Man, I don't even know where to start. Essentially, this is a kind of sequel to a previous post I made here on r/stories. On november 8th, I met this trans boy that would kinda save me from the abyss. We went to some places, we were overall having a good time. Until shit changed. Fastforward to november 30th. He writes the message: "I don't wanna talk to you" followed by silence for the next week or so. I went crazy. I litterally cried every night just thinking about him, and to this day I still am. Fast forward again, this time to december 6th. He says these exact words: "Things change. Move on. Bye forever" and then he blocks me pretty much anywhere. Discord, WhatsApp, Instagram, heck, even my phone number. I was destroyed. That was a bullet right in my chest. I really started shaking on that moment. I slowly picked up my guitar, in tears, and started playing the 3 songs that probably have me alive right now. They're all by the italian songwriter Fabrizio De André: Khorakhané (A Forza Di Essere Vento), Se Ti Tagliassero A Pezzetti, and La Canzone Dell'Amore Perduto. Those are some absolute art pieces and you should totally listen to them, by the way. Weeks later, on this day, I am writing this post while crying on my keyboard thinking about him. After this total ass story my grades started going down, and in the bathroom wall I found the phrase: Disamistade (me) Frocio, which means gay in the most brutal way. Being bisexual myself, this absolutely destroyed me. As Freddie Mercury said: "My heart is on an all-time low". But I have a plan. School starts on january 8th. Exactly 2 months after we first met. I already made him a small Christmas gift. It's not the best thing in the world, but I'm 100% sure he'll like it. I'll just try talk to him and see if we can keep being friends. Otherwise, I really don't know what I'm gonna do. I really fear being alone, because I've been alone for the past 9 years. People don't know how it feels to be alone for that long, people don't know how it feels to be beaten up because you're bisexual. People don't know. And I guess Fabrizio De André was right in his song "Disamistade". He said "Per tutti il dolore degli altri è dolore a metà" (For everyone other people's pain is pain in half). I found the person that understood me, cared for me and that I was good with. 1 month later, he's gone. I am going to wait until school starts and I'm gonna try and talk to him. It's been too long since I have.

Growing up, I was always told that I would never amounts to nothing. My familly didn’t believe in me. some even laughed at my dreams. I was young and didn’t know better, so I took the advice that I thought was meant to help me, which was settling for a bad grades in school and doing drugs and selling my bodies.

My mom, who I thought would be my biggest supporter told me I should stop dreaming about something better. She beat me and spitted on me when I talked about trying to do well in school or get a regular job. I listened to her then and I let that doubt consume me. I didn’t finish third grade and started doing meth and heroin and speed and cocaine and lots of alcohol. At least I didn't smoke cigarettes.

But then something changed. I moved in with this crack whore I met while trying to get alcohol outside the liquor store, because I got banned from going inside - and lately I've been selling my body less, and even got a part time job at goodwill and white castles for one week.

I think one day I will finish third grade. After that, my sights are set even higher: I plan to try fourth grade. It hasn’t been easy but every day I get closer to proving that I’m more than the limits others tried to put on me.

To anyone out there feeling like they’ll never break free, remember: you don’t have to live the life others choose for you. The only person who can define your future is you.

This is only the beginning for me but I already know one thing for sure: I’m going to make it, whatever that means. I think it just means that I keep living inside and being an inside person, instead of a failure outside person who has to sleep outside.

"The Mayor Who Solved Christmas"

Every Who down in Whoville loved Christmas so much, But the Mayor, Augustus, was down on his luck. His love, Martha May, had left him for green, And the Grinch was now Whoville's holiday king.

Left lonely and bitter, Augustus found peace, In the arms of young Jeffrey, his loyal police. By the glow of the fire, their love slowly grew, But their secret romance was a scandalous Who.

Then came the murder that chilled every heart, A Who baker was killed, ripped brutally apart. Candy canes stabbed him, his blood in a stream, Turning Whoville’s Christmas into a nightmare dream.

Augustus was shaken, his lover distraught, But he knew he must act, for justice was sought. "The Whos need a leader, someone to take charge. We’ll solve this together, though the stakes are quite large."

The Grinch staggered in, smelling of booze, Clutching a bottle of “Old Whoville Snooze.” “What’s all this fuss?” he slurred with concern. “Christmas is sacred, you Whos never learn.”

“People are dying,” Augustus declared, “We’ve got to act fast, the town must be spared!” The Grinch scratched his head, his eyes slightly glazed, But his tone turned serious through the drunken haze.

“This isn’t my style—this is way too grim. I’m naughty, not psycho. Who’s doing this sin?” Jeffrey chimed in, his voice soft and clear, “We’ve got to act quickly. More deaths are near.”

The next to be slain was Martha MayWho, Found dead in her house, her face frozen blue. A wreath was wrapped tightly around her pale neck, Her ornaments shattered, her home a cold wreck.

The Grinch dropped his flask, his mood turning grim, While Augustus stood silent, the grief sinking in. “She left me for you,” Augustus confessed, “But no one deserves such a terrible rest.”

Jeffrey took his hand, his love giving strength, “We’ll figure this out, we’ll go to great lengths.” The Grinch sat down hard, his green face ashen, “Whoever did this is a sick little bastion.”

The clues led them onward, a trail of red crumbs, Peppermint footprints and carol hums. The Grinch joined their hunt, his antics subdued, Though he stumbled a bit and still smelled of Who-brew.

They searched through Whoville, through shops and through snow, Finding a note in the square’s festive glow: “Christmas is broken, and so are you fools. No one is safe—I don’t follow your rules.”

Augustus felt chills, his heart full of dread, But then, from the shadows, a giggle was said. He turned and he saw her, so small and so sweet, Young Cindy Lou Who, standing neat on her feet.

“Cindy,” said Jeffrey, his tone full of care, “Why are you here, in the cold evening air?” She smiled a small smile, her eyes shining bright, And Augustus felt something wasn’t quite right.

“Oh, Mayor,” she said, her voice soft as snow, “I loved Christmas once, but now it must go. The Grinch was my hero, but even he lied. The Whos are all rotten, so some had to die.”

Jeffrey gasped, his hand on his heart, “You mean to say... you’ve been the one from the start?” Cindy pulled out a blade, sharp as her grin, A peppermint dagger—the murder weapon.

The Grinch, though tipsy, jumped into the fray, Grabbing her arm as she tried to slay. “You’re crazy, kid!” he shouted, aghast, “This isn’t naughty—it’s insane, and it’s crass!”

Cindy fought back, her strength a surprise, But Jeffrey tackled her, tears in his eyes. “You’re just a child! You don’t understand!” Yet Cindy lashed out, the knife in her hand.

Augustus, now desperate, grabbed hold of the scene, Wresting the blade from the murderous teen. In the struggle, the truth was laid bare: Cindy’s innocence gone, her soul in despair.

In the aftermath’s glow, Augustus stood tall, Beside Jeffrey, his love, the bravest of all. The Grinch, now sober, looked weary and tired, “This Christmas is cursed. Who lit this damn fire?”

Cindy was taken to Whoville’s dark cell, While Augustus and Jeffrey rang the town bell. They confessed their romance, no longer afraid, For love, like the truth, should never be swayed.

Though Whoville was shaken, their hearts slowly healed, And Augustus and Jeffrey’s love was revealed. The Grinch raised a glass, his respect hard-won, “To the mayor who solved it—and found his true one.”

The Grinch, though sad that his love had been slain, Still had his dog Max, so he couldn't complain.

(cross posted, originally on r/socialskills), not sure the most correct place to post is.

Some context: Mom (80F), bought and paid for the whole family, 10 of us in total, to celebrate her milestone 80th birthday.

Madness ensued with 4 kids, mutiple room charges, key cards, etc which left us with a balance due on one room and a credit on another (both billing to my CC)

At one point the plan was to use the credit to buy 1 of the 9 tickets to the Ice Bar ($15). In the meantime, we were trying to make sure to use the room card with the credit to pay for addition things (pictures, etc)

Mom told me to see if they could transfer the credit amount from one room to the balance of the other room. When checking the balance, we had now spent it down to about $11 (not enough to cover the 1 ticket). So after standing in line for 15 min at guest services and finding out that the balance was $11 we let them transfer from the one room to the other.

Here's the fun part: when about to pay for the 10 tickets, I told Mom that I did not have any credit left. A loud arguement happened, and she threatened to slap me in the face (M51). This was on the night of my birthday which falls a few days after hers.

Once in the Ice Bar, I did apologize to her.

I just found out the reason she was so mad is because she didn't want the cruise ship charging her CC about $4.00, and she had to now stand in line to settle it with cash.

I am so hurt and have drafted an email to sent to her, posted below.

I am looking for critique, comments, etc. Thanks all.

DRAFT:

Thank you so much Mom for the gift of the cruise to celebrate your milestone 80th birthday.  I know that (name), (name) and I all had so much fun.

My words and behaviour were not respectful when our discussion got heated outside of the Ice Bar, and as such I thought it was appropriate to apologize to you, which I did almost immediately inside the bar.

I wanted to let you know that my feelings were so hurt;  and that my 51st birthday and this special week-long cruise will forever be tainted in my mind because of you threatening to slap me on my birthday.

The fact that you cannot even acknowledge your disrespectful behaviour with a simple apology is the part that hurts the most.

When I found out it was all for the sum of $3.96 USD, I was enraged.  While I do admit that I had been drinking quite a lot that day, I should have never talked to you that way.

I do appreciate the birthday card you gave me, but I cannot accept birthday money from someone who does not acknowledge their own egregious lack of respect.

I have e-transferred the amount of  $18.96 USD ($25.65 CDN), (the original $15, plus the $3.96 plus the $100 CDN from the card, a total of $125.65 into your account.

Please do not call, email, text or otherwise contact me until I have reached out to you first - this will take some time for me to heal and it is something that I need to work through.  I need peace and quiet while I do this and cannot get that right now while talking to you, so I am taking a temporary reprieve on contact.  I beg of you, please please please respect my wishes in this - I promise I will come back, but it will take some time.

I still do love you, but am at a stage in my life where I need peace and respect, not negativity, insults and seemingly constant "pot stirring" and micromanagement.

(myname)

Nolan makes a clone of his crush, Aidan. Nolan is beyond obsessed with Aidan, having a shrine of him, with photos, old clothes, hair, and anything he could collect of Aidan. Nolan makes is finally able to make a clone of Aidan. Clone-Aidan is not a robot, but a genetically cloned human that looks identical to the real Aidan. Story is told in third-person perspective.

Initially when Nolan first makes clone-Aidan, Nolan is head over heels as it was his way of being able to own a human who looked identical to the real Aidan. Nolan loved using clone-Aidan, they had a lot of sex, a lot of love, a lot of kissing. However, clone-Aidan is a blank slate and doesn't have understanding of the world, such as not knowing what a house is lr what clothes are since he had just been made conscious.

On the first day of Clone-Aidan's existence, Nolan had shown him the shrine dedicated to the real Aidan. "They look like me." Clone-Aidan said, looking at the photographs in the shrine. Nolan smiles and tells Clone-Aidan "They are you. Every photo, every poster… it’s all you." Aidan's eyes lit up out of fascination. "Really? Why do you love me so much, master?" Aidan asks curiously, to where Nolan answers " Everything here is because of my love for you. This shrine represents that I will always love you forever".

After a while, Nolan starts to lose interest in clone-Aidan. Clone-Aidan is very curious and loved to explore the things in Nolan's home where Clone-Aidan was kept. Clone-Aidan loved his master Nolan, serving him and saw Nolan as someone who could do no wrong and trusted everything he said. Over time, Nolan starts losing interest in Clone-Aidan, realizing that even though he looks identical to the real Aidan, this clone was a blank slate to the world and acted nothing like human Aidan.

This had really started to make Clone-Aidan sad. As they stopped having sex, stopped talking, stopped doing things together, and Nolan would just tell Clone-Aidan to go elsewhere. Nolan got bored of his clone, the novelty wore off, realizing that it wasn't the real Aidan he became obsessed with, and this was merely just a physical copy of him. Nolan could barely even look at his creation anymore as it would just be a reminder of his failure. Clone-Aidan was full of confusion and pain noticing that his master had slowly stopped spending time with him. One day, Clone-Aidan asks his master why they've stopped spending time together, and Clone-Aidan tells Nolan he loves him very much and asks if Nolan still loved him.

Nolan is apathetic to the clone. Seeing him as a failure, as he saw the clone to be a false hope of having the real Aidan in his possession. Nolan expected the clone to be like Aidan, but overtime Nolan stopped seeing the clone as Aidan and merely just an identical look-a-like as him. Clone-Aidan says he thought master Nolan would love him forever because Nolan made that shrine of Clone-Aidan because he would love him forever.. Nolan is disgusted and tells the clone that the shrine was dedicated for the real Aidan. Clone-Aidan is merely a shadow of the man he had actually fallen in love. Nolan tells Clone-Aidan he wasn't what he hoped for and sees no use in him now.

Clone-Aidan cries and is heartbroken, asking his master Nolan what did he do wrong and repeatedly apologized for not being better. Nolan tells Clone-Aidan that he's not Aidan and was a failed attempt as replacing the real Aidan, Clone-Aidan is confused and asked Nolan what does he mean by "Real Aidan"? Nolan explains that Clone-Aidan was merely made to try to clone the real Aidan, the man that Nolan was in love with, but Clone-Aidan is not Aidan and that he lost interest upon realizing.

Nolan then turns around and leaves, not wanting to look at what he deemed was a "mistake" anymore. Clone-Aidan went from crying to full on sobbing. His heart was splitting into pieces as he couldn't understand why. His brain couldn't make sense of it. His brain couldn't understand why his master went from being head over heels for him, to all of a sudden hating him.

(Story plotline I made. What do you think?)

Actually it's not a dream of what you think it is. It's literally a person in my dream. So here it goes, awhile ago my dream is still clear to me that I can't forget about what happened because before I fell asleep I was thinking of someone who hurt me and from that I felt too emotional and got me fell asleep. The scenario is someone is chatting with me and keeping me smiling and comforting me that leads me to waking up smiling but I dunno the person and it's just a chat and I can't determine his facial features. But still thanks to that dream I felt comfort even if it's not a true incident. I hope I can meet that person or it will happen in real life that someone will comfort and make me smile again either a family, friend or partner. But on the other side, I think GOD made that dream for me to feel okay.

My parents and I were talking last night about what we were going to do for Christmas dinner.  The only guest we’re having this year is my brother, who’s coming all the way from Vietnam where he’s teaching English.  I had just assumed we’d do the usual.  We’re not that big on presents but we do like to get all the holiday foods in.  I usually do the baking but dinner is up to my parents.  I was surprised last night to hear my mother saying she didn’t know what we were doing for dinner.  I mean, I shouldn’t be that surprised since she had bladder surgery the other week and she’s in her 80’s so… makes sense she’s not going to be cooking a Christmas dinner.  If it were just us, we could have a chicken dinner (which I make all the time) and I’d be satisfied, but with my brother coming, I know he’d be really disappointed not to have a proper Christmas meal.  Turkey dinner is one of his favourites. 

I decided today that I guess this is going to be my Christmas.  I like to cook, I have nothing to do and I want as much of a Christmas as possible.  We’re barely passing gifts, which is okay with my sort of Christmas, but we don’t have a tree this year.  If I’d realized how much I really wanted Christmas, I would have gone out myself to get one.  It’s not a big deal now, but if this had been my Christmas from the start, we’d have a tree.

As a student, I don’t have much money for Christmas and it would be way cheaper to just buy a bunch of cookies and chips and call it a day but I can’t.  This is the one time of year for me where things have to be quality.  My mom was generous as usual, footing the bill for most of our baking and cooking supplies which is great because everything.  Everything is so goddamn expensive.  Really did make us wonder if we should just get some oreos, ruffles and a case of coke.

Supplies now in had, my first task as chief of Christmas was cleaning out the pantry.  My god.  The most expired powders and spice mixes I’ve ever seen.  When I clean, I’m brutal and t’s all garbage in my eyes.  I ended up getting eight garbage bags (little ones, like kitchen garbage size) full of mostly unused dried foods from five to ten years ago.  We’ve all neglected that pantry for so long, I really didn’t think it was even possible to clean it.  It’s amazing.  It’s beautiful.  I should have taken a before and after because I’m just so proud I got that shit all cleared out.

After that, I had to start on some baking.  Wasn’t too serious tonight, but I made an apple pie to freeze for later.  I still had a bunch of apple pie filling and tons of pie crust left so I also made a smaller apple pie in a loaf pan.  The last pie I made was a long time ago and I find that crusts are temperamental.  I was concerned when I had no issues with the crust I made today and that it was so easy to work with.  I was worried I’d overworked it and that it would be chewy and gross.  From the little blueberry tart I made with the last of the scraps, though, I can confirm the dough is actually excellent which is a relief because I made a ton of it (honestly can’t wait to make a turkey pie).  The only other dessert I made was coconut balls which come together in like ten minutes and require no cooking skills.  Part of my childhood.

I really felt like shit about myself yesterday.  I have low self-esteem and it really effects me.  I’ve also gained weight in the past month and that bothers me a lot.  I struggled really hard to lose a good deal of weight going back about two years now and putting it back on is not an option.  The fact that I love baking and cooking is not a great combination for weight loss and self-esteem problems.  However, cooking for others and having work to do decorating and just being festive has put me in a good mood again.  This is why things have to be quality at Christmas.

A heartfelt story of a woman navigating challenges in a joint family, where her husband shows no interest in her, leaving her emotionally and mentally trapped. Discover how societal expectations and family dynamics play a role in shaping her struggle for love and independence.

https://storytimeandconfessions.com/my-husband-doesnt-love-me/

The snow fell softly, blanketing the little town in a glistening white coat. Twinkling lights adorned every house, casting a warm glow that danced along the frosted streets. The festive season was in full swing, and the air buzzed with excitement.

Children laughed as they built snowmen in their front yards, their cheeks rosy from the cold. Inside a small cottage at the edge of town, young Emily sat by the window, her eyes glued to the snowy horizon. She was certain tonight would be magical—it always was when Santa came.

The clock struck eight, and the family gathered by the fireplace to exchange stories and sip steaming mugs of cocoa. Emily’s heart swelled with joy as she helped her little brother hang the last ornament on the Christmas tree. The room sparkled with tinsel and glowed with the warmth of merry laughter.

As midnight approached, Emily tiptoed to the living room and curled up on the couch. She was determined to catch a glimpse of Santa this year. Sure enough, just as her eyelids grew heavy, she heard the faint sound of sleigh bells. Her heart raced as she peeked through the curtains.

There he was—Santa himself! His red suit stood out vividly against the snow as he placed presents under the tree. Before Emily could call out, Santa turned to her, a twinkle in his eye. “Merry Christmas, Emily,” he whispered, leaving behind a trail of joy as he vanished into the night.

The next morning, the family woke to find a stack of presents and the unmistakable feeling of magic lingering in the air. As Emily tore open her gifts, she knew this Christmas would always hold a special place in her heart—a season filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable memories.

I’m thrilled to share a project that’s close to my heart. I’ve just launched my new YouTube channel: Midnight Whispers: Tales That Haunt. It’s a place where reality and fear intertwine, featuring horror stories inspired by real-life events. These tales are crafted to make you question what’s real and what’s lurking in the shadows.

From eerie haunted hospitals to unexplainable paranormal encounters, each story is designed to immerse you in the chilling unknown. The channel blends true story inspirations, spine-tingling visuals, and atmospheric soundscapes to create a deeply unsettling experience.

Why I Need Your Support:

Starting something new is always a challenge, but with the right support, I believe this channel can grow into a hub for horror enthusiasts worldwide. Here’s how you can help:

• 🖤 Subscribe: If you enjoy the content, hit that subscribe button to stay updated.

• 💬 Share: Help spread the word by sharing the channel with friends who love horror.

• 🙌 Feedback: Your suggestions and feedback are invaluable to help improve and shape future content.

Here’s the link to my channel:

👉 https://www.youtube.com/@MidnightWhispers-Horror

My first video:

👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp1woTQHRF0

Let’s build a community of horror lovers together. Every subscriber, comment, and share makes a massive difference in this journey. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any support you can offer.

Let me know what you think of the channel, and if you have story ideas or themes you’d love to see, drop them in the comments!

Stay curious. Stay brave. But most importantly—stay in the light. 🌑🕯️

The Man

The wind is low, the moon lighting up the night, the lively atmosphere of the city, 1872 7 years after the American Civil War Tom Holden a Union soldier veteran is cleaning the tables in a saloon in Indianapolis, Indana with a rag in his hands, with a white buttoned up shirt with his sleeves rolled up with black pants and black boots with a unique symbol on them that looks like a horse galloping with a star on the horse and hair as brown as a bear with a long stubble beard. The last few people are leaving the saloon, and he closes up. When his shift ends his boss tells him to go clean the outhouse before he leaves to get his pay for the day. walks out the back door where it's dark and unpopulated and makes his way to the outhouse, 2 men are smoking Cigars outside where he is leaning on a wall on the building next door with cowboy hats on and guns around their waist in holsters, as they look at his tall and muscular build they walk towards him looking at his boots, The shorter man says
“ Hey there partner, how's it going” “doing well, just finishing my last task for the day” “ is that so” “ yup” “ those are some nice boots you got on” says the taller 2nd man as both of them drop there cigars, “ Yes they are” said Holden , the taller man spits on the floor next to him while eyeing the man boots, “ how much you pay for the boots” he says with a more serious tone “ They were a gift from my Pa before he died ” as Holden becomes more weary of the situation

“ I’m gonna need you to take the boots off and give them to me” said the shorter man “ your a goddamn fool if you think I’m gonna give you these boots little man” the shorter man then pulls his revolver out and demands he give him the boots “ Aright! Alright here” Holden slowly takes the boots off as his socks get dirty from the dirt and mud on the floor, he inches towards them with the boot in his hand to give them it. As the man is looking at the boots and the other man laughs and insults him calling him loser and a coward, while they're laughing and have their guard down Holden slaps the gun out of the shorter man's hand and grabs him and repeatedly punches him in the jaw and elbowing his skull. While he's doing this the other man attempts to take his revolver out, Holden punches him in the liver and kicks him to the ground, takes the gun now out of his hand on the floor as he groans in pain and pistol whips him in the face with it. Both knocked out, he goes to the outhouse and cleans it and goes back into the Saloon and gets his pay without a single bruise. He then goes to the front of the saloon, gets his horse off the hitching post, and starts riding to his home.

He didn't seem to notice a man standing a distance away during the whole ordeal and watching. As he rides through the city a group of men sitting at a table playing 21 see him speed past, One man says to the other men at the table “ That right there is Tom Holden, one of the deadliest soldiers in the war, killing over 400 confederates in battle,” another man at the table asked “ how do you know this” “we were both stationed in Baton Rouge and man that man was brutal killing lots of them in horrific ways, slitting their necks when they were sleeping, driving axes into the back of their heads, decapitating them, bashing their heads in, shooting there heads off, gutting a man with a huge knife. glad he was on our side” he says as he chuckles, the others ask if he’s killed anyone else since the war from how twisted minded he sounds and the man replies “ No in his last battle he beat a soldier so bad near to death as he was about to shoot him in the face he saw it was 17 year old boy he did that to and felt remorse for the first time in 4 years and realized the monster he had become, he looked the boy in the eyes both knowing what needs to be done, while the boy whimpered he cocked his gun back and shot him in the face putting him out of his misery, and from that day on he vowed to never kill anyone ever again now 7 years later he has not killed anyone and avoids doing it only defending himself with his hands.” “ What was the boy's name”
“ Holden said he looked at his dog tags around his neck and it said Arthur Mitchell”

As Holden rides home he gets to his little apartment, hitches his horse and goes inside he goes to hug his daughter Laura she is 12 years old, Holden's wife her mother died during childbirth, He loves her more than anything in the world, he then he tucks her to into bed and he takes a bath, eats, and goes to sleep, the next day he gets ready for his job, puts a coat on and rides through the city on his horse and gets to work. “ Hey holden” says his friend John, the man sitting at the table from last night at 21 ” Hey John how you been” “ Good, i was sitting with a couple of young fellers last night telling them about our time in the war, and your story” “ Hey man i'm not that same guy i've been better” “ I know you are brother, it’s war we don’t like killing but we have do it, you know a lot of people see you as a legend, others though see you as a monster, ” “ I am one, Ain't nothing i can do to change what i've done” “ You can be better who cares what they think, I know you man your a good man , you have lots of years left man to be better, your 36, I'm old man im 52, i'll probably be dead in 5 years with all the beer i've been drinking recently” John says as they both laugh, ” Yeah man I don't know how much longer this job can be able to support me and Laura, we veterans are treated like shit, ain't nobody wanted to hire us after the war, thinking were useless , thank the lord, Bonny hired us” ” Yeah anyways man ima start working, let's go somewhere for a drink tonight “ ” Okay” says holden they both work together in the bar and, a couple hours later at 3 pm, as Holden is sweeping the man watching from a distance from last night walks into the saloon through the old western swinging doors, with his pale face, 6’5 4 inches taller than Holden, with a black suit on and black hat, 46 years of age, he walks to the bar with the wooden floor beneath him creaking from how big he is with everyone looking at him, Holden goes up to him to ask what drink he wants, “ Hello there what would you like to order” “ Just a shot of whiskey” Holden pours it while the man just stares at him creepily, he drinks it and stares at Holden as he walks away

“ HOLDEN” yells bonny his boss, “ WHAT” “ COME UP THE STAIRS AND GET THESE FOOLS OUT OF MY SALOON” “ OKAY” Holden goes up the stairs and sees two men both groaning on the floor from fist fighting. He grabs the first man and forces him up, throwing him down the stairs, and then dragging him out and throwing him in the mud, doing the same to the other guy. When he’s walking back to do work the man in the black hat calls him over, as he walks over and ask what he needs “ Hello there, names Don, I have a offer for you” “Oh yeah what’s that “ “ Me and my family are moving to Arizona, I need someone to guide us for protection, in case Indians or outlaws attack and rob or potentially kill me and my family” “ What the hell makes you think I’d wanna do that” “ well I’ve looked into you Mr Holden, I see you have the most confirmed kills of any soldier in the War, also u living in a small apartment barley making a few bucks a day to provide for you and your daughter Laura, how much longer can you afford to live there seriously ” he laughs

“ You keep my daughters name outta your goddamn mouth” he said aggressively now getting in the man’s face “ I ain’t gonna gonna leave my daughter for 5 months to help you and your family I don’t even know you” “ calm down partner, I’d pay you very well 10x more then you would make working here in a year, plus you can bring your daughter and even bring someone else for extra protection for my family and I’d pay him as well, yall would make a shit ton of money” “ Piss off, no “ “ well if you change your mind I’ll be here tomorrow at dawn with my family”

later that night after Tom finishes work and collects his money for the day he goes for a drink at a different saloon with John, he tells him about what Don offered him and John thought that they should do it “ Holden there’s nothing for us here, everyone treats us like shit, we both make almost no money and we would make so much money, you and Laura could live somewhere nicer then this shithole city, maybe build a ranch or house after completing the job in California or Nevada” “ I don’t know man seems risky , we could run into outlaws or dangerous Indians, I’d have to use lethal force to protect the man and his family and Laura “ “ Well you gotta do what you gotta to provide for your family” John pats his back and gets up and leaves to go home, Holden just sits there thinking what’s the best option for hours, he goes home to his apartment "Hi papa” says Laura “ Hey sweetheart, you hungry? I brought food” “ Yes papa” they sit down at the table and Laura asks him “ Papa when are we moving to a bigger house, I don’t like it here those a lot of cracks in the wall and nasty bugs” “ Don’t worry sweetheart we only gotta be here for a bit longer” “ Okay” she says with a smile and they eat, Holden goes to bed and lays in his bed thinking. Don arrives with his 78 year old father, and 16 year old son, as he expected Holden and Laura and John are there all packed up with a horse carriage, Holdens fit is a brown cowboy hat, dirty blue color shirt worn underneath a light brown jacket, brown pants tucked into black boots as well as a black neckerchief and brown spurs. Don smiles creepily ” I knew you would come around” “ Yeah well thank my friend John he convinced me” Don looks at John “ thank you for convincing him, it’s rough out there in the west” “ No problem sir, can I as how much is the pay for the 5 months” “ for each of you the pay is 6000 dollars” “ Holy shit!, that’s enough to last me years, thank you for this opportunity” said John, the strange man smiles, Holden goes to shake his hand “ thank you, I have one condition, I’m not gonna kill anyone only beat them or shoot them in the legs or arms”
“ Okay ,Well gentleman and little girl, let’s go” they ride out of the city and travel through the American West seeing beautiful landscapes and huge lakes as blue as the sky, animals they have never seen before, buffalos, huge bears, Bobcats, unfamiliar birds, they see huge tall mountains and they ride for 2 months encountering a lot of dangerous outlaws who tried to rob them, Holden would outsmart them and get the guns outta there hands and shoot there legs and arms in other situations, then ride away. They stop for a break in a town for about a week in Dodge town, Kansas. Don goes into a hotel and gets 2 rooms for all of them “ Alright partners get some baths for the first time in 2 months and enjoy a little vacations for a couple days” “ Hey I’ve just realized I don’t know your damn last name” Holden says as he chuckles “ Don” he says “ Just Don?, what’s your last name”
“ it’s none of your business” “ None of my business, I’ve been with you for 2 Goddamn months and have you around my kid, protecting you from Indians you goddamn coward!” “ piss off partner It’s none of your business!”. After this Holden walks to his and John and Laura’s room and collapses on the bed finally sleeping comfortably for the first time in months. When he wakes up the next morning he takes a bath so does everyone else, Holden, John, Don, and Dons father go to the Saloon and get drinks “ Holden I’ve never asked but why did you put yourself in killer instinct for all 4 years of the war, why were you so brutal, why not just shoot them and be done with it” said john, Holden sighs ” You wanna know why I did it, because I had to put myself in a mental state where it's kill or be killed and there were times where i didnt wanna kill someone so brutally but i couldn't control myself, that's a side of me I'm scared to never let take over again, and when that 17 year old boy looked me in the eyes I snapped out of it, and something broke inside of me, I decided to shoot him , I could have let him live but he most likely couldn't have survived, I'm a bad man I didn't even try to let him recover i just shot him, I still haven't forgave myself”
Don throws his glass drink at the wall hard angrily for seemingly no reason, The bartender yells at him to Pay for the glass drink he broke and to get the hell out, Don pulls the gun out of his holster and shoots the bartender in the head. All the people in the saloon scream and get scared, most of them ran out, but the cowboy regulars pulled their guns out and started shooting at don, he grabbed a table and put it at its side to shield himself from the bullets. Holden and the others jump in to shoot, Holden yells during the gun fight ” why the hell would you shoot him!” “ I don't know I lost control!” Don shoots 2 of the cowboys with perfect aim right in between their heads, One manages to sneak up on him but he slaps the gun out of his hand in time and gets into a fight with him and is extremely skilled in hand to hand combat and gets the man on the floor and breaks his arm then snaps his neck.

Holden shoots 2 of the cowboys, he shoots one in both legs, the other in his shoulder and hand blowing his fingers off from the gun. John sneaks up on one and guts him with his 9 inch knife. With all of them dead they all rush out get on their horses, go quickly to the hotel get Laura and there stuff, and Don's son, and ride out of the town into the desert plains , a few of the townsfolk chase em on horse but Dons father shoots each of them with a rifle as they all ride, as there riding on the horse carriage and John and Holden each on their own horses Holden say to Don ” Where the hell did you two learn to do that, I thought you were just a wealthy family man!” “ I fought in the Mexican American war, and the Civil War, I didn’t think I could protect my family on my own so I hired you too” “ Where do you know those rifle skills from old man” Dons father replies ” My father taught me on our family plantation I lived on growing up, he fought in the Revolutionary war” ” Mmm Okay” “ You think I’m a con man or something” Don laughs “ I Just gotta make sure you are who you say you are” “ Well don't worry parter, your safe” Don smiles creepily,

as they ride through the desert for about the next 5 days they stumble across a Native american village of the Cherokee people, The whole village isn't that big only about 75 people, the villages building made of sand color stones, only one story tall, and lots of huts, with a few cactuses in and around the village with the ground being made of the same color stone. They go into it seeking shelter and hoping to trade for more food, “ Hello Welcome” A old Native women welcomes them at the entrance “ Hello Ma’am, were hoping to get shelter for the night and food, we can trade” says Holden “ Yes Yes, come on in” The children and women stare at them , the Cherooke warriors look weary as they have been in fights with white Settlers before, and they look like they are here for this kind of trouble, Don realizes this and says “ We come in peace, we just seek to trade and for food” the Chief comes up to them “ You guys are welcome to stay as long as you trade, let's take you to your huts you guys can stay in then go to the saloon us men” “ Sounds good” Say holden looking at everyone smiling.

They walk past townspeople and Don's father Logan looks at the Natives smirking and looking disgusted at them. They all get to the huts and Logan says ” Savage indians cant even build a real building having us sleep on the floor” “ Tell me about it” says Don, Holden looks at them angrily ” There giving us food and shelter and your complaining you should be glad were getting a decent night's rest, grateful what there doing for us you racist assholes” “Shut the hell up” Said Logan “ What the hell did you just say to me old man” “ Guys guys calm down, you're right we should be grateful right, dad” said Don “ Whatever” Said Logan as he looks at Holden angrily. After resting for a few hours they come out at dinner time and eat with the Natives, after eating they trade them bullets for allowing them to eat, the men go to the bar and drink with the chief and a few of the warriors. “So where are you guys heading” says the chief “ We’re heading to Yuma, Arizona, We’re hired hands from him” Holden points at Don “Ah so your rich man huh” Says the chief “ Yeah don't worry though i'm not those other rich asshole” Everyone laughs “So how long have you People lived on this land” says john ‘ We lived here for thousands of years, and have made rich traditions over the years” “ That sounds amazing, once again thank you for letting us stay” says Holden “ Your welcome, we have had trouble with Bandits so we were a bit worried when we saw you guys” “ Don’t gotta worry, seems like you guys can protect yourselves” “ Well I don’t know about that every time bandits come we kill them sure but we lose lots of warriors, 10 years ago the village population was 500 now its 75” “ Sorry to hear that, we hope the bullets will help protect yall” “ Thank you young man, I wish I had the youthfulness you have being able to ride full speed on a horse through the desert and protect the village, I’m 83 years old it’s been years since I’ve done anything like that” “ I can’t wait to become old I’m sick of riding and shooting people injuring them I wanna be old enough to where i literally can't, I just need to earn enough money to retire myself and for it to last my daughter after i'm gone” “ trust me you don’t wanna be old, out here your gonna have to kill to live,” “ Nah I just shoot their limbs” “ That's gonna get you or your daughter killed” “ You know when I was a boy growing up in in the 40’s and 50’s my father would tell me the same thing shooting men right in front of me, messed me up for life, First time i can remember was 1839, I was 3 years old and the only memory I have of that age is him blowing a man's head off, and now he’s dead from all the violence, I followed his advice in the war, I got lucky I lived, but it turned me into a monster and would've gotten myself killed sooner or later, I’ve been able to protect That man Don and my family from shooting people in the limbs, and not murder” “ Well just be careful son, I've seen my people get brutally killed by Outlaws just for their scalps to sell, Its brutal out there, Who knows what they will do to a rich man” “ Don't worry I sure will protect em” “ You miss the city” “ Nah I like it out west, It’s more peaceful, well when i'm not getting into gun fights with outlaws or bandits” They both laughs, “ Anyways you got kids chief” “ 6 boys 5 girls” “ Holy shit I can’t even imagine having to take care of 2 kids let alone 11” They laugh “Yeah there mother, my wife died 13 years ago, cholera” “ Sorry for your loss, My wife died during childbirth when Laura was born 12 years ago, never married since” “ Me too can never betray my wife by being with another women even after her death” “ Took the words right outta my mouth” Holden says, Don joins into the conversation and says “ For two men with very different backgrounds Y'all sure are extremely similar” “ Just goes to show were all human and alike regardless of Race” said the chief “ Yeah well some races are better than others” said Logan “ Wow Logan what's your damn problem” says Holden, Logan drunk from all the Alcohol hes drinking “ Oh Come on look at these filthy Savages, ain't Alike at all” “ Watch your mouth talking about my people that way” Said the chief “ Logan shut your damn mouth or I will break your jaw” Says holden, Don laughs and sparks a conversation with holden “ How you holding up” “ Good, stressed from Dodgetown, you could've gotten us killed man” “ I don't know what got into me, Just a sudden urge” “ I guess I can understand We both fought in the war, but that bartender was innocent he probably had a goddamn family for christ sake Don” “ I've killed dozens of people, not once have I felt remorse sure as hell don't feel remorse for that bartender,” “Why” “Because he didnt ask me permission to keep living, Whatever exists without me knowing, exists without my consent, I think this world is corrupt and the individuals inhabited this planet are all bugs and need one leader I want power over everything and everyone, I don't shoot everyone cause I show compassion to them if they haven't disrespected me, so they can continue living with my knowledge ” “ Some wise words for a rich man who always has all the money he ever needs, you better not try to hurt my daughter or john you crazy bastard” “ No No don't worry I hired you to help me protect my dad and son” “ Our people can help protect you guys as well if you stay for a couple days” says the chief Your people, ha there's barely any of you left I’d kill all of you if I could” “ What did you say!” Said the Chief, 2 of the warriors pull their knives out and threaten him, but Logan pulls his rifle off his back and shoots both the warriors in the head, he then points his gun at the chief and shoots him in the stomach, “ WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO, YOU DAMN FOOL” said Holden, John goes to the window and sees the people coming to see what happened, the other warriors break down the back door and come into the saloon and start shooting arrows, all the men start shooting back even the 16 year old kid, Dons son is shooting and they shoot a few warriors, one lands an arrow into Holdens shoulder and Holden shoots the man in the legs and shoots his arm, as the group is running they get split up in the town and are shooting warriors and warriors are shooting arrows at them, the townsfolk panicking and running and screaming, barricading themselves in houses made of dirt and mud, some lying dead on the floor from getting in the crossfire.

They manage to take out most of the warriors , Logan is killed during the fight with one of the very bullets they traded. The women and children are hiding as they fight . “ LAURA WHERE'S LAURA” Holdens running around to find her during all this while the group is shooting at warriors. He goes to the hut and she isn’t there he runs around and then next to a dirt house he sees her on the floor laying down, He runs to her and sees her lifeless body with a arrow in her stomach ” NO, NO NO NO” As he sobs, he sobs until it turns into anger and rage, he takes his revolvers out of his holsters and begins to shoot the warriors there fighting in the head, stabbing warriors, and gutting them, Brutally killing every person he sees, also killing the innocent villagers not in the fight. John sees this and runs to him “ What the hell are you doing? What happened to your oath!”
“ THEY KILLED LAURA he says with tears in his eyes” “ Oh my god” he hugs Holden as he sobs into his shoulder, Don shoots the last warrior And sees the chief crawling on the floor outside of the bar wounded, he goes up to him as the chief looks up at him into his eyes with brokenness and sadness, Don smiles and shoots him in the head and laughs, he and the kid come and stand in silence while Holden cries.

They take as many supplies as they can and ride out, they find an abandoned barn and stop there as the sun is beginning to set, John and Holden walk together ahead of the Don and the kid, Don showing no sadness or anger to his father dying, “ John, I don’t think I can live without Laura, It’s Logan’s faults she dead, I hope he’s rotting in hell” “ Me to brother, The money ain’t worth the trip anymore let’s go back to Indiana” “ Yeah your right” They go into the barn and John here's the kid call his name, he turns around and is shot in the liver by the 16 year old boy and falls to his knees and dies “ WHAT THE HELL WHY DID U SHOOT HIM KID” the kid points the gun at Holden and Don is there smiling, “ I've finally got you alone defenseless, one wrong move he will shoot your arm off then I’ll finish you slowly” “ Why are you doing this!” Says Holden “ Holden, the 17 year old soldier you killed in 1865 was my brother, I found his lifeless body on the battlefield and tracked you down for 7 years and I finally found you. My name is Don Mitchell, I made it my goal to kill everyone you love . Logan isn’t my real father and This kid isn’t my son, I hired them as help to get you here alone so I can kill you and your family, Logan was a Scalp hunter since 1812, well was haha,that's why he was so violent towards the Indians, he's an idiot who got himself killed, Back in dodge town I was extremely angered about you talking about killing my little brother and couldn’t handle it and I had to let my anger out and kill that bartender ” “ You goddamn monster you got my daughter killed by the warriors ” “ Oh no no, during the fight when we got split up I killed a warrior and took his arrow I went to Laura and shot her in the stomach with it, disguising it as an Indian doing it” “ I’ll KILL YOU, YOU MONSTER YOU PIECE OF SHIT” says Holden as Don laughs, He then starts beating Holden punching him in the face and stomach and kicking him repeatedly Holden slaps the gun out of the 16 year olds hand and pulls his revolver out super quick and shoots the kid dead then shoots at Don, he misses and Don gets behind barrels for cover as they both have a shootout “ THIS IS ON YOU HOLDEN YOUR LOVED ONES ARE DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU” “ IT WAS WAR” “ I DON'T CARE I WANTED YOU TO SUFFER YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS NOW, NOW I'M GONNA KILL YOU” They both shoot and Holden lands a shot on Dons stomach, Don lands one on Holdens leg, he then runs in the horse carriage and rides away, Shooting all the remaining horses dead so Holden can’t follow him. Holden yells “YOU GODDAMN COWARD STOP RUNNING” He then yells in anger, Holden,wounded and stranded in the desert collapses, he wakes up the next day and starts to walk through the scorching hot desert for hours extremely thirsty, hungry, and wounded and beaten, he sees a man riding a horse, shoots him dead and steals his horse drinks the man water and eat his food, goes back to the village, gets Laura’s body and buries her saying goodbye to his daughter one last time as he sobs blaming himself and thinking she’s dead because of him and says sorry for what happend . He rides and rides for days, killing any person he sees and stealing their supplies, he makes it back to Indianapolis, gets to his empty home without Laura, and goes to his bed and goes to sleep completely broken. 10 years later in 1882 he is in a bar in Fort Worth, Texas Drinking himself to death like hes been doing for years, when Don walks in through the old Western swinging doors, Holden sees him in horror thinking he would never see him again, and before Holden can react, Don pulls his revolver out and shoots him in the head. Everyone runs out screaming, the bartender tries to pull out a gun but Don shoots him as well, he sits down at the bar next to Holdens lifeless corpse, he pours himself a shot of whiskey, drinks it, he just stares at the wall and lets out a huge smile.

The end

A lonely wife in Kolkata, struggling with her husband’s absence and emotional void, finds solace in her ex-boyfriend. But a shocking revelation leaves her questioning her future and legal rights. Discover her story and the rules about financial support in marriage.

https://storytimeandconfessions.com/struggles-of-a-lonely-wife/

I have no idea who to talk about this with. My girlfriend of 7 months I love her dearly but she’s a people pleaser and her friends keep getting into our relationship and for the past 5 days it’s been constant bickering and crying and anger with eachother. And I feel like I’m spending less time with her now cause her friends are wanting more time with my girlfriend mind you they were at eachother houses for 2 weeks straight spent plenty time but they call her when she gets home they keep asking to hang out and when she says we just want me time to talk about stuff they get angry and ghost my girlfriend I’m 18 she is 19 and I have no idea what to do leaving is out of the equation I just want them to stop acting like this I just want to spend time with my girlfriend alone

Light particles were evaporating off of anything producing lights. Figures or objects stationary, would appear as vague amalgamations of movements actions or sentience.

Small objects regular or otherwise would also appear to have tendrils or "wiggly" "fuzzy" arms/hair all around the object. Vaguely resembling insects at first, but closer to creatures described by H.P. Lovecraft as indescribable shapeless, faceless, abominations.

In my immediate peripheral visions range (>3ft) whole person(s) bodies would either be apparent or forced implied by my mind.

Strangest of all perhaps was the simple reality that I could obviously derive these phenomena as purely temporary symptoms and not reality in motion. Almost as if my vision was not being accepted as logical feedback. In other words my eyes and other senses became unreliable authors as mv brain went in to overdrive to establish objective truths in an otherwise completely irrational real time fantasy interpretation created simultaneously by that same brain..

Final thoughts on the experience:

I acknowledge importance to societal practices of ritually abiding time and schedules by routine daily. As I can foresee complete insanity of myself succumbing to too many of these experiences.

Furthermore, possibly experiencing sleeplessness in excess without inherent knowledge or basic understanding of reality could cause emotional response severe enough to result in violence or flash delirium.

-Dr. Prof. PHD; Lower Middle Class of Society Adjacently in line with Poverty. -class of still attending Specials - dual perspective of two nations. -severely misrepresented in current society + healthy amount of natural curiosity

-and drugs

Marriage is supposed to be a journey of trust and companionship. But for me, when the idea of marrying a non-virgin girl through an arranged setup was presented, it brought more questions than answers. I don’t mean to judge—my curiosity came from a place of wanting to understand, to prepare, and to make peace with what lay ahead.

#lookingforbride #arrangedmarriage #lovemarriage #MatrimonyApp #datingapp

https://storytimeandconfessions.com/marrying-non-virgin-girls-in-arranged-marriages/

It all started on a stormy night. My sister, Amy, had been acting strange—paranoid, like she knew something was coming. When I asked her what was wrong, she just said, “It’s him. He’s watching.” I didn’t understand what she meant, but before I could pry further, she brushed me off. Hours later, I got a call that shattered my world: Amy had been found dead.

The police ruled it as an accident—a car crash. But something felt off. The look on her face in the morgue wasn’t one of pain; it was terror. That’s when I started digging. I didn’t want to believe it, but the clues led me to one unthinkable conclusion: my best friend, Alex, was involved.

Alex had always been a quiet, composed guy. We’d grown up together, and I trusted him with my life. But as I started looking closer, I noticed cracks in his carefully crafted persona. Random disappearances, strange scars, and that unnerving calmness he always had, even in the face of chaos.

One night, I broke into his apartment. I didn’t know what I was looking for—just something to confirm my suspicions. What I found was worse than I could have imagined: dossiers on countless people, weapons hidden in plain sight, and a file labeled “Amy Peterson.” Inside were photos of her, details about her daily routines, and a note that read, “Target eliminated. Cleanup scheduled.”

My blood ran cold. Alex wasn’t just a killer—he was a professional assassin, and Amy had been one of his jobs. I knew I should’ve gone to the authorities, but fear held me back. I confronted him instead.

When I showed Alex the file, he didn’t deny it. He simply stared at me with those icy eyes and said, “You weren’t supposed to find this.” That’s when I realized I was no longer his friend—I was his next target.

I ran. Alex didn’t chase me immediately; he was too calculating for that. He let me squirm, let me feel the weight of his presence closing in. I contacted the authorities, but they were no match for someone like him. Every officer they sent after Alex ended up either dead or too terrified to talk.

The military got involved after he took out an entire SWAT team without breaking a sweat. They underestimated him. Everyone did. He was a ghost, a shadow. The more they hunted him, the closer he got to me.

I stayed on the move, never staying in one place for more than a night. But Alex was always a step ahead. He left little reminders—scratches on my car, shadows outside my window, and once, a single bullet placed on my pillow. It wasn’t a threat; it was a promise.

Finally, I decided to face him. I knew I couldn’t run forever. I armed myself with everything I could find—guns, knives, anything that might give me a chance. We met in an abandoned warehouse, just like in the movies, but this was no fiction. This was real.

The fight was brutal. Alex was faster, stronger, and more skilled, but desperation gave me an edge. I managed to wound him, landing a shot to his side. For a moment, I thought I had a chance. But Alex wasn’t just a killer; he was a survivor. He disarmed me, pinned me to the ground, and looked into my eyes one last time.

“You fought well,” he said, almost like he respected me. Then he drove the knife into my chest. The pain was blinding, but as the world faded to black, I saw him stumble. My shot had done more damage than he let on. He staggered out of the warehouse, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

I died knowing two things: Alex was mortal, and someone would eventually catch him. But not before he finished what he started.

As my vision darkened, I heard his footsteps fade, leaving me alone in the silence. The hunt was over—for me, at least. But Alex? He was already planning his next move.

August 12, 2030

It has officially been 5 years since the outbreak was announced, which means this has been life for me since I was fourteen. Half a decade since our society collapsed. Death is all the younger children have known, not even being shielded from it all. Step outside, and surely the body of a freshly killed zombie is right around the corner.

This is it. The apocalypse that everyone thought only happened in movies has begun.

        I sit on the modest grey sofa of my house, which is in satisfactory condition as of now, but still rather dull, and turn on the TV. Luckily, I’m one of the fortunate ones to have one, since our neighborhood wasn’t considered “interesting enough” to raid. 

I turn on the most popular news channel, Apocalypse Now, which opened in early 2026. Though it’s stated that the outbreak was created in a lab, new technology has also been created to seek out and breed more of those who aren’t just human. 

By “those who aren’t just human”, I mean people have been altered to have “super talents”, a lot of these people being harvested to fulfill others’ needs. It’s sort of like when people choose animals with a specific beneficial trait that will serve a purpose somehow.

Some people have super intelligence, others super creativity. There’s also super empathy, which I suspect I may have.

When I was younger, I got triggered by almost every misfortune I encountered, especially those of others. But somehow, I was still just Madison Blackwell, even though I honestly felt more like a nameless shell.

Do I even really have a true identity? I think that’s the reason people say I’m special.

I feel my mind sort of slip away from my body a bit, and I don’t really feel anything upon reading on the TV:

“Fifty Killed, Thirty Injured in Denver Zombie Attack”

        I sigh a little. “At least I don’t live in Denver.” 

        In truth, my town isn’t too far from there, but it’s not widely recognized and thus remains largely untouched. Yeah, we have corpses, like any other American town, but the cities…

       Your average cemetery minus doing the work of preparing an actual funeral service for the bodies. Plus, many buildings are empty. The people there are either already zombies or desperately fighting for their lives. With this kind of outbreak, the quality of businesses have greatly decreased, the majority of people wanting to keep their distance from public places and just focus on businesses where they can stay at home, like watching the news.

      It’s almost miraculous how people can still find it in them to just take what they need and save some for the rest of us. 

     All of a sudden, I start to feel my mind click back into my body. I don’t live in Denver, but I live close.

   I get off the sofa and pass by the mirror in my living room before going to get my car. My shoulder-length raven hair is messy, with two tiny pieces that never seem to flatten down when I brush it. My skin is paler than ever. My eyes are gray like the sky in the afternoon, probably from air pollution. 

  God, I look horrible. I pull my dark grey jacket back up on my shoulders and hop in the car. Silver, just the way I like it.

  There’s nothing but gray everywhere. I shiver despite being in the car in August. 

There was this huge gas station explosion and the orphanage next door caught fire. I had no choice but to burst into the flames, pulling orphan by orphan out of the wretched inferno.  The flames leapt at me like ravenous Chihuahuas yet nothing could hold me back. I finally got all the orphans out of the burning building…or so I thought.  Little Jenny turns to me and says "Jimbo is still inside the orphanage trapped in the gunpowder room". I quickly wiped my brow, licked the salt from my piercing lips and charged back into the internal abyss. The flames shuttered in fear as my enormous biceps broke through the heat. I hear a faint cry to the northwest. I pillaged through the smoke with the greatest of ease and quickly find the gunpowder room. The fire is only inches away from a 10 foot high stack of powder kegs. Jimbo is trembling in the corner.  Through the sillouettes of smoke and flame, little Jimbo looks me square in the eyes and says in a solid whisper “Mister, I don’t want to die.” My muscles tensed in unison with my heart. I could hardly mutter the words “Jimbo…Death...is on vacation.” I snatched Jimbo up like a 60 year old pedophile and try to make our escape. The path I came in was now blocked with fire and debris. The only way out was through vault. I kick down the five foot thick solid steel door with my pinky toe and it shattered into a million pieces. Embraced in my massive strength, Jimbo and I break through the orphanage wall as it exploded behind us. I slammed to the ground, Jimbo cocooned safely in my arms. I looked down at the battered boy and smiled. "Jimbo" I said "Today we stared death in the face and laughed."

christmas

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Stranger Yells at Barron Trump in a Café – His Calm Response Will Change Your Perspective

A quiet afternoon in a Philadelphia café took an unexpected turn when Barron Trump, quietly sipping tea and reading a book, was confronted by an angry stranger. Accused of being out of touch with real struggles, the tension was palpable—but what happened next left everyone in shock.

Instead of reacting with anger or defensiveness, Barron Trump responded with an unexpected display of calm and empathy. His reaction turned a heated confrontation into a powerful lesson about empathy, understanding, and the importance of not rushing to judgment.

This emotional encounter not only changed the dynamic of the café but also transformed how onlookers viewed the power of listening and kindness. Barron’s handling of the situation served as a reminder that empathy and compassion can have a profound impact, even in the most uncomfortable situations.

Witness this powerful moment that will inspire you to rethink your assumptions about people, kindness, and conflict resolution. Don't miss this thought-provoking story about the impact of choosing understanding over anger.

I’ll try to keep this short. Basically I’m fucked up. Abused and grew up in poverty as a child , SA when I was around 15, lost my closest friend and girlfriend to a drug overdose when I was a senior, really lost it when she died and was arrested and put in a psych ward, Fell into some deep satanic shit - I did some horrible things that I don’t even like to think about. Tried to commit many times, always failed because even though I said I was not, I was terrified of death. I’ve always believed in God, had a Christian phase when I was maybe 12 or 13. But I believed Him to be cold and heartless, uninvolved. I was terrified of death because of the judgement I believed I would get. Anyways, the fear got to me and I tried to turn my life around. Moved away, broke ties with a girl I was in love with, and took my mom in who just got out of rehab. Tried to be a good son and work and take care of her but she ended up shooting herself a few months in. At this point I’d really had it. I decided to go on a backpacking trip for who knows how long, I packed for around two weeks. I wanted to encounter God and face my fear. I prayed everyday pretty much all day, but nothing. Most of it was anger. By two weeks I was completely exhausted and out of food. One evening I got caught in a storm and got soaked. By a miracle I found one of those lean tos. One of the most miserable nights of my life, no food and bone cold. I wanted to die. Somehow I managed to sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I noticed some gear next to me in the shelter. I walked outside and saw an old man squatting next to a nice big fire. He looked maybe 60s with a large messy beard and hair and piercing eyes - they made me uncomfortable but not in a “this guys a druggy way”. He was wearing brown slacks and a tan button up, a green coat (almost like an army jacket), and hiking boots. He had a lot of wrinkles but looked and moved very spry. He motioned me over. I was so cold and tired so I didn’t really question it. Wasn’t abnormal for other hikers to come into the shelters late at night. I sat by the fire and nothing was said for a minute. He offered me a packet of oatmeal, poured some hot water in it, and I ate it. He started some small talk, like my name and how long Id been out. Then he said, “He’s been listening you know”. I asked him what he was talking about and he said “Well you came out here to meet him didn’t you?” I don’t know why but though I should’ve been weirded out by this, I wasn’t much. Mostly confused. We talked for a little about this. The last thing he said was “You’re angry at God. And you’re angry that he hasn’t responded but you haven’t given him the chance to yet.” He then packed up his stuff, left me some food, and started on the trail. I remember I asked for his name, and he said it was “Hal but with an e at the end”. I thought this was strange but didn’t think much of it. I won’t go into details on the rest of the trip but it was monumental for me.

Now this guy could’ve just been guessing. Young guy half dead in a shelter, scruffy facial hair, I mean it’s not rare to find people having an existential crisis on the trail and trying to connect with God or nature or however you would have it. But I don’t know, just the feeling. I felt relaxed around this stranger but also almost like a child, submissive and attentive. I’m normally very distrusting of strangers. And this may be a little over the top but I realized recently that Hale spelled backwards is Elah, which is the Aramaic term used for God or a god.

I just wanted to share this experience as I can’t really talk about it in person to people.

Widow, retired, living alone. What do you recommend seniors like these should do?

(I accidently made a new account, thinking I logged into my old one. Now I got back my old reddit acc and deleted the new one I accidently made. Anyways...)

I heard so many reddit stories on tik tok the past couple of years and that's why I came here after I've been inactive for 4 years. These stories made me realise that my life is so great! Alot of you have it waaaayy worst. My life did had up's and down's but the stories made me realise it could be worst! I've heard stories about how perents neglect their children, ab*se them, treat them horibbly. Stories about fake friends, toxic relationships, hostile work environment, etc. I did had fake friends and bullies in kindergarten and all the way into middle school...but never like that, and I've never been in a relationship before. Let alone a toxic one!!

All I'm saying is that, thanks to YOU guys, I'm very gratefull to have such a great live with a big happy familly, few but good friends and peace!

THANK YOU!!!❤❤❤

Part1 Link

I thought revenge would fix everything. For a few days, it did.

Watching Vanessa and Ryan squirm at the gala? Priceless. The fallout afterward? Even better. Ryan got fired on the spot (turns out the company wasn't too keen on supervisor-employee relationships), Vanessa's professional reputation went down in flames, and the whole thing became office legend. Her coworkers were still sending memes about it weeks later.

But as the adrenaline wore off, something else crept in—this gnawing emptiness I hadn’t expected. Sure, I’d won, but at what cost? I was sitting alone in our-no my house, surrounded by Christmas decorations that now felt more mocking than merry.

Growing up, Christmas was always a big deal in my family. We were a good, old-fashioned Christian household—Sunday services, grace before meals, the whole package. My parents were the type who hosted carolers with hot cocoa and had a nativity scene in the front yard every December. Back then, it felt comforting, like we were part of something bigger.

But as I got older, I drifted away from all that. I became the "logical" one in the family—the guy who could fix their Wi-Fi or explain how their new gadgets worked. Faith and miracles didn’t compute for me. I hadn’t been to church in years, and honestly, I didn’t miss it.

Until now.

Sitting alone in the house, staring at the flickering Christmas lights, I realized I needed something—anything—to break the silence.

That’s when Vanessa texted me. I’d been avoiding Vanessa since the gala.

Vanessa: “Can we talk? Just once. Please.”

Against my better judgment (and probably Reddit's advice), I said yes.

She showed up, looking like hell—no makeup, eyes puffy, her confidence stripped away. For a second, I almost felt bad for her. Almost.

She sat across from me at the kitchen table, white-knuckling her coffee cup like it might run away.

“I messed up,” she said, voice shaking. “I know I did. But I need you to know it wasn’t just about Ryan.”

“Oh, I got that loud and clear,” I shot back.

She flinched but didn’t argue. Instead, she looked me dead in the eye. “You’re a good man, Leo. But being with you? It was like being on autopilot. Everything was about logic, efficiency, planning. You never asked what I needed. And maybe I didn’t even know how to tell you. But with Ryan…” She hesitated, tears welling up. “He made me feel wanted. Like I wasn’t just part of your system.”

Her words hit me like a gut punch. I wanted to dismiss them, to write her off as selfish and ungrateful, but something in my gut knew she wasn't entirely wrong.

The next few days were a blur. I kept myself busy, but no matter what I did, memories of our marriage haunted me. I’d pull up old photos on my phone, back when we were happy—or at least, I thought we were. A selfie from our honeymoon. A picture of her laughing at some bad joke I made. I hated how much I missed those moments, knowing they were gone for good.

By Christmas Eve, I couldn’t take it anymore. The house felt like a tomb, and the silence was deafening. For reasons I couldn’t fully explain, I found myself Googling the nearest church. They were hosting a community dinner that night, open to anyone.

I figured, why not? At least there’d be food.

The church was warm and bustling with holiday cheer. Families chatted over casseroles, kids ran around with candy canes, and volunteers bustled between tables. It was the kind of wholesome chaos that reminded me of my childhood.

I grabbed a plate and found a quiet corner, planning to just people-watch. That's when I saw her.

She was passing out cups of cider, laughing at something someone said. For a second, my heart stopped - she had the same dark hair as Vanessa, same graceful way of moving. But when she turned, her eyes met mine, and there was something different. Gentler.

She came over with a cup. "Cider?"

“Uh, sure. Thanks.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen you here before,” she said, sitting down.

“I’m not exactly a regular,” I admitted. “Just… needed to get out tonight.”

She nodded, her smile kind but not prying. “I get it. Holidays can be rough.”

Her name was Grace. I know - pretty on-the-nose for a church volunteer. She’d been volunteering at the church for years, teaching Sunday school and organizing events. She wasn’t flashy or loud, but there was a warmth about her that felt disarmingly familiar.

We talked for hours, about everything and nothing. She told me about her family, her love of baking, and how she’d once accidentally set a pie on fire during a bake sale. I found myself laughing—a real, genuine laugh I hadn’t felt in weeks.

At one point, she mentioned her faith and her belief in forgiveness. “It’s not about excusing what people do,” she said, her voice thoughtful. “It’s about letting go of the anger so it doesn’t consume you.”

Her words stuck with me.

As I walked home that night, the crisp air biting at my cheeks, I realized something. I wasn’t just angry at Vanessa—I was angry at myself. For ignoring the cracks in our marriage, for letting my pride blind me, for clinging to the past instead of moving forward.

Grace didn’t know it, but she’d given me something I didn’t even know I needed: hope.

For the first time in months, I felt like I could start over.

5 year old boy accused of killing his father as well as his 15 year old brother, as prosecutors push for the 5 year old to be charged as an adult, despite being well below the age of criminal responsibility.

A recent study from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona reveals that polymer-based tea bags release billions of microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPLs) into tea during brewing. These particles, which come from materials like polypropylene, cellulose, and nylon, can be absorbed by human intestinal cells and even penetrate the cell nucleus, potentially causing genetic or cellular harm.

The findings raise serious concerns about long-term health impacts and emphasize the need for regulatory measures to reduce plastic contamination in food packaging. Researchers advocate for developing standardized tests and policies to address the risks of MNPL exposure. Tea drinkers are encouraged to make informed product choices to minimize exposure. The study is published in Chemosphere.

I had a post where i listed some odd behaviours, boundary violations and comments my therapist did, and a lot of people helped me and told me to cut ties with her (coments on my appearance and beauty, admiring me, social media contact-i requested it after a long therapy break/termination but i ended up going back- and sending occasional hearts on there, texting me once on weekend because she liked my drawing on social media, inserting herself more and more in our conversations, i felt she is losing objectivity too, made feel that i am so special and i thought we have a special connection…

so i got into a turmoil and since i have to end it with her anyway bacuse i am moving, i texted her with some of my doubts and that i want to cancel sessions. She sent a reply containing that she is proud of me that i am so smart and etc (she said that a lot) and she insisted a closure session. We r both woman, she has a husband and kids… i am much younger

eventually i went to the closure session.. Well, i was very defensive, i wanted to question everything she says and i definitely payed attention to her words. It would be very long to write all the details, i try to sum up the important ones: Firstly i asked her whether i have to pay for this session or not?! (cause she wanted this meeting).

She said that well yeah, she was also thinking about this, and she could not answer what would be the right thing to do (eventually she did not take the money at the end of the session). Then she said that she thinks this is not her need and her desire to have this session (she assumed that i wanted this), then she corrected herself saying that this session is not ONLY her need (maybe she wanted to point out that i should pay for it). Then i said a few thing like "i trusted you, i hope you know that" and stuff, so she started to realize that i am really losing trust.

She seemed to become more sad and a bit devastated in her tone, i told her that i found her comments mainly about my appearance odd, and some other things, and the fact that she even texted me on weekend and etc.. ( did not mention tho that she always checked my facebook stories and sometimes sent hearts or interacted with my page bc i thought she probably knows what she did..). Then she started to say, that we have a situation now in which I FEEL like my boundaries were hurt somehow, and i am interpreting the situation like this, and she feels like i am angry at her and she really doesn't want to end this relationship this way, and this is also painful for her.

Then she continued that "so this type of caring somehow caused confusion in you, etc." . I immediately said that "do you care this way about other clients?... or just me?" She went silent, and she said " but why is this disturbing you, i just want to understand this"... At this point i felt i won't get straight answers from her. Then she went on saying things like, she feels like this lashing out is a trauma response, and i am projecting this and that image on her, and that is why i am angry.

She said that her cooments were completely honest and innocent and she just wanted to strengthen my good values, and she finds me very special, and stuff. (but basically she did not finish any of her sentences properly, she was jumping here and there, so it was hard for me to find out what she is trying to say..) Basically i tried to find out WHY she did this with boundaries knowing that i already have dependent tendencies to mother figures, but she turned around the conversation to "somehow maybe i made you feel like this, and that, and you interpreted my comments as flirty, so this situation caused this in you" and stuff like that. Then i said "well those good intentions could be very well considered as grooming too, but on the other hand maybe they are really innocent. What should i believe?" She went silent for awhile... and she said, she may ask a question but it will sound weird. I said okay.

Then she asked "let's say, even if this was flirting... then what's the problem with that?" I looked at her because she asked this in a very...weird tone, and a bit silently...it felt like, she was afraid but hoping for some kind of reaction, i got a very weird gut feeling.

She was just staring with teary eyes. I said "well its not a problem for me, but it is a problem with ethical guidelines..." Then she said, "so your problem is the ethical guidelines" At this point i laughed a bit, and i said "well i don't know what does your moral compass say..." Then she changed tone and said "well since it wasnt flirting... but i was just curious where your reaction is coming from, and what you feel around flirting, and do you feel like i am morally a zero if i would flirt? or you feel like you could not trust me? or..". So whe was asking questions, and i said "I don't want therapy from a potentially harmful or narcissistic person".. Then she said "so you are afraid of manipulation.." I said yes.

Then she said silently that this wasn't her intent. After this, she said "well... maybe.... maybe there was an intent...buuut... but i would not...would not point this out...i mean.. i really think about that my comments were very honest and.." etc. WHAT DID SHE WANTED TO SAY HERE? She did not finish this sentence either, so idk WTF. And she said that "and when i texted you about that drawing at weekend is because i found it beautiful, and positive, and it really made me happy".... Then she did not give a straigh answer for the facebook thing, so only saig again that "somehow we became friends on it and we remained.."

So at the end of the session she became more and more emotional, she almost cried, and she said she was sorry if she created confusion in me somehow, but she had no intent... and that she would not stop therapy here now becaue this is a crisis we should work on (but she said i can also work with another professional of course) but if we leave it open then she feels like she disappointed me and this is painful for her, and this is also not right anyway. She admitted that she also had a difficult life when younger and maybe she has some projection on me and etc.

I am very confused because she seemed to be on the verge of crying the whole session and she did show some self reflective behaviour, and seemed trying to understand me, but still i did not feel like she is recognizing what she did with boundaries and the relationship.. the whole session felt weird, and i still don’t know what to believe and who is she really.

So basically, there r some details still, but mostly the session went in the direction of: I am feeling this and that, and i am having this reaction because i feel like my boundaries and needs were ignored, and this is because my trauma, and etc... I did not feel like she really gave exact answers for her part, she did seem very touched and sad, but it seemed like she was acting on her impulses and she did not consider the effects on me (for example when she talked about the weekend text, because SHE was happy for te drawing and SHE found it nice, but what about me?.. ) and she DID know about my dependent tendencies and attraction to mother figures.. we started to work back then on problems with my attachments.. but when i brought this up now she did not directly answer it, she turned around again asking me something like “but what did i need then? Should she ignore me? Or should she ignore my emails?..” well. Obviously this is nit what i meant..

At the and i really became weak so i insisted a hug, we hugged really emotionally, and when she hugged me she said "i don't care about boundaries i find you a very special person.." (?!?!??) etc. Well.... this makes mi think till now. Then she said that i sould countinue to work with someone on this wound which have been brought up and this anger. Then i left.... I sent an email to her with my artistic page saying that she could still follow there (i deleted her from my personal profile...i told her in the session), and i added that i believe her, and i will miss her.

She did not respond, and did not react on my page either. After 2 days i completely collapsed, i was crying for days, so i left her a voicemail crying, and i said that i don't want her to disappear, and i wish her all good. She did not respond. The end. I am left with complete confusion, with a lot of questions, and with pain, like after all of my important relationships before...... And i lost a role model, a mother figure, and i lost the image of her, and a deep connection, and i feel like i am completely alone. Thats all. She was genuinely teary and she was definitely confused in what to say, i just dont get it… i can’t imagine she was willing to do all this. She also mentioned (when i was questioning whether her comments were flirting or not) that she did not mean them as flirting (of course she would deny it anyhow) and “if we would really want to push a distorted view here then i would rather view you as my child then as my lover. But.. no.. i know you are not my child”(she had a very sad tone all along) I asked her few sessions earlier if she was ever attracted to woman (we started talking about topics like that) bc i was already suspicious about her behaviour. She was thinking and she said she was never sexually but she got captivated sometimes with someones beauty and persona and all of it. Well, i felt like this comment really suits me as she always said how smart i am, special, good looking, she is proud, etc. So in this last weird session she brought this up and said: “well you provoked me sometimes..like you were asking me for example about my homosexual attractions and i could manage this feeling but i dont know why was thaat..” Once in a session when i wanted to talk about sounds that terribly irritate me and make me anxious, we did not dig in the topic , she was just making notes as always and she asked “i hope my voice is not one of them”. I said nooo.. but she was staring at me with a provocative gaze again and smiling. So i really felt like this is escalating somewhere but she did not make obvious moves like touching me without consent or things like that, when we hugged i insisted that too. But, she did turned things around as i interpreted situations badly, and she said that her positive comments took a negative direction in me and maybe she should not have said them, but it was therapeutically and etc.. But… one time i walked into session, and she said that she saw a video of my mother i posted (she is a singer) and she said “she was soo hot… i did not imagine her this way but she was damn hot..” she was on this topic for a few minutes.. so, how is this therapeutic for example?.. And since i am over with her i have some erotic thoughts…idk why, i should be angry and disappointed and scared, and i was few days ago, but somehow my imagination likes to have fantasies about doing something “forbidden” with her… i feel really weird. Its like i am left on my own with an attraction i was groomed in, this happened in my past mostly… i never happened to get a mutual thing where i could fulfill my desires. And again, she has a husband with kids, and i could be her daughter..

She really did fuel this mother role, She also brought this up on the termination session: “i feel like you were projecting your positive mother picture on me before, and now something changed and you are projecting this negative mother picture on me, and i am the one now who gets this anger and disappointment and everything you feel and have.” And she was talking about my traumas again.

I am left. Confused.

1. Collara, the Earthstar Guardian

Appearance: A star-shaped being with a central orb-like core. The orb glows faintly and emits "spore smoke" when agitated. Abilities:

Spore Storm: Emits a thick cloud of spores that blinds and confuses enemies.

Star Shield: Unfurls a star-shaped barrier to protect allies from ranged attacks.

Spore Sense: Can sense movement through subtle air disturbances caused by spores. Personality: Calm and observant but releases spores in defense when startled.

2. Inkora, the Shapeshifting Scribe

Appearance: A tall, humanoid figure with ink-like tendrils dripping from its body. Its hands dissolve into goo as it moves. Abilities:

Ink Shift: Can liquefy parts of its body to squeeze through narrow spaces or reform into different shapes.

Inky Chains: Summons black, viscous chains to bind enemies.

Ephemeral Form: Gains incredible speed and stealth as parts of its body dissolve, but only temporarily. Personality: Mysterious and poetic, often leaving behind cryptic messages in black goo.

3. Phantoma, the Bioluminescent Specter

Appearance: A ghostly, glowing humanoid with fan-like, translucent wings that emit an eerie green light. Abilities:

Guiding Glow: Emits light to lead allies in darkness or confuse foes in combat.

Luminous Decay: Releases bursts of energy that weaken enemies and heal allies.

Spirit Echo: Can briefly project a glowing clone to distract or scout. Personality: Gentle and enigmatic, loves exploring dark places and illuminating hidden truths.

4. Clathrik, the Cage of Despair

Appearance: A monstrous, red, lattice-like humanoid with hollow, cage-like arms and a putrid aura. Abilities:

Foul Lure: Releases a nauseating smell that draws enemies into its cage-like embrace.

Spoiled Slam: Uses its hollow arms to trap and crush foes.

Decay Spread: Spreads spores that weaken enemies over time. Personality: Sadistic and manipulative, but begrudgingly loyal to those who earn its trust.

5. Gyromind, the Twisted Oracle

Appearance: A brain-like creature perched on a spindly, humanoid stalk, with glowing red eyes and a gnarled staff. Abilities:

Mind Wrack: Causes confusion and hallucinations in enemies by projecting psychic waves.

Toxic Enigma: Releases a cloud of toxins that debilitates anyone nearby.

Brainstorm: Grants allies strategic visions, boosting their intelligence and foresight in battle. Personality: Cryptic and sinister, often speaking in riddles while plotting in the shadows.

6. Hemoflux, the Bleeding Healer

Appearance: A pale, spongy figure with red droplets that ooze from its body like blood. Abilities:

Vital Ooze: Uses its "blood" to heal allies’ wounds.

Scarlet Strike: Hardens the droplets into sharp projectiles.

Symbiotic Touch: Forms temporary symbiotic bonds with allies, enhancing their strength. Personality: Kind and nurturing, but its macabre appearance unnerves everyone it meets.

7. Polymorpha, the Gravekeeper

Appearance: A skeletal, humanoid figure with black, finger-like appendages and hollow, glowing eyes. Abilities:

Death Grip: Uses its finger-like limbs to restrain and drain life energy from enemies.

Decay Whisper: Summons undead minions from nearby organic matter.

Eternal Rest: Creates a zone where enemies are slowed and weakened. Personality: Stoic and melancholic, it views itself as a caretaker of the dead and guardian of balance.

8. Archeri, the Abyssal Horror

Appearance: A gelatinous mass with crimson, finger-like tendrils extending outward like claws. Its movements are jerky and alien. Abilities:

Infernal Reach: Uses its tentacle-like fingers to attack from a distance.

Putrid Aura: Surrounds itself with a nauseating smell that repels enemies.

Spawn Swarm: Summons fly-like minions to overwhelm opponents. Personality: Chaotic and feral, but cunning enough to use its environment to its advantage.

Growing up, I was constantly told that I would never amount to anything. My family didn’t believe in me; some even laughed at my dreams. I was young, inexperienced and didn’t know better, so I took the advice that I thought was meant to help me—settling for a low-level education and a low paying job.

My mom, who I thought would be my biggest supporter told me I should stop dreaming about something better. She said I would never make it higher and should just accept a modest future. I listened to her then and I let that doubt consume me. I didn’t finish high school and for years I struggled, stuck in a cycle of mediocrity, feeling like a failure.

But then something changed. I moved out, away from the constant negativity and for the first time, I had room to breathe and think about what I wanted. I decided to take my life seriously. No more settling, no more listening to people who said I couldn’t do it. I started working on myself piece by piece. I picked up where I left off with my education fueled by the determination to prove everyone wrong—especially myself.

Today, I’m just five months away from finishing high school. After that, my sights are set even higher: I plan to study economics at university. It hasn’t been easy but every day I get closer to proving that I’m more than the limits others tried to put on me.

To anyone out there feeling like they’ll never break free, remember: you don’t have to live the life others choose for you. The only person who can define your future is you.

This is only the beginning for me but I already know one thing for sure: I’m going to make it.

I'm sitting in the lobby of a transit station.

There's an angry looking bull dike sitting a few seats over.

We are alone.

She randomly says to me "NO, girls have the guns.". As if I had just finished speaking with her and that was her response.

I'm confused. "Um, what?" I ask.

She repeats her statement in a self righteous manner, "Girls have the guns.". Like it's a matter of fact and she is setting me straight.

A little baffled I respond "Um, guys are from outer space, so I'm pretty sure they have the guns."

At this point I become aware my hands and skin are not of a normal man.

I realize I am a reptile hybrid.