#I stopped and ceremoniously bowed to the moon in front of passing cars

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

Was in an “I need to do something fun, novel, and mildly dangerous right NOW or I am going to self-destruct” kind of mood so I got a waffle cone locally then walked an hour or two to Target and Big Lots, bought some stuff I needed, and carried it back from 8:30–10:00. I saw the moon! It is very orange. Very beautiful. Very powerful.

I got a file folder for important documents and some Command strips and hooks from Target; and a denim chindi rug, an over-door organizer, and some pretty butterfly depression glasses, which I assume are for liquor from Big Lots.

I also helped some kids cross the street because they were unsure how crosswalks worked; and I gave a few dollars to a lady holding a sign who needed it to support her kids. Honestly I liked doing those things more than the actual shopping but I am quite pleased with my denim chindi rug. It’s pretty.

[littlshack]

prom  ,    senior year of high school  ,    bonnie keaton went alone  .    well  ----    she was supposed to go with friends  ,    who all showed up suddenly with dates  ,    and quickly seemed to forget that she was even there  .    she sat alone at one of the tables  ,    drowning in the lights     &    music for as long as she could stand it  .    nobody seemed to notice when she stood up and walked out the doors  .    she sat outside on the steps all night  ----    her shoes set to the side  ,    far enough away that all she could hear was the faint beat of the music on the other side of the school  ,    in her blue dress as the rain drizzled down on her  ,    tears sitting in the corners of her eyes  .

joshua buchanan was one year ahead of bonnie in high school    &    one year older  .    and from the first time he saw her he was in love  .    but he was the quiet type  ----    quieter than everyone else  ,    a loner  .    he was an orphan  ,    part of the system    &    struggling in school on top of everything else  .    she was his opposite in every way  ,    and even the thought of trying to talk to her made his stomach churn out of fear that she’d laugh in his face    (    he knew that in all practicality it was ridiculous  ----     bonnie had never turned away from someone  ,    she’d listen to anyone that had the mouth to speak to her  .    but he couldn’t help himself  .    he got butterflies at the mere thought that she was looking his way    )     once she’d smiled    &    waved at him after noticing that he was looking her way  ----    he got so overwhelmed that all he could do was speedily walk away and think about the moment for days  .

he’d tried to work up the courage a thousand times  .    at parties  ,    assemblies  ,    sporting events  ,    but he always wound up chickening out  .    and eventually he graduated  ,    and of course she was there  ----     being the year below him  .    their school was small  ,    in the middle of nowhere  ,    and she stood directly in front of him during the ceremony  .    every time she turned around she would smile at him  ,    and he tried to summon all the courage in him to just say hello  .    but then the ceremony ended  ,    and she walked out of the doors in a bubble of laughter with her friends  ,    and joshua moved to the outskirts of town to get a job with the railroad  .    he knew he’d lost his chance  ,    even though summer’s when he worked construction  ,    he would often end up in town  ,    he was sure bonnie keaton was already somewhere far off  .

he was still only 19  ,    yet he lived entirely on his own already  .    but something compelled him to get in his truck and drive into town one night  ,    he wasn’t sure what  ----    he had no idea it was the night of prom  .    and as he passed by the school he noticed the cars  ,    the bright lights  ,    the faint thud of music through his rolled down window  ,    and he slowly pulled into the parking lot out of curiosity  ----    trying to figure out what was going on  .    he told himself he’d only take a quick drive through  ,    see if he could catch a glimpse and figure out what event was taking place  ,    then he’d keep on his way and slowly circle back to his lonely little house  .

but something made him stop short  ----    as he rounded the corner to the back of the school  ,    he noticed a blonde head bowed solemnly  .    her shoulders were bare despite the cold night  ,    and the tulle of her blue dress was stained with dirt  ----    weighed down    &    damp from the slow but persistent drip of rain  .     and though he couldn’t see her face  ,    he knew  .    but instead of the normal nervousness that had plagued him throughout high school  ----    the hesitation that had stopped him from ever opening his mouth despite her kindness  ----    he found only a sense of worry  ,    sadness  ,    and a gentle sort of determination  .    if bonnie heard his truck  ,    she hadn’t bother looking up  .    he turned off the rumbling engine  ,    the rattling metal fading into silence  ,    opened up the creaking door  ,    and started walking towards her  .

  ❝ bonnie keaton  ,    i never did think blue was your color ❞  

she finally looked up  ,   jolted  ----   stunned  ,    and he knew right away that she must have been crying  .    the smile that had nervously sat on his mouth quickly faded into a frown  .    and for a moment they both stared at each other in silence  .    his hands tucked into his worn jeans pockets  ,    gray sweatshirt stained with grease  ,    heavy work boots that felt like dragging cement blocks when he was tired  .    he was no prince  ----    no knight in shining armor  ,    and he certainly didn’t have a white horse  .    but as bonnie looked at him  ,    she knew that none of that mattered  .    it didn’t matter what he wore  ,    or what he drove  ,    at that moment he was her prince climbing the tower  .

  ❝ i sure wish you’d told me that sooner ❞  

it was all she said  ,    and the sound of tears in her voice nearly brought him to his knees  .    but then she sniffled  ,    and laughed  ,    and wiped at her eyes  ,    and laughed even louder  ,    and joshua couldn’t help but laugh too  .    she looked down at her wet and dirty dress and her bare feet  ,    and kept laughing  .    and as she laughed she looked at him and felt happy for the first time in what felt like years  .    without a word he held out his hand to her  ----    no questions  ,    no mocking  ,    no pitiful gaze  ,    no looking at her like she was a kicked puppy  .    just that laugh  ,    and his rough hands  .    and though she could never bring herself to say it out loud  ,    at that moment  ,    she gave in to every daydream    &    fairytale she’d ever heard  .    he was the knight  ,    the prince  ,    the hero  ,    the fae come to whisk her away  .    and she would gladly go  .

she didn’t even bother grabbing her shoes  ,    and they practically ran across the pavement to jump in his truck  .    in a matter of seconds they were gone  .    she didn’t ask questions as they drove  ,    he could have taken her anywhere  ----    anywhere but those cold    &    lonely steps  ,    and she would be glad  .    and at the same time his heart was pounding out of his chest  ,    and he couldn’t help but smile  ----    but look over at her in wonder as she rolled her window down  .    as she leaned her arm against the frame and rested her head there  ,    the wind blowing her blonde curls out of a tightly worked bun  ,    her blue eyes watching the moonlight peeking out from behind gray clouds  .    he could have kept driving like that forever  ,    glancing over at her  ,    as the night wore on  .

but eventually he pulled over  ,    and bonnie sat up to gaze out at the small moon drenched meadow  .    the rain had stopped  ,    and for a long moment they sat there looking at one another  .    a hesitant laugh left him  ,    and he reached down to pull out a cd  ----    watching in the darkness as he pushed it into the player  .

  ❝  miss keaton  ,    i think you deserve one slow dance this evening  ,    don’t you  ?  ❞  

in that moment  ,    she could have burst into tears at the notion alone  .    they welled up in the corners of her eyes  ,    and her mouth pressed together tightly to stop any sound from escaping  ----    she could only sniffle  ,  nod  ,    and hold out her hand  .    he smiled  ,    and she thought it was brighter than any sunlight she’d ever seen  ,    and he kissed the back of her hand and pushed open his door  ----    gently guiding her out after him  .    he reached back in  ,    setting the song to its beginning  ,    and turning up the volume so that they could hear it through the trucks open doors  .

wordlessly  ,    he guided her out into the middle of the field  ,    kicking off his own shoes and sweater  ,    and gently putting his hand on her waist  .    and even though he’d never danced before  ,    much less slow danced  ,    it seemed easy with her  .    like he knew exactly what to do  ,    how to thread their fingers together  ----    how to spin her with a fit of laughter  ,    how to dip her and tease that he was going to drop her  ,    how to pull her close as the song grew quieter  .    how to wrap his arm around her when her head fell to his chest  ,    how to rest his head against hers  ,    and sway slowly  .    the moon lit them up perfectly  ,    and though the music was distant  ,    they heard it clear as day  .    and for those few minutes  ,    bonnie could let herself believe in anything  .

he drove her back home  .    and as she got out she kissed his cheek  ,    and thanked him without words  .    there wasn’t anything else either of them could say  .    he watched her walk up to the house  ,    his window rolled down  ,    catching her gaze each time she paused to glance back at him  .    she stood  ,    her hand on the door  ,    bottom lip caught between smiling teeth  .    he gave one last wave  ,    and she disappeared inside the dimly hit house  .

  ❝ goodnight  ,    bonnie keaton ❞  

spoken a second too late  ,    but somehow he knew she had heard him anyways  .    she sat with her back against the door  ,    sat on the floor  ,   listening to the rumble of that old truck as he drove away  .    her fists bunched into the gray sweater he had draped around her shoulders as they drove back  .    when she finally stood up  ,    she gazed out the window  ,    as if she would find him still parked there  ----     that smile on his face  ,    waiting to whisk her away to the moonlight  .    she snuck upstairs quietly  ,    to not wake her mother  ,    and fell asleep almost instantly  ----    still in her pale blue dress  .

i do think love exists  .    and magic  .    he has proven it to me

she would write almost 20 years later  ,    looking back at him as he slept peacefully in their bed  .    the wedding ring on his finger was silver in the moonlight  ,    and she smiled  .

[luciendurrant]

Real-Life Fairy Tale ~ @JaydeKnox

Once upon a time, a cat helped a little bird learn to fly. Fast forward to today...our wedding day! Garett kept teasing me that Jayde was going to chicken out and stand me up at the altar. “Chicken, get it?” he laughed as we got dressed. I groaned loudly and checked once more to make sure I had Jayde’s ring before taking a shower and getting dressed. Maybe one day I’d get to torture Garett right back on his wedding day. Stranger things had happened.

—————-

I woke to the smell of pancakes, eggs, and sausage. I grinned as I stood and stretched. The night before had been perfect. Josie, Hope, and I ordered pizza, watched movies, talked, and just had an all-around fun night. It was great spending so much time with them. I ran a brush through my hair and grinned as I slipped my fuzzy slippers on. It was my wedding day! Luc and I were finally going to be husband and wife. I couldn’t help but skip out of the guest room as I joined an already laughing Josie and Hope for breakfast.

---------------

Once I was dressed, I went to the kitchen where I found Zak had picked up breakfast. “Morning,” he said with a grin. “Thought you might need some extra protein today.” I laughed and walked over to see plates piled high with bacon, sausage, ham, and eggs. “You even got those honey biscuits I love! Thanks!” He nodded and got glasses down to pour us some juice just as Garett came in. “Boy, it smells good in here.” I handed him a plate. “You can thank Zak for that.” He took the plate, bowed theatrically to his cousin and started fixing us each a plate. Then Zak brought over our juice and we sat down for a hearty breakfast and great conversation.

—————

Breakfast was amazing. Josie really outdid herself. We ate and laughed, spending a little longer after breakfast just enjoying hanging out and catching up. Apparently, Hope was getting pretty serious with her date, Cal. I picked on her and gave her a hard time, laughing every time she blushed. It was great spending time with her and Josie. I had missed it so much. But before long it was time to get our hair and makeup done. Josie had found someone who was willing to make house calls and had a whole team lined up for us. We set about cleaning up the breakfast mess while we waited for them to arrive.

-------------------------

After breakfast, I volunteered to clean up. I needed to do something besides waiting around. The anticipation was driving me crazy. Garett and Zak tried to give me a hard time, but I finally shooed them away. While I washed and rinsed our plates, I recited the vows I knew by heart in my head and tried to picture my beautiful bride standing before me. It had been quite a wild and crazy ride getting to this point in our relationship, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

------------------

When the makeup and hair crew finally showed up, we were ushered into our spots and soon getting fixed up. I listened to Josie and Hope as I was getting my makeup done, wasn’t supposed to talk...or laugh, but I think they missed that memo. When I finally gave up and tuned them out so that Mr. Porter would stop giving me “the look”, I thought about Luc, not that he was ever far from my mind. I couldn’t believe that by the time the sun set tonight, I’d be married to the love of my life! So much had changed since I came here. I went from having no family to having a sister and, soon, a husband! I couldn’t wait to see what was next for us.

-----------------

After I finished the dishes, I joined Garett and Zak on the back porch for some fresh air. Each of us lost in our own thoughts. Zak checked his watch, “I better get going if I’m going to pick up Beatrice and Clea. See you there?” I nodded with a smile. “Thanks again for breakfast.” He grinned and clapped me on the back. “Any time.” Garett walked with him to his car while I headed back inside to take another quick shower and change into my suit.

—————-

After our hair and makeup was done, we quickly set about getting dressed. I was in my old room, turning in the mirror once dressed, when Josie and Hope called that it was time for me to come out. I laughed and called back for them to close their eyes and count to three. When they promised their eyes were closed and then started counting I opened the door and walked out. I had to carry my shoes and giggled as I walked, barefoot in a wedding dress down the hall. As they reached three, I struck a pose and waited for their reactions.

----------

Garett and I had a heart to heart on the way to the ceremony site. He wanted to remind me that Jayde was still fairly new to being a shifter and didn’t fully understand what having children would be like. He made me promise to use protection until could explain it to her and she could decide whether or not she even wanted children. “Believe me, Garett. I have been thinking about that. We’ve been careful ever since she moved in with me. I didn’t want to scare her by discussing it before the wedding. I didn’t want to chance her feeling pressured to answer a certain way thinking I would change my mind about marrying her.” He nodded as we parked. “Just had to make sure. Ready?” I grinned. “Absolutely!”

——————

Josie and Hope reacted way better than I thought they would. After rounds of Oohh's and aahh's...we finally started slipping our shoes on. Once we were all ready, we took turns posing for pictures, alone, and with each other. The moment the pics were taken, I knew I was going to make a scrapbook of this day, I never wanted to forget a single detail. This was one of the best days ever. Before long, it was time to head to where the ceremony was taking place. It was the first time I’d ever been in a limo. I loved it because we could laugh and talk along the way without fear of causing an accident.

---------------------

The ceremony site was perfect. It was simple and elegant. Just the way we wanted it. Garett and I greeted the judge before saying hello to our guests. It was a small, intimate wedding. Only a handful of friends and family. Couldn’t ask for anything better. I felt a tug on my arm, Garett was gesturing to the limo arriving with my fiancée. I grinned, thanked the guests for coming and followed my best man over to the judge’s side. When we were in place, I swear I held my breath as the limo driver opened the door for Hope, Josie and my bride.

———————-

Hope got out first, followed by Josie. They blocked me from view and gave me a few minutes to catch my breath. I was so excited. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it down the aisle without running to Luc. When I calmed myself down, I eased out of the limo behind them. Josie nodded and the music started up, signaling Hope to start walking. Once she had taken a few steps forward, I moved to my sister’s side and linked my arm in hers. I couldn’t help but tear up a little, “You’ll never know how grateful I am for you finding me and helping me see that it was okay to be me. I thought  I was going to be alone forever, but because of you, I know what it’s finally like to belong. To have a real family. I wouldn’t want anyone else standing beside me today. I love you, big sister.” Josie gave my arm a light squeeze. I could tell she was choked up. “Let’s get you married before we both ruin our makeup.” I laughed and let her escort me to my future.

-----------------------

Hope and Josie looked so lovely when they emerged, but they couldn’t compare to the vision that walked towards me on Josie’s arm. Jayde had never looked more beautiful or more confident as she glided towards me as if on air. At some point I felt tissues being tucked into my hand. I hadn’t even realized that I was crying. I was so proud of her transformation into a strong, loving, happy young woman compared to the way we met. So proud to call her mine. So proud to be taking her hand in front of the judge and pledging my love and my life to her.

——————-

The minute I saw Luc, it took everything in me not to run to him. Being separated, even for just a night, was one night too long. The minute Josie placed my hand in Luc’s...nothing else mattered. The ceremony passed in a blur, although I did tear up a bit with our vows. Before I knew it, the judge was pronouncing us man and wife, and I was in Luc’s arms with his lips pressed to mine. We were married!! When the judge introduced us as Mr. and Mrs. for the first time, I might have cheered right along with everyone else. I couldn’t help it. My life was so empty before and now, not only did I have a sister, I had a husband. I had never known what real love was or that I could love someone as much as I loved Luc. And now? I had a man who loved me and wanted to be with me for the rest of his life. I was beyond happy! I was over the moon.

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

I accidentally joined one cult after leaving the Unification Church cult

I decided I needed to get out of this church immediately, before I became some stranger’s child bride.

by HANNAH               November 21, 2014

When we opened our eyes, I could still feel the fleeting warmth from his hands placed on my head. We sat in a circle as he led us into a quiet chant known as the “moola mantra.”

“Moola? Like money?” I wondered. The incense smoke snaked throughout the room. I noticed a donation bowl being passed around. Yes. Like money.

“Sat chi ananda. Parabrahma. Purushathama. Paramatma. Sri Bhaghavathi Sametha. Sri Bhagavathe Namaha.”

I readily joined the others in chanting, not really knowing what they were saying. When I couldn’t remember the next phrase, I just Milli-Vanilli’d my way through it, letting the other voices fill in the gaps for me. I’ve had a lifetime of chanting in a language I didn’t understand to prepare myself for this.

In 1982, my parents, among many others, had an arranged mass marriage at Madison Square Garden (photo above), performed by the infamous Sun Myung Moon. With a simple hand gesture, Sun Myung Moon matched my parents together among a sea of brides and grooms, and five years later, I was born, the second of four children. It’s always troubling to think about how my very existence was decided by some Washington-Times-owning, money-laundering, homophobic, sushi tycoon/sexist cult leader, but I guess it makes things interesting.

Our childhood was…weird, in a word. Even as a kid I found myself thinking, “Why are we selling flowers at the side of highways?” “Why are we going door-to-door making strangers drink juice?” “Why are we sprinkling salt over our groceries?” “Why are we waking up at 5 a.m. to bow to a picture of a Korean man and a bowl of fruit?” “Why are we chanting right now, I mean, really? What language is this? I’m tired.”

Friends would come over and ask who the Korean people were in the photos around our house, referring to the Mr. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon.

“I…uh…they’re my grandparents.” I often found myself saying.

“But…you’re…not Asian,” they’d reply, stating the obvious.

I’ll never forget my birthday during the blizzard of ’96. My parents took us to one of Moon’s mansions in D.C. to meet some witch doctor of a woman. She claimed to embody the spirit of Sun Myung Moon’s dead mother. We stood in line behind a closed door in the foyer.

Before the door slammed shut, I caught a glimpse of a large group of people gathered around a woman and a boy. The woman had her eyes closed with the boy sprawled over her lap. He wasn’t wearing a shirt and seemed to be crying. Red marks were all over him. He tried to escape her grip, arms extended to what I assumed to be his mother, who sat silently in the circle. Then, the door shut. I’m haunted.

Finally, my turn came. I nervously sat myself next to the woman. She lifted my shirt, prepubescent chest exposed, as the captive audience watched as I was hit several times on my back. She prayed in Korean over me. And then, applause. It was over. Somewhere, there is a photo of my brother and I standing in front of the mansion after the woman hit us that day. We were smiling.

Beyond the ritual abuse, there was a certain strain of poverty that only a child of a cult could understand. You get used to communal living and sleeping on floors very quickly.

Before we eventually settled in the D.C. metropolitan area, we had traveled around the country, staying in attics, basements, and church-owned hotels and mansions. There’s a very real cognitive dissonance that occurs when you’re living in a mansion, sleeping in a tiny bedroom with all six members of your family. In that mansion, I befriended a young, Japanese opera singer who lived on the top floor. She’d French braid my hair and show me pictures of her fiancé, a man she had yet to meet.

I thought this was so strange, but I would later learn that being “matched,” or engaged to a stranger in another country was common. At 17, it happened to one of my best friends. I’ll never forget the look of misery on her face as she stood in her wedding dress, among the sea of brides and grooms, holding the picture of her future husband.

It was then that I decided I needed to get out of this church, immediately, before I became some stranger’s child bride.

Within days of that decision, I got a phone call from an old friend.

“Do you want to get your third-eye opened?” She asked.

“Do I…what?”

“You heard me. Get your third-eye…opened.”

When we arrived at the house, a blue-eyed man answered the door.

“David!” Joanna squealed. “It’s so good to see you!” He wrapped his arms around her, practically swallowing her tiny frame. “Hannah, this is David. We met at a commune conference. We couldn’t stop staring at each other from across the room. It was kismet.”

David laughed and put out his hand to shake mine. “Nice to meet you, Hannah.” He led us inside, where a bald-headed man was sitting cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed deep in meditation.

He opened his eyes and spoke with a soft cadence. He introduced himself as Daniel. He told us that he had recently returned from a trip to India, where he received a special blessing known as “deeksha,” from a group called “The Oneness Movement.” By taking part in this expensive ceremony in India, he became empowered to pass this gift of enlightenment to us.

He instructed us to close our eyes as he guided us into meditation. He came around the room and gently placed his hands on our heads. I was struck by the similarities of this ritual with another my parents performed for my birthday. There is something spiritual about having someone caress the crown of your head while they speak in soft tones over you. I felt enlightened, or at least relaxed. Like Fox Mulder [The X-Files], I wanted to believe. But there was a Dana Scully in the back of my head that wouldn’t completely let me.

I began attending meetings regularly. Daniel and I developed a close friendship where we spoke on the phone daily. At one point, I was $300 short for my rent, and without blinking, he loaned me the money. Three months later, I found myself riding in a car with him to attend a Oneness Movement get-together in Pittsburg.

We pulled up to a row house in Pittsburg, where we were greeted warmly by a jolly man. He placed prayer beads over our heads, luau-style. “Namaste,” he bowed, and we did the same. He led us upstairs to his railroad apartment and gave us a tour.

“And this…is my Christmas room.” It was August.

There were two entirely decorated trees with trains circling around them. Presents galore. Reindeer, flashing lights, snowmen. It was Christmas hell. I took a seat, completely entranced and horrified by the mechanical Santa’s never-ending “ho-ho-ho” mantra. I kept thinking, “Where am I?”

Daniel called me into the next room where others had already gathered and were chanting in harmony.

“Sat chi ananda. Parabrahma. Purushathama. Paramatma. Sri Bhaghavathi Sametha. Sri Bhagavathe Namaha.”

I sat on my knees, and just as I was about to lower my head in a child’s pose bow, I noticed a familiar face from across the room. She looked a lot like Diane, a Moonie truck driver who would stop and make us oxtail soup when she passed through town. She loved talking about God with my parents. No. It couldn’t be. It was. Our eyes met. In a panic, I lowered my forehead to the ground to hide my face.

Finally, the chants subsided, and a faint voice spoke up. “Hi, I’m Anthony and I prepared a song for you all.” I slowly raised my body, trying to hide my face behind my hair. A mousy-looking teenager stood before us, boom box ready. The familiar sound of chimes and wind instruments filled the room. I knew this song.

“Olha eu vii lue mostar…” He sang. “Como é belo este mundo…”

He was singing “A Whole New World,” the Disney classic, in Portuguese. I noticed Diane was full-on staring at me. I panicked just as Anthony’s falsetto kicked in for Princess Jasmine’s part of the duet.

“Um mundo ideal…Um mundo que eu nunca vi…”

I looked around the room, scanning for any sign of acknowledgement from another human. Nothing. I noticed everyone in the room was in fact, crying. Was I that cynical? Should I feel something right now? Watching Anthony shimmy his way through the intense key change was definitely a spiritual experience, but I still didn’t want to give these people my money. I felt duped. This “whole new world” suddenly felt a lot like the old one.

I retreated to the Christmas room in an attempt to hide from Diane. On a table, I noticed a photograph of Sri Bhaghavan and his wife, the founders of the Oneness movement. They were sitting in chairs, like royalty. The photograph was nearly identical to ones my parents kept of my pseudo Korean “grandparents.” Horrified by the parallels, my inner Dana Scully finally broke through.

I spent the rest of my time at the retreat doing just that — retreating. I slithered along the walls, and managed to avoid a conversation with Diane other than, “funny meeting you here” and “please don’t tell my parents.”

When I left my respective cults, I was excited to be integrated into the real world, a place without cults, or so I thought. Not so. These days, I see cults everywhere: cults of influence, cults of institutions, cults of politics. You learn a lingo, you follow a set of rules, a code of ethics. Sometimes you wear a uniform and a name tag. Sometimes you are sleep-deprived and haven’t seen your family in weeks. In a world where CEO’s are more likely be to sociopaths, it’s harder to define what is a cult and what isn’t.

What’s important is listening to your inner Dana Scully, no matter how badly you want to believe. The truth is out there, sure, but it’s also inside you.

_______________________________________

Hannah

After selling flowers as a child with the Moonies, Hannah is now a part-time florist. Her life has hilariously come full circle. She is also a songwriter and musician. She is a student majoring in human services and hopes for a career in social justice advocacy.

_______________________________________

A few of the comments on Hannah’s story:

mrsdanger So interesting, would love to hear about your life now and your parents’ reaction to leaving.

Keith All religions are cults, some are more destructive than others. Thank you for sharing your story. Write another story for us later to let everyone know how you are doing on your new journey.

sara_ahoy I understood what she was trying to say here. A lot of successful people become that way because they refuse to follow the rules of society, some are more aggressive, and willing to throw other people under the bus in their bid for a promotion. Cult leaders tend to act similarly, acting charming but ultimately bullying their way into leadership positions and ruling through fear and ignorance.

We like to think that the societal rules that we all follow are there to benefit us, but I’ve found time and time again that I’m paying arbitrary fees of all kinds that go straight to a rich businessperson somewhere…

Lalaloki … they sure discourage people from ever taking a day off, even when sick. And then, when people do call out sick, there’s a sort of underlying guilt involved. People are being paid to be there, sure, but in a cult, people are being “paid” salvation.

tracy This is perfect! “What’s important is listening to your inner Dana Scully, no matter how badly you want to believe. The truth is out there, sure, but it’s also inside you.”

Huh Wow, you should write a memoir! I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian church that was very cultish. We left in middle school and it was hard adjusting to the real world but my “inner Dana Scully” has been strong and made me skeptical of all things spiritual ever since. My advice: If a group (religious or otherwise) makes you isolated or relies heavily on secrets get the hell out!

FoxMulder She needs to know the truth is out there

breebree Moonies aren’t rich at all! The majority (my parents included) dropped out of school and donated ALL of their money to the church. And keep doing it. Ugh, so stupid.

berly I want to know why the cult did a ritual of hitting children? [ansu, a Korean shaman ritual to get rid of evil spirits]

_______________________________________

The FFWPU / Unification Church and Shamanism

Soon-ae Hong (the mother of Hak Ja Han) spent two years in Chuncheon Prison after Ansu beating an 18-year old boy to death.

Fear and Loathing at Cheongpyeong Lake

[stellalights]

Miraculous Ladybug: Trip to Disney World AU

i’ve seen this AU a ton but I wanna put my own Disney World experiences into this AU. Also I know it’s more logical for this to take place in Disneyland Paris but i don’t know anything about it so they’re going to Disney World let’s do this

*disclaimer: this is extremely long

So Marinette is a total Disney fanatic.

She has all the movies from Snow White all the way to the end of the Disney renaissance period on VHS and the rest on DVD.

Her family goes to Disney World every three years and they go all out.

I’m talking Disney bounding. i’m talking enormous collections of hats, Mickey ears, and pins. 5 filled autograph books. scrapbooks of pictures of Marinette meeting the characters. they are experts when it comes to planning a trip to Disney World.

So one year her parents suggest that she invites her whole class to go with them.

Marinette’s like “hell yeah” and the class is like “hell yeah” which means Marinette gets to be in her favorite place in the world with her friends and ADRIEN. so now Marinette is panicking because this trip needs to be absolutely perfect.

Marinette plans the entire trip from the resort to the dining reservations to the fast passes. She is completely on top of everything, making a schedule around the dining, fast passes, and park events. It all must be perfect.

Trip day arrives, and after they’ve landed and settled in the hotel (the Contemporary), the class takes a bus to Disney Springs to do a little shopping before they go to the parks in the upcoming days.

Everyone goes off to find some sweet apparel and other merch.

Adrien is like a kid in a candy shop since he’s never been to Disney World, but he adores all the merchandise, and Marinette is just so happy because he’s so happy??

Marinette helps everyone pick out their headgear. 

Juleka gets Maleficent ears, Rose gets Sleeping Beauty ones #girlfriends

Max, Kim, and Nino get Star Wars ones.

Ivan and Mylene get matching Minnie and Mickey ears

Chloe refuses to listen to Marinette’s suggestions and instead buys Rapunzel’s tiara

Alya gets the rose gold Minnie Mouse ears cause they are fabulous

Alix buys the Pluto cap

Adrien gets a simple Mickey hat with his name embroidered on it. Alya “Wingman” Cesaire tries to convince Marinette to get a Minnie hat with her name embroidered on it

Marinette freaks out and says no

Alya buys it for her (for the sake of love)

Marinette gives Alya the death stare as Alya places the hat on her head

Adrien is so happy to match Marinette

Next, they visit the art gallery which Marinette loves

Nathaniel admires every painting and even thinks of spending $600 on one of The Little Mermaid

Yes, it is that beautiful

They grab some dinner at The Boathouse which is amazing

Max suggests they all go to Disney Quest. 

Marinette reluctantly tells him that it just closed down. They share a moment of silence

Next day is the first park day: Animal Kingdom.

Marinette does not fuck around. 

She wakes everyone up at 6 am sharp because they need to get to Animal Kingdom before the park opens at 8 am so they can get to Pandora.

Marinette physically breaking into everyone’s room and ripping off their blankets

Even Chloe isn’t willing to test Marinette right now that’s how serious she is.

They take the bus to the park and head over to Flight of Passage (Best. Ride. Ever.).

Tom and Sabine go off and do their own thing (and do so the rest of the park days)

They hang around Pandora for a while, trying the food and watching the drum ceremony until their fast pass for the Na'vi River Journey is ready. 

Alya strategically sits Adrien next to Marinette. 

Adrien is in awe because he loves Avatar and he remembers every detail

Marinette continues to be so happy for him.

They ride the other rides

Adrien crying a little on Dinosaur as he flashes back to when Ladybug was almost eaten by Animan

Nino: “Adrien, dude, you know that ride was all animatronics, right?”

Adrien, traumatized: “Y-yeah I know.”

Rose holding onto Juleka during Expedition Everest

Kim holding onto Max during Expedition Everest

They do a little shopping, Marinette buying an Animal Kingdom pin just like every trip

Alix insisting they ride Flight of Passage one more time

Checking the wait time for it

It’s 225 minutes

Cue disappointed classmates

They watch the Rivers of Light show together, and head back to the resort

Next day: Epcot

Because the fast pass system sucks for Epcot, the class SPRINTS to Test Track before it gets crowded (or breaks down) because they had to choose between getting a fast pass for that, Soarin, or Frozen Ever After (and Marinette did NOT wanna wait on line for that so thus chooses Frozen Ever After for the fast pass slot)

Alya and Marinette bet Nino and Adrien that their car design will beat theirs and Nino and Adrien are all about it. 

Alya and Marinette's car exceeds in all the tests and they brag about it for the rest of the day cause power girlfriends™

Next is Soarin which is Marinette's favorite ride in the park. 

She literally cries from how beautiful it is

Adrien is kind of taken by how much she loves the ride and Disney World in general

He finds her passion inspiring

Time for world showcase! 

Marinette's favorite pavilion is Italy because the food is delicious and the Venetian Carnival Masks in the store are her favorite

She traditionally buys a new one every trip

When Adrien visits the store in Japan, he is in literal tears

Anime products everywhere. 

He spends $200 there on merch include a Sailor Moon keychain, a giant Pikachu plushie, and a Goku onesie

He also gets 6 different flavors of Pocky

Nino loves the Morocco pavilion (for obvious reasons) and he insists on snacking on the Moroccan food which turns out to be soo good. 

Frozen Ever After time!

Adrien sings “Let It Go” with Elsa and everyone giggles but it's honestly adorable and he's pretty good at singing too??

They visit the other pavilions, including France where they all have a mini photo shoot together

Cue the class posing like Ladybug and Chat Noir in front of a fountain

Marinette and Alya posing as Ladybug and Chat Noir respectively

Adrien, seeing them pose, and asking Marinette to take pics with him in LB and CN poses

Why are these kids so clueless: a novel by me

They also meet Belle and Adrien cries a little because she’s such a believable Belle and he feels unworthy to be in the presence of a real Disney Princess

Marinette buys her Epcot pin, following tradition

They finish the night watching Illuminations in the Canada pavilion

Adrien lowkey watching Marinette watch the show because wow she loves it so much?

Marinette glancing at Adrien

Adrien quickly looking away and blushing (these kids I can’t with them)

NEXT: Hollywood Studios 

Nino is SO HYPE. A park about film. It's everything he could want

Chloe insists on taking solo pics in front of Hollywood Boulevard

Everyone actually agrees

Adrien being the diva he is and Marinette close to fainting

First stop: Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster

Quick photoshoot in front of the guitar, posing like Jagged Stone

Second stop: Toy Story Mania

Marinette and Max going all out

Max surprisingly winning the game

Marinette claims her cannon was broken and therefore was the leading cause of her loss

Third stop: Tower of Terror

Everyone is lowkey scared to ride, even Marinette who has ridden it hundreds of times

Alix suggests that they all dab when the photo is taken

No one knows when the photo is taken on the ride, so they all dab like 5 times

The picture actually turns out super funny, and they buy it

Fourth stop: Star Tours

Nino, Max, and Kim fangirl so hard

Kim tries to join the Jedi Training show, but is #rejected for being too old

Alix steals a pair of 3D glasses from the ride

Fifth stop: The Great Movie Ride

Marinette ADORES this ride because it’s a tribute to classic movies

She loves everything about it from the cheesy tour guide to the montage of movies at the end

She ends up crying after the ride is over because she remembers that it’s closing in the upcoming weeks

Classmates comfort Marinette

Marinette buys a Hollywood Studios pin

They watch the Star Wars firework show and head home

Time for the most important park day of all: Magic Kingdom

Marinette does not hesitate, bitch

She needs this day to be the best of the best

Marinette wears her Minnie Mouse Disney bound which makes all the classmates’ hearts skip a beat

like she is so pretty in her red dress with white polka dots, yellow converse, block stockings, space buns, and bow in her hair

They get to the park and Alya insists on taking pics of Marinette in front of the castle

Marinette is a little embarrassed but she does it anyway

Adrien can not get over how cute she is like wow???

Alya catches Adrien staring at Marinette

Alya: “hey Mickey Mouse, why don’t you take a few pictures with Minnie?”

Adrien, caught off guard: “Wh-huh yeah sure!”

Marinette, using telepathy: “Alya, I will get you back for this.”

The pictures actually turning out amazing and Adrien makes one his phone wallpaper

Marinette once again almost passing out

They head to Space Mountain aka the best ride (before Flight of Passage was built that is)

Adrien loves it sooooo much he wants to ride it all day

but alas, the line is 110 minutes long after they exit the ride

They spend about an hour and a half in Tomorrowland

Next stop: Fantasyland, Marinette’s favorite area

Adrien finds the Princess Fairytale Hall and demands they get on line to meet Rapunzel, his favorite princess.

the line is 45 minutes, a bit much, but they let him

Adrien running up to Rapunzel and hugging her like a 5 year old child

He tells her how much he loved Tangled and that she is his idol

Rapunzel kisses his cheek and Adrien almost dies right there

Marinette gets a little jealous

Because it’s Florida, there’s a thunderstorm

The class quickly finding a place to take cover

Adrien trying to block the rain from Marinette so her outfit doesn’t get ruined

Marinette slipping on the wet ground and Adrien catching her

Cue insane blushing

They take this opportunity to see Philharmagic

Alix steals 3 pairs of the 3D glasses

Rose tells her to return them

Alix gives her a pair to keep her quiet

The storm clears out

3:00 pm: time for the Festival of Fantasy Parade!

Marinette singing the parade music because she knows it by heart

Flynn Rider winks at Sabrina

Sabrina actually fainting due to a mixture of heat, dehydration, and Eugene Fitzherbert

The paramedics come to take Sabrina to the infirmary

Sabine offers to stay with her 

The whole class in awe when Dragon!Maleficent breathes fire

After the parade, the class proceeds to go on the rest of the rides

They dab during the Splash Mountain photo

Ivan comforts Mylene during the Haunted Mansion

Everyone sings “Heigh-Ho” on the Dwarf Mine Coaster

Also singing during Pirates of the Caribbean

Snack Break!

Marinette buys everyone Dole Whips because they are amazing

More rides, more photos, more fun

8:00 pm: 1 hour until the fireworks

Marinette insists that they must get their spot now

They play Heads-Up on Alya’s phone to help pass the time

Sabrina and Sabine rejoin the group

9:00 pm: time for Happily Ever After

Marinette has never actually seen this show because it’s fairly new

The whole class is in awe

Halfway through the show, Marinette bursts out into tears because the show is just so well done

The music, the fireworks, the projections on the castle, it just brings back all her memories watching Disney movies

Adrien sees this and puts his hand on her shoulder

Marinette panics, but Adrien gives her a soft smile and she’s smiles back

The show ends, being the perfect finale to a perfect trip

On their way out of the park, Adrien realizes that Marinette never bought her pin from Magic Kingdom yet and decides to buy one for her on Main Street

They head back to their hotel and begin packing for their departure in the morning

Adrien knocks on the door to Marinette and Alya’s room

He thanks her for making the trip so amazing and magical

He then pulls out the Magic Kingdom pin from his pocket and gives it to her as a thank you

Marinette, face as red as a tomato, freezes for a moment

Alya is eating this up

Marinette takes a breath and hugs Adrien, thanking him for also making this trip amazing for her

I definitely would like to go into more detail about each individual day, but here’s a summary of basically all the points I wanted to hit! If you have any ideas/headcanons please send them my way I’d love to hear them :D