#cunningham falls state park

[sabistarphotos]

May 21, 2022

Cunningham Falls State Park and Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland

[siriuslysmoking]

(Updates every Sunday @ 11 am CDT)

ON PAUSE

Series Warning: blood, death, gore, murder, PTSD, anxiety, depression, different mental illnesses, alcohol, drugs, eventual smut, mentions of torture, mentions of being drugged, (Updated when new trigger may appear.)

Wanna read the OC version? AO3 | Wattpad

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"I'm trying my absolute hardest to see this from your perspective but I can't seem to get my head that far up my ass." "Nice one, L/n."

Y/n L/n, she never really fit with the people she hung out with, never truly getting the feeling that she was welcomed. And to be honest she couldn’t care less, she was very much not a people person on the inside but on the outside she was the most extroverted person you’d ever meet. She had high anxiety which somehow always made sure she was second guessing herself. The thinking of, why are they looking at me? Even the thought of getting out of bed most days was hard for her. But no one knew that of course, she was a happy person. 

Eddie Munson, he was different. He was not afraid of being known, announcing himself to the entire school, jumping on tables and shouting at someone across the room. Eddie’s life wasn’t the simplest, he sold drugs, to put it blatantly, he was the drug dealer of Hawkins. He lived in a trailer park with his uncle and he even had his own club, Hellfire. It was a Dungeons and Dragons fantasy game, according to the news it was a satanic ritual for the devil himself which was a bunch of bull shit.

Both Eddie and Y/n live in Hawkins, Indiana, a small town that strange things happen to. And ever since Will Byers went missing three years ago nothing’s been the same. Murders being covered up by the government, mall fires -that Y/n knew wasn’t a mall fire-, Russian bases underneath the same shopping center. Missing Kids, creepy dogs roaming around with no faces, and now horrific deaths of Hawkin’s High students. And it all started with Chrissy Cunningham.

Chapter Index

(includes all planned/written parts meaning not all parts until stated complete)

Break The Chain

No One Was Saved

Wait For You?

The Blues

Living In Devotion

The Sky Is Gray

Timeless Flight

As The World Falls Down

I'm Only Falling Apart

Wandering Very Far

Dream a Little Dream

No Time Left to Start Again

[destiny-in-the-universe]

The Brainrot Hour [Five Nights at Whoopee's]

Good timezone, my lovelies!

Okay- first order of business, I did cave in and made a side-blog for this crossover (you can find me over here: @five-nights-at-whoopees); mostly it's an interactive blog to share lore updates, information on the characters, and everything in between! (that being said, there probably won't be as many updates until some things are properly decided as 'canon')

I do not intend to follow a full canon version of Five Nights at Freddy's because honestly, there's no point in that- it would be so boring, but I will be adding some new details regarding both the side-blog and the crossover in general!

To be frank, I'd like to keep the blog centered on the crossover and not anything else; so, please- do not bring too many personal issues onto @five-nights-at-whoopees. Fan space should simply be fan space sometimes.

Now onto the second piece of information- Five Nights at Whoopee's is written by the fans and for the fans. This does mean it will feature non-canon content, and is what I will be talking about for the next while! So listen up (/lh) for chaos is about to reign~

However, this is mostly based on the original characters and certain background characters-

Character Identification

Ellis 'El' Winslow: First off, we have the main character of our tale- Ellis came from a fairly well-off family; as a child, they had met Randy Cunningham - almost by chance - at a pizzeria joint known as Whoopee's Pizzeria. The duo could be seen hanging out at the place often, especially on the weekends. Ellis was of course, a happy-go-lucky and outgoing kid but also happened to be a bit shy around larger crowds of people. Though Randy's seventh birthday turned out to be a day filled with devastation. No one entirely knows what happened, but a group of children mysteriously went missing- nothing was ever the same after that.

In present times, Ellis became the engineer of Whoopee World, an amusement park with animatronics: its mascot Whoopee being recognized as a state-of-the-art robot with free-roaming. Being tasked with repairing the animatronics, as well as technical support- Ellis has to admit the place brings back odd memories. (especially considering Whoopee's was the last place Randy was seen at)

Nomi Cunningham: Nomi was Randy's twin brother; the duo were born in the middle of fall - on September 21 - and they turned out to be polar opposites. Unlike Randy's optimistic attitude, Nomi was collected, reserved, and fairly calm but even then- the twins had always been close. Trying to keep his younger brother (even if only by a few minutes!) out of trouble, Nomi was always considered 'mature' as he technically was the oldest.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck the family. On a chilly fall afternoon, Randy Cunningham - along with four other kids - mysteriously went missing at Whoopee's Pizzeria. Nomi was never the same after that; he was left ridden with guilt, wondering if it was somehow his fault that his brother was never found. How could this have happened? Resentment grew against the expanding attraction, but that didn't stop Nomi from attempting to do everything possible in finding his missing brother.

Though, even he would never be prepared for the truth...

???? / First Ninja: The First Ninja is, of course, only a moniker (and to be honest i need a fanon name for him-); he was one of the previous night guards at Whoopee's, regarded as one of the best- especially considering his complete focus on the job. Though that is not to say his job was easy in any way. There were multiple complaints regarding the free-roaming mechanism of the animatronics (even going as far as to claim they had attempted to kill him; not to mention what sounded like high-pitched wails).

He lasted longer than the others, but in the end- he quit and was never seen again. The First Ninja's role here is a bit like Phone Guy, though there is a lot more to his character; but we'll get to that later.

In current times, the First Ninja has completely disappeared.

Or so it would seem...

Debbie Kang: Debbie is currently a news reporter- after graduating from Norrisville High, she decided to pursue a lifelong career in gathering the truth (and if it's in any way tied to her childhood, it absolutely isn't what are you talking about?) She has mellowed out slightly, but at the same time- she is still relentless and will not stop at anything until everything comes pouring out.

She's been having odd dreams- not that she knows what they mean.

As a child, she remembers the pizzeria joint - introducing animatronics for the first time to Norrisville - and being there as an acquaintance to Randy Cunningham, and the other kids but in the end... not everyone made it. That day was brushed off as nothing more than an accident, the kids had ran away but Debbie knows better.

At least now. Knowing the damage it caused not only to her, but her closest friends - Theresa Fowler... and the others.

Theresa Fowler: Theresa remembers.

At least, she thinks she does. The young girl had been friends with those kids back then, and her puppy crush on Randy never went unnoticed. She still recalls the birthday party- as everyone became excited by the animatronics... until everything fell apart. She remembers seeing people in uniform asking questions, and the fact that her classmates - her friends - went missing and were never found again...

Almost thirty years later, Theresa is a professional baton twirler. She's moved on - even with knowing that there's something, but she doesn't want to acknowledge it. (it just hurts too much)

And now, my dear readers, we come to a close-

Devastation came to Norrisville, and there are still no answers-

Well, until a few bold individuals decide to uncover the truth... but at what cost? (also yes, debbie could have been a night guard but it didn't feel as right to me-)

[realtorjamier]

10 Great Autumn Camping Trip Ideas Around the DC Area!

As the leaves change and the air turns crisp, autumn is the perfect time to embark on a camping adventure around the Washington, DC area. With its stunning fall foliage, moderate temperatures, and proximity to beautiful natural settings, the region offers great camping options for outdoor enthusiasts. Here are ten fantastic autumn camping trip ideas within a short drive of the nation’s capital.

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah National Park offers an unparalleled camping experience. The park boasts several campgrounds, with Big Meadows being a favorite due to its central location and picturesque views. Hike the Appalachian Trail, enjoy fall foliage, and stargaze at night. It’s a must-visit destination for leaf-peeping enthusiasts.

Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland/Virginia For a unique camping experience, head to Assateague Island. Campers can pitch their tents in the sand dunes and enjoy the sight of wild ponies roaming freely. The island’s pristine beaches, marshlands, and clear night skies make it an ideal spot for autumn stargazing and enjoying the tranquil beauty of the coast.

Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland Catoctin Mountain Park is a hidden gem located less than 70 miles from DC. Campers can choose from three campgrounds and explore miles of hiking trails that lead to picturesque overlooks, including the renowned Cunningham Falls. Don’t forget to visit the nearby Camp David Museum for a bit of presidential history.

Greenbelt Park, Maryland: If you’re looking for a convenient camping spot close to the city, Greenbelt Park is just 12 miles from downtown DC. The park offers walk-in campsites surrounded by forests and hiking trails. It’s an excellent choice for a quick weekend escape without having to venture too far from the city.

Prince William Forest Park, Virginia A peaceful oasis located only 35 miles south of DC, Prince William Forest Park is a fantastic autumn camping destination. The park features several campgrounds, including Oak Ridge Campground and Turkey Run Ridge Group Campground. Explore the park’s 37 miles of hiking trails, visit the National Museum of the Marine Corps nearby, and enjoy the fall colors.

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, Harpers Ferry offers an excellent blend of history and natural beauty. Camp at nearby campgrounds and explore the historic town, which played a significant role in the Civil War. You can also hike along the Appalachian Trail and enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape.

Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area, Virginia A hidden gem in George Washington National Forest, Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area offers a serene camping experience. The area is known for its scenic hiking trails, including the Buzzard Rock Trail, which leads to a breathtaking overlook. The autumn foliage here is spectacular, making it an ideal camping spot for leaf-peepers.

Seneca Rocks, West Virginia For a more adventurous camping trip, head to Seneca Rocks in West Virginia, approximately 2.5 hours from DC. Camp at Seneca Shadows Campground and explore the area’s rugged beauty. Rock climbers will be in paradise, as Seneca Rocks is a renowned climbing destination. Hiking trails around Seneca Rocks offer excellent views of the surrounding wilderness.

Sky Meadows State Park, Virginia Located less than an hour from DC, Sky Meadows State Park is a peaceful retreat for fall camping. The park offers a variety of campsites and 24 miles of hiking trails that wind through meadows and woodlands. Climb Mount Bleak for stunning panoramic views or simply relax amid the picturesque fall scenery.

Patapsco Valley State Park, Maryland Only 20 miles from DC, Patapsco Valley State Park offers a variety of camping opportunities and numerous hiking trails that follow the meandering Patapsco River. The park is particularly stunning in the fall, with vibrant foliage and the soothing sound of rushing water. Don’t miss the impressive swinging bridge at Orange Grove.

Before embarking on your autumn camping trip, be sure to check for park regulations, make reservations if necessary, and pack appropriately for the season. Remember to bring warm clothing, as fall evenings can get chilly. So, grab your gear, light a campfire, and create unforgettable memories amid the fall splendor of the Washington, DC area.

[millingroundireland]

Who are the Spindles anyway? [Part 1]

This is a rough chart of all the 33 mentioned in RBM I's will. The names of many of the spouses are known, but are not added. Note that Robert Mills (whom he calls Robert Packard) is considered a child of RBM I here, even though RBM I was his adopted father. The ancestry of the Billmans (Dr. B. Billman and Mrs. B. Billman), Cunninghams (Joyce and Bessie), Clarence A. Hammond, Jr., Mrs. R.H. Hodgins, and Mrs. Marion Robbins is not currently known. The connection of Edward Mills to his grandchildren is speculated here. It could also be through a daughter. It is only theorized that Elizabeth Chalmers is a sister of Ida and Edward E. This could be wrong.

RBM I's will mentions over 30 people, giving a whole new genealogy I wasn't aware of previously. It also gives a list of places where his relatives are living. [1] Some are living in Fort Collins, Colorado, like Elizabeth Chalmers (RBM I's grandniece), and others in Como, Colorado, like Ida Spindle (RBM I's grandniece), Hollis Spindle (Ida's son), and Robert Spindle (Ida's son). There  are even some in Colorado Springs, like Edward E. Mills (RBM I's grandnephew), Jean Marie Mills (Edward's daughter), Marjorie Mills (Edward's daughter). We know well those who were living in Cheviot (RBM II, Helen, and Carol). There were others in Heath, Massachusetts (RBM I's nephew Charles Packard), Melrose, Massachusetts (RBM I's niece, Margaret Brown), Littleton, New Hampshire (RBM I's niece, Mary Church), Dalton, Massachusetts (RBM I's nephew John Packard), Bridgeport, Connecticut (RBM I's niece Marion Deane), South Boston, Massachusetts (RBM I's niece Mabel Whitley Landstrom). We already know about those nieces and nephews fully well. But what about Elizabeth Chalmers of Fort Collins, Colorado, the Spindles (Ida, Hollis, and Robert) of Como, Colorado, and the Millses of Colorado Springs (Edward E., Jean Marie, and Marjorie)?

In order to answer this question, I turned to newspapers.com first. Unfortunately the Fort Collins Coloradoan only goes back to 1972. So, I didn't find anything for Elizabeth Chalmers there. On Find a Grave there is only one pertinent result of an Elizabeth Chalmers who lived from 1904 to 1986. But that early birth date makes me doubt it is her. In order to figure out a bit more, we should step back to RBM I's brother, Edward. I described him in a short entry on Find A Grave:

Edward was born in July 8, 1848, born in Glens Falls, Warren, New York, United States. Evidence does not show he served in the Civil War at age 17. Instead, he was a farm laborer in Chester, Warren, New York, USA from 1870-1875, at least, married to a woman named Edna, and living with his brother, Robert Mills, and others. He would stay as an agricultural laborer until 1900, while possibly being a butcher (along with other jobs) in Brooklyn, New York, USA over the years. In 1910, he was a boarder at the Hotel Sterling, a hotel run by his brother, Robert Mills. He died on Feb. 14, 1918 in Colorado, 9 years after his wife had passed on August 6, 1909.

This post was originally published on WordPress in February 2019.

Unfortunately, there is no obituary I can find of him. I may, at some point, order his death certificate from Colorado, one of the state's many vital records.

As for Ida Spindle, we are a bit more lucky! Her 1969 obituary in the Windsor Beacon, titled "Rites Held Monday For Ida Spindle, 68," says exactly where died and when she married, and whom, interestingly:

Funeral services for Ida M. Spindle, 68,were held Monday morning at Fairmount Memorial chapel, followed by interment in Fairmount. Mrs. Spindle recently underwent surgery for surgery for a broken hip and was hospitalized 10 days prior to her death. Born Feb. 17, 1901 at Olney Springs, Colo., Ida Mills attended schools in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado Woman's college, and Iowa State college at Ames. She and Berthelot Spindle were married Sept. 2, 1926. She taught school in Park county and served as superintendent of Park county schools from 1941 to 1945. Mr. and Mrs. Spindle moved to the Windsor area in 1953 and operated operated a dairy farm southwest of town until moving to Denver last year. She was a member of Columbia Chapter 16 Order of Eastern Star, Windsor Methodist church, and Chapter U PEO. She is survived by her husband; two sons, Hollis R. of Camarillo, Calif., and Robert B. of Denver; and seven grandchildren.

However, this does not mention her parents. Her Find A Grave entry isn't much help either, as it just has a photograph of her and Berthelot's tombstone, with no other information:

Continued in part 2

© 2019-2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[demetrioa]

Trail to the playground in Cunningham Falls State Park, Maryland

[cahrlotah]

𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞

Hey bitch, I hope you like it! @eddiesdungeon

Word count: 1.9k

trigger warnings: cringey fluff, friends x lovers not really that much, accidental confession (?) No prove reading because i’m a lazy whore

Going back to my hometown after three years has made me feel some kind of way. Coming back to it where everything and everyone has changed but at the same time everything and everyone just stays the same. The people just have grown older while the buildings look a little bit worn down. Apart from all this Hawkins looked the same as it did three years ago, when  my dad decided that it would be amazing for us to move out of state to New York city, just for better opportunities in life. But things didn’t work out as well as my dad had expected so now we are back in town. 

The cold morning air enters my room sending shivers down my spine. It is mid October and the leaves are starting to fall down and some families have already started to decorate their front porches with Halloween decorations. I get ready quickly and go down stairs, where my parents are already waiting for me to have breakfast. We all eat in silence, my mum is mad at my dad so for the last couple of weeks she has been giving him the silent treatment. 

When I open the front door cold air hits my face, provoking my cheeks to turn red. My body is filled with anxiety as going back to my old classmates is going to be weird, also having in mind I will have to see Eddie Munson again. My crush ever since I was seven and one of my closest friends, due to me moving away we have barely talked, after a few months we lost contact, so I’m definitely intrigued on what he is doing now. 

The drive to Hawkins High is short, too short to even prepare myself to be the “new girl” at a small town high school. There are some people in the parking lot when I arrive, they all stare at me and start whispering, I try to ignore it. My way to the secretary’s office is just the scene from the parking lot but instead of ten people max now is almost the whole school. I walk as fast as I can trying to find my destination, when I crash into someone. We both fall to the floor. What a great start to a new school.

“Holy fuck, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you” I help her pick her stuff up. When we finally make eye contact I can recognize one of my other friends, Chrissy Cunningham. Her look of surprise lets me know that she has recognized me.

“Oh my god! (Y/N)!” She hugs me tightly. “When did you come back into town?” 

“Couple of days ago, I’ve been busy with all the moving in and emptying boxes and all that stuff” I say awkwardly as all her cheer friends are looking at us. `It was nice seeing you again but I really need to get to the secretary’s office and I don't know where it is, so I need to get going '' I rush to help her pick up the last papers that are laying on the floor.

“Let me take you there” she suggests as she locks her arm with mine. “Bye girls!” she says waving at the cheerleaders. Slowly we make our way through the empty halls as the empty. “Soooo” she starts “ how have you been, tell me everything about New york”. We both looked at each other. 

“It was great, just too many people “ we both laugh. The secretary’s office is right next to a lab. “ I guess I will see you around?” I ask.

“ Sure! Come and sit with me during lunch today.” She sounds so excited and I Know I can’t say no to my old friend. She walks away, her ponytail moving from one side of her head to the other, in a couple of seconds she makes a turn disappearing from my sight. I knock on the door, a lady opens the door.

“You must be (Y/N) Murphy, right?”she questions, I nod my head. “ Here you go, your time table, your locker number and its combination. If you need more help please come here again and I will try to help you” she smiles at me, I thank her and look at the timetable, French in class 103, just down the hallway. 

The morning classes go by super slowly, the only thing on my mind is to go home and sleep. When lunchtime comes, I try to find my locker just to find a group of boys in front of it, not allowing me to even open it.

“If you guys excuse me for a second I really need to use my locker” the all turn around, when I see the doe- eyed boy I’ve been missing for the last three years. “Eddie?” his gaze softens as he realizes who i am. 

“Holy shit (Y/N)!” he wraps his arms around me, picking me up and spinning. “When did you come back?” he asks

“A couple of days ago. Sorry for not trying to contact you, I’ve been busy with all the “moving in” shit” I explain. We start chatting, not even caring about eating lunch.

“Do you want to meet up after class? You know to catch up and all that stuff” he asks scratching the back of his neck. “I mean you don't have to if you don't want to” 

“ I would love it” I smile at him, but his friends start to complain that they need to do some meeting about a club they run. “ If you are busy I can wait until you finish” he nods and stats walking away

“I’ll be done around 6:30, is that okay with you?” I nod in agreement. He and his friends disappear, mixing in with the crowd of students. I leave some of the textbooks and notebooks in my locker and make my way towards the cafeteria. When I walk inside, Chrissy is waiting for me, we grab something to eat and start walking to where she would normally sit, a table full of basketball players and cheerleaders. After some introductions we all start talking about Halloween, what we are going to be , who is organizing the party and all that relates to it. 

After lunch, the last two periods are fun but the time pases slowly. The last bell rings and Chrissy, literally forces me to go to her cheer practice giving me the excuse they need someone to fill up for a girl that has to go to the doctor. I insist that I don’t even know how to dance but she drags me by my arm, almost ripping it off. It doesn’t bother me that much, it is more of cringe that I fear the most, the failing. 

The gym is spacious and full of light, cheerleaders are the only ones there. While the others warm up Chrissy and Amber teach me the routine. Some ass movement every now and then but not too scandalous. We spend the next two hours and a half rehearsing and just changing the choreography to make it look as good as possible. I look at the clock above one of the baskets seeing that it is almost six thirty. I excuse myself with the girls and run towards the parking lot. Just in time to see Eddie and his friends coming out from one of the doors. They are laughing, and walking towards their cars and bikes. The three that seem a little bit younger than Eddie leave the first in one old car that looks like it could break down at any time. The two youngest stay with Eddie chatting about something interesting. I slow my pace signing to the boys to act like they don’t see me, they play along and when I’m close enough to the black haired boy I cover his eyes, a smile forms in his face as he turns to look at me. 

“Hi there m’lady” he bows. “Ready to spend the afternoon with me?” he says looking into my eyes.

“Hey you two, get a room. Eww” the curly haired boy exclaims.

“Dustin, shut it. I mean it” Eddie tries to be intimidating. The two young boys put their hands up, knowing that they can’t defeat Eddie. 

“They are Mike and Dustin” he points at them “ the next additions of Hellfire club” he looks so cute when he talks about what he is proud of. 

“Nice to meet you guys” I smile at them, then we start talking when out of the sudden Dustin looks at his watch and starts to freak out. 

“Shit shit shit I need to go home I forgot I had to help my mom with my grandma” him and Mike go to unlock their bikes “ See you around (Y/N)” he shouts as they ride away leaving Eddie and I alone. 

“ I was thinking we could go to the cinema, like the good old days” he says, and he looks nervous? 

“I would love that Eddie” we make our way to Eddie’s van. “Umm Eddie can I ask you something?” he nods “ Why did you stop replying to my letters” I ask. He stops. “ I really don’t understand it and it really hurt me when you stopped replying '' the sadness in my voice is noticeable.

“ (Y/N) I-” he starts.

“Please don’t start with the excuses, just tell the truth. I think I deserve to know why.”

“ I started to think that you would eventually find some new friends and forget about me and I decided to be the one to make the first move just so I couldn’t get hurt by you forgetting about me”. Knowing Eddie, I know how hard it is for him to open up about his feelings. 

“Eddie… Why would you think that? You are seriously my best friend. I could never replace you. Like for fucks sake you were my first crush ever, even when I was in New York I would still think about you and your stupid metal bands. And then when I saw you today, all those feelings just came back fuck Eddie, you still look amazing with those brown eyes of yours looking at me like I’m the only girl in the world” Fuck, did I just confess my feelings towards my best friend out of anger?! He looks surprised. “Shit fuck, forget I even said. I should have kept it to myself. Shit I just ruined our frienship fuck fuck fuck” I start to panic walking aroud in circles, he walks towards me, stops me by putting his ring filled hands on my shoulders, I stop locking my eyes with his. His gaze goes from my eyes to my lips and without me realizing he locks our lips together, his hands cupping my face. When he finally breaks the kiss he puts his forehead on mine.

“You didn’t ruin anything because I feel the same way you do.” he locks our hands together. “So, how about we rent some movies and go back to my trailer? You can spend the night if you want to” he asks. 

“ That sounds amazing”, and with that, we both hop into his van driving away into the sunset. 

[suspiciousquotes-x]

Found at Cunningham Falls state park - https://ift.tt/2VW5ZcP

[strangerthingfanfic]

It's the end of summer 1984 and you wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep. You're still anxious about the move from the big city to the smallest city your parents could find on the map, Hawkins, Indiana.

Sitting against your pillows you wonder how they could do this to you just before starting your senior year of high school. You had to leave all your friends behind and hope you meet the criteria to graduate from Hawkins High.

The only upside is all the rumors that Hawkins is Hell on Earth and that makes it somewhat interesting.

Looking at the clock you realize its after midnight and you need some sleep for the first day of school. Closing your eyes you allow yourself to drift into a sleepless state.

Day 1: start of Term

Pulling into a empty parking space near the front of the school you put the car into park and just sit. Breathing in and out slowly you keep telling yourself it's going to be alright and there's nothing to worry about.

You are smart, funny and have always made friends easily so what could be any different about Hawkins High?

While giving yourself the pep talk of the century you didn't notice the blue Chevrolet Camaro pull in next to you.

You open your door to get out and hear a young voice say “ouch”. You look over and see a redheaded girl with a skateboard rubbing her ankle.

“Damn, I must have hit her with my door,” you think to yourself but before you have the chance to say anything a guy with eyes that radiated blue fire and perfect brown hair grabbed you by the collar and dragged you out of your car.

“Hey shit head, you hit my sister with your ugly ass car door, what are you going to do about it?” the guy said, causing the fire dancing in his eyes to flare brighter. Not being one for confrontation you just say “I'm sorry”. The guy just glared at you.

”Billy please it was an accident” the young girl said softly as she slid behind her brother. Billy looked back at the girl who nodded like they had a silent conversation and Billy put you down.

“I'm really am sorry. I wasn't looking, is she ok?” you ask worried due to the girl's reaction.

“Our dad was an abusive asshole so she gets nervous easily, especially at raised voices. My name is Billy and this is Max, what's yours?” Billy asked, wrapping his arm around Max protectively.

Amazed at his gentleness you almost miss the question. “Oh huh sorry my name is Y/N and I'm new here” you reply blushing slightly.

Billy smiles and your heart skips two beats.

“Hey sorry I went off but I am Max’s guardian and I worry a lot about her. Also we are new as well. We can help each other” Billy said, placing a free hand on yours.

Billy removed his hand and said “I will see you later Y/N I have to get Max to the middle school before my class starts” Billy says and the two of them head off.

As soon as they were out of sight, you looked down at the hand he was touching and told yourself that nothing will ever happen because he was pretty much the epitome of Male straightness plus no one could know you liked other men or things will go south, they always did.

The week goes by better than expected. You make a bunch of new friends including the King of Hawkins High, Steve Harrington, and his girlfriend Nancy Wheeler. Also, Jonathan Byers, Eddie Munson, Chrissy Cunningham, Robin Buckley, and Barbra or Barb Holland round out your small and comfortable friend list.

You barely saw him again though as you only had one class with him and he was always surrounded by the popular girls.

By the time Friday rolled around you had concluded that he was definitely the straight jock that didn't have any interest in you whatsoever which made seeing him every day seem like a jail sentence.

“Hey, Y/N how would you like to be my wingman to the Halloween party this weekend? I was going to go with Tommy but he got sick. I am going to take down Beer keg king Harrington” Billy said interrupting your train of thought and flashing that smile of his.

I could almost feel the jealousy manifesting from the popular girls. Worried it might make some people question your relationship with Billy you became reluctant to answer.

But when he placed his hand over yours purposefully, you relax and reply “Yeah, I will come”.

“Great, I will swing by and get you at 7pm,” Billy said just as the teacher came in and that was the end of that conversation.

As the teacher discussed the importance of math in the real world your mind went over the million different scenarios that this weekend could lead to, mostly horrible but some really nice.

You dare to look over at Billy and he flashes you that smile that makes you melt and all that worry fades away, well until after class at least.

[fatehbaz]

Hell-hole on the Brazos.

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The City of Sugar Land, Texas, is a Houston-bedroom community [...]. Rapid population growth [...] [has] transformed the [...] County's landscape and planning agenda. [...] In the most recent land-use plan, the City [...] never addresses the City's history of enslavement, incarceration, and segregation that these ["historically significant"] structures hold. However, in February 2018, the bodies of 95 formerly incarcerated men and women, who died in the late 19th and early 20th century, were discovered beneath a school construction site. [...]

In Sugar Land’s landscape of plantations, prison farms, refinery complex, worker “Quarters” original purposes - racial violence and bondage - exploited Black laboring bodies have been purposefully forgotten. [...]

Convict leasing victims, their emergence in public discourse, and their physical discovery trouble the perceived order of Sugar Land’s landscape and decision-making regime regulating land use by forcing recollection of that which is purposefully forgotten. [...] Haunting has agency [...].

---

Demand for sugar in Western Europe drove Texas’ cultivation of the labor-intensive product [...]. Settlers processed sugar in the region since the 1820s [...]. [Following the war], Littleberry Ellis and E.H. Cunningham would later acquire 12,5000 acres, which included the Oakland Sugar Plantation and used convict labor. The two business partners, who had served in the Confederate Army, diversified their plantation labor source after emancipation. By 1878, they made a five-year state contract leasing convicts from the state [...].

Soon after that, the Texas Legislature passed The Black Codes in 1866, which criminalized any freedmen’s assertion of personhood, so much so that merely standing in the wrong place at the same time, vagrancy, or failing to be deferential to whites walking on a sidewalk could warrant fines (Crouch 1993). Not having the income to pay the fines, these men would be forced to work off the fee as convict laborers. [...] Ellis and Cunningham, for example, subleased their convicts to other area plantations while managing 358 convicts in three different work camps in 1880. While they owned separate plantations side by side, they made joint investments. For example, both invested in the Imperial Mill built on the Ellis Plantation in 1883, and by 1896, Cunningham built a $1.5 million sugar refinery in Sugar Land. He then sold the refinery to I.H. Kempner and W.T. Eldridge in 1905, who incorporated the Imperial Sugar Company that became the most profitable sugar company in the United States during the early 20th century.

---

At one time, Sugar Land was known as the “Hell-Hole on the Brazos,” where, “the inmates worked in the wet sugarcane fields, many falling victim to the periodic epidemics of fevers” (Bell 2004). The experience of working Sugar Land’s plantations was dire and unlike white convict leasing victims. Black workers cut cane and sugar on swampy plantations [...].

Convicts frequently cut off their limbs to escape the brutality of work in the sugar fields. When leased prisoners died, they were unceremoniously buried near the camps [...]. To offset the expense of sugar production, Imperial Sugar would sell 5,235 acres and train cars [...] to the state for prison farm expansion in 1908, and it was renamed Imperial State Prison Farm. [...]

---

From 1820 to 1920, sugar cane production went from being sustained through slave labor via convict leasing contracts, followed by state prison farm employees, and finally to a company-town employment structure.

The company town would become modern-day Sugar Land where convict leasing victims first lived in an area called the Quarters that would later become Mayfield Park, a neighborhood adjacent to the industrial site for Brown and Black refinery employees. [...]

---

Today, Sugar Land’s landscape is identifiable through its master-planned communities comprised of modest to opulent single-family homes and several corporate headquarters. I am sixth-generation Texas, who grew up in this landscape [...]. I am also a descendant of the enslaved Africans that Texan’s earliest Anglo colonists, known as the Old 300, brought with them to the state. [...] Fort Bend County has a population of 787,858 [as of 2018]. The difficult heritage wasn’t apparent [...]. Instead, marketing materials promote the county as a successful, growing melting pot. [...] Beautiful trees obscured passers’ view of the Mayfield Park community, and the Imperial Sugar Refinery was just another industrial site. [...]

“Lost” history is often embedded in seemingly useless spaces or those buildings we pass daily without recognizing their significance. [...]

Subdivision and street names in Sugar Land are nostalgic holdovers from the area’s Antebellum Past. [...] Sienna Plantation, New Territory, Settlers Way, Colony Bend, Sugar Creek, Oyster Creek Plantation, and Lexington Settlement are names of subdivisions constructed on former plantation land and prison camps. [...] [O]ther local master plan community developers are gentlemen covering the puddles of slave and convict blood beneath Sugar Land’s dermis with iconography that commemorates the antebellum past. For example, faux Roman columns and elaborate fountains frame the entrance of most subdivisions. Convict cemeteries sit in the middle of new developments [...].

---

All text above by: Andrea Raye Roberts. “Haunting as Agency: A Critical Cultural Landscape Approach to Making Black Labor Visible in Sugar Land, Texas.” ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies Volume 19, No. 1 (2020). Published April 2020, at: acme-journal.org/index.php/acme/article/view/1752. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Italicized first line/heading in this post added by me. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism purposes.]

[sabistarphotos]

May 21, 2022

Cunningham Falls State Park, Maryland

[traegorn]

So @asksecularwitch challenged people to do a "Dabbler's Week." And like the weird, 90s eclectic Wiccan I am, I decided to take her up on it.

So here's my Dabbler's Week. Shit's gonna get weird.

Monday - Learn to Ground and center

The first and most important thing, for me at least, was learning to ground and center my energy. So many witchcraft books tell you to do this -- but for some reason skip the part where they explain how. I learned how to do it on my own, but then was taught a better way a year into my craft by another witch.

This is how I do it -- but you can do it whatever way you want:

Sit in a comfortable position -- it doesn't matter if it's on the floor or in a chair, just in a way that your legs won't cramp up or have your butt start hurting. Close your eyes and slowly inhale and exhale a few times. Count to five as you inhale, and count to five as you exhale. Feel the chair or floor you are sitting on. Feel your weight on it. Feel how it's connected to you. You are connected to what you are sitting on.

As you breathe, with every breath feel how what your sitting on is connected to the floor. Then how that floor is connected to the structure of the building you're in. Then how that building is connected to the earth. You extend yourself until you touch the soil.

Now that you're rooted, it's time to draw in energy. Like a tree takes water from its roots, pull energy from the earth through your connections. Feel the pulse from the center of the earth as it rises into your body, filling you with energy. If you want to do a spell, now would be the time.

But it's Monday, so just release the energy back to the earth.

Tuesday - Make a protective talisman

Okay, so we played with energy yesterday, now let's learn to do something with it. Make a protective talisman -- because not all witches are nice, and in my experience I can't go ten minutes without pissing off someone (or something). We're going to take an item and cast a spell make it a basic ward against negative energy and attacks. It really doesn't matter what you use -- I like small stones, feathers, other stuff -- it just should be meaningful to you and easy to have on you (rings/necklace/thing you can have in your pocket).

So, ground and center like you did on Monday, but this time (instead of dismissing it) focus the energy into your item, focus on the idea that this item will prevent negative forces from affecting its possessor. Imagine the energy as weaving itself within the space between atoms, and (for lack of a better term) visualize yourself tying that energy off in a knot.

And boom. Talisman done. You'll want to occasionally recharge it, but there you go.

Wednesday - Tell a ghost to fuck off

We know how to connect to energy. We now have a thing to protect us from unwanted energy. It's time to piss something off and see if you can handle it.

If we're going to be a witch, let's be a fuckin' witch, yo.

So go find somewhere that's haunted. Like, I know you know of a place. I can think of five different places within a five minute drive of where I live. I used to live in one of them. I'm sure you've thought about it... and if not... google? Google. There's a ghost within a mile of you, trust me. Those assholes are everywhere.

Anyway, go there (with your talisman on you) and try to find the ghost. When you think you have, tell the ghost to fuck off. Like, right to its face. Flip it off and do a little dance. If it starts throwing stuff, run away -- but call it an asshole on your way out.

Thursday - Read a bit

We've been doing a bunch of practical stuff, so maybe take a day for theory. Open up a book like Bree NicGarran's Grovedaughter Witchery. Read about some herbs and shit. Maybe crack a Cunningham if you want to look at Wicca. Maybe find a trashy new age book for laughs. Be cozy with a blanket, some tea or hot cocoa, and curl up in a comfy chair. Fall asleep in said chair.

Just be comfy for a day.

Witchcraft can be comfy.

Friday - Let's make some sigils!

Sigils are fun! They're like talismans, only you draw them yourself! Think of a pattern for your intended goal. Is it protection? Is it luck? Is it healing? Pick one and come up with a design that speaks to you -- it can be simple or complex. If you need ideas, some people use the letters in words and distort them. Some people do more elaborate stuff! I do weird things with geometric shapes! Ground and center, and then put your energy into the drawing (focusing on the sigil's intended purpose).

Maybe put up a bunch of protective sigils around your home.

You did just piss off a ghost on Wednesday.

Saturday - Seek out a fetch-deer

In my practice I use the concept of fetch-deers. These (at least how I interpret them) are extensions of your own self as represented in animal form. You don't get to choose what kind of animal they are though, they choose you. A person can have many fetch-deer (as a person can have many aspects of themself), but you only get to find out what they are by meeting them.

So let's go frickin' do that.

Find a dark, quiet, SAFE space. You are opening yourself up, and you don't want to let anything external in. This is why we started with getting some protective stuff on hand first.

Make sure you're comfortable, but do NOT lie down. You don't want to fall asleep. I like to put on some quiet music. I got my start as a witch in the 90s, so you know damned well that I first did this with Loreena McKennitt's "The Visit" in my CD player. Sit and clear your mind. Imagine you are walking down a path. See the trees, feel the dirt under your feet, and keep going until your fetch-deer joins you. It might not -- you might not be in a state to meet one -- but it's fun to try.

Try not to scream and freak out if you touch it and you can actually feel it though.

I did that the first time.

Look, it was a snake. I was not expecting a snake. Snakes scare the shit out of me.

The second time with the crow was much less stressful.

Sunday - Take a walk in the woods/a park/your neighborhood

Just... get outside if you can. Take a walk. Feel how all the energy you've been messing with all week is just kind of... everywhere. It's in the trees, it's in the concrete, it's in the people. Just exist in the world and enjoy it.

This was super hard to do but fun.

[oldlinetrad]

Cunningham Falls State Park

Thurmont, Maryland

[2tuff]

Zoom all week, Nature all wknd. #cunninghamfalls #fallstrail #md #nature #catoctinmountain #cunninghamfallsstatepark #maryland #spring #cascades #falls #waterfalls (at Cunningham Falls State Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAQZeHEhZs2/?igshid=bnn3y2owbdz0

[koltarmi]

Things I liked/noticed about Amélie the Musical UK

Before the show:

• A friend and I watched Amélie at The Watermill Theatre in Newbury, which is absolutely tiny. (Picture below) It seats about 200 people and is in the middle of no where. It was a hour’s walk from Newbury Station, but he scenery was quite nice. We got two seats in the front and they were cheap (about £26) because there was a pole, but it was so skinny it didnt block anything.

• Because it was in the middle of nowhere, the surrounding area was beautiful and nothing like a traditional theatre. There was a nearby stream and everyone was sitting on on these iron park benches and just enjoying the view.

• The theatre and stage is tiny. So tiny it makes the theatre that I work at which only seats 50 people look like Carnegie Hall.

• The cast : Audrey Brisson as Amélie, Chris Jared as Nino, Johnson Willis as Collignon/Dufayel, Kate Robson Stuart as Suzanne, Sioned Saunders as Gina, Faoileann Cunningham as Georgette/Sylvia, Oliver Grant as Lucien/Mysterious Man, Caolan McCarthy as Hippolito/Elton John, Samuel Morgan-Grahame as Joseph/Fluffy, Josh Sneesby as Blind Beggar/Gnome, Jez Unwim as Raphael/Bretodeau

• Here’s the set:

ACT ONE

• The show starts with the subway light effect and a transit announcement in French.

• I really hope the UK cast records an album and that it includes the “Everybody’s Connected” song because I love it.

• All the actors spoke with a French accent and used French words when saying hello, goodbye, thank you and etc.

• So instead of having a child actor play young Amélie they used a puppet controlled by the guy who plays Lucien while Audrey provides the voice. And holy shit the puppet was terrifying. It had Dora the explorer choppy hair and had this wooden sheen. It also had the ability to blink which added to the creepiness factor.

• Because of the limited space the actors played their own instruments, ocasionally switching off with someone else when they were in the scene.

• The photo booth doubles as a door frame, the background of the sex shop, and a confessional booth in Notre Dame. The large sign that says “Photo Booth” has a light inside that turns on and which makes the inside of the booth visible from the outside and it looked super cool.

• Instead of it being a tourist from Brussels being on top of Notre Dame, they go back to a tourist from Quebec like in the film. The actor stood on top of the photo booth Instead of jumping, the tourist shoots himself and falls on to a crash mat, killing Amadine.

• Amélie describes her mother’s death using the word “squish’

• As they transition scenes, they straight up drag Amadine’s body off stage and it is hilarious.

• The garden gnome is used as an urn for Amadine’s ashes. Like they literally pour her ashes from the urn into the gnome.

• “Times Are Hard For Dreamers” was moved from the first act to the second act and is after “No Place like Gnome”

• I really want “Going Around Circles” to be in the album and I hate that it isn’t cause it’s a bop.

• Hippolito and Joseph smoke while in The Two Windmills, giving it a more Paris vibe

• A bit off topic, but I went to the Two Windmills cafe in France. The food is so good. If you’re a fan of the movie, I definitely reccomend you visit! (Some photos included below.)

• The guy who flirts with Amélie in the cafe leaves his number on a receipt. As she cleans up his table, she stuffs the receipt into her mouth.

• After, Suzanne invites Amélie to go our for drinks with her, Gina, and Georgette, but Amélie refuses.

• The two pianos on stage convert into Georgette’s tobacco counter and the market where Collignon and Lucien work.

• The clock at the top doubles as Amélie’s apartment. The face of the clock slides open into two doors. There aren’t actually any stairs so to get up there, a pulley with a lampshade is dropped down and Audrey just grabs onto it and swings into the apartment. I kept getting nervous every time she went up because the pulley moved so fast, even though it says in her bio that she grew up doing several Cirque du Soleil shows.

• Speaking of Audrey Brisson, SHE IS SO TINY AND I LOVE HER. Like I’m a pretty short person and she was shorter than me.

• Dufayel has the camera to see the outside world like he did in the film.

• One thing they added was at the beginning if each scene they stated the date, time and occasionally the weather, humidity and etc which is a callback to the film. The whole story of Amélie (by which I mean the events that happen within the show) takes course over three months.

• Chris Jared, who played Nino was HOT, in my opinion at least. The headshots were in black and white in the program, so I didn’t know he was older until I saw a few grey hairs, but he was still super hot in a DILF kinda way.

• They make it clear that Collignon hates figs which is why he gets annoyed when Lucien sings “Three Figs”. He’s so disgusted by figs that he vomits in his hat before putting it back on.

• When Amélie starts her quest to do good deeds, she calls Suzanne and asks for a day off. Suzanne agrees and asks slyly, “What’s his name?” Amélie replies with, “Dominique Bredoteau.”

• They included the scene where Amélie goes door to door looking for Bredoteau, another callback to the film.

• Due to the inaccessibility of the second floor besides the lampshade pulley, if a character needed to stand out, they would climb and stand on top of the photo booth. Amélie stood on it in “Tour de France” and Nino stands on it during “When the Booth Goes Bright”

• When Amélie calls Bretodeau, the phone is held by an ensemble member who makes the ringing noise. When he picks it up, the light in the photo booth turns on, revealing Amélie wearing a scarf around her head and a pair of sunglasses as she speaks to him.

• Before “Goodbye Amélie”, as the report of Princess Diana turns into one of her fantasies, Amélie reaches into the TV and puts on a sparkling tiara as Elton John enters.

• She stands on top of the two pianos placed back to back as they serenade her. At the very end of the sing, she lies down across them with her arms crossed and her tiara on her chest as she winks at the audience.

• There’s actually an intermission.

ACT TWO

• It starts with everyone on the subway. Amélie and Nino are on the opposite end of the train car and they sing a lovely duet. I don’t remember the exact lyrics, but there was metaphor of being lost at sea hinting at “Halfway”. I love the song and I need it in a cast album.

• At the end of the song Nino, stands in front of the audience as if exiting a subway car and Amélie sees him, but she immediately sinks into her seat so that he doesn’t see her.

• Nino leaves his photo album on top of the photo booth when he goes to catch his last train. Audrey Brisson is so small that even on her tip toes she couldn’t reach the top of the booth, so she climbed the door frame of the booth to reach the album.

• During intermission, the grocery stall is replaced with a display case full of different sizes and colors of dildos fo the sex shop scene.

• In the scene where Nino laments the loss of his photo album, (“years of his best work” as he calls it) his coworker is polishing a large black dildo with a cloth.

• Audrey plays the piano as she sings “Halfway” and its absolutely beautiful, so much so that I had tears in my eyes and I got a tattoo inspired by the song in Amsterdam.

• What isn’t beautiful is the return of the Young Amélie puppet during “Halfway” who is visible through grown-up Amélie’s clock apartment.

• She calls Nino from her seat on the piano bench while he’s standing behind the piano, which I thought was brilliant staging. It shows how strong their connection was, but despite that, there was still an obstacle preventing them from meeting each other which was Amélie’s reluctance to reach out to him.

• She leaves him with the riddle of solving Xeno’s paradox along with a photo strip of her dressed in a Zorro costume, which is another callback to the film.

• They also narrate Amélie forging a letter from Gina’s late husband. She does so by taking some of the letters he wrote her before Amélie returning the box of letters to Gina.

• Collignon comes into the cafe, complaining about Lucien. Seeing a chance to get back at him, Amélie serves him a fig tart. As Collignon becomes sick, three people wearing nightmare fig costumes bust out of the photo booth and haunt him. The lights around him and the cafe go dark and turn nightmarish meanwhile Amélie is brightly lit in the downstage left corner by the cigarette counter, as she leisurely unwraps a mint and pops it into her mouth. Collignon is shaken out of his fig nightmare when Lucien enters the café to grab his attention. Collignon admits as a young man he wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer, but his mother wanted him to be a grocer and so he became one despite having no love for it. The reason he is so mean to Lucien is because he sees how much care and love Lucien takes when handling the produce that it makes him bitter. He apologizes to Lucien. Lucien replies he has no idea what he’s talking about and offers to close up the shop for Collignon, who agrees and says that Lucien is a good boy. I love this addition as it doesn’t sweep Lucien and Collignon’s plotline under the rug like the Broadway production does. It’s addressed and resolved before the end of the show.

• After the fig-induced nightmare sequence, Raphael rushes in to the cafe in distress. Instead of going into “No Place Like Gnome” they pause the scene in the cafe.

• They narrate that 275 km away Nino posts flyers of Amelié in the Zorro costume around the city and they move into “Thin Air” instead. Nino comes in from the side of the clock and stands on top of the photo booth. Again because of the limited space, the posters are just stuck around the metal framing of the clock.

• They return back to the café after “Thin Air”. After “No Place Like Gnome” as Amélie spray paints Hippolito’s quote below the clock, she notices the posters and panics ripping one off, but leaves the rest hanging. A took a picture of the set at the end of the show.

• Amelié sends another photo strip to Nino writing, “It has come to my attention that you are looking for me. This Friday. 5pm. Montmartre Carousel. Bring five francs.”

• Amelié wears the Zorro costume in “Blue Arrow Suite”. The ensemble acted as the carousel and had blue arrows on the back of their instruments or on them. For those playing smaller instruments, they wore blue gloves and pointed towards the next “arrow”. The top of the hill was the photo booth and Nino pulls a red stand of binoculars out of fucking nowhere.

• Joseph says Georgette looks lovely when she’s flushed. She replies she’s flushed because of her gluten intolerance.

• When Nino and Amelié are set to meet at the cafe, the airline hostess is one of the customers there and joins in signing “A Better Haircut”

• They cut out the line where Nino says he loves Amelié and doesnt even know her name in “A Better Haircut” and I’m honestly so glad they did that. It works so much better Instead it just goes, “But you know I think she understands me/ I don’t know why she would understand/She may not even feel the same/But I don’t even know her name” with the “She may not even feel the same” part being dragged out a bit more.

• Georgette gets Hippolito to write down Amelié’s address on a page in his notebook that he tips out and gives to him.

• As Amelié sits in her clock apartment, the photo booth is turned so the side that is the door faces the audience. Nino waits below in front of it as they sing “Stay”. As they sing, Amélie moves from her apartment to the top of the photo booth. Again I love the staging, the use of different levels shows both the emotional and physical distance separating them.

• At the end of “Stay”, Nino realizes she won’t be opening the door. He looks like he gets an idea and walks away as the booth is turned to show the photo booth side. Amelié collapses in on herself and cries. From his window, Dufayel tells Amelié there is nothing to fear and shows her his new painting: it’s Amelié drinking a glass of water, making her the girl with the glass.

• Instead of opening the door, Nino climbs through a “window” aka on top of the photo booth (at least that was my interpretation of it, it wasn’t very clear how he got in)

• They sing the “Halfway (Reprise)” and do the the famous kiss on the cheek, neck and eye. Honestly, the tension between them was insane and had whole audience dying with anticipation as we collectively held our breaths. Audrey Brisson and Chris Jared have such crazy good chemistry. When they finally kissed it was like a sigh of relief washed over the audience.

• As the ensemble kneel before Amelié and Nino, Raphael stands, stating that he finally goes on a trip with Suzanne by his side, who then stands up beside him and smiles at him.

• In “Where Do We Go From Here?” one of Nino’s line is changed instead of singing, “Will there be sweet things?” It goes “Will you be with me?” and Amélie’s reply sticks to the original lyric as she answers with, “I hope so.”

• After bows, the cast sing a finale song that combines “When the Booth Goes Bright” and “Times Are Hard for Dreamers”. I cannot stress enough how badly I want a cast album of this show.

In Summary

• The show has improved so much and fixes a lot of the issues the Broadway version had.

• Overall, the UK production stays more faithful to the movie, including lots of callbacks and scenes from the film itself as well as the overall atmosphere of the Paris.

• I. Need. A. Cast. Album. Of. The. UK. Production.

[strangerthingfanfic]

It's the end of summer 1984 and you wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep. You're still anxious about the move from the big city to the smallest city your parents could find on the map, Hawkins, Indiana.

Sitting against your pillows you wonder how your parents could do this to you just before starting your senior year of high school. You had to leave all your friends behind and hope you meet the criteria to graduate from Hawkins High.

The only upside is all the rumors that Hawkins is Hell on Earth and that makes it somewhat interesting.

Looking at the clock you realize its after midnight and you need some sleep for the first day of school. Closing your eyes you allow yourself to drift into a sleepless state.

Day 1: start of Term

Pulling into a empty parking space near the front of the school you put the car into park and just sit. Breathing in and out slowly you keep telling yourself it's going to be alright and there's nothing to worry about.

You are smart, funny and have always made friends easily so what could be any different about Hawkins High?

While giving yourself the pep talk of the century you didn't notice the blue Chevrolet Camaro pull in next to you.

You open your door to get out and hear a young voice say “ouch”. You look over and see a redheaded girl with a skateboard rubbing her ankle.

“Damn, I must have hit her with my door” you think to yourself but before you have the chance to say anything a guy with eyes that radiated blue fire and perfect brown hair put his arm on your door, blocking your way out.

“Hey beautiful, you should watch what you're doing. I know it was an accident and we all make mistakes. I am just glad my little sis here is ok” he said ruffling the girl's hair. The girl slid behind her brother.

“I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking, is she ok?” you ask worried due to the girl's reaction.

“Our dad was an abusive asshole so she gets nervous easily. My name is Billy and this is Max, what's yours?” Billy asked, wrapping his arm around Max protectively.

Amazed at his gentleness you almost miss the question. “Oh huh sorry my name is Y/N and I'm new here” you reply blushing slightly.

Billy smiles and once again your heart skips two beats. He offers his hand and helps you out of the car.

“We are too. We can help each other. I will see you later Y/N I have to get Max to the middle school before my class starts” Billy says and the two of them head off but not before Billy places a soft kiss on the hand he was holding.

As soon as they were out of sight, you look down at the hand he kissed and wondered if a field mouse could ever win the full affection of the big dog.

The week goes by better than expected. You make a bunch of new friends including the King of Hawkins High, Steve Harrington, and his girlfriend Nancy Wheeler. Also, Jonathan Byers, Eddie Munson, Chrissy Cunningham, Robin Buckley, and Barbra or Barb Holland round out your small and comfortable friend list.

You barely saw him again though as you only had one class with him and he was always surrounded by the popular girls.

By the time Friday rolled around you had concluded that he was just a charmer and didn't really like you like that until he came to your desk.

“Hey, Y/N how would you like to be my date to the Halloween party this weekend? I am going to take down Beer keg king Harrington” Billy said flashing that smile of his.

I could almost feel the jealousy manifesting from the popular girls. Worried it might be some kind of prank you became reluctant to answer but then he kissed your hand again and you melted into the chair.

“Yeah, I will come” you manage to say without seeming overbearing. “Great, pick you up at seven pm,” Billy said just as the teacher came in and that was the end of that conversation.

As the teacher discussed the importance of math in the real world your mind went over the million different scenarios that this weekend could lead to.

You look over at Billy and he flashes you that smile that makes you melt and all that worry fades away, well until after class at least.