Hello all, first time writer and a long time reader. I’m on mobile and flustered so sorry I’m advance. I (26f) need some thoughts on a situation going on between my parents, older sister (28f), her fiancé (28m) and I.
At the moment my parents and sis are trying to convince me to cosign on a 4br 3 bath house loan of 500,000+ at 5.25% interest with my older sibling. I still live and pay rent to my parents because they host my 4 disabled cousins and need help. Due to my inability to realistically live alone with my current pay, I comply to most things until this mortgage loan crossing the line. Here’s the deal:

1. I “have” to sign on this loan with my older sister, but she doesn’t feel comfortable living with me there at the home. Currently, she lives in an apartment and has a fiancé that is unemployed and paying half of the down payment/rent. However, he’s not taking on the loan. He is fine with me living there, it’s only her. My sis knows the living situation w/ parents is not good hence why she moved out. Now she’s not helping me in a time of need but I am obligated to help her with a loan I cannot access the property to (???)
   
2. Both of my parents are in huge debt because they “own” two homes and two brand new cars that are not paid off hence why they cannot co-sign themselves. Their debt to income ratio makes it so that I am the only person in the family currently that has a steady income and good credit score for this to work out. They said if I don’t cosign within three days, my rent is raised to use that money to pay for my sis. Also, they deem me to be a terrible daughter, ungrateful, and selfish if I don’t. They claim this can set my sis and I up but they don’t even have the money to set themselves up at their mid 50’s.
   
3. I am only currently paying off a 14k auto loan over 4yrs and am consistent in paying. They believe I am not doing enough with the money I make and it’s not going anywhere therefore it’s their’s to use. They see my free time at something for them to access, not free of mine to use.
   
4. My parents and sis believe that I will get a return on this loan cosigning in the future. They said I have to wait my turn and see how the housing market changes. Their intention is that they will help me out in the future on a house loan, but I have my doubts based upon previous track record ( the car they coerced me to buy and now I have a 14k loan to pay)
   

I personally do not want to sign with this loan, but am backed up into a corner. If I don’t sign the loan, I am forever banished from family ties so I will have to start from scratch. If I do sign the loan, I now have to hope and pray payments are made on time and hope that I can eventually benefit and have them cosign on a house for me in the future. I hate being taken advantage of.
AITA?

Description: You (The listener) are a successful practitioner of mental health, traveling world wide to solve the most untreatable cases of insanity. Somehow directing all their violent and sadistic tendencies towards something else or someone else ; whatever it is its working and you've received another call. Its your first asylum the one that kicked off your career and the star patient you 'fixed' has been having some trouble lately. You can't let this one patient of yours unravel your reputation, best to see what they've done now.
Alternate Description: You (The Speaker) are the biggest threat this asylum has to offer and naturally they cater to your every whim for their safety. They've done as you asked, luring your precious doctor back to you. How disgusting! For the world to think it deserved your doctor's treatment! But no worries you just have to buy time. Get them distracted. Keep them distracted. While your friends prepare for the plan...
A/N: This is up for monetization, just credit me please! This does get a little dark ⚠️ as there are mentions of death, cannibalism, and drugging⚠️.
*[These] are suggested sound effects
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
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Yandere Asylum Patient [AFA] Asmr Audio Roleplay
[Swiping Key Card]
[Automated Voice] Welcome to the Elite Rehabilitation Center and Asylum, Doctor we’re pleased to have you temporarily on our roster.
[Locked Doors Hissing and Unlocking]
[Nurse] Doctor, we’re so happy you could come! Thank you so much! I’m sure with your notoriety you wouldn’t want to come back to this place but we really need your help. He’s recently had an incident with our best doctor...after going in to administer the proper medication she was attacked.
[Footsteps]
[Nurse] The director suggested I keep her wounds confidential but considering you’re doing us such a huge favor I can probably tell you. But you probably don’t want the specifics but basically ... the doctor is in a fatal condition after leaving with gaping wounds in their shoulders, their thighs, their calves...yikes the list goes on but I don’t want to hold you any longer.
[Footsteps Stop, Keycard Bleeps]
[Nurse] And Doctor if anything happens–use the syringe it’s enough to knock him out. If you need it. Good Luck.
[Vault Doors Unlock and Lock]
[Asylum Patient] Ah, it's my favorite doctor. They’ve finally brought you back to me! It's been years my love since you were turned into the world’s favorite doctor. ‘Changing the hearts and minds of the most mentally unstable starting with the most twisted villain.’ Patient zero to your mysterious cure. Of course, you’d come back for me! Wouldn’t want to unravel your carefully woven thread.
[Asylum Patient] Now don’t be deceived I’m so so so so happy you’ve come back to see me! I’ve wanted nothing more than to see you again, smell you again, touch you again.
[Asylum Patient] Ah yes. I’ve gotten the straight-jacket with chains treatment. But hey isn’t that a step up from the muzzle? I’m rambling aren’t I? Sorry sorry my love. This is the therapy tell-all time, right? So go ahead and ask whatever you want from me, baby I’m ready.
[Asylum Patient] Oh going for my art, first eh? That’s fine with me! Ah, that one was you, of course, it looks a little off. And the other one is you too. And the next one—you know what I’ll save you the time all 20 canvas drawings are of you. Yeah, can you tell I missed you yet?
[Asylum Patient] Ah, now we get into the good stuff! So that horrified-looking lady is my...creative retelling of her last moments as a nurse. Before you bend me over the knee (I’d really like that) it's been ruled an accident that she ended up all curled up in that air vent. Rumors say it was starvation but I like to think it was the fear itself.
[Asylum Patient] Yes! I’ll tell you all about him! He was a weirdo I don’t think anyone really wanted him around so it’s not absolutely horrible he’s an absolute vegetable now. Me? I had no such thing to do with this one either. Don’t give me that look, it was a matter of a good old-fashioned asylum culling. You know, how all the nearly crazy go for the most hated inmate–excuse me, patient.
[Asylum Patient] Let’s just go to the next one ah yes, I know they keep the “incident” details confidential but I guess you could say she was the leading lady. Well, baby all I can say is that I was a key witness in it all. Yup, just an inspired witness.
[Asylum Patient] Oh, you want to know about the most recent incident, huh? Well as I’m sure you’ve been told that bossy doctor lady got a few pieces bitten out of her. In my opinion, she deserved it for all the whining she was doing, for someone who spoke about admiring you so much she sure knew how to complain. Day in, day out keeping your lovely name on her disgusting mouth. Speaking as if she was your special patient as if she knew how deeply our souls are intertwined. It was obvious she just wanted to know you as intimately as I do. But I bet if she did she’d just gossip about you. Brag to all those sheep about my favorite flaws. So jealous she would always laugh at me when I told her to stop. So disrespectful.
[Asylum Patient] She had it coming. Getting eaten to pieces. I mean it is a feat in the first place that she survived for as long as she did without the proper care.
[Asylum Patient] Wait. Did they tell you differently? Oh baby, no it's–you don’t understand. She will be by now. I wasn’t going to let her live after what she said. Heck, I probably wouldn’t have let any of those forsaken doctors live but a deal’s a deal.
[Straight Jacket and Chains Falling]
[Asylum Patient] And the jig is up
[Vault Door Unlocking]
[Nurse] Uhm the ones you wanted are all in the lounge and the patients–er friends you have been armed.
[Alarm Blares in the Distance]
[Asylum Patient] Good, I’ll just need a moment with my love. Shoo now.
[Nurse] Right. Sorry Doctor.
[Fading Running Footsteps]
[Asylum Patient] I wonder do you have it in you to wrestle with me? I’m sure you do! Just like old times!
[Wrestling Ensues]
[Asylum Patient] So strong, I can barely keep up...if it wasn’t for the ace up my sleeve.
[Syringe Injecting Skin]
[Asylum Patient] Ah, your sleepy face is so cute. But you’re not the only one with a lovely little syringe. There, my love, you can rest your precious head on my lap. When you finally doze off I’ll put an end to this dreaded place and I’ll return to carry my sweet darling off into the sunset. Just wait for me, my precious doctor, your favorite patient is making all my dreams come true.
[Asylum Patient] You had your turn to shine for the rest of the world now it's time to make that light mine.

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“So, how’s everyone at home been?” Milla asked Celenamartra as she began to stretch her legs out, preparing to stand up.
“I’d be lying if I said they weren’t worried after they heard what happened to the Ridgerider, and then that you were being sent out of UPC space,” the Goddess admitted.
“I thought so. They’re ok though, right?”
“Yes, though your parents are eager to see you as soon as possible.”
“Hopefully I’ll be home before too long. We just need to get the Langan settled in, and then they should at least put the Ridgerider’s crew on leave.”
“Don’t spread this around as it’s not official yet, but the whole crew of the ship will be going on leave so those that wish to partake in first contact celebrations can do so.”
“That’s good then,” Milla replied, cautiously standing up, using the bed frame to balance herself for a moment, before turning to Hannah’rah and Daniel. “Hey, I imagine you’re going to celebrate with your friends, mind if I tag along?”
“Sure, but one of your little brothers will be there as well,” Hannah’rah warned her.
“Xailin isn’t so bad that he requires a warning,” Milla chuckled.
“It’s good to see you’re already mostly recovered, Milla,” Celenamartra told her, turning her attention to Daniel. “May I speak to you in private for a moment, please?”
“Uh, sure…” Daniel replied, following the Goddess to the other side of the room, finding that the sound around them became muffled as Milla and Hannah’rah conversed on the other side of the room.
“I’m sure you have many questions about the past few weeks, and I feel like answering a few,” the Goddess explained. “Not everything, there are some things I don’t wish to talk about, and others that I am not allowed to at the request of others, but feel free to ask away.”
“Uhh…” he mumbled.
“It’s alright, take a moment to think.”
Daniel’s mind began to frantically process what was going on, realising he had a fully private audience with a Deity; a being far beyond his comprehension, who had near infinite knowledge and wisdom, and she was willing to take questions from him. His mind ground to a halt as it tried to make sense of what was happening in the moment, as his mind still hadn’t fully processed the fact that she requested him by name to follow her into the room, let alone the current situation. All he could think about was Deities, and a single question he had been wondering for a while stuck in his mind.
“Ordos. Who is he, and can I trust him?” Daniel asked.
“I don’t wish to reveal his identity; that is for him to do. I will say that he can be trusted as much as any Deity. He follows the Divine Contract, just like the rest of us. You shouldn’t worry about being aligned with him any more than any other Deity.”
“Ok, but if Ordos isn’t known to anyone else, then other Deities could exist…. How many Deities are there really?”
“At least seven,” the Goddess replied, the corners of her mouth forming a faint smirk.
“I see…” he mumbled, realising she wasn’t going to give him clear answers given the chance. “... Did we leave any living Langan behind?”
“No, you rescued all the survivors,” she confirmed.
“That’s good to hear,” Daniel replied, feeling a weight on his mind lifting that he wasn’t aware of. “The attack on the Ridgerider, what really happened?”
“You have the report with all the details available to you.”
“Well, why did Haemish defect then? It’s not like he was raised in that environment.”
“Not everyone likes the UPC or us Deities being around, and they sometimes act irrationally, thinking that fighting is the only way, when leaving the UPC and is an option, and us Deities will respect anyone’s wishes for us to not intervene in their lives. Sometimes it’s as simple as they were raised under an older Human religion that doesn’t allow for the existence of us Deities, and they feel their way of life is threatened by us.”
“If they were to leave, where would they go when all the planets and stations are part of the UPC?”
“It’s not hard to get the necessary equipment to terraform a good candidate over the course of a few years at this point, especially as part of a larger group, and the UPC has said that they will recognise any group that does this as independent. But that’s not what happened here. He came into contact with a group of people that had no qualms with doing unspeakable acts because they can, and he joined them because he also felt that it was fine to commit such atrocities to get his way, even if the safer paths were easier and more likely to be successful. That’s just the way some people are.”
“Thank you for being honest with me.”
“Honest? Well, I didn’t lie, but I didn’t answer half your questions either,” she chuckled.
“Well, thank you for answering those questions.”
“No problem. I’m just surprised you didn’t ask about the other thing,” she replied, tapping the hidden compartment in his arm with the tip of her tail before walking back towards Milla and Hannah’rah.
He furrowed his brow as he tried to work out what she was hinting at, almost kicking himself when he overcame his mental block and remembered exactly what was hidden there, and that he had potentially just missed his only chance to gain some much needed information. He almost called back out, but he didn’t dare bring it up in front of anyone else, even if he felt like he could trust Hannah’rah and Milla more than most people, nor would he want them getting involved if he did. He knew it was his mess to deal with, and no-one else’s.
"How are you feeling now, Milla?" the Goddess asked.
"Better, thank you, though I won't be jumping the ship anywhere for a while," she admitted.
"That's not a problem. It shouldn't be necessary for the time being. Let's carry on with the task at hand, shall we?"
-----------------------------
Daniel sat at his console, watching the large station dominate more and more of his view as the ship drew closer to the large torus that housed the docking beams to the Langan's temporary home, with the large central spire blocking out the light of the system's star from their angle. He fought the urge to look back at Celenamartra and Oprin, who were engaged in deep conversation about philosophy and religion, the former more eager, and the latter still put off by the dominating presence the Goddess exuded. He did glance back at Milla however, and while she was obviously uncomfortable, she sat in her seat, ready for her duty, but desperately hoping a portal wasn’t needed anytime soon.
The Trailamker slipped through the small fleet acting as a defensive force, ready in case one of the few civilian ships that had arrived in the system entered the broadcast restricted perimeter. It did afford the crew a sense of ease however, as while they still had jobs to do, it meant that they didn’t always have to be almost combat ready for the first time in about a month. The ship continued onwards, sliding into an open docking arm’s grasp, sending reverberations down the length of the ship as it clamped down onto various sections, and attached docking ports to the ship's airlocks.
“And there we have it,” Captain Harris announced as a silent but collective sigh of relief washed over the bridge. “We’re officially docked with the recently named ‘Olinath Orbital’, and our mission is now officially complete. Operations will take over from here, so wrap up your business, and those of you not involved with the next tasks, go get some well earned rest. Inform your teams that access to the station is available upon request, and we now have an active uplink to the internet if they wish to use it.”
Daniel began to close most of the running programs on his console to make sure none of them got in the way if anyone came along to perform maintenance, and then logged himself out. As he stood up, Hannah’rah did the same, and they began to leave the bridge, checking if Milla was leaving as well, but she remained where she was, seemingly waiting for the Goddess to conclude her conversation, and waved to Daniel and Hannah’rah to go on their way. They both headed to their team rooms, splitting up as they reached the server room, which Daniel headed inside, pleased to find all four members of his team, though Corporal Kreklan was half asleep and Corporal Seling’ten looked like he had only just woken up.
“Hey all,” Daniel began. “Just a quick one. We’ve finally docked. Station access is under light restriction, so make a proper request if you want to go aboard. It should get approved if nothing is going on at the time. Bridge duties are over until the time comes for us to undock, and internet access has been established. You’re all free to use it, but we just need to keep an eye on the monitoring tools. Operations should be the first port of call for any issues, but anything severe will likely fall to us. That’s all I have to say. Any questions?”
“Thank you, Sir,” Sergeant Zent replied. “... I don’t think we do.”
“Good. Take things easy now. Also, Corporal Kreklan, Corporal Seling’ten, is there any reason why you’re both up?” Daniel asked.
“We both got pulled out of bed. ‘No one slacks off while we have a Deity on board,’” Corporal Kreklan replied, his voice slightly slurred. “So we’re waiting in here until the Goddess departs.”
“Who said that?” Daniel asked.
“Just some Sergeant that sleeps in the same room as us,” the Centaur explained. “Don’t know their name.”
“Ok, I’m ordering you both to rest until your next shift starts. If he gives you shit, send him to me. I’ll be right here for a few more hours. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” they both replied, faintly smiling as they left.
Daniel shook his head and sat down at his desk, bringing up a half-complete report he'd been working on. He continued on from the section on system performance, finishing it with a recommendation for someone to look into installing a background radiation filtering tool, as one really should have been added for sake of convenience, even if there was a risk of a faint signal being lost. He also made sure he mentioned the signal spike before departure, recommending that the EM sensors be checked out, and the signal analysed, just in case. He then began to write up about the performance of his subordinates, making sure to credit the actions he had noticed or been made aware of, though pointed out that due to his time on the Langan's home world, he had not been around constantly to properly monitor the team for a short period of time, mentioning how Sergeant Zent had stepped up instead.
Daniel's attention was pulled away by someone knocking on the server room's door, and he began to wonder if the two Corporals had returned, or if he was about to set someone straight.
"Enter," Daniel called out.
A large Human man entered the room, who quickly stood to attention when he saw Daniel.
"... Well, why are you here, Sergeant?" Daniel asked, standing to his feet noticing the rank on the man's slides.
"Sir, I came to you to report that two of your Corporals are slacking off, Sir," the Sergeant replied, wearing a very faint smug grin.
"What do you mean, 'slacking off?'"
"They're sleeping in the middle of the day, Sir."
"Do you sleep in the same room as them, Sergeant?" Daniel asked calmly.
"Yes, Sir."
"Then why the fuck haven't you noticed they're late shifts!?" Daniel shouted. "They've been doing this for a month! Did you not see them sleeping when you finished for the day, or got up in the morning!?"
"Yes, Sir," the Sergeant responded, losing his faint smirk immediately.
"So why do you think now is any different to then!?"
"Because we have a Deity on board, Sir."
"There are no rules or regulations stating everyone must be awake and working 24/7, and I can personally assure you that Celenamartra doesn't care if they're awake or not. In fact, I think she'd prefer it if they were asleep, as that way our ship's security is at less risk of being compromised by half-asleep crew!"
"But, Sir, isn't it disrespectful?" the Sergeant tried to argue. "Everyone should be at full alert."
"What's your job, Sergeant?"
"Sir?"
"I asked, what's your job?"
"I work in engineering, Sir."
"If you're meant to be at full alert, why are you in the crew quarters and not engineering?"
The Sergeant opened his mouth, but no words came out, so he closed it again.
"Well!?"
"I don't know, Sir."
"You don't know? Then why are you harassing people who do know why they're where they are!? … Apologise to the people you disturbed if they're awake, but leave them alone if they aren't, and apologise later instead. I will be asking them to see if you have done so."
"Yes, Sir," the Sergeant replied, turning to leave.
"You are not dismissed, get back here."
The Sergeant turned back around to face Daniel, regret clear on his face.
"If you have done the same to the members of other teams, I suggest you apologise to them and their superior officers very quickly before they blow up on you as well."
"Yes, Sir. I will do that, Sir," the Sergeant promised.
"Good. Dismissed," Daniel told the Sergeant, watching him leave.
"... Remind me not to give bad orders to anyone under you, Sir," Sergeant Zent commented.
"Eh, you'll probably be fine. You aren't terminally stupid after all," Daniel chuckled, sitting back down.
"Why did you go so hard on him?" Sergeant Zent asked. "Yeah, he was wrong, but he was trying to do the right thing."
"Don't reward dumb, even when it comes from a good place, else people will never learn to think and do things right. Also, us techs get pushed around a lot. I'm just making it clear we shouldn't be. I advise you to do that as well if you're in a position like that. The last thing you want is people walking all over you and the people that depend on you."
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TLDR: Looking for opinions on if any of these (link below) thumb designs would be a good option for a subtle Demi look? I don’t want to step on any other flag’s toes, but I also don’t want just the actual Demi flag on my thumbs. Also, I haven’t announced my Demi-ness to anyone, in particular, 🫣—I’m open to my thumbs opening conversation without them necessarily being immediately recognized (as the flag likely would be).
Hello, this might be a bit of an odd post, but I was just hoping for some opinions. Last year-ish, I did a lot of deep diving trying to figure out where I fit spectrum-wise, and while there are some aspects of being Demi that don’t align perfectly, I’m happy enough to lump myself in here (since it is spectrum and nothing has to be exact). Because of this, though, I haven’t really felt a need to shout it from the rooftops; knowing I’m Demisexual feels more like it's for personal clarity rather than needed for others to know (especially as I haven’t been bothering with the dating pool this year). 🤷🏻‍♀️
Reason for posting: I’m getting a fill on my acrylics at the end of the week and have been planning what I’ve been in my head calling “subtle pride” (for my next nail design), i.e., rainbow 🌈 as like an accent rather than the whole design/all the nails. 🤷🏻‍♀️ * Pic 2: I’ve planned to do the middle & ring fingers in white with like rainbow leopard print and the pointer & pinky in solid silver. * Pic 1: And then do like a demi-centric thumb. I really don’t want to do the Demi flag on my thumb (nothing wrong with it; I’ve just not shared my Demi-ness with anyone exactly and don’t really want to be so blatant about it🫣). * (The purple here is just a placeholder—not a huge fan of that shade, tbh…) * My nail shape is almond right now if anyone cares for that detail 🙃 * Link for nail pics: ^{https://www.canva.com/design/DAFkmhL9Ux8/R1qxBw04nbEHRz1H2x7VSA/view?utm_content=DAFkmhL9Ux8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink}
Question: I drew out some ideas on Canva (so bear with the lines & color shades; my nail tech is better at nail art than I am, lol) for a different take on the thumb that is similar to the Demi flag without actually being the flag. I just wanted to know your opinions on whether any of these are reasonable or if you have a preference? Or alt idea? I’m not fluent in all the possible LGBTQ+ flags exactly either, so I don’t want to accidentally step on any toes of a different flag/sexuality, either. (The longer I stare at the designs, the more unsure I’ve become and hence this post.) If I can’t figure a solution out, pic 4 is my backup plan, or maybe even just solid black.🧐🤷🏻‍♀️
Side Note (can be skipped): Everyone I’m close with knows I don’t like purple. (So trying to represent Demi even subtly on my thumbs IS going to draw some attention.) I have a triggering (for me) memory from childhood that I have always attached to a particular shade of purple. So on principle, I typically avoid most purples like the plague. When I discovered that Demi was a good fit for me, I was slightly devastated that there was purple in the flag. I used to collectively shun the entirety of the color purple 😅 but over the years have narrowed it down to which purples immediately bring me back to that memory/feeling and which purples I’ve been able to take back as my own again. Typically purples in the purple-blue family are not for me (royal purple, violet, purple amethyst,) while purple-reds are ok (maroon, raspberry, imperial purple) while traditional purple remains in a grey area (where I dislike it on principle but also don’t outright hate it like I used to). I’ve been telling myself that Demisexual-purple falls more in the purple-reds category and have slowly adjusted. 🫣
So subtle Demisexual Thumbnail designs—thoughts?
P.s. I have no idea if this post even needs a flair or not 🫣🤷🏻‍♀️

i probably should have just come here first. i've now bought two devices that i have to return because i'm 90% sure they don't work with my equipment. but i figured i'd ask here and see if maybe there's something i'm missing that will make one of them work so i'll only have to return one.
basically, i need to record 4 different microphone inputs. it's totally fine if they all record on the same track. i did some research and i'm assuming i need an audio mixer. i bought this one from sweetwater. when it arrived i got everything set up and no audio was coming through on the mics. my laptop/garage band doesn't even register it as a device. when i plug my headphones into the device i can hear the hum of the device but no audio. i've tested every other piece of equipment (cords, adapters, etc.) i'm using and they all work just fine.
i was assuming the audio mixer just wasn't compatible with the microphones i'm using. they're the kinda crappy tiny microphones people use for short form video. the project i'm working on has a very small budget and the tiny microphones were a good fit because (1) cheap and (2) they look silly and add to the comedy/unseriousness of the project)
the original audio mixer i was using is 1/4 ts input (i was using adapters to connect the 3.5mm microphones to the 1/4 ts input) so i figured if i got an audio mixer that specifically had 3.5mm input, it would work. i ended up buying this one and i was completely wrong, still doesn't work.
it had the same issue, I could hear the buzz of the mixer through headphones while it was on but no sound was coming through the microphones. at this point i even tried running the audio through my capture card just so it would pick up as a device on my laptop/garage band, but still no audio was coming through.
if the microphones are just crap and won't work with anything other than directly with my laptop/phone, that's fine but i'm just hoping there's something i can do.
i can get two microphones recording together on one track using an aux splitter so i've resorted to just ordering a 4-way aux splitter and hoping that that will work.
but incase i get that in tomorrow and it still doesn't work, i'm posting this here for general advice on how to accomplish this (in a cheap fashion, if i need to buy anything else i can't really spare anymore than $50)
also maybe some hope for either of the two audio mixers i've purchased. i know i'm gonna have to send back at least one of them, it's fine if it ends up being both of them.

This is my first time on reddit.
I dont really know where to begin, I (21F) am an old child and have had a toxic relationship with my mum (54F) (we live together) since i dont know when (from the outside looking in you would think we had the best mum and daughter relationship). When we and my mum are good were like best friends, but she has a alcohol problem so when she drinks she turns nasty and violent and just doesn’t leave me alone.
She will bang on walls and slam doors, i will have to lock myself in rooms or push her off of me if she try’s to attack me. So the usual routine is she wont drink for a couple of months so she’ll do her same old “I’m so sorry”, “i wont do it again” and we’ll be fine and then one day she’ll just go and get herself drunk once every other day over a period of a week and start her same old abuse over and over again.
The best part is, the following morning once shes slept off the alcohol she’ll act like nothings happened and act shocked when I lose it. This week shes done it over 4 times and I’ve just decided enoughs enough i cant keep doing it anymore i have such bad anxiety because of her, if people saw the way she acts they would think shes crazy. I just dont know where i go from here.
*This is a very un detailed version of whats gone on in my life but things have been very very bad and sometimes i wonder am i numb to all the trauma I’ve been through? I just want some advice on what i should do going forward.

Chapter 1
June 12, 2036, Franklin, North Carolina
I walked through the front yard to the front door. I dropped my duffel bags on the porch and stepped up to the front door and knocked. Mom answered with surprise and worry on her face.

 'Oliver? What are you doing here?' she hugged me as I stepped across the threshold. Winston, sniffed my legs wagging his tail in excitement. 'Long story, Mom, I’m out of the Army, for good.' she nodded but didn’t ask any further questions. We moved into the kitchen and sat at the table to drink mugs of strong coffee. 'Do you want to tell me what happened?' she asked. 'Things went sideways,' I said. I realized I wasn't ready to talk about it just yet. 'I thought I could try and start up Dad’s welding business. I was always good at it, and I think I could drum up his old clients and stay busy with some work.' 'Well, it would be nice to have you around, honey. You’ll need to look through all his business paperwork and get caught up on all that.' I nodded, 'We have time. I want to ensure I’m doing it right.' 'I understand, Ollie,' she said and smiled, 'let's go to the diner tonight, my treat.' 'I could go for some peach cobbler and ice cream. Sure, Mom sounds perfect,' I said, and we rose. I went to the guest room and changed out of the clothes I had spent the last 22 hours traveling in. I grabbed the truck keys, and Winston followed us down the hallway to the front door. 'Hold down the fort, Winston,' he wagged his tail in response. 'You want to drive?' Mom asked. 'I haven't had a chance to drive around Franklin in a long time,' I said, and Mom climbed into the passenger seat of the Tesla. Mom turned the radio to a classic rock station as I backed out of the driveway. I drove along the winding asphalt road to town. 'Hope it isn't too packed, it is Friday night,' Mom said. 'I'm sure we'll be ok; it's still early enough. I bet we beat the dinner rush.' J's Diner was the only diner in town and could fill up quickly. I passed the large, green, metal sign welcoming drivers to Franklin, and approached the historic square of town. I made a couple of left turns to the diner's street parking and came to a stop. There were only two other cars. 'See, Mom, I think we'll get our cobbler pretty quick,' I said. I walked just behind her; the jingle of a bell announced our entrance. 'Just seat yourself; I'll be right with you,' a female voice called from behind a counter in the kitchen. 'Ok, thanks,' Mom answered. We found a booth in the back corner of the small, red and white decorated restaurant. It had a 1950's theme and even a tiny 1957 Chevy hung from the ceiling. A waitress came around the front counter, her brown, hair in a messy bun and two menus in her hands. 'Here you are, Mrs. Banks,' she said, setting the menus before us. 'Can I get you two anything other than water?' She looked at my face and froze, 'Oliver, is that you?' 'Lacy?' I asked, now understanding why her voice sounded so familiar. 'I didn't know you were back in Franklin,' she said, smiling. I also noticed a large grin on Mom from her side of the table. 'Just got back, actually, a few hours ago.' I explained. 'Done seeing the world?' She said, her hands in the front of her apron, she sounded genuinely curious. 'You could say that,' I said. Lacy seemed unable to think of another question for me. 'Sorry, umm, just waters?' she shook her head. 'Waters are fine, sweety,' Mom answered, glancing between the two of us. Did Mom think this was actually going to work? 'No problem, I'll be right back,' and Lacy walked off. 'Don't be so weird, Mom,' I said, and she just shrugged her shoulders innocently. Our phones on the table between us began to flash and buzz loudly. I picked mine up and read the Alert Message, it read. ***THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION HAS DETECTED AN IMMINENT ELECTRO-MAGNETIC SPACE THREAT TO PLANET EARTH. A SOLAR FLARE-GENERATED WALL OF SPACE WEATHER WILL IMPACT EARTH IN APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. IF YOU ARE INDOORS, STAY INDOORS. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS, SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER IN A BUILDING. REMAIN INDOORS, WELL AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE DRIVING, PULL SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SEEK SHELTER IN A BUILDING OR LAY ON THE FLOOR. WE WILL ANNOUNCE WHEN THE THREAT HAS ENDED. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION MEASURES.*** 'What the hell does that mean?' Mom asked, jerking her head up to look at me, panic creeping into her features. 'The message said five minutes, assuming there was a good flash to bang from the message being created and sent out,' I said. Suddenly, our phones’ screens flashed white and winked out, going black. The diner's lights began to flicker on and off until they dimmed too. 'We have to get out of here, Mom,' I said, sliding out of the booth. 'Ollie, what's happening?' she asked, following me. 'We have to get home, now,' I grabbed her elbow and began to steer her to the exit. I opened the door, and we stepped out onto the sidewalk. The early evening sky was streaked with green and purple ribbons of bright, glowing light. The northern lights were flashing and strobing over Franklin. It was beautiful and terrifying. Mom muttered something under her breath at my side, but I couldn't hear. The streetlights, had just started to turn on for sunset, flashed and remained off. All the stoplights around the town square shut off. Cars were strewn about the streets, people stood next to them, staring at their phones, and fear on everyone's face. Off to the south, a loud rushing of air could be heard. I stepped out onto the street to get a better look. A large commercial airliner jet was careening out of the sky directly at the center of town. 'Mom, get down,' I yelled, throwing her to the ground and covering her with my body. The explosion as the jet crashed into the northern edge of town was deafening. The earth shook, windows around us shattered and glass struck the asphalt and concrete nearby. I remained lying over Mom until the roar of the blast faded. I stood and stared north. A giant ball of flame still rose into the sky, visible over the three-story buildings of the town. 'Oh my god, those people,' Mom gasped, 'we have to help.' 'They can't be helped,' I said. The text message and what was happening before my eyes started to fit together in my mind like a puzzle. Suddenly Buddha, was standing by me just a couple of feet away. He looked real, solid, his good eye catching mine. 'You have to get your Mom home, Stone,' Buddha said, 'this place is about to turn into a freaking madhouse, and you know it.' He was right, no matter how weird the conversation with my old mentor was. 'Come on, Mom, we can't stay here. We have to get home to the cellar and hold up,' I said. I climbed into the pickup and Mom got in the passenger seat. I hit the push start, but nothing happened. It was dead. 'We have to walk,' I said, 'Come on, Mom, it's only a few miles.' I got out of the truck and helped Mom out of her side. She stared at the streaks of northern lights, waiting for another jet to plummet down on top of us. We walked the sidewalk to US 56, the highway that would take us out of town to the homestead. We turned and began the upward climb out of the shallow valley Franklin sat in the bottom of. We summited the last hill, longer and steeper than the first couple we had climbed. 'Stop, catch your breath Mom,' I said. She had done well. Mom was fit for a woman in her mid-fifties but the adrenaline was starting to wear off. She turned and looked back down the valley toward town and gasped. The whole northern half of town appeared to be on fire. 'The whole town is burning,' she said. Her voice reminded me of shell-shocked soldiers I had seen. 'Main Street and Garfield should keep the fire contained to those current blocks, I think,' I said. I hope it saves the grocery and hardware store. This isn't going to be wrapped up and back to normal anytime soon. At 2100 hours, we turned up the driveway and back to the house. We entered the front door and checked each room in the house. The power was off in every room. I lit a fire in the living room fireplace, and we sat in silence. Winston hadn't calmed since we entered, continuously trying to climb into our laps for comfort. Mom eventually let him onto the couch, and he laid his head on her lap. 'Ollie, did you understand the message?' she asked, still looking into the fire and stroking Winston's head. 'Just from some basic space weather information I hear in briefs,' I said. 'Space weather changes based on the Sun, what kind of radiation is coming off the Sun's surface and hitting the Earth at any given time. The message said a flair, so the Sun must have blasted a huge amount of radiation at a given time, and it fried everything.' 'So, when does it all come back on?' she asked. 'Hard to say, if it hit the whole country,' I paused,' then it doesn't.' 'God help us,' Mom breathed. 

Platform(s): the game is or was on the app store, however I no longer have access to apps from there. I cannot tell if it is on anything else as I am struggling to remember its name.
Ganre: Music runner; This game was similar to beat saber in concept, but a small surfing character would follow your finger and you would simply collide with the blocks on time instead of swiping in a set direction.
Estimated year of release: I do not remember when it came out, but it would have to have been during or before 2021.
Graphics/art style: the art was smooth and simple. Your character would kind of float around in a wordless space where he would follow the track. Not very complex textures, some bright colors though. Also had a currency of (foggy memory on this one) purple orange soda bottles.
Notable characters: There were a number of skins and hats you could wear if I remember correctly, however no particular characters stuck out to me. The shape of the player model and default skin was a bright white box head looking person like in battle block theater.
Notable gameplay mechanics: Being a mobile game, there wasn't much to it in this section. It was mostly just guide your finger along the screen and run into the blocks. Also occasionally tap the screen on small timed parts.
Other details: The only notable details that come to mind involve that the only song I liked on it was called "up summer" if I remember correctly. Not much else other than that this soda bottle currency could be collected usually right after each track.

Introduction
Hey and welcome to the GoogleKnowledgePanels subreddit! This is a subreddit dedicated to discovering and exploring various methods and strategies of securing a Google Knowledge Panel for a brand or person. My name is Nikolas Lemmel and I’m the team-lead at a boutique digital agency by the name of Maximatic Media. As we’ve recently begun offering Google Knowledge Panel creation services, I’ve decided to open this sub in hopes of sparking a discussion on various working and non-working knowledge graph generation methods for Google. I’m hoping to start the birth of this sub off strong so I’m gonna try to provide an in-depth overview of what we’ve learned about creating and stabilizing Google knowledge panels thus far as a company. If you have any experience with either of these components or would like to share one that we’ve yet to cover, please feel free to comment down below.
The Notability Factor
So diving right into the nitty-gritty of GKP creation, we must first cover the concept of notability; arguably, the most important aspect out of all of the points I’ll be covering in this guide. Notability in the context of GKPs simply means how often reputable, secondary sources are referencing you in their media output. Said references come in many forms, whether it be a full feature article, a short bio in a listicle or just a basic citation. However, not all references are made equal. Some references carry significantly more weight than others, either due to its “comprehensiveness” (i.e. a full feature article with the sole focus being on you) or the “reputability” of the source doing the referencing (i.e. mentioned in Forbes vs mentioned in “Biznes-News-Blog”).
Comprehensiveness
Let’s first delve into the topic of comprehensiveness. The comprehensiveness of your reference can be calculated by just a couple factors: the word count of the article, the keyword density of your entity’s name within said article and whether the entity is being referenced in the title/headline of the article. These three components determine the significance laid upon the entity by the reporting outlet. The more extensive the coverage, the higher the significance in the eyes of Google (i.e. a full-feature, 750-word article on Forbes vs a 150 word entry in “Top 30 E-Commerce Businesses of 2023” listicle on Forbes).
The Influence of Topical Relevance
Topical relevance also plays a role in the equation as the contents of the reference should be somewhat aligned with what other sources are discussing when mentioning your entity’s name. If every article that your entity appears in has a completely different context or is overly-generalized, it decreases Google’s certitude of what it truly knows about said entity. That’s largely why it’s not recommended to always opt for brand mentions or stuff keywords into random guest posts as it can drastically impact what Google thinks it knows about you.
Reputability
Now that we’ve covered what I mean by “comprehensiveness”, let’s talk about the other component influencing the power of your media coverage: reputability. The concept of reputability is basically as straightforward as it gets. Just about any semi-famous news or media outlet that you can think of is viewed as a “reputable” source by Google. The likes of Forbes, Mashable, USA Today, etc are all stellar examples of significant coverage that corroborates you or your brand as a notable entity in the eyes of Google. However, a full feature article on each of those aforementioned sites costs $15,000, $2,400 and $6,500 respectively. If you as an entity see no utility in being featured on these media outlets beyond simply meeting the eligibility criteria for a Google Knowledge Panel, it makes little sense to purchase those placements.
The Role of Domain Authority
This is where a more esoteric metric comes into play: Domain Authority. A DA score is effectively a ranking assigned to a domain which we can use to assess any given site’s authority in comparison to the rest of the web. It is calculated using the domain’s age, the amount of other sites referring to it and the reputability of said referrals. Basically the same criteria influencing your probability of getting a GKP but quantified by a score from 1 to 100. Now let’s return back to three examples of reputable media outlets I’ve given above: Forbes, Mashable and USA Today. Forbes has a DA score of 95, Mashable has a DA score of 92 and USA Today has a DA score of 94. So all in all, all three publications are highly renowned, outpacing the vast majority of other sites on the web with scores of 90 and above. However, if referring back to the pricing of each placement, we see a pretty drastic incongruence with the value derived from each media outlet in the context of GKP creation. Forbes, despite being one measly basis point off of USA Today’s DA score, carries more than a 200% higher price tag. Now sure, Forbes has a significantly higher readership and holds far more clout than USA Today but if focusing solely on its impact in the SEO space, it really doesn’t warrant the price you pay for it when compared to other viable alternatives.
And these are just the three sites we’ve mentioned so far. Take a look at the following spreadsheet containing 400+ available media placements and keep an eye on the DA column:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SX7bI0YSZeJCWwxaMEZ1LG-QtoiLFnDVJZjW1n-ZvQ0/edit?usp=sharing
As you scroll through, you’ll find that there are a plethora of Google-News-Approved sites that have a relatively high DA despite costing a fraction of what the internationally distinguished media outlets cost. Sites like Village Voice, HackerNoon, Times of Malta, Chiang Rai Times, etc. Now granted, they don’t exactly pack the same sort of punch that Forbes does but in the context of a Google Knowledge Panel, you are considerably better off securing five B-tier placements in comparison to a singular A tier placement. So long as you are not cheaping out by opting for “Biznes-News-Blog” as your referring source and stick to Google-News-Approved publications, a varied list of reputable placements within your Schema.org set-up (which we’ll be covering later in the guide) will take you much further than just one extremely reputable reference.
The Question of Quantity
A pretty common question we get asked in our GKP consultations with clients is what amount of references guarantees a panel. What is the absolute minimum that I can get away with? And truth be told, we honestly have a hard time answering this question as we don’t truly know. Without an inside look at the inner-workings of Google’s GKP algorithm, it’s impossible to say what the actual amount is. The variables it utilizes are dynamic and there isn’t a constant sum that can be calculated across all cases. We’ve witnessed a client get a GKP with just three mid-tier references in their Schema and we’ve also witnessed a client fail to get a GKP with upwards of 20 strong references.
Having said that though, if taking into account the median number of references across all of our successful cases, a good benchmark to aim for would be roughly 8 semi-strong, corroborating references with a DA of 70 and above. Again, this number is not set-in-stone and may vary contingent on the amount of “keyword-pollution” (i.e. other entities vying for the same moniker) occurring for your entity’s name along with other factors only Google is cognizant of.
Debunking the Myth: The Wikipedia-GKP Connection
Now, let's clear up a common misconception that I've seen floating around: having a Wikipedia page is not a prerequisite for getting a Knowledge Panel. Our anecdotal experience proves no solid line connecting the two. There is absolutely no need to worry about going through the hoops and hurdles of Wikipedia to earn your spot in the Knowledge Graph.
A Wikipedia page is only useful in the context of adding a short bio within your Knowledge Panel which can only be derived from a Wikipedia entry. Beyond that, nothing else about the panel changes. You can still have your website, your logo/image, your social media links and everything else that makes a panel a useful tool within one’s online reputation management’s arsenal.
Believe it or not, securing a stickied Wikipedia page is far, far more difficult than obtaining a GKP. A source like Daily Mail, a highly reputable reference in the eyes of Google, is seen as an “untrustworthy”, “tabloid-like” source of information in the eyes of Wikipedia. As I’ve explained above regarding the Forbes placement, unless you have a separate need for a Wikipedia page beyond its utility in the GKP context, it makes little sense to go through the effort of establishing it. However, if you’re dead-set on getting a Wikipedia page for your personal or corporate brand, you can check out our separate guide about successfully acquiring a Wikipedia page on WikipediaPublishing.
Schema.org Set-Up
Now that we’ve extensively covered the topic of notability, this brings us to the following component which is the nice and robo-friendly organization of your notability indicators. This is where your Schema comes in. Schema.org is a collaborative initiative started by major search engines, including Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Yandex, to create a shared vocabulary that webmasters can use to structure metadata on their websites. It's basically a form of microdata, a type of HTML specification used to nest metadata within existing content on web pages. When implemented correctly, a Schema markup can significantly improve your presence in the SERPs by helping search engines understand your content more efficiently as soon as it surfaces on the web.
In the context of a Google Knowledge Panel, using a Schema markup eliminates the degree of guess-work involved on Google’s end to determine which piece of content belongs to your entity and which doesn’t. This is what enables Google's algorithm to use this structured data to generate rich, informative search results – the kind that Knowledge Panels are known for. This part is especially crucial to those of you who are competing for the same name in the SERPs.
Here's how you'd go about setting up a Schema.org markup:
Step 1: Identify Your Schema Type
Choose the right type of Schema.org markup that suits your content. There are hundreds of Schema types available, from creative works (like books, movies, and music) to organizations, persons, places, and more.
Step 2: Generate Your Markup
Once you've identified your Schema type, use a tool like Google's Structured Data Markup Helper or JSON-LD Schema Generator to create your markup. These tools are user-friendly and guide you through the process step-by-step.
Step 3: Implement Your Markup
Once generated, this markup needs to be added to the HTML of your website. The placement of the markup will depend on the type of Schema you're using and the CMS of your site.
Step 4: Test Your Markup
After implementation, use Google's Rich Results Test to verify if your markup is correctly implemented and can be read by Google.
Remember, adding Schema.org markup to your site does not guarantee a Knowledge Panel, but it does indeed increase your chances by helping Google better understand and represent your content. It's just one piece of the puzzle in creating an informative, robust online presence that can contribute to your GKP creation.
Conclusion
In bringing this all together, let me say this: carving out your space on the web with a Google Knowledge Panel is a fine-tuned mixture of art, science, and a bit of ol’ fashioned luck. We've talked at length about the importance of building notability, making sure we're being talked about in all the right places and in the right way. We've also stressed the need to take stock of the value each media placement brings to the table, balancing their domain authority and cost to get the most bang for our buck (refer back to the spreadsheet).
We've also established that there's no magic number of references that'll open the GKP gates for us. Like a lot of things in life, it’s not just about quantity but quality and relevance that counts. And although having a Wikipedia page may seem like the golden ticket, it's not the be-all and end-all; you can absolutely secure a GKP without one.
As for structuring our online presence for Google’s scrapers, using a Schema.org markup is a crucial piece of the puzzle. It’s like leaving breadcrumbs for Google's algorithm, making sure it can effortlessly find and understand our content. The detailed steps we've covered should help guide you through this process, but remember, it’s not a guarantee for a panel - just a tool in your arsenal.
At the end of the day, there isn't a foolproof recipe for securing a GKP. The path to success can vary wildly, each one unique and filled with its own set of disadvantages. But with some patience, a touch of strategy, and a deep understanding of how Google's algorithm works, we can certainly increase our odds.
Hopefully, y’all found this sub’s first post to be useful and a good introduction into the world of GKP creation. Myself and my team member, Marcus will be sticking around for an AMA on this post in case people have questions regarding any of the factors we’ve covered in this guide. Don’t forget guys, we started this subreddit out of the desire to make the process of securing a GKP less daunting and more of a community endeavor. It's a place where we can share our triumphs and challenges, learn from each other, and navigate the GKP landscape together. So whether you’re a newbie trying to secure your own panel or an SEO professional with years of experience in the field, please do not hesitate to share your journeys along with any factors you’ve found to have an impact that we failed to cover in the guide.
Thanks for reading!

• Nikolas Lemmel Maximatic Media

Disclaimer: I'm very upset while I type this. The situation is fresh and I'm very upset about the whole thing.
I worked at a state campground this being my second summer with my fianceé. I think it's important to mention that we are both very lesbianey looking women. We are also Jewish.
The first summer they hired a caretaker who was horribly racist and very openly discriminatory towards basically anyone who did not look like she did. (cis/white) She was not from the U.S originally and seems to be able to just float about internationally whenever she chooses. It seems she inherited this "ability" from an old Axis power relative. This was very tough to work for. But my fianceé and I both had always wanted a career in parks and dreamed of a future there.
This summer they hired an ex cop, and his bible thumping wife to be caretaker. I didn't even make it a weekend. On my second day there he acoasted us in the parking lot because people were waiting to rent boats. Boat rentals typically start at 9:30 we were there at 9:03. I was not even out of the car yet. My fianceé finished climbing out of the car and said "eh, boat rentals start at 9:30 it can wait" to which the caretaker became irate. He made some "don't talk back to me" type comment and continued with explosive behavior. My fianceé stood her ground and quietly affirmed that boat rentals started at 9:30 and that it wouldn't be fair to rent them out starting now because this is what we told everyone who asked.
He continued to have a heightened tone with my fianceé while also yelling at me to go down to the boathouse. I comply as quickly as I could, but considering the fact I hadn't even made it out of the car when he started, I had to run back up the hill to grab my radio. At which point he was now full on yelling at my fianceé, about a different but not separate issue on the boats and told her "she could go" my fiancee yelled back fine and she went to go collect her stuff. I went to collect mine as well.
The caretaker panicked and said that he did not want to see us go. I stayed behind my fianceé because I now felt uncomfortable leaving them alone. They were both able to hash out future rules for the boats that were both fair and reasonable. My fiancee even apologized for renting a boat out over multiple days which was as of now, a disallowed rule. The caretaker went off on the 4 wheeler and all seemed resolved. I went down to the boathouse and completed my shift. My fianceé wrote out an e-mail detailing the caretaker's behavior twords her and his wife in front of her because she was now nervous to work with him alone.
We left, had our evening and moved forward. My fianceé who worked full time there worked her next full scheduled day(5/31). The following day (6/1) she showed up for her shift and worked about half of it before the Operations supervisor and her boss showed up. They dismissed my fianceés actions as insubordination and my fianceé left. This apparently ends my career here as well.
So I guess what I'm asking is what do I do? I'm so hurt and upset. That was both of our dream jobs. I don't want to work there without my fianceé, but what can I do? That was so horrible and abusive. I can't believe it happened.

????...

So... this is the world that they have been fighting oh so hard for...
A figure stood at a window, gazing at the ever-present void floating above the sky.
You must be Leviathan. It's a pleasure to finally meet you.
Vizier, yes? Why are you speaking with me? Baron should have told you what you were supposed to do.
Sorry. Just wanted to meet my new master for myself.
You don't need to worry though. I've been gathering the Sacrifices for your game. I'll have enough by the time we're ready to go.
Guests from other worlds seem to be falling from the sky as of late. I've mostly been gathering some of those for your game. Since they weren't supposed to be here in the first place, nobody should notice them getting taken away. Hopefully, I can find enough that way, but if I can't... I guess I can always grab a few locals to get us to the numbers we need.
Make sure that you do so, then. For your own sake.
Now, I'll be stepping out. I expect you to get back to work.
Are... are you sure that you should be going anywhere? I know you've got your new vessel but...
It will be fine. I have something to take care of before the game begins.
There's an old friend I need to visit...

A Remote Hope’s Peak Academy Facility…

Thank you for meeting with me, Miss Harukawa.
It's a pleasure, sir. Really.
I'll be honest. After the whole mess with Mister Punk, I was afraid that you might not have made it out of there alive.
Well, I did get stabbed. But it wasn't that big of a deal. Hardly the first time that's happened. But I had to lay low for a while and recover.
From what I hear, you were instrumental in helping our people identify where the Vortox's facility was located. We owe you a debt.
I'm not sure that we actually managed to accomplish much there. But you're welcome, I guess?
So... This organization... Vortox. I need a full debrief on them. You were a member, right?
Yes. I had been for a while. I was going by the code name "Po". At least until they realized that I had turned traitor.
Daisaku Bandai is, more or less, the group leader. His code name was "Vigormortis". All of us were named after various roles from the game "Blood on the Clocktower", actually.
Chihiro Fujisaki was "Poisoner". I'm sure you know plenty of what he was up to, but he was a particularly key member given his successful infiltration of your inner circle. At least, he was before his death.
...
Korekiyo Shinguji is "Undertaker". He was the one who stabbed Miu Iruma a few months back, but otherwise, he's been keeping a pretty low profile.
So, that was Korekiyo under the mask? He nearly stabbed me.
He stabs a lot of people. Heck, he's even the one who stabbed.
Huh. Given your talent, I'm surprised that he would've been able to get the better of you. How did that happen?
Oh... I suppose I got sloppy. Shameful, I know...
Whatever. That's not important. Please continue.
There's also "Baron"... I'm afraid I don't actually know who they are. The group mostly uses online chatrooms on the dark web to communicate. But Baron is particularly secretive. I know that they were a very early recruit, but I never met them in person.
Whoever they are... They thrive on secrecy. This person didn't even bother to show up when we were about to turn Mr Punk into a vessel for the Vortox. All of the group's plans were about to come to fruition. They were about to create a whole new multiverse of their own. And they still stayed hidden through it all. I'm not sure that even Bandai knows who they are.
That would be the one who killed Yasuke... So, even you don't know who they are... Regretable...
Now, there's one more member. I'm afraid you won't like to hear this though.
What do you mean?
The final member goes by "Spy". Her real name is Kyoko Kirigi.
...
That's not possible. That can't be right. I knew that I shouldn't have trusted you...
It's not a lie. Kyoko is one of them. She has been for a while now.
Don't lie to me! My daughter would never be a part of something like this.
She's the one who warned me about you all to start with! They tried to attack her for god's sake!
And that was probably when she was recruited. Bandai... or rather, Vigormortis... he has this weapon. One that he can use to change people. Turn them into loyal servants of the Vortox. He used it on Kyoko. He used it on all of us.
I'm a bit... unclear on the details. But I believe that Vigormortis, Poisoner, Spy, Undertaker, Baron, and Po are all beings from another world. Very powerful and malevolent beings that are responsible for the very existence of Blood on the Clocktower and have used the game's existence to exert influence on other worlds. But, they needed vessels to host their consciousnesses. That's what Vigormortis' weapon does. It fuses the mind of a host body with that of one of these otherworldly creatures.
Kyoko and the others... they aren't quite themselves anymore. They've become something else. Beings that have invaded the bodies of individuals from this world to enact their will.
You're all possessed? What about you, though? If you've been joined with one of these beings, why'd you betray your kind?
Well, something happened to me when I was in the Neo World Program. Back when all those Nagitos from that other world put a bunch of us into a game. The being known as Po was erased as a side effect. It must have happened when I lost. Because ever since then, Po has been gone and I've just been... me. And ever since then, I've been working against their interests on the inside.
I see... And could this method be used to save Kyoko and the others?
Eh... They'll probably end up brain dead if you tried to replicate that. I think the Nagitos were doing something a little special with the program. You'll probably need to use another method if you want to free anybody else from their control.
...
What are they even after? These Vortox beings?
I believe they serve a particularly powerful being, even compared to themselves. The titular Vortox. I'm a little vague about the details.
As I've said, "Po" and "Maki" were basically different beings sharing one body. And "Po" knew a lot more than Maki ever did about what was going on with our body. So with "Po" erased, I don't really know anything that Po didn't say out loud.
I tried to learn as much as I could during my infiltration. But I didn't want the Death Cult to get too suspicious about my lack of knowledge, so I couldn't really ask too many questions.
And, of course, I have no idea what they're up to now that their big master plan has fallen through. My access to my online account was revoked and I never heard about any backup plans.
I see. I think that'll be all for now. I'll have Dr. Gekkogahara come and see you. Would you be able to go over some of the more mundane details of your time with Vortox with her? I'm sure it'd be very helpful for her to compile as much data as possible.
I'll talk to her as much as she likes. But there is one more thing I know that you should be aware of.
Those beings from that other world... there are people that they can't take control of. At least two people that I know of.
One is Nagito Komaeda. I don't really know the full details, But I heard that the Po tried to take control of him once and failed.
The other is Ruruka Ando. Vortox tried to recruit her under the name of "Oracle". They had her run a game of Blood on the Clocktower that was supposed to end with the losing team's deaths. But she refused to go through with the execution. She saved their lives.
I think those two are special somehow. Something about them makes them able to reject the influence of these other beings.
I understand if you don't want to work with somebody as worthless and unreliable as Nagito, but I think you should seek out Ruruka. If you want to stop the Vortox, she'd be invaluable. These things were able to turn somebody as gentle as Chihiro and as strong as Kyoko into their playthings, yet she defied them.
Ruruka... Really? I can see how Nagito might be too Nagito for these things to be able to control him. But I wouldn't have expected Ruruka to possess such an ability.
Sit tight... Miss Gekkogahara will be with you shortly... I've got some other matters to attend to.
I... have a lot I need to think about. But I appreciate your help with these matters, Miss Harukawa...
It was my pleasure, Mister Kirigiri.
With a polite bow, Jin Kirigiri left who he believed to be Maki Harukawa behind and began to make his way down to his office. His steps were heavy as he walked. His mind wandered back to the testimony he'd heard.
Kyoko...
With thoughts of his absent daughter dragged into the conflict that had cost him a friend. Jin Kirigi entered his office without paying too much attention to his surrounds. Even as he went over to his office window, he failed to notice that somebody was already inside. It was only as a strange white smoke began to rise that Jin noticed a figure reflected in the glass.

H...huh...
By the time Jin realized what was happening, it was too late. The darkness overtook him and his consciousness faded. Without another word, the figure in the Gas Mask opened up a portal. As soon as they dragged him past it, the portal vanished, leaving an empty office behind.

???

...
I think it might be time to give up.
Three members of the organization known as Vortox sat around a dusty warehouse, digging through file after file. Blueprints. Stolen Hope’s Peak documents. Research notes. Each one having belonged to the absent Chihiro Fujisaki.
Ever since their most recent plan had gone up in flames, the group had been digging through these files in desperation. They’d been forced to keep a low profile after some heavy losses and had been forced to come through their lost comrade’s files in hopes of finding some sort of path forward.
Now, now, Spy. The early worm cannot get the cake if they give up too quickly!
We've been going over Poisoner's research for months now though. There's nothing in here. Nothing of any value to the Vortox. Everything he has is only relevant to the old plan. He didn't think to account for failure.
She's right. We haven't made any progress since the vessel was lost. Whatever we do next, we can't rely on whatever Poisoner left behind.
Well, until we hear from the Vortox again, we don't have any choice but to at least try and find something in this data that we can use. So we'd better get back to work.
Having a bit of trouble, are you?
Leviathan?!?
You've came to this world? Why?
I think you know why, Vigormortis. You know exactly why I've come.
...
You, Po, and Vortox... you've all grown weak. The rest of us all see it. Did you really expect that none of us would do anything about that?
You consider us weak? An upstart like you has no right...
You've always been weak, Vigormortis. From the moment you chose to serve another demon. But, even whatever power you had before has dwindled after your failures in this world.
The Vortox failed to obtain her vessel. Po fled this world with his tail between his legs. And you've found yourself hiding. It's pathetic what has become of you.
I've heard enough! Spy. Undertaker. Seize him.
...
...
What do you two think you're doing?
They aren't going to do anything. They're servants, at heart. Servants for our kind. If you've gotten too weak to lead, why would they get in my way?
You're no longer fit to rule. Your comrade, Baron, saw it too. They help me secure a new vessel. Told me exactly where to find you.
It's my turn. Vortox can stay exactly where she is. I'll be the one who rules over this pathetic little world.
Back off... Leviathan... You can't...
It's my turn. Vortox can stay exactly where she is. I'll be the one who rules over this pathetic little world. Isn't that right?
...
I suppose so.
We're ready to serve your will, Leviathan.
N-no...
You had your chance, Vigormortis. Goodbye.
A large dark red key began to form in Leviathan's hand. With a twisted grin, the being plunged the key through Daisuku Bandai's chest. A blood-curdling scream filled the warehouse before falling silent. Daisuke Bandai collapsed to the floor, motionless.
Come. We've got work to do.

Girls: Izzy
Boys: Ezekiel, Mal
Episode 26: Hawaiian Punch
"Previously, on Total Drama World Tour!" Chris said, the first clip of the recap showing a pan from the wrecked plane to Izzy, Mal, and the host himself. "The Final Three took off like bats out of Drumheller," Chris continued as Mal was shown ducking behind a rock with a smirk, Izzy and Topher took off into the air in a makeshift hot air balloon, and Ezekiel was reading a newspaper in the train's passenger car.
"Unfortunately, Izzy brought Topher the plane-wrecker along for the ride," Chris added as the two teens were shown flying into the hailstorm. "Even more unfortunate? A broken yeti heart." Mal was shown being disgusted by the yeti kissing him.
"Thankfully, Ezekiel Clone made things less crappy to watch," the host conceded as Ezekiel Clone was shown chasing Ezekiel around the dessert cart. "Good times!" the host added as Ezekiel's boat hit a naval mine and were blown into the air.
"In the end, Mal the Mayhem King reached Hawaii first," he said as Mal's triumphant arrival on the beach was shown. "And Captain Canada and Princess Destructo tied for second place," he added as Ezekiel's boat was shown crashing into Izzy's, sending both finalists and Topher flying onto the beach at the same time. Chris laughed as the Final Three reacted with shock at the tie.
"Who will Mal face in the final challenge?" Chris asked, the recap ending with a flash to the beach, where the Final Three were lined up behind him. "And who will go home with a million dollars?!" he exclaimed in a dramatic emcee's voice. "Iiiiiit's finale time! Right here, on Total! Drama! World Tour!"
XXXXX
"Welcome to the live finale of Total Drama World Tour," Chris said, a triumphant tune already playing as the camera zoomed in on him, the finalists, and Dawn and Harold standing on the beach. "Moments ago, these guys tied for second in a boat sandwich," he said, the shot zooming in on the finalists before he stepped over to join them. "Tasty!" he added.
"During the break, we sent them to vent in the confessional. Check it!" Chris told the camera.
Confessional: Izzy
Izzy was first, and the new Hawaiian confessional seemed to be a roofless wooden outhouse set up somewhere in the jungle, based on the vines that were drooping into it.
"Finale time!!! I can't wait to purchase my very own race track and monster truck!" she cheered. "Granted, I tied with Ezekiel to the finish line, but I think I can handle him."
She paused for a moment. "It's Mal that's the most challenging. He shouldn't be in juvenile detention. That guy belongs in jail!"
Confessional: Ezekiel
Ezekiel's confessional started with a whoop of joy. "I can't believe how close I am to the million dollars! With that amount of money, I can hire more teachers to homeschool me and buy new and advanced books to study from."
He facepalmed his head. "I just have to beat Izzy and Mal in order to reach that goal."
Confessional: Mal
Mal was next. "Getting rid of the fifteen past losers was like scraping gum off my shoe. A bit sticky, but oh so satisfying! And with Mike trapped in my subconscious, that million dollars is mine!"
He delved into maniacal laughter once more, with the background fading into a fiery inferno before the shot zoomed into his subconscious again.
Mike, Manitoba Smith, Vito, Svetlana, and Chester have reached the top, panting in exhaustion from the stairs they had climbed.
Mike, who still had Chester on his back, walked over to a red button in the center of the room. "Oh, come on. We came all the way up here for a lousy button?" Mike complained.
"It's a destruction button, you ninny!" Chester stated.
"What? What does it do?" Svetlana asked.
"You see this tower here?" Chester started. "You press this button, and the tower goes kaboom!"
"Why would Mal have a self-destruct button?" Vito asked incredulously.
"Mal made this tower and since his head is all swelled up, he put this button there just to mock us for not being able to stand up to him," Manitoba deduced.
"But what if it hurts all of us?" Mike asked in concern.
"It's not going to kill us. That's not how DID works!" Chester moaned. "Mal will lose control of his body when his tower is destroyed."
"And after that, Mike and Mal will have to go one-on-one to see who'll claim control!" Svetlana realized.
"Hold up. I have to fight Mal?" Mike said in shock.
"You two are the most dominant out of us," Vito reasoned. "If me or anyone else tried to face him, we'd lose immediately."
"And if Mal defeats you, we'll be back to being under his control, and so will you, for the rest of your life!" Manitoba emphasized.
"That means I won't see my family or friends ever again," Mike gasped. "I have to do this!"
\
"Go Team Ezekiel!" Sadie cheered, drawing attention to the stands just off to the side where most of the rest of the cast were seated. "Your team is rooting for you!" she said, waving a small flag with the home-schooled guy's face on it.
"Why are they in teams?" Mal asked Chris, stepping towards him and shooting a skeptical look towards the gallery. "And why do I not have one?"
"The Peanut Gallery's playing a major role in choosing a winner," Chris explained, earning a cheer from those in the stand.
"Sweet," Duncan grinned. "I guess we're all voting on the winner again."
"A vote?" Mal said blankly and nervously.
"Yep. If you can't tell, you're done for," Noah smirked.
"We are here for you Izzy!" Owen said. "So show them you're the boss!"
"But first," Chris said as the music turned tense, "we gotta break a tie. Mal," he turned to the evil personality, "you won the race to Hawaii, so, your reward is this advantage: you can select the tiebreaker yourself, or you can let Izzy or Ezekiel do it."
"Like I'd give these short sacks a choice," Mal said with a chuckle. "I'll do it!"
"I was hoping you'd say that," Chris said with an ominous laugh that caused Mal to raise an eyebrow.
\
"Ta-da!" Chris said as the footage skipped forward to a close-up of a clear glass booth with some sort of yellowish bulb filled with small balls on top. "Each ball inside our challenge booth has a different tiebreaker written on it," he said, gesturing to the bulb as the shot pulled back to show the Final Three on the left and the Aftermath hosts behind the booth on the right. "So, take your pick!"
"This is going to be such a thrill," Mal said cynically before walking into the booth.
The door was closed and the machine whirred to a start, challenge music playing as Mal was pelted with the white golf balls of the challenge booth. "Are these golf balls?!" Mal yelled, wincing with every hit and causing the Peanut Gallery to laugh.
"I know for a fact that we only put ping pong balls in there," Harold said nervously, Dawn nodding in agreement.
"I know," Chris told them, "and I'm not mad. Just disappointed. I had to dial it up to meet my usual high standards!"
"Enough!" Mal said, still wincing with every hit. "This should stop right-" he said, tilting his head up as he tried to reach for the bottom of the bulb – the source of the balls. He was cut off abruptly, and suddenly put a hand to his throat. His eyes starting to bulge, he barged his way out of the booth and began to gag.
"No ball, no exit," Chris told him. "Back you go!"
Mal stayed put, grabbing his throat as he coughed and choked about. Eventually, he spat up a ball, and it landed in a small pool of spit in the sand.
"Dawn, Harold, go ahead and read that, would you?" Chris asked them.
"Yuck," Dawn winced, crouching down to pick up the spit-covered golf ball in two fingers. "Mal has selected the Traditional Hawaiian Fire Dance of...Death?" she announced, ominous music playing as Ezekiel frowned at the news while Izzy clapped for it.
\
The same Hawaiian tune that had been used in the past couple of episodes was playing as the footage skipped ahead to Ezekiel and Izzy standing on opposite ends of a wooden platform in the ocean, each dressed in coconut bras and grass skirts and holding padded jousting sticks. Between them was Mal, tied up tightly to a pole in the center of the platform.
"Why does a male warrior have to wear a coconut bra," Ezekiel commented, motioning to the odd piece of equipment.
"Forget about tradition?" Mal griped as the Hawaiian music cut out. "I'm stuck to a pole!"
Those in the gallery laughed. "He's funny when he's tied up and can't hurt me!" Owen laughed.
"Once I win this finale!" Mal countered, "you will all treat me with the utmost respect! I will not be forgotten again!"
"Right," Chris told him, the shot cutting to him and Chef on the beach – the hulking man in a floral-print skirt with a bow in his hand and a quiver of arrows on his back. "The first person to free Mal wins the last spot in the Final Two," Chris announced, "and a shot at the million!"
"I have one more question," Izzy spoke up. "If no one frees him, would that make me and Ezekiel the Final Two?"
"Hey!" Mal said in outrage.
"Won't work, I already checked," Chris answered. "Chef, would you do the honors?" he asked his assistant, the man drawing back two flaming arrows and releasing them with a twang. They struck a darkened patch on either side of the platform, just behind each competitor, which promptly burst into blazing fires that startled Izzy and Ezekiel.
"Oh, and stay out of the water," Chris added. "Starting...," Chef shot off another pair of arrows, these ones tipped with steaks, "now!" The arrows landed in the water where a pair of shark fins were already circling; one rose up and swallowed an arrow just as it plunked into the water.
"Good thing we're out of the game," Ella whispered over to Sadie.
"And rekindled our friendship in the process," Sadie agreed as challenge music began to play.
The gallery began to cheer and holler as the camera zoomed in on the platform, Izzy quickly taking the offense by swiping at Ezekiel with her jousting stick. "Prepare to go down!" she said, slamming her stick down hard against his as he tried to block.
"I'm too young to die, eh. I'm gonna take you down!" Ezekiel glared and blocked Izzy.
"Stay on your guard, Zeke!" Topher encouraged him.
"Go for her legs! It's easy!" Shawn spoke out as well.
"Alright, Izzy! You can pound him into meat!" Eva shouted.
"I'd ask any of you for my encouragement, but it'd be useless," Mal mumbled.
"I don't support people who mess with my best friends!" Sky said firmly.
Mal scowled back at her, and an arrow from Chef hit the pole he was tied to, causing it to burn up while Mal tried to blow it away.
His view was covered by Ezekiel having the upper hand on Izzy and thrusting her back. "Save yourself the trouble and let me win!" he said and continued to push his jousting stick onto Izzy and send her closer to her edge.
"Someone better win or I'm going to burst into flames!" Mal yelled impatiently.
Izzy struggled under Ezekiel's stick, but an idea formed in her head. "Hey Ezekiel, I see a hawk that's flying towards you," she fibbed.
"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" Ezekiel said. "Nice try."
"Darn it!" Izzy cursed under her breath.
Ezekiel pushed her to the ground, and just as he was about to swipe her off, Izzy lifted her stick and hit Ezekiel's foot with it. The homeschooler howled in pain and let his guard down, and Izzy used the opportunity to jab the padded end of her stick at his chin, knocking him a couple inches into the air and allowing his jousting stick to sink into the water.
He landed on the platform on his back, and Izzy quickly ran over to Mal. The camera angle switched to show her hands darting to the knot on the back, already partially undone, and seconds later the ropes slid off Mal as the challenge music ended.
"It's about time you got me out!" Mal whined. "You took too long to beat Ezekiel of all people."
"You leave him alone!" Izzy snapped. "He's proven himself to be more capable than any of us this season, and he is twice the person you will ever be!"
Ezekiel, still lying on his back, took the moment to smile. "That really means a lot coming from you," he told Izzy.
"Sorry I had to defeat you just to reach the finals," Izzy said as he helped Ezekiel back on his feet. "Are you going to be fine with taking third place?"
"I'm not going to win the cash prize," Ezekiel admitted, "but I've made friends, improved my views on the outside world, and gained a girlfriend from this show. That's more than enough for me now!"
Mal rolled his eyes, and someone in a hazmat suit appeared on the platform with a fire extinguisher. As they began putting out the flame on the fallen charmer's side, the former Final Three made their way to the edge of the platform to the general cheering of the unseen gallery.
\
The scene skipped forward to Izzy (back in her usual clothing) and Mal standing on the beach with Chris, the person in the hazmat suit clinging to the burning and sinking wreckage of the platform in the background.
"Now that we have our Final Two," Chris said with a broad smile, "it's my pleasure to announce the Peanut Gallery will not be voting for the winner."
"Yeah!" Mal said in triumph.
"Wait," Topher spoke up. "You said we were supposed to be playing a major role."
"Yep," Chris told him. "Just not in a vote-y kinda way. Prepare to have your minds blown out by the most lethal challenge in Total Drama history!" he announced dramatically.
"Izzy," he said as a shot of The Psycho Hose Beast smiling goofily against a red background, "versus Mal," a shot of The Malevolent One grinning darkly against a bluish background took over the screen, "versus the Volcano!" The shot changed to a distance shot of a volcano as it belched out a plume of smoke.
"Back in the day," Chris said as the scene cut to him standing between the two finalists; Mal on his left behind a light blue rug, Izzy on his right behind a light red rug; "human sacrifices were tossed into Kilauea volcano to appease the Gods. Sadly, the lawyers won't let me use real people as sacrifices. So! Mal and Izzy will have to make sacrifice stand-ins, using the island's most abundant resources."
The camera followed off-screen, landing on a pile of "Pineapples, and driftwood!"
"And to make it nice and symbolic," Chris continued as the shot cut back to him and the finalists, "you guys have to make dummies of each other to dump in the volcano. Now, you each get to pick two helpers."
"I'm not letting either of you pick me," Duncan immediately told them.
"I'll pick Eva," Izzy said immediately.
"Great!" Eva said standing up. "We'll win this one!"
"Exactly," Izzy smiled. "And my second choice is Noah."
"I normally don't care about contests, but this is one I can't sit out on," Noah said with a smile of his own.
"Sorry, Big-O! I need Team E-Scope for this part!" Izzy told her boyfriend.
"No problem. I want you to win with the best of the best," Owen told her.
Mal looked at the Gallery nervously, the camera panning across Peanut Gallery, all its members glaring at him. "Do I have to pick two?" Mal asked the host.
"Definitely! And all of them hate you." Chris snickered.
Mal groaned under his breath. "In that case, I'm choosing Sky first!"
"I'll help…but only for Mike!" Sky enforced.
"And lastly," Mal scanned the Gallery again, "I'll take Shawn!"
"I would refuse, but the rules won't allow me to do so," Shawn shrugged.
\
"Okay! We have our helpers!" Chris said as the scene flashed back to the two colored rugs; Izzy by the light red with Eva and Noah, Mal by the light blue with Shawn and Sky. "Now, Izzy and Mal, you have to stay on your mats and direct your helpers to bring you logs, driftwood,and pineapples that resemble parts of your opponent. And to make things a little more rhymey~!" He added with an excited smile as the all-to-familiar dings sounded and the musical note icon appeared on-screen.
///\
[A reverent, almost chanted riff opened as Sky and Shawn looked up and back, and the colors of the scene shifted to something more animated: the two in blue, against a background of reddish-pink flowers. The shot changed so that it seemed to be looking up at a blue volcano as it erupted against the floral background, and a blue and almost larger-than-life Mal emerged from its peak and with a laurel wreath on his head.]
"Hey peons, you should head straight! Don't ask, it'll make me ache!"
[He sang commandingly as a hip-hop tune began; holding out his arm as if to catch something before an almost cartoonish thunderbolt appeared in his hands. He threw it, and the camera followed it down to Shawn and Sky. They were forced to flee before the bolt struck where they'd been loitering along the ground.]
"You two, get me; wood shaped, like Izzy's tiny fe~et!"
[His helpers ran to a titanic pile of neatly-stacked blue logs, and the shot cut back to Mal idly examining his fingernails before turning to his helpers and smirking as he finished the line. The shot panned to the right to a red volcano as it, too, erupted; a red Izzy emerged from it, also wearing a laurel wreath.]
"Come on, come on, move it fast! Hurry, hurry, won't be last!
[She sang as another cartoonish thunderbolt appeared in her hands, casting her opponent a disparaging glance then throwing the bolt over her head down at the red Noah and Eva below. They too were forced to flee before the bolt struck where they'd been loitering.]
"Find wood that looks like him, so pencil-like and sli~im!"
[The camera continued to follow Eva and Noah as they ran past Sky, who was securing a rope to a peg on the side of a large hunk of wood. She briefly turned her head to watch them, then turned back and tugged the rope extending up off-screen.]
"I'm gonna win it (Yeah!) And you can't take it (No!) I'm right here in it (Yeah!) But you just fake it! (Oh!)"
[The two finalists sang, together even with the chanted words in the background. As they dueled the shot moved from Mal, his hands alternately throwing lightning bolts at his helpers, to Scarlett, throwing only one bolt, to both as they turned to one another and sent their god-like abilities at each other, resulting in an explosion of purple smoke that took over the scene.]
"Are these legs thin enough?"
[Eva called out, the smoke dissipating into her close-up before the shot zoomed out to show her standing on a pale gray scaffold next to another large chunk of wood suspended by a rope tied to a peg.
"Uh-huh!" Izzy replied from off-screen.
"H~ey!" Mal sang, the camera panning up to a higher level of the scaffold where Shawn was standing next to a rather thin piece of wood, also suspended point-down on a rope.
"Man, is this neck squeezed enough?" he asked, receiving a red thunderbolt for his trouble.]
"Whoo! Now it's psycho versus insane; Mal and Izzy cause some pain and!"
[The purple smoke cleared to show Shawn in his Drama Brothers outfit and a mic in his hand; the beat changed slightly as he began to rap from a small pillar of rock between the two finalists. The camera rotated about him as he gestured over his shoulder first at the finalists.]
"All this tension for the million; to that I have no opinion!"
[The camera zoomed in as he smirked and threw a dollar bill in the air, then zoomed back out as he got in front of Izzy, who threw a thunderbolt at him.]
"That is good, hurry back; I need arms weak and slack!"
[Mal continued in a commanding tone as Shawn, now riding atop another cone-like piece of wood as it was carried along by the attached rope, met up with Sky who was in a similar position and the shot cut back to Mal.]
"Her butt is su-per flat; And don't forget that!"
[Mal sang. He then turned to Izzy and shot her a mocking smile.]
"Get me two stringy knees; and hands like flat cheese!"
[Izzy responded, throwing another thunderbolt at her two tiny followers. Eva quickly ran away but Noah stayed in place and looked at her.]
"One more thing should be said; Don't forget his big head!"
[She pointed to a pile of giant red pineapples. Noah nodded then ran off.]
"I'm gonna win it (Yeah!) And you can't take it (No!) I'm right here in it (Yeah!) But you just fake it! (Oh!)"
[The two finalists repeated, once again sending their lightning towards their respective helpers before turning their god-like powers on each other.]
"All of this hard work; won't make me go berserk!"
[Eva sang, the smoke dissipating to show her on the scaffold once more next to a long and surprisingly arm-like piece of wood. The shot zoomed out to show it already affixed to her team's effigy – currently a long piece for the chest, a slightly bulkier piece for the waist, and two skinny legs; all pieces were connected by the shorter wooden pegs the ropes had been tied to. On the other side of the scaffold was the effigy Mal's team had created – two small, thin pieces for the chest and waist, two thin arms and a somewhat curvy leg; the effigy was kept upright by a rope tied around the short peg where the neck would be.]
"Now place the head right there; Pineapple, not pe~ar!"
[Izzy told her, looking down before the shot cut to Noah trying to push a massive red pineapple across the ground.]
"I'm gonna win it (Yeah!) And you can't take it (No!) I'm right here in it (Yeah!) But you just fake it! (Oh!)"
[The finalists repeated a third time, sending their lightning towards their helpers at a slightly faster pace than before. And still, they ended up turning their god-like powers towards one another to cause another purple explosion.]
"I'm gonna cash it! (Yeah!) You'll never win it! (No!) You should trash it! (Yeah!)"
[They continued as the smoke dissipated to reveal Eva and Noah carrying their red pineapple, before gaping in shock as Sky managed to slot her team's head down in its proper place.]
"'Cause I just did i~it!"
[Mal sang triumphantly, the shot pulling back to show Sky sighing in relief, Shawn on the other side wiping the sweat from his face. The scene finally cut to reality as the song ended, Mal smiling smugly with Sky and Shawn beside him, the two of them not looking at all enthusiastic.]
///
"And Mal takes the lead!" Chris announced over a shot of Izzy squinting at her opponent. "Next step, haul your sacrifice to the top of Kilauea and toss her into the volcano, like so!"
The shot quick-panned away from the host all the way up to the crater where a person in a hazmat suit tossed a crash test dummy into the magma below. This, however, caused molten rock to splash back up, partially coating the person in the hazmat suit. They screamed in pain as fire engulfed them, and ran away scorched.
"Yeah," Chris said as the shot cut back to him, "watch out for the back-splash. We'll be right back with all the hardcore lava-riffic sizzling finale action," he told the camera, "here! On Total! Drama! World Tour!"
\
(Commercial Break)
\

Literally every truck on my screen teleports around forwards/backwards and into the other further lanes.
Is this normal? Auto pilot still works fine so I’m guessing it is.

Hey all. New-ish US landlord here. I’m coming to you all about how to sensitively check that my tenant is doing regular maintenance/ cleaning the place as detailed in their contract.
It has become apparent to me that my tenant may be struggling with depression. Having suffered from past issues with anxiety myself I know how horrible it can be to know that you need to do something (scrub the toilet, cut the lawn, pay the bill, take trash to the curb), but have your issues inhibit your ability to consistently do so. However, my tenant’s recent issues seem to be contributing to the slow dysfunction of appliances and fixtures, and I fear that other issues may arise in the future which if left ignored could degrade more costly facets of the property.
Just a few examples:
• During a massive snow storm this past holiday season I got a call from her saying that the e-thermostat alerted her that the furnace was having trouble keeping up. Turns out that she hadn’t ever changed the furnace filter… Even though I had left a box of six furnace filters for her next to the furnace and written it in her contract.
• I got a call a week and a half after that that the brand new, reliable-brand, high-end refrigerator wasn’t consistently cooling and was resetting itself. When I arrived I found it packed with so much food that the door would barely close. There was no way for the fridge to circulate air so the motor was stalling. It had to be replaced.
• Two weeks ago my dad was in the neighborhood and when he drove past the house on his way home he noticed that the yard was close to 9” tall. When I drove past five days later it still hadn’t been cut. It has since been cut, but I’m concerned that it’s a habit and that rats will infest the property due to tall grass. Lawn maintenance and snow removal is written into her contract.
• The kicker: I texted her two days ago to see if any mail arrived for me recently(used to live there and USPS isn’t great at forwarding). Only then when I checked on her did she share that the toilet hadn’t been reliably flushing. I asked how long this was happening, and she stated “oh, about a month!” (a month without a reliable toilet in a single-toilet household?!). When I arrived at the house about 30 hours later to examine it she then told me “well of course it has been working since you texted”. I still went to look inside to be safe. To my horror I discovered that it was covered inside and out with a fine layer of piss, shit, and mineral deposits. Having lived there myself I know that even with a cleaning every three weeks it never got that bad. I’m worried that she isn’t cleaning the house, just tidying. As an aside to the toilet issue, she confided that the sink was no longer draining either… and it hadn’t been since Christmas.
How do I approach this sensitively while preserving the integrity of my property? Should I price out regular lawn care and a cleaning lady and include those costs in the rent, which is due for renegotiation in July? I’m actually looking to keep this lady as a tenant due to some reasons that would expose too much of her personal info for me to share here. She pays on-time. She has a great rental history. Her job can afford her more rent than is being asked currently.

Disclaimer: I'm very upset while I type this. The situation is fresh and I'm very upset about the whole thing.
I worked at a state campground this being my second summer with my fianceé. I think it's important to mention that we are both very lesbianey looking women. We are also Jewish.
The first summer they hired a caretaker who was horribly racist and very openly discriminatory towards basically anyone who did not look like she did. (cis/white) She was not from the U.S originally and seems to be able to just float about internationally whenever she chooses. It seems she inherited this "ability" from an old Axis power relative. This was very tough to work for. But my fianceé and I both had always wanted a career in parks and dreamed of a future there.
This summer they hired an ex cop, and his bible thumping wife to be caretaker. I didn't even make it a weekend. On my second day there he acoasted us in the parking lot because people were waiting to rent boats. Boat rentals typically start at 9:30 we were there at 9:03. I was not even out of the car yet. My fianceé finished climbing out of the car and said "eh, boat rentals start at 9:30 it can wait" to which the caretaker became irate. He made some "don't talk back to me" type comment and continued with explosive behavior. My fianceé stood her ground and quietly affirmed that boat rentals started at 9:30 and that it wouldn't be fair to rent them out starting now because this is what we told everyone who asked.
He continued to have a heightened tone with my fianceé while also yelling at me to go down to the boathouse. I comply as quickly as I could, but considering the fact I hadn't even made it out of the car when he started, I had to run back up the hill to grab my radio. At which point he was now full on yelling at my fianceé, about a different but not separate issue on the boats and told her "she could go" my fiancee yelled back fine and she went to go collect her stuff. I went to collect mine as well.
The caretaker panicked and said that he did not want to see us go. I stayed behind my fianceé because I now felt uncomfortable leaving them alone. They were both able to hash out future rules for the boats that were both fair and reasonable. My fiancee even apologized for renting a boat out over multiple days which was as of now, a disallowed rule. The caretaker went off on the 4 wheeler and all seemed resolved. I went down to the boathouse and completed my shift. My fianceé wrote out an e-mail detailing the caretaker's behavior twords her and his wife in front of her because she was now nervous to work with him alone.
We left, had our evening and moved forward. My fianceé who worked full time there worked her next full scheduled day(5/31). The following day (6/1) she showed up for her shift and worked about half of it before the Operations supervisor and her boss showed up. They dismissed my fianceés actions as insubordination and my fianceé left. This apparently ends my career here as well.
So I guess what I'm asking is what do I do? I'm so hurt and upset. That was both of our dream jobs. I don't want to work there without my fianceé, but what can I do? That was so horrible and abusive. I can't believe it happened.

This is my first time on reddit.
I dont really know where to begin, I (21F) am an old child and have had a toxic relationship with my mum (54F) (we live together) since i dont know when (from the outside looking in you would think we had the best mum and daughter relationship). When we and my mum are good were like best friends, but she has a alcohol problem so when she drinks she turns nasty and violent and just doesn’t leave me alone.
She will bang on walls and slam doors, i will have to lock myself in rooms or push her off of me if she try’s to attack me. So the usual routine is she wont drink for a couple of months so she’ll do her same old “I’m so sorry”, “i wont do it again” and we’ll be fine and then one day she’ll just go and get herself drunk once every other day over a period of a week and start her same old abuse over and over again.
The best part is, the following morning once shes slept off the alcohol she’ll act like nothings happened and act shocked when I lose it. This week shes done it over 4 times and I’ve just decided enoughs enough i cant keep doing it anymore i have such bad anxiety because of her, if people saw the way she acts they would think shes crazy. I just dont know where i go from here.
*This is a very un detailed version of whats gone on in my life but things have been very very bad and sometimes i wonder am i numb to all the trauma I’ve been through? I just want some advice on what i should do going forward.

For a long time, I thought there was no greater feeling of dread than clocking into a job you hate. Three days a week after school and every other weekend, there I was, standing in front of the time clock at Sunset Grove. By the time I was sixteen, my parents told me that I had to find a job and start working. Unfortunately, there weren’t many options for a sixteen-year-old looking for work in Driftwood. It was either fast food, retail, or a retirement home. For whatever reason, I chose the retirement home.
It’s not that I had a problem with starting work at that age, it’s just that scrubbing pureed vegetables and mashed potatoes off fifty plates a night, with the cook yelling over my shoulder to pick up the pace, wasn’t exactly fulfilling work. The pocket money was nice, though. There’s nothing better than being a teenager with almost nothing but disposable income.
I watched the digital clock tick over from 3:59 to 4:00, begrudgingly typed in my employee ID, and made my way to the kitchen. As always, there was a stack of dishes left over from the shift before mine that would leave me playing catch-up for the rest of the night.
Becca, a thirty-something waitress with pale skin and a slim figure, swept through the doors as I was working through my stack. She was the only member of the wait staff I knew who could manage to keep a sunny disposition no matter how bad the day got.
Her shoulders seemed to relax a little when she saw me. “Hey, Arty, I need glasses.”
“Got it,” I replied.
“Thank you!” she said in a sing-song voice as she picked up a tub of silverware and rushed back out the doors. The wait staff was always in a rush this time of day. They only had about a half-hour to set the tables before some of the early-birds started showing up for dinner.
I loaded a tray with glasses and sent them through the commercial steam washer to my left, pulling the hood down with a heavy metal clunk. Once they were done, Becca came through and took the tray out to the dining room.
Before long, the cook began setting out room service trays. I never understood why it was the dishwasher’s job to deliver room service, but nevertheless, I began loading the trays into my cart. Most room service orders came from the same residents, which meant I’d long since worked out the most efficient way to load the cart. As I was loading, I noticed one of my regulars, room 2H, was missing. It could have been that she just decided to have dinner in the dining room today, but as long as I’d been working at Sunset Grove, I’d never known 2H to have dinner anywhere but her room.
As I walked down the hallway past 2H, I realized why. There on the door was a small laminated sign with a photo of the woman who’d lived in 2H.
Lilith Holmes 1928 - 2014
That was it. Just a name and a pair of dates. Not even a “Rest in Peace.” But it got the point across. I felt a tinge of guilt at the fact that I hadn’t known the woman’s name. I’d been working at Sunset Grove for a year, and I still referred to most of the residents by their room numbers.
This wasn’t the first of these types of signs I’d seen. There had been two or three deaths in the past year, each one memorialized with a cheap laminated sign that would be taken down after a week or two. It may sound callous, but I was never bothered by the deaths. They were simply a fact of life working in a place full of people entering the final phase of their lives. It helped that I didn’t make much effort to get close to the residents. I never wanted this place to bleed into what I considered to be my real life, so whenever I was at Sunset Grove, I was in “work mode.” I would put on a kind face, greet coworkers and residents with a smile, and otherwise speak only when spoken to. It was easier that way.
​
Room 2H stayed empty for a month. The sign, as they always do, disappeared after a while. I wondered if that meant they’d already cleaned out all of Mrs. Holmes’s belongings or if they were still entombed behind that locked door.
Eventually, the day came that I had a room service tray for room 2H again. It seemed so sudden. I hadn’t heard anything about a new resident moving in. I shrugged it off and loaded the tray onto my cart, thinking it must have happened on one of my days off. I hoped the new tenant wouldn’t be a handful. I may not have known Mrs. Holmes well, but she was always nice and courteous to me when I brought her her food. It’s more than I could say for some of the other residents.
I rode the elevator up to the second floor. Room 2H was my second stop from there. I knocked and pushed open the door into the dimly lit room. The blinds were all drawn, and there was only a single table lamp turned on in the corner across the room. I could see the new tenant sitting in a recliner on the opposite wall. It was a woman, with curled white hair that fell to her hunched shoulders. In the dark, I couldn’t make out her face, but her form was familiar. As I got closer, I realized it was Mrs. Holmes sitting in the chair.
I faltered. “I... have your dinner here for you, ma’am,” I stammered.
“Oh, good,” she said. “Set it on the table here, dear.” Her tone was jovial like always, though it felt strained. As if she were forcing it.
I set the tray down on the end table beside her. As she turned to look at it, her eyes seemed to catch the tiny amount of light in the room and glowed for a split second.
“Thank you,” she chimed.
“You’re welcome,” I said, turning on my heel and heading for the door.
I stopped by the second floor nurse’s station on my way down the hall and found Ted inside. He was a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair, known around the facility for his eccentric taste in scrubs. Today’s were navy blue with a messy pattern of stars. Ted was the only nurse I knew by name, mostly because he gave me no other choice. It was common knowledge at Sunset Grove that if Ted wanted to chat you up, there was nothing you could do to stop it.
“Hey, Ted,” I said, poking my head around the door.
“Arthur!” he called, sitting back in his chair. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I saw Mrs. Holmes is back,” I said. “What happened? Why was she gone?”
“Sorry, bud, I shouldn’t really be gossiping about that.”
“I understand. It’s just... there was that sign on her door a while ago. I thought she died.”
“Oh, that,” Ted laughed. “That was a little misunderstanding. But as you saw, she’s alive and well.”
“Right,” I said. “I should go. I’ve still got a cart full of meals to deliver.”
“Best not keep ‘em waiting!” Ted joked as I left the nurse’s station.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Mrs. Holmes for the remainder of my shift that night. How could the nurses make such a drastic mistake, confusing a resident for dead? And where exactly had Mrs. Holmes been for the past month? At the hospital? With family? The whole thing irked me more than it probably should have. I didn’t like thinking about this place during my time off, but thoughts of Mrs. Holmes stuck with me all week.
I delivered room service to her the rest of the week. Each time I entered 2H, the blinds were drawn, the room kept dark. As always, I set her tray down on the end table next to the recliner, she thanked me, and I moved on to the next room.
The next stop on my route was 2K, Ms. Ganz, whose name I only knew because she had a reputation around the building for being very outwardly spoken. There was rarely a week that went by where I wasn’t overhearing the nurses laughing about something Ms. Ganz had said that day.
Most days, Ms. Ganz left her door open. I knocked anyway and passed through the open frame. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, rubbing her temples before she looked up and saw me.
“Set it down right there,” she instructed, pointing to the rolling TV stand where she took her dinner every day.
I did as she said and set the food down on the stand, forcing a smile for good measure. She scooted off the bed and hobbled over to the chair to sit down. I pushed the stand closer to her and lowered it down so she could reach. She examined the tray, then picked up the pudding cup and handed it to me.
“You take that,” she said. “I don’t need it.”
“That’s alright,” I protested. “I don’t need it either.”
Ms. Ganz pawning her desserts off on me was beginning to become a habit. As I tried to set the pudding cup back on the tray, she pushed it back toward me. It clearly wasn’t a fight I was going to win, so I relented and accepted the pudding.
Ms. Ganz got to work preparing her coffee, which she had with every meal. I always loaded her tray with three creams and three sugars, but I’d learned in time to wait until she finished mixing before I left because, more often than not, she’d ask for more.
“Is this decaf?” she asked.
“That’s right,” I said.
She grumbled. “I need caffeine. People keeping me up all night. Knocking on my door.”
“Knocking on your door?”
“Middle of the night,” Ms. Ganz exclaimed. “They come, they knock, I open the door, and they’re gone. My family doesn’t pay $2000 a month for me to get pranked all night long.”
“Have you talked to the nurses about it?” I asked.
She snorted. “They’re probably the ones doing it.” Ms. Ganz winced and reached for her forehead. “Now, I’ve had this headache all day thanks to them.”
“Sorry about that. I hope you feel better,” I said as I made my way out of the room.
It became apparent very quickly Ms. Ganz wasn’t the only resident dealing with these problems. I overheard the nurses talking about multiple residents on the second floor complaining about someone knocking on their door at night. It only got worse throughout the week, with even more residents complaining. There were more complaints of headaches, too. Some residents even started exhibiting symptoms of fever.
When I came to serve Ms. Ganz her dinner a week later, her door was shut. I knocked and turned the handle. It wasn’t locked, so I went inside. Ms. Ganz was lying in bed, a fresh sheen of sweat shimmering in the light across her forehead. She hadn’t even touched her lunch. I quietly swapped the trays, trying not to disturb her and tip-toed out of the room, stopping by the nurses’ station before I got back to work. Ted was there again, wearing a loud, floral-patterned set of scrubs this time.
“Hey, Ted, is Ms. Ganz alright?” I asked.
“She’s just a little under the weather,” he said. “She’s not the only one. There’s some kind of bug going around.”
Ted scooted his chair across the room and pulled something out of a box. He tossed me a medical mask.
“You should probably wear one of these while you’re goin’ into rooms,” he said.
I nodded and put the mask on, leaving Ted to his work. There were four more residents laid up in bed on the second floor. Weirdly, no one on the first or third floor seemed to be affected.
Things only seemed to get worse as the days went on. More and more residents were laid up with fevers. Soon enough, no one on the second floor was healthy enough to go to the dining room, which meant my room service runs were getting longer by the day. Now that I had to deliver trays to every room on the second floor, there was no way I could get it done on my own, but even with Becca helping me with runs, I was still clocking out of work an hour late most nights.
As we rolled the cart up to room 2H, Becca hesitated.
“Do you mind getting this one?” she asked.
I raised an eyebrow. “Sure.”
I had no problem bringing Mrs. Holmes her food. What caught me off guard was the way Becca seemed to give the room a wide berth as we passed and the trepidation in her voice as she spoke.
“Thanks, Arty,” Becca said. “Something about her just creeps me out. Don’t you feel that?”
“It’s a little weird how she sits in the dark all the time,” I admitted, “but I wouldn’t call it creepy.”
“So brave,” Becca teased. “I’ll bring Ms. Ganz her tray and meet you down the hall.”
“Sounds good.”
I knocked on the door and went into 2H. As expected, Mrs. Holmes was seated in her recliner with the blinds drawn and the single lamp on in the corner. Sometimes I wondered if she ever even moved from that spot.
“How are you feeling, Mrs. Holmes?” I asked through the medical mask I was now required to wear at all times while on the second floor.
“Are you a nurse now?” She asked. Her tone seemed intended to be joking, but it came across more accusatory.
“No, it’s just that we can’t seem to get rid of this bug going around. I was just curious if you were still feeling alright.”
“I’m fine,” she said flatly.
Mrs. Holmes was the only resident on the second floor who wasn’t sick. The bug hadn’t spread to any of the staff members either. A thought occurred to me.
“Have you heard anyone knocking on your door at night?” I asked.
Mrs. Holmes’s eyes shot to mine, momentarily glowing in the light as they had once before. She stared at me with wide eyes that seemed to be studying me.
Finally, her tight lips peeled apart and she simply said, “I have not.”
Suddenly, I understood why Becca hadn’t wanted to come in here. I could feel the goose flesh spreading across my arm and a shiver run down my spine. I didn’t want to linger here any longer than I had to.
“Have a good night,” I said, mimicking my usual tone, before hustling out of the room.
I grabbed the cart and pushed it quickly down the hall toward Ms. Ganz’s room where I would find Becca, but as I rounded the corner, I saw a crowd of nurses surrounding the door. Becca was standing off to the side, a distraught look on her face.
“What happened?” I asked.
“I went in to give her her food,” Becca choked out. “Her eyes were open, so I thought she was awake. So, I asked her if she had enough cream and sugar for her coffee, but she didn’t respond.”
“Oh no,” I realized.
“That’s never happened to me before,” Becca said. “I’ve never seen one of them after... after they died. Sorry, Arty, I need to take five. Do you think you can finish this yourself today?”
“That’s fine. I’ve got it.”
Becca laid her hand on my shoulder as she walked away, her other hand combing through her hair.
Becca didn’t come in the next day. With the wait staff being short handed, I had to do the room service deliveries myself. I hesitated before going into 2H, but when I reached for the handle, I was relieved to find that it was locked. Some of the nurses must have been inside, so I left the tray by the door and went on my way.
As I passed by Ms. Ganz’s room, I saw the sign.
Mallory Ganz 1939 - 2014
She was about ten years younger in the photo, smiling next to her daughter. I felt a tug inside my gut and suddenly realized I wanted to know what was happening. Where was this sickness coming from? Why wasn’t it affecting the residents on the first or third floors or the staff? And why was Mrs. Holmes the only resident on the second floor who was still healthy?
I finished delivering trays and stashed the cart in the corner. I figured I had at least ten more minutes before my boss would start wondering where I was, so I found Ted in the nurse’s station.
“Hey, Ted, are you busy?” I asked.
“Never not busy, Arthur,” he grinned. “What can I do for you?”
“You’ve heard the residents complaining about someone knocking on their doors at night, right? Do you have any idea what that might be about?”
He sighed. “Yeah, I’ve heard all about it. Best I can figure, it’s someone screwin’ around on the night shift.”
“Well, there are cameras, right? Couldn’t we find out who’s doing it?”
Ted’s brow furled. “Why are you so interested?”
“I don’t know,” I lied. “I guess it’s just that, whoever it was, they were bothering Ms. Ganz. I thought maybe we could find them and get them to stop to, like, honor her in a way.”
Ted pushed an office chair toward me with his foot. “Sit down a minute. I’ll pull up the footage.”
“Thank you.”
I sat down and watched Ted scrub through last night’s security footage. It was strange seeing the hallway so empty. During the daytime hours, there were constantly nurses or housekeepers coming up and down the halls, but at night, they were dead.
Suddenly, there was a flash of movement on the screen. Ted let go of the mouse and let the footage play out in real-time. I felt my chest tighten as I recognized the figure on the screen. Mrs. Holmes. I watched her walk down the hall, moving with an unnatural weightlessness for her age. She stopped in front of Ms. Ganz’s room and knocked on the door. Then, all of a sudden, she just faded away.
I leaned in closer to the screen. Ted sat upright in his chair.
“Was that a glitch?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he said. “The timecode looks normal, but it must’ve been. Either way, I guess we know who’s been causin’ trouble at night. I’ll have a word with Mrs. Holmes.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” I blurted out.
Ted looked at me quizzically. I didn’t know how to explain it, but I knew something was off about Mrs. Holmes. There was no telling what would happen if someone confronted her, but how was I supposed to convince Ted of that?
“Sorry,” I said. “Thanks for the help, Ted.”
I left the nurse’s station without saying another word. I could only hope that my initial warning would be enough to make Ted hesitate until I could figure out what to do next.
My heart dropped when I couldn’t find Ted the next day. He was always there. Every single weekday, he was there.
None of the other nurses had seen him either. Apparently, he hadn’t called out sick or anything. As far as anyone knew, he simply hadn’t shown up for work. But I knew better. I knew he’d gone and talked to Mrs. Holmes, and she’d done something to him. Could he still be there, inside room 2H? Was he still alive? Had he mentioned me?
I worked the first hour of my shift constantly looking over my shoulder. By 5:00, the cook started lining up room service trays. I was on my own again. Apparently, Becca was taking some time off after what she’d been through. I couldn’t blame her, but I found myself desperately wishing I didn’t have to be alone.
My heart thumped with dread every step I took toward room 2H. I prayed the door would be locked again, but no such luck. I pushed the door open slowly and let the light from the hall flood into the dim room. Mrs. Holmes was in her recliner, but as I got closer, I noticed her eyes were shut. She was asleep.
I set the tray down quietly and made for the door, but before I left, I felt curiosity tug me back. I wanted to know what happened to Ted. If there was any trace of him in the room, this might be my only chance to find it.
I inched heel-toe back through the entryway and into the bedroom. I found an antique lamp on the nightstand and flipped it on, bathing the room in a hazy yellow light. The room was pristine, not even a crease in the bedding. I didn’t know what I was looking for. Blood? A body? Just anything that would confirm the insane thoughts that were running through my mind.
I moved to the bathroom, but, like the bedroom, it was spotless. I checked every inch of it, even getting down on my hands and knees to inspect the bath mat for blood stains. I was starting to feel like a lunatic. Maybe everything that was happening was exactly what it seemed, and the rest of it was all just in my head.
Feeling a little ridiculous, I stepped out of the bathroom, gently closing the door behind me.
“What were you doing in there?” Mrs. Holmes’s voice was sharp and sent a jolt of fear through my body.
I turned and saw her standing in the corner by her recliner. She looked tall—her shoulders not slumped like usual, and her eyes were glowing in the light again.
I didn’t know what to say. “S-sorry,” I spat out, then hurried for the door. Mrs. Holmes stood motionless, watching me go.
Thanks to my little investigation, dinner was nearly over by the time I got back to the kitchen, and there was a mountain of dishes waiting for me by the sink. I shook off the unsettling thoughts plaguing my mind and got to work. It was going to be another late night, and it only got worse when the cook brought over a stack of burnt pans that would take ages of scrubbing to get clean.
It was nearly an hour past the end of my shift by the time I’d finally finished all the dishes. The wait staff had clocked out thirty minutes ago. That was fine. I was used to being the last one in the kitchen. It was the dishwasher’s job to clean the floors at the end of the night after everyone else had gone home. That night, though, I should have been scared, but the weight of being alone hadn’t hit me yet. My mind was too preoccupied with work.
I finished mopping the floor, meaning all that was left was to take the trash out to the dumpster. I gathered up all the bags and took them out into the hallway, then out the back door. I set the bags down and propped the door open with a pen. After 8:00, the building locked down, and I would need a keycard to get back in, something the facility didn’t grant to dishwashers.
I hoisted the garbage bags into the dumpster and turned back toward the building. Before I could even take a step back toward the door, though, I heard it clunk into place. I ran over and tugged on the handle. Locked. I’d have to walk all the way around the building and come in the front entrance, probably scaring the hell out of the secretary at the reception desk, who certainly wouldn’t be expecting anyone to come in at this hour.
Crickets chirped loudly in the fields around the parking lot as I rounded the building. There was no one at the reception desk when I walked in. The secretary was probably out having a cigarette somewhere. I walked through the dining room and back into the kitchen, letting the door swing freely behind me. I heard it brush across the frame once, twice, then suddenly stop. I didn’t think much of it until I heard a knock on the door.
My heart froze, fear tightening an ice-cold grip around my throat. I turned and, through the window, saw a pair of glowing eyes on the other side of the door. Ever so slowly, the door started to push inward as Mrs. Holmes crept inside. I felt like I should have screamed in that moment, but nothing came to me. It felt as though my lungs had completely deflated at the sight of her.
She stepped toward me. I stepped back until I felt my back press against the counter behind me. I wanted to run, but something told me I couldn’t outrun whatever was standing in front of me. My hands reached onto the counter and felt for anything I could use to defend myself. I felt the lukewarm touch of the porcelain plates and wrapped my fingers around the rim of one. I waited as Mrs. Holmes inched closer until, finally, I whipped my arm around and smashed the plate against her head.
She wailed and faltered a few steps, buying me enough time to run deeper into the kitchen, toward the knives. She was on me again before I could reach them. I felt a wet sting on my calf and looked down to see her there, latched on with her teeth sinking deep into my flesh.
I fell onto the concrete floor, my left shoulder taking the brunt of the impact. I tried to crawl away but couldn’t break free of her inhuman weight. With my free leg, I kicked at her head as hard as I could until she released me. Her bloodstained mouth hissed at me as I scrambled to my feet.
I ripped the largest knife I could find out of the block and spun around, ready to drive it into Mrs. Holmes’s chest, but she was gone. My eyes flicked frantically around the room, looking for any sign of her. Then I felt something drip onto my cheek. In the reflection of the knife blade, I could see the drop of blood rolling down my cheek. I looked up, and there she was.
She wasn't suspended from the ceiling; she was floating. As soon as I laid eyes on her, she dropped, falling right on top of me. I managed to raise the knife high enough and felt it pierce her gut as she landed on me. I think that was the only thing that saved me from her teeth sinking into my neck.
Mrs. Holmes reeled from the knife wound. She swung her arm out, and I felt the tremendous weight and strength behind it as it crashed into my side and threw me across the room. Pain shot through my back as I collided with the stainless steel of the dishwasher. I knew I couldn’t afford to waste time licking my wounds. I pulled myself up to my feet just as Mrs. Holmes ripped the knife free of her gut. Coagulated blood seeped out of the gaping wound like thick mud.
Mrs. Holmes hunched over like a predator waiting to pounce. My heart raced, waiting for the moment. Like a bolt of lighting, it came. She leapt across the room at me. My instincts kicked in, and I ducked to the right. I heard a loud metallic crash as Mrs. Holmes’s body slammed into the dishwasher. I looked up and saw her top half lodged in the machine. Without even thinking about it, I yanked the lever, sending the hood down just far enough over Mrs. Holmes’s thin body to activate the machine.
She howled and screeched as the steam inside the dishwasher boiled her skin. I didn’t wait around for the cycle to finish. I saddled the pain in my back and my leg and ran out of the kitchen before she had a chance to escape. I didn’t dare look back.
​
Sunset Grove closed down last year, three years after I left for good that night. I never found out what became of Mrs. Holmes, but I don’t think she ever left. The article detailing Sunset Grove’s closure cites financial difficulty after a spike in mortality rates, and there had been more than one story about staff members going missing over the years. Ted was the first of them. I would have been the second.
For a long time, Sunset Grove haunted me. I would dream about being back in room 2H, cowering under Mrs. Holmes’s impossibly tall form, her skin blistered and rubbery from the burns I gave her. In time, those dreams faded. It hadn’t seemed possible, but my life started to return to a sense of normalcy.
Reading the article on Sunset Grove brought those memories crashing back. I tried to tell myself that I was safe, but... I don’t think I am anymore. Not since I heard a knock on my door the other night. I wanted so badly to believe it was nothing, just neighborhood kids messing around, but my head has been pounding ever since I heard it, my stomach twisted in knots, my breath short. I can’t sleep through the night anymore. I find myself staring out the window, watching. Sometimes, among the twinkling fireflies at the edge of the woods, I could swear I see a pair of glowing eyes watching me in the dark.