Jensen jarrah furniture
Jensen PR-200 - Need advice on refurb
2024.05.08 23:02 SmrtHbts Jensen PR-200 - Need advice on refurb
 | A neighbor in our Buy Nothing group offered these up earlier in the week. They said they had been hauling these around for a number of years, had not been played in at least 5 years, and had been stored in the attic. I took a chance and said we would love to pick them up. When getting them I was told they originally had belonged to their parents/father and when he let them go it was their first set of speakers. Brought them home, hooked them up and they sound pretty good. They are filthy! Cleaning up or refinishing the veneer is easy for me. But look at those grills! Would like to clean them up for resale and need to find some information on them AND get some advice or leads on cleaning them up. Since they are working - and I am not an audio tech by any stretch of the imagination. submitted by SmrtHbts to vintageaudio [link] [comments] It appears these were made in the mid to late 60’s? Does anyone know where I could find information or manual on these? It appears they only open from the back … the grills do not remove from the front? Any good suggestions on cleaning OR replacing the grills? Thanks! |
2024.05.04 14:40 EAT_MY_USERNAME [PI] In 2050, humanity finally developed faster than light engines and were able to travel the stars. In 2051, humanity destroyed all their FTL engines and vowed to never leave Earth again.
Original post here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Biography of Captain Yamato // CLAS: UNSEC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It wasn't unusual for ships to not come back.
In those early days, the technology was more theoretical than practical, and dangerous in the extreme. Ships would disappear, spontaneously disintegrated into subatomic structures. Sometimes they would emerge from that other plane into the centre of a star. Tens of thousands of lives lost, noticed only as a flicker of anomalous solar activity.
The list of lost ships was long. Very long. The holy register of the wayward voyager had the number somewhere between six and thirteen thousand vessels lost.
When our ship, Flame of Youth emerged back into the material plane, we found what we least expected.
The lone vessel was matte-grey, sleek, and over six kilometers from prow to aft. The design was unusual, but clearly human. Stenciled markings on it's side gave its name as the Judge's Hand. A review of the registers turned up nothing on the name, hull-type or registration number. As far as the governments of man knew, this ship didn't exist. The vessel was drifting, unpowered and lifeless, through a decaying orbit of a lonely moon in a remote system. We only chanced to happen upon it because we had dropped out of the warp in order to conduct diagnostics on our system.
I decided we had to know more.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After Action Report 1a //CLAS: TIER 2 - SECURE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A squad of orbital troopers is dispatched, and board the vessel via shuttle interdiction of the target vessel's hangar bays. The squad of six is led by Lieutenant Garrel.
As his shuttle drops its cargo ramp. Garrel directs his troopers out. They are sealed up tight in vacuum armour, so he issues the order across the squad-com.
"Jensen, Ramirez. You're our point-men. Secure a passage in."
The two men sprint ahead of the group, and posted up on the nearest airlock door.
Garrel radios back into the Flame. His voice sounded edgy. The sound of his own breathing is loud in his helmet and her grumbles in frustration.
The rest of his men are spread out in a wide arc, securing a near-360 degree field of fire as they acclimate to the vessels orientation and layout.
Jensen reports back across the comm, "We've got main spinal access, looks like a typical Terran layout, something like an Athena class floorplan."
Some of the troopers look sideways at each other. Garrel murmurs to himself the question they must all be thinking.
Why are we boarding one of our own vessels, and if it is one of ours, why does it look so...strange.
The hanger deck they are standing on is, superficially, very similar to what one might expect of standard Terran design. However, there are subtle and insidious differences, troopers talk over private channels,one says that something feels 'off' . The airlock door-frames are atypically tall and slender, as though they are made for exceptionally tall individuals. Furthermore, there is a distinct lack of access and data-terminals. However this ship was operated, it clearly wasn't through those traditional means.
Following Jensen and Ramirez, the squad moves in a tight echelon down the main spinal corridor, their guns splayed out to cover doorways and adjoining hallways. In hard vacuum, the squad moves silently and slowly, flashlights illuminating the dark corners of the rooms they pass. These rooms, much like the hallways, are oddly proportioned, and completely devoid of furniture.
As they continue on to the bridge, a burst of violent static screams over the squad-com. The progress of the team slows, as each man tries to remedy the situation, and failing, is forced to silence his comms. From this point onwards, their are no further squad-comm logs. With hand signals and relayed orders, the team presses on.
It is at this point, unnoticed to the rest of the team, that Pvt Henderson and Pvt Jones are killed. Biomonitoring indicates that their necks are snapped from behind. Recovered helmet-cam footage and bio monitors confirm the deaths.
The team approaches the bridge, and they find it is sealed shut. The airlock doors are closed tight, and across the doors a phrase is written in an unknown language. Garrel takes a photo, and transmits it back to the Flame of Youth. With the use of a plasma breaching charge, the team then forces entry.
What greets them on the bridge is unclear, even after the fact. Helmet footage appears to show a biological mass of some size occupying the central floorspace of the bridge. It appears to be approximately six metres by six, in a roughly spherical form. Footage does not show it, but there is an audiolog captured from Cpl. Yult's helmet, in which he screams something incoherent regarding faces. Analysts have refrained from speculating on to what exactly Yult's means by this comment.
Immediately following entry to the bridge, the squad is engaged by an unknown enemy from the rear, and killed. Bio monitors fail to record exact method of death, and helmet-cam footage shows troopers firing down dark hallways, before their feeds go dark.
Analysts continue to work to decode the unknown markings on the bridge door, and to uncover additional information regarding the fate of Garrel's trooper team.
Yamato, under orders from fleetcom, proceeds to fire on and destroy the Judge's Hand, its wreckage left to fall into the gravity-well of the third moon in System 12-XA6.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Addendum 1.01 // CLAS: TOP-SEC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Logged by Admiral Hetaron, for the attention of Director Hunsad at the Office of Offshore Intelligence
Eggheads finally decoded that glyph, I've attached it below. Spoke to Yamato and he's agreed to keep the ending to this story under wraps for now. If it gets out that we still have that vessel, who knows who will come looking.
See you at the Christmas party. Bring those cigars.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//Translated Glyph Message //CLAS:TOP-SEC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As always please feel free to drop any feedback below, positive or negative, it really helps me develop my writing.
EAT_MY_USERNAME
submitted by EAT_MY_USERNAME to WritingPrompts [link] [comments]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Biography of Captain Yamato // CLAS: UNSEC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It wasn't unusual for ships to not come back.
In those early days, the technology was more theoretical than practical, and dangerous in the extreme. Ships would disappear, spontaneously disintegrated into subatomic structures. Sometimes they would emerge from that other plane into the centre of a star. Tens of thousands of lives lost, noticed only as a flicker of anomalous solar activity.
The list of lost ships was long. Very long. The holy register of the wayward voyager had the number somewhere between six and thirteen thousand vessels lost.
When our ship, Flame of Youth emerged back into the material plane, we found what we least expected.
The lone vessel was matte-grey, sleek, and over six kilometers from prow to aft. The design was unusual, but clearly human. Stenciled markings on it's side gave its name as the Judge's Hand. A review of the registers turned up nothing on the name, hull-type or registration number. As far as the governments of man knew, this ship didn't exist. The vessel was drifting, unpowered and lifeless, through a decaying orbit of a lonely moon in a remote system. We only chanced to happen upon it because we had dropped out of the warp in order to conduct diagnostics on our system.
I decided we had to know more.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After Action Report 1a //CLAS: TIER 2 - SECURE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A squad of orbital troopers is dispatched, and board the vessel via shuttle interdiction of the target vessel's hangar bays. The squad of six is led by Lieutenant Garrel.
As his shuttle drops its cargo ramp. Garrel directs his troopers out. They are sealed up tight in vacuum armour, so he issues the order across the squad-com.
"Jensen, Ramirez. You're our point-men. Secure a passage in."
The two men sprint ahead of the group, and posted up on the nearest airlock door.
Garrel radios back into the Flame. His voice sounded edgy. The sound of his own breathing is loud in his helmet and her grumbles in frustration.
The rest of his men are spread out in a wide arc, securing a near-360 degree field of fire as they acclimate to the vessels orientation and layout.
Jensen reports back across the comm, "We've got main spinal access, looks like a typical Terran layout, something like an Athena class floorplan."
Some of the troopers look sideways at each other. Garrel murmurs to himself the question they must all be thinking.
Why are we boarding one of our own vessels, and if it is one of ours, why does it look so...strange.
The hanger deck they are standing on is, superficially, very similar to what one might expect of standard Terran design. However, there are subtle and insidious differences, troopers talk over private channels,one says that something feels 'off' . The airlock door-frames are atypically tall and slender, as though they are made for exceptionally tall individuals. Furthermore, there is a distinct lack of access and data-terminals. However this ship was operated, it clearly wasn't through those traditional means.
Following Jensen and Ramirez, the squad moves in a tight echelon down the main spinal corridor, their guns splayed out to cover doorways and adjoining hallways. In hard vacuum, the squad moves silently and slowly, flashlights illuminating the dark corners of the rooms they pass. These rooms, much like the hallways, are oddly proportioned, and completely devoid of furniture.
As they continue on to the bridge, a burst of violent static screams over the squad-com. The progress of the team slows, as each man tries to remedy the situation, and failing, is forced to silence his comms. From this point onwards, their are no further squad-comm logs. With hand signals and relayed orders, the team presses on.
It is at this point, unnoticed to the rest of the team, that Pvt Henderson and Pvt Jones are killed. Biomonitoring indicates that their necks are snapped from behind. Recovered helmet-cam footage and bio monitors confirm the deaths.
The team approaches the bridge, and they find it is sealed shut. The airlock doors are closed tight, and across the doors a phrase is written in an unknown language. Garrel takes a photo, and transmits it back to the Flame of Youth. With the use of a plasma breaching charge, the team then forces entry.
What greets them on the bridge is unclear, even after the fact. Helmet footage appears to show a biological mass of some size occupying the central floorspace of the bridge. It appears to be approximately six metres by six, in a roughly spherical form. Footage does not show it, but there is an audiolog captured from Cpl. Yult's helmet, in which he screams something incoherent regarding faces. Analysts have refrained from speculating on to what exactly Yult's means by this comment.
Immediately following entry to the bridge, the squad is engaged by an unknown enemy from the rear, and killed. Bio monitors fail to record exact method of death, and helmet-cam footage shows troopers firing down dark hallways, before their feeds go dark.
Analysts continue to work to decode the unknown markings on the bridge door, and to uncover additional information regarding the fate of Garrel's trooper team.
Yamato, under orders from fleetcom, proceeds to fire on and destroy the Judge's Hand, its wreckage left to fall into the gravity-well of the third moon in System 12-XA6.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Addendum 1.01 // CLAS: TOP-SEC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Logged by Admiral Hetaron, for the attention of Director Hunsad at the Office of Offshore Intelligence
Eggheads finally decoded that glyph, I've attached it below. Spoke to Yamato and he's agreed to keep the ending to this story under wraps for now. If it gets out that we still have that vessel, who knows who will come looking.
See you at the Christmas party. Bring those cigars.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//Translated Glyph Message //CLAS:TOP-SEC
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE DRIVES ARE BEACONS. THEY'RE AWAKE AND THEY'RE COMING. WE CAME BACK TO WARN YOU, BUT IT FOLLOWED US.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As always please feel free to drop any feedback below, positive or negative, it really helps me develop my writing.
EAT_MY_USERNAME
2024.05.02 12:51 mj_paintndesign Ways you can Keep your Walls Fresh After Painting
Painting interior walls is not just an activity; it will breathe new life into your walls. Interior walls are crucial for many reasons. Wall painting is easy, but wall maintenance can be challenging, especially if your household is full of kids. However, maintaining the appearance of new walls is worthwhile as it gives the room a fresh look. If you lack DIY skills, get advice from Painting Contractors in Jensen Beach to keep your walls fresh after painting. Learn how to keep your walls fresh after painting in this post:
Wainscoting, chair rails, and baseboards were originally designed as protective barriers. If your couch or other furniture is next to your wall, pull it out a little. Furniture puts pressure on the wall, causing the paint to scuff or rub off. So, it would help if you took some extra care when moving furniture to protect your walls from scratches and chips. It is better to remove spills and strains as soon as possible. If you let them stay, they will be harder to remove. Residential painters in Stuart are the right option for you as they are experts in painting and providing aftercare advice.
submitted by mj_paintndesign to u/mj_paintndesign [link] [comments]
Wainscoting, chair rails, and baseboards were originally designed as protective barriers. If your couch or other furniture is next to your wall, pull it out a little. Furniture puts pressure on the wall, causing the paint to scuff or rub off. So, it would help if you took some extra care when moving furniture to protect your walls from scratches and chips. It is better to remove spills and strains as soon as possible. If you let them stay, they will be harder to remove. Residential painters in Stuart are the right option for you as they are experts in painting and providing aftercare advice.
2024.04.06 09:31 Give_it_a_Bash Couldn’t really make this toilet room worse…
 | Rural WA, budget was about $500… the plumber got all that (disconnected old, supplied and installed new toilet). submitted by Give_it_a_Bash to AusRenovation [link] [comments] Ended up spending $800 but that included buying all the tiling tools because I had none, was first tiling job ever. Somethings I got off Facebook (tiles and flooring used on wall). Not including waiting for the plumber between ripping it out and install this took 4days including tiling, regretting my life choices, painting, new skirting and working out how to cover the bad cuts in ‘floor’ wall. I wanted to keep the old jarrah hard wood skirting but I wanted it painted so cleaning was easier… jarrah did not want to be white! Had to cover the window because the other side of that was a weird inset area on the outside of house (where old hot water tank was I’m guessing pic 2) that is going to be a cupboard in the bathroom (pic4 you can see where the brick wall was cut out so the outside could be inside space). The old linen closet in hall becomes more bathroom. I’m sad I rushed the measuring/cutting of the flooring for wall behind toilet because the plumber was coming later in the day to re-install toilet (I wanted it back so bad!!!) if I’d realised how perfect it was going to cut I could’ve made it fit perfect and wouldn’t have needed the black trim (tried wood trim and couldn’t match the ‘plastic’ floor it looked terrible!). Super happy with how it turned out… it was my first real DI(mostly)Y ever… previous experience was building flat pack furniture and fences. |
2024.02.25 18:43 Faded35 Help with if statement
Hello, I'm trying to get an if statement to invoke a workflow if the condition is true. The condition is if a certain cell in an excell sheet is blank. I know that the condition is true, but the if statement is not reading it as such. Any help appreciated!
https://preview.redd.it/umhz0ynmqrkc1.png?width=1686&format=png&auto=webp&s=5bdf2c2a917e0da3353f2b17b1f5f1e8c1f0ebf0
https://preview.redd.it/q6byxw9kqrkc1.png?width=956&format=png&auto=webp&s=78db39f4008458b817f93853d4372427efd4d059
https://preview.redd.it/x8i31x0iqrkc1.png?width=750&format=png&auto=webp&s=18a24f52123d607c5901b7b6fa261b90e84b9570
submitted by Faded35 to UiPath [link] [comments]
https://preview.redd.it/umhz0ynmqrkc1.png?width=1686&format=png&auto=webp&s=5bdf2c2a917e0da3353f2b17b1f5f1e8c1f0ebf0
https://preview.redd.it/q6byxw9kqrkc1.png?width=956&format=png&auto=webp&s=78db39f4008458b817f93853d4372427efd4d059
https://preview.redd.it/x8i31x0iqrkc1.png?width=750&format=png&auto=webp&s=18a24f52123d607c5901b7b6fa261b90e84b9570
2024.02.14 02:59 PomSam My mum wanted a lap tray for her laptop and general use, and I needed an excuse to test my thicknesser. Win win.
 | First off. It's only mostly 'finished'. Want to carve a foam wedge and sew a cover for it to attach underneath so it's comfy in the lap. submitted by PomSam to BeginnerWoodWorking [link] [comments] Barring the glaring issues with it, i am quite proud of what I've accomplished. My first real project other than structural work of a small wall and roof to woodwork under, and little things where I've been practising techniques and the bench i slapped together to work on haha. The wood is either Merbau or Jarrah. I'm in Australia if that helps anyone identify. I recycled the wood from outdoor furniture that i dismantled and stored outside in a dry spot for almost 2 years. Had a great time learning how to use the thicknesseplaner, every rotation of the handle was 1mm, and i was doing less than a third of a turn most of the time. Was a lot of fun watching the tiny changes. And the internet told me that hard wood would be more punishing on the blades so i went as gently as possible. I've put in some shots of before and after using it. Loved how the grain and everything looks on this wood. So glad i have more to use. Being dry hardwood, i assume anyway, i found that it liked to splinter and have huge pieces break away when i used power tools. As you'll likely spot on some of the edges where its joined on the back. So i predominantly used hand tools, mostly a chisel that i sharpened almost every time i picked it up, it was cheap haha. And a small flush trim saw that i love using. Yes i know, this is not the purpose for that saw, just enjoy using it. Once i had the shape pretty close, i tried to use a router to give the edges of the tray a nice round edge for comfort. Turns out, that would rip a bunch of material off underneath that i didn't see while doing it. So i had to make the whole thing smaller and reshape it all again. Live and learn. I used various grits of sandpaper and a fine metal file to then shape the edges by hand the second time. The planks felt too thin for me to dowel them at joinery stage. So i decided to give them all a channel to run a piece of pine through. This seems to have been effective at glue up. But i did find after carving it down that when i didn't remove as much material near the ends, it caused the pine to try and warp the board. But it tried to curl them up toward the user, so i didnt feel the need to change it. Since i have sanded it smooth and taken out some mishapen bits. Hasn't changed the curve to my knowledge but only time will tell. Where bit chips broke off, i did my best with little repair jobs. Carving wedges to fit the gaps and smoothing the gaps to hold the wedge then glueing them in place, shaping them to suit the next day. Most of those repairs are unnoticed and i am quite proud of those. I wish i had re-cut the centre planks so they had a fresh surface to join to one another. Too much had chiped away so they have ugly corners where they meet. But they have been smoothed and i could do more repair work in the future to carve wedges again and sand smooth. To finish i oiled it all with a 1:1 mix of raw linseed oil and mineral turpentine. Left to dry for a day then gave it another coat. Love the way the grain really pops in the light. Definitely suggest this wood for personal projects. But be mindful of power tools. |
2024.01.28 07:38 Remarkable-Item181 Not getting power to sub after engine cranks
So recently installed a 18” sdr skar matched with a 1200w Jensen, worked good for a full day, drove about 1-2 hours to help move some furniture and when I went to drive home, this started. I get power when the key is turned but the second the engine cranks it shuts off, I have a voltmeter and bassknob, it’ll read battery but says off when it cranks, then it stops working completely. I’ve tried finding an answer this post is my last resort before completely just re wiring the whole thing
submitted by Remarkable-Item181 to CarAV [link] [comments]
2024.01.05 18:48 Doctorphotograph Moving Furniture During a Show? (ft. Jordan Jensen)
 | submitted by Doctorphotograph to StandUpComedy [link] [comments] |
2023.12.31 16:15 workcules Layoffs, December 31, 2023
Here is the list of LAYOFFS commencing on December 31, 2023 as listed on publicly available WARN notices submitted to each US State Workforce department.
"Workcules" actively tracks this information since we are a hiring marketplace dedicated to the laid-off or unemployed.Our platform ecosystem brings together hiring employers, laying-off employers, and the laid-off jobseeker. By being a part of this ecosystem, during layoffs, we can help transition employees from laying off employers to hiring employers, through our unique matchmaking.
Laid-off employees are invited into our platform by their respective employers, or they can self-sign up in case Workcules isn't offered to them by their employers.
| Company Name | City | State | Affected Employees | Announcement Date | Layoff Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shamrock Leasing LLC | Grand Rapids | MI | 127 | 14 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Grand Lux Café LLC | Chicago | IL | 175 | 09 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Transit Management of Sioux Falls Inc. | Sioux Falls | SD | 91 | 08 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| DAKKOTA INTEGRATED SYSTEMS LLC | Sterling Heights | MI | 48 | 08 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| CVS Health | Richardson | TX | 2 | 08 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Multi-Color Corporation | St. Louis | MO | 44 | 07 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Q.E.P. Co., Inc. | Johnson City | TN | 3 | 07 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Magna Seating | Auburn Hills | MI | 94 | 06 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Intel Corporation | Folsom | CA | 235 | 03 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Intel Corporation | Santa Clara | CA | 1 | 03 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Intel Corporation | Santa Clara | CA | 73 | 03 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Intel Corporation | Santa Clara | CA | 1 | 03 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Intel Corporation | Santa Clara | CA | 1 | 03 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| All FAB Precision Sheetmetal Inc | Fairburn | GA | 50 | 02 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Locanabio Inc | San Diego | CA | 58 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Maximus Inc | Quincy | MA | 75 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Leidos | Baltimore | MD | 130 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Atara Biotherapeutics | Thousand Oaks | CA | 1 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Family YMCA of the Desert at Palm Desert Aquatic Center | Palm Desert | CA | 85 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Atara Biotherapeutics | Thousand Oaks | CA | 72 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Informatica LLC | Redwood City | CA | 90 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Nestlé | Solon | OH | 77 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Alvarado Hospital, LLC dba Alvarado Hospital Medical Center | San Diego | CA | 6 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Morgan Stanley | Columbus | OH | 95 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Ball Advanced Aluminum Technologies | Verona | VA | 73 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Nyrstar Tennessee Mines - Gordonsville LLC | Gordonsville | TN | 300 | 31 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| San Diego Imaging Management, Inc. | San Diego | CA | 52 | 31 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Pepsi Beverages Company | Muncie | IN | 45 | 30 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| St. John of God Health Care Services | Victorville | CA | 27 | 30 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Vertical Supply Group | Whittier | CA | 7 | 30 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Momentum for Health | San Jose | CA | 1 | 27 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Momentum for Health | San Jose | CA | 1 | 27 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Momentum for Health | San Jose | CA | 84 | 27 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Printpack, Inc. | Hendersonville | NC | 90 | 25 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| MV Transportation | Austin | TX | 400 | 25 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| MaxLite, Inc. | Anaheim | CA | 4 | 25 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| MV Transportation | Austin | TX | 778 | 25 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| NE Virginia Emergency Physicians, LLC | Fairfax, Falls Church | VA | 137 | 24 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Summit Hill Foods Inc | Rome | GA | 80 | 24 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| HMSHost | Seattle | WA | 65 | 20 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Southwestern Health Resources | Farmers Branch | TX | 288 | 18 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| BMO Bank N.A. | Milwaukee | WI | 44 | 17 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Arden Hills Country Club, Inc | Sacramento | CA | 33 | 13 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| National Distribution Centers LLC | High Point | NC | 217 | 13 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Alvarado Hospital, LLC dba Alvarado Hospital Medical Center | San Diego | CA | 808 | 11 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Ryder Integrated Logistics Inc | Greenville | SC | 185 | 09 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| DreamWorks Animation LLC | Glendale | CA | 72 | 05 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| W.R Grace and Co | Albany | OR | 61 | 02 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 22 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 32 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 16 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 22 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 5 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 32 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 3 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 1 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 1 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Sodexo, Inc. (at Lake Forest Academy) | Lake Forest | IL | 43 | 29 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Hallcon Corporation | Sunnyvale | CA | 65 | 28 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Equiniti Trust Company, LLC | Brooklyn | NY | 85 | 28 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| American Nursery Services Inc | Multiple Locations | WA | 45 | 28 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Equiniti Trust Company LLC | Brooklyn | NY | 74 | 28 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Deutsch Inc | New York | NY | 41 | 28 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| GXO Warehouse Company Inc | Rochester | NY | 35 | 28 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Mansfield Plumbing Products LLC | Perrysville | OH | 263 | 26 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| ABN AMRO USA | New York | NY | 52 | 25 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Cummins Meritor | Escondido | CA | 15 | 18 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Cummins Meritor | Escondido | CA | 1 | 18 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| American Nursery Services, Inc. | - | ID | - | 05 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| American Nursery Services | Newburg | OR | 25 | 05 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| American Nursery Services Inc | Reno | NV | - | 05 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Jensen Enterprises Inc. dba Jensen Precast | Sacramento | CA | 40 | 01 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| AgeWell New York, LLC | Lake Success | NY | 68 | 25 Aug 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Sunbeam Products Inc. | Perrysburg | OH | 130 | 22 Aug 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Intuitive Surgical Inc | Durham | NC | 91 | 02 Aug 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Alliance University | New York | NY | 159 | 14 Jul 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Multi Color Corporation | Winchester | KY | 76 | 03 Jul 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Tropitone Furniture Company, Inc. | Temecula | CA | 2 | 15 Jun 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| BrassCraft Manufacturing Company | Corona | CA | 137 | 09 May 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Shutterfly LLC | Durham | NC | 108 | 04 May 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| BrassCraft Manufacturing Company | Corona | CA | 137 | 15 Mar 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Weir Slurry Group, Inc. | Madison | WI | 115 | 01 Feb 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Elementis Global LLC | East Windsor | NJ | 58 | - | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Coca Cola | Allentown | PA | 58 | - | 31 Dec 2023 |
2023.12.31 16:14 workcules Layoffs, December 31, 2023
Here is the list of LAYOFFS commencing on December 31, 2023 as listed on publicly available WARN notices submitted to each US State Workforce department.
"Workcules" actively tracks this information since we are a hiring marketplace dedicated to the laid-off or unemployed.Our platform ecosystem brings together hiring employers, laying-off employers, and the laid-off jobseeker. By being a part of this ecosystem, during layoffs, we can help transition employees from laying off employers to hiring employers, through our unique matchmaking.
Laid-off employees are invited into our platform by their respective employers, or they can self-sign up in case Workcules isn't offered to them by their employers.
| Company Name | City | State | Affected Employees | Announcement Date | Layoff Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shamrock Leasing LLC | Grand Rapids | MI | 127 | 14 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Grand Lux Café LLC | Chicago | IL | 175 | 09 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Transit Management of Sioux Falls Inc. | Sioux Falls | SD | 91 | 08 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| DAKKOTA INTEGRATED SYSTEMS LLC | Sterling Heights | MI | 48 | 08 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| CVS Health | Richardson | TX | 2 | 08 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Multi-Color Corporation | St. Louis | MO | 44 | 07 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Q.E.P. Co., Inc. | Johnson City | TN | 3 | 07 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Magna Seating | Auburn Hills | MI | 94 | 06 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Intel Corporation | Folsom | CA | 235 | 03 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Intel Corporation | Santa Clara | CA | 1 | 03 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Intel Corporation | Santa Clara | CA | 73 | 03 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Intel Corporation | Santa Clara | CA | 1 | 03 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Intel Corporation | Santa Clara | CA | 1 | 03 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| All FAB Precision Sheetmetal Inc | Fairburn | GA | 50 | 02 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Locanabio Inc | San Diego | CA | 58 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Maximus Inc | Quincy | MA | 75 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Leidos | Baltimore | MD | 130 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Atara Biotherapeutics | Thousand Oaks | CA | 1 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Family YMCA of the Desert at Palm Desert Aquatic Center | Palm Desert | CA | 85 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Atara Biotherapeutics | Thousand Oaks | CA | 72 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Informatica LLC | Redwood City | CA | 90 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Nestlé | Solon | OH | 77 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Alvarado Hospital, LLC dba Alvarado Hospital Medical Center | San Diego | CA | 6 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Morgan Stanley | Columbus | OH | 95 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Ball Advanced Aluminum Technologies | Verona | VA | 73 | 01 Nov 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Nyrstar Tennessee Mines - Gordonsville LLC | Gordonsville | TN | 300 | 31 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| San Diego Imaging Management, Inc. | San Diego | CA | 52 | 31 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Pepsi Beverages Company | Muncie | IN | 45 | 30 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| St. John of God Health Care Services | Victorville | CA | 27 | 30 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Vertical Supply Group | Whittier | CA | 7 | 30 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Momentum for Health | San Jose | CA | 1 | 27 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Momentum for Health | San Jose | CA | 1 | 27 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Momentum for Health | San Jose | CA | 84 | 27 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Printpack, Inc. | Hendersonville | NC | 90 | 25 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| MV Transportation | Austin | TX | 400 | 25 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| MaxLite, Inc. | Anaheim | CA | 4 | 25 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| MV Transportation | Austin | TX | 778 | 25 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| NE Virginia Emergency Physicians, LLC | Fairfax, Falls Church | VA | 137 | 24 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Summit Hill Foods Inc | Rome | GA | 80 | 24 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| HMSHost | Seattle | WA | 65 | 20 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Southwestern Health Resources | Farmers Branch | TX | 288 | 18 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| BMO Bank N.A. | Milwaukee | WI | 44 | 17 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Arden Hills Country Club, Inc | Sacramento | CA | 33 | 13 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| National Distribution Centers LLC | High Point | NC | 217 | 13 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Alvarado Hospital, LLC dba Alvarado Hospital Medical Center | San Diego | CA | 808 | 11 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Ryder Integrated Logistics Inc | Greenville | SC | 185 | 09 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| DreamWorks Animation LLC | Glendale | CA | 72 | 05 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| W.R Grace and Co | Albany | OR | 61 | 02 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 22 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 32 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 16 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 22 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 5 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 32 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 3 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 1 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Universal Protection Service LLC dba Allied Universal Security Services | New York | NY | 1 | 01 Oct 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Sodexo, Inc. (at Lake Forest Academy) | Lake Forest | IL | 43 | 29 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Hallcon Corporation | Sunnyvale | CA | 65 | 28 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Equiniti Trust Company, LLC | Brooklyn | NY | 85 | 28 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| American Nursery Services Inc | Multiple Locations | WA | 45 | 28 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Equiniti Trust Company LLC | Brooklyn | NY | 74 | 28 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Deutsch Inc | New York | NY | 41 | 28 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| GXO Warehouse Company Inc | Rochester | NY | 35 | 28 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Mansfield Plumbing Products LLC | Perrysville | OH | 263 | 26 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| ABN AMRO USA | New York | NY | 52 | 25 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Cummins Meritor | Escondido | CA | 15 | 18 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Cummins Meritor | Escondido | CA | 1 | 18 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| American Nursery Services, Inc. | - | ID | - | 05 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| American Nursery Services | Newburg | OR | 25 | 05 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| American Nursery Services Inc | Reno | NV | - | 05 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Jensen Enterprises Inc. dba Jensen Precast | Sacramento | CA | 40 | 01 Sep 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| AgeWell New York, LLC | Lake Success | NY | 68 | 25 Aug 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Sunbeam Products Inc. | Perrysburg | OH | 130 | 22 Aug 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Intuitive Surgical Inc | Durham | NC | 91 | 02 Aug 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Alliance University | New York | NY | 159 | 14 Jul 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Multi Color Corporation | Winchester | KY | 76 | 03 Jul 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Tropitone Furniture Company, Inc. | Temecula | CA | 2 | 15 Jun 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| BrassCraft Manufacturing Company | Corona | CA | 137 | 09 May 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Shutterfly LLC | Durham | NC | 108 | 04 May 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| BrassCraft Manufacturing Company | Corona | CA | 137 | 15 Mar 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Weir Slurry Group, Inc. | Madison | WI | 115 | 01 Feb 2023 | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Elementis Global LLC | East Windsor | NJ | 58 | - | 31 Dec 2023 |
| Coca Cola | Allentown | PA | 58 | - | 31 Dec 2023 |
2023.12.23 04:18 SneakingEmu Watch Stands for Christmas presents
 | Not great photos, but I made up 3 watch stands for Christmas presents - an American Walnut and two American Red Oak. submitted by SneakingEmu to woodworking [link] [comments] I definitely learnt a lot - do double the sanding I think is enough and clamping on angles is a huge pain! One of them (the Walnut one) is going to my granddad who has been making Jarrah furniture/everything for 50 years - that's the one I'm most nervous about! |
2023.12.02 10:03 gurky-poos Timber Flooring (Jarrah) - Hard work and finish
Just about to settle on our first home and need to do something about the old carpet. Couple things I would love opinions on:
- The jarrah boards underneath haven't seen daylight since 1961 and look in good condition. I reckon we can do it ourselves for ~$1100 from Bunnings (Not including the unchosen finish). Quotes have varied from $3500-5500 for sanding and finishing. Has anyone punched the nails, sanded 3 times, cleaned up, vacuumed, wiped down, applied your chosen finish, sanded and applied again ? Is it worth saving the money ? We've got the cash but would much rather buy some new furniture earlier than we'd hoped. I'm handy enough but sometimes its worth just paying someone - What on earth should we use as a finish ?! So many options, not that much consistent information. Oil bases PU cheaper but toxic and stinks, water based PU doesn't have huge benefit except dry time (?), hard-wax oil seems interesting but is 4 times the price. We've got a 35kg dog and wont stress too much about some wear and tear. Any opinions welcome
cheers
submitted by gurky-poos to AusRenovation [link] [comments]
- The jarrah boards underneath haven't seen daylight since 1961 and look in good condition. I reckon we can do it ourselves for ~$1100 from Bunnings (Not including the unchosen finish). Quotes have varied from $3500-5500 for sanding and finishing. Has anyone punched the nails, sanded 3 times, cleaned up, vacuumed, wiped down, applied your chosen finish, sanded and applied again ? Is it worth saving the money ? We've got the cash but would much rather buy some new furniture earlier than we'd hoped. I'm handy enough but sometimes its worth just paying someone - What on earth should we use as a finish ?! So many options, not that much consistent information. Oil bases PU cheaper but toxic and stinks, water based PU doesn't have huge benefit except dry time (?), hard-wax oil seems interesting but is 4 times the price. We've got a 35kg dog and wont stress too much about some wear and tear. Any opinions welcome
cheers
2023.11.25 18:28 rickdeebee Vintage 1957 Georg Jensen care instructions
 | Not sure which piece of my mother's furniture was purchased from Georg Jensen (maybe their first dining table), but I found this care instructions sheet and thought it was cool! submitted by rickdeebee to Mid_Century [link] [comments] |
2023.11.22 05:10 Transmogify Jarrah desk by Western Australian furniture maker Charles Catt I finished restoring today.
 | submitted by Transmogify to midcenturymodern [link] [comments] |
2023.10.19 02:22 Soderholmsvag What should I do for a future Century Home owner?
 | Renovating my 1959 ranch and found a beer can and insurance certificate in the walls. I will put them back for the future owner, but what should I add? I want to wow the future Century-Home owner with something from 2023. submitted by Soderholmsvag to centuryhomes [link] [comments] |
2023.09.30 07:33 Echold2006 Bobby Lobby: spongebob
 | submitted by Echold2006 to NoRules [link] [comments] |
2023.08.21 21:34 TheVampireSaga My Small Town has bizarre weather today, and it's changing the people.
My area often doesn't get a lot of snow during the Winter months. It's a small Town barely mentioned on any major maps of the country. Yet for whatever reason we do get snow randomly during any type of season for some ungodly reason, it's like the Earth suddenly decides to slam us with a few thousand pounds of snow all at once.
Being a small town where everyone knows each other, goes to the same school, and works at the same totalitarian overlord supermarket or factory, it's a good thing everyone is so close to each other, otherwise someone could die with how fast the temperature drops in the winter.
Suffice to say, it's miserable during the brief random periods we get actual snow, usually my dad, if he remembers enough, has my brother help him collect firewood from the forest in the backyard.
Of course even with the tons of snow burying everything usually, the Teachers still want everyone to go outside and nearly freeze to death getting to the bus stop, usually my parents have to fight tooth and nail for them to shut down school.
This time though today my parents relented after the principal explained how my brothers grades were failing, and that was enough to convince my dad to drive him over. I had to stay home due to a massive cold and my mother didn't want anyone else to get sick at school already dealing with the shitty weather.
My parents said to me since it wasn't snowing that bad yet, they would be going to the store to grab us some emergency food in case the power did actually go out.
And let me tell you about that "store" - it's the tiniest store you could possibly imagine. I'm not kidding; you walk in, take 20 steps, and you're pretty much at the back wall where they keep the canned beans and dusty old bags of chips. The ceiling is so low that even I have to hunch down a bit, and I'm not exactly a giant.
It's the kind of place where you bump into Mrs. Jensen from down the street every time you go, and she insists on talking about her day for a good 20 minutes.
Anyway, my parents bundled up into their winter clothing, promised they'd be back before I knew it, and headed out into the gathering snow to their car. The wind had picked up a bit, but the snowfall wasn't too bad at that point.
A couple of hours passed, and I was starting to get that nagging feeling in my gut as I was watching TV. You know the one that tells you something's just not right? I tried to shake it off, blaming it on my fever and the general creepiness of the snowstorm. But then, my phone rang.
I glanced at the caller ID, and it was Mr. Thompson, our grumpy old neighbor. My dad used to tell me he was a war veteran of some kind and spent most of his free time either yelling at the neighborhood kids throwing baseballs in his lawn, visiting his wife's grave, or watching TV.
He's a miserable guy but he's also one of the nicest people you'll ever meet once you get to know him. He rarely ever called, and I figured he must've needed something important. With a sigh, I answered, mentally preparing myself for whatever he was going to complain about this time.
"Sam," his raspy voice crackled over the line, "I need a hand with something. Are you interested?"
I raised an eyebrow, surprised by the unusual request. This was usually the part where he'd talk about his war days and ramble on about them for twenty minutes.
"Sure, Mr. Thompson, what do you need help with?" I responded while scratching my nose.
He explained that his house could use a good cleaning, and he was willing to pay me 20 bucks for my trouble. Now, I might've been feeling under the weather, but I wasn't about to pass up 20 bucks for a bit of cleaning. Plus, it might be a welcome distraction from the worry gnawing at the back of my mind. My parents still weren't back yet.
"Alright, Mr. Thompson, I'll be right over," I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite my unease.
"Good lad. Just make sure to bundle up. It's colder than a witch's tit out here," he grumbled before hanging up the phone.
I agreed, pulling on my warmest clothes and trudging through the barely an inch high snow to Mr. Thompson's house. His house was only about thirty feet away from mine, but the short walk felt like an eternity in that already biting cold, the temperature was dropping and it was dropping fast.
To explain the situation with the street our houses are on, the area has very few houses with people in it. it's my mom and dad's house, someone I've never met staying in one house usually blasting his music throughout the neighborhood, or empty/abandoned houses. Mostly everyone lives closer to the Supermarket and it takes an extra ten minutes for us to drive to it down to the actual town center.
Mr. Thompson's been staying near the house we live in for over ten years, even as everyone moved to be closer to the store and other markets we have near the hospital, shopping area, and sheriff's department.
I finally reached Mr. Thompson's front porch, and as I knocked on the door, it swung open almost immediately, revealing Mr. Thompson himself. He was a tall, wiry man with a permanent scowl etched onto his weathered face. His silver hair was a bit unruly, and he had piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through you. As if testing you in some way, like he was sizing you up.
"About time," he muttered, stepping aside to let me in. I could already feel the warmth emanating from the house, a welcome relief from the icy air outside.
As I stepped into his cozy living room, I couldn't help but notice once again the countless trinkets and memorabilia scattered around the place. Military medals hung on the wall, and old photographs from his war were arranged in frames on the fireplace mantel. It was like stepping into a time capsule of his life. It was the one reason why I always sort of liked coming over, even if Thompson was a miserable bastard on some occasions towards my Mom.
"So, you're here to help me clean, huh?" Thompson said, raising an eyebrow at me while looking around at his furniture. "Not the most exciting job, I'll admit."
I chuckled, feeling a bit more at ease now that I was out of the cold. "Well, 20 bucks is 20 bucks."
Mr. Thompson smiled then handed me a worn-out mop and a bucket. "Alright then, lad, let's get to work. Kitchen's that way."
I nodded and set to work, mopping the kitchen floor while he dusted the shelves. It was strange being in his house. Usually, my dad would be prying me away from helping him, but today he was nowhere to be found.
"Come on, put your back into it Sammy. In the army they'd work us like total dogs and make us clean the shitter afterwards."
My knees were starting to ache near the middle of the cleaning and we weren't even halfway done yet according to him, but I persisted on.
In the middle of Mr. Thompson getting more cleaning supplies out of the bathroom upstairs which took him a while to get up into in the first place, I went to the nearby window in the living room and looked out into the snow.
It was hard to see outside with how much it was snowing, but it was overflowing with snow as the wind was picking up, shaking the shutters of the house as the wind hit the house. I saw something that caught my eye though as I looked out into the blinds.
At the end of the street on the corner, there were five people shuffling around in the snow. This wouldn't be outrageous in say a normal storm but this was beginning to get into a full on blizzard and it was strange to see people walking around and not in their hot cars.
Their movements were…. bizarre. It's like they were taking very slow and not at all fast steps through the cold snow across from my viewpoint. They didn't look in my direction at all even though I think I was clearly visible just standing there. You figure they'd be trying to get to the warmest areas possible like a house, but they just walked by Mr. Thompson's house, slowly disappearing into the mist.
Mr. Thompson came down eventually and after he took a quick break from walking we went back to cleaning. In the middle of cleaning, Mr. Thompson looked over at me with a confused expression on his face and asked me something.
"Where's your family?" Mr. Thompson asked, breaking the silence. "Your dad would usually be bugging you to come shovel his driveway by now." While pointing his thumb back at the door and dusting off a photo of him and his wife.
I paused, not quite sure how to respond myself honestly. "They went to the store," I finally said. "But they haven't come back yet."
He grunted, a furrow forming on his brow. "The storm's picking up out there. Shouldn't be out in this mess." As he looked at the analog clock near his TV, the time read three PM and they left over seven hours ago. They all had off work due to the weather suddenly shifting.
"I know," I replied, my worry resurfacing. "I'm starting to get bothered by it a little."
Mr. Thompson studied me for a moment, his expression softening slightly. "They'll be fine, Sam. Probably just stuck at the store or taking their time. You know how it is with young people, no offense."
We worked in silence for a while after that conversation, cleaning up his cluttered living room. After what felt like an eternity of scrubbing and dusting, he finally called for a break. We settled down on his old, worn-out couch, exhaustion beginning to set in for the both of us as he handed me my twenty dollars. But I was less concerned now about the money and more concerned as to where the hell my parents were.
As soon as we sat down, the power went out.
Thompson shook his head, a grim look on his face. "I've been through my fair share of storms, but this… this is something else. Nature's angry at us it seems." I stole a glance at Mr. Thompson, who was lost in thought with a worried look on his face as he stared at the blank TV screen. After a moment, he turned to me.
"You're not going back out there, Sam," he said firmly. "I don't care if you're helping me for money or not. This storm is getting worse by the minute, and I'm not letting you risk your life in this mess walking back to your house. So, you better get comfortable here in the living room. We can keep an eye on the news and wait it out."
I wanted to argue, to insist that I should go home and make sure my family was okay. But as I looked out the window again and saw the snow whipping around in a frenzy, I knew he was right. This storm was unlike anything I'd ever experienced, and Mr. Thompson's concern was genuine for once.
Just as I was resigning myself to the possible fate of having to listen to his war stories to pass the time, Mr. Thompson surprised me. He picked up his phone and started dialing, his fingers moving with practiced ease. He put the phone to his ear and spoke in a hushed tone, asking two people to come over from what I could hear.
A short while later, the doorbell rang, and Mr. Thompson opened it to reveal a couple of his war buddies. They greeted each other with hearty handshakes and a few shared jokes before Mr. Thompson explained the situation. It turned out that he had called them over to help keep an eye on me and the situation outside.
"Sam, meet Jack and Mike," he said, introducing me to his war buddies. "They're gonna help me make sure you're safe until this storm blows over."
I was taken aback by the gesture. These were tough, no-nonsense guys, Veterans who had seen their fair share of challenges. Mike was a taller guy than the both of them, myself included. but he was noticeably more quiet. And Jack was more your standard aloof old southern hick who spoke in a funny accent like Mr. Thompson occasionally did while arguing with someone.
And here they were, willing to watch over a worried teenager stuck in their midst. As if sensing my unease, Jack clapped me on the back with a friendly grin. "Don't worry, kid. We've been through worse than a snowstorm. We'll keep you company while your Daddy and ma are out."
Mr. Thompson and Mike got busy closing all the windows and even wedged a towel at the bottom of the front door to keep the heat from escaping. They were taking this seriously, as if they were preparing for a battle of some kind.
And then the old man went over to the phone as the other two were talking amongst themselves, He picked up the phone again and dialed a number. I realized he was calling the store where my parents were supposed to be after he identified a cashier my Mom always talks to by name.
"Yeah, hey Martha. this is Robert Thompson," he said in his no-nonsense tone. "I've got a young neighbor here, Sam, and his parents are at your store. Can you confirm if they're okay?"
I watched Mr. Thompson's face go from focused to pale, his expression slowly morphing into one of shock and disbelief. Jack and Mike looked over at him in silent confusion as he spoke more to the person on the other end.
"What do you mean they never walked into the store?" Mr. Thompson demanded to know, his voice cracking with concern. "They left his house hours ago. There's no way they could've gotten lost in this town."
The tension in the room was palpable as Mr. Thompson listened to the voice on the other end of the line. I could practically feel the worry radiating off him in waves. And then, his expression turned even more confused as he heard the response."
"Martha, you're saying there's a bunch of people just standing outside the store? Not moving? In this freezing weather? Do you know how fucking cold-"
Thompson paused, as if the other person was chewing him out. I cracked a grin out of a habit of seeing him out of his element and pushed to curse.
"Martha, I get it. You're not seeing things, didja try asking them what's wrong or why they're just standing there?"
Mr. Thompson sighed as the voice started up again, barely audible from the receiver.
"Look if they're not going to buy anything and just standing there call the police, I don't know what else you want me to say-"
Mr. Thompson took his ear from the old fashioned phone, and spoke a few more times "Hello? Martha?"
the line went dead all of a sudden, as did the power only moments later. Thrusting the room into an immediate chill besides the burning fireplace."
The tension in the room was intense as we all waited for him to hang up the phone. When he finally did, he turned to us, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and confusion.
"They're… they're outside the store," he stammered, struggling to find the words. "A group of them, just standing there in the cold. Not moving. Martha said they look sick or something, like they're in some kind of trance but she couldn't get a good look at them. Then the line dropped."
My smile dropped from my face and my mind blurred for a minute as I processed the information. What could cause people to stand outside in the freezing cold like that? It wasn't like today was a black Friday sale and everyone was lining up, especially not in nearly sub zero temperatures.
"What are we going to do?" I finally managed to ask, my voice was barely a whisper.
Jack exchanged a serious look with Mr. Thompson and Mike, the weight of the situation evident on their faces. Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone, and his posture steadied.
"I'm going to call the cops," he said firmly, his fingers dialing the number with practiced ease. "..Maybe they can send someone to figure out what's going on at the supermarket. Get them help if something's going on, maybe she can't hear them and they're having an emergency?"
I nodded, grateful that at least someone was taking action. As Jack talked to the person on the other end, I thought about my little brother, probably still at school. Was he safe? I hoped that the school had taken precautions to keep the kids inside, away from whatever was happening out here.
While Jack was on the phone, Mike spoke up. "I'm going to go get my gun from upstairs. Left it here yesterday after we went hunting. Just in case."
As Mike disappeared upstairs, Jack finished his quick call and turned to us. "I bribed one of my cop buddies with a promise of a few beers to come over and keep an eye on things. He said he'll head here as soon as he can. They're getting a lot of calls right now for whatever reason."
Mr. Thompson nodded, his eyes fixed on the window as if expecting something to materialize out of the storm, before going down into his basement and getting a box of something I didn't recognize a few moments later.
They were these old looking radio equipment, most of them looked broken or the metal was rusted on the system itself.
Thompson threw the useless looking ones out of the way and grabbed this old phone looking device.
"What's that?" I inquired as I stood next to the fireplace, trying to get myself warm as possible in the cold air.
"It's basically a shortwave radio system that people don't use much nowadays thanks to them mobile phones. I've got one of them here and I gave another one to my friend who lives next to the Supermarket a bit up the road."
Thompson pushed the push to talk button and tried broadcasting over the interface the storm was causing."
"Daley boy, are you out there? Pick up. It's getting really bad out here."
Nothing. No response for thirty seconds.
"Dale? Are you there? I told you multiple times that you should always-"
A voice gruffed over at the receiver, it sounded pissed.
"I'm here, what is it Thompson? I'm building something right now in my garage."
"Oh thank God, listen Dale the storm's getting really bad in our area. Can you check on Martha at the market? There's a bunch of people just hawking over her not going into the store. We need you and your trailer to get us that generator you were talking about a few days ago also. Our power got knocked out." Thompson finished.
"Yeah, yeah I'll look outside and-"
Static. Static was the only thing we could hear on the other end that came out in a hellfull instant.
"Dale? Are you there? What's wrong?"
"Sorry I busted my damn radio after dropping it accidentally. But I can see the store from my House."
"And?"
"Well I can see the police are over there and they're……"
"Oh my God…"
"What? What do you see?" Thompson demanded to know.
"They're shooting them. The police are shooting at the people outside the store."
Thompson looked at us with an angry expression on his face, thinking Dale was pulling a prank on us.
"What do you mean the police are shooting them?"
"I mean they're shooting them, Robert! I can see them unloading on them right now and-"
"Hold on…. something's coming this way-"
"Dale? Dale, what is it? What do you mean Dale?"
The line went dead for a final time.
Jack's face had gone pale, and I noticed sweat beads forming on his forehead. His phone suddenly started ringing at that moment, the shrill sound slicing through the silent atmosphere. He pulled it out of his pocket and stared at the screen for a moment before answering, his hands visibly shaking.
"Hello?"
He put the call on speakerphone, and the voice of his cop friend he mentioned earlier crackled through the speaker.
"Jack, I'm on my way. Should be there in about ten minutes. Just hold tight, okay?"
But before anyone could respond, a noise erupted from the other end of the line. It was a guttural, unnatural sound, like a distorted scream mixed with glass gently cracking.
"Jack, I'm on my way. Should be there in about ten minutes. Just hold tight, okay?"
"Jack, Hold tight."
"Jack, I'm on my way."
"Jack."
"Ja…ck..."
"Jaaaaaaaaaaack…"
It kept repeating his name over and over again, it was like a creature that didn't understand Human language mimicking what it thinks a human should sound like. there was an icy flare to its voice, like it was creaking with every single motion it did over the phone.
Mike grabbed the phone out of Jack's hands and hung up as Jack stood there frozen in place with a horrified expression on his face, with Mr. Thompson racing to his big gun safe in the corner to try and unlock it.
There was another ring yet nobody dared to pick it up. To even entertain the thought of interacting with whatever that thing is.
"You have one missed call from Lt. Bradley."
"You have two missed calls from Lt. Bradley."
Mike turned off the phone himself, cutting off the calls from whatever that….thing was.
The room was heavy with tension, the unsettling silence broken only by the sound of our own breathing. Mr. Thompson's furrowed brow was evidence of his growing unease.
"Something is very wrong here," Thompson finally said, his voice low and intentionally quiet. "We need to get upstairs. It might be safer and hotter than staying on the ground floor."
Mike's face paled, his eyes darting towards the front door as if considering his options. "I can't. I need to check on my boy back at home. Make sure he's okay."
Mr. Thompson's expression hardened. "Mike, it's not safe out there." His southern accent came through as he took a step towards him." You heard that broadcast. You heard that call. We need to stick together and stay put."
Mike's hands clenched into fists, his desperation evident. "I can't just abandon my son, Robert. I need to make sure he's alright. He's only eleven years old!"
"Mike, we can't risk it," Mr. Thompson's voice was stern, his gaze unwavering as the two men were bickering heavily now, nearly yelling at each other.
"I ain't askin' you to be the hero again or anything," Mike fired back, the tension in the room getting thicker. "I just need to be sure my boy's safe."
While those two kept on arguing, I looked at Jack as the tension was flaring in the room. He caught my eye and motioned toward the stairs while the others were full blown shouting at each other.
"Let's go upstairs, Sam," Jack said, his voice lower and more calming. "They'll figure things out eventually."
I nodded, glad for the chance to get away from all the yelling. We made our way up the stairs, and Jack led me to a guest bedroom room at the end of the hallway. He closed the door behind us, like he was shutting out the craziness downstairs.
"Don't worry," he said, trying to sound calm even as the sweat from his forehead was dripping down his brow. "They're just having a heated moment like those two always do. It'll blow over soon kiddo-"
Then out of nowhere, there's a loud crash, glass breaking and panicked shouting followed by what sounded like Mr. Thompson screaming and a gun being fired again and again.
"What's happening down there? What's going on?!" I said to Jack as the noises were still violently going on downstairs with the sounds of a struggle echoing throughout the house.
Before Jack could even respond, there's this awful choking sound coming from downstairs, like someone's struggling to breathe. I'm frozen in place, and we both turn towards the closed door as we hear more and more steps in the living room.
Then a large icy shattering could be heard, I don't know how to describe it. It was like if you smashed glass or ice with a hammer and the chunks exploded everywhere across concrete.
Then, nothing. Just shuffling noises were the only thing we heard. There was at least five sets of footsteps walking around downstairs in a slow and methodical way seemingly in random directions, like they were looking for something.
"Sam," Jack turned to me and looked right into my eyes as he spoke, gripping my shoulder so hard it still hurts. "I need you to listen carefully. Take this." He handed me his gun, it's a big Pistol of some kind. I think it's a revolver. his fingers were lingering on mine for a moment as he stared into my eyes.
"I'm going to go out there and see what's going on. But I need you to promise me something – no matter what you hear, no matter what happens, do not open this door. Understand?"
My heart was practically beating out of my chest at this point, I nodded as the saliva was filling my mouth before I gulped, gripping the gun tightly in my hand. "I promise."
The entire house was quiet, aside from the sound of crinkling glass every few seconds and wind blowing in from downstairs. Jack slowly opened the bedroom door and stepped out, and I quickly locked it behind him.
I heard him moving down the old stairwell, each wooden step was creaking loudly as he headed down slowly. A voice soon came from downstairs, Jack's voice.
"My God, Bradley? Is that you?" I heard Jack say from the bottom of the staircase as I put my ear against the wooden doorframe, straining to hear any more noises or voices.
I could hear glass crinkling downstairs and slow shuffling, straight towards the staircase.
"Bradley, what the fuck is wrong with you?! What's that all over your face-"
I heard Jack scream loudly as there was more glass cracking downstairs and another crash. there were at least six more pairs of footsteps that were running up the stairs as I heard Jack yelling. He was pounding at the bedroom door, begging me to let him back in as I heard this sickening freezing noise coming from the door as his cries slowly died out.
Then nothing.
Nothing but the sound of the wind slowly coming from downstairs.
The only sound I heard after five minutes was the noise of something hard and solid slamming against the door and something slowly trying to open the door through with the door knob.
It's been over an hour now and I don't know what to do. I think the bedroom door can hold against whatever's trying to get in, I'm hoping.
If anyone is in the area please, help me. The Police aren't picking up and nobody's answering me when I call them, all the phones are down in the area.
It's getting so cold now. I can hear the wind rushing into the house from the downstairs window, the house is freezing…
I hope it warms up soon.
submitted by TheVampireSaga to nosleep [link] [comments]
Being a small town where everyone knows each other, goes to the same school, and works at the same totalitarian overlord supermarket or factory, it's a good thing everyone is so close to each other, otherwise someone could die with how fast the temperature drops in the winter.
Suffice to say, it's miserable during the brief random periods we get actual snow, usually my dad, if he remembers enough, has my brother help him collect firewood from the forest in the backyard.
Of course even with the tons of snow burying everything usually, the Teachers still want everyone to go outside and nearly freeze to death getting to the bus stop, usually my parents have to fight tooth and nail for them to shut down school.
This time though today my parents relented after the principal explained how my brothers grades were failing, and that was enough to convince my dad to drive him over. I had to stay home due to a massive cold and my mother didn't want anyone else to get sick at school already dealing with the shitty weather.
My parents said to me since it wasn't snowing that bad yet, they would be going to the store to grab us some emergency food in case the power did actually go out.
And let me tell you about that "store" - it's the tiniest store you could possibly imagine. I'm not kidding; you walk in, take 20 steps, and you're pretty much at the back wall where they keep the canned beans and dusty old bags of chips. The ceiling is so low that even I have to hunch down a bit, and I'm not exactly a giant.
It's the kind of place where you bump into Mrs. Jensen from down the street every time you go, and she insists on talking about her day for a good 20 minutes.
Anyway, my parents bundled up into their winter clothing, promised they'd be back before I knew it, and headed out into the gathering snow to their car. The wind had picked up a bit, but the snowfall wasn't too bad at that point.
A couple of hours passed, and I was starting to get that nagging feeling in my gut as I was watching TV. You know the one that tells you something's just not right? I tried to shake it off, blaming it on my fever and the general creepiness of the snowstorm. But then, my phone rang.
I glanced at the caller ID, and it was Mr. Thompson, our grumpy old neighbor. My dad used to tell me he was a war veteran of some kind and spent most of his free time either yelling at the neighborhood kids throwing baseballs in his lawn, visiting his wife's grave, or watching TV.
He's a miserable guy but he's also one of the nicest people you'll ever meet once you get to know him. He rarely ever called, and I figured he must've needed something important. With a sigh, I answered, mentally preparing myself for whatever he was going to complain about this time.
"Sam," his raspy voice crackled over the line, "I need a hand with something. Are you interested?"
I raised an eyebrow, surprised by the unusual request. This was usually the part where he'd talk about his war days and ramble on about them for twenty minutes.
"Sure, Mr. Thompson, what do you need help with?" I responded while scratching my nose.
He explained that his house could use a good cleaning, and he was willing to pay me 20 bucks for my trouble. Now, I might've been feeling under the weather, but I wasn't about to pass up 20 bucks for a bit of cleaning. Plus, it might be a welcome distraction from the worry gnawing at the back of my mind. My parents still weren't back yet.
"Alright, Mr. Thompson, I'll be right over," I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite my unease.
"Good lad. Just make sure to bundle up. It's colder than a witch's tit out here," he grumbled before hanging up the phone.
I agreed, pulling on my warmest clothes and trudging through the barely an inch high snow to Mr. Thompson's house. His house was only about thirty feet away from mine, but the short walk felt like an eternity in that already biting cold, the temperature was dropping and it was dropping fast.
To explain the situation with the street our houses are on, the area has very few houses with people in it. it's my mom and dad's house, someone I've never met staying in one house usually blasting his music throughout the neighborhood, or empty/abandoned houses. Mostly everyone lives closer to the Supermarket and it takes an extra ten minutes for us to drive to it down to the actual town center.
Mr. Thompson's been staying near the house we live in for over ten years, even as everyone moved to be closer to the store and other markets we have near the hospital, shopping area, and sheriff's department.
I finally reached Mr. Thompson's front porch, and as I knocked on the door, it swung open almost immediately, revealing Mr. Thompson himself. He was a tall, wiry man with a permanent scowl etched onto his weathered face. His silver hair was a bit unruly, and he had piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through you. As if testing you in some way, like he was sizing you up.
"About time," he muttered, stepping aside to let me in. I could already feel the warmth emanating from the house, a welcome relief from the icy air outside.
As I stepped into his cozy living room, I couldn't help but notice once again the countless trinkets and memorabilia scattered around the place. Military medals hung on the wall, and old photographs from his war were arranged in frames on the fireplace mantel. It was like stepping into a time capsule of his life. It was the one reason why I always sort of liked coming over, even if Thompson was a miserable bastard on some occasions towards my Mom.
"So, you're here to help me clean, huh?" Thompson said, raising an eyebrow at me while looking around at his furniture. "Not the most exciting job, I'll admit."
I chuckled, feeling a bit more at ease now that I was out of the cold. "Well, 20 bucks is 20 bucks."
Mr. Thompson smiled then handed me a worn-out mop and a bucket. "Alright then, lad, let's get to work. Kitchen's that way."
I nodded and set to work, mopping the kitchen floor while he dusted the shelves. It was strange being in his house. Usually, my dad would be prying me away from helping him, but today he was nowhere to be found.
"Come on, put your back into it Sammy. In the army they'd work us like total dogs and make us clean the shitter afterwards."
My knees were starting to ache near the middle of the cleaning and we weren't even halfway done yet according to him, but I persisted on.
In the middle of Mr. Thompson getting more cleaning supplies out of the bathroom upstairs which took him a while to get up into in the first place, I went to the nearby window in the living room and looked out into the snow.
It was hard to see outside with how much it was snowing, but it was overflowing with snow as the wind was picking up, shaking the shutters of the house as the wind hit the house. I saw something that caught my eye though as I looked out into the blinds.
At the end of the street on the corner, there were five people shuffling around in the snow. This wouldn't be outrageous in say a normal storm but this was beginning to get into a full on blizzard and it was strange to see people walking around and not in their hot cars.
Their movements were…. bizarre. It's like they were taking very slow and not at all fast steps through the cold snow across from my viewpoint. They didn't look in my direction at all even though I think I was clearly visible just standing there. You figure they'd be trying to get to the warmest areas possible like a house, but they just walked by Mr. Thompson's house, slowly disappearing into the mist.
Mr. Thompson came down eventually and after he took a quick break from walking we went back to cleaning. In the middle of cleaning, Mr. Thompson looked over at me with a confused expression on his face and asked me something.
"Where's your family?" Mr. Thompson asked, breaking the silence. "Your dad would usually be bugging you to come shovel his driveway by now." While pointing his thumb back at the door and dusting off a photo of him and his wife.
I paused, not quite sure how to respond myself honestly. "They went to the store," I finally said. "But they haven't come back yet."
He grunted, a furrow forming on his brow. "The storm's picking up out there. Shouldn't be out in this mess." As he looked at the analog clock near his TV, the time read three PM and they left over seven hours ago. They all had off work due to the weather suddenly shifting.
"I know," I replied, my worry resurfacing. "I'm starting to get bothered by it a little."
Mr. Thompson studied me for a moment, his expression softening slightly. "They'll be fine, Sam. Probably just stuck at the store or taking their time. You know how it is with young people, no offense."
We worked in silence for a while after that conversation, cleaning up his cluttered living room. After what felt like an eternity of scrubbing and dusting, he finally called for a break. We settled down on his old, worn-out couch, exhaustion beginning to set in for the both of us as he handed me my twenty dollars. But I was less concerned now about the money and more concerned as to where the hell my parents were.
As soon as we sat down, the power went out.
Thompson shook his head, a grim look on his face. "I've been through my fair share of storms, but this… this is something else. Nature's angry at us it seems." I stole a glance at Mr. Thompson, who was lost in thought with a worried look on his face as he stared at the blank TV screen. After a moment, he turned to me.
"You're not going back out there, Sam," he said firmly. "I don't care if you're helping me for money or not. This storm is getting worse by the minute, and I'm not letting you risk your life in this mess walking back to your house. So, you better get comfortable here in the living room. We can keep an eye on the news and wait it out."
I wanted to argue, to insist that I should go home and make sure my family was okay. But as I looked out the window again and saw the snow whipping around in a frenzy, I knew he was right. This storm was unlike anything I'd ever experienced, and Mr. Thompson's concern was genuine for once.
Just as I was resigning myself to the possible fate of having to listen to his war stories to pass the time, Mr. Thompson surprised me. He picked up his phone and started dialing, his fingers moving with practiced ease. He put the phone to his ear and spoke in a hushed tone, asking two people to come over from what I could hear.
A short while later, the doorbell rang, and Mr. Thompson opened it to reveal a couple of his war buddies. They greeted each other with hearty handshakes and a few shared jokes before Mr. Thompson explained the situation. It turned out that he had called them over to help keep an eye on me and the situation outside.
"Sam, meet Jack and Mike," he said, introducing me to his war buddies. "They're gonna help me make sure you're safe until this storm blows over."
I was taken aback by the gesture. These were tough, no-nonsense guys, Veterans who had seen their fair share of challenges. Mike was a taller guy than the both of them, myself included. but he was noticeably more quiet. And Jack was more your standard aloof old southern hick who spoke in a funny accent like Mr. Thompson occasionally did while arguing with someone.
And here they were, willing to watch over a worried teenager stuck in their midst. As if sensing my unease, Jack clapped me on the back with a friendly grin. "Don't worry, kid. We've been through worse than a snowstorm. We'll keep you company while your Daddy and ma are out."
Mr. Thompson and Mike got busy closing all the windows and even wedged a towel at the bottom of the front door to keep the heat from escaping. They were taking this seriously, as if they were preparing for a battle of some kind.
And then the old man went over to the phone as the other two were talking amongst themselves, He picked up the phone again and dialed a number. I realized he was calling the store where my parents were supposed to be after he identified a cashier my Mom always talks to by name.
"Yeah, hey Martha. this is Robert Thompson," he said in his no-nonsense tone. "I've got a young neighbor here, Sam, and his parents are at your store. Can you confirm if they're okay?"
I watched Mr. Thompson's face go from focused to pale, his expression slowly morphing into one of shock and disbelief. Jack and Mike looked over at him in silent confusion as he spoke more to the person on the other end.
"What do you mean they never walked into the store?" Mr. Thompson demanded to know, his voice cracking with concern. "They left his house hours ago. There's no way they could've gotten lost in this town."
The tension in the room was palpable as Mr. Thompson listened to the voice on the other end of the line. I could practically feel the worry radiating off him in waves. And then, his expression turned even more confused as he heard the response."
"Martha, you're saying there's a bunch of people just standing outside the store? Not moving? In this freezing weather? Do you know how fucking cold-"
Thompson paused, as if the other person was chewing him out. I cracked a grin out of a habit of seeing him out of his element and pushed to curse.
"Martha, I get it. You're not seeing things, didja try asking them what's wrong or why they're just standing there?"
Mr. Thompson sighed as the voice started up again, barely audible from the receiver.
"Look if they're not going to buy anything and just standing there call the police, I don't know what else you want me to say-"
Mr. Thompson took his ear from the old fashioned phone, and spoke a few more times "Hello? Martha?"
the line went dead all of a sudden, as did the power only moments later. Thrusting the room into an immediate chill besides the burning fireplace."
The tension in the room was intense as we all waited for him to hang up the phone. When he finally did, he turned to us, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and confusion.
"They're… they're outside the store," he stammered, struggling to find the words. "A group of them, just standing there in the cold. Not moving. Martha said they look sick or something, like they're in some kind of trance but she couldn't get a good look at them. Then the line dropped."
My smile dropped from my face and my mind blurred for a minute as I processed the information. What could cause people to stand outside in the freezing cold like that? It wasn't like today was a black Friday sale and everyone was lining up, especially not in nearly sub zero temperatures.
"What are we going to do?" I finally managed to ask, my voice was barely a whisper.
Jack exchanged a serious look with Mr. Thompson and Mike, the weight of the situation evident on their faces. Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone, and his posture steadied.
"I'm going to call the cops," he said firmly, his fingers dialing the number with practiced ease. "..Maybe they can send someone to figure out what's going on at the supermarket. Get them help if something's going on, maybe she can't hear them and they're having an emergency?"
I nodded, grateful that at least someone was taking action. As Jack talked to the person on the other end, I thought about my little brother, probably still at school. Was he safe? I hoped that the school had taken precautions to keep the kids inside, away from whatever was happening out here.
While Jack was on the phone, Mike spoke up. "I'm going to go get my gun from upstairs. Left it here yesterday after we went hunting. Just in case."
As Mike disappeared upstairs, Jack finished his quick call and turned to us. "I bribed one of my cop buddies with a promise of a few beers to come over and keep an eye on things. He said he'll head here as soon as he can. They're getting a lot of calls right now for whatever reason."
Mr. Thompson nodded, his eyes fixed on the window as if expecting something to materialize out of the storm, before going down into his basement and getting a box of something I didn't recognize a few moments later.
They were these old looking radio equipment, most of them looked broken or the metal was rusted on the system itself.
Thompson threw the useless looking ones out of the way and grabbed this old phone looking device.
"What's that?" I inquired as I stood next to the fireplace, trying to get myself warm as possible in the cold air.
"It's basically a shortwave radio system that people don't use much nowadays thanks to them mobile phones. I've got one of them here and I gave another one to my friend who lives next to the Supermarket a bit up the road."
Thompson pushed the push to talk button and tried broadcasting over the interface the storm was causing."
"Daley boy, are you out there? Pick up. It's getting really bad out here."
Nothing. No response for thirty seconds.
"Dale? Are you there? I told you multiple times that you should always-"
A voice gruffed over at the receiver, it sounded pissed.
"I'm here, what is it Thompson? I'm building something right now in my garage."
"Oh thank God, listen Dale the storm's getting really bad in our area. Can you check on Martha at the market? There's a bunch of people just hawking over her not going into the store. We need you and your trailer to get us that generator you were talking about a few days ago also. Our power got knocked out." Thompson finished.
"Yeah, yeah I'll look outside and-"
Static. Static was the only thing we could hear on the other end that came out in a hellfull instant.
"Dale? Are you there? What's wrong?"
"Sorry I busted my damn radio after dropping it accidentally. But I can see the store from my House."
"And?"
"Well I can see the police are over there and they're……"
"Oh my God…"
"What? What do you see?" Thompson demanded to know.
"They're shooting them. The police are shooting at the people outside the store."
Thompson looked at us with an angry expression on his face, thinking Dale was pulling a prank on us.
"What do you mean the police are shooting them?"
"I mean they're shooting them, Robert! I can see them unloading on them right now and-"
"Hold on…. something's coming this way-"
"Dale? Dale, what is it? What do you mean Dale?"
The line went dead for a final time.
Jack's face had gone pale, and I noticed sweat beads forming on his forehead. His phone suddenly started ringing at that moment, the shrill sound slicing through the silent atmosphere. He pulled it out of his pocket and stared at the screen for a moment before answering, his hands visibly shaking.
"Hello?"
He put the call on speakerphone, and the voice of his cop friend he mentioned earlier crackled through the speaker.
"Jack, I'm on my way. Should be there in about ten minutes. Just hold tight, okay?"
But before anyone could respond, a noise erupted from the other end of the line. It was a guttural, unnatural sound, like a distorted scream mixed with glass gently cracking.
"Jack, I'm on my way. Should be there in about ten minutes. Just hold tight, okay?"
"Jack, Hold tight."
"Jack, I'm on my way."
"Jack."
"Ja…ck..."
"Jaaaaaaaaaaack…"
It kept repeating his name over and over again, it was like a creature that didn't understand Human language mimicking what it thinks a human should sound like. there was an icy flare to its voice, like it was creaking with every single motion it did over the phone.
Mike grabbed the phone out of Jack's hands and hung up as Jack stood there frozen in place with a horrified expression on his face, with Mr. Thompson racing to his big gun safe in the corner to try and unlock it.
There was another ring yet nobody dared to pick it up. To even entertain the thought of interacting with whatever that thing is.
"You have one missed call from Lt. Bradley."
"You have two missed calls from Lt. Bradley."
Mike turned off the phone himself, cutting off the calls from whatever that….thing was.
The room was heavy with tension, the unsettling silence broken only by the sound of our own breathing. Mr. Thompson's furrowed brow was evidence of his growing unease.
"Something is very wrong here," Thompson finally said, his voice low and intentionally quiet. "We need to get upstairs. It might be safer and hotter than staying on the ground floor."
Mike's face paled, his eyes darting towards the front door as if considering his options. "I can't. I need to check on my boy back at home. Make sure he's okay."
Mr. Thompson's expression hardened. "Mike, it's not safe out there." His southern accent came through as he took a step towards him." You heard that broadcast. You heard that call. We need to stick together and stay put."
Mike's hands clenched into fists, his desperation evident. "I can't just abandon my son, Robert. I need to make sure he's alright. He's only eleven years old!"
"Mike, we can't risk it," Mr. Thompson's voice was stern, his gaze unwavering as the two men were bickering heavily now, nearly yelling at each other.
"I ain't askin' you to be the hero again or anything," Mike fired back, the tension in the room getting thicker. "I just need to be sure my boy's safe."
While those two kept on arguing, I looked at Jack as the tension was flaring in the room. He caught my eye and motioned toward the stairs while the others were full blown shouting at each other.
"Let's go upstairs, Sam," Jack said, his voice lower and more calming. "They'll figure things out eventually."
I nodded, glad for the chance to get away from all the yelling. We made our way up the stairs, and Jack led me to a guest bedroom room at the end of the hallway. He closed the door behind us, like he was shutting out the craziness downstairs.
"Don't worry," he said, trying to sound calm even as the sweat from his forehead was dripping down his brow. "They're just having a heated moment like those two always do. It'll blow over soon kiddo-"
Then out of nowhere, there's a loud crash, glass breaking and panicked shouting followed by what sounded like Mr. Thompson screaming and a gun being fired again and again.
"What's happening down there? What's going on?!" I said to Jack as the noises were still violently going on downstairs with the sounds of a struggle echoing throughout the house.
Before Jack could even respond, there's this awful choking sound coming from downstairs, like someone's struggling to breathe. I'm frozen in place, and we both turn towards the closed door as we hear more and more steps in the living room.
Then a large icy shattering could be heard, I don't know how to describe it. It was like if you smashed glass or ice with a hammer and the chunks exploded everywhere across concrete.
Then, nothing. Just shuffling noises were the only thing we heard. There was at least five sets of footsteps walking around downstairs in a slow and methodical way seemingly in random directions, like they were looking for something.
"Sam," Jack turned to me and looked right into my eyes as he spoke, gripping my shoulder so hard it still hurts. "I need you to listen carefully. Take this." He handed me his gun, it's a big Pistol of some kind. I think it's a revolver. his fingers were lingering on mine for a moment as he stared into my eyes.
"I'm going to go out there and see what's going on. But I need you to promise me something – no matter what you hear, no matter what happens, do not open this door. Understand?"
My heart was practically beating out of my chest at this point, I nodded as the saliva was filling my mouth before I gulped, gripping the gun tightly in my hand. "I promise."
The entire house was quiet, aside from the sound of crinkling glass every few seconds and wind blowing in from downstairs. Jack slowly opened the bedroom door and stepped out, and I quickly locked it behind him.
I heard him moving down the old stairwell, each wooden step was creaking loudly as he headed down slowly. A voice soon came from downstairs, Jack's voice.
"My God, Bradley? Is that you?" I heard Jack say from the bottom of the staircase as I put my ear against the wooden doorframe, straining to hear any more noises or voices.
I could hear glass crinkling downstairs and slow shuffling, straight towards the staircase.
"Bradley, what the fuck is wrong with you?! What's that all over your face-"
I heard Jack scream loudly as there was more glass cracking downstairs and another crash. there were at least six more pairs of footsteps that were running up the stairs as I heard Jack yelling. He was pounding at the bedroom door, begging me to let him back in as I heard this sickening freezing noise coming from the door as his cries slowly died out.
Then nothing.
Nothing but the sound of the wind slowly coming from downstairs.
The only sound I heard after five minutes was the noise of something hard and solid slamming against the door and something slowly trying to open the door through with the door knob.
It's been over an hour now and I don't know what to do. I think the bedroom door can hold against whatever's trying to get in, I'm hoping.
If anyone is in the area please, help me. The Police aren't picking up and nobody's answering me when I call them, all the phones are down in the area.
It's getting so cold now. I can hear the wind rushing into the house from the downstairs window, the house is freezing…
I hope it warms up soon.
2023.07.14 05:20 Historical_Lie5701 $W Wayfair: significantly over-valued price and ready to dump to 30 (or feel free to inverse me and watch to jump to 300).
 | TLTR & Disclaimer: NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE submitted by Historical_Lie5701 to wallstreetbets [link] [comments] My honest opinion is Wayfair at current stock price is over-valued AF, given its financials, business outlooks. I have some data & evidence to back me up. However, i am a regard who always loses money and my only winning strategy for the past three weeks is flipping calls on $PENN and buying $RBLK listening to a con guy, inverse me would make lots of sense. Thesis:
How Do They Make Money?TLTR : charging its buyers shipping fees to the tits without them aware itMe working as a data scientist/ML researcher at a slowly dying e-commerce company naturally assume that it would operate like a marketplace such as Amazon or eBay, by charging its seller a final percentage of the goods sold, and running ads on its website and seller to squeeze them harder. However, i was way off. From their latest 10-K , it actually generates almost all its revenue by charging its buyer shipping fee for the furnitures. Yes, that's right! When you see free shipping on Wayfair, it's like your seemly cheap options. IT'S ALL PRICED IN. Citing from their 10-K Revenue Recognition: Why are they losing money?TLTR: YOY declining sales and increasing cost of advertising Shipping and Fulfillment, and 1.5b debt they need to pay for the next two years.From their balance sheet, we can see that their profit margin decreased from 29.1% in 2020 to 28% in 2022, while their operating expenses increased by 28%, which resulted in a net loss of 1.3B dollars in 2022. If i am Wayfair 's CEO, I would wish this is the end of the story. To make things worse, starting 2024 to 2025, they need to pay down 1.6B of debt, without the ability to generate any cash. Adding upon all this, their customer bases and sales are declining quarter by quarter, as well as YOY. Declining Revenue Balance Sheet 1 Balance Sheet 2 Debt But what about Growth?TLTR: their growth is over, may continue to decline below pre-covid level.In pre-pandemic 2019, their active customers is at 20.3 million and in the latest Q1 2023, their active customers are at 21.7 million, with 14 % YOY declines. If the decline continues, their customer base will contact below 2019 level. So does the order volume. 2023 Q1 already see order volume having 2 consecutive YOY declines, at 9.7 million. At 2019 Q1, they did 8.2 millions. If we take into account of the crazy inflation for the past three years, I doubt that their sales are already below their 2019 level. Next Quarter?I am not giving forecast. JP Morgan analyst Christopher Horvers said that"Both a positive shift in market share trends and management’s newfound commitment to controlling expenses/investments should cause a significant inflection in earnings revisions from steeply negative over the past two years to positive, on top of what we view as an attractive valuation."However, here is Fed's data on the furniture CPI :https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t02.htm Search Household furnishings and supplies, you judge for yourself. The whole furniture market itself is contacting this year, which is a big reason why BBBY fails so hard and got bankrupt. I can't think of a growth story for Wayfair that supports its 100% share price increase in three months. |
2023.06.07 17:16 SubManagerBot Incomplete and Growing List of Participating Subreddits Thread 2
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2023.05.21 13:38 vAtomizer Need some advice with my carreer
Hey guys, I'm 17 and I could really do with some help. I'm in year 11 and based down near Melbourne Australia, I do woodwork at school and as such we had a project where we had to design and create a cheeseboard, I ended up making this really beautiful leaf design (It wasn't an original design I took inspiration from google but I made every part myself). I'll link some photos below if I can. I made it out of one side Blackwood, one side Victorian Ash and in the middle is a strip of Jarrah, all Australian hardwoods. While doing it I discovered I really love furniture making. My dad was a cabinet maker all his life so I've grown up in his home workshop helping him out. It inspired me to put them up for sale and with help from my teacher giving me all the timber I ended up making 5 more for friends and family and selling them for $80 AUD each. It inspired me to make a different designed cheeseboard for Mothers Day (I'll link that too), I used the same timber but also added Wormy Chestnut in the middle. For my year-long project, I'm making a coffee table with the same design as the one I made for Mother's Day. Anyway, I could really do with some advice, I really love woodworking and making fine furniture but I know there's a very small market for quality furniture nowadays. I doubt I'd become a cabinet maker like my dad because I know that pays very little and I really don't want to be struggling with money all my life. I did some work experience with a carpenter and really enjoyed that but it's all too time is money, there's no quality workmanship in it.
To cut to the chase what is your advice? Do you guys have any experience working in the fine furniture-making industry? Will I be able to do what I love for a living without having to struggle for money all my life?
Link to my work - https://imgur.com/a/Y6PTWHw
Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks guys,
submitted by vAtomizer to woodworking [link] [comments]
To cut to the chase what is your advice? Do you guys have any experience working in the fine furniture-making industry? Will I be able to do what I love for a living without having to struggle for money all my life?
Link to my work - https://imgur.com/a/Y6PTWHw
Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks guys,
2023.05.10 04:27 jb4647 Shopping in 1950s Houston, TX
 | submitted by jb4647 to midcenturymodern [link] [comments] |
2023.04.18 20:50 orchidpetaldesign My time at sandrock personal player backstory and after game head cannon.
“Hey mike, how's the board looking today?” Evangeline called as she entered the Highwind commerce guild.
Mike looked up from the desk with regret in his eyes “Oh, hey Evei, the old man's in the back today....” He started hesitantly before trailing off.
“You're kidding? Tyler did it again!” Evangeline stated in shock
“You mean already signed out a commission for Wandering Hearts workshop? Of course.” Mike replied sadly.
“Now I can't even take from the low level pickings that are left! What did I ever do to him?”
“I mean you did report him to the president of the commerce guild for stealing and reselling commissions to other builders from his workshop.” Mike replied
“Fat lot of good that did me! Did you hear what he said when I registered the complaint? 'My son would never commit such an unlawful act. Don't blame others for your workshops failures.' Never mind that Wandering Hearts wasn't failing until Tyler got his license. Never mind all the witness statements I had testifying to Tyler's little side hustle.” Evangeline griped in frustration.
“Hey I'm with you. I've tried to stop this for months too you know.” Mike said defensibly
“I know you were the only witness I could get that was willing to let me use your name. Everyone else wished to remain anonymous.”
“I also try to stop him from signing Wandering Hearts up for commissions I know your not getting. I swear if he complains to his father about me blocking him from 'doing favors' for other builders that 'just can't make it to the guild hall today' old man Eric's gonna fire me.” Mike echoed Evangeline's frustration.
“Thanks for trying to help Mike.” Evangeline sighed with defeat.
“Tyler frustrates me too, I even considered answering that ad for builders in the paper.” Mike said with a similarly defeated tone.
“What ad for builders?”
“You didn't see it? They practically headlined the classifieds page for it.”
“We had to cancel our news paper subscription last month to save a few gols.” Evangeline replied a bit depressed.
“Oh. right. well anyhow looks like Sandrock's builder is retiring and they're looking for someone else to fill his shoes. Here take a look.” Mike pushed the classifieds page of the Highwind Journal towards her. Evangeline looked down at a large section at the top of the page
“Sandrock builder wanted” was splashed across the page the text under it went on “Our resident builder is retiring we're looking for two new builders to replace him. Apply through the telegram office. Contact Sandrock city hall.”
Evangeline walked over to the map of the free cities hanging on the commerce guild wall.
“hu?........ so, just out of pure curiosity where exactly is Sandrock on this map again?”
“Well, It's right here,” Mike said as he joined her and pointed to the small town. “but you're not actually thinking of taking this job are you?”
“I don't know...... maybe.” Evangeline said with a shrug.
“Are you kidding! Sandrock is days away! You'd never be able to come home! Plus, it's a desert. Hot dry, dusty, and from what I hear their town is dying!” Mike shouted in shock.
“Ok but there's actual work there, and if they get a good top class builder working there maybe the town doesn't have to die.” Evangeline suggested
“What about your parents, and Nia?” Mike shot back.
“Nia will be more than fine without me. her plant studies are nearly all consuming. I haven't seen her outside the greenhouse in months. As far as my parents, one less mouth to feed will leave them just enough to close down the Workshop and retire if they want. Besides maybe if I go Tyler stops signing out commissions in our name and they have half a shot at getting an extra few hundred gols in commissions here and there plus the few hundred Mom pulls in selling to the local merchants they'll manage. Besides If I can build a successful workshop in Sandrock I may be able to send some gols home you know give them a better life.” Evangeline reasoned.
“What about me...... I mean.... you know I still-” Mike started shyly.
“Mike please don't. We've been over this.” Evangeline begged quietly
“I know, I guess, I just figured, You know people and feelings change with time right.” Mike tried.
“Mike, your like a brother to me I just- I don't see you like that.” Evangeline replied softly
“But-” Mike protested
“Why? Why are you making me reject you again?” Evangeline replied confused “I thought you'd gotten past me you said you were interested in someone new.”
“I lied.” Mike confessed
“Please don't tell me the only reason you've been helping me with Tyler is that you hoped things would change between us.” Evangeline stated in shock as the idea occurred to her.
“What? no! I mean that's not the only reason. I love your family. Growing up Wandering Hearts was a refuge for me, you know how my dad's temper could be after he'd had a few at the bar. I guess I just always thought that while working together. I mean stranger things have happened between two people.”
“I'm sorry Mike. Look I have to go, Mom's expecting me home soon.”
“Just promise me you won't leave for Sandrock.”
“I won't leave without saying good-bye.”
“That's not what I meant.” Mike shouted after her as the door to the commerce guild drifted shut behind her.
Evangeline took a bit of a longer walk home then normal as she stopped by the train station to check out ticket prices and then the nearest restaurant to see if they were hiring and how much they'd pay. Once she had all the information she headed home to find her mother working on a few book shelves that her father would take into town in the morning.
“Hey, mom pass me that hammer and I'll join the assembly line.” Evangeline said as she took a seat on a stool beside her mother.
“No commissions for us again today I take it.” her mother replied slightly sad but not surprised.
“Tyler struck again he singed out a high level commission in our name and since we can only take one per day....” Evangeline said with a defeated shrug.
“Well, your father should be back from the ruins and the market soon. I gave him a whole load of tables and chairs for Sylvia’s furniture shop in the square. So he'll be bringing back a few hundred gols. Not to worry my dear.” Her mother tried to reassure Evangeline.
“He'll get just enough for food next week I'm sure.” Evangeline said with an edge of concern
“And that's all we need.” her mother shot back with an optimistic smile
“and what about next month when we need to pay the lease on the workshop?” Evangeline pointed out.
“Then we'll use that weeks profits to pay the lease and go on a hunting trip for food.” Her mother replied with more smiles.
“What if I were to say, move in with Nia, would that help you and dad out?” Evangeline started testing the waters with her mother it was best to ease her into things like this rather then tell her straight out.
“Don't be silly Evangeline, Nia can barely afford to feed herself let alone you so we'd still be feeding you and Nia.” Her mother said with a laugh as she brushed the idea aside.
Evangeline was not ready to give up yet though “But what if I moved in with Nia and took another job?”
“quit working for Wandering Hearts!?!” Her mother was shocked and a bit hurt by the idea.
“Well you and dad would have enough to retire on if you didn't have to worry about me.” Evangeline tried again to plant the seed in her mothers mind.
“True as that may be there are no workshops here in highwind that are hiring, and besides Wandering Hearts is the only legacy we can give you.” Her mother replied the seed was planted but it seemed her mother was not going to entertain the idea.
“What If I opened my own workshop?” Evangeline said trying a different aproach.
“There are already more workshops than commissions here Evei. And Tyler is not going to let your new workshop take any commissions either. Besides we don't have the seed money for you to get a workshop of your own.”
Another swing and a miss. Evangeline still kept pressing on.
“Well, what if I were given a workshop by a retiring builder?”
“now I know your dreaming every workshop owner in Highwind hands their shop down to their children. There is no retiring workshop owner who would hand their workshop over to you no matter how good you are.” Her mother deflected getting more defensive now.
“True but there is one in Sandrock.” Evangeline said.
“SANDROCK!!” Her mother shouted.
“I know it sounds crazy but I found this ad in the classifieds, It says that Sandrock's builder is retiring and they are looking for someone to take over his old workshop.” Evangeline replied as she quickly showed her mother the ad Mike had given her.
“But in Sandrock?” Her mother stated in shock.
“What's in Sandrock?” Her father said dragging several large saddle bags of ore through the door.
“Your daughter wants to take over a workshop in Sandrock!” Her mother replied as though Evangeline was mad for the mere suggestion.
“Evei surly your joking?” Her father looked at Evangeline as though she'd shot him in the heart.
“well....” Evangeline started but trailed off as she glanced away from her parents.
“Paul and I were just talking about this in the ruins a few hours ago. He joked about taking the job then informed me that the town is dying.” Her father stated.
“True but it was nice once right? Maybe all it needs it the right builder to bring it back.” Evangeline defended her idea.
“Nonsense, Your not going Sandrock is too far from home.” when her mother used that tone it usually meant the conversation was over, but Evangeline was not about to let this go.
“But Ma what if I were to open a new branch of Wandering Hearts out in Sandrock, then Wandering hearts would still be your legacy, you two could close down the workshop here in highwind and retire on what we have left. And if the workshop in Sandrock is successful I might even be able to send you guys a few gols to make life easier.”
“And if it's not successful?” Her father was always the more practical of her parents. He was the reason she'd made those stops on the way home if she could convince him that she'd thought this through and that she had a plan he might support her.
“Then it's only a train ride back and at least I'll know I tried.” Evangeline defended.
“and you'll come home to what a closed workshop?” Her mother shot back still unwilling to budge
“Well then keep wandering hearts open if you want. So I can take over if I have to come home.” Evangeline shot back her father always said she was just as stubborn as her mother.
“hhmmm” her dad mused to himself. One down, Evangeline silently congratulated herself.
“You can't actually be considering this!” her mother nailed her father with a look that could burn coal.
“Evei's right. And besides if it doesn't work out she can always come home.” Her father pointed out.
“NO! NO! NO! I forbid it. Besides how are you even going to get there we don't have the money for the train ticket.” her mother shot in an attempt to win her father back to what she considered the right side.
“I'll get a part time job at the silver spoon down the road. In a month when I have enough for the ticket I'll head out.” Evangeline shot back.
“Are you sure they'd wait that long?” her father asked.
“Only way to find out it too send them a telegram and tell them I'll take the job.” Evangeline tried.
“Which you will not be doing!” Her mother demanded.
“Evei is a gown woman she can make her own choices. Which it sounds like she has. Or am I wrong about that?” her father said looking at her with hope hidden under the question in his eyes.
“It's the best and only solution I see. So yes I've made up my mind.” Evangeline confirmed
“What about Nia and Mike? You know that boy's always been sweet on you. You two could settle down right here in town.” her mother tried one last ditch effort, and unfortunately chose the wrong path.
“Mom please Mike and I have crossed that bridge and we both need to move past it.” Evangeline said she knew her mother had favored her and Mike as a couple for a while, but she just couldn't see Mike that way.
“Fair enough. I think we can scrape up about 30 gols for the telegram if you can figure out how to keep it short.” Her father replied with sadness creeping into his voice.
“'want builder job can be there next month. Evangeline' that short enough?” Evangeline asked as she took the small slip of paper from her pocket.
“That should do it.” her father replied, as he handed her the coins.
***
“here's your last pay check, Evei.”
“thanks hank and heres your apron back.”
“Now you're sure you want to go to Sandrock theres a full time possition here at the silver spoon if you want it.”
“ha ha, my mother talked you into this didn't she.”
“No, your a good hard worker Evei, there aren't many of your kind out there anymore I would love to get you on full time and away from the dish sink.”
“Thanks Hank but no thanks all I've even known- all I've ever wanted to be, is a builder, and the only place I know of that needs a builder right now is Sandrock. Plus I already promised them I'd be there tomorrow. I already have the ticket and everything.”
“Well, if you change your mind or need to come home there will always be a place for you at the silver spoon.”
“Thanks Hank you've been a great boss.”
Evangeline turned and began her walk down the path back to her home. Fingering the ticket in her pocket.
“Hey, Evei” Nia said as she came bouncing out the green house a few feet away covered in dirt and by the smell a few other things one wouldn't want to think about. Evangeline winkled her nose “oh right,” Nia said looking down at her clothes “guess I should have changed first but I didn't want to miss your going away party.”
“shhhh! Not so loud.” Evangeline rushed to quit her friend her eyes darting towards the commerce guild behind Nia
“why?”
“Mike might hear.”
“you didn't invite Mike!” Nia was shocked
“No.” Evangeline said with regret “you should have seen him when I said goodbye this morning Nia, he lost it.”
“You waited til this morning to tell him! No wonder he lost it.”
“Give me a break I can only deal with one person guilt tripping me about leaving and Mom has that more than covered.”
“So you really are going then?”
“Oh don't you start too. Yes I am really going.”
“I'm sorry it's not that I want to convince you to stay. I just don't want you to go.”
“Wanna hear a secret.... I don't really want to go either. If I could I would bring the whole town of Sandrock here.”
“ha, I'm not sure that's really a secret Evei” Nia said with a half laugh
“Well, don't tell my mother she's been laying on the guilt every day since I sent the telegram 'You can always say you've changed your mind honey I'm sure Sandrock will understand.' If she knew I really didn't want to go it would be yet another arrow in her guilt quiver.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Thanks” Evangeline said as she pulled open the door to her family home. “After you stinky.”
“Hey! Watch it chaos!” Nia shot back
“I'm not that chaotic anymore!”
“Wanna bet?”
“Anyway don't worry about it you can grab something from my room to change into.” Evangeline offered
“Oh, are we borrowing each others clothes again, like we did in school?” Nia teased
“less borrowing and more take your pick.” Evangeline said as she closed the door to her room behind them.
“Wait? What!”
“I could barely afford the ticket. The money I got today will get me food while on the train. You know how expensive that can be, which means I can't afford the baggage fees to take any form of luggage with me. So everything you see is staying here.”
“Wow even the blue dress you wore to the new years party last year…” Nia said with a glint in her eye
“It's all yours.”
“Somehow I'm not sure I want it now.” Nia said as she put the dress back in the wardrobe.
“Hey sweetie” Evangeline's mother stuck her head in the door to her room.
“Mom if your trying to talk me out of this again-” Evangeline started to groan
“No, your father and I- well lets just say I've accepted it and to prove it here I've got a few blankets for you to take along. It gets cold in the desert at night, you know.” Her mother said concern lining the wrinkles of her face.
“Thanks mom just put them by the front door I'll grab em on my way to the station tomorrow.” Evangeline replied with a smile. Her mother smiled and turned to leave.
“Didn't you just say you couldn't take any luggage with you?” Nia challenged holding the blue dress towards Evangeline once more.
“yeah, I'm just going to have to “forget” them when I leave, thankfully Mom agreed to go to the commerce guild tomorrow in my stead so she wouldn't have to see me off. hence the party tonight.”
“I'm really gonna miss you Evei” Nia said
“I'm gonna miss you too Nia but hey glass half full with me in Sandrock Mike will have to stop fawning over me long enough to see you.” Evangeline teased
“I mean not gonna lie that was my plan the second you step on that train.” Nia replied the glint returning to her eyes. Then she stilled again “but seriously though if things do happen with me and Mike...”
“Oh you have my full blessing. Still don't get what you see in him, but I'm glad you see it.” Evangeline clarified
“Thanks Evei. So speaking of Mike how bad was it?” Nia asked as she disappeared behind the changing screen in the corner.
“oh, that was rough. So I walked into the office and he was like 'Sorry, Evei nothing for you today' and I was like 'I kinda figured but hey I need to talk to you for like a second if I can.' and he was all sure 'Eric is in the back with Tyler right now so sure I got a few whats up?' and I mean really you could tell by the look on his face what he was hoping for.”
“you mean he wanted you fall into his arms and say 'Mike I've been a fool all these years I do love you take me right here on the floor!'” Nia said as she placed the back of her hand on her forehead and fell dramatically onto Evangeline's bed.
“Gross! Do you practice that in your room.” Evangeline said as she thew her pillow at Nia.
“oh, everyday.” Nia shot back sarcastically.
“well, anyway I took him as far from Eric's office as I could and told him I was sorry but I did end up taking the job in Sandrock. And he started screaming he was all 'what? No? You promised you wouldn't!' and I was all 'no I promised I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye.' and he was all 'no this is impossible!' by now of course he's yelling so loud both Eric and Tyler are out of the office and heading right for us. Uuggg it was such a scene, Eric comes over and is like 'what's going on here?' and Mike is all 'she's leaving boss! Evie is leaving for sandrock!' and Tyler's all in the back like good riddance nosy little punk I hope you fail and die out there.”
“Whoa! did he actually say that in front of his father?”
“of course not he's too smart for that but it was written all over his face. Anyway Eric is all like 'wow I did not expect anyone from Highwind to take up that position. Well, good luck and I hope you do better there then you did here.' he shakes my hands tells Mike to pull himself together and went right back to his office, with Tyler's beaming gloating face following right behind his daddy in pure victorious bliss. Meanwhile Mike is still standing there begging me not to go and I'm like Mike I just bought the train ticket it's non-refundable. He's all like 'but what about us?'and I'm all for the millionth time there is not now nor will there ever be an ‘us’ in that sense. I swear Nia I don't know why that boy loves forcing me to reject him. I've told him nicely, I've told him gently, I've tried keeping my distance. I've been direct, I've even been down right rude.”
“At least he knows you exist.” Nia sighed as she looked wistfully out the window.
“Hey I wasn't kidding about the good part of me leaving earlier. Maybe now that he won't see me everyday he'll actually move on.”
“That's the only good thing, but what if he doesn't move on from you?”
“then he doesn't deserve you. And you can leave his overly attracted, denial ridden, insane behind and check out all those hot Guys in the greenhouse.” Evangeline finished
“There are no hot guys in the green house.” Nia said with a sigh
“Na, I've been in there it is sweltering the only guys in there are definitely hot.” Evangeline said as she dodged the pillow Nia launched back at her.
“what am I going to do without your lame puns, and chaos to get me through.” Nia asked as tears shimmered in her eyes.
“Well, for starters, you're going to remember to leave that greenhouse for a few hours everyday. Then your going to come over here and check on ma and pa. You know pa is going to need help consoling ma. Then your going to stop by the guild every morning before you report to the greenhouse and check in on Mike. Finally once a week your going to write me the longest letter the world has ever known.” Evangeline said as she put her arm around Nia's shoulder.
“And you better write me the second you get to Sandrock you hear me.”
“I will.”
“I mean it as soon as your toes hit solid ground you better be pulling out paper and a pen.”
“Ok can I get to a table first?”
“nope.”
“fine can I wait until I have both feet off the train?”
“Fine i'll give you both feet but that's my final offer.”
“Oh I can see it now 'stop fellow human I must use your back to write a letter to my dear friend the great and powerful NIA!' - 'oh my I did not know you were friends with the great and powerful Nia please be sure to tell her in your letter that I was kind to her dear friend.”
“My name strikes terror into the hearts of ALL!!” Nia shouted as she and Evangeline burst into a fit of laughter.
“Are you girls coming out for your party or are we moving the party in here?” Evangeline's mother asked as she stuck her head through the doorway again.
“Sorry Ma we're coming Nia just needed a change of clothes since she forgot to bring any to work with her to change into after.”
“So I guess your leaving that outfit behind then Evei... unless you haven't even packed yet.”
“I packed days ago mom, and I sent my bags ahead to be loaded on the train first thing in the morning.” Evangeline lied. It was easier to lie then tell her mother she'd have to go without bags. After all what good would it do to fight with her tonight of all nights.
***
“All right then Evei got your ticket?” Evangeline's father asked as she hopped off the fully loaded cart. The morning still hung in the air and the sun was just peaking over the horizon.
“Got it pa.”
“You will remember to write.” her father said
“of course and as soon as I have enough saved up I'll take a few weeks and come back to visit. I promise.” Evangeline said more for her own benefit then her father's. She'd held back the tears for a full month but now standing at the station looking at the tears welling in her father's eyes as the giant metal behemoth of a train hissed steam and coal dust as it waited on the tracks only a few feet away. She was leaving. For the first time ever it felt real. She was leaving everything she ever knew her family her friends her home her job. She tried to blink back the tears but they spilled down her cheeks instead.
“I know darling.” her father said taking into one last hug. “But you have to forge your own path even if that path is a few days away.”
“I'm going to miss everyone so much.” Evangeline sobbed into her fathers arms. “you'll tell mom right? That I'll be back to visit as soon as I can?”
“of course.”
“And don't let Nia spend all her time at work make sure she gets out once or twice.”
“Not sure I have as much sway with her as you do but I'll do my best.”
“Pa, what if.... what if I fail?”
“Then at least you tried.”
“Am I really doing the right thing?”
“your doing the only thing you can love. Now go on off you pop. That train's not going to wait forever and I don't want you to see your old man cry.”
“I love you pa.”
“I love you too Evangeline.”
Evangeline left her fathers embrace and turned towards the train she took one last deep breath and walked away. From the only world she'd ever known and into the start of a brand new adventure.
“Mike?!?” Evangeline stated in shock “what are you doing in Sandrock?”
“I'm here to rescue you.”
“Ok. That's a new one.” Evangeline said with a raised eyebrow. “Save me from what?”
“From the psychotic mad man that brain washed you into thinking you want to marry him instead of me.”
“Oooh boy.”
“Have I missed something?” mayor Trudy squeaked beside Evangeline
“I'm sorry Trudy-”
“Trudy, is it? Talk some sense into her! Evie loves me she just needs to marry me before it's too late!” Mike said interrupting Evangeline.
“Mike, It's already too late.” Evangeline informed him.
“Wha-what?”
“I've been Married for the last 4 years. The ceremony we're holding in a few days is literally just that a ceremony we're putting on so my parents and Nia can be there.”
“No, that can't be true.” Mike stumbled back as though he’d been punched in the gut
“Oh it's true would you like Trudy to look up the marriage certificate for you?” Evangeline challenged.
“NO. Because if your married then I'll never be a part of a real family.”
“You never needed to marry me to be a part of a family. For goodness sake Nia threw herself at you for years.”
“I wanted to be part of your family.”
“you already were no marriage required, my parents raised you as their own right along with me. That’s why I told you so many times I could never see you that way.”
“Nia.”
“What about her?”
“You said Nia wants me.”
“OH NO! Nope. Don't even go there you wasted your chance with Nia years ago.”
“What?”
“you were so focused on me even after I turned you down all those times, even after I moved to Sandrock, even after it was clear I was not coming back to highwind. Eventually Nia realized you were never going to let me go. Then she came here to visit me, she met Zeke and well, she moved on.”
“There has to be something I can do to get you back?”
“I'm pregnant.”
“hu?”
“why do you think my parents are coming to Sandrock next week? They want to watch they're grand children grow up. Besides We all decided it would be nice to have the help when the baby gets here. So my parents sold the workshop and land to Tyler no bout” Evangeline added with an eye roll “and are moving out here.”
“what if.... what if I offer to take care of you and the baby?” Mike asked weakening
“hey Evei I was passing by on my rounds and figured I'd check in.” Unsurr asked as he walked into city hall “Oh hello,” Unsurr said as he noticed Mike “deputy Unsure of the Sandrock civil corp.”
“the civil corp? perhaps you can help me sir.”
“What seems to be the trouble?”
“Unsurr this is mike he's here to stop the wedding.”
“what wedding? Trudy you getting remarried or something?”
“No our wedding.”
“OUR wedding you mean this is-!!” Mike stammered
“yes Mike this is my Husband and the father of my child Unsurr deputy of the Sandrock civil corps.”
“but- if he's civil corps then..... how have you brain washed my finance? What trick did you use!”
“Oh I see he's THAT Mike isn't he?” Unsurr said looking past Mike to Evangeline
“yep.”
“I demand to see your captain immediately!”
“Ok but I'm not sure what the cat is going to do here.” Unsurr replied confused
“he means Justice hon.” Evangeline clarified
“Yes I want justice done. Where is your captain?”
“likely napping in a sunbeam by the register at tailor made this hour.” Unsurr replied scratching his head
“What?” Mike asked
“I'm confused” Unsurr fired back
“Oh for heavens sake! A man named Justice is the captain of our civil corp here in sandrock. He prefers the title sheriff. He's very particular about that especially since the civil corp here has a cat named Captain. Unsure is referring to the cat Captain who like napping by the cash register at the shop Taylor Made on main street. Justice is likely out at the Wandering Y ranch on the other side of town right now. Either way there is no point. I am now and have always been in my right mind. You are both too late to, and unable to stop my wedding. I will not be divorcing Unsurr for you, or going back to Highwind or whatever you want. As you dear old friend I suggest you get back on the train and go back to Highwind. If you force me, I will as an honorary deputy of the civil corps command you to get back on that train. Is that FINALLY understood Mike?” Evangeline stated.
Mikes eyes darted from Evangeline, to Unsurr, to a very awkward Turdy and back to Evangeline.
“All I ever wanted was to be part of the only family I'd ever known.”
“You always were a part of my family and always will be. provided you can let me go.”
“But your parents even Nia they're moving out here everyone is leaving me alone.”
“If you can let go of this idea of us getting married you're more than welcome to try and find a place here in Sandrock as well.”
“Maybe I'll go see if there are any openings at the commerce guild.”
“At the end of main street by the train station ask for Yan.”
Mike turned his shoulders slumped as the realty finally set in, he slunk out of the room, defeated, but also with new purpose.
“So Trudy back to the matter at hand my parents are going to need a place to live when they arrive in a few days. I'd like something close to both town and my workshop.”
“Do you two have a place in mind?” Trudy asked looking at the map of homes for sale in Sandrock.
“Yes here the old Melody Place by the oasis.”
“Oh that's a nice spot. Doors both on main street and the oasis. A place that nice will cost around 2000 gols.”
“Unsurr?” Evangeline asked
“It's about what we thought it would cost and with all the hours we've both put in for the city we more then have the money for it so I say yes.”
“Then yes it is.” Evangeline said as she handed the bag of coins to Matilda.
Matilda took the bag weighed it quickly and went to a cabinet in the back of the hall she pulled out a paper and a key and laid them on the desk
“if you two would just sign here then this key is yours.”
***
With the papers signed and key in hand Evangeline and Unsurr left city hall. Unsurr bid his wife a hasty good bye and resumed his patrols, while Evangeline walked to her horse Onyx who was tied just outside city hall. She reached into Onyx's saddle bags and pulled out the small stack of commissions she'd grabbed earlier she double checked the supplies in the bag and the names on the commissions before heading out to turn over the requests. Every recipient signed and dated the page she showed them, she'd then bring the commissions to the guild hall and hand them to Yan who'd no doubt gripe she hadn't done them fast enough, before attempting to withhold a fraction of her payment as a “management fee”. After she got her payment from Yan she took Onyx to the board walk behind main street that surrounded the oasis and stopped in front of an abandoned home. She slipped the key from her pocket and opened the door. It swung in easily which was a good sign. The building itself seemed to be in good repair. There were two floors, and the air was a bit stuffy, nothing that opening a few windows wouldn't cure. There was quite a bit of sand everywhere nothing a few strips of rubber around the doors and windows and a good sweeping wouldn't cure. Evangeline looked up to the ceilings and made a mental note to stop by construction junction and order a few ceiling fans. She would install them herself but Heidi could deliver them to the door in a few hours and the fans would be a godsend during the hottest hours of the day. Everything else her father would love fixing himself.
***
A few days later the air was split with a squeal almost louder then the train whistle. “EVIE!!!!” a very excited Nia bounced off the train and ran straight for the waiting Evangeline.
“Oh my lands look at you it's been forever! Let me see that baby bump!”
“Ok whoa slow down Nia, I'm glad to see you too but there won't be a baby bump for a few months.”
“well, I'll be here for it! Did I tell I graduated top of my class and am going to be starting work at the moisture farm!”
“Only about a thousand times Nia” Evangeline said with a smile and an eye roll
“She has been telling us all about the Moisture farm on the train.” Evangeline's father said as he and her mother approached them.
“Hello dearest” her mother said pulling Evangeline into a hug.
“Hi mom.”
“Sorry to bust in on you folks like this.” Zeke said as he awkwardly approached the small group “but I'd like a word with Miss Nia if I could.”
Evangeline gave Nia a smile and a slight nudge with her elbow. Nia shrugged her off and stepped a bit closer to Zeke.
“Hi Zeke, how have you been?”
“Oh as well as can be considering everything I suppose. Um Miss Nia, can I ask where you plan to stay while your here in Sandrock?”
“Well I was Just going to take up residence at the apartment complex unless of course you have a better offer.” Nia said with a sly flirtatious smile.
“Well, I was thinking, if it's not to forward of me I might, well that is to say that, I have an extra bed in my loft besides the Moisture farm. It'll put you closer to the farm and it'll save you the expense of renting an apartment, and uh...”
“I'd love to take you up on that Zeke.”
“Really Nia, an unmarried woman living with an unmarried man. How unseemly!”
“Mom, things are a lot more relaxed here in Sandrock. It's fine.” Zeke and Nia left with Nia chattering away happily beside Zeke. “Besides I happen to know Zeke does have an extra room he can offer he commissioned me to build it for him last week and he specifically asked me to make sure it was something Nia would love.”
“So that's why the girl is so interested in the hydro farm.” Evangeline's mother said as she watched the pair leave
“One of the major reasons I think. Anyway which would you like to see first your house or my workshop.”
“Workshop!” the two said in unison.
“Well alright then I'll take you on a tour of the workshop just as soon as I tell Jensen what house to take your belongings to.”
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Mike looked up from the desk with regret in his eyes “Oh, hey Evei, the old man's in the back today....” He started hesitantly before trailing off.
“You're kidding? Tyler did it again!” Evangeline stated in shock
“You mean already signed out a commission for Wandering Hearts workshop? Of course.” Mike replied sadly.
“Now I can't even take from the low level pickings that are left! What did I ever do to him?”
“I mean you did report him to the president of the commerce guild for stealing and reselling commissions to other builders from his workshop.” Mike replied
“Fat lot of good that did me! Did you hear what he said when I registered the complaint? 'My son would never commit such an unlawful act. Don't blame others for your workshops failures.' Never mind that Wandering Hearts wasn't failing until Tyler got his license. Never mind all the witness statements I had testifying to Tyler's little side hustle.” Evangeline griped in frustration.
“Hey I'm with you. I've tried to stop this for months too you know.” Mike said defensibly
“I know you were the only witness I could get that was willing to let me use your name. Everyone else wished to remain anonymous.”
“I also try to stop him from signing Wandering Hearts up for commissions I know your not getting. I swear if he complains to his father about me blocking him from 'doing favors' for other builders that 'just can't make it to the guild hall today' old man Eric's gonna fire me.” Mike echoed Evangeline's frustration.
“Thanks for trying to help Mike.” Evangeline sighed with defeat.
“Tyler frustrates me too, I even considered answering that ad for builders in the paper.” Mike said with a similarly defeated tone.
“What ad for builders?”
“You didn't see it? They practically headlined the classifieds page for it.”
“We had to cancel our news paper subscription last month to save a few gols.” Evangeline replied a bit depressed.
“Oh. right. well anyhow looks like Sandrock's builder is retiring and they're looking for someone else to fill his shoes. Here take a look.” Mike pushed the classifieds page of the Highwind Journal towards her. Evangeline looked down at a large section at the top of the page
“Sandrock builder wanted” was splashed across the page the text under it went on “Our resident builder is retiring we're looking for two new builders to replace him. Apply through the telegram office. Contact Sandrock city hall.”
Evangeline walked over to the map of the free cities hanging on the commerce guild wall.
“hu?........ so, just out of pure curiosity where exactly is Sandrock on this map again?”
“Well, It's right here,” Mike said as he joined her and pointed to the small town. “but you're not actually thinking of taking this job are you?”
“I don't know...... maybe.” Evangeline said with a shrug.
“Are you kidding! Sandrock is days away! You'd never be able to come home! Plus, it's a desert. Hot dry, dusty, and from what I hear their town is dying!” Mike shouted in shock.
“Ok but there's actual work there, and if they get a good top class builder working there maybe the town doesn't have to die.” Evangeline suggested
“What about your parents, and Nia?” Mike shot back.
“Nia will be more than fine without me. her plant studies are nearly all consuming. I haven't seen her outside the greenhouse in months. As far as my parents, one less mouth to feed will leave them just enough to close down the Workshop and retire if they want. Besides maybe if I go Tyler stops signing out commissions in our name and they have half a shot at getting an extra few hundred gols in commissions here and there plus the few hundred Mom pulls in selling to the local merchants they'll manage. Besides If I can build a successful workshop in Sandrock I may be able to send some gols home you know give them a better life.” Evangeline reasoned.
“What about me...... I mean.... you know I still-” Mike started shyly.
“Mike please don't. We've been over this.” Evangeline begged quietly
“I know, I guess, I just figured, You know people and feelings change with time right.” Mike tried.
“Mike, your like a brother to me I just- I don't see you like that.” Evangeline replied softly
“But-” Mike protested
“Why? Why are you making me reject you again?” Evangeline replied confused “I thought you'd gotten past me you said you were interested in someone new.”
“I lied.” Mike confessed
“Please don't tell me the only reason you've been helping me with Tyler is that you hoped things would change between us.” Evangeline stated in shock as the idea occurred to her.
“What? no! I mean that's not the only reason. I love your family. Growing up Wandering Hearts was a refuge for me, you know how my dad's temper could be after he'd had a few at the bar. I guess I just always thought that while working together. I mean stranger things have happened between two people.”
“I'm sorry Mike. Look I have to go, Mom's expecting me home soon.”
“Just promise me you won't leave for Sandrock.”
“I won't leave without saying good-bye.”
“That's not what I meant.” Mike shouted after her as the door to the commerce guild drifted shut behind her.
Evangeline took a bit of a longer walk home then normal as she stopped by the train station to check out ticket prices and then the nearest restaurant to see if they were hiring and how much they'd pay. Once she had all the information she headed home to find her mother working on a few book shelves that her father would take into town in the morning.
“Hey, mom pass me that hammer and I'll join the assembly line.” Evangeline said as she took a seat on a stool beside her mother.
“No commissions for us again today I take it.” her mother replied slightly sad but not surprised.
“Tyler struck again he singed out a high level commission in our name and since we can only take one per day....” Evangeline said with a defeated shrug.
“Well, your father should be back from the ruins and the market soon. I gave him a whole load of tables and chairs for Sylvia’s furniture shop in the square. So he'll be bringing back a few hundred gols. Not to worry my dear.” Her mother tried to reassure Evangeline.
“He'll get just enough for food next week I'm sure.” Evangeline said with an edge of concern
“And that's all we need.” her mother shot back with an optimistic smile
“and what about next month when we need to pay the lease on the workshop?” Evangeline pointed out.
“Then we'll use that weeks profits to pay the lease and go on a hunting trip for food.” Her mother replied with more smiles.
“What if I were to say, move in with Nia, would that help you and dad out?” Evangeline started testing the waters with her mother it was best to ease her into things like this rather then tell her straight out.
“Don't be silly Evangeline, Nia can barely afford to feed herself let alone you so we'd still be feeding you and Nia.” Her mother said with a laugh as she brushed the idea aside.
Evangeline was not ready to give up yet though “But what if I moved in with Nia and took another job?”
“quit working for Wandering Hearts!?!” Her mother was shocked and a bit hurt by the idea.
“Well you and dad would have enough to retire on if you didn't have to worry about me.” Evangeline tried again to plant the seed in her mothers mind.
“True as that may be there are no workshops here in highwind that are hiring, and besides Wandering Hearts is the only legacy we can give you.” Her mother replied the seed was planted but it seemed her mother was not going to entertain the idea.
“What If I opened my own workshop?” Evangeline said trying a different aproach.
“There are already more workshops than commissions here Evei. And Tyler is not going to let your new workshop take any commissions either. Besides we don't have the seed money for you to get a workshop of your own.”
Another swing and a miss. Evangeline still kept pressing on.
“Well, what if I were given a workshop by a retiring builder?”
“now I know your dreaming every workshop owner in Highwind hands their shop down to their children. There is no retiring workshop owner who would hand their workshop over to you no matter how good you are.” Her mother deflected getting more defensive now.
“True but there is one in Sandrock.” Evangeline said.
“SANDROCK!!” Her mother shouted.
“I know it sounds crazy but I found this ad in the classifieds, It says that Sandrock's builder is retiring and they are looking for someone to take over his old workshop.” Evangeline replied as she quickly showed her mother the ad Mike had given her.
“But in Sandrock?” Her mother stated in shock.
“What's in Sandrock?” Her father said dragging several large saddle bags of ore through the door.
“Your daughter wants to take over a workshop in Sandrock!” Her mother replied as though Evangeline was mad for the mere suggestion.
“Evei surly your joking?” Her father looked at Evangeline as though she'd shot him in the heart.
“well....” Evangeline started but trailed off as she glanced away from her parents.
“Paul and I were just talking about this in the ruins a few hours ago. He joked about taking the job then informed me that the town is dying.” Her father stated.
“True but it was nice once right? Maybe all it needs it the right builder to bring it back.” Evangeline defended her idea.
“Nonsense, Your not going Sandrock is too far from home.” when her mother used that tone it usually meant the conversation was over, but Evangeline was not about to let this go.
“But Ma what if I were to open a new branch of Wandering Hearts out in Sandrock, then Wandering hearts would still be your legacy, you two could close down the workshop here in highwind and retire on what we have left. And if the workshop in Sandrock is successful I might even be able to send you guys a few gols to make life easier.”
“And if it's not successful?” Her father was always the more practical of her parents. He was the reason she'd made those stops on the way home if she could convince him that she'd thought this through and that she had a plan he might support her.
“Then it's only a train ride back and at least I'll know I tried.” Evangeline defended.
“and you'll come home to what a closed workshop?” Her mother shot back still unwilling to budge
“Well then keep wandering hearts open if you want. So I can take over if I have to come home.” Evangeline shot back her father always said she was just as stubborn as her mother.
“hhmmm” her dad mused to himself. One down, Evangeline silently congratulated herself.
“You can't actually be considering this!” her mother nailed her father with a look that could burn coal.
“Evei's right. And besides if it doesn't work out she can always come home.” Her father pointed out.
“NO! NO! NO! I forbid it. Besides how are you even going to get there we don't have the money for the train ticket.” her mother shot in an attempt to win her father back to what she considered the right side.
“I'll get a part time job at the silver spoon down the road. In a month when I have enough for the ticket I'll head out.” Evangeline shot back.
“Are you sure they'd wait that long?” her father asked.
“Only way to find out it too send them a telegram and tell them I'll take the job.” Evangeline tried.
“Which you will not be doing!” Her mother demanded.
“Evei is a gown woman she can make her own choices. Which it sounds like she has. Or am I wrong about that?” her father said looking at her with hope hidden under the question in his eyes.
“It's the best and only solution I see. So yes I've made up my mind.” Evangeline confirmed
“What about Nia and Mike? You know that boy's always been sweet on you. You two could settle down right here in town.” her mother tried one last ditch effort, and unfortunately chose the wrong path.
“Mom please Mike and I have crossed that bridge and we both need to move past it.” Evangeline said she knew her mother had favored her and Mike as a couple for a while, but she just couldn't see Mike that way.
“Fair enough. I think we can scrape up about 30 gols for the telegram if you can figure out how to keep it short.” Her father replied with sadness creeping into his voice.
“'want builder job can be there next month. Evangeline' that short enough?” Evangeline asked as she took the small slip of paper from her pocket.
“That should do it.” her father replied, as he handed her the coins.
***
“here's your last pay check, Evei.”
“thanks hank and heres your apron back.”
“Now you're sure you want to go to Sandrock theres a full time possition here at the silver spoon if you want it.”
“ha ha, my mother talked you into this didn't she.”
“No, your a good hard worker Evei, there aren't many of your kind out there anymore I would love to get you on full time and away from the dish sink.”
“Thanks Hank but no thanks all I've even known- all I've ever wanted to be, is a builder, and the only place I know of that needs a builder right now is Sandrock. Plus I already promised them I'd be there tomorrow. I already have the ticket and everything.”
“Well, if you change your mind or need to come home there will always be a place for you at the silver spoon.”
“Thanks Hank you've been a great boss.”
Evangeline turned and began her walk down the path back to her home. Fingering the ticket in her pocket.
“Hey, Evei” Nia said as she came bouncing out the green house a few feet away covered in dirt and by the smell a few other things one wouldn't want to think about. Evangeline winkled her nose “oh right,” Nia said looking down at her clothes “guess I should have changed first but I didn't want to miss your going away party.”
“shhhh! Not so loud.” Evangeline rushed to quit her friend her eyes darting towards the commerce guild behind Nia
“why?”
“Mike might hear.”
“you didn't invite Mike!” Nia was shocked
“No.” Evangeline said with regret “you should have seen him when I said goodbye this morning Nia, he lost it.”
“You waited til this morning to tell him! No wonder he lost it.”
“Give me a break I can only deal with one person guilt tripping me about leaving and Mom has that more than covered.”
“So you really are going then?”
“Oh don't you start too. Yes I am really going.”
“I'm sorry it's not that I want to convince you to stay. I just don't want you to go.”
“Wanna hear a secret.... I don't really want to go either. If I could I would bring the whole town of Sandrock here.”
“ha, I'm not sure that's really a secret Evei” Nia said with a half laugh
“Well, don't tell my mother she's been laying on the guilt every day since I sent the telegram 'You can always say you've changed your mind honey I'm sure Sandrock will understand.' If she knew I really didn't want to go it would be yet another arrow in her guilt quiver.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Thanks” Evangeline said as she pulled open the door to her family home. “After you stinky.”
“Hey! Watch it chaos!” Nia shot back
“I'm not that chaotic anymore!”
“Wanna bet?”
“Anyway don't worry about it you can grab something from my room to change into.” Evangeline offered
“Oh, are we borrowing each others clothes again, like we did in school?” Nia teased
“less borrowing and more take your pick.” Evangeline said as she closed the door to her room behind them.
“Wait? What!”
“I could barely afford the ticket. The money I got today will get me food while on the train. You know how expensive that can be, which means I can't afford the baggage fees to take any form of luggage with me. So everything you see is staying here.”
“Wow even the blue dress you wore to the new years party last year…” Nia said with a glint in her eye
“It's all yours.”
“Somehow I'm not sure I want it now.” Nia said as she put the dress back in the wardrobe.
“Hey sweetie” Evangeline's mother stuck her head in the door to her room.
“Mom if your trying to talk me out of this again-” Evangeline started to groan
“No, your father and I- well lets just say I've accepted it and to prove it here I've got a few blankets for you to take along. It gets cold in the desert at night, you know.” Her mother said concern lining the wrinkles of her face.
“Thanks mom just put them by the front door I'll grab em on my way to the station tomorrow.” Evangeline replied with a smile. Her mother smiled and turned to leave.
“Didn't you just say you couldn't take any luggage with you?” Nia challenged holding the blue dress towards Evangeline once more.
“yeah, I'm just going to have to “forget” them when I leave, thankfully Mom agreed to go to the commerce guild tomorrow in my stead so she wouldn't have to see me off. hence the party tonight.”
“I'm really gonna miss you Evei” Nia said
“I'm gonna miss you too Nia but hey glass half full with me in Sandrock Mike will have to stop fawning over me long enough to see you.” Evangeline teased
“I mean not gonna lie that was my plan the second you step on that train.” Nia replied the glint returning to her eyes. Then she stilled again “but seriously though if things do happen with me and Mike...”
“Oh you have my full blessing. Still don't get what you see in him, but I'm glad you see it.” Evangeline clarified
“Thanks Evei. So speaking of Mike how bad was it?” Nia asked as she disappeared behind the changing screen in the corner.
“oh, that was rough. So I walked into the office and he was like 'Sorry, Evei nothing for you today' and I was like 'I kinda figured but hey I need to talk to you for like a second if I can.' and he was all sure 'Eric is in the back with Tyler right now so sure I got a few whats up?' and I mean really you could tell by the look on his face what he was hoping for.”
“you mean he wanted you fall into his arms and say 'Mike I've been a fool all these years I do love you take me right here on the floor!'” Nia said as she placed the back of her hand on her forehead and fell dramatically onto Evangeline's bed.
“Gross! Do you practice that in your room.” Evangeline said as she thew her pillow at Nia.
“oh, everyday.” Nia shot back sarcastically.
“well, anyway I took him as far from Eric's office as I could and told him I was sorry but I did end up taking the job in Sandrock. And he started screaming he was all 'what? No? You promised you wouldn't!' and I was all 'no I promised I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye.' and he was all 'no this is impossible!' by now of course he's yelling so loud both Eric and Tyler are out of the office and heading right for us. Uuggg it was such a scene, Eric comes over and is like 'what's going on here?' and Mike is all 'she's leaving boss! Evie is leaving for sandrock!' and Tyler's all in the back like good riddance nosy little punk I hope you fail and die out there.”
“Whoa! did he actually say that in front of his father?”
“of course not he's too smart for that but it was written all over his face. Anyway Eric is all like 'wow I did not expect anyone from Highwind to take up that position. Well, good luck and I hope you do better there then you did here.' he shakes my hands tells Mike to pull himself together and went right back to his office, with Tyler's beaming gloating face following right behind his daddy in pure victorious bliss. Meanwhile Mike is still standing there begging me not to go and I'm like Mike I just bought the train ticket it's non-refundable. He's all like 'but what about us?'and I'm all for the millionth time there is not now nor will there ever be an ‘us’ in that sense. I swear Nia I don't know why that boy loves forcing me to reject him. I've told him nicely, I've told him gently, I've tried keeping my distance. I've been direct, I've even been down right rude.”
“At least he knows you exist.” Nia sighed as she looked wistfully out the window.
“Hey I wasn't kidding about the good part of me leaving earlier. Maybe now that he won't see me everyday he'll actually move on.”
“That's the only good thing, but what if he doesn't move on from you?”
“then he doesn't deserve you. And you can leave his overly attracted, denial ridden, insane behind and check out all those hot Guys in the greenhouse.” Evangeline finished
“There are no hot guys in the green house.” Nia said with a sigh
“Na, I've been in there it is sweltering the only guys in there are definitely hot.” Evangeline said as she dodged the pillow Nia launched back at her.
“what am I going to do without your lame puns, and chaos to get me through.” Nia asked as tears shimmered in her eyes.
“Well, for starters, you're going to remember to leave that greenhouse for a few hours everyday. Then your going to come over here and check on ma and pa. You know pa is going to need help consoling ma. Then your going to stop by the guild every morning before you report to the greenhouse and check in on Mike. Finally once a week your going to write me the longest letter the world has ever known.” Evangeline said as she put her arm around Nia's shoulder.
“And you better write me the second you get to Sandrock you hear me.”
“I will.”
“I mean it as soon as your toes hit solid ground you better be pulling out paper and a pen.”
“Ok can I get to a table first?”
“nope.”
“fine can I wait until I have both feet off the train?”
“Fine i'll give you both feet but that's my final offer.”
“Oh I can see it now 'stop fellow human I must use your back to write a letter to my dear friend the great and powerful NIA!' - 'oh my I did not know you were friends with the great and powerful Nia please be sure to tell her in your letter that I was kind to her dear friend.”
“My name strikes terror into the hearts of ALL!!” Nia shouted as she and Evangeline burst into a fit of laughter.
“Are you girls coming out for your party or are we moving the party in here?” Evangeline's mother asked as she stuck her head through the doorway again.
“Sorry Ma we're coming Nia just needed a change of clothes since she forgot to bring any to work with her to change into after.”
“So I guess your leaving that outfit behind then Evei... unless you haven't even packed yet.”
“I packed days ago mom, and I sent my bags ahead to be loaded on the train first thing in the morning.” Evangeline lied. It was easier to lie then tell her mother she'd have to go without bags. After all what good would it do to fight with her tonight of all nights.
***
“All right then Evei got your ticket?” Evangeline's father asked as she hopped off the fully loaded cart. The morning still hung in the air and the sun was just peaking over the horizon.
“Got it pa.”
“You will remember to write.” her father said
“of course and as soon as I have enough saved up I'll take a few weeks and come back to visit. I promise.” Evangeline said more for her own benefit then her father's. She'd held back the tears for a full month but now standing at the station looking at the tears welling in her father's eyes as the giant metal behemoth of a train hissed steam and coal dust as it waited on the tracks only a few feet away. She was leaving. For the first time ever it felt real. She was leaving everything she ever knew her family her friends her home her job. She tried to blink back the tears but they spilled down her cheeks instead.
“I know darling.” her father said taking into one last hug. “But you have to forge your own path even if that path is a few days away.”
“I'm going to miss everyone so much.” Evangeline sobbed into her fathers arms. “you'll tell mom right? That I'll be back to visit as soon as I can?”
“of course.”
“And don't let Nia spend all her time at work make sure she gets out once or twice.”
“Not sure I have as much sway with her as you do but I'll do my best.”
“Pa, what if.... what if I fail?”
“Then at least you tried.”
“Am I really doing the right thing?”
“your doing the only thing you can love. Now go on off you pop. That train's not going to wait forever and I don't want you to see your old man cry.”
“I love you pa.”
“I love you too Evangeline.”
Evangeline left her fathers embrace and turned towards the train she took one last deep breath and walked away. From the only world she'd ever known and into the start of a brand new adventure.
\*\*\*(after game)\*\*\*“Evei!” Mike shouted as he threw the doors of the city hall open.
“Mike?!?” Evangeline stated in shock “what are you doing in Sandrock?”
“I'm here to rescue you.”
“Ok. That's a new one.” Evangeline said with a raised eyebrow. “Save me from what?”
“From the psychotic mad man that brain washed you into thinking you want to marry him instead of me.”
“Oooh boy.”
“Have I missed something?” mayor Trudy squeaked beside Evangeline
“I'm sorry Trudy-”
“Trudy, is it? Talk some sense into her! Evie loves me she just needs to marry me before it's too late!” Mike said interrupting Evangeline.
“Mike, It's already too late.” Evangeline informed him.
“Wha-what?”
“I've been Married for the last 4 years. The ceremony we're holding in a few days is literally just that a ceremony we're putting on so my parents and Nia can be there.”
“No, that can't be true.” Mike stumbled back as though he’d been punched in the gut
“Oh it's true would you like Trudy to look up the marriage certificate for you?” Evangeline challenged.
“NO. Because if your married then I'll never be a part of a real family.”
“You never needed to marry me to be a part of a family. For goodness sake Nia threw herself at you for years.”
“I wanted to be part of your family.”
“you already were no marriage required, my parents raised you as their own right along with me. That’s why I told you so many times I could never see you that way.”
“Nia.”
“What about her?”
“You said Nia wants me.”
“OH NO! Nope. Don't even go there you wasted your chance with Nia years ago.”
“What?”
“you were so focused on me even after I turned you down all those times, even after I moved to Sandrock, even after it was clear I was not coming back to highwind. Eventually Nia realized you were never going to let me go. Then she came here to visit me, she met Zeke and well, she moved on.”
“There has to be something I can do to get you back?”
“I'm pregnant.”
“hu?”
“why do you think my parents are coming to Sandrock next week? They want to watch they're grand children grow up. Besides We all decided it would be nice to have the help when the baby gets here. So my parents sold the workshop and land to Tyler no bout” Evangeline added with an eye roll “and are moving out here.”
“what if.... what if I offer to take care of you and the baby?” Mike asked weakening
“hey Evei I was passing by on my rounds and figured I'd check in.” Unsurr asked as he walked into city hall “Oh hello,” Unsurr said as he noticed Mike “deputy Unsure of the Sandrock civil corp.”
“the civil corp? perhaps you can help me sir.”
“What seems to be the trouble?”
“Unsurr this is mike he's here to stop the wedding.”
“what wedding? Trudy you getting remarried or something?”
“No our wedding.”
“OUR wedding you mean this is-!!” Mike stammered
“yes Mike this is my Husband and the father of my child Unsurr deputy of the Sandrock civil corps.”
“but- if he's civil corps then..... how have you brain washed my finance? What trick did you use!”
“Oh I see he's THAT Mike isn't he?” Unsurr said looking past Mike to Evangeline
“yep.”
“I demand to see your captain immediately!”
“Ok but I'm not sure what the cat is going to do here.” Unsurr replied confused
“he means Justice hon.” Evangeline clarified
“Yes I want justice done. Where is your captain?”
“likely napping in a sunbeam by the register at tailor made this hour.” Unsurr replied scratching his head
“What?” Mike asked
“I'm confused” Unsurr fired back
“Oh for heavens sake! A man named Justice is the captain of our civil corp here in sandrock. He prefers the title sheriff. He's very particular about that especially since the civil corp here has a cat named Captain. Unsure is referring to the cat Captain who like napping by the cash register at the shop Taylor Made on main street. Justice is likely out at the Wandering Y ranch on the other side of town right now. Either way there is no point. I am now and have always been in my right mind. You are both too late to, and unable to stop my wedding. I will not be divorcing Unsurr for you, or going back to Highwind or whatever you want. As you dear old friend I suggest you get back on the train and go back to Highwind. If you force me, I will as an honorary deputy of the civil corps command you to get back on that train. Is that FINALLY understood Mike?” Evangeline stated.
Mikes eyes darted from Evangeline, to Unsurr, to a very awkward Turdy and back to Evangeline.
“All I ever wanted was to be part of the only family I'd ever known.”
“You always were a part of my family and always will be. provided you can let me go.”
“But your parents even Nia they're moving out here everyone is leaving me alone.”
“If you can let go of this idea of us getting married you're more than welcome to try and find a place here in Sandrock as well.”
“Maybe I'll go see if there are any openings at the commerce guild.”
“At the end of main street by the train station ask for Yan.”
Mike turned his shoulders slumped as the realty finally set in, he slunk out of the room, defeated, but also with new purpose.
“So Trudy back to the matter at hand my parents are going to need a place to live when they arrive in a few days. I'd like something close to both town and my workshop.”
“Do you two have a place in mind?” Trudy asked looking at the map of homes for sale in Sandrock.
“Yes here the old Melody Place by the oasis.”
“Oh that's a nice spot. Doors both on main street and the oasis. A place that nice will cost around 2000 gols.”
“Unsurr?” Evangeline asked
“It's about what we thought it would cost and with all the hours we've both put in for the city we more then have the money for it so I say yes.”
“Then yes it is.” Evangeline said as she handed the bag of coins to Matilda.
Matilda took the bag weighed it quickly and went to a cabinet in the back of the hall she pulled out a paper and a key and laid them on the desk
“if you two would just sign here then this key is yours.”
***
With the papers signed and key in hand Evangeline and Unsurr left city hall. Unsurr bid his wife a hasty good bye and resumed his patrols, while Evangeline walked to her horse Onyx who was tied just outside city hall. She reached into Onyx's saddle bags and pulled out the small stack of commissions she'd grabbed earlier she double checked the supplies in the bag and the names on the commissions before heading out to turn over the requests. Every recipient signed and dated the page she showed them, she'd then bring the commissions to the guild hall and hand them to Yan who'd no doubt gripe she hadn't done them fast enough, before attempting to withhold a fraction of her payment as a “management fee”. After she got her payment from Yan she took Onyx to the board walk behind main street that surrounded the oasis and stopped in front of an abandoned home. She slipped the key from her pocket and opened the door. It swung in easily which was a good sign. The building itself seemed to be in good repair. There were two floors, and the air was a bit stuffy, nothing that opening a few windows wouldn't cure. There was quite a bit of sand everywhere nothing a few strips of rubber around the doors and windows and a good sweeping wouldn't cure. Evangeline looked up to the ceilings and made a mental note to stop by construction junction and order a few ceiling fans. She would install them herself but Heidi could deliver them to the door in a few hours and the fans would be a godsend during the hottest hours of the day. Everything else her father would love fixing himself.
***
A few days later the air was split with a squeal almost louder then the train whistle. “EVIE!!!!” a very excited Nia bounced off the train and ran straight for the waiting Evangeline.
“Oh my lands look at you it's been forever! Let me see that baby bump!”
“Ok whoa slow down Nia, I'm glad to see you too but there won't be a baby bump for a few months.”
“well, I'll be here for it! Did I tell I graduated top of my class and am going to be starting work at the moisture farm!”
“Only about a thousand times Nia” Evangeline said with a smile and an eye roll
“She has been telling us all about the Moisture farm on the train.” Evangeline's father said as he and her mother approached them.
“Hello dearest” her mother said pulling Evangeline into a hug.
“Hi mom.”
“Sorry to bust in on you folks like this.” Zeke said as he awkwardly approached the small group “but I'd like a word with Miss Nia if I could.”
Evangeline gave Nia a smile and a slight nudge with her elbow. Nia shrugged her off and stepped a bit closer to Zeke.
“Hi Zeke, how have you been?”
“Oh as well as can be considering everything I suppose. Um Miss Nia, can I ask where you plan to stay while your here in Sandrock?”
“Well I was Just going to take up residence at the apartment complex unless of course you have a better offer.” Nia said with a sly flirtatious smile.
“Well, I was thinking, if it's not to forward of me I might, well that is to say that, I have an extra bed in my loft besides the Moisture farm. It'll put you closer to the farm and it'll save you the expense of renting an apartment, and uh...”
“I'd love to take you up on that Zeke.”
“Really Nia, an unmarried woman living with an unmarried man. How unseemly!”
“Mom, things are a lot more relaxed here in Sandrock. It's fine.” Zeke and Nia left with Nia chattering away happily beside Zeke. “Besides I happen to know Zeke does have an extra room he can offer he commissioned me to build it for him last week and he specifically asked me to make sure it was something Nia would love.”
“So that's why the girl is so interested in the hydro farm.” Evangeline's mother said as she watched the pair leave
“One of the major reasons I think. Anyway which would you like to see first your house or my workshop.”
“Workshop!” the two said in unison.
“Well alright then I'll take you on a tour of the workshop just as soon as I tell Jensen what house to take your belongings to.”