#Occurrence at Mills Creek

[gbhbl]

Horror Movie Review: Occurrence at Mills Creek (2020)

Horror Movie Review: Occurrence at Mills Creek (2020)

A young woman haunted by the death of her sister finds her reality eroding as she is plagued by a darkness hidden in her family’s past.

Written and directed by Don Swanson, Occurrence at Mills Creek is a psychological horror that requires patience to fully enjoy. At times it feels more like an art project, at times more like a music video and at other times, like you’re part of some sort of…

[moviesandmania]

Occurrence at Mills Creek (2020) reviews and overview

Occurrence at Mills Creek (2020) reviews and overview

‘A family secret is about to surface’

Occurrence at Mills Creek is a 2020 American feature film about a young woman’s reality eroding as she is haunted by the death of her sister. plagued by darkness hidden in her family’s past.

Written, produced and directed by Don Swanson (A Wish for Giants) with additional dialogue by Betsy Lynn George, Joe Fishel and Ava Psoras, the Spruce Films production…

[cinemty]

الفيلم الاجنبي Occurrence at Mills Creek 2020 مترجم مشاهدة وتحميل الفيلم الاجنبي Occurrence at Mills Creek 2020 مترجم مشاهدة اون لاين تحميل مباشر , قصة حدث في ميلز كريك هو فيلم من بطولة آفا بسوراس أليكسا ميتشلينج وبيتسي لين جورج مسكون بوفاة أختها ، واقع المرأة الشابة يتآكل حيث ابتليت بظلام مخفي في ماضي عائلتها

[reidandweep]

Stitching

Spencer Reid x Reader (female)

A/N- Much like Adam Driver, I have been a huge fan of Matthew Gray Gubler and criminal minds for years. With quarantine, I decided to re-watch the show from the beginning and I had some inspiration. My writing tends to take a while but if you have any requests or idea for Spencer Reid, please send them my way.

Word Count- 6286 words

Warning- Angst, mentions of violence and torture, fluff, tears, and the usual criminal minds details.

If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge? -William Shakespeare.

QUANTICO, VIRGINIA

“Good morning my lover and friends. As of 8:45 am, yesterday morning, four bodies have been found across the Washington State area. Locations confirmed to be Pomeroy, Baker City, Salem, and Mill Creek. All victims were very similar in physical appearance; Caucasian, red hair, brown eyes, approximately 5ft 4’.”

Garcia swiped her tablet to display family photographs of the victims on the screen. The team watched, in the debriefing room, as they scanned through their own tablets; reading through the details. Spencer’s eyes flittered over the images as his fingers scanned across the words in his paper file; still adamant on not working with technology like the rest of his team.

“What about the cause of death? How were they found?”

Garcia shivered at Rossi’s question.

“It’s not a pretty image. Each victim was dismembered at the elbows, knees, neck, and stomach. Further cuts were made vertically down the stomach and across the face, arms, and legs. Not deep enough to cut through bone, but deep enough to bleed out. Where the unsub cut our victims, he then sewed them back together.”

Emily looked up at Garcia.

“Are you saying the lacerations were made before the victim’s died?”

“Precisely. Each autopsy report came back the same with the cause of death pointing to the direction of blood loss; specifically, from the throat.”

The team looked at the new images before them. Multiple pictures appeared on the screen, showing the bodies of the victims. The pictures showing the women laid out in the same pose, thick thread holding together the pieces of their corpses. All had their eyes closed, except one.

“Garcia, the last victim, zoom into her face.”

Garcia did as Spencer asked.

“Her eyes are closed.”

Spencer nodded, glancing towards JJ as she spoke.

“Meaning that he felt remorse for this murder.”

Derek scrolled through the pictures on his tablet.

“The other three victim’s eyes are open, indicating that he wanted them to look. To watch what he was doing, whatever it may have been.”

Spencer looked across the table at the questioning faces.

“So, what changed between the third and the fourth victim?”

Hotch stood from his seat, indicating the others to grab their belonging.

“We can discuss further on jet. Wheels up in thirty.”

WASHINGTON STATE

Being greeted by the local police department in Clagstone, Spencer and the team began their investigation into the murders. Spencer did not know what it was, but the stitching on the bodies felt familiar. Like he had seen them before.

Looking up from his files, Spencer watched as Derek walked into the room, ending a call with who he could only presume to be Garcia.

“Garcia has just completed background checks on our latest victim. Lily Trent visited local film screenings at the Southview Centre religiously, to watch horror movies in particular. Seems like the girl loved anything horror and Halloween; according to her roommate and her computer history. It seems that are other victims did also.”

Spencer stood from his seat and walked towards the whiteboard at the back of the room. Writing down the details Derek stated, his brain began to filter through the relevant information needed.

“Halloween is ranked the ninth most celebrated holiday in the world. With different interpretations of the holiday occurring according to country and culture. Wearing costumes at Halloween did not even become an occurrence until 1585, with the first instance recorded in Scotland.”

Derek chuckled at Reid’s excitement. He knew the boy loved Halloween.

“Well it all looks like they were pretty huge fans of the holiday and horror films. Maybe our unsub was too.”

Spencer looked down at the photos in his hand, scanning his memory for any correlation.

“Maybe, it’s not just horror, but a particular film. If all the victims were presented in a certain way, maybe the unsub is trying to replicate what happened to a character in a particular film.”

Derek crossed his arms over his chest.

“I’ll call Garcia to search through all the victims search history to see if any particular horror films come up in each one. Do you know of any films that the unsub could have replicated?”

Spencer shook his head.

“I can collate his actions to hundreds of films but, the method of torture and look of the victims, I can’t think of one horror feature that pinpoints all that the unsub has done.”

A thought unexpectedly popped into Spencer’s mind. Derek cocked his head at the sudden halt from the resident genius.

“But I know someone who might.”

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

“The importance of genre in film alters many of the other aspects. The characters and their narrative arcs, the music score, cinematography, the edit, and so much more. Sometimes genre even dictates the director who signs onto the project. Dennis Dugan would not have a directing career if Adam Sandler stopped making comedy movies. Because that is what he directs. He doesn’t direct comedies; he directs Adam Sandler comedies. Which, in my opinion, are a whole genre on their own.”

The class chuckled.

“Genre plays a part in everyday life. Sometimes, your day will be led by romance, or grief, or action. There may be drama, or comedy, or even silence.”

The class looked on in concentration as Y/N walked across the floor. If someone who did not attend the college walked past the classroom, they could’ve presumed that she was a student. She looked young enough.

“It controls the way the characters talk, act, and move. How the plot thickens and pushes forward and…”

The doors at the back of the auditorium opened. Y/N looked up at the sound of the intrusion to see figures that she could not recognise, and one that she did.

Clearing her throat, she continued.

“And how it even ends. We shall leave it at that today. What I want you to do in the meantime is research a genre in particular and come up with examples that counteract the stereotypes that have been enforced upon the genre itself. Hand it in to your professor first thing Monday morning. Thank you.”

Y/N watched as the students collected their things and filtered out of the room. The figures waiting till she was only left before they walked down the steps.

Coming to a stop in front of her desk, Y/N crossed her arms and waited. Spencer stepped forward with a crooked smile on his face.

“Hi Y/N.”

Y/N couldn’t help but giggle.

“Long time no see stranger.”

Spencer’s cheeks burned at Y/N’s words. The team shared looks between them at the unfamiliar display. They had seen Spencer blush at people before, but not for a long time.

Spencer cleared his throat, preparing himself to act professional.

“This is Dr Y/F/N Y/L/N. Y/N travels across the country to guest speak at different universities on her topic at hand. She specialises in film studies, more importantly the focus of characters and genres. If I can’t connect the unsub’s actions to a film, Y/N most definitely can.”

Y/N smiled at Spencer’s praise.

“Nice to meet you all. So, what are you here to talk to me about Doc? Obviously, you’re here on a case and if you are asking for my help, I’m guessing it’s going to be pretty gruesome.”

Spencer blushed at the nickname; caught off guard by the word slipping of her tongue.

Sending a raised look towards Reid, Hotch began to explain why they were there.

“Were looking into a case of connected murders. All victims were found to have been mutilated and tortured in the same way. As well as showing resemblances in their physical appearances. With research, we’ve found that each victim was particularly fond of horror films and Halloween. We would just like for you to take a look and see if you could recognise if the ways in which they were harmed stemmed from a film in particular.”

Y/N nodded her head.

“Of course, anything to help.”

She reached for the files from Spencer’s hands, ignoring the tablet pushed in her direction by JJ.

“Sorry, I prefer to use paper. I only really use technology for my lectures or to watch films if they cannot be purchased in physical form.”

Derek smirked, shooting looks to his team, as his eyes landed on Spencer. He never thought he would meet a technophobe like Reid.

Y/N scanned through the pictures and documents, looking in detail at the lacerations at hand. She identified the similarities between the victims, as her mind swirled through the images and characters from the films, she knew held similarities.

“What were the names of all the victims?”

Emily looked towards the woman.

“That information is classified.”

Y/N did not blink at her abrasiveness.

“Were any of them called Sally?”

The team looked perplexed at her question.

“No. Why that name in particular?”

Y/N continued to scan the pages as Rossi questioned her.

“Because the unsub isn’t replicating anything from a horror movie. The unsub is replicating the physical appearance and staging of a character from an animated movie. A Disney one to be more specific.”

A light bulb flickered in Spencer’s mind as he stared at Y/N in realisation. The hair colours. The stitches. It made sense now.

“The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT

“The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 American stop-motion animated musical Halloween-Christmas fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced and conceived by Tim Burton. It became a cult classic during the early 2000s with orchestral concerts occurring every year to celebrate the spectacle of the film.”

Spencer indicated for JJ to change the monitor as he and Y/N stood in front of the team to explain the information.

“Originally, the story began as a poem written by Tim Burton. Both narratives follow the protagonist, Jack Skellington, into his journey to Christmastown, and how he tries to make Christmas his own. The character in question that your unsub is replicating is the love interest of our protagonist. Created by Dr Finkelstein, Sally is a ragdoll-esque character whose body is covered with stitches to keep her together. The form in which all the women were found is identical to this scene in the movie.”

The screen changes to show the scene in question; paused at the precise moment to prover her point.

“All red haired, all Caucasian, all eerily the same. The stitches are exactly the same and the pose in which they are in the pictures are also.”

“We now know which film our unsub is mimicking, but how can we produce a distinguished profile of our unsub? All we can say is that between his third and fourth victim, he suddenly began to feel remorseful of his crimes.”

Y/N looked towards Spencer, waiting for him to speak as he knew more details about the case.

“Garcia checked into the victim’s computer histories and found that all four victims attended a horror convention in the Washington state area over the course of the past month. The convention in particular runs every other weekend, focusing on different horror films to highlight. However, they always make an exception for one film; The Nightmare Before Christmas. Whilst reviewing receipts for the tickets, they were all brought through the convention’s website, which is run by its board of organisation every year. Up until recently, the board has held the same members.”

Derek tapped on his tablet to the convention’s website.

“Last month, the website released details stating that a distinguish member was no longer part of the board due to unforeseen circumstances.”

It suddenly dawned on Y/N who Derek was talking about.

“Dean Faulkner.”

Spencer whipped around towards Y/N.

All eyes laid on her as her breath increased.

“You know him?”

Y/N nodded at Hotch.

“I guest spoke at a panel with him a few years back at a separate university. We were both there, amongst others, to talk about the works of a genre that are expertise were in. I was there to basically provide loose ends for what they could not answer. Dean’s specialised area was horror. The whole time he spoke about what he described as the true villains of horror and of the world.”

Y/N gulped, her mouth going dry.

“Women.”

The wheels began to turn in the team’s heads.

Spencer stepped closer towards Y/N in assurance, seeing that her thoughts were becoming overwhelmed. He quickly stepped back after he realised what he had done.

“He went on a raging tangent about the damsel in distress and the final girl. Going on and on and on about how women are weak and would never be the last one standing if faced against the monsters in real life. How they manipulated the men and made the monsters seem worse than they truly were. The only time he spoke positively about women was when we finally calmed him down and, during a Q&A session, a student asked him who the perfect horror movie character was. He said Sally because she was forgiving and would do anything for Jack; even if that meant falling apart and being sewn back together. I tried to justify that the film does not necessarily fall into the genre of horror. But he rebutted saying that it most definitely did, because of the fact that Jack’s dream did not come true.”

The room was silent for a second, taking in the information.

Suddenly, Y/N grasped the pen from Spencer’s hands. Her finger scribbling across the whiteboard.

“I need to know the names of the victims. Get Penelope on the phone and tell me the names.”

The team shocked at her erratic movements, sat in silence.

“Do you want to capture this guy?”

Spencer licked his lips and repeated the victim’s names.

“Susanna Cole, Alice Dawes, Liberty May, and Lily Trent.”

Y/N swiftly wrote the names on the boards. Each name below the other. Underneath the last name she wrote the letter Y.

“Can you ask Penelope to track any females with the first name beginning with Y who have purchased a ticket to the next convention?”

Derek quickly began to type to her. The rest of the team looking on in disbelief.

“There were twenty-three purchases, but with cross referencing with the similarities in the other victims, one matched. Her name is Yasmine Driver.”

Y/N wrote the name on the board. Circling all the first letters of each name, it became clear there was another connection with the victims.

“Their initials spell Sally.”

Y/N nodded at JJ’s disbelief.

“Reid, when is the next convention being held?”

Spencer diverted his attention to Emily.

“Their schedule every two weeks, so that would make it… tomorrow.”

The team swiftly moved into action.

“JJ bring together the police force for a debrief. Derek and Rossi, go to the convention centre and question the board about Dean. Ask them how often he visited and if they have any knowledge of the victims visits to the convention. Spencer and Emily, contact Penelope for Faulkner’s address. Once you have visited the home, if he is there, bring him in. We’re going to try and catch him before he gets close to his goal. I will locate Yasmine and bring her to the station for safety. We don’t know how far he is going to go and what the end goal of his fantasy is. But we are going to stop him.”

The team swiftly did as they were told, leaving the room with only Spencer and Y/N behind. Just before the door shot, Hotch leaned back in.

“Thank you, Dr Y/L/N, for all your help. If possible, could you stay here with JJ and look through the documents? You know this guy more than we do, so any more information that comes to mind, please let us know.”

Y/N and Spencer watched as Hotch left the room, the door shutting behind him.

As the silence engulfed them, Y/N and Spencer were hyper aware that they were now alone and had been for the first time in weeks.

Spencer swiftly walked towards Y/N and embraced her in a tight hold. Wrapping her arms around the slender man, Y/N breathed in his scent.

“I’ve missed you.”

Y/N chuckled at Spencer’s muffled words, as his head rested on top of her own. Pulling back, Y/N slowly released Spencer, letting her hands drop to her sides.

“I’ve missed you too Doc. We can catch up later, I will be waiting right here. Now, go and save the girl.”

Spencer chuckled at her words but did as Y/N said. Throwing her a smile, Spencer quickly walked out the room, leaving Y/N behind.

Y/N sat in the room, looking over the files as the time passed, waiting to see Spencer return with the rest of the team. A knock on the door startled her from her search.

Looking up at the door, Y/N saw JJ walk into the room with two cups of coffee in her hands. JJ outstretched the one hand, placing the cup in front of Y/N, as she took a seat and began to sip at her own.

“I didn’t know how many sugars you took so I estimated.”

Y/N smiled at the woman’s kindness.

“Thank you. Have you heard anything from the others?”

JJ sat up in her seat as she watched Y/N look over the documents. Her fingers moving across the pages ever so quickly. Her hand that wasn’t tapped continuously on the table in a rhythm.

“Spencer and Emily located Faulkner’s home, but it was vacant. They’re looking around the premises for clues for where he may be; as we speak. Hotch and Derek just called saying they are on their way down with Yasmine now.”

Y/N nodded at her words. Glad to hear that the girl was safe, but the main priority now would be to locate Faulkner. She wanted to truly help them, before anyone else could get hurt.

JJ grabbed her tablet and began to search through the files for any missed out information. Silence befell across the pair, until JJ could not help but ask what they had all been dying to know.

“How did you and Spencer meet?”

Y/N had been waiting for the question. She had seen the looks the team had shared throughout the day. The questioning gazes towards the pair.

“Spencer and I were both guests speaking at the University of California a few months ago. He must have finished his lecture early as he was wondering the halls when he came across the class I was teaching. I was stood on the desk, encouraging the students to do the same. Spencer thought I was a student causing trouble whilst the professor had left the room. He ran in sprouting facts about the percentage of people who fall and severely hurt themselves whilst standing on tables. Telling me that I should get down before he reports me to my professor.”

JJ chuckled at Y/N’s story.

“Sounds like Spence alright.”

Y/N giggled in agreement. As she spoke, Y/N couldn’t help but smile at the memory of their first encounter. JJ noticed the smile on the woman’s face. She knew what that smile meant.

“So, I told him that he better stay there to catch me, just in case I fell, as I was trying to teach my students about the importance of character actions, and how doing something as simple as standing on a desk can amplify the tone of the scene. Like in the film Dead Poet’s Society. Spencer finally realised that I was also a guest speaker and he actually stood there for the next 40 minutes of my lecture. I didn’t need to stand on the desk that long, but I wanted to see if he would stay. Once the lecture had finished, he apologised for jumping to conclusions. I apologised for making him wait for 40 minutes in case I fell. He told me I didn’t make him wait; he chose to. We’ve been in contact ever since.”

Just as Y/N finished her story, the door to the conference room opened once more. Looking towards the door, Y/N watched as Hotch entered, followed by Yasmine. The young woman looked scared, but unharmed.

Y/N stood from her seat, unsure of what to do as Hotch insisted for Yasmine to take a seat.

“Do you want me to leave?”

Hotch nodded his head.

“We shouldn’t be long. The rest of the team are outside in the bullpen. You can go ahead and join them. JJ and I will take it from here.”

Y/N nodded her head, leaving the room. She watched as Hotch and JJ questioned spoke to Yasmine through the glass, before she turned and walked down the corridor to find Spencer and his friends.

Turning the corner, Y/N failed to stop herself before bumping into a tall figure. Looking up to apologise, her eyes suddenly widened at the familiar face. Before a sound could leave her lips, a blunt force knocked her out cold.

Spencer and the team discussed where Faulkner could be when Hotch strode into the bull pen.

“How did it go?”

Hotch walked towards his team, ready to answer Derek’s question.

“It seems that Faulkner had been stalking the victims for some time. Yasmine detailed seeing him turn up at the conventions, even though he was no longer allowed. She had previously complained about his behaviour to the board before his dismissal. Stating that Faulkner had sexually harassed her. Rossi, did anyone at the convention mention anything about Faulkner that we don’t know?”

“It seems that Yasmine wasn’t the only one. The other board members went into detail about why he was fired. It turned out that all of our victims, including Yasmine, had filed lawsuits against Faulkner for sexual harassment. The charges were ultimately dropped and never recorded to keep the convention’s reputation clear. But they fired Faulkner and banned him from being able to attend any further conventions. Taking away the Nightmare Before Christmas dedicated stand was just a coincidence. They felt that the convention needed something new as they had been celebrating the film for over eight years.”

Just as Hotch was about to declare what the next step would be in finding Faulkner, JJ burst through the ball pen.

“Guys, you have to come quick.”

The team, in shock, watched as JJ ran back towards the conference room. All quickly on her heels. Entering the room, she took control of the laptop, streaming the image to the projector.

Spencer could no longer breathe as he looked at the image on the screen.

“Y/N.”

The screen showed Y/N tied to a chair and bent forward; clearly in pain. Her surroundings empty and dark.

Suddenly a voice was heard.

“I sense there's something in the wind. That seems like tragedy's at hand isn’t there Dr Y/F/N Y/L/N.”

The team watched in horror as Dean Faulkner yanked Y/N’s head back, her body letting out a strangled cry at the pain caused by his actions.

Spencer felt sick, he felt like he was watching himself when Tobias Hankel had held him captive.

“Emily, call Garcia to track his location. We don’t have much time.”

Emily did as Hotch told her to. Talking as quickly as she could on the phone.

“She can’t track it; he’s re-routing the IP address every thirty seconds.”

“She needs to track it. She needs to find her now!”

They all jumped at Spencer’s outburst, watching as tears filled his vision and his hands began to shake.

“Spencer, you need to calm down, we are going to find her. He can’t have taken her far.”

Spencer took in Derek’s words. Taking a breath, he looked back at the screen as he tried to distinguish any recognisable features of where she may be.

Faulkner moved his face to rest against Y/N’s hair, smelling the tresses. She tried to pull away only for him to yank her back again.

“Why did you kill them Dean?”

Faulkner let go of Y/N’s hair. Walking to her side, he grabbed her face in a vicious grip. Yanking her to look at him.

“Why? They ruined my life, everything I ever worked hard for. You all did.”

Y/N looked at him in confusion.

“I did nothing to you.”

Y/N’s breath increased at the vicious look he sent her way. Her eyes flickered to the camera, knowing that Faulkner was streaming what was happening to Spencer and his team. She had to find a way to tell them where she was.

“You made them question my authority. My position. My integrity as a member of the board. You ruined my reputation by belittling me in California.”.

“That’s because you know nothing about horror Dean. You think you know everything about it, but you don’t.”

Spencer couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Why was Y/N taunting him?

“Garcia’s looking to see if there’s any abandoned properties around the area that he could have taken her to.”

Spencer didn’t even acknowledge Emily’s words.

Faulkner reeled back at Y/N’s taunt.

“I know everything there is to know about horror. I’ve seen it all. I’ve lived it. I’ve created it. Ask me anything about it, I know the right answers.”

“But you don’t. You have an idea of horror, your own idea, that is wrong. You believe that women are the reason you lost your job and became the monster that you are. But they’re not. The reason you’re a monster is because of your sick and twisted fantasies. You made those girls feel small and weak, didn’t you?”

“Shut the fuck up.”

The team watched in apprehension.

“Garcia, the location, we need it now.”

Rossi looked between the screen and the phone in Derek’s hand.

“I can get the area he’s holding her, but not the specific building. The whole town is basically abandoned. She could be anywhere from a shop to a house.”

“Keep looking.”

Spencer chewed on his lips. He had to think rationally. If the unsub was upset about the changes and losing his job, what could have been the last straw?

“Derek what was the film they replaced Nightmare Before Christmas with at the convention.”

Derek and Spencer shared a look.

“Cabin in the Woods.”

Spencer ran across the rooms to the files at hand.

“In the location that Garcia has tracked her too, there are three cabins, all within a walking distance of the other.”

The team began to rush out the room, transferring the livestream to a tablet so they could monitor Faulkner and Y/N.

“You’re weak Dean. You’re just like all the horror movie villains. Ghostface, pinhead, jigsaw, all of them. You feed of fear and feeling in control. But the only thing you have in common with them is that you’re not going to win.”

Faulkner scream in rage. Pulling Y/N’s head back, he punched her in the jaw. Striding to the camera, he pushed his face to the lens.

“The party’s over!”

Spencer watched in horror as the feed went off.

“Hotch we have to hurry!”

Hotch sped up the car. Quickly arriving to the location, the team split up into pairs, taking a cabin each to inspect. Hotch and Derek, Rossi and JJ, and Spencer and Emily veered off to their targeted locations. Spencer followed Emily, trying to stay calm, as he slowly walked into the cabin to find it empty, when suddenly a gun shot was heard. Looking in the direction, the pair ran to the cabin that Derek and Hotch had been assigned. The rest of the team already there, looking into the cabin in shock.

“No, no, no, no. Y/N.”

Spencer pushed in front of them, tears pooling in his eyes as he a waited to see the horror before him. He looked in disbelief as Y/N stood from her position on the floor, the gun dropping from her hand as they shook. Faulkner laid a few feet away, in a pool of blood, no longer breathing.

Y/N looked towards the team. Raising her shaking hands towards Spencer.

“I didn’t want to kill him but he was going to shoot whoever walked through the door.”

Spencer rushed forward, grabbing her in a bone crushing hug. His hands stroking her hair as he soother her cries. Leading her out of the cabin, he allowed his team to sort out the rest as he continued to calm Y/N down.

The movement of the team were a blur as ambulances and police cars came. Taking them to the hospital as they sat in the waiting room as Y/N was checked over.

Spencer sat in the waiting room, his leg bouncing up and down with nerves.

Derek excused himself from the groups conversation as he went and sat next to Spencer. Clapping him on the back, Derek squeezed Spencer’s shoulder in re-assurance.

“She’s going to be fine pretty boy.”

“Physically, she has a concussion, bruising along her jawline, and needs stitches on her forehead. Mentally, I don’t know how she is going to handle this. When I suggested asking for her help in the case, I didn’t presume the risk of her being hurt. I should have.”

“Spencer, listen to me. We would have done everything to make sure she lived okay. She not only saved herself but she also helped save Yasmine and this team. Any one of us could have been shot if she had not thought fast and got the gun out of his hands. You know, better than anyone, how to help her deal with this.”

Spencer took in Derek’s words, nodding his head in appreciation, as he leaned against his friend in a comforting hug.

“Probably wasn’t the ideal way to introduce your girlfriend to the team though.”

Spencer stuttered at Derek’s teasing.

“We’re profilers Spencer. We’ve all noticed how you’ve been happier these past few months and seeing how persistent you were for us to consult Y/N, it gave us all an idea why. Seeing you together only confirmed our suspicions. So, how long has pretty boy had his pretty girl?”

Spencer chuckled at Derek’s words. Ringing his hands together as he spoke to Derek.

“Tomorrow is actually our six-month anniversary. She was going to be flying back today so we could celebrate; unless I got called on a case.”

“We can still celebrate.”

Spencer looked up as Y/N walked through the waiting room, fresh stitches on her forehead and an ice pack resting in her hands.

“The nurse said that there was no internal damage. That my body will just be sore for a few weeks. My concussion is light, so I am alright to travel home.”

The team gathered around to check on her. But her eyes could not leave Spencer’s as he rose from his seat. Spencer walked forward slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. Carefully he cupped her face in his hands, and to the surprise of Y/N and his team, Spencer bowed his head and placed a careful kiss on Y/N’s lips. Slow, protective, and full of love.

Pulling back, Spencer wrapped his arms around her as he looked at the beaming smiles of his teammates. Y/N couldn’t help the blush across her cheeks or the giggle that followed. Soon, everyone was chuckling at the pair.

“I would like to thank you Y/N. From the entire team. Your actions saved a young woman’s life, and what could have been one of our own.”

Y/N smiled in appreciation at Rossi’s words.

“You’re Spencer’s family. I would do it all again if I had to.”

“Statistically speaking, around 2,000 people a day are reported missing in the US. Approximately, 600 of those would be reported or considered kidnappings. It is highly unlikely for you to be put in a situation like that again.”

Y/N looked up at her boyfriend.

“I never thought I would say this, but your talk about me being kidnapped again is really attractive.”

The team laughed at the girl’s statement, seeing Spencer become physically embarrassed.

“Just to inform everyone, the jet will be ready to depart in forty-five minutes. As I was informed that today you would have been heading home, Y/N we have sent for your belongings to be collected; you can fly back with us.”

Spencer smiled at Hotch in gratitude, the older man knowing he would have only worried if she had flown home alone.

“Thank you, Mr Hotchner.”

Hotch let out a brief smile.

“Call me Hotch. Your part of Spencer’s life, that means your part of this family.”

BAU JET

It had been an exhausting few days for the team, and it showed, as they all were sporadically asleep throughout the jet. Silence encompassed the steel capsule, with only the sound of sleep filled breaths being heard.

Y/N laid fast asleep, with her head on Spencer’s shoulder, as the boy genius sat up wide awake. Looking down at the woman next to him, all Spencer could imagine was what could have happened if they weren’t quick enough. How many days he would have lost with her. All the things he wanted to tell her.

As though she could sense his deep thoughts, Y/N slowly awoke, rubbing her eyes as a yawn escaped her mouth. Blinking her eyes rapidly, she waited till she was fully conscious before she spoke.

“What time is it Doc?”

Spencer jostled out of his thoughts to check the watch on his wrist.

“It’s 2:36 am. You’ve been asleep for approximately 3 hours and 22 minutes.”

Y/N quickly sat up in her seat, wide awake.

Spencer turned towards her in worry, wondering what had made her so alert.

“What wrong? Are you feeling nauseous? Do you need some painkillers, as your due to have…”

Y/N grabbed Spencer’s face and placed her lips flush against his own. Their mouths moved in unison, as Spencer’s own hands moved to circle around her waist, bringing their bodies as close as they could be in the small space they had. They hadn’t kissed since the hospital, and before then it had been weeks. Spencer never realised until then, how much he truly missed her touch, her taste, her as a whole.

Coming to a point where they both lacked breathe, the pair pulled apart. Their eyes fluttering open as Y/N’s hands caressed Spencer’s face. Her one hand travelled to his hair, feeling the tresses that had grown since she had last seen him. She looked at him in a way no one had before. Spencer shared the same expression.

“Happy six-month anniversary Spencer. I love you.”

Spencer looked at Y/N in disbelief.

“Before you start spouting of facts about transference and how I am probably only saying this because you saved my life, you’re wrong. Because then I would be telling Hotch and Morgan the same thing.”

Spencer couldn’t help the watery smile that graced his face. For the second time in the past day, his eyes filled with tears. But this time, they were good.

“I’ve known I have loved you for a long time. For five months actually. I knew I loved you when we made pizza in your apartment and we ended up burning it, so we ordered one instead.”

Spencer laughed at the memory. It was the first time Spencer had initiated their make out. He had watched her cooking, in his apartment, and he had never found her more attractive than he did seeing her in his home.

“I knew that whilst you were spouting of facts about the invention of the pizza that I loved you and that I could listen to you forever. I love you Spencer.”

Spencer pulled Y/N closer to him as he rested his forehead against her own. The pair basked in each other’s presence.

“Past surveys show that men wait just 88 days to say those three little words to their partner for the first time, and 39 percent say them within the first month. Women, on the other hand, take an average 134 days. You knew after 31 days that you loved me. I knew after our first date that the way I felt when I was with you is a feeling that I could not even describe with my vast vocabulary. I knew after 8 days that the way I felt was stronger than liking you and that was a frightening thought. But its scarier to think what could have happened to you yesterday. That I could have lost you without you ever knowing. I made that mistake before. I will never make it again. I love you too.”

Y/N couldn’t help the smile and giggle that overtook her. Spencer, feeling high of the serotonin that was coursing through his body, couldn’t help his laugh either. Soon the pair were a giggling mess, unaware of the team who had all begun to awaken whilst the pair were talking.

The team congregated to the back of the jet, allowing the couple to stay in their own bubble.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen him truly happy.”

The group nodded at Emily’s words.

JJ smiled as she watched her best friend rattle of the possible movies that he and his girlfriend could spend their anniversary watching as she recovered. Her smile growing even wider at Y/N’s enthusiasm to watch the film’s in their original language. None of them could miss the look of adoration beaming between the pair.

“Yeah, it really has.”

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. -Lao Tzu

A/N- It isn’t the best but I really enjoyed writing this one.

[glittercake]

Multi-chapter:

Glory Days (mobsters au pt1)

Maybe there’ll be photos in the papers tomorrow of this exact moment—Jimmy blowing a kiss and Sam smiling the way he is, but no one’s ever gonna know the truth.

And that is: Jimmy Piper’s whole world is up there. He’s never been an honest man, but he means that without exaggeration. Everything he’s got—this car, his house, the stupid thousand dollar shoes, the gold around his neck—he’d give it all up for that man. He’d drop it and never look back. Long as he’s got Sam.

That’s God’s honest truth.

Kings of Everything (mobsters au pt2)

Twenty-five years after the events at a popular New York Bistro, Timothy DumDum Dugan tells the true story of infamous mobster Jimmy Buchanan and the man he gave it all up for.

The First Gentleman (first man/bodyguard)

Sam knew what he was signing up for when he married a senator running for Office. He knew what Riley’s job demanded. He knew the hours, the stress, the milling, and the perpetual buzz. Living his life constantly surrounded by everything, by an entire nation.

But he had always dreamed of a quiet life. A place in the country with the man he loves, acres of greenery and trees, and flowers around them. A long winding road they could drive down on a warm Sunday afternoon. A big old farmhouse with a wraparound porch and a French kitchen. Some horses and a stable, and a little creek covered with a blanket of mist in the mornings.

He gets what he wants in the most horrible of ways.

Don't shy from the light (boxers au)

When Bucky was younger he'd steal pages from his mom's gossip magazines of Wilson leaving some fancy club in a thick fur coat, or pictures of him arriving on the red carpet in a form-fitting suit and shiny rings on his fingers, and Bucky would… he thinks the word for it is swoon.

Most kids Bucky's age crushed on Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise. But Bucky had it real bad for Sam Wilson.

And now, he just signed up at Wilson's boxing club. There's no way Sam would actually be here; he retired from the sport back in 2011 after the fateful Simmons/Rumlow fight. But Bucky knows this is still the best place in the business if he wants to make a career of fighting.

Lighthouse (doctors au)

This guy’s trouble. Bucky knows that in his bones. It’s not bad trouble, is the problem, it’s good. Sam is so goddamn inherently good and if Bucky even touches that with a ten foot pole—fuck if he even looks at it—it’ll turn to shit.

He can’t afford another move to yet another city because his colleagues started recognizing Brock’s fist prints on his face.

But Sam is a ridiculously bright glowing light, a beacon, and Bucky goes toward it like that idiotic moth to the flame.

Shaken (barman/p.i au)

Sam Wilson runs a small, independent investigative firm with his college friend Steve.

He's renowned for solving and uncovering just about anything that lands on his desk until random strangers start disappearing in his city. With only a hunch and an address, he heads to a dingy dive bar downtown for answers.

What he finds is so much more than he bargained for.

To The Full Moon And Back (werewolf!sam au)

After serving his time in Special Ops, Bucky moves to a two-horse town, deep in the mountains. He buys an old log cabin in a large clearing surrounded by acres of tall, thick trees and dark woods- the only place for miles up there.

As he acquaints himself with the locals, he learns about the small town’s weird obsession with wolves and all the supernatural rumors, specifically around the area of his cabin.

Bucky thinks them all a little off-kilter until peculiar occurrences around his new home piques his interest enough to find out more.

And that’s when he learns that apparently werewolves are a very real thing.

Pity that Bucky doesn’t share the town’s caution when it comes to the woods and his cabin.

This ‘werewolf’ devoured his pizza and left the crust, how scary can he really be?

One-shots:

Line Up (I'll be waiting) (pilot/atc au)

Bucky is an expert at landing planes. He thinks he’ll try his hand at landing the Captain too this time. Cue: tireless flirting, one lucky bastard, and a storm threatening to ruin everything.

Covert Coffee & Flirtation Special (cap!sam/modern!bucky au)

The reporter says "—for Captain America to—"

And Bucky rolls his eyes. "Oh, here we go."

Sam looks at him then tips his head sideways, got a weird grin on his face. "Not a fan?"

"Not that. Just… the guy seems too good to be true, right? Wings and a shield? Come on."

"Uh, is that why your eyes are like glued to the screen whenever he's on?" Kate says. "Is that why you call him Captain Tight Ass?"

"He's a goddamn show-off, and you know it. Tight ass or not."

Just then Sam snorts, real loud, grabs his coffee and suffers a horribly controlled laugh on his way out the door.

Years in the making (military/air force au)

Bucky and Sam meet as two young soldiers, but the time is never quite right to make it anything more. Until it eventually is. OR Sam refuses to let himself fall in love while he's deployed. Bucky pines endlessly for years about the prettiest bird he’s ever seen. Sam’s no better.

love me for the hell of it (human au)

Sam hangs on Riley's every word, his every breath, and Riley acts like he's suffocating because of it. He never sees Sam, truly sees him, and Bucky is helpless with thoughts of what he'd do if that were him instead. Oh, how he'd love that man given half a chance. He loves him now, even this way, even with his hands empty and reaching.

minutes to midnight (neighbors au)

"Oh hey, it's your neighbor from down the hall. I saw your lights were still on. And uh—"

Oh shit. Hot Neighbor dude. Bucky's seen him around, and he's that kind of cute that makes you immediately ignore the hell out of them. Makes you look away and pretend they don't exist. 

The Expert (archeologist au)

"Hmm." Sam has already taken off his jacket and hung it by the door; he's now just in that tight t-shirt clinging on for dear life around his biceps. He snaps on some protective gloves, circling the table, "How old did you say?"

"Oh.. uh, I'm twenty-five in March—"

Sam's eyebrow goes up, and his tongue wets his mouth corner.

"You mean the artifact." Bucky flushes bright red in an instant.

"I mean the artifact." Sam confirms, but he's holding back a smile again. 

as fate would have it (human au)

"Red very lost," It says, surprising the shit out of Bucky.

He stares at it and says, "What?!"

The bird honest to god sighs and repeats, "Red. Very. Lost."

"Yeah, no shit, pal." he murmurs, making his way down the sidewalk. "So, your name's Red, huh?"

"No shit, pal," says Red.

or, Bucky meets Sam in a very roundabout kind of way.

fighting but falling slowly (deaf!sam au)

Bucky once tried saying hi while Sam came out to get his Uber Eats, and the dude totally batted him and just went back inside, which is rude as shit, and so perhaps Bucky is very bitter because Sam is one hundred degrees of Fine.

the bad place! (jurassic park au)

“Tower A come in please. There is a rogue predator. I repeat, there’s a fucking carnivore roaming the front fields. Come the fuck in.”

Only static follows. Sam repeats the request with no avail.

[whitepolaris]

Rogue’s Hollow

Mysterious things happen in the wooded area that used to be the mining village of Rogue’s Hollow. Guides at Rogue’s Hollow Historical Society will be happy to tell you about the haunted Chidester’s Mill, as well as the headless horsemen who roam about the place. Touring the hollow doesn’t give you much of an idea of what this ghost used to be, since the handful of buildings that still remain are dilapidated and identifiable only by wooden signs posted along the path. The coal mines and caves are sealed up, and the old rutted road to Doylestown has been replaced by smooth two-lane blacktop. 

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, however, when the mines were still producing, Rogue’s Hollow was a wild place. Outlaws and gangsters hid out here, far from civilization and any effective law enforcement. The locals weren’t much better: Shoot-outs were a fairly regular occurrence, as was being robbed at gunpoint by bandits of all stripes. It’s speculated that the more bizarre pieces of Rogue’s Hollow lore were made up to keep people away from what was really just a down-and-dirty, crooked town . . . but bizarre things continue to happen there, even a full century later. 

As Russell Frey’s self-published history of the town says, “Ghosts are best seen in the Hollow on a moonlit night when there are large, fleecy clouds overhead. Then the Hollow fairly comes alive with the residents of the spirit-world, those who had a hand in making Rogue’s Hollow a wild and dangerous place scores of years ago. It’s said that you can see more as twilight turns to pitch blackness of the night. Then you can see nooks and crannies with shadowy forms on the move.” 

Though Chidester’s Mill had long since burned to the ground under mysterious circumstances, the apparition that haunted it was the subject of a popular spook tale in the Hollow for many years. Despite denials of the tale from the Chidester family, the decrepit, unpainted, slat-sided woolen mill was a favorite place for kids to dare each other to sneak into. When the untraceable fire turned it to ashes, it was through that the ghost had set it out of spite rather than allow the buildings to be sold to an outsider. 

The abandoned mines around Rogue’s Hollow are full of apparitions of the miners who died there in cave-ins. Tools are said to be picked up by unseen hands in the black shafts and to chip away at veins of coal, though the entrance to the mine has been permanently blocked. The walkways near the mine shafts are equally plagued by residents of the spirit world. 

Rogue’s Hollow’s Crybaby Bridge is at the center of what is probably the most widespread legend of its kind in the entire state-and that’s saying something in a state with dozens of variations on that theme. The woman who threw her unwanted newborn over the edge (if she ever existed) is a long dead. Today, Crybaby is a nondescript footbridge over a small creek near the visitor center, but odd things are still seen from time to time in the vicinity. The remorseful mother is said to sometimes still weep over the railing or wander the roadways nearby. Serves her right.

The Gray Lady in the Hollow Road

As a teenager, my friends and I spent a lot of time in the Hollow. It was a great place to take girls when you were broke. I had a couple of scary things happen there. At one point in the road, there is a small field and the foundation to an old building. Moving beside the old foundation, toward the road, was what looked like a woman in a old-time dress. She was moving very quickly, too fast for a human. And she seemed to be like light and shadow in one-very bizarre, like a very light gray color. She  moved into the middle of the road in front of us and then vanished. My friends and I saw the same thing at the same time-I think I saw a ghost. -Anonymous

Weird Happenings in Rogue’s Hollow

The Rogue’s Hollow area is full of some crazy stuff. There is Crybaby Bridge-it is a big, steel-framed bridge under which a woman gave birth and drowned an illegitimate child. Now if you go across the bridge at night and turn your car off, you can hear a baby cry. There is a story of a headless horseman that roams the area at night. There are also train tracks that have been abandoned for decades, but you can still hear a train come through at midnight. There is a graveyard where the ground supposedly shakes at midnight on Halloween. -Mindy

[brokehorrorfan]

Blu-ray Review: Return of Ultraman

Although Japanese special effects director (and Godzilla co-creator) Eiji Tsuburaya intended for his Ultra franchise to come to an end after three series - 1966's groundbreaking Ultra Q, 1966's the wildly popular Ultraman, and 1967's would-be swan song, UltraSeven - the pop culture phenomenon would continue for decades beyond the trilogy. Following Tsuburaya's death in 1970, his eldest son, Hajime Tsuburaya (who wrote and directed on the previous three Ultra installments), took over Tsuburaya Productions and carried on his father’s work to revive the Ultra brand.

Return of Ultraman ran for 51 weekly episodes on Japan's Tokyo Broadcasting System between 1971 and 1972. The series kicks off in a big way, especially for those disappointed by the kaiju action taking a backseat in UltraSeven. The premiere, "All Monsters Attack," features Japan’s giant monsters arising and attacking one another and the country itself. (The use of “all” here is liberal; only a couple are shown on screen.) Legendary director Ishirō Honda (Godzilla) briefly joined the Ultra fold, deftly helming the two-part premiere, among other Return of Ultraman episodes.

While the Monster Attack Team - a special force designated by the United Nations to protect the Earth from just such occurrences - is put on the job, Hideki Go (Jiro Dan), a race car driver, sacrifices himself to save a child during the mayhem. Touched by his act of bravery, giant alien superhero Ultraman merges his lifeforce with Hideki so they can work together to save mankind. New Ultraman, as he is dubbed, struggles with his new identity but comes to terms with it as he carries out his mission to protect the world throughout the show. His design closely resembles that of the original Ultraman with a few subtle alterations.

Return of Ultraman sees the Ultra series go back to the kid-friendly adventures of Ultraman, but some of the slightly more mature themes of UltraSeven are explored as well. Not only is Return of Ultraman a sequel to Ultraman, but it also connects to UltraSeven, creating a shared universe among the franchise that carries over into future series. Even after nearly 50 years, it's exciting to see the characters from different Ultra iterations fight alongside one another.

Return of Ultraman’s complete series is available on Steelbook Blu-ray and standard Blu-ray via Mill Creek Entertainment. The original Japanese broadcast edits are presented in high definition with DTS-HD 2.0 Mono audio in its native Japanese with English subtitles. The six-disc set includes a 28-page booklet, which features a brief history of Return of Ultraman by SciFi Japan’s Keith Aiken along with guides to the series’ episodes, characters, monsters, and technologies.

Return of Ultraman: The Complete Series is available on Steelbook and Blu-ray via Mill Creek Entertainment.

[cultfaction]

Teaser trailer released for Occurrence at Mills Creek The official trailer has been released for Occurrence at Mills Creek. You can read our review HERE.

[onceaweekfilmfest]

Occurrence at Mills Creek - Teaser

[filmcourage]

(See the video on Indiegogo here)

Join The Occurrence! A New Psychological Horror Film With Strong Female Characters In A Supernatural World – Occurrence At Mills Creek Now On Indiegogo!

This question spawned an idea that ignited the imaginations and passions of a dedicated cast and crew that worked on a strictly volunteer basis to start the journey that is Occurrence at Mills Creek.  

Betsy Lynn George, best known as Devon in the music video for Billy Idol's classic Cradle of Love, volunteered her time and talent along with Lynda Marnoni (George Romero's The Crazies and Season of the Witch) and so many others to bring us this far.

What began as a joke while filming another project has turned into a completed short film intentionally designed to double as the first act in a feature-length film.  With a growing cast that includes Mia Zanotti from NBC's The Voice and the Langshaw Twins who appeared in Furious 7, we are ready to begin the next chapter of this journey.  The script is finished, the cast is assembling and pre-production is underway... but we need your help to keep going, we need you to join our story.

[skyline-iptv]

💥 إضافات سيرفر الاحلام ShowMe 💥 🍿 تحــــديثات احدث الافلام الاجنبيه 2020 📽 فيلم الاكشن والمغامرة الصيني بئر صيد التنين The Dragon Hunting Well 📽 فيلم الاكشن والدراما إليز Elyse HD 📽 فيلم الدراما والرعب والغموض نزوة القلعه Castle Freak 📽 فيلم الغموض والاثارة ما يكمن تحت القصة What Lies Below 📽 فيلم الكوميديا والرومانسية I Hate New Year's HD 📽 فيلم الخيال العلمي والاثارة Minor Premise 📽 فيلم الاكشن و المغامرات و الاثارة كافر Infidel 📽 فيلم الدراما و الخيال العلمي الكثيب التائه Dune Drifter 📽 فيلم الرعب والدراما حادثة في ميلز كريك Occurrence at Mills Creek 📽 فيلم الاكشن سقطت الإمبراطورةThe Flame of the Nine Heavens 📽 يلم الاكشن والاثارة تراث الاكاذيب Legacy of Lies HD 📽 فيلم الاثارة المخططات الخرسانية Concrete Plans 📽 فيلم الفانتازيا العائلي Upside-Down Magic 2020 HD 📽 فيلم الاكشن والمغامرات والدراما الجمال الاسمر Black Beauty 🔥 متاحه الان على ايقونة Movies كاتيجرى English Movies 2020 متــــــــــــــــــعه المشاهدة بين ايديك #للاشتراك_من_داخل_مصر_من_خلال_الواتس_من_خلال_الضغط_علي_الرابط_التالي: https://bit.ly/SkylineIPTV-Atef_Attia #للاشتراك_من_خارج_مصر_يرجي_زيارة_موقعنا_من_خلال #الضعط_علي_الرابط_التالي: https://bit.ly/Skyline_IPTV #جروب_الدعم_الفني_علي_التليجرام: https://t.me/joinchat/RRH3PBqW0PxptsxYq1oC7g #جروب_الدعم_الفني_علي_الواتساب: https://chat.whatsapp.com/BZtQfY1EA8vAtbLUW7JSXe #جروب_الدعم_الفني_علي_تويتر: https://twitter.com/IptvSkyline?s=08 #جروب_الدعم_الفني_علي_انستجرام: https://instagram.com/iptvskyline?igshid=13w15mu6i1kry #جروب_الدعم_الفني_علي_تمبلر: https://skyline-iptv.tumblr.com/ https://www.tumblr.com/chat/50GwmrPRTgsgvQrE2bdX0A/skyline-iptv #جروب_الدعم_الفني_علي_سناب_شات https://www.snapchat.com/add/skyline_iptv #جروب_الدعم_الفني_لسيرفر_اروما: https://m.facebook.com/groups/340327580449027/permalink/343051970176588/ #جروب_الدعم_الفني_لسيرفر_Istar: https://m.facebook.com/groups/782535639249464/permalink/810811163088578/ #جروب_الدعم_الفني_لسيرفر_شومي: https://m.facebook.com/groups/312475779920535/permalink/324717105363069/ #جروب_الدعم_الفني_لسيرفر_نوفا: https://m.facebook.com/groups/2623110414629750/permalink/2633237590283699/ #جروب_الدعم_الفني_لسيرفر_اكشن: https://m.facebook.com/groups/2267534184 https://www.instagram.com/p/CIag1LtgXBF/?igshid=1wy7qyz6op461

[cultfaction]

Review: Occurrence at Mills Creek (2019)

Review: Occurrence at Mills Creek (2019)

Occurrence at Mills Creek is a short film by Director Don Swanson, and “follows Clara, a young woman burdened by guilt following the deaths of her mother and sister, as her reality erodes from the same strange occurrences that have plagued her family for generations.”

While only 20 minutes long, the film also functions as part of the first act of an upcoming feature film by Swanson and his crew.…

[cinemabtk]

Occurrence at Mills Creek

[marjaystuff]

Elise Cooper’s Interview of Linda Castillo

Shamed by Linda Castillo brings to life the Amish community in this suspenseful murder mystery. The author explores the secrets and lies within this group, but also shows how the community is very open-minded to those with handicaps.

The story opens with a brutal murder of an Amish grandmother. Her granddaughter, a special needs little girl, has been kidnapped with the younger sister a witness to everything. Police Chief Kate Burkholder is called in to investigate.  She has insights into this tight-knit closed community because she is a former Amish, having left the community as a teenager.

Readers experience the emotions with the characters as Kate is in a race against time to find the killer.  She must battle an old Amish order that believes family is everything and tradition is upheld with an iron fist. As the killer is claiming more victims, Castillo skillfully adds to the tension by having at the beginning of each chapter the number of hours the child is missing. Everyone knows that the chances of recovering her alive diminish rapidly with the passing of time. There are serious secrets at work and Kate has to discover the truth in order to save the girl and find the killer.

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Linda Castillo: I’ve always been a crime buff.  Some crimes, while terrible, are also fascinating in a dark and sometimes uncomfortable way.  I always want to know who did it.  I want to know how they did it.  I especially want to know why.  The motivation aspect is always key and, many times, the most puzzling, at least early on.  With regard to the idea for Shamed, I wanted to know:  What happens when a member or members of a religious community such as the Amish make a mistake?  What happens if they do something wrong?  What if they do something really bad?  Break the law?  What happens to them in terms of the community?  How do they feel about themselves and what they did on the inside?  Their innermost feelings?  Those are fascinating questions that I wanted to explore.

EC: Would the Amish go into a police car?

LC:  Most Amish would have no problem riding in a police car. The “Ordnung” (the unwritten rules of the church district) may have rules against owning or driving a vehicle or even having a vehicle parked on your property. Yet, many Amish, when they have to make a trip that’s too far do use a horse and buggy, and will hire someone to drive them.  A funny side note:  I’ve heard of these drivers referred to as “Yoder Toters.”

EC: There is an emphasis on special need children in this book?  

LC: This is a two-fold answer.  Because of marriage patterns in many Amish communities, there’s a slightly smaller gene pool.  Because of that, there is a slightly higher occurrence of certain developmental problems in some children, including Cohen syndrome.  The Amish feel these special needs children are gifts from God.  I have so much respect for the Amish perspective in so many ways.  As a writer, I wanted to explore that element.  Secondly, the idea of a missing child is so harrowing.  Of course, all children are vulnerable.  But there’s almost something even more vulnerable about a special needs child.  As a writer, I wanted to explore that and see where it took me.

EC:  Please explain this quote: “Most Amish couples are exceptional parents and think special needs children are a gift from G-d."

LC: The point I wanted to make with that scene, about the family, and the Amish in general, is that they don’t see a special needs child as a burden.  The special needs child is treated just like any other child, whenever possible.

EC: Did you want to achieve a dramatic effect by going hour for hour with each chapter?

LC: The missing child is a huge element of the book.  I can only imagine how agonizing it is for parents and loved ones of that child.  Law enforcement, too.  Stranger kidnappings are rare and dangerous.  The statistics are horrifying.  The longer the child is missing, the more likely a negative outcome.  As a writer, I wanted to explore that dark journey through the eyes not only of Kate Burkholder and her cohorts, but the parents and Amish community as well.  I wanted the reader to feel every tick of the clock with the same anxiousness and terror as Kate and the parents.

EC: Were you a tomboy like Kate?

LC: I was very much a tomboy growing up.  Now that you’ve asked the question, I realize that’s the one thing I have in common with Kate!  My family had horses, cattle, pigs, and other livestock.  I learned to swim in a pond, and a nearby creek that had some deep pools. I loved the woods and nearby creek, and of course there was no other more interesting place to

explore than the 100 year old bank barn.

EC: Is the theme distrust?

LC: Distrust is one of the themes.  Another thematic element I found myself returning to again and again as I wrote the book is “shame.”  Most of us know that the Amish are a Christian based religious culture.  They embrace tradition and social order and a set of rules known as “Ordnung” as set forth by their leaders.  They embrace marriage and children.  Most believe in separation from the rest of the world.  As Anabaptists, they believe in adult baptism.  Yes, the Amish are a religious society.  They are good neighbors, and they are good friends.  All of that said, they are human, too, and as we all know, human beings have frailties and weaknesses.  Those are some of the core elements that drew me to the “shamed” theme of this novel.  

EC: Next book?

LC: Oh, I love this question!  I’m currently at work on the 12th book in the Kate Burkholder series and hope to finish in the next month or so. One of the things I try to do as a writer, is keep the series fresh.  It’s not always an easy task, but Kate usually steps up to the plate! The twelfth book is titled Outsider and deals with the emergence of someone from Kate’s past.  This is the first book in which we get a closer look at the years before Kate returned to Painters Mill.  It’s an absolutely fascinating story and it’s been a thrill to write.  I can’t wait to share it next summer.

THANK YOU!

[airshipnotebooks]

An exceptional #architecture #penandink #drawing by @mister_vi of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpiece, Fallingwater, in Mill Run, Pennsylvania. Plenty of artists have illustrated, drawn, rendered, or modeled this iconic piece of modern architecture (we’ve posted several of them in the past), but I like @mister.vi’s in particular because of his use of the environment around the building to help to literally frame the structure and the waters falling below. Viewed from a distance and from the opposite bank of Bear Run (the creek that runs to the south of Fallingwater), we see the house @mister.vi chooses not to show the plants to the left and right of the frame, instead leaving it as negative space, with only the white silhouette of leaves sketched around the edge. The treetops beyond Fallingwater can be seen, as is the waterfall below the house. The effect of this unique depiction, especially in its monochromatic representation, is that the house looks more like a natural wonder—an edifice that stretches out of the environment that surrounds it. It is obviously not a natural occurrence, but the drawing seems to add time to the location, like the environment has had time to grow around it placing it in a deep forest glade, where @mister.vi has found it and wishes to share his discovery with the rest of the world. For me, the drawing gives the building an ancient quality, placing it in the same monumental vein of structures as the Mayan pyramids or Machu Picchu, where you would not expect to find such a wondrous location built around or in such an isolated place, but then you stumble upon it and all you are left with is your own astonishment. Will such an experience ever happen with Fallingwater? Could it be lost to the ages? No, probably not. BUT, it’s still a cool and interesting thought experiment to let your mind wander to. Great work, @mister_vi! ::--🌳🏡🌳--:: #architecturedrawing #architecturaldesign #franklloydwright #fallingwater #architecturelovers #thoughtexperiment #moderndesign #natureart #travelart #bearrun #whatif #monument #trees #negativespace #blackworks #pendrawing #ink #inkdrawing #waterfall #pennsylvania #mistervi [Original Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/BXF80OsnIPE/; Artist: @mister_vi]

[backcountryquotes]

Thomas Ashe, Travels in America, 1809

Page 68: Macintosh is situated on the right side of the Ohio, about a quarter of a mile below Big Beaver creek; the situation is beautiful and commanding, as there is at present a considerable, and in some time must be a very great trade up and down this creek, the sources of which nearly reach the borders of lake Erie. The town is increasing rapidly, and contains many stores, where the merchants exchange their goods for the produce of the back country, whose market is New Orleans or the isles. Fifty miles in the interior of this place, and on the bank of Mahoney creek, the town of Warren is pleasantly situated. Fourteen miles below, on the same creek, is Young’s town, a small place, but said to be progressing rapidly.

Page 106: The banks of Long Reach were partially settled in consequence of the excellence of the land, and the retreat of the mountains into the back country, leaving several fine plains of five miles extent, running to the water; whereas on most other parts of the river, the mountains bound the water boar so close, that there is seldom sufficient left for the purposes of improvements and agriculture on a large scale; if bottoms be excepted, which sometimes contain several thousand acres, but they are for the most part unhealthy, having no vent towards the adjacent country, and being formed of decayed vegetable, and other substances, as well as being subject to occasional inundations.

Page 125: On traversing the valley between Fort Harmer and the mountains, I determined to take the high grounds, and after some difficulty ascended an eminence which commanded a view in one direction from off the river into the Ohio; in another up the river a few miles, and over a large tract of hilly back country; and, nearly directly across the Muskingum could be seen Marietta; her gardens, poplar trees, shipyards, public buildings, and her highly cultivated plains, extending in a narrow breadth along the Ohio many interesting miles.

Page 147: A very neat town quickly rose on a delightful plain, and a number of comfortable little houses adorned the best situations along the river. Having brought with them implements of husbandry and seeds of all kinds of fruit and vegetables from Europe, the colony appeared to flourish to an unprecedented degree, and to extend its fame to the widest bounds. This unexampled character and success was the operation of two years. On the third, the settlers who retired to the back country, and who did not suffer death, came in, and reported that the meadows and good lands they went in search of, proved no more than swampy intervals between mountains, where man could not exist; and that the mill-seats and waterfalls were dry, except during the dissolution of the winter snows, which could only be calculated upon for the short period of about three weeks in the year.

Page 149: Never was a place chosen, or rather approved of, with less judgment. In the rear of the buildings are a number of pestiferous ponds; the back country is composed of a series of barren ridges, and internal lands of dangerous swamp; and the access to the town both by land and water, is so extremely difficult, that mere matter of choice will never conduct to it a visitor, trader, or resident. I am given to understand, notwithstanding, that some New Englanders have made purchases from the fugitive French at very reduced prices, and intend occupying the farms they deserted. If they put this intention into execution, the settlement may again take an artificial rise, though it is difficult to conceive how the public can a second time be deceived in respect to a spot whose climate and properties have been so much condemned and exposed.

Page 181: This reputation gives considerable consequence to the town, by adding to its population, and still more by peopling the immense regions of the back country. These regions are already making rapid advances in agriculture, and as Cincinnati is the emporium, its trade must be soon considerable, and ultimately great.

Page 189: At the back of the town, and near the foot of the hills which lie between the plain and back country, are two more mounds of an equal size, and about twenty feet high from the center of their base. I explored one minutely, by cutting a trench from east to west four feet in diameter. At the depth of ten feet I came to some heavy stones, underneath which was a body of composition resembling plaster of Paris. This broke with great difficulty, and exposed a few fragments of human skeleton extended on a bed of a similar nature with the covering. Determined to ascertain whether the monument was erected in memory of one person, I broke though the bed, and found underneath a stratum of stones, gravel, and earth nearly to the bottom, mixed with bones appertaining to the human frame. …… I considered myself amply recompensed, by proving in the first instance, that mounds in general, are the sepulchers of eminent individuals; and in the second, that the nation who erected the mound in which the child was buried, was governed by a line of hereditary chiefs, as is evident from the nature and distinction of the interment of an infant, who certainly could not have been an elected chief.

Page 207: From Dayton to Hamilton there is an excellent beaten public road, the borders of which are sprinkled with settlements and neat improved farms. The forest trees and lands were of a very superior quality. Hamilton was a fort and garrison during the Indian war, it is now a smart little town on the banks of the Miami, and does considerable business, in collecting the produce of the settlers of the back country, and giving in return goods of every description furnished by the merchants of Cincinnati. Hamilton being but thirty miles from this, I reached it in another day’s ride, and met with no occurrence worth remarking.

Page 208: I left Cincinnati with an impression very favorable to its inhabitants, and with a higher opinion of its back country, than I entertain of any other. Seven miles below my departure, at a place called the North Bend, I stopped to take breakfast with the hospitable judge Symmes, the original proprietor, after the extinction of the Indian title, of the whole of the country lying between the two Miamis. The situation which the judge has chosen for his residence cannot be equalled for the variety and elegance of its prospects.