 1 Mono G Stompy 1 BG Asmo 1 Esper Soulherder 1 4c Rhinos 1 Glimpse 1 Jund Creativity 1 Grixis Shadow 

8 Bx Grief (7 BR, 1 Grixis) 6 Amulet Titan 6 Rx Prowess (5 Temur, 1 RW) 4 RW Burn 4 BG Yawgmoth 4 UWx Control (3 UW, 1 Esper) 3 Domain Zoo 3 Living End (2 4c, 1 Bant) 2 Affinity 1 4c Omnath 1 Abzan Amalia 1 UR Control 1 BG Coffers 1 UR Murktide 1 RG Ponza 1 RG Crimes 1 UG Infect 1 UR Breach 1 Dice Factory 

X-2 or better Archetype Breakdown

3 Bx Grief (3 BR) 3 BG Yawgmoth 2 Amulet Titan 1 Living End (1 4c) 1 Temur Prowess 1 UR Murktide 1 4c Goryo's Vengeance 1 RW Burn 1 Hardened Scales 1 GW Emeria Control 

5 Rx Prowess (4 Temur, 1 RW) 3 Amulet Titan 2 Bx Grief (1 Grixis, 1 BR) 2 RW Burn 2 Domain Zoo 1 BG Yawgmoth 1 Affinity 

New Cards (OTJ/BIG)

Caustic Bronco Roxanne, Starfall Savant Slickshot Show-Off Lavaspur Boots Honest Rutstein Magda, the Hoardmaster Freestrider Lookout Requisition Raid Satoru, the Infiltrator Assimilation Aegis Pillage the Bog Three Steps Ahead Fomori Vault Pest Control Simulacrum Synthesizer Lost Jitte 

Follow me on Twitter!

• @bamzing_mtg

We recently added wood floors in our bedroom, Painted the walls and ceiling, added canned lights and a new ceiling fan. We love our new colors and the rug we found for under our bed but now I need help piecing the rest together. We only want a headboard (not a whole bed frame). The dressers we currently have are going away, as my husband is building new ones. I need help with what colowood the new dressers and side tables should be. Would like to do away with lamps on the side tables, as well. I need help picking out colors for a bedspread and think I will also need a bed skirt. Need ideas for sheet colors, accent colors, etc. I would like the window covering to soften the room. Not sure what to do or what colors to choose. The blinds are black-out and are a "grey/beige" color.
I also need help decorating the "Plant shelf", which is too high to put a real plan on. Currently, I made an arrangement in silk/foam flowers but that's all I got! haha.
We love the blue accent wall which is Benjamin Moore's #1650, "Stillwater" also known as HC-159. The other walls are Benjamin Moore's #1549, "Balboa Mist" also known as OC-27. The flooring is Johnson's Ale House series, "Barley Ale". https://johnsonhardwood.com/products/ame-ahm19004-barleyale/
Looking for other colocolors to pop in decor. I like bright colors but do not love a lot of yellow or burnt orange.

LOOOONG first time trip report! 5/13-5/18, stayed at Beach Club, visited all four parks, bought Genie+ every day, had the standard DDP. Family of 4, two girls 5 and 9. I learned so much from this group over the past year and especially loved trip reports, so hopefully this post will be helpful to someone!
💲BUDGET💲
-- I booked the trip a year out so I could break it up into 12 manageable payments. I opened the no fee Disney VISA, which gives you several months of no interest on charges made towards Disney travel packages, rewards dollars to use at Disney, and a couple other perks like character meet and greets and discounts.
-- I signed up for Disney Movie Insiders. This is what you're supposed to do with all those little codes that come in Disney DVDs/Blurays. You enter the codes in exchange for points, and at 1000 points, you can redeem for a $10 Disney gift card. You also get points for being subscribed to Disney+, seeing Disney movies in the theater, their social media accounts, and a whole bunch of other things. I got $50 in gift cards from this alone.
-- If you want Disney-themed luggage, try thinking outside the box to save money! I got plain luggage in Mickey colors--red and black--and Mickey luggage tags to make them Disney themed.
-- I tried to budget for souvenirs via gift cards... but I failed, lol. Everything is so expensive, $100 is gone in a second. Plushes are like $40, coffee cups are $20, etc. Whatever you're planning to spend, double it! I get what people say about most shops having the same stuff, but it's definitely not all of them, most of the ones post-ride have unique stuff. And honestly it's kind of nice most of them have the same stuff, if you want to get whatever your kid was asking for earlier, you don't have to walk all the way back to the one shop you saw it at.
-- We paid for Memory Maker and I'm on the fence about it. On the one hand, it's really nice to get all the ride photos and meet and greet photos and magic shots. It's also really nice for the whole family to be in a lot of pictures and not have to swap with the other adult or find someone willing to take your picture. On the other, we definitely didn't utilize it as much as I wanted to because a lot of the photographers had pretty long lines and I just didn't want to spend time waiting for a picture I could take myself. If we came across someone with a shortish or no line, we made sure to get it, but for anyone with a long line, we just stood around the same spot and took our own.
🗓️PLANNING🗓️
-- If you have kids and live within easy driving distance of another amusement park, highly recommend making a visit BEFORE going to Disney to get an idea of how they handle that kind of day/environment, especially if they have never been. I quickly discovered we would absolutely need a stroller and I would need to be militant with the kids about staying hydrated. Also to avoid face paint, as heat + tears + paint + eyes = bad day! I felt so much better making these discoveries beforehand and being able to prepare accordingly, rather than making them at Disney.
-- USE AN AGENT! An agent is free to you, so why not have the help? Ours was amazing, she gave us quotes, booked the package, rebooked as needed later when a better deal came out, made all the payments, dining and extra reservations, and was just all-around awesome to work with. It was such a load off to know I wasn't on my own with all this stuff.
-- Watch everything Ear Scouts. No one explains Genie+ better, and Rob and Erick's videos are just so positive and beautiful and well done.
-- I also enjoyed reading Disney Tourist Blog--lovingly snarky but super informative!--and Disney Food Blog for fun tips and news.
-- I didn't find any park to be a half day park, we filled our whole day in every one and still didn't see everything!
-- My kids did really well, whenever they were on the verge of cranky, we had one ride in the stroller for a while, bought a snack (usually ice cream or popcorn), and used the bubble wand, and/or gave them some ibuprofen, and everyone felt better pretty quick. We never tried to do fireworks, we were all done by 8 so always left after dinner. The only park we closed down was EPCOT because we didn't get out of dinner until after close, and that was a really cool experience, the park was so quiet and empty and beautiful!
-- You don't NEED a Magic Band... but man, was it convenient. We just had 1.0 Magic Bands though, we didn't bother with the 2.0s.
-- I guess moving through security fast is important to people rope dropping... but as someone who didn't, it added like maybe 30 seconds to a minute to the experience the couple times my bag got flagged, it's really not a big deal.
-- I'm not saying anyone's lying about bad experiences or exaggerating or anything, but try to remember that far more people go on the Internet to complain than they do to praise. I got so stressed about all the things that could go wrong, and we had a pretty much perfect trip. The only attraction that broke down on us was Muppetvision, of all things. The only "bad behavior" we witnessed was the morning we were leaving, we could hear a dad across the hall yelling at his family, I think they overslept and were going to miss their flight or something? We just turned the TV on so we didn't have to hear him. A couple times we forgot to take our stuff with us when we parked our stroller or forgot some food in it, and neither people nor animals bothered it. The only dicey thing that happened to us was me dropping my phone into the Dumbo moat, the cast members fished it out and it still worked, I sent them a cast compliment for all their help! All the cast members were great, I'm not really sure what people expect but IMO they all do amazing for having to be peppy and helpful all day in absolutely blazing heat, walking a ride conveyer belt nonstop, repeating the same spiels over and over, meeting person after person, etc. I wouldn't last a 2 hour shift let alone 8. Cast members, you rock!!!
✈️TRAVEL✈️
-- We flew Delta, flight there was flawless, flight home was delayed by an hour waiting for crew and was a little bumpy (which is not great for a nervous flyer like me) but otherwise fine.
-- Get TSA PreCheck! Good for a few years, if the adults have it the kids have it too. It made the whole experience so much easier. That said, even PreCheck still moves kind of slow at MCO, so definitely get there at least 2 hours early for your flight. Use curbside check-in for bags, way faster than the long line inside!
-- On our agent's recommendation, we used Away We Go for ground transport in Orlando. They communicate really well, both ways were flawless, no complaints!
-- We used Minnie Vans to get to Animal Kingdom + Sanaa and Magic Kingdom, what a wonderful service! Definitely pricey, but they had cartoons on in the car, booster seats they set up for you, and the drivers were so nice and friendly and had fun trivia to share. I never had any problem requesting one when I needed it.
⛱️BEACH CLUB⛱️
-- We knew we wanted an onsite hotel where you could walk to at least one park. This pretty much limits you to a handful of Deluxe hotels or the Swan and Dolphin. Beach Club won for us because it's "in the Disney bubble" and you can walk to 2/4 parks. Note that while you can technically walk to Hollywood Studios, it is a LOOOONG walk. The boat is a nice not crowded alternative! We did not make use of Early Entry or Extended Hours, we're just not built for either. Beach Club was lovely, we booked a resort view but I think we ended up with a water view, we were right by the quiet pool and could see the water beyond from our room. Stormalong Bay was a little crazy for us but we loved the quiet pool. Best thing about Beach Club though is the location, EPCOT is literally steps away!
🌳ANIMAL KINGDOM🌳
-- We had read that there's really no bad day to do AK, so we started there. We rode: Navi River Journey, Flight of Passage, Kali River Rapids, Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Triceratops Spin, and Dinosaur--so pretty much everything! With Genie+ we walked onto all of them. We also met Moana, Pocahontas, and Russell! The only thing we didn't do here that we wanted to was the Gorilla Falls trail, but we just ran out of time before the park closed.
🌐EPCOT🌐
-- We had read to avoid EPCOT on Fridays and Saturdays, so we went on Wednesday. We rode: Grand Fiesta Tour, Living with the Land, Nemo, Spaceship Earth, Imagination with Figment, Frozen, Remy, Journey of Water, and Guardians--everything we wanted! Again, with Genie+, we walked right onto everything! Outside of our character meal (more on that in the dining section!), we also met Anna, Elsa, and Asha! Tried a couple of Flower and Garden snacks: chicken and waffles, fruit and cheese strudel, and potato pancakes, all were delicious! Everyone had a different favorite day, but EPCOT was personally my favorite day, it felt like we were firing on all cylinders and the day just went really smoothly!
🏰MAGIC KINGDOM🏰
-- We had read that Wednesdays were the quietest days at MK, so we were originally going to try to do it that day, but we could only get a reservation for Cinderella's Royal Table on Thursday, so we switched it up. Definitely the most crowded of all the parks we visited, but I think that's just the norm for MK, everyone wants to go to the castle park with the most rides. We rode: Regal Carousel, Tomorrowland Speedway, Barnstormer, Magic Carpets, Mad Tea Party, People Mover, Dumbo, Small World, Little Mermaid, Pirates, Space Ranger Spin, Jungle Cruise, TRON, and Peter Pan. Again, with Genie+, we walked right onto everything! The only ride we missed at this park that we wanted to do was Pooh, I couldn't manage to get a return time that was earlier than we planned on leaving. Outside of our character meals (more on those in the dining section!) we also met Mirabel, Tiana, and Rapunzel! We had both the Rapunzel and Aurora ice creams, both so good and cute!
🎬HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS🎬
-- We had read that, like MK, it's better to do HS later in the week, so we went Friday. We rode: Slinky, Alien Saucers, Toy Story Mania, Rise, Smuggler's Run, Runaway Railway. Again, with Genie+, we walked right onto everything! The only ride we missed was Tower of Terror, again I couldn't manage to get a return time that was earlier than we planned on leaving. We also met Olaf, be aware Olaf doesn't sign stuff, they just give you a signature card. This park needs more shade IMO, especially Toy Story Land, I know it's supposed to be Andy's backyard, but I don't see why that means we can't have some shade from trees or something. 🤪 Blue milk from Galaxy's Edge was really good, the family was all fighting over it!
🍽️DINING🍽️
-- We almost certainly lost some money on the DDP, but I'm still glad we got it because it allowed us to do more table service meals and have less stress overall about expenses. We easily used up everything but child quick service credits, we had a few of those left over near the end.
Here's where we ate!
BOARDWALK DELI/PIZZA WINDOW: Pizza for the kids, sandwiches for the adults. Tasty and satisfying after our day of travel!
BEACHES AND CREAM: Got the kitchen sink for the experience, but honestly it's not great, all the ice cream and toppings melt together quick and you just end up with weird ice cream soup.
SAT'ULI CANTEEN: LOVED this place, everything was so yummy! Best quick service we had!
SANAA: Since Animal Kingdom closes so early, we thought we'd try to extend the experience by eating at Sanaa. What a great idea, we got seated right by a window and saw so many animals! The food was great too.
AKERSHUS: Our favorite princess meal! We met Aurora, Tiana, Snow White, Ariel, and Belle. They were all lovely, and the breakfast was really good too. Only 1 credit on the DDP!
GARDEN GRILL: Our kids really enjoyed getting to look down over Living with the Land and the fact that the restaurant spins. We met Farmer Mickey, Pluto, and Chip and Dale. They were fun and even came to our table more than once. Food was good!
SPACE 220: Not on the DDP, but wow, what a cool restaurant! Almost like a ride with the theming and the elevator up. Food was really good.
CINDERELLA'S ROYAL TABLE: You gotta eat in the castle! We paid for it OOP because we didn't want to use up 2 DDP credits here. You're really going for the location and the princesses, the food is kinda meh, not bad but not as good as other places. The restaurant is small and they have to turn tables quick, so it's very understandable to me that the princesses have to move fast. It's not that they rush you, they'll take all the pictures you ask for and sign whatever and answer your questions, but if you don't have much you need, they try to keep moving. Akershus is much bigger so they are able to be more relaxed there. The only small bummer is that we didn't see Merida (maybe she was on vacation too!) We did meet Cinderella, Ariel, Jasmine, and Aurora though!
CRYSTAL PALACE: We are not big on buffets but we enjoyed meeting Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger!
TOPOLINO'S: Maybe the best food of the trip, steak and eggs were so good! The character artist costumes are so cute too. It was fun to have an excuse to ride the Skyliner to get here from Beach Club too.
DOCKING BAY 7: The theming is great, but the food wasn't as good as Satuli Canteen IMO.
THE MARKET AT ALE & COMPASS: We had quick service credits we wanted to use up on the last day and we didn't want to leave the resort again, otherwise I would have gone somewhere else, food was meh.
✨EXTRAS✨
-- I originally wanted to book Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for my kids, but it's so expensive/competitive that I decided to didn't want the stress. Instead I booked Have Wand, Will Travel to come to our room and bought dresses from Presley Couture and Only Little Once. I chose Have Wand, Will Travel because they keep character throughout. Fairy Godmother Elyse was amazing and so much fun, my kids loved it and kept talking about it all day!
-- That same morning I ordered a Sammicakes breakfast box with beignets for us to eat. I also ordered a pretend letter from The DCP and Me on Etsy to make it seem like the breakfast came from Tiana. My kids also loved this and had fun telling Tiana about it both times we met her. Sammicakes was good but a LOT of food, sadly we didn't end up eating half of it. It can last you at least 3 days!
-- We had Birthdays and More decorate our door, it was a really fun surprise for the kids on our first day and made our room easy to find. The kids also loved reusing the decorations at home on their own doors!
-- Matching shirts and ear hats, all from Etsy! So many cool designs there, hardest part is choosing!
-- Got my kids a pin trading lanyard with some pins, they loooooved pin trading! It was like free souvenirs.
🧳PACKING🧳
-- Things the Internet Told Me to Pack That I Needed: Scissors, ziploc bags, ibuprofen (kids and adults), garbage bags, big carabiners to hook on the strolleuse to carry multiple bags at once.
-- Things the Internet Told Me to Pack that I Didn't Need: stainless steel straws (the paper straws are more like hard cardboard, they really don't break down unless your kid is gnawing on them or something), ponchos (it did rain some most days, but wearing a poncho was almost more miserable than not wearing one, it's so hot and humid to be walking around in a plastic bag! We did better taking shelter and using umbrellas.), wipes (obv you need them if your kid is younger, but mine were older and just never got messy enough to need them), glow sticks (we never stayed anywhere long enough to use them), bottled wateLiquid IV (the tap water tasted the same as home to us, but we live in a rural area so maybe we are just used to imperfect water?) Basically, the less you can get away carrying in the parks, the better. It's annoying to lug stuff around you don't end up needing or using!
🛞STROLLER🛞
-- I know it seems insane that your 5 year old and 9 year old will need a stroller, but mine definitely did. Once I accepted that I was going to have to get one, I tried to make the best of it, and actually got really into decorating it so we could always easily spot it in the sea (the decorations also later made nice wall decor for a gallery of our trip!) The Magic Spotter flag was the best investment, hardly anyone had them so it was easy to instantly spot our stroller anywhere we left it, even if it got moved. That said, I definitely didn't want to spend a lot on a stroller we were really only buying for this one trip, so I got a used Joovy Caboose on Facebook Marketplace for $50. It was very hard to handle with two older kids in it, and even with one it was hard to handle unless the kid was in the back seat. So we basically used it like a single stroller, glad I didn't spend a lot on it since it was so hard to drive!
☔WEATHER☔
-- We had mostly great weather, it rained some every day except Magic Kingdom day but it passed within an hour each time. We wore socks with Crocs so that if/when it rained, we could just take our wet socks off and walk in our Crocs, this worked great! Don't trust the weather reports though, two days it wasn't supposed to rain. One day it actually didn't, the other day it did and we had to walk in wet shoes because we didn't wear the Crocs that day. Just figure it might rain any day and be prepared! See above note RE: ponchos being not great and shelter + umbrellas being better. When it didn't rain, It. Was. Hot. 🥵 In the 90s but definitely felt hotter with the humidity making it so sticky. We felt there was plenty of shade at Animal Kingdom and EPCOT, but hardly any at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, which I would say slightly affected how much fun we had on those days comparatively.
Phew! That's about it, let me know if you have any questions!

I stayed once in an AirBNB in California that was a travel trailer. Everything was disclosed and it was a great stay.
I live pretty close to Universal and have a long driveway that is out of sight behind the house and my house has it's own septic tank/line. I think I could pretty easily get a tiny house or travel trailer and make it pretty nice and affordable for potential guests. Does anybody know if Orlando/Orange county allows something like this?

Here are some I’ve read: - Diavola by Jennifer Thorne (4⭐️) - The haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (5⭐️) - The woman in black by Susan Hill (3.5⭐️) - Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth (5⭐️) - How to sell a haunted house by Grady Hendrix (3⭐️) - She is a haunting by Trang Thanh Tran (3⭐️) - A house with good bones by T. Kingfisher (3⭐️) - The september house by Carissa Orlando (4.5⭐️) - A haunting on the hill by Elizabeth Hand (3.5⭐️) - Linghun by Ai Jiang (4⭐️) - Tell me I’m worthless by Alison Rumfitt (5⭐️) - Woodworm by Layla Martinez (3.5⭐️)
Thanks in advance! 🖤

The Dwyers were a couple from Fermoy in County Cork, Ireland who vanished without a trace along with their car in May 1991. It's widely believed that they ended up in the River Blackwater after going off the road but there have been alleged sightings since then as well as other details that continue to make their disappearance a topic of debate with no clear answer.
Conor and Sheila Dwyer were considered by all to be a pleasant and kindly couple. Conor was described as a "jokester who loved to laugh" and Sheila was "quiet but polite and always well dressed". They lived in a small house on Chapel Hill in Fermoy and were the parents to two adult sons, Gerry and Conor Jr, both of whom resided in the UK at this stage. 63 year old Conor had worked as a handyman, plumber and part-time taxi driver while 61 year old Sheila was a homemaker and would frequently be found at their Fermoy house. At the time of their disappearance, Conor had been a part-time chauffeur for the German businessman and millionaire, Fritz Wolf who was holidaying 10 minutes from where the Dwyers lived. After working hard their whole lives, Conor and Sheila were excited to begin retirement together.
The last confirmed sighting of the couple was on April 30th 1991 when they attended a funeral mass at St Patrick's church in Fermoy, a mere 100m from their home. They were spotted leaving the church by their neighbour, a woman called Katherine Fenton. The following day, May 1st, Sheila's sisters Maisie and Nellie both spoke with her on the phone. They stated that she seemed in good form and that everything appeared normal. Sheila was close to her sisters and they would frequently converse by phone so when they attempted to call her again in early May and couldn't reach her, they were surprised but not particularly concerned. However, by the time May 22nd came around, it had been 3 full weeks since their last contact and this caused her sisters to become extremely concerned. They filed a missing persons report that day.
Shortly after, Gardaí forced entry to the Dwyer's home while Sheila's sisters anxiously waited outside. However, they were surprised to note that nothing was out of place and the home was clean and tidy. Their clothes, passports and bank cards remained and a pair of reading glasses were neatly placed on the arm of the sofa. A biscuit tin with 1000 pounds (€2100) cash in it was also found but as this was a fairly normal thing to do at the time in Ireland, it didn't offer any clues. The only things missing were the couple themselves and their car, a white Toyota Cressida with registration 5797 ZT. Their bank accounts hadn't been touched either and were never used again. This was utterly baffling to both the family and investigators, as here was a reliable and much loved couple who never got into trouble and had no dangerous connections, who had just vanished into thin air. In addition, it wasn't clear when they went missing as there was a 3 week period in which they were unaccounted for. Curiously, a year prior to the Dwyer's disappearance, another man from Fermoy and his car had also vanished without trace. 53 year old William Fennessy and his Daihatsu Charade simply disappeared into thin air one night while he was on his way home.
An extensive land and water search got underway and townspeople were interviewed. Interpol also checked ferry records to see if the Dwyers had perhaps gone to the UK to visit their sons but this search turned up no leads. However, alleged sightings did start to trickle in. A woman who was familiar to the couple stated that she saw them at a traffic light in Fermoy shortly after their disappearance. In 1993, after the case was aired on Crimecall, a woman called Mary O'Dowd rang in to state that she had seen the couple in Lourdes airport in June 1991. She said the man was behaving strangely and seemed nervous or agitated. She watched them until he said something to the effect of "Let's go" and they both walked away. What's interesting about this sighting, is that the clothing Mary described the couple as wearing was confirmed by Sheila's sisters as the same garments that had been missing from the home. Further sightings were reported in Dublin, Waterford and even as far as Munich. However, none of these have ever been verified. It was also wondered why Fritz Wolf, the German businessman whom Conor chauffered, hadn't reported him missing. However, it couldn't be confirmed that Conor had still been working for him at the time he vanished. Around this time, it came out that allegedly, in the 1980's, Conor had vanished for a number of years before reappearing. This has never been fully verified but it is frequently reported in the media and many believe that under Conor's joyful exterior, he was suffering from severe depression which contributed to his alleged absence at that time. However, this has never been confirmed in an official capacity.
The case went cold and there were no further developments until 2013, when something shocking was uncovered. A local scuba diving team had been undergoing a routine training exercise in the River Blackwater when, at a depth of 3.5 metres, a car was discovered buried deep in the silt. Human remains were discovered in the vehicle and when eventually DNA tested, they were confirmed to be those of William Fennessy, the man who had gone missing a year prior to the Dwyers. After 23 long years, William had been found and brought home. This discovery brought up more questions, however, as it was unsure how his car ended up in the river. It was suggested that it could have been a suicide, a medical emergency or that he simply lost control of the vehicle. What's strange about this too, is that the area in which his car was found had been extensively combed by divers when he initially went missing and nothing was found. It was proposed that his car may have entered the water at a different point and over time, simply been moved along the river bed by the strong current.
This discovery brought the Dwyer's case back into the spotlight and affirmed, to many, that their car had also ended up in the deep and fast-flowing Blackwater River. But this theory also brought forward questions about whether the vehicle might have entered the water accidentally or deliberately. One theory suggested that the Dwyer's car entered the water deliberately as part of a suicide pact. Conor's alleged disappearance in the 80's was brought up again and many considered this evidence that he was deeply depressed and even suicidal. Another theory simply suggested that due to their age, a medical emergency was had or they lost control of the car and ended up in the river where the car sank and remains to this day. William's case seemed to indicate that a vehicle that entered the river might not be found in the same place it entered and that the Dwyers are still in the blackwater but in an area not yet searched.
33 years on and not a single trace of Conor and Sheila Dwyer or their white Toyota has ever been found. It's still unknown whether they vanished deliberately or accidentally or even if they entered the river at all. There was no motive for a deliberate disappearance and the couple were looking forward to retirement together which makes the case all the stranger. Unless the couple or their car are discovered, we may never know what happened to these kindly and much loved people. However, Garda are still appealing for information as of today and it's hoped that someday, this baffling case will be solved.
Sources: https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/its-baffling-gardai-appeal-for-help-to-solve-33-year-old-mystery-of-missing-cork-couple-conor-and-sheila-dwyea1322879035.html
https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/we-do-have-a-few-leads-says-detective-leading-unsolved-case-of-cork-couple-conor-and-sheila-dwyer-who-vanished-32-years-ago/a466890339.html
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munstearid-41384545.html
https://lostnfoundblogs.com/f/conor-sheila-dwyer-marital-mystery
https://www.newstalk.com/news/like-they-stepped-off-the-face-of-the-earth-mystery-of-missing-cork-couple-32-years-on-1461641

The new gift-specific dialogue from the 1.6 update has me absolutely tickled pink! This one especially… I also haven’t practiced my creative writing in a while, and I decided it needed to happen sooner rather than later, so here, have a short story! Sorry if it's boring… I’m a little rusty!
“A Gift From The Void”
It was only yesterday… No one was quite sure where it had come from. There had been a sinister cackling noise ringing through the night air and Abigail had mentioned seeing an unidentifiable shape soaring through the sky during her walk home from the cemetery. The townsfolk gossiped and speculated about what it could have been that evening, but by the next morning they still hadn’t come to any reasonable explanation. It was only yesterday, and yet the entire village seemed to have already put it out of their minds and moved on. The scandal and chatter following the “Anchovy Soup Incident” at the Summer Luau several years back had lasted far longer than this… Even now Sam was still getting sideways glances whenever he got within a 20 foot radius of the soup cauldron, but this just blows over in less than a day? The priorities of small town people were strange.
Things had gone back to that same semblance of backwater, middle-of-nowhere kind of normal, and now the night had become just the same as any other Friday evening. Sebastian was playing a round of billiards with Sam, and while Sam was preoccupied with lining up the cue with his intended target ball, the farmer strolled into the saloon and up to the bar. Heads turned and raised to the newcomer for a moment before returning to whatever it was that had been previously holding their attention. Sebastian caught the sudden flourish of movement out of his periphery, but didn’t pay it much mind. The farmer ordered a coffee and a plate of the night’s special, and struck up a conversation with Gus about a peculiar egg that had materialized in their coop seemingly out of nowhere the night before. Apparently they’d decided to tuck it away into the incubator and wait to see what… if anything hatched from it.
Sebastian had never really been one to eavesdrop, but the wait for Sam to make his move was becoming boring, and sometimes the stories that passed around the saloon on Friday evenings got interesting depending on who all was involved. The story didn’t really go too far into detail. The farmer poked at their food until it had cooled enough to not scald the inside of their mouth, then they took a few bites before bringing up the events of the previous evening. What first started off as a funny story seemed to turn into some deep discussion with Gus about the mysteries of life. Eventually, Willy and Elliott were caught up in the mirth and it turned into a medley of strange tales from faraway lands and once-upon-a-times. Obviously exaggerated sightings of fearsome creatures on a midnight stormy sea, legends of colossal white whales, references to works written by masters of the mystery genre, as well as some from a trashy neo-noir novel or two that had probably been picked up from a bookstore clearance shelf.
Willy stroked his beard and mused about some daring battle between himself and a fish of questionable proportions that seemed to grow larger each time he told the story. Sebastian had heard this one before. The fight over the line had gone on for over an hour before the shadow of the fish rose near to the surface, and just before Willy could land the monster of a catch, it dove below again, taking the whole fishing rod overboard and nearly Willy himself with it.
Elliott gulped down the last few swigs of ale in his tankard, slapped the farmer firmly on the back, snorted and chuckled in an ungraceful yet jolly display that only ever crept out of him when he’d had a bit too much to drink.
“That fish becomes more miraculous each time he talks about it!” Elliott shook his head and smiled as he leaned almost a little too far forward. There was a slight sway to his posture and he tried to straighten his body back in line with the barstool. “To life, and her many little silly tricks of fate, my friends!” he declared. He raised the empty mug, and with his free hand, delicately tucked a few strands of stray hair behind his ear with the tips of his fingers. He rested his elbow back on the bar before he could lose his balance and sighed contently. Elliott’s cheeks were practically glowing red at this point and it was a wonder that he wasn’t slurring his words yet.
“Aye, you’ve all heard my fish story haven’t ye?” Willy chuckled. “How ‘bout the one about the Baba Yaga?” the farmer’s head tilted and they gazed curiously at the fisherman. Willy rested his foot on the crossbar of the barstool, lifted the rim of his hat out of his line of sight, and leaned into the counter. “Some know ‘er as the cannibal witch… others say she’s just a misunderstood haggard ol’ woman who lives alone out in woods or marshes. It’s said she lives a rickety old house that stands on chicken feet, and she likes to lure weary travelers into ‘er home, only to gobble ‘em up once they let their guard down. Apparently she’s especially fond of the taste of children…” He laughed in a hoarse tone and made strange spider-like gestures with his calloused hands as if he were telling campfire stories to a group of kids. The farmer’s nose wrinkled at the outlandish notion of some feral old woman devouring toddlers, and Willy laughed heartily at their reaction. “I think that last part the parents like to add into the story to frighten the little ones. It keeps ‘em from wondering into the forests and swamps alone at night.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes and glanced back to the pool table. He watched the cue ball clack into the twelve before the twelve bounced off the barriers in the corner of the table and rolled slowly to a stop on the felt surface without pocketing. Sam huffed and stood back upright.
“You really aren’t very good at this, are you?” Seb chimed as he returned his full attention to the game at hand. Sam grinned and laughed.
“Nope!”
“Watch and learn….” Sebastian took aim at the cue ball, and after a single firm strike, drove it into the tiny gap between the two and seven. The cue stopped hard, but the two and seven sped to the opposite corners of the foot of the table, each dropping into one of the corner pockets simultaneously. Sam scoffed and paced about the pool room, but looked back over his shoulder just in time to catch Sebastian with a triumphantly cheeky grin on his face. Sam clicked his tongue and lightly thumped the base of his cue stick into the floorboards.
“Show-off…” he mumbled.
Elliott lifted the rim of the empty vessel to his lips, then chuckled again as he noticed the absence of ale and gestured it in Gus’ direction.
“Good sir, my glass is empty and…. I’m a writer!”
“Maybe you should stop for tonight…” the farmer interjected. “You won’t be sober enough to start your next chapter in the morning!” Elliott rolled his eyes and leaned against the bar counter. He tried to give one of his best theatrically exasperated sighs, but when the exhale turned into a case of the hiccups, they knew he was down for the count. He smiled defiantly and tried his best to look dignified through the sudden spasms in his diaphragm and soused thousand yard stare.
“I-am fiiine… ne’re betta’…”
“…..Aaaand, there he goes…” Leah giggled from the end of the bar counter. “It’s like dropping a ton of bricks on a peach.”
“I oughtta’ help the ol’ scallywag home, I s’pose!” Willy groaned as he stood from the bar stool. He smiled as he hoisted one of Elliott’s arms over his shoulders and stood him up from the bar stool. “C’mon you menace… Let’s get ya home before you make a fool of yourself in front of all the lassies!” he chuckled. Sam took a moment to appreciate the situation at the bar counter. He shook his head and laughed, then took another shot at the 12 and missed horribly yet again.
“Easy does it there!” Emily cooed as she cleared away the empty tankard. “Try not to drop him too hard!” Elliott wobbled towards the door as Willy struggled to keep him upright, and just before they stepped out into the lukewarm summer evening, the farmer waved one last farewell and called out to the well marinated dandy-man as he staggered away.
“Nighty-night! Sleep tight, Rapunzel!” they chirped. Elliot responded to the joke by blowing an overly exaggerated kiss over his shoulder and daintily waiving his fingertips at the company in the saloon, then he nearly tripped over himself as he turned back to the path home. A couple of snorts, giggles and guffaws rose up over the music and chatter in the saloon and quickly melted back into the white noise once the moment passed.
Seb looked Sam in the eyes with a determined glare and smirked.
“Eight in the corner pocket….” Seb didn’t have a clear shot, but leaned over the table, reared back the stick and spiked it into the cue ball. It ricocheted from the bumper, side-swiped the eight, and put just enough force into the edge to cause it to spin sideways into the pocket he’d called. Sam laughed and scratched at the back of his head.
“Awwww, man…” he groaned. “You got me again!” Sam leaned against his cue stick and looked over the table before his eyes lit up in anticipation. “How about a best three out of five?” Abigail giggled at Sam’s request as she stretched and leaned back into the sofa.
“Give it up, blondie! He cooks your goose at this game EVERY single time…. You’re doomed.” She teased. “It’s getting late anyways…”
…
It had been almost a month since the odd shape had been spotted flying over town at this point. Seb and Abby had talked in depth about it, and though most of the other townsfolk had come to the conclusion that it had merely been some sort of exotic bird flying out toward the fern islands, Abby was positive she hadn’t been mistaken. In fact she was adamant that the form looked human. She hadn’t seen or heard any wings flapping and the “squawking” sounded more so like the laugh of an old woman than the cries of a bird. The figure seemed to levitate or hover effortlessly and without the use of any physical or mechanical assistance. It was slumped over as if it was curled up or sitting and just…. Floated away.
The long night spent coding and researching the relevant programing issues at the computer, had caused Sebastian to rise late. He was groggy, didn’t have much motivation to bother rolling out of bed, and it was almost noon at this point. He could hear the rain pattering against the roof of the house and the rumble of distant thunder. As lazy as he felt, a smoke sounded pretty good about now. The sound and sight of the ocean on rainy days also had a way of clearing his head and a little stroll would probably do him some good.
He didn’t pass anyone on the way out of the house. Robin was likely at her aerobics club, Maru, at work in the clinic, and who knew where Demetrius was… Out shoving dirt samples into test tubes, or measuring the volume and PH of the current rainfall? As long as he wasn’t dissecting frogs. Out of all of Sebastian’s childhood memories, that was the one that stuck in his head and haunted him. Back then, Maru had only just been born, and while Robin was busy keeping her entertained, fixing her bottle or changing diapers, Seb was wandering the house trying to find something to occupy his time. He’d wandered into his step-father’s study and there on the examination tray was a deceased frog pinned on it’s back, limbs splayed like Da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man” with it’s belly sliced open. Sebastian had cried and pouted over that for several days and had given Demetrius the silent treatment for even days longer intermixed with spells of arm crossing, head turning and the occasional stuck out tongue and blown raspberry. He cringed at the thought even now.
The hinges creaked as he pushed the front door open and paused. The summer was starting to give way to autumn and the parched ground soaked up the rain and turned loose the pungent, almost overpowering scent of petrichor.
Sebastian flipped the hood of his pull-over around his head and tightened up the drawstrings. He took a moment to smell the aroma of wet grass and earth that drifted through the air and held the fragrance in his lungs as he closed the door behind him.
He began his slow, steady march toward the beach and lost count of his steps after he’d passed the old Community Center. He’d barely noticed the changing of terrain under his feet as he moved almost subconsciously toward the ocean. The raw, muddy dirt paths of the mountain, the crunch of rough stones and shuffle of old, dead pine needles that carpeted the ground… They’d transitioned into the grass and cobblestone of the town plaza at some point, but they all seemed to blend together into “just steps” after a while. His inner thoughts distracted him to the point where he barely paid attention to his surroundings until he felt his footfalls sinking and shifting underneath him, and he knew he’d hit sand. He heaved a deep sigh of the salt air and looked over the horizon as he paced toward the docks.
When the sky was this gray and muted, the color of the sea seemed to take on it’s own jewel-like quality and without the blue sky to draw attention away from it, the eyes of each breaking wave became a splendor to watch. They erupted into columns of aquamarine, sapphire and sodalite laced with the bright, almost pearlescent white of the sea foam before curling over, crashing into the tides and giving way to the next one.
Sebastian came to a stop at the furthest reaching section of the wood panels and straightened up his posture as he groped into his pockets for the pack of cigarettes he’d brought with him. He selected one from the box, tucked it between his teeth and plunged his fingers back into the pocket for his lighter. He curled his left hand in front of his face, to protect the fire from the wind, flicked open the lid and thumbed the igniter. The flint sparked into a flame as it spun and lit up the end of the cigarette to a smoldering red glow. He pulled in a breath and held it for a moment before letting it out and watching the smoke dance away in the wind. It still wasn’t quite as satisfying as that first breath of rain when he’d stepped out of the house. Another sigh escaped Seb’s lips as he stared back at the oncoming crests of seawater and his mind started to drift again.
He imagined the city lights blazing somewhere across the ocean like stars, and thought about starting over somewhere far away. Disappearing, and reappearing somewhere else like a shadow moving through fragments of darkness and light, somewhere where no one knew him. Just vanishing and leaving everything behind. His parents, his sister, his friends… the thought excited him for a moment, before giving way to an intense feeling of regret and sadness. Maybe even a little shame. Having everyone was frustrating, but would having none of them be better or worse? He’d never known anything else. The same friends he’d grown up with, the same smell of the changing seasons in the mountain air, the same four walls of his bedroom, the sound of his sister’s laugh, or the taste of his mother’s cooking… even the way his stepfather overreacted to the littlest things was something he'd grown used to. He took another long breath.
The waves lapped and pounded at the underside of the dock so loudly he couldn’t hear the patter of oncoming footfalls against the wood and he was caught unaware when a sudden presence made itself known.
“Hey.” The start was enough to make him tense up, and he almost tripped over his own feet. Seb whirled around and when he found himself face to face with the farmer, he relaxed again.
“You scared the absolute crap out of me…..” He said as he rolled his eyes. He flicked his thumb against the filter of the cigarette to knock away the ashes and looked over the docks. They were alone.
“Sorry….” There was an awkward moment of silence between the two of them before Sebastian tried to force conversation.
“What are you up to out here?” He asked. He wasn’t really interested in the answer, but felt obligated to return the acknowledgement of his presence. The farmer held up the rod that was firmly clasped in their right hand and gestured to the ocean.
“Fishing!” Seb raised an eyebrow and cocked his head at the response.
“In the rain?” he asked. His tone was almost dismissive. The farmer nodded.
“Willy said that there’s a number of fish that only come out when it’s raining, so I wanted to see what bites.” They began. “Some fish just like it better this way I guess.” There was another long pause. “…and you?”
“Hanging out…” Seb shrugged and adjusted the collar of his hoodie.
“In the rain?” The irony of the retort wasn’t lost on either of them though only the farmer seemed to find it amusing.
“Some people just like it better this way too…” Seb declared as he shifted his posture and crossed his arms over his chest. “I like to come out here where it’s quiet and have some alone time with my own thoughts.” There was a brief moment of guilt when Sebastian realized that he hadn’t actually ever bothered to ask the farmer’s name, but his introverted nature snubbed it out pretty quickly.
“Well, if you’re out here for some alone time, I won’t keep bothering you. I’ll go find a spot to fish and leave you to it.” At least they could take a hint. The farmer turned to leave and Sebastian suddenly regretted the entire conversation. Maybe he came off as cold and bristly? Either way, they hadn’t meant any harm. Just engaging in basic pleasantries. He found himself compelled to say something else just so the conversation wouldn’t end on such a sour note, then the thought of the flying figure and the appearance of the strange egg in the farmer’s coop a while back suddenly popped into his head.
“Wait….” Sebastian flicked away the spent cigarette and stamped it out with the toe of his shoe before he continued. The farmer turned back in his direction. “I was just curious… do you remember what happened a couple of weeks ago? The night that… thing… flew over Pelican Town?” The farmer’s eyes narrowed and they nodded slowly. “That was the night that strange egg just showed up in your chicken coop, right?” The farmer looked bewildered. Seb chuckled soundlessly when he realized that, for at least a moment, he was acting like the epitome of some small town country boy who was nosing into someone else’s business. The farmer was likely confused because they hadn’t spoken to Sebastian about it directly. How could he know about that? They didn’t have to ask before he preemptively put the question to rest. “I was in the saloon playing pool with Sam the night after it happened. I overheard you talking about it with Gus, Willy and uh- …Rapunzel.” He explained. A tiny snort escaped the farmer’s nose as they stifled a laugh and they nodded again.
“Right… I still don’t know where it came from.” They rested the handle of the fishing pole on the dock like a staff or walking stick and looked up at the sky as if they were contemplating something. “I don’t know if the egg had anything to do with the flying figure, or if it was just a coincidence… they did both appear on the same night.”
“Everyone in town says that the flying thing was probably just some weird bird heading toward the islands…” Seb droned. He shoved his hands into his pockets to sooth the chill in his fingers. “If that IS where the egg came from, then maybe it was just a bird…” The farmer briskly shook their head before they answered.
“No, I don’t think so.” They rested a hand on their hip, fidgeted with the line strung through the fishing rod and seemed to gaze off into the distance towards the island in question. “That wouldn’t make sense considering what hatched.” Sebastian’s head snapped upright to meet their gaze. Now this was getting interesting.
“It actually hatched?!” He piped as his eyes widened inquisitively. “What was it?”
“A chicken…. And those can’t fly long distances.” The farmer chortled as they watched Sebastian’s face droop back to some semblance of apathy. He looked mildly disappointed.
“Aww…. Well that’s kind of anticlimactic.” He groaned.
“Yeah, sorry it’s not more exciting than that…” There was a sudden gust of wind and both of them had to brace against the pelting of raindrops that came with it. “It is a pretty peculiar looking chicken, if that makes you feel any better.”
“Really?... How so?” He gazed back at them expectantly and waited for them to go into detail.
“The feathers are jet black and the comb and wattles have a bit of an odd shape to them. The eyes are also bright red, like an animal with albinism and they’re almost reflective in the dark too… like a cat’s eyes.” They paused and rested their hand over the lower half of their face as if they were taking a moment to recall more of the specifics to memory. “And there’s just something about the way it clucks.” They added. “It doesn’t really cluck like a normal hen, but it sounds more like… an echo of a cluck, I suppose.”
“What?....” Sebastian laughed as his expression shifted again. The description of the noise sounded completely ridiculous. Not a cluck, but an echo of a cluck? They may as well have likened it to a phantom voice or the cry of a specter. Something that eluded the range of sounds that most humans would ever have the chance or perception to experience. The farmer lifted their eyes back to Sebastian’s as if they’d suddenly remembered something else.
“She started laying eggs a couple of days ago. They look just like the one that appeared in the coop that night…” They let the fishing pole drop from their hand to the wood planking of the dock and slipped their arm out of the left strap of their backpack. “I actually have one with me if you want to see it….” They slid the other strap off of their shoulder and swung the bag around their right side, letting it come to a rest in front of them as they knelt down. Seb took a few steps closer and stooped to get a better look as they dug through the contents.
They gingerly grasped what looked like a tiny bundle wrapped in a kerchief and began to slowly peel away the corners of the fabric, exposing what was probably the most bizarre looking egg he’d ever seen in his life. It was black and somewhat glossy, unlike the calcified matte shells of most chicken eggs, and the surface seemed to be covered in tiny indents or fissures that exposed flecks of a bright, almost luminescent red underneath. The farmer held the egg out to Sebastian as they stood up straight and nodded, silently offering to let him hold it for a closer look. He gently cupped the egg in his hands, tucked his arms in close to his body and cradled it in his palms like a cautious child trying to hold a hamster. It was heavier than he’d expected it to be, and surprisingly warm.
The color reminded him of magma or hot coals. Something like the intense heat glowing through crackling obsidian after a volcanic eruption or a dying fire. He leaned his head even closer to the egg as he examined the texture of the shell, and his nose wrinkled a bit when he caught the scent. It was sulphurous, and almost earthy smelling, but not overpoweringly so.
“It’s not rotten, is it?” he asked as he gently turned the egg over in his hands.
“See, that’s the strange thing about it. It can’t be…. That egg was just laid this morning.” They explained. “All of the eggs that hen lays have that… little whiff of something burning to them.” The rain was starting to slow up a bit. The farmer thought for a moment and giggled at the notion of what they said next. “I’m not inclined to say that they’re edible either… at least, not to people, and I wouldn’t be keen on being the first one to test that.” Sebastian winced at the thought…and smell, and stifled a laugh.
“Me neither…” He smiled softly when the red speckled pattern caught his attention again. “It does look really cool though!”
He really did have a nice smile. It was kind of a shame that he didn’t let people see it more often. His eyes brightened, and his face looked softer and more approachable, yet also, inquisitive and curious. It was a look of fascination and wonder. Like a kid who’d just discovered dinosaurs and outer space for the first time, or someone who’d just felt their first taste of freedom and didn’t quite know what to do with it. An imaginative or inspired sort of expression.
“Since you like it so much, why don’t you hang onto it?” the farmer beamed.
“Can I?” Sebastian’s eyes lit up again and he gazed back at the farmer with a delighted look on his face.
“Sure! Hens lay eggs every day or so. There’ll be more before long!” they chimed. Sebastian chuckled as he curled his fingers about the egg and sheltered it from the rain.
“Thank you!” He gazed at it for a few moments more as the farmer hefted the rucksack back onto their shoulders and pulled the fishing rod from it’s resting place on the dock. “Hey, this might sound kind of stupid….” He began as he gazed back and forth between the farmer and his new prize… “But, do you think it’ll hatch if I put it under my pillow?” he laughed awkwardly at his own question when he realized how foolish it must have sounded, but was pleasantly surprised when the farmer’s response was more optimistic than he had expected.
“Umm, I don’t know… Maybe! It’s worth a try anyway, and stranger things have happened.”
“Only one way to find out I guess!” Sebastian said smiling in anticipation.
“Good luck! You’ll have to let me know what happens!” They scanned out over the tides as if looking for something before turning back to Sebastian. “I should hurry and find a spot to fish before the rain stops again, but it was really nice talking to you!”
“Yeah, you too!” Seb agreed. “I’ll see you later!” He distracted himself for a moment, making sure the egg was tucked away safe and warm in his hoodie pocket, when he suddenly realized something. “Hey, wait!...” he quickly turned back to where the farmer had been standing just a minute before, but by the time he’d remembered what he’d needed to ask, they’d already trotted too far out of earshot to be able to hear him. “Aw, man… I forgot to catch their name again.” He lamented. “I’ll have to remember to ask them next time… Next time for sure.”

I’m really looking for more books like my favorite, Hell House by Richard Mattheson. I would love a few suggestions about rich people spending dumb amounts of money to find out what happens in the after life. Especially if they involve haunted mansions. Other than Hell House, I’ve also read Last Days by Adam Nevill. I loved that book but damn I had to force myself to finish it, it got kind of slow at some points. I wish that movie Martyrs could be a book, honestly. I love Shirley Jackson, and Grady Hendrix. My fave books lately are listed below. Anything I should read? Thanks in advance! 1 - The September House by Carissa Orlando 2 - The House Next Door by Anne Siddons 3 - Dark Matter by Michelle Paver

Sionia
Chapter 13
Map First Previous
It was an overcast day with a bit of fog as I exited the carriage for my morning constitutional. At the gate to our enclosure, the owner of the inn wanted to provide the morning meal. I agreed to bacon, eggs, toasted sliced bread, cheese and apple cider. The inn owner was over joyed given the fact that my party was an imposing fifty two counting the apprentice doctors.
I ate with Freya who was still looking after Charlie and making sure he ate enough. It did not escape my notice the look Freya gave me with the “I want a child” expression and attitude. I set that aside as it was obvious that Freya's and my relationship would accelerate soon but I wanted to pursue her without the trials and issues of hard travel with a large group.
Upon seeing Robert, I sought him out as he was talking with Hazel. I stopped short when I noticed their copper rings and general appearance. I then motioned to Robert as I stepped forward.
“I will send Gus and Lorna to get clothes for you two and Charlie. You also need to remove your rings and put them on a cord to hang around your neck so you can access it quickly but hide it too. Stay hidden in the carts until you change into your new clothing. If you are being sought, those searching will eventually take notice our group if not actually closely inspect our party for rings as well as any child of similar age. Just be cautious and go out of your way to stay hidden for about eight to ten days. Then you can relax. Just act like you belong to my house! Be a servant that does not have much to do. However, do pitch in here and there as travel is a strain on everyone.” I stated my wise counsel and order.
“We will do as you say Lord Wyatt. Where will Charlie stay and wear?” Asked Robert with concern.
“His new clothing will be non nondescript of a commoner and he will become just another one of my wards. He will wear his ring on a cord around his neck as well. Since he is my ward, he will travel with them and be under the same restrictions and protection all my wards have. Your duty right now is to support me as guardian for the young lad as I am in charge. Make no mistake on this matter! Challenge it and suffer greatly.” I stated with authority how things would be followed by a strong warning.
“We understand.” Robert answered with a salute and bow which Hazel also copied.
I sought out Gus and gave him five koper to go get commoner clothing that was a dark color and a second that was lite tannish brown. I made sure Gus understood the clothing would be bought from a shop that is not frequented by nobility for our newest trio and also to find slippers that would closely fit but not custom made. Lastly, Gus was to get basic grooming supplies for Charlie. With that finished, Gus and Lorna went to judge the clothing and shoe sizes they were to get.
Finally, I caught up with Freya again where we shared a quick hug and kiss that I hoped no one saw or at least only one or two persons. I asked Freya to continue looking after Charlie as he is the newest of my wards. I asked her to keep Charlie out of sight as I did not want any spy to get an easy look at him and to get a cord for Charlie's ring and hang it around his neck out of sight. Back at my carriage, I took out several copper rings from the strongbox which I took to Luke my blacksmith to have him fit all my people with rings denoting their service to my house as it needed to be done. I thought this would have the added benefit to further hide the trio from assassins.
With things set into motion, I asked Razor and Meowth to accompany me to the adventurer's guild office leaving the wolf kin brothers to look after the girls and Charlie.
Walking about a quarter mile from the inn, Razor stopped and put his big paw on my chest and pushed me behind him a bit. Meowth growled with a hiss which Razor also gave a very low grumbling growl.
“What is it?” I asked as I put my hand on my sword hilt.
“Meow Lord Wyatt. That tom in the black cloak a bad human fur sure. He kills for coin and does highway robbery.” Meowth stated with another growl and a Q sounding hiss.
“I have fought him before when I guarded a merchant through lands of Mag Mell. It was a hard fight against his mercenary friends. We won eventually but many of ours were wounded and killed. I want to rip his belly apart!” Growled Razor with his desire for revenge.
“He is a walking cat-tastrophy! I want to claw his eyes out!” Meowth growled again her own desire of violence.
“Watch him close. If he does anything threatening or tries to follow me, you have permission to deal with him however your wish. If he does nothing, just watch him on the sly without being obvious and do absolutely nothing! I do not need to be in a fight against possible dozens in the middle of a town I do not know!” I ordered with a slice of my hand through the air.
“Agreed.” Answered Razor and motioned for Meowth to move behind me to protect my back.
The mercenary did nothing and actually sat down to eat his morning meal as we past. The adventurer's guild office was just a small two story building about thirty feet by thirty feet. Inside was an open spaced room about twenty by twenty feet with four tables evenly spaced. At the back, was a counter that separated a staircase, a store room and an office from the front area where a fifty something man with gray hair stood.
“Welcome to Trino Adventurer's Guild office, I am Ronga. How can I be of assistance.” Stated Ronga with a salute and head bow.
“I wish to hire Zack Tally's party from Avalon for a guard, scouting and guide job.” I requested crossing my arms and made what I understood was the standard merchant's business pose.
“Zack Tally. Yes, I can send a floxis request but it will be at least a week before I get a reply.” Stated Ronga as he scratched the back of his head.
“I want Zack's party to met me about three to five millo this side of Avalon on the main road as I will not be waiting here.” I further explained what I wanted.
“That will require an upfront fee for those kinds of arrangement. May I ask who is making the request?” Ronga asked as he was writing the job request down.
“I am Count Ryan Wyatt.” I stated with a look that I hoped was incredulous.
“Count Ryan Wyatt. Wait. You are all everyone talks about these days.” Ronga stated as he looked up in surprise.
“Whatever, not interested in gossip of others.” I stated with a heavy frown.
“Yes, I understand. But tell me, did you really kill a war orc in single combat all by yourself while not once taking a blow that had injured many dark elves before you joined the fight to rescue them?” Ronga asked with undisguised excitement.
I sighed and said, “Yes, I suppose that is true. I am certain it is not as you imagine it.” I stated as I tried to keep my answer short and sweet.
“Yes, I understand. However, defeating a war orc in single combat is amazing!” Ronga stated as he could not stop his excitement as if he had met a legendary idol celebrity.
“Please, Zack Tally's party!” I stated again with my index finger thumping the counter.
“Yes, yes. I will send the filoxis right away. I will require one sceats upfront. How long do you wish to hire Zack and his party?” Ronga asked still beaming with his excitement.
“You know, I am not sure. I am traveling to Camelot. I have never been there before and do not know the dangers, roads or places to rest. Thus, the guide part. I am lacking in guards and fighting strength to deal with raiders and rogue mercenaries. I have already fought battles short handed. I just want to make sure I have more protection. So, ten days to two weeks at a minimum. Two to six months at the most. However, that could change once I reach Camelot.” I stated as I really was not sure.
“Yes, I have heard about you wiping out a nasty dishonorable mercenary unit that abandoned the army as cowards to runaway and join pirates.” Ronga stated with even more excitement.
“That is way over exaggerated and not accurate. I had Knights of the Sixth Order with me.” I stated the truth.
“Yes, yes. I heard they were drunk and you had to save them from being slaughtered.” Ronga continued his excitement that was now just getting too much to deal with.
I sighed and shook my head. I then hit the counter with my fist to get Ronga's attention.
“Just figure ten days to two weeks for now. Leave the contract open ended as I have travel to do after I leave Camelot.” I stated with exasperation.
“Yes, yes. That will be two hundred fifty denari for ten days. Should there be an attack by monsters then the pay is increased by half. Do you wish to pay here or in the city of Avalon?” Ronga asked as he was finally calming down from his excitement.
“Avalon. Circumstances always change and future is never certain.” I stated after thinking for a minute.
“Good. I will need fifty denari for the up front plus fracto twenty five for the job posting fee with the guild.” Ronga stating the bill's total.
With that, I handed over one scates and one peleno. I quickly realized that “Fracto” meaning fraction of a whole was an ancient Roman term on earth for decimal place with money or numbers. I then remembered I needed some mites where I handed over a koper for one hundred mites as that was all that Ronga would exchange.
“It was my pleasure to assist you Lord Wyatt. You are very welcome here anytime.” Ronga stated with a salute and a very deep exaggerated bow.
“Alright.” I stated and motioned for Razor and Meowth to follow me out.
Looking across the way and down the road back toward the inn, I saw a small merchant storefront with the same sign as the Green Trading Company of the tradesman's guild I previously had been to. Heading over, I inquired for another fully fitted out cart and desire to hire a stable boy servant who could drive a cart. About forty minutes later, I was introduced to an eighteen year old boy named Raulo Zukas. I learned he was previously the stable boy for the tradesman's guild and was recently trained to drive a supply cart. I also purchased a water cask, extra tin cups and two cart replacement wheels as I saw a cart with a broken wheel being repaired. I ordered the cart with spare wheels tied to the side delivered immediately to the Resting Unicorn Inn.
About an hour later, I had our group loaded up and heading out. The newest cart was solely for my people ride in. The carts for the Order of Knights was cramped given the sheer number of people now numbering fifty six in total with the newest additions to our group. However, the main reason for the new cart was for Robert, Hazel and Charlie. They would need a cart to travel through the city of Avalon as the original carts were already full of passengers, baggage and supplies.
The travel on the road south was steady and unsurprisingly boring. Pamba just stretched on her back to sleep where she actually snored which made me and Gus laugh. We continued on until little after mid day where we stopped for lunch. I was informed by Lars that Ivor had spotted three riders that apparently was following us as our pace was slow and florse riders should have overtaken us easily. Ivor also reported that they looked like soldiers or mercenaries. With that news, I informed Robert and Hazel. I then spoke with Freya to insure that Charlie hid himself as much as possible. I also gave two of my extra swords to Freya's remaining girls from Asgardia for their reputation as fighters was well known.
When Big Jake and Jason was announcing meal ready to be served, the Mercenary riders came up quickly and camped on the opposite side of the road where they began to eat cold rations. It was obvious that they were looking our party over closely. I had to stop Razor whose fur stood up as I recognized the mercenary from Trino.
“Razor, do nothing unless they cross the road.” I ordered for I wanted them to get a look.
“I do not like it but as you command.” Razor said as I realized he was actually considering on acting against my orders.
I had Lars post an extra guard to face the mercenaries to send a message of strength that even their little party would be noticed and opposed with serious force. When our party began packing up and loading back into the carts, the mercenaries also mounted up where they galloped quickly back toward the city of Trino. I sighed with relief as I suspected that they were looking for Charlie and had assumed he was not with our group.
Two days later, we entered into Monmu where we stopped at a very large inn called the Red Apple Tavern. It was similar to the one in Trino where it had wooden walled enclosures for large traveling parties to camp. Again, I forbid any in our party from going to the tavern as I did not want any drunken problems. I allowed the Tavern owner to bring out two casks of ale and one of beer. The meal was boar steaks, potatoes with gravy and green peas with diced carrots. The inn also had a filoxis message for me from the adventurer's guild letting me know that Zack Tally's party would meet me five millos from Avalon's north main bridge gate.
About two hours after our party had gone to sleep, I was awakened by noise and call to arms.
I heard Razor roar as and the carriage shook when he leaped off from where he was sleeping.
“Alarm! Alarm! Arm yourselves!” Called one of the guards on watch.
“Reeeearrr!” Screamed Meowth with hissing as it sounded as if she was in a cat fight back on earth.
Grabbing and putting on my weapons belt where I pulled the sig and readied myself for battle. I pulled back the window curtain to see what was happening as I could hear fighting all around. I first saw Meowth slashing at a cloaked person and then in a flash of incredible agility she jumped up onto attacker's shoulders taking him to the ground. A split second later, Meowth had ripped out the throat of this intruder. I then saw Razor off to the left had easily dispatched his man and standing tall over his foe was screaming his victory roar.
Looking around further, I saw one of my guards on his knee seemingly dazed with another holding a person at sword point who had been wounded.
“Men of House Wyatt!” I called out my predetermined code phrase which would alert me if fighting was still ongoing or if all was secure.
“Rah!” Called out my guards in unison acknowledging the fight was over and our group was victorious.
Stepping out of the carriage, I walk over to Lars who was checking on Greg who had blood streaming down the side of his head.
“Thieves, Lord Wyatt. Greg took a blow from a slinger's stone. Good thing he wore his padded head mail as all should. He is alright just stunned a bit. More of the mail cutting him than anything else.” Lars stated with a salute and double chest bump.
“Have Old Maude look at him just to be sure. Build up the fire over there and bring the intruder.” I stated and holstered my sig.
Before the roaring fire that brightly lit the enclosure, I began my interrogation.
“You will answer my questions quickly and without lies. If you do not answer or lie, I will let Razor slowly rip you to pieces after he removes your tongue so you can not scream.” I threatened the thief and pointing to Razor's blood soaked claws.
The thief's eyes bugged out to the point that you would think they would pop out and roll around on the ground. Razor to his credit reached out his right paw with claws extended slowly toward the thief's eyes then quickly ripped the thief's shirt demonstrating the how sharp his claws were.
“I will talk!” The thief said as Lars had also put his thumb on the wound in the thief's right shoulder that was cut deep enough that the right arm was useless.
“Who are you and why come after us?” I asked as I drew my dagger using it to seemingly clean under my fingernails as a threatening gesture.
“My name is Andros. We are or were an adventurer party hired to recover a ventu volpis that was spotted with your group by its owner. We though we could slip in and get out without getting caught. Beast people are harder to sneak past than we thought.” Andros stated as he looked at the ground unable to face me.
“The ventu volpis is my companion and has never been someone else's property! Who hired you?” I stated then asked threateningly with my dagger pointed at Andros.
“The guild office has that information. We were told it was a noble of significant authority who wanted to keep their name secret. The pay was very good at three gold.” Andros stated shaking his head.
“We will go to Avalon and see if your story is true. I am sure the guild has harsh penalties for rogue adventurers who do crimes under the guise of a legit job.” I stated as I sheathed my dagger.
“I know. Ten years hard labor often in a dwarven mine. If you are lucky, working on stone walls or laying brick on roads.” Andros stated as he shook his head realizing what his fate would be.
“Have Maude look after his wound so he does not die before we reach Avalon. Once done, tie his hands and feet. He will ride with the baggage with a guard. We will deliver him to the adventurer's guild in Avalon tomorrow. Now, lets get back to sleep. Well done, men of House of Wyatt!” I stated my orders and praise of my guards.
“Rah!” Shouted the guards in unison.
Just as the first sun was peaking out, I had everyone woken up and having the morning meal. The owner of the inn made breakfast of bacon and eggs with bread toasted over an open fire, fresh churned butter, apple sauce and apple cider. The sheriff of Monmu came to collected the dead bodies and he took my statement as to what happened. The sheriff wanted to take Andros into custody but I refused stating I was taking him to Avalon to know the truth. The sheriff just shrugged and left.
A little over an hour later, our party was back on the road and heading mostly southwest and down to the river Paradise. It was about nine hours travel from Monmu to the city of Avalon. We made good time and stopped for lunch about six hours later as the suns were reaching their zenith of mid day. I had Big Jake and Jason make sandwiches for everyone as I did not want to spend two to three hours for lunch. We were back on the road over an hour later.
It was late afternoon early evening when I was informed by Ivor that there was heavily armed and well kitted out adventurer group sitting on the side of the road ahead. I asked Lars to have Nick, a scout and point man for our party, inquire if this armed group was Zack Talley's party. Once Nick gave the affirmative sign, I had our little train pull well off the road.
Exiting the carriage I was flanked by Razor, Meowth, Lars and Ivor as I approached Zack Talley's party. Nick and Moe then bracketed the ten adventurers.
“I am Count Ryan Wyatt.” I announced as I approached the group.
A golden haired well muscled man in his late twenties stepped forward.
“I am Zack Talley and leader of this group called the Keepers of the Blood Oath.” Zack stated with a salute and bow followed by a sweeping arm toward his party.
“It is good to meet you, Zack. I find that I have need of your services.” I replied with a slight nod of my head.
“It is an honor to work for one with your reputation. Let me introduce my party. Here is Mi a dog kin from Argosa. She is my right hand and our tracker. Fang is a jackal kin from the Far Islands and our scout, Leonardo a lion kin from Amazonia is a melee fighter, Brent is a shield man from the Blue Mountains, Dagmar is from Shambala who is our negotiator and in charge of procuring supplies. She is excellent with the bow. Kia, Ollie and Ozzy are brothers from Yis so they are expert florse riders. They are very skilled with lance and good with a bow and sword. Lastly is Todd a master swordsman who served in the army as a vanguard attacker. Todd like me is from Avalon. I am master of the sword and bow and was a sergeant in Duke Boasag's levied army. I am the fifth son of a baron and do not have any title or lands. So, I became an adventurer.” Zack introduced and explained everyone's skills and background.
“Very good. I am traveling to Camelot to meet with the king. I have many wards under my protection from up north that I am escorting south. I hired you because one of my wards needs guards to protect them as they have a very dangerous enemy in Avalon. I do not want to risk their lives as it would stain my honor. They will be riding in a cart through Avalon that you will be guarding. Find a good camping spot a good days journey from Avalon that is away from any towns, taverns or inns. I will catch up two days later after I finish my business. After that, you will guide me to Camelot and provide extra security. That is basically what I need from your party.” I explained.
“That is not a problem and seems a fairly simple job. However, the enemy you speak of must be very dangerous for you to hire us given your prowess and reputation. Worry not for we have never failed a job.” Zack stated with confidence and a short laugh.
“You will be guarding a cart with my stable boy Raulo the driver and house servants Rob and Hazel who are assigned to care for my ward and Jason one of my cooks. I ask that you do not speak with them unless it is absolutely necessary. I do not want them spooked nor have any bad stories that the king might find displeasing. Understand that I have quiet a few wards which the king will speak with. I will hold you responsible if the king is displeased.” I bluffed a threat to help hide Charlie's identity.
“Will you require us to hunt game?” Zack asked as you could see his mind hard at work.
“Yes. Just enough for your group and the five you will be guarding. I ask that you wait here a full span before you head out. I do not want this cart associated with our group in Avalon. I want people to think they are with you or you are helping them out of kindness. That should be everything.” I replied with a a quick half salute.
“Very well. We will do as you have asked. When you go to the guild, ask to speak with Marine. Tell her this is a level one escort. Marine will then collect the payment..” Zack explained with a salute and bow of his head.
“Good enough. I will see you in two days before nightfall. If we have not caught up to you by then, head to Camelot and leave a message with the guild where I can find you.” I stated my final instructions.
“Very well. Have safe travel and we will be waiting.” Zack stated with a salute and a bow.
After separating Robert, Hazel, Charlie, Raulo and Jason and their cart, Pamba suddenly refused to leave Charlie. I was shocked when she actually growled at me when I reached for her.
“OK, you win. You want to ride with Charlie then so bit it!” I acquiesced with a sigh.
Pamba then barked where she rubbed up against my leg before she leaped into Charlie's arms catching him off guard.
“I will care for her. So, do not worry.” Said Charlie with a smile as he was happy to have Pamba's companionship.
“See that you do care for her well. Remember what I told you and be a good boy.” I said with a nod of my head.
We headed back onto the road which was before a slight rise that gave an excellent view of Avalon in the river valley below. Avalon was both a city and a rather sizable island that sat where the Paradise River broadened out into a flood plain. This broad area appeared as a large lake with the city of Avalon filling up most of the island save an orchard section that obviously was kept as a food source should the city be besieged.
The ride down to river was nerve racking at times as the winding switchback road was built up with very steep drop offs to provide easy travel over the steep terrain of the river valley. I chose to read the book of animals I had purchased to keep my mind well occupied off the possible perils of crashing down hill into the river below.

I had always remembered my deeply rooted envy at a girl at my old high school. Alyssa Howard, Home Room 207. It hadn't been long since I graduated there. I was in Class of '22, in a homeroom that I simply didn't fit in. It was isolating since everyone in my homeroom was in groups of friends, everyone was their own designated groups.
Alyssa was in the Choir group, consisting of 8 girls. They were girls that were a part of Choir Class, an elective that made no sense why I took it. Along with Alyssa Howard, there was Brianne Becker, Fiona Figueroa, Leslie Smith, Hannah Klidford, Emma Kelly, Mandy Lake, and... Karla Reyes. Karla Reyes was one of them I knew very well. In fact she is the reason why I'm typing this out.
Karla was my childhood friend, we met in 5th grade. Her family was from around Texas, and she recently moved to this small town of Meadows Dale. I didn't have friends at that age since most kids thought I was...well weird. I didn't comprehend why I was weird to them at the time, I just simply thought I wasn't cool enough. I remember vividly that I was walking far from the rusty playground, to a hill that pretty much if going more up north, you'll be at the Centennial Park of the town.
That sunny day in 5th grade felt like it was just yesterday. I was walking up a hill, my Elsa shoes making every step feel like a chore. I sighed, looking down at my shoes, feeling embarrassed that my mom had gotten them for me. All the other kids in my grade were wearing Converse or cool sneakers, and here I was, stuck with sparkly, princess-themed shoes. I flopped down on the grassy ground, feeling like the biggest outcast in the world.
I sat there, lost in my own thoughts, I noticed a girl with dark hair and tan skin walking towards me. She looked a bit nervous, fidgeting with her hands as she approached. I recognized her from my homeroom class.
"Hey," she said, trying to sound casual. "These hills look like a pair of butt cheeks, don't they?" She giggled, and I couldn't help but laugh too.
I signed back to her, using my hands to mimic the shape of hills and then making a silly face to show that, yes, they did look like butt cheeks. Karla laughed, and I was surprised. Not many people in my class knew sign language, and it was nice to have someone to communicate with in my own way.
"Do you know sign language?" I signed, curiosity getting the better of me.
Karla nodded, her dark hair bobbing up and down. "Yeah, my aunt was born deaf, so I learned to communicate with her."
I signed back, asking her if she thought it was cool that I knew sign language too.
Karla grinned. "Yeah, that's really cool! I'm Karla, by the way."
“Lily,” I signed my name, and Karla sat down next to me on the grass. We chatted for the rest of recess, discovering that we had a lot in common. We both loved DreamWorks movies better than Disney, and our favorite music group was Fifth Harmony. I was obsessed with them back then, and Karla was too. We both wanted to be like Camila Cabello when we grew up.
From that day on, Karla and I were inseparable. We'd sit together at lunch, partner up for group projects, and even started a Fifth Harmony fan club in our class. Karla would always lend me an earbud so we could jam out to our favorite songs together. Our friendship was effortless, and I felt like I'd finally found someone who understood me.
It was perfect until the start of Freshman year of Meadows Dale High School. I held my scheduler tightly in my hands as I climbed the stairs to the kitchen, my stomach twisted in knots. My heart sank as I scanned the pages, taking in the fact that most of my classes were designated for students with special educational needs. Homeroom and choir were the only exceptions.
I made my way to the living room where my mom was seated, tears brimming in my eyes. "Mom, why do I have to take these classes?" I signed, frustration etched on my features. "I don't need this kind of help. I can handle regular classes just fine."
My mom looked at the schedule, her expression sympathetic. "I know you don't seem to need help, sweetie, but the school requires you to take these classes. It's just protocol."
I sighed, feeling a wave of frustration wash over me. "I'm going to feel like even more of a freak than I already do," I gestured angrily, trying to hold back tears.
From the living room doorway, my father's deep voice cut through the silence. His ears perked up from the conversation. "Hey, kiddo, what's going on?" he asked, his voice gentle.
I signed again, rapidly gesturing my fingers "I don't want to take Special ED classes, Dad. I can do normal classes. I can hear the teachers very well!"
My dad walked over to us, his eyes scanning the schedule. "I know it's tough, Lily, but the school is just trying to help. Plus, You're not a freak. Not in our eyes, anyway. If anybody gives you trouble, I'll personally see to it that they regret it." His tone was lighthearted, but his meaning was clear. He was the sheriff, after all, and his reputation preceded him.
I rolled my eyes, signing, "Dad, please. You're only making things worse."
Ignoring my pleas, he ruffled my hair affectionately before leaving the room. I retreated to my bedroom, collapsing onto my bed in a heap of tears. The night passed in a blur, and soon enough, it was time for me to wake up and face another day.
I woke up to the sound of my dad calling me from downstairs. "Lily, time to get up! First day of school!" I groggily got out of bed, still feeling the emotional hangover from the night before.
My dad drove me to school in his police cruiser, which only added to my embarrassment. I remembered feeling weird being in the cruiser, with its flashing lights and sirens. As we pulled up to the school, my dad turned to me and said, "No matter what, you'll always have me and Mom, okay? We love you, and we're proud of you."
He hugged me tight, and I felt a lump in my throat again. I nodded, trying to hold back tears, and got out of the car. Finally me into the world of Meadows Dale High School.
The enormity of the building hit me hard as I stepped inside. The halls were bustling with activity, and the noise level was overwhelming. The classes flew by, and I couldn't help but feel like my Special ED classes were too easy for me. The teacher aides were sweet, but they were busy helping other students, leaving me to feel like I was just going through the motions.
As I walked out of my Literature class, I noticed a boy sitting alone next to a locker. He had ginger hair and was a bit overweight, and he was using a big headset to listen to music. There was something about him that drew me in, so I walked over to say hi.
He removed his headphones, looking up at me with a nervous smile. "Hi," he said, his voice a little shaky.
I signed back, "Hi."
He laughed, a little awkwardly. "Sorry if I'm a bit awkward. I'm not really used to talking to people."
I signed, "You're not awkward at all."
He smiled, looking relieved. "Thanks. I'm Matt Weston."
I nodded, signing, "I'm Lily."
Matt's eyes lit up. "Sweet. What's your homeroom?"
"207."
Matt's face brightened up. "No way, that's my homeroom too!"
I smiled, feeling a sense of excitement. "That's amazing!"
Matt stood up, walking towards a bookshelf. "Homeroom's next class. Want to walk with me?"
I nodded, following him as the bell rang. We exited the class, and suddenly we were swept up in a sea of students pushing and shoving to get to their next class.
We finally arrived at class 207, which was already filled with students. I saw Alyssa sitting in the back with her group of friends, looking like a star athlete. Matt went to sit in the front seat, and I sat next to him.
Just as we were settling in, one of the guys from Jr high football, Ryan Peterson, hit a football at Matt, saying, "Can't believe we got 'Butterball' in our class."
Matt rolled his eyes, saying, "At least I don't have a father who cheats and spreads gonorrhea."
Ryan's friend, Warren, said, "Ohhh sick burn,"
Ryan huffed, whispering to Matt, "Just because you're special doesn't mean everybody likes you."
I got mad, flipping Ryan the finger, which made him laugh. "You're lucky I ain't telling the teacher, because I don't want any issues with your old man!" Ryan walked away with Warren, leaving me feeling annoyed.
The homeroom teacher arrived, a young guy in his 20s with cedar brown hair and a pair of glasses. "Hello Students! Like that you are all sitting in neatly placed groups. My name's Mr. James and I'll be your homeroom teacher for Freshmen till Senior Year. Hope you excited as I am!"
Just as he was about to start writing on the white board, a beautifully dressed Karla emerged late, looking older and more mature with a lot of makeup on. I looked up, happy to see her, only for her to not notice me and sit down next to Alyssa's group.
Matt whispered to me, "Do you know that girl?"
I signed, "No."
Matt nodded, looking curious. "She looks familiar, but I don't know her name. Was it Kayla or Karly?"
"It's Karla," I shrugged, feeling a pang of disappointment. It seemed like Karla had moved on to a new group of friends, leaving me behind. I don't know how this change happened, since Karla and I went on a trip to Orlando, Florida, three weeks ago. I thought we had the best of our life's during that trip.
I was stumped, watching from afar as Karla chatted with Alyssa and her friends. I felt a twinge of jealousy and sadness as I realized how easily Karla had seemingly moved on and found a new group to hang out with. I mean, I thought we were best friends. It felt like Alyssa had stolen her from me.
I turned my attention elsewhere, not wanting to dwell on it. That's when I noticed a teenage boy sitting alone a few rows in front of me. He had jet black hair and there was something familiar about him, although I couldn't quite place it. I wondered who he was and why he was sitting alone.
"Hey, Lily," Matt said, following my gaze. "Do you know that guy? He looks kind of like a mini Detective Loomis."
I shook my head, signing that I had no idea who he was, but now I was curious too. Detective Loomis had been a family friend for years, and I knew he had a son, but I hadn't seen him in a while.
Matt chuckled nervously and waved his hand as if to dismiss his own question. "Just wondering. He kind of looks like him, that's all."
Just then, the boy turned around in his seat and our eyes met. He raised an eyebrow, clearly having overheard our conversation. "Yeah, that's my dad," he said, a hint of challenge in his voice. "Why?"
Matt shifted uncomfortably in his seat, clearly not expecting such a direct response. "Oh, um, no reason. Just curious, that's all."
The boy, Brandon Loomis, as I now knew him to be, nodded slowly, as if accepting Matt's explanation. Then, to my surprise, he introduced himself with a small smile. "Brandon Loomis. And you are...?"
"Lily Anderson. Nice to meet you, Brandon."
“I'm Matt by the way,” Matt chimed in.
A flash of something—was it pain?—crossed Brandon's face, but it was quickly replaced with a smile. "Nice to meet you both. Your dad's a good man, Lily. He helped me out a lot."
I could only imagine what Brandon had been through. I remembered hearing snippets about his kidnapping a while back, but I had no idea what he must have endured. No wonder he hadn't been in school until now.
"Well, I hope the rest of the year goes well for you," I signed sincerely.
Brandon smiled at me again, and I felt a warm glow spread through my chest. "Thanks, Lily. I hope so too."
As the homeroom continued, Mr. James had us all introduce ourselves and played some icebreaker games to help us get to know each other better. It was actually kind of fun, and it took my mind off Karla and her new friends for a while.
One of the things we had to do was share a fun fact about ourselves. When it was Matt's turn, he revealed that he was the son of Mayor Weston and a great friend of my dad's. No wonder he seemed so familiar! I knew my dad would be thrilled to hear that Matt and I had become friends.
Before I knew it, the homeroom was over, and Matt, Brandon, and I headed out into the hallway together. I was relieved to find out that we all had B lunch, so I wouldn't have to eat alone.
"So, where do you guys usually eat?" Brandon asked as we made our way down the crowded hallway.
"I don't know about Lily, but I usually just grab something from the cafeteria and eat outside," Matt replied.
I signed, "That sounds good to me. I like being outdoors."
Brandon nodded. "Yeah, me too. Although, I usually eat my lunch at Dillard's Diner since I work there after school. You guys should come by sometime. The food's pretty great."
"Definitely!" Matt said enthusiastically. "I love diner food. And hey, maybe we can even help you out sometime if you're short-staffed."
Brandon laughed. "Sure, why not? It can get pretty crazy on the weekends, so any extra hands would be appreciated."
As we made our way to the cafeteria, Matt started talking about his favorite band, Deftones. I had to admit, their music was a little too heavy for my tastes, but Matt was so passionate about it that I found myself getting drawn in.
"You know, you should check out their album 'White Pony,'" Matt said. "It's a classic. My dad actually introduced me to them, and I've been hooked ever since."
I signed with a smile, "My dad's always trying to get me into his favorite bands too. He's a big fan of The Beatles and Queen."
"Oh, those are classics," Brandon chimed in. "My dad's more of a country music guy, but I've definitely grown to appreciate some of the older stuff."
While we ate lunch, I pulled out my sketchbook and started drawing, something I often did when I was feeling nervous or needed a distraction. Matt and Brandon were curious and asked to see my drawings. I showed them some of my anime-style sketches, and they both complimented my work.
"Wow, Lily, these are amazing!" Matt exclaimed. "You're gonna be like Picasso one day."
I signed, feeling my face heat up with embarrassment. "Thanks, Matt. That's really nice of you to say."
Brandon nodded in agreement. "Seriously, you're really talented. I wish I could draw like that."
As lunch came to an end, Matt and Brandon suggested that they walk me to my next class. I was surprised but pleased that they wanted to stick together. My next class was Choir, and thankfully, it was just down the hall.
"So, Lily, do you sing?" Brandon asked as we walked.
I signed, feeling a little self-conscious. "A little. I mean, I really want to sing, but I'm not sure I'm any good."
"Don't be shy, Lily," Matt said with a grin. "I bet you have a great voice."
I felt my face flush again, but I was glad that Matt and Brandon seemed so supportive. As we reached the choir room, I took a deep breath and prepared myself for whatever the class might bring. I slowly pushed open the door to the choir room, unsure of what to expect. The room was dark, but as my eyes adjusted, I could make out the outlines of rows of chairs facing a small stage. The room had a strange beauty to it, with its blue and white color scheme and intricate design carvings. I made my way to an empty chair near the exit, wanting to keep a low profile.
Before long, a flood of girls began to pour into the room, chattering and laughing. I recognized many of them from the Meadows Dale Advanced Academic Program. My heart sank a little as I spotted Brianne Becker, one of the most popular girls in school, deep in conversation with Meg Peterson. They were giggling about some guy they both apparently liked. Brianne's eyes suddenly landed on me, and her smile faded. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, feeling self-conscious under her gaze.
Alyssa entered the room, and the atmosphere seemed to brighten. Brianne's face lit up, and she rushed over to give Alyssa a hug. "I'm so happy you're in this class!" she exclaimed. Alyssa smiled back, her warm hazel eyes shining. I felt a small sense of relief seeing her friendly face.
Following Alyssa were Mandy, Fiona, Leslie, Hannah, Emma, and Karla. They all seemed to be deep in their own conversations, and I felt even more alone. Karla was telling Fiona about getting her nails done, and Fiona was expressing her dislike for acrylics. I stood up and waved at Karla, trying to get her attention. She had been one of my few friends in middle school, but something had changed between us lately.
Alyssa, however, made her way over to me and offered a genuine greeting. "Hi, Lily! It's so great to see you in this class," she said, her eyes sparkling with sincerity. I felt a small smile tug at my lips. At least there was one person here who didn't seem to mind my presence.
Entering through the red velvety curtains of the stage, a woman with brunette hair, who looked to be in her early 40s, emerged from behind the stage. She had an air of enthusiasm about her as she introduced herself as Mrs. Becker, Brianne's mother. I remembered hearing that they were related, and at the time, I had thought it was sweet that a mother and daughter shared the same class.
Mrs. Becker instructed us all to take our seats and explained that this class was for girls only. She then asked each of us to come up on stage and recite the Do-Mi-Re-Fa-So syllables so that she could group us into sections of eight. My heart sank as I realized I would have to sing in front of everyone.
One by one, Mrs. Becker called each girl up to the stage. Some of the girls had okay voices, while others were truly talented. Then it was Brianne's turn. Her voice was like an angel's, a beautiful soprano that filled the room. Fiona and Emma also impressed me with their deep, rich alto voices. Mandy, Leslie, and Hannah had high-pitched, yet well-controlled voices that blended beautifully.
Alyssa and Karla were the last to go, and they both had perfect voices. Alyssa's voice was like honey, smooth and warm. But it was Karla who really stood out. She sounded like a pop idol, her voice clear and powerful. I found myself getting lost in the music, forgetting my worries for a moment.
Then Mrs. Becker called my name, and my heart sank. I nervously made my way up the stairs to the stage, my hands trembling at my sides. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. As I opened my mouth to sing, an awful, screeching noise escaped. My throat instantly sting, as the aftertaste of metallic overwhelmed my mouth. It was so bad that Mrs. Becker immediately cut me off.
"Why are you in this class, Lily?" she asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
I looked at her sadly and signed, "I don't know. I didn't choose this class."
Mrs. Becker softened a little, seeing my dejected expression. "Well, you better discuss these matters with a counselor about switching, because there are better candidates out there who want a spot in this class," she said bluntly.
I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment as I made my way back to my seat at the very back of the room. I could feel the eyes of the other girls on me, and I heard their stifled laughter. Karla's laughter rang out the loudest, stabbing me like a knife. Alyssa was the only one who didn't join in, her face a mask of disappointment. I wasn't sure if she was disappointed in me or in the other girls' behavior.
It was next week, I got out of my algebra class heading towards the office. I had to wait till Monday, since during the first few days, my assigned counselor was not available. I was already antsy of finally getting out of that Choir class, I couldn’t deal another day with a class I clearly didn’t fit in. My schedule in my hand, I pulled the door open, being greeted by the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip muffins. Nervousness ran through me, wondering what type of counselor Dr. Wells would be.
The door was wide agape, leading me into the source of that muffin smell. Sitting there on a working desk, was a man typing on his laptop. He looked a bit exhausted, almost to the point that he slumped on his chair. Tilting my head, I nudged on his shoulders, trying to shake him awake. I couldn’t help but feel warmth radiating in my cheeks.
“Huh? Oh, hello there Lily. What brings you here?” Dr. Wells jolted up, probably noticing how close I was to his face. I backed away, sitting down on a red couch next to him.
“I want to change classes please.”
Mr. Wells nodded off, scooting his chair back towards his mahogany desk. He searched up my schedule, turning his laptop to my view. “Oh, I see. In what class do you want to change?”
I nervously let out a breath, as I finally let out what emotions I was holding. “I don’t know why you assigned me Choir, but everyone in that class hates me. I really need that class changed, Dr. Wells.”
I saw my counselor's lip repeatedly twitched a bit, before he gathered his composure. Dr. Wells looked up from his desk, his kind face softening as he saw me. "Lily, I want to apologize profusely for putting you in that situation."
I signed, feeling a little comforted by his words. "It's okay. I did want to be in that class, but I just... I felt so out of place with all the other girls laughing at me."
Dr. Wells sighed and rubbed his temple. "I'm truly sorry, Lily. I was told you loved music and thought you would enjoy the class. But it's clear that it wasn't a good fit. Do you have another class in mind that you'd like to take instead?"
I nodded and signed, "Art class. I heard my friend Brandon is taking that, and I've always loved drawing."
Dr. Wells typed something into his laptop. “Consider it done. I'll have the change processed by tomorrow, if not sooner. In the meantime, help yourself to a muffin. The library teacher made them for me, and they're delicious."
I smiled and took one of the muffins, taking a bite. "Are you and the library teacher... a thing?" I asked, feeling a little bold.
Dr. Wells laughed, a deep, hearty sound that filled the room. "No, no, nothing like that. Just colleagues. She knows I have a sweet tooth, so she often shares her baking creations with me."
I felt a wave of relief wash over me. It was probably one of the few times I'd developed a crush on someone, and as usual, it was harmless and something I'd get over quickly. Dr. Wells was one of those crushes indeed. I stood up from my chair, feeling much better than when I arrived. "Well, thank you, Dr. Wells. I better head to class soon."
Dr. Wells smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Of course, Lily. And remember, if you ever need someone to chat with, my door is always open."
Later that day, during lunch, I made my way to our usual table with Brandon and Matt. They were already deep in conversation about their morning classes.
"PE is a nightmare," Matt was saying. "All the athletes make fun of me because I'm not as fast or strong as they are. It's frustrating."
Brandon nodded sympathetically. "I heard you beat Ryan on the pacer test, though. That's impressive."
Matt shrugged, taking a bite of his apple. "It was just luck, honestly. Ryan got too cocky and sprained his knee on the seventy-ninth lap. I just kept a steady pace.”
I signed to Matt, "You should still be proud. I bet your dad was happy."
Matt smiled. "He was. It's not every day I get to impress him, especially when it comes to sports. You know how Mayor Weston was a star athlete back in his day."
I laughed, and then took a bite of my sandwich. "Speaking of impressing people, I have some news. I'm switching out of choir class and into art elective. Hopefully, I'll be in the same class as you, Brandon."
Brandon's face lit up. "That's great! I'm so glad you'll be joining us. Art class is a lot of fun.”
Matt nodded in agreement. "I'm happy for you, Lily. But why are you leaving Choir? I thought you loved singing."
My smile faltered, and I looked down at my lap. "It's just... it's not the right fit for me," I signed.
Matt frowned, chewing on his apple. "Is Mrs. Becker too mean? I've heard she can be hard on students who aren't part of the popular crowd."
"No fair," I signed, my eyes pleading with him to understand.
Brandon nodded. "It really isn't fair, Matt. That's why I prefer to keep a low profile. Popularity contests aren't worth the hassle.”
Just then, I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I turned to see Karla standing there, a sad look on her face. "Lily, can I talk to you?" she asked, her voice soft and hesitant.
I hesitated, signing, "Why?”
With a strand of hair tucked behind her ear, she leaned in and whispered, "I want to talk to you in private."
I glanced at Matt and Brandon, signing, "I'll be back, okay?"
Matt nodded, his eyes curious. "We'll be here. Take your time."
I followed Karla to the girl's bathroom, my heart pounding in my chest. I wasn't sure what this was about, but I sensed it was important to her. Once we were inside, Karla pulled out a juul vape from her pocket and took a hit. The sweet smell of watermelon filled the air.
"Want a hit?" she offered, holding it out to me.
I was curious, so I signed, "Sure."
I took a cautious drag, expecting to choke, but surprisingly, I didn't. Karla laughed, "I guess you already know how to smoke. Not so innocent after all, huh?"
I rolled my eyes. "I learned from watching Effy in Skins. It's not like I've never seen it before."
Karla laughed again, a genuine sound that seemed to break through the tension between us. "Look, Lily, I wanted to apologize for what happened in the choir. I shouldn't have laughed. It was mean, and I'm sorry."
I stayed silent, unsure of how to respond. A part of me wanted to accept her apology, but another part was still hurt by her earlier behavior. Before I could say anything, Karla cut in, "I know it doesn't make up for it, but I want to make it up to you. How about I take you to the skating rink this evening? It's one of our favorite places, remember?"
I hesitated, considering her offer. Finally, I signed, "Okay, I guess."
Karla's face lit up, and she gave me a quick hug. "Great! I'll text you the details. See you later, okay?" And with that, she left the bathroom, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I walked back to the cafeteria, my mind racing. Matt rushed over to me, his eyes full of questions. "How did it go? What did she want?" he asked.
"It went okay," I replied, signing as I continued. "Karla invited me to the skating rink this evening."
Brandon's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know, Lily. Karla hangs out with those choir girls. I don't think we can trust her, especially after what happened."
I bit my lip, understanding his concern. "What if I sneak you and Matt in too? That way, if anything goes south, we'll be together."
Matt's eyes lit up. "That's a brilliant idea! I'm in."
A small smile tugged at my lips. "It's settled, then. We're going skating."
That afternoon, I waited on the porch for Karla to pick me up. The sun was starting to set, casting a warm glow over everything. My dad emerged from the house, dressed in his sheriff's uniform. "Why are you wearing your uniform on your day off?" I asked, curious.
He chuckled, patting my back. "Got called into work. Something strange is going on. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
I signed, "Be safe, Dad."
“I will, honey. Have fun with Karla, okay.” He smiled and gave me a thumbs-up before heading off. A minute later, a black Chevy pulled up, and I recognized it as Mrs. Becker's car. Karla leaned out the window and waved me over.
I took a deep breath and climbed into the back seat. Besides Karla, there were a few other girls from the choir class—Mandy, Hannah, Emma, Leslie, Fiona, and Brianne. Alyssa was noticeably absent.
Noticing my curious glance, Karla explained, "Alyssa had track practice. She couldn't make it."
I signed, "That's nice."
Brianne turned to Mrs. Becker and asked, "Can we get some McDonald's shakes? Please?"
Mrs. Becker smiled. "Of course, sweetie. Does anyone else want one?"
Everyone nodded eagerly, and Mrs. Becker placed an order for nine shakes. Emma and Leslie wanted vanilla, Brianne wanted the seasonal spice pumpkin flavor, Hannah and Fiona requested strawberry, Karla and Mandy chose chocolate, and Mrs. Becker asked about my preference.
"Mint, please," I said, making a gesture of a mint leaf.
Mrs. Becker smiled. "Mint it is. Anything for my girls."
I felt a warm glow spread through me. Maybe, just maybe, they were starting to like me. I took a long sip of my mint shake, savoring the cool, refreshing taste.
"Chocolate is definitely the best flavor," Mandy declared, taking a sip from her own shake. "Nothing beats the classic."
"Pumpkin spice is where it's at," Brianne interjected, taking a sip of her pumpkin spice shake. "It's got that perfect blend of sweet and spicy. It's like autumn in a bite."
"Are you kidding?" Mandy scoffed. "Chocolate is timeless. It's the ultimate comfort food. Pumpkin spice is just a fad.”
"Oh c'mon! Pumpkin spice is leagues better," Brianne retorted. "It's a limited edition for a reason."
The other girls joined in, each defending their favorite flavor. I snickered at their playful bickering, feeling a sense of warmth despite the earlier tension.
About ten minutes later, Mrs. Becker pulled into the parking lot of a magenta-colored building. The girls piled out of the car, and I followed them inside, curious about our destination. Mrs. Becker turned to Brianne and said, "I'll pick you girls up at 8 pm sharp. I need to head home and take care of your little sister."
Brianne gave her mom a quick hug and yelled out, "Okay! Love you, mom!" Then she joined the choir group, whispering something in Karla's ear that made her smile in an unsettling way.
Karla walked over to me and whispered, "Hey, Lily, I want to take you to our hiding spot. It's been a while since we hung out there."
I brightened at the idea, signing, "I've missed that place. We used to act like it was our studio booth."
“Uh-huh,” Karla led me to an abandoned janitor's closet that was blocked off with a "Do Not Enter" sign. She opened the door, and I slid inside, feeling a rush of nostalgia. I slid inside the small, dimly lit closet and sat criss-cross on the floor, my heart racing with anticipation. Karla joined me, and for a moment, we just sat there, our knees touching, the silence comfortable between us.
"I've missed you, Lily," Karla signed, her expression softening.
"I've missed you too," I signed back, my heart warming at the sentiment. "It feels like it's been ages since we really talked." I looked down, my smile fading slightly. "I've missed the old Karla. The one who was always on my side, no matter what."
Karla furrowed her eyebrows, her face a mask of confusion. "What do you mean? I haven't changed, Lily. I've just matured."
I scoffed, shaking my head. "Matured? Making fun of someone less popular than you isn't mature, Karla. It's just mean spirited."
Her eyes widened at my words, and I could see the hurt flash across her face. "I haven't been making fun of you, Lily. I—"
"Yes, you have," I interrupted, my anger bubbling to the surface. "I know exactly what you and your new friends have been trying to do. You've been pretending I don't exist, like I'm not even worth acknowledging.”
Karla's face contorted with frustration. "That's not true, Lily! You always have to make everything about your disability. If anyone's changed, it's you. You used to be so happy, always laughing and joking around. Now, you just cry and complain when things don't go your way."
I signed angrily, my hands moving frantically. "How can you say that, Karla? I don't mind if you want to be more popular, but you're acting like you don't even know me. You're trying to pretend we're not friends."
Her eyes filled with tears, and her voice shook. "Maybe I don't want to be friends with you anymore, Lily. Maybe you're too held up in the past, too stuck in your own little world. You're a sad, pathetic sap, and I—"
Before she could finish her sentence, I punched her squarely in the face. The force of the blow knocked her back, and she stumbled, her hand flying to her nose.
"I wish I'd never met you, Karla!" I angrily figured my fingers around, my breathing being audible in the small space. "I wish you'd never been my friend! I wouldn't care if you dropped dead right now!"
Karla's eyes widened in shock, and tears began to stream down her face. Without another word, she turned and ran out of the janitor's closet, leaving me alone in the dimly lit space. I trembled as I crouched down in the corner, my heart pounding in my chest. I had never hit anyone before, and now I wished I could take it back. It was rather immature of me to end that way with Karla. Especially when this was the last memory I had of her alive.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced the silence, freezing me in place. It was Karla. My eyes widened in horror as I realized what I had done. I rose to my feet and ran out of the closet, my heart pounding in my chest. As I turned the corner, I came face to face with a masked man. He was tall and imposing, his mask was painted like a 1940s woman with green eyeshadow, vibrant red blush, and blood-red lips. His copper-blonde wig fell in sleek waves, contrasting with his all-black suit.
The man walked slowly towards me, his gloved hand reaching out. I kicked him in the abdomen, my fear fueling my strength. But he was too strong. He grabbed me by the waist, his gloved finger pressing against my lips.
"My little flower, I am so happy to see you." he whispered, his voice deep and gravelly.
Before I could scream or struggle, he covered my mouth with a rag. It took a while for the chloroform to finally take effect, as I remembered my last thoughts were about Karla. Sometimes I wished this encounter was just an elaborate prank played by Brianne. However it is never the case.
When I woke up, I woke up to the sound of a girl's voice, soft and melodic. My eyes felt heavy, my body sluggish as I tried to lift my head. The singing was familiar, reminding me of Karla. My heart stirred at the memory of my friend, and I tried to shake off the grogginess that clouded my mind.
As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I realized I was restrained to a bed, my wrists and ankles bound. Panic surged through me, and I struggled against my bonds, my heart racing.
The singing continued, and I finally located the source—a television mounted on the wall across the room. My eyes widened as I recognized the singer. It was Karla, her face bruised and beaten, her eyes closed as she sang "Once Upon a December" from the animated movie "Anastasia." Her voice was shaky but serene, and tears pricked my eyes as I watched her performance.
I opened my mouth to scream, but only a weakened screech escaped my throat. I tugged at my restraints, desperation fueling my strength. I had to get out of here. I had to help Karla.
Catching me off guard, the door swung open, and the masked man from my encounter at the janitor's closet stepped into the room. My heart sank at the sight of him, and I shrunk back against the bed, my breath coming in short gasps.
He carried a plate of applesauce, his gloved hands setting it down on a table by the bed. "Good morning, my little flower," he said, his voice deep and distorted by the mask. "Your friend has a lovely voice," he remarked. "Have you ever wanted to sing like that?”
I shook my head, my eyes never leaving his face. I mouthed the words, "Let her go.”
The Masked Man smiled sadly. "Your friend has been let go. Don't worry, she's no longer suffering.”
I wanted to scream, to demand that he release me, but my voice failed me. The masked man approached the bed, his eyes cold and unfeeling. He picked up the spoon and dipped it into the applesauce, then brought it to my mouth.
"Open up, sweetie," he cooed. "You need to keep up your strength."
I turned my head away, my body rigid with fear. I didn't want his help, I didn't want anything to do with him.
"Now, now, none of that," he chided, his gloved hand gently tilting my chin back towards him. "You need to eat. And one day, my little flower, you will sing too. And it will be the most beautiful voice anyone has ever heard."
Tears slipped down my cheeks as he forced the spoon into my mouth, the applesauce tasting bitter on my tongue. I choked down the food, my throat constricting with fear and anger.
The masked man set the plate down and pulled me into a tight embrace, his gloved hands stroking my hair. "Shh, my little flower. Everything will be alright. I'm here to take care of you."
I sobbed into his chest, my body shaking with grief and terror. I had no idea where I was, no concept of how much time had passed since I had been taken. All I knew was that Karla was in danger, and I was powerless to help her. The masked man held me until my sobs subsided, then gently laid me back down on the bed. "Rest now. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."
With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I closed my eyes, my mind reeling. The next time I woke, it was to the sound of my mother's sobs. I blinked groggily, my vision blurry as I tried to focus. I was in a hospital room, my mother sitting by my bedside, her face wet with tears. Matt and Brandon, my closest friends, were also there, their faces etched with concern.
"Mom?" I raised one of my hands, my fingers weak and stiff.
My mother's head snapped up, and she rushed to my side, her hands grasping mine. "Lily, oh, Lily, you're awake!" She smiled through her tears, her voice shaking. "I thought I'd lost you.”
I placed my palm to touch her cheek, my throat too dry to speak. Matt and Brandon stood by silently, their eyes filled with relief.
I then asked the big question, signing, "What... happened?"
Matt nervously stuttered, "We... We found you inside an old shed near the skating rink. You were... you were unconscious, and we called for help right away."
Brandon added, "Before that, you were missing for roughly 33 hours. We searched everywhere for you.” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat, unable to meet my gaze.
"You're safe now, Lily," my mother said, stroking my hair. "That's all that matters. There's nothing to worry about anymore."
I shook my head, my eyes flying open. Where was Karla? I signed, "Where's Karla?”
My mother's face crumpled, and fresh tears slid down her cheeks. "She's... she's still missing, Lily. We don't know where she is."
I closed my eyes, the weight of my guilt crushing me. If I hadn't fought with Karla, none of this would have happened. It was my fault she was still out there, alone and in danger.
The days turned into weeks, and Karla remained missing. The police conducted an extensive search, but there were no leads, no clues as to her whereabouts. I blamed myself, replaying the events of that fateful day over and over in my mind.
Three weeks after my rescue, the news channel delivered a devastating blow. Karla Reyes, aged 15, had been found dead, her body buried near the Yellow Rock River. She had suffered multiple bone fractures, and the unsettling detail—she had been missing her vocal cords and larynx.
I recalled the day vividly, the sun shining brightly through my hospital window as the news anchor delivered the grim update. I had broken down, sobbing uncontrollably, the reality of what had happened hitting me like a ton of bricks. I remember wanting to just die, to pay for what I have done. If I hadn't had my friends Matt and Brandon, I wouldn't have been alive writing this. And yet, I never told anyone about The Masked Man or what had transpired that day—until now. Sometimes I wonder if Karla could hear my prayers, wishing that she deserved better than this, and I'm sorry for causing her death. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I needed to say next.
Karla Reyes may have been the first victim, but she certainly wasn't the last. There were 7 more Choirs Girls left.

Hi everyone. My husband got his surgery date set (June 6!) and we're working on the planning and just generally waiting around until then. When we first started this process, my insurance told us to choose a provider off a list they gave us. The list was entirely comprised of hospitals, and everyone I've ever known to have bariatric surgery has done so in a hospital.
After we chose, we were set up with a bariatric surgeon in the Orlando, FL area. The pre-op appointment was scheduled at their clinic, but that seemed to make sense. Like, I saw my OB at her clinic but still delivered our kid in the hospital.
When we got to the appointment, they were saying the surgery would be performed nextdoor, in their outpatient, ambulatory surgery center. Husband is glad not to have to spend time in a hospital, but I'm... Unsure? Uncomfortable? I'm trying to be as supportive as possible so I've hinted at how that sounds weird to me, but not said anything more to avoid sounding discouraging.
First, I was concerned that the insurance wouldn't cover it if it wasn't at the hospital we picked from that list. I have it in writing from them that the surgery center is contracted with them (the insurance), and that they'll cover it in the hospital or the surgery center, so that worry is assuaged.
Second, what if he has complications? One of my good friends was in the hospital for 4 days after surgery because she had complications. I'm scared I'm going to have a husband in agony in the middle of the night and suddenly we have to go to a hospital, which would be ruinously expensive.
We live on the other side of Disney and downtown Orlando, and the drive from our house is anywhere from an hour to two hours depending on traffic. My plan is to get us a hotel room the night before surgery and the night of surgery day, but I'm thinking of adding a third night. That way we'll be close to the surgery center if anything happens. Instead of having to drive up to 2 hours back there.
Can anyone share any experiences with having outpatient surgery? Is the hotel too much? Sorry this got long, but thank you for reading!