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mimzy-writing-online · 4 years ago

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I Found a Lost Scrap of Blindness History Today

While visiting my grandparents, my grandma told me why she loves birds so much. When she was a child, her mom would take her to visit her three aunts for tea. The sisters would drink tea while she played in the aviary they had. This is all new information to me. Then she says that one of her aunts was blind and would write letters to her “on a special board with wires on it” which stunned me...

I pictured what it might look like. I board about letter size with stiff wires running horizontally in narrow parallel lines. There would be a small space to slide the paper between the board and wires, or perhaps the wires were in a rigging designed to be removed like the top to a box, or as a lid with hinges to open and then press shut. The wires would be stiff and firm.

I imagine this woman who went blind as an adult sitting down to pen a letter to her adorable niece. Her desk is known to her, everything has its place. The parchment is rough on sensitive fingers. She sets up her writing board, pins the paper down, dips her pen, and begins writing. She has the muscle memory and years of practice writing by hand to guide her, and with the board holding everything just so, she continues to engage in one of the most meaningful and long living conversation forms in history.

I’m sitting silently, overwhelmed by the sheer joy of knowing someone in my far distant yet very personal history was blind too, and she had learned and created her own methods to navigating life blind. I’ve literally just been handed the tiniest scrap of blind history that was nearly lost. Nobody thought to make any sort of lasting record about the existence of this writing board, not what its purpose was or how it was made and used or who first came up with the idea. Or if there is a written record, it has been lost in time. It’s another tiny, tiny piece of history that slipped through the cracks like so many others.

Watch historians cry over the tiniest, hyper-specific questions they have that history never thought mattered enough to record because either everyone already knew it or very few people needed to know it. (Bernadette Banner comes to mind for me. I’ve been watching her for over a year now and the dedication she puts to her research inspires me.)

So I have to look at the history.

It’s the early 1900s. My grandma was born in 1928. So that must be kept in mind. What technology, methods, and information about blindness was available then?

Braille existed, but it was far, far from accessible in that

1. Even today, brailling machines are STILL expensive and hard to come-by in our era of mass manufacturing and same-day delivery.

2. Teachers who taught Braille were few in number, and clustered at the very few schools for the blind around the world. Good luck travelling across a country to learn basic life skills and Braille

3. it’s still not an ideal writing method between you and your sighted loved ones.

Information traveled slower then. There’s no internet, no search engine to type in “shit, I’m going blind, what do I need to know now?” It travels through mail and newspapers and scholarly writings and radio. And the slower information travels, the harder it is for it to reach those who need it most. The easier it is lost.

Guide dogs were suddenly a thing, and a big part of that was because American Dorothy Harrison Eustis wrote an article about dogs being trained to guide blinded veterans in Berlin. It was published in The Saturday Evening Post on November 5th, 1927. It was a national sensation and led to her connecting to Morris Frank, blind 20-year-old who asked if it was possible for her to help him with getting a guide dog. Together they went on to co-found The Seeing Eye, the first guide dog school.

[Hey, fellow Witcher fans, I think you’ll like this. Morris Frank named every one of his guide dogs Buddy. His first guide dog was a female German Shepherd named Kiss.]

But this wouldn’t have been possible if not for newspaper, mail, and the telephone, all of which Frank and Eustis relied on to begin their work together.

And this is by no means the origin story of guide dogs. We will never have the “origin” story of the first ever guide dog, only another reboot as the concept was developed and lost with time over and over again.

The same must apply to canes, and methods of writing and reading. There must be O&M methods that were learned and lost because there weren’t other blind people to teach it to. Like old family recipes.

So here I am with the tiniest scrap of blind history, only a small detail in a larger story that just tilted my world on axis a bit. And here is the internet, to which I can record this information and make it available to everyone.

(...and tell myself not to think about the internet being another Library of Alexandria and losing so much priceless knowledge...)

#actuallyblind #blindness #guide dogs #accessibility #disability history #disability #writeblr

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silenthillmutual · 5 years ago

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Hi! Curious question, do you have a specific way of outlining your stories? I'm thinking about making a bullet point list of important things that happen in each chapter. What do you recommend?

hiya!

i’ve started outlining my fics like: plot summary --> chapter breakdown

chapter breakdown into: chapter summary, then bullet points for specific scenes, lines of dialogues, or plot points that are supposed to happen w/ notes to whatever i was listening to / reading / watching when i thought of it in case i like forget when i get down to writing it. sometimes the bullet points wind up nested, and i was hoping i’d find a better example than what i actually have up bc i have some outlines for longer stories, but the one i was actually able to find isn’t the one i was looking for.

but like for example, i start w general story notes:

then i broke it down into specific plot events (at the time i wasn’t sure how long i wanted this fic to be, and in the like week since i started up this document i actually decided that instead of a regular fic i’m gonna essentially novelize the entire thing so this is more of a test run than anything else):

(there’s more plotpoints than that but i didnt want to make the pic too big)

and then i start writing the story out underneath that w some kind of marker to show where the notes end and the actual fic begins:

so that way if i forget what i’m writing or where i wanted to go with something i don’t have to switch between tabs or windows open on my desktop, i can just go back up to the top of the page

whether i use google docs or microsoft word kind of depends on what organizational structure i need from there. i never use notepad unless i’m just making a list for aesthetic boards or playlists. google docs automatically has an outline function that you don’t have to set up yourself, so like my lists of movies (and when i get back to writing academic papers on film, i’ll probably use docs for this too) have an outline already separated into category and subcategories:

i also like that google docs will allow people to leave comments, so if i want to ask friends to beta or proofread something for me, they can leave comments on the document as need be (and i’ve done it for others too!) that will show up as suggested edits.

unfortunately google docs lacks a couple of other things i like to use, like indents (bc the tab key goes to next, i dont really like clicking to make an indent it feels weird), strikethroughs, and the comments on google docs distract me so unless i’m already finished with something and in the process of editing i prefer using word to leave myself notes

so like. i strike through ideas that i’ve had instead of just erasing them when i’ve either decided to use something else

or when i’ve finished writing a section, bu want to retain the notes so i dont have to reread an entire published chapter (which isn’t that big a deal w most of my fics but this one in particular has been ~15,000 words per chapter)

^^ i went with numbers for this one because i have a specific set number of chapters that it’s going to be, otherwise i really wouldn’t bother. unless i’m writing a one-shot i don’t tend to have number of chapters planned out in advance, because that rarely works out the way i intend it to

also if i’ve talked to any friends about what i want to include in a fic, i copy and paste the discord messages until i can format it into the rest of the outline, or in case someone else inspired me to include something, that way i can credit them later (shoutout here to @bipolarreigen)

and actually because this second fic in particular is so long it’s something of an outlier in that the outline has its own separate document, which i’ve only ever done with one other fic, because it’s thirty-one pages long. so when i go to write the next chapter of it, i’ll copy & paste any relevant information for that chapter into a new document and start the fic w it kinda pinned at the top.

i also use the comment section on word for important dates, if i’m writing along a specific time frame:

which is all fun & games when i’m making shit up but when i go to write the novelization i’m probably gonna have to go by the minute and i haven’t decided whether i wanna use word or google docs for it yet. r.i.p.

i’ve also started making outlines for film reviews and meta so that i can group my thoughts together by theme, but i wait until after i’ve started writing to decide what order they need to go in.

i don’t think the school system really helpfully teachers people how to use outlines, tbh. i never used them until i got to college because 5th-12th grade there was a focus on writing them in chronological order, which i pretty much never do. i make a bare bones outline of “this is the beginning, this is the middle, this is the end” and then i drop scenarios and conversations in as they come to me, regardless of what order that comes in. even in outlines you don’t actually have to do the introduction first! even in academics, i’ve always written the introduction last.

i hope this helps!!

#writing #advice #writing advice #uhhh idk how to tag this!#ominous fic talk #about the blogger #jeyfeather1234 #answers.txt

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mercurialvibes · 6 years ago

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Natal Chart Delineation Part 1: The Sun (Sign and House)

(This is the first part of a series of posts on how I delineate/interpret a natal chart. I’m by no means an expert, but a way I like to learn and check my understanding is by evaluating how well I could teach something to another person. If you disagree with any of my analysis then by all means let’s talk about it!)

The Sun in astrology is what people generally mean when they ask what your sign is. On a certain level, knowing someone’s Sun sign can tell you a lot. The Sun is the center of our solar system, so naturally it can be thought of as the center of the personality. In more Freudian terms, it’s the ego. It’s the seat of the identity and has a major impact on most of our conscious decisions. (If you don’t relate to your Sun sign, there are a bunch of possible reasons why that could be. I plan on making another post where I go through some of those reasons so stay tuned).

I’m not going to go through each Sun sign, because you can find that information on pretty much any astrology website, and because it has such a pervasive impact on the personality it doesn’t require too much analysis to pin down specifically how that energy is channeled; it’s very generalized across various contexts. It’s like the scaffolding for the other placements in the chart.

The position of the Sun by house has to do with what domains of life are the biggest themes in the expression of your ego nature (the difference between signs and houses is that signs are archetypes that show what energy a planet carries in a chart, and houses represent different domains of real life where that energy manifests itself). The house position of the Sun shows areas where you shine as an individual, where your ego is at home. (Interpretations under the cut)

Sun in the 1st house: The first house is the house of personal identity, so when the Sun is placed here it gives a boost of confidence and individuality to the person’s demeanor. These people tend to have a solid sense of who they are. Planets in the 1st house tend to be very outwardly expressed, especially if they’re conjunct (very close to) the Ascendant; in the case of the Sun this makes someone come off as bright, vibrant, and confident. They are unapologetically themselves at all times, and their personal identity is very important to them.

Sun in the 2nd house: The second house governs security and values; it is also highly associated with money. The Sun in this house gives someone a strong desire for material security. The identity is linked to the ability to provide for oneself and one’s own, as well as to values. There is also a need for emotional security and a love of comfort.

Sun in the 3rd house: The third house governs learning, communication, and relatedness on a community level. It’s associated with neighbors, classmates, and siblings (although the 4th house also has a connection to siblings, as I’ll get to in a moment). People with the Sun in the 3rd thrive through communicating and learning. These people may be chatty, but even if they’re quiet they are generally well-spoken and quick learners.

Sun in the 4th house: The fourth house governs the home and family, and also greatly affects the private self (who you are when no one else is watching and you can let your hair down). The Sun in the fourth house indicates a private person who doesn’t open up very readily. The ego is closely tied to family, home, and heritage. These people are proud of where they came from, whether on a direct or indirect level. This position can give an introverted streak, even when the Sun is in an extraverted sign.

Sun in the 5th house: The fifth house is the house of creation. It governs hobbies, pleasurable activities, and creative pursuits as well as children. It has some sexual associations, in the more light-hearted and romantic aspects of sexuality. The Sun rules this house, so it’s very at home here (for the record, this is my placement). These people take great pride in the things that they create, and are often artistic. There may be a strong desire to have children (although this is variable based on different factors; I have a strong desire to be a parent but would strongly prefer to adopt). These people love to have a good time and express themselves through the things they do for fun. There is often a playful and fun streak to their sexuality, and this is a good placement for a sex-positive attitude.

Sun in the 6th house: The sixth house is associated with work, specifically work in service of others. It is also tied to health. People with the Sun in the 6th are helpers by nature, and take pride in their ability to support and serve others. They likely don’t have a strong desire to lead. They are hard workers, generally organized and neat. They also take pride in their good health.

Sun in the 7th house: The seventh house is the house of partnerships and other people. It’s directly opposite the first house of personal identity. Many people have a hard time relating to anything 7th-house related, as it is very concerned with things you see in other people. It’s the qualities you admire, but also the qualities that you’re very glad not to have (I’ll do a whole post on the Ascendant-Descendant axis later on). People with the Sun in the 7th are often drawn to people with a lot of solar energy: confident, individualistic people. However, they may also dislike overly selfish, egotistical, or dramatic people.

Sun in the 8th house: The 8th house is hard to summarize. It’s directly opposite the 2nd house of values, comforts, and financial security. It’s associated with sexuality, but the more secret and taboo side of sexuality rather than the bright and fun-loving sexual energy of the 5th house. It is also associated with debts and any financial efforts involving others, as well as having strong connections to death on both a literal and metaphorical level. Essentially, if the 2nd house is everything we value and take comfort in, the 8th house is everything that scares us and makes us uncomfortable. Anything placed in water houses (the 4th, 8th, and 12th) tends to be a more deeply buried part of the psyche. People with the Sun in the 8th are often more comfortable with taboo topics than others. They take pride in their willingness to tackle topics that other people shy away from. They also take pride in their sexuality, and this placement is also an indicator of sex-positive attitudes. These people may often feel that a lot of their personality isn’t socially acceptable and may have a strong private side.

Sun in the 9th house: The 9th house is associated with higher learning, philosophy, exploration of other cultures, and generally any learning that broadens the mind. It’s directly opposite the 3rd house, which deals with learning on a level that’s more close to home. The 3rd house teaches you how to relate to your immediate vicinity, and the 9th house takes learning to a more universal level. People with the Sun in the 9th have an easier time than most with relating to unfamiliar cultures and pride themselves on being cultured and worldly. There is a strong desire to travel, as well as to broaden the mind through studying topics like philosophy.

Sun in the 10th house: The 10th house is the house of career. It is opposite the 4th house, so it governs the public self in contrast to the private self (the MC-IC axis is another topic that will get its own post at some point). People with the Sun in the 10th thrive in the public eye. They express a vibrant energy any time they are the center of public attention. They are very ambitious and take pride in their career.

Sun in the 11th house: The 11th house governs friendships, as well as hopes and ideals. It is directly opposite the 5th house of personal creativity and pleasure, so it’s concerned with what you can create when you work together with others. People with the Sun in the 11th tend to be very popular and well-liked, because they shine when they’re being friendly with people. They can be quite idealistic (I associate this placement with stereotypical anime protagonists who save the day with the power of friendship). They’re proud of their friendships and things they accomplish as part of a team (my highschool-age brother has this placement and he plays on multiple sports teams; he thrives in that environment because he’s a natural team player).

Sun in the 12th house: The 12th house is very difficult to really describe. As I said, the water houses tend to be deeply buried parts of the psyche, but the 12th house especially has a tendency to kind of eat whatever planet you put in it. It’s associated with spirituality, but also with unhealthy beliefs and self-destructive behaviors. It has strong ties to mysteries and hidden things. People with the Sun in the 12th may seem to not have much direction in life, but really their ego nature is just deeply buried in the 12th house’s labyrinth. It’s not an inherently bad position; for many, the ego seems hidden because it’s tied to spirituality. This type of 12th house person likely puts their pride in spiritual pursuits rather than “real-world” stuff; in my own culture, I’d wager that many born-again Christians who attribute all their blessings to God have their Sun in the 12th. However, this placement may also show an ego that’s tied to unhealthy beliefs. There are themes of self-deception here (I think of Rey from Star Wars tying her ego on the hope of her parents returning even though deep down she knows it will never happen).

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strangeharpy · 7 years ago

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Eyyyyyyyy, who wants a sneak peek at the prologue/first chapter of my dumb cass/audy fic?

Unformatted (because tumblr is dumb) preview below the jump.

* * * (Goodnight, Cassander)

It's difficult to sleep like this: on their side, facing the wall; awash in the distant glow of the city outside the window; cool metal clad in a layer of synthskin pressed against their back; an implacable robotic hand splayed over their chest. AuDy's old chassis had always made a litany of clicks, whirrs, and other distressed mechanical noises, but their new one barely even hums. Cass shifts, just a little, and finds themself tugged incrementally closer by the gentle pressure of AuDy's hand.

There's no sense in pretending to sleep, either. When AuDy gets like this, feels the need to stretch out on the bed next to Cass, they've dialed up every sensor in their sleek new frame and bent them all toward the monitoring of Cass's vitals. The hand on their chest serves to track respiration, pulse, core body temperature. Nothing more and nothing less.

Cass tries not to read too much into it. For as much effort and resources as AuDy put into this—into Cass, after… Well, it makes sense that they would want to make sure Cass's body functions within normal parameters.

And yet.

The shape of their—friendship?; relationship?—whatever-it-is had never been characterized as having clear edges, even at the best of times. But these weeks on Kalliope have done nothing to bring things into focus.

They try not to read too much into it, but they can't help ascribing meaning where there is none. They're not an idiot, nor are they a fool. And yet… they have to fight not to sigh, not to bring one hand up to rest on AuDy's own.

But they can think about it. They can close their eyes and imagine that there's intention behind the solid weight at their back. They can imagine what it would feel like to lace their fingers with AuDy's, giving them an experimental squeeze just to feel how the synthskin would react. They can imagine that AuDy would squeeze back.

"Your heart rate is elevated," AuDy says in their lowest volume setting. It's barely above a whisper, and even though there's no breath behind it, Cass can't suppress the involuntary shiver.

"It's fine," they say, voice cracking around the lump in their throat.

"You should rest."

Cass doesn't scoff, but it's a near thing. I should do a lot of stuff.

Their fingers flex, almost of their own accord, but they do not touch the back of AuDy's hand.

* * * (Good Morning, Agapios)

They gag on the tube as it comes free of their throat, collapsing onto their hands and knees on a slick, cold surface. They can't open their eyes yet, but they can feel the chilly air biting at their skin and scales as they try not to heave. Their arms shake under them, and they draw in a few ragged, gasping breaths as they work up the courage to try to look around.

"Ah, um… Ah, yes, Agapios Zosimus Demostrate, it's good to see you're awake. I'm Doctor Cardinal Parry, and I've been assigned to assist you." The voice comes from their left, stumbling over the Apostolosian name with aplomb. It's not Cass's name, but they're not in any position to argue about it. Shit. What happened that they wound up somewhere cold with a probably Oricon doctor while under an assumed name? A douchey assumed name, at that?

When Cass finally screws up the nerve to open their eyes, they're shocked to find that they aren't under some blinding white glare. Instead, the lab—and it is a medical lab—is illuminated by soft green and blue lights set into the floor and ceiling. It doesn't help with the chill, but it at least lets their eyes have an easier adjustment. They glance around: they aren't on the floor, but rather a raised platform in front of a huge tank like the ones that—

Like the ones Mako and Aria had described all the other Makos and Maritimes being grown in.

What the fuck.

They wrack their brain, trying to remember something, anything, that would give them a clue as to why they'd just been ejected from what might be a cloning vat. The last thing they remember is being in the Apokine, ready to fight Rigour, and then… Nothing.

"Fuck," they hiss through clenched teeth.

The doctor lets out a relieved sigh. "Oh, good. I was starting to worry! Welcome back, Mx. Demostrate."

"That's not how that works," Cass huffs. Their throat is so raw that it barely comes out as a gravely rasp. "You have to say the full trilonym or only the pronym. Never just the eponym."

"Ah, you will have to forgive me… Mx. Agapios, then?" When Cass gives them a curt nod, they continue, "We don't receive much patronage from customers from Apostolos. When your work order came in… well, a lot of us thought it was a joke."

Cass snorts. "Shitty joke."

The doctor nods. "Yes, well. Obviously now we know better. The procedure went well, though to make the timetable we were given, we were required to lean more heavily on synthware implants than is typical for this sort of, ah, reconstruction." They gesture down at Cass. "However, I believe you will find the implants to meet or exceed all of the requirements we were given."

"Will I." Implants. What the fuck happened?

By the time Doctor Parry discharges them, they're clad in a simple shirt and pair of slacks, both standard-issue from the facility. Not standard-issue are the hair ties they'd wheedled out of one of the nurses and used to bind their hair up into a quick and inelegant braid.

What they've managed to piece together is this: someone very rich has grown them a bunch of new body parts on short notice and given them the douchiest alias possible for them to use while their benefactor does… something. No one at the facility would tell them what happened or who even paid their bill. Which is a pretty huge puzzle piece to be missing for damn sure.

Still, they gather that they're on Kalliope (not a big leap even if the staff hadn't been willing to part with that tidbit), and they have no means of contacting Aria or Mako or anyone. The best they can hope is that the ID they've been given is forged well enough that they can find a shitty hotel to crash in.

They flex their fingers. At least Doctor Parry is right: the implants are good. They can't tell their appendages from the elbows and knees down aren't organic.

Outside the facility, a cab waits with its rear passenger door open. The sidewalk is devoid of any other pedestrian life. For a single, childish moment, Cass considers walking on past, but the impulse passes as quickly as it came. They're alone, they're cred-less, and the only way they're likely to get any answers is by accepting the invitation and seeing where it leads.

From the cab, Cass watches the cityscape roll by with a vague sort of detachment. It's more developed than Centralia's dome, but can't hold a candle to the regal spires of Apostolos's capitol. It's difficult to be interested in the place when it's so unfamiliar and they still have so many questions.

The car pulls up to an imposing apartment building, but the door doesn't open just yet. The driver (not an Automated Dynamics model, Cass notes with the same disinterest with which they'd regarded the passing surroundings) swivels its head so that the screen projecting the image of a person faces the back seat.

"If you're expecting me to pay up, I don't know what to tell you," Cass says.

The screen flickers, the projection of a face pixelating for a moment before clearing. From the speaker mounted at the just below the screen, a synthesized voice intones, "Cassander."

Even though it shouldn't be shocking to hear their own name (whoever had set all this up obviously knows who they are), Cass's pulse jumps. When it becomes obvious that the driver expects a response, they swallow down their shock. "Yeah?"

"In the trunk you will find some items," the driver informs them. "You will find clothing, the key to unit 35-A, a comms unit, and several other accessories which you may need."

"Okay…? Are you going to tell me—"

"That is all." The driver's head swivels back around. The door closest to the curb swings open. "Please exit the vehicle."

They sigh and do as they're instructed. Once they're out, the trunk pops open to reveal a large bag that, from the heft of it, contains everything they were informed it would.

Whoever arranged all this evidently expects them to be here for a while.

The apartment is by no means large, but it's well-appointed and comfortable. Cass unloads all the clothing into the chest of drawers in the bedroom, then flops down on the bed. For someone who only woke up a few hours ago, Cass is exhausted. Still, they fidget with the comms unit in their hand. They have yet to turn it on, and now that they have a means with which to interact with the outside world, they're not sure they want to.

Curiosity wins out. They can turn on the comms without making any calls, they reason. Not just yet. They thumb the power button and the comms spring to life.

"Cassander." A tinny, synthesized voice chirps from the comms: a pre-recorded message set to play on start-up. "You are safe here. You must have questions. This is understandable. They will be answered, but first you must adjust. The date is day 189 of the 5th arc of Apokine Pelagios XXV. Please use the name Agapios Zosimus Demostrate if you interact with anyone here. Do not worry about funds. Your expenses will come out of Agapios's accounts." The message ends and the comms go dark.

5th arc of Pelagios XXV? Shit. Over a year since the last day they remember.

"What the hell happened?" they ask aloud to their empty apartment. Their home, now, and for the foreseeable future. At least until they've "adjusted," whatever that's supposed to mean.

They don't expect an answer, and they do not receive one.

The first time Cass noticed something was different, it was in the middle of a firefight.

As was often the case, the job went south. Gunfire pinned Mako and Aria down behind an overturned desk, while AuDy and Cass took cover around the corner. Mako had done a good job of fogging the building's security system, but that only made it easier for the competing crew to infiltrate too. And now they were caught in a needless firefight with a bunch of cut-throats who decided that ransoming an exiled member of a royal family would have a better payout than their original job.

"It don't gotta be like this," the leader called out between volleys of fire. "Just hand the damn fish over and ya can go. We won't even stop ya from grabbin' the goods. It's all yours if the fish comes with us."

"No way!" Mako yelled over the top of the desk. "Get your own royal scion. This one's ours!"

Cass rolled their eyes. "Shut up." Their mind raced: what were the chances that they could take out the opposing team? What were the best means of escape? How could they make sure Aria, AuDy, and Mako got out relatively unharmed?

Unfortunately, Cass could see only one course of action that didn't lead to someone important getting hurt. To the head goon, they said, "You have to let my people go first. Then I'll come with you."

"What?!" Mako squawked. "Are you crazy? You can't go with those people!"

"You can't be serious," Aria added.

"I'm serious. They can't hurt me because I'm useless to them if I'm injured." Softer, hopefully only loud enough for their friends to hear, "Besides, you can get me away from them once you get what we came here for."

"Put down your gun and step outta that corner," the ringleader said. "You do that and your people can go."

Neither Aria, nor Mako, nor AuDy said anything at first, which Cass took as a good sign. They put their gun on the ground at their feet and then raised their hands high above their head. With the toe of their boot, they nudged their gun out into the open. "There. Step one done."

"Still don't see you, 'your Highness.' Your friends don't go 'til we can see your fishy little face."

Cass took a deep breath in through their nose and out through their mouth. "Alright."

As they turned to step into the open, AuDy hooked an arm around their waist. "You cannot go."

"It's your best shot at getting out of here," Cass hissed. "This isn't my first time with someone trying to ransom me. I know how this goes."

"They will hurt you."

"It'll be fine," Cass said.

"That was a very Aria 'fine,'" AuDy responded. "Which is not fine at all." It never ceased to amaze Cass how an expressionless robot can somehow be sullen.

The head goon made a show of clearing his throat. "We're waiting."

"Just trust me, okay? I'll be alright and you can come pick me up once you get what we came for." Cass slipped out of AuDy's hold, and AuDy did not chase them. "It'll be fine."

#counterweight #cass/audy #cassander timaeus berenice #audy #yeah i'm still on my cass/audy bullshit #boat party is best party tbh

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sarahbethimagines · 7 years ago

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Chapter 10: Head on Collision

Chapter Log!

Driving down the road it was hard to tell if the vibrations in my hands were coming from the memory I’d had earlier, or from the steering wheel. the moment kept replaying over and over in my head from the second it ended. And still as I drove through the center of my small dead-end town. It’d left me shaking, startled, and even more confused than I’d been before. Not once did any of the other memories, or even Alex in present time as much as hint that we’d ever been something more than friends. Once I’d cleaned up the mess and discarded the totally unsalvageable mug in the garbage, I’d somehow managed to pour a cup of coffee into a fresh mug and retreat back to my father. I asked him almost instantly upon entering his office if I’d been involved with anyone before - being careful to leave any and all names from my question. But he wasn’t much help. He just looked at me with this sort of pointed glaze to his stare. Like he had something to say but was still debating on whether on not to say it.

So of course, I prodded, wanting any possible information to help try and explain whatever the Hell it was I’d just envisioned. “What is it?” A hefty sigh fell from his mustache, “I’m not totally certain if it’s my place, seeing as you were never really one to want to sit down with me and talk about your feelings.” he chuckled softly and rubbed at his sparse grey brow. “But I always had a feeling you and Alex would end up together at some point or another.” All I could do was nod, the heat in my stomach from before swirled up to my cheeks and I'd hung my head in hopes to hide it from my father. Scratching my arm, “But we never did, right?” “No,” He laughed shaking his head and leaning back in his black office chair. “You were always too consumed in living life to bother with boys, at least that's what you’d always said to me.” “Yeah, that, that sounds about right.” I uttered to myself. Not even trying to conceal the sigh of relief that had escaped me, running a hand through my short hair. He'd asked me after if that was all I wanted to know, explaining he'd love to chat more once he'd gotten his last bit of work done. And I took that as cue to lift myself up from the couch, saying that was all. "Alright, well, let me know if you need anything." Was the last thing he said, before swiveling back around. I patted my way towards the door, feet sinking into the plush carpet as I walked. Unsatisfied with the answers I'd gotten from the whole ordeal. All I really needed and wanted to know was what that last memory actually meant. Both to me those years ago, and to me now in my memoryless state. Sometime later I couldn't take it anymore, the sitting around and contemplating a kiss I hardly remembered and had no context to understanding. It drove me insane. Before I knew it, I was back in my car, driving aimlessly around town in search for something, but with no real set destination. It didn't really make sense if I'd thought about it. Thinking in my car was no different than staring blankly at my hands on the couch. But I'd been actively choosing to ignore that and just kept on driving. Just praying I'd find somewhere to go before my gas tank ran low. A strangled sigh ripped through me as I pulled past an intersection. I felt my hands start to turn the wheel with no warning, my mind having a plan of its own. I pulled into a small four building plaza and parked my car. For it being the middle of the day, I saw very few vehicles aside from my own in the lot as I clambered out and looked around. I spotted a small convince store off in the far corner, a local bank, a pizza shop and right in front of where I'd parked my car was an old run-down record store. Trax on Wax it was labeled, on a faded back lit sign. And as I drew closer to it I could see a very small handful of people inside through the large glass windows. The sound of Duran Duran's, Girls on Film softly spilled from the propped open doorway that was guarded by nothing more than a string, beaded curtain. The neon open sign flashed by me in the window at the entry as I made my way into the dimly lit store. A small ding rang through the room from the sensor drilled into the floor. The soft music flowing through the speakers, the stale dusty scent in the air and rough wire carpet under my sneakers almost instantly took me back to the very first time I'd found myself in that music shop. It was October 5th, 2002. And I'd set out on foot bright and early that morning, the first day I didn't have school and was able to finally execute my long-anticipated plan. I was one of very few people inside Trax on Wax that morning, and I made bisque movements through the aisles, searching for the small section that would hold exactly what I'd come in looking for. 'Punk/Pop Rock' was scrawled in sharpie on a flimsy piece of paper peeking out between CD cases. But when my eyes fell on those few words, it could have been written upside down, backwards and six ways from Sunday for all I cared. Lively blue eyes quickly began running over the casings of every CD my sight could reach. Widening slightly every time I spotted one I'd silently been pining for. Only to shrink again once I'd remember the point of my mission. The rather redundant cycle repeated over and over again. My fourteen-year-old self slowly growing more and more irritated with every second that passed when I didn't find what I'd been searching for. Until I did. With precise caution, I pulled the slick case from its secure spot in the row, staring down in complete and utter amazement. It's beautifully pristine shell was still wrapped in crinkly plastic which gave it an even shinier appeal. Anyone watching on probably would have thought that at any second my eyes would pop out of my head and my tongue would unravel like some slobbery dog's. Just staring at it in awe, taking in its sharp black edges, and the vibrant shades of yellow, red and green in the album art. It was Good Charlotte's new album, The Young and the Hopeless. And it was perfect. I'd saved up for weeks to get this once it released, waiting in anticipation, mowing neighbor's lawns, walking their dogs, even scrounging through the couch cushions for change. Just to make sure I'd be able to buy it when that day came. I'd bounced my leg through every class that entire week just waiting for Saturday to roll around and I'd finally be able to walk there in day light to get it. And now I was finally holding it in all its glory. You would have thought I was seeing Disney World for the very first time as I didn’t skip a beat to shove my hand in my pocket and fetch the crinkled cash I'd collected. Only when I did, all that brushed the tips of my fingers were loose coins and a few gum wrappers. My stomach all but sank to the soles of my shoes, face growing red and breath growing shallow. "No, no, no, this is not happening." I muttered only to myself as I put the CD down and frantically shoved my hands in every pocket and crevice in my outfit. Front pockets, back pockets, hoodie pocket, even that small useless one on the front of jeans. But nothing came up. Bankrupt. I looked back at the CD again, slowly picking it up as panic filled my eyes. I needed that CD. There was not a chance in Hell I was leaving there without it. So, I thought quick on my feet, regardless of how morally wrong it would be. Or how long I knew my conscious would be tainted with guilt. My palms were sweating and my knees were shaking and I couldn’t stop my eyes from bouncing around the shop. But I slowly started to snake through the aisles, clutching the disk close to me. I rounded a corner, and when no one could see me I slid the CD into the pocket of my hoodie, sighing loudly and making a casual break for the door. I was a few feet from it, a guilty victory in sight. I was so close to being home free with my dream CD when something stopped me. Someone stopped me. And oh, how badly did I wish in that moment the angel on my shoulder suddenly sounded like a teenage boy. "You're not actually planning on stealing that, are you?" It called, and I quite literally looked to my shoulder. Cringing to my core when I didn’t see a small version of me dressed in white with wings staring back at me. Slowly, I turned around, knowing instantly my cover would be blown once the accuser saw my bright red cheeks and sweat dropped forehead. Never before in my entire life had I stolen anything, and I hadn't been planning too! I'd saved up enough money, I'd just forgotten it and made a stupid, stupid mistake. But it was too late for excuses like that. Down at the end of the aisle a tall boy with a scruffy face and broad shoulders stood with arms crossed. A thick black brow raised at me all too knowingly. And instantly my mouth fell open, indescribable and incoherent mumbles and stutters falling out of it as I tried to think of anything to say to get out of this. I was not good under pressure, and certainly not with angered eyes boring down on me. I started to round up words that might begin to form an apology, my hand reaching for the pouch of my hoodie when something else grabbed it. Well, someone else that is. "Of course, she's not!" A much different voice jumped in, a younger, lighter one. "I told her to pick out anything she wants, on me!" Now even I thought my eyes were going to burst from my skull as I snapped my head over to see a small girl about my age grinning widely back at the individual who'd just caught me. I stared at her for a moment, both shocked and confused trying to pull anything from her appearance to figure who she was or why she was saving my ass right then. She looked strikingly familiar for a reason I couldn't quite pin down. Her long brown hair that resembled mine in color cascaded down her shoulders to the crooks of her elbows in soft, slept in waves. Her tanned boney hand clutching my wrist showed off her chipped pink nail polish, I'd known I'd seen before. But still my mind was coming up blank. "You know her?" The boy asked, breaking me from my scattered thoughts with the very question I'd been asking myself. And I watched with blown eyes as she nodded ferociously. "I have friends you don't know about, Micah." She said, almost picking fun at the boy as I looked back over at him. His arms still crossed and a doubtful expression adorning his rough face. "How do you know her?" He groveled, shifting on his feet. "We have English together!" She said, and things slowly started to piece together how I shockingly really did know this girl. Even though I wouldn’t say being assigned to sit next to one another qualified us as friends. I certainly wasn't about to argue with the girl. "She's friends with Gaskarth's crew!" At this my eyebrows perked up, as did the boy who I assumed to go by Micah's when I turned my head back around to see him staring at me now. Slightly softer look in his charcoal eyes. "You know Alex?" I nodded at the sound of the familiar name. Because on the same standards as saying this girl is my friend because we had just one class together; Alex and I were suddenly elevated from acquaintances to the best of friends anyone has ever seen. And that seemed to be enough for the boy to drop his arms with a sigh of defeat, turning to the other girl once again. "Michelle, are you really paying for her?" He asked, scratching the side of his head. The girl nodded. Quickly she dropped my arm to fish a balled-up wad of ones and fives from her pocket, holding it up to the boy. Something that only made him sigh yet again. "Mom gave you that to last the rest of the week!" She smiled widely again, throwing her arm causally around my shoulders and tugging me into some form of a side hug. "Well, I want to spend it on my friend here!" She argued, "Her birthday is coming up!" Micah huffed a breath and shook his head, but still advanced towards us to snatch the money from the girl's hand. "Don’t tell mom I let you do this." He warned, letting his eyes linger across her face for a moment before they traveled to mine. "It was nice to meet you." He breathed before turning his back and walking towards the back of the shop. "Oh, dear God." I sighed loudly as I weaved my way out from under the girl's arm and turned to her with a gracious smile. "Thank you so much, you really saved my ass right there, I've never tried to do anything like that before, I swear it's so unlike-" "Oh, don’t sweat it!" She instantly cut me off, waving a hand as she smiled and bounced on her toes. "People try and swipe shit from here all the time, but it's not every day I make a friend out of it! I'm Michelle by the way, Michelle Juubie. I don’t know if I've ever actually introduced myself to you in class." "You hadn't," I smiled at her, shaking the hand she put out to me. "Murphy, Kennedy Murphy." "Very James Bond of you!" She smirked, grabbing my elbow and dragging me off into an aisle before she pulled me close. "Also, just for reference if you're going to steal anything again you'll have to do a much better job at it!" She whispered, and I was about to attempt to explain again how I'd never intended to steal it in the first place, but she never gave me the chance. "It's all about the eyes." She told me, "The key is to scan the merchandise with one hand, and without looking over, pocket something with the other." "Uh, thanks?" I chuckled. Watching as she pulled a small tape deck from her own hoodie pocket that I genuinely didn't see her swipe and slide it back into its spot. "Wow, that's impressive? Concerning? I don't really know how to take that!" She giggled, "I think I like you already, we're going to be great best friends!" I laughed at the petite brunette who'd gone back to aimlessly scanning the tape decks and smiled. "Then you should probably know now my birthday is in April." "Well good thing I already know what not to get you!" Blinking away the tears that had slowly begun to form in my eyes, I looked down and noticed the display of tape decks I'd somehow wandered my way over to. Smiling, almost laughing really at the thought of the girl I'd just remembered. I didn’t quite know her yet in this new state of mind, but I knew I would like her as greatly as I had back then. I just had a feeling. "Not trying to steal from us, again are we?" A voice suddenly called me from my thoughts, pulling my attention over my shoulder where I saw her. Sat up on the counter top just beyond a display rack. I watched her flop down from it onto the floor and make her way towards me. "You still owe me that fifteen dollars from the first time you tried." It was like a vision from a dream almost as she sauntered down the aisle with a smile. Dressed now in denim shorts and a faded tee. But to me it hardly looked like she'd aged even a day. Her dark eyes were still as large as they'd always been, smile just as big, and hair just as long and wavy as I'd pictured moments before. And just like that, it hit me. Like a car crash, a head on collision. It hit me that I knew the girl stepping up beside me, looking into my eyes with a knowing, pressing gaze behind them. I knew her, but not like I knew Jack, or Zack, or even Alex really. I didn't just know that I knew her in some stage of my life. I remembered her. I remembered everything about her, about us, about our friendship that had blossomed like flowers in the spring that first day I walked into this store. I remembered every English class after that, sitting with her, passing notes and making jokes which had us laughing so loud more often than not we'd be scolded. I remembered sitting up in this store for hours on end harassing her brother Micah as he tried to work. I remembered Micah, I remembered him constantly teasing me for the poor excuse for a thief I'd been. I remembered having to fake my birthday to him every October just to keep our little act up. I remembered long school lunches, and winter breaks making dirty versions of snowmen with her and the guys. I remembered road trips in the fall, and beach days in the summer. I remembered all the times we'd laughed so hard to mindless television we'd be crying clutching our sides. I even remembered breaking into the principal's office and changing the diploma order just so we could sit beside one another on graduation day. I remembered everything. Like a storm in the summer, the flood of events vanished almost as quickly as it'd came and I was left standing there, heavy in the head from everything I now had crammed inside it. Just stuck, staring back at this girl watching me intently as tears began to brim in my eyes. "JuJuBee?" I practically whispered, a single tear escaping me and sliding down my cheek. And I couldn't even begin to tell you how big her smile got in the split second between her going from standing there worried, to throwing her arms around me. Sobbing now herself, she clung to my frail frame so tight I really did believe she thought if she let go I'd slip away. "Oh, Tweedle Dee!" She sobbed, her pet name for me ringing true, just as ridiculous as it'd always been. "I missed you!" "I missed you too..." I murmured, crying happy tears now at the fact that I could finally say that to someone, and know exactly what it was I'd been missing.

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leelee-astrology · 4 years ago

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cancer

Time for some life gardening

Don’t just dare to dream – dare to live it!

Taking care of the small stuff releases you into something bigger

Ready for something a little more daring? You start the month taking care of outstanding business. Whether this is close to home or showcasing those superpowers professionally. There’s a lot of Cardinal Energy swirling around at the start of November. You have Venus and retrograde Mercury in your 4th of Libra. Then the final Jupiter/Pluto conjunction in Capricorn and your 7th; and in your 10th (Aries) – Mars direct from the 14th along with Chiron in here.

Chiron allows you to release that daring, outrageous side. Or simply bring those superpowers to bear on an area of life you may be overlooking. For simply unexpected results. Because you are going to use a secret ingredient. What is that? Read on and mix it in, Cancer.

you are the missing piece of the puzzle

Did you spot what’s missing in all this? That secret ingredient is your signature Cancerian gift of caring and nurturing. You are the only Cardinal sign with planets missing. So, as you focus on home and professional matters at the start of the month, see even those career goals and ambitions as benefitting and deserving of that Cancerian gift of devotional love.

bring the tarot to life

This is the energy embodied in the card of the 7 of Pentacles in the Tarot. You might want to meditate on this card for the first half of November. Up until the point the new Supermoon appears in your 5th which I will come to in a moment. You’re probably familiar with this card and no matter what deck you use, this is one of those cards whose imagery and interpretation remains consistent.

It shows a figure watching over a plant with seven pentacles on it. The first and most obvious interpretation is waiting for something to ripen or come to fruition. But the figure is also keeping watch and attending to his or her crop. Watering, pruning, tilling the soil around it to ensure it ripens and grows so they can reap the harvest. That vigilance and nurturing is pure Cancerian energy. So, the start of November is asking you to bring this kind of nurturing focus to your home, family or living situation (which should be easy for you!), your work and career, or your relationship. You’re both the missing piece of the puzzle – and the growth factor, Cancer.

All this says yes, you do matter. Because without you, nothing grows. Or blossoms. So, don’t undersell yourself at this time or dismiss what you do as unimportant. The time and love you put into things are valuable which is another message of this card. So, don’t ignore that.

solutions to love problems appear

The 10th sees Mercury re-enter your fabulising 5th while the Sun in here makes a beautiful trine to Neptune in your 9th. Romance, pleasure, date night, creative projects, children, play, much needed breaks from reality or serious business are back on the agenda. Again, look to where you have invested your time and love. Are you being properly appreciated? Or feel you are?

The final Jupiter/Pluto meeting in your 7th begins on the 7th and peaks on the 12th. Many Cancerians may have felt love was ‘hard work’ or ‘heavy’ going due to the once-in-a-lifetime line up of planets in here. This meeting between Jupiter and Pluto will never occur again in here in this lifetime. Both Saturn (restriction) and Jupiter will exit this house next month leaving only Pluto remaining.

Some of you may have discovered the love of your life during this period. While others may have found themselves consciously or simply un-coupled from someone they thought would be a big part of their lives. Love could have been elusive or hard to pin down. Or solid but working through challenges. Expect solutions and new beginnings to show you all that vigilance and hard work has been worth it. Jupiter ALWAYS wins in a Jupiter/Pluto stand-off. It tells us the only way is now up.

daring, dating and relating

The new Supermoon of the 17th is when that daring phase finally kicks in. You’ve taken care of business. Now it’s time to lighten up as it aligns with that Jupiter/Pluto conjunction. This could restore the romance to a present partnership or bring singles who are seeking a new love opportunity especially when Venus arrives in this house six days later. Social distancing guidelines aside, it’s time to connect and circulate if you can as on the 17th Mercury in your 5th opposes Uranus in its ruling 11th. and Venus will do the same on the 27th. Accept all invitations within guidelines now and be open to the unexpected.

If you are seeking love then be open not just to experimenting with how and where you may find it, but be open to what love may look like. Possibly different than you thought. This is also your time to express yourself either via your creativity or what you enjoy doing. So, showcase this in any way you can. Online and via social media or your own website. This is not a time to be shy no matter who or what you are seeking to attract in.

The Sun in your 6th from the 21st is all about focussing the energy that 7 of Pentacles card contains. On your daily routine, the details and what nourishes you and supports you. Diet, wellbeing, exercise and also the details will matter. Just like the roots of that plant – it’s all connected. And the small stuff matters. This is your time for life gardening and especially what you need for your growth and to feel alive. What drains or stunts that growth? Weed it out now.

cast a new spell under a different light

You are the sign which feels full Moon eclipses the most. The Moon’s light looks different during one. So, you literally see things in a different light. Now, any kind of eclipse hides things. A total eclipse like the one we have on December 14 (in your 6th incidentally), means you are totally in the dark.

A total eclipse at the time of the full Moon can hide the emotional truth. We may even doubt our own feelings. Or be uncertain about someone else’s. But the eclipse of the 30th in your 12th isn’t total. So, you have a glimpse of emotional truth as you see an aspect of the past in a very different light.

This may run completely contrary to how you have been told things were or are. Or what you have believed to be true. Because this is your house of the past, you may hear from someone from that who provides the information that allows you to see things this way. However, do hold this up to your intuition and also fact check it if possible. But if it resonates – no matter how outrageous and unbelievable, then take it as the truth.

You may read, watch or hear something – a book, TV show or even a random conversation, which while it may not be related directly to you, nevertheless seems to be a message with you in mind. You may delve deeper into this as a result.

One word of caution however. If someone from your past reappears wanting a second chance or another go around under this eclipse, please use caution. Take your time before jumping back in. If this happens go back to the 7 of Pentacles card. That figure watches and waits. The truth is like a plant. It can take time for flowers to appear and bloom. You are re-framing the past under this eclipse. Not repeating it. Being a little bit daring this November may even involve daring to say no, Cancer.

In a nutshell: Your capacity for patience and nurturing pays off this month, Cancer. Show every area that long- term love. And when it comes to partnership matters – expect opportunities and solutions this November

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hush-falls-the-evening · 7 years ago

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The Devil in camp

Characters: Edward Nygma (Detective), Jonathan Crane (???), scriddler

Rating: T Words: 4,262

Chapter: 2/??

Misc Info: Murder/Mystery/Fantasy au, Slowburn, Scriddler

Synopsis: Detective Nygma had no say whether he wanted any part of this. What was supposed to be a case of missing people in a small town quickly turned into a most bizarre affair.

There is no way to tell whether the threat comes from the forest cradling them in its overwhelming embrace... or if true evil lies where everyone can see.Whoever Edward decides to believe, the people who sought his help or the shadow haunting his dreams...

There is one thing the detective knows for sure.

There's something very, very wrong with this town.

Follow the story on AO3

Small towns. Edward never bothered with small towns.

Glory Hills was, contrary to what its name might suggest, a rather humble town. It might had seen success a long, long time ago when it was first founded toward the late 19th century, but that qualification hardly applied on this dying town, slowly bleeding out of its younger population who preferred seeking opportunities in distant cities. Smart kids.

It was rather isolated from the outside, for a start. The town had settled its economy on various resources over the years. A bit of lumbering. A bit of mining. A bit of hunting. Farming was not the most efficient with the type of soil they were living on but, somehow the land had never failed them, or so he’s been told. They tended to rely on themselves foremost and only required, or sought, external assistance for the occasional lack of said necessities. The closest neighboring town being 20 minutes away on the highway is probably one of the reasons they set to be self-reliant on the first place. That, and a stiff stubbornness in regards of modernization.

They did have Wifi though. So that was a comfort. It was spectacularly spotty, however.

Though, it could be said the scenery was quite compelling at various time of day, if you had a thing for that sort of rustic aesthetics. The slight groove it was built into was cradled by hills and the looming forest furnishing them. There was a creek originating from the dark folds of said woodland. Since his arrival, he had been told that if everyone stopped and paid attention to it, they could hear the sound of rushing water, humming like a voice. compelling, growing, engulfing....

.... Moving on. to Edward’s annoyance, the town’s inhabitants were not particularly warm to outsiders. Or perhaps it was the late September’s chill affecting their manners and.... hospitality.

There was, however, one thing Edward did knew about small towns. They kept their history very close to their chests.

All he had to do, was ask the right questions.

“And here we have a painting of Mayor Mansfield, who was in office for nearly 20 years before passing his seat to his son-in-Law, Mayor Redfields Senior, who you might recognize as our current Mayor’s grandfather.”

“Ah yes. Tell me, Mrs. Redfields. Did you-”

“-And finally, here we have a portrait of the Redfields’ Manor, up on the eastern hill. You see, Glory, as we call it, had a change of heart in the 20s, and we were extremely lucky to have a type of soil that favored certain kind of flowers. The Mansfields, who originally built the manor in 1923, made the economy boom through commercialization of our local variety. That business lasted... oh, ten years? Give or take. Then the flowers actually spread outside of the area and, it’s been regarded as little more than weed by the locals. Still, every spring, you can see them everywhere, particularly on your way up the hill to the manor! It is luxurious and rich and covering the lands like the blood of our nation!”

Edward nodded amiably at the stout woman, tightening his fists behind his back as he awaited for his client to finish “an important call”. Mrs. Redfields must had been in her late 50s, with a obvious habit of smoking for the looks of her teeth and a subtle yellowing of her fingers... Unless the nearby spittoons were actually indicative of a tobacco chewer. Either way.

Her eyes were somewhat sunken deep in her skull. They were alert and alive with the newfound opportunity of sharing the history of their town to any politely inquisitive visitors, and had commandeered the conversation ever since Edward had uttered his first unfortunate question.

At any another time, perhaps Edward would had enjoyed this kind of tour. But he had the growing impression that his client had either forgotten he was expecting to see him or, plausibly, that the lady herself had not actually informed her husband of his arrival as soon as she saw the possibility to ramble the excess of information held into her thinning cranium and never had the chance to spill at any of the jaded locals.

Which, to an extent, Edward sympathized with. However, he was not above hypocrisy.

Before he could make his 5th attempt at placing a word in the conversation, the tall doors leading to the Mayoral office opened on a balding man with a permanent wrinkle up on his forehead. His brows were knitted as he ran his eyes across the hall. “Margaret, have you seen- OH! Oh, Detective Nygma, welcome! I was expecting you earlier, I was worried you might have gotten lost on your way here...”

Edward tried not to shot his eyes through the lady next to him who, he could see from the corner of his eyes, was puffing her chest, standing as tall as her height permitted. Shamelessly daring anyone to question her reasoning.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Mr. Redfield.” Edward crossed the distance swiftly, shaking the man’s hand. His palms were sweaty and left a sticky sensation over his own.

Mayor Redfields briefly grinned apologetically, though it was not very convincing a grin. Everyone was quite aware of that, and he did not try further. “Let us begin, then. Please, come in. Have a seat.”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The Mayor’s Office was, in a similar taste as the rest of the house, old-fashioned with a hint of decay around its edges. Edward made sure not to point them out and focused on the content of the office itself, which featured books and papers at various places obviously not made for books and papers. It was messy, is what he was trying NOT to say.

Many pictures of those infamous red flowers as well, whom the redhead could recognize as Morning glories.

The detective sat in a pink-cushioned chair with his legs crossed, his hands patiently folded until he heard the ridiculous favor he had been asked to perform for this man.

“I must say, Mr. Redfields, your friends were... quite convincing when I was told I was required to assist you in this.... case.”

“Ah... yes. It’s been quite a thorn in my side for the 2 past years-.”

“Which I’ve come to understand,” Edward cut him, grinning unpleasantly. “has to do with disappearing citizens? Would you mind elaborating on that, or should I go the old-fashioned way and interview each and every single one of your constituents? However, I trust you could offer some valuable insights?”

He should had been mindful of the condescension in his tone, but his patience had ran thin until this conversation. He had lost valuable time, and he would gladly appreciate a quick briefing on what he needed to know to begin his investigation and get done with this hellhole.

He saw the other man straightening himself, leaning his elbows over the desk. “Of course... Well, there have been a few... disappearances, in the past few years. Some we just assumed people who left and never returned, having shown signs of those kind of behaviors in the past. However..... We recently found how... one of our most skilled hunter have met a most... dreadful end. It-... It has been a week now so, of course our police department have investigated the crime scene and removed the corpse from it’s.... confinement.”

“Confinement?” The detective emphasized, observing every detail of the man in front of him. From his shifty eyes to the shaking of his hands.

Redfields fetched a cloth he used to wipe the pearls of sweat on his forehead, rising to retrieve a folder from one of his drawers.

“We took pictures of everything, of course. I’ve... not looked at them much myself. It is a rather upsetting sight for me. Acker was a good friend of mine...” he trailed off, looking anywhere except at Edward’s perceptive glare.

Edward leaned to take the folder, opening it to reveal.... a rather peculiar death.

Well.

“Intriguing.” Edward carded through each pictures. Taking a moment to notice the details of every frame. “Mr. Redfields?”

The older man turned to him in mild astonishment, as if he had only noticed him now. “Yes?”

“Has this ever happened before?”

Edward kept a close eye on the man, and what he saw only made him more.. curious.

“No! No... This is, not anything I have ever seen. You.. You can clearly see the branches had gone-..... oh god”

“It’s quite alright, sir. Please sit back down.”

And the man did just so, looking particularly upset. He resumed wiping at his bald head while Edward looked at the pictures a second time over.

Admittedly, if this murder had been staged, which it must had been... someone had put incredible efforts to make it look like a tree had somehow engulfed the man into its trunk, branches and leaves sprouting out of his permanently escaping corpse. His arms reaching out for an escape he had obviously no power to reach...

What was most striking was the utter look of terror in the man’s expression. If all of this was true, the hunter had seen some unspeakable horror.... Well. Theoretically, dying in that fashion would be quite horrifying, you didn’t need to be a genius the likes of him to know that much.

Which was nonsense, really. But, a possibility.

“Any idea how he had got himself stuck in there? Unless that is a hobby around these parts...”

“Oh, no, no... We, truly do not know.”

Something in his voice made Edward shot his eyes back on him, this time, the mayor found himself pinned from a severe glare.

This was the second time the man had lied to him, and he was itching to find answers.

“Truly?” the detective repeated, irking a brow at him.

“Well..... well there is...”

“I need all the information I can work with, Mr. Redfields. So I suggest you tell me what’s troubling you so much.” He kept his sight on him for a spell, then tilted his head. “Unless you want me to find out for myself?”

Redfields didn’t answered right away, but managed to mutter an explanation.

“It all started when my great-grandfather became mayor of this town...”

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Something new had come into Glory Hills.

From the depth, It hummed to his ears like a rumor through the leaves. It traveled like shimmer through the thickest of branches.

It pulled at his core, at the bones at his feet, at the roots feeding on them.

From the Unseen to the cursed... and in their silence, bound into completion.

It led him back to their civilization, breathing in the foul stench.

And his whole kingdom inhaled as one.

Something new had come into Glory Hills.

The air tasted of rust. Stained those who stayed too long on these grounds. It moved around them, it moved from them. Seeping into their clothes and drowning their thoughts with the promises of mortality and decay.

The time had come again.

But this year would be... most memorable.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“So what you are telling me... is how this town has been haunted by a creature of the woods for the last century?” the redhead was incredulous. He was also irritated. He was going through a lot at the moment.

Folk tales..... of all things.

“Well... It never came to this before. They stayed near the perimeter of the forests... Acker was a good man, he would had never gone to... to that place...” Redfields rubbed both of his meaty hands over his tired eyes. He looked near exhausted. “They never bothered us like this before.”

Edward made a note to... entertain the idea. Although the thought alone was royally insulting his intellect. He let the silence grow between them until the other man managed to look at him again.

“That place you’re referring to being the crime scene?”

“Yes...”

“I suppose you were not expecting me to shy away from a crime scene on the account of it being haunted?”

“It isn’t haunted, Mr.-”

“-Detective.”

“.... Detective Nygma, but no... Despite my beliefs, I know we must find answers first...”

Edward nodded at his conclusion. The mayor filled him in on additional details, showing him a map of the events which Edward borrowed shamelessly as he stood to take his leaves. The sun was setting and he had half a mind to go back to his...... “residence” before going to the next logical step of his investigation.

Hitting the local bars.

“The answer is evident to me, Mayor Redfields,” Edward approached almost amiably, putting on his emerald green coat and favored bowler hat on, a cane he had begrudgingly left behind when Lady Redfields had pried it out of his hands with aggressive hospitality. “do you believe the disappearances are connected to this affair?”

“Oh no well, not all of them I’m sure... We do lose a few kids every year to the appeal of the city.” He tried to grin, like this was some kind inside joke which Edward did not have a witty banter to reply with.

“I will see you tomorrow at noon. Until then, Mayor Redfields.”

The man offered once more that esquisse of a smile as Edward turned to open the door, leaving behind this troubled man who, even if he hated to admit it, had quite a mystery on his hands.

Perhaps, aside for all the nonsense of it, Edward has found a puzzle worth his time in this dreadful place.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

As the eccentric "detective” left the driveway of their home, Geordan Redfields stood where he was last seen for as long as he could hear the sound of wheels on the crumbling pavement. As he turned to walk back into his office, he found his wife Margaret standing there with a basket of fresh baked goods, a look of disgruntlement as she held it with one hand, the other on her bony hip.

“You forgot the basket, Dan.” She sighed, almost dropping it carelessly on a table-stand. “How is he going to stay plump if you let him run around so much?”

“Patience, my flower.” Geordan’s attitude at completely changed as soon as the man left. He exhaled loudly and ambled back to plant a kiss between her brows, her eyes throwing lightnings at him, he had no doubts.

“We still have a month ahead of us, do we not?”

Author’s notes: Hey guys, thank you for reading this. I owe a great lot to my friends and those who encourage me no matter the moods.

I'll see you guys on the next cliff hanger. I love you all, please stay warm <3<3<3

ps: Comments are appreciated. Dammit. I love ya’ll but give me some damn feedback so I know what you want.

#scriddler #Jonathan Crane #edward nygma #scarecrow #riddler #fantasy au #fae au #monster au #murder mystery #horror au #dark fairy tale #there's a lot of aus man #slow burn

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differentworlds-fiction · 7 years ago

Text

TARIN

“I’ve met someone.”

Over the strident screech of a nearby truck coming to a hazardous halt, I was able to hear my juvenile admission loud and clear; brooding in me was a sense of guilt that I interpreted as betrayal. Developing feelings for someone else knowing good and well my heart still remained with another. At a young and impressionable age, I’d fallen for the lanky boy with deadpan eyes I met at Coney Island the previous summer. At twenty-three I made the effort to understand the unhealthiness of this devotion manifested by permissive teenage love and memories I’d repressed after his death. The person who held possession of nearly all of me had been gone for years and yet I couldn’t find myself to work up enough courage to move and to let go.

The blistering summer sun began to beam onto my back, prompting me to shift in my guarded stance. The pin-striped poplin top I donned grooved against my shoulders as I reached upward and rubbed the back of my neck. “This isn’t easy for me. It feels like I’ve been unfaithful to you,” I cleared my throat, “Time has passed and still, it feels as though you have this sort of hold on me. I want you to let me go. Or just let up a little bit, will you? Because I don’t wanna carry this guilt with me all my life and restrict myself because somehow I still feel like I’m yours.”

My breathing picked up and suddenly I found my hand toying with a lone coil that had fallen from the flat twist I sped through an hour ago. On cue, my vision became blurred from an onslaught of tears beginning to gather. With the same hand that tugged on the kinky tendril by my ear, I wiped away the thickened stream in an attempt to compose myself, but there was no use.

The damage had already been done.

“His name is Hill; he’s the someone that I’ve met, but you probably knew that already,” Light laughter escaped me the longer I pondered on the statement. “I think there might be something there -- something there between us. But I’m scared to do anything about it because, as crazy as it sounds, I’m still very much in love with you --” I paused, thinking over what I had just uttered. “Maybe it isn’t you who needs to let me go. Maybe I’m the one who needs to do the letting go.”

For what seemed like an eternity I remained standing by the gravesite, grasping the fact that this had been my doing all along. Not only was I blocking my own happiness but I was blocking encounter -- whether good, bad, or indifferent-- that I should’ve experienced after Richie’s passing.

I could’ve put myself out there just a tad bit more.

Instances where Jani begged for me to accompany her one of her infamous nights’ out, I didn’t have to decline.

Those evenings where I talked myself out of the deep longing for male companionship, I could’ve made myself more available to the suitable dudes who weren’t looking to waste my time.

I shouldn’t have hidden behind the armor of being a single mother or being under the impression that men wouldn’t want me, either.

Spanning from Richie’s passing, I had become a repeat offender of getting in my own way; the epiphany sticking with me throughout my train ride back into Manhattan.

****

“...Now you can be completely honest with me, okay? Are you sure you’re alright? Because if you need someone to confide in, I’m all ears...”

“That won’t be necessary Cheyenne,” I muttered, attempting to maintain a little bit of professionalism, “but thank you anyway.” Just as I was about to momentarily bury away my thoughts from this morning and devour the slice of cinnamon swirl coffee cake I’d gotten from Starbucks, the office phone lit up. With the push of a button, Cheyenne’s voice pervaded the space yet again. “What is it now?”

“Victoria Meyers is here to see you.”

“Vickie?! I mean, Victoria Meyers?”

Pushing the coffee cake aside I retrieved the leather encased daily planner sitting by the iMac’s keyboard. “She had an appointment with me?”

“Yes.”

“That was never run by me. I know that for sure. I would have penciled that in somewhere. I can’t seem to find it written down anywhere.”

A gasp escaped Cheyenne. “Oh gosh! I thought I relayed that message before you left Friday afternoon. She phoned in when you were still in your office. She asked about your availability and left a message that was looking to stop by early next week.”

“...And you failed to mention that up until she enters the office.”

“I had every intention of giving the note to you but--”

“It’s Monday, Cheyenne,” I left out a huff.

“Know what? Let me escort her to your office.”

“No! No. I’ll come and meet her in the waiting area and show her back myself.” I picked up the receiver, put it back on its base and rose from the desk chair, smoothing out the length of my pencil skirt.

Her poppy red hair hung over her shoulder in loose waves, reminding me somewhat of Ariel the mermaid. She gave a faint greeting to Cheyenne and scooted by the massive coffee table.

A simple wave on my end wouldn’t have sufficed due to the way she enveloped me in an embrace as if we were a pair of long-lost relatives. “How’ve you been?”

I shrugged inside the hug. “Hangin’ in there. You?”

“I’m hanging in there, too. I believe the last time we saw each other was at Madison’s birthday party.” She pulled back and glanced at me, her longing stare starting from my metallic double-banded sandals and ending at the week-old braid out I tried to salvage. “Is it just me or do you look drastically different from the last time I saw you?” She tore away the rose rimmed oval shaped sunglasses as if the showy choice of eyewear was preventing her from determining a suitable answer.

Like a predator staking out its prey, she circled around me.

Once.

Twice.

Were it not for my continuous shift from one foot to the other, she would’ve proceeded longer than I anticipated.

“You’re like, glowing. You seem to be a lot happier than the last time we were around each other.”

“I dunno,” I replied with a meek shrug, “I feel like the same old’ Tarin. I mean, a lot has changed since Madison’s birthday.”

“Oh, I bet.” She grinned, wiggling her narrow eyebrows. “Hill told me about you’ve gotten an apartment right there by the High Line. Kudos to you for landing a spot over there.”

Part of me wanted to prod and ask what else Hill had told her, but decided against it.

“He also told me that you’re now planning your own events, which is why I’m here. Well, part of the reason why I’m here.”

“And what’s the other part of the reason?”

“To give you this,” she unzipped her rather large taupe satchel, searched through it momentarily before retrieving a folded up printout paper that listed order information. “Happy housewarming! I would’ve saved you the trouble of having to go to 5th and 57th to pick it up, but I didn’t know your address. It’s nothing major, just six five-piece place settings.”

“Place settings? You didn’t have to do that --”

“But I did.”

“But six of them? I mean, c’mon. You could’ve got me a cheaper set from Macy’s or something.”

“Eh. I wasn’t in a Macy’s type of mood today. Believe me, if I didn’t have to stop by and speak to you about this luncheon I needed help with putting together, I’d still be in bed.” Her fingers found their way to the root of her hair. She attempted to toy with her ends but hesitated, stopping thereafter. “Anyway, I need you. I feel like you’d be a great help for this gathering. It’s nothing extravagant. Maybe fifteen...twenty guests at the most. The vice-chair and I are still bumping heads on whether it should be on the Upper East Side to accommodate must of the guests or at another location.”

“How big of a time frame do we have to work on this?”

“The end of this month. I figured if I came to you before Hill’s fight we could at least scout some locations.”

“We could seek out a bunch of locations by the end of this week depending on how free your schedule is,” I remarked, my eyes narrowing into slits. “And what does Hill’s fight have to do with anything?”

“Oh come on Tarin. You are going, aren’t you?”

“Well, no. It wasn’t exactly in the plans for me to go.” I muttered, ushering her into my office. I closed the door and motioned for her to take an empty seat as I trudged towards the tufted desk chair. “What has he told you?”

“Nothing. Trust me, Hill hasn’t ever been the type to divulge much. He’s the king of saying things without actually saying them. If there’s nothing else I’ve learned in all my years of knowing him it’s that reading in between the lines is key.” Vicky said. “That is why I go directly to his. He hasn’t come outright and told her he’s pretty infatuated with you, but she knows. And when Bri has a hunch about something, usually never proven to be wrong.” She added. “He likes you,” her utterance was followed by mellow sigh, “Sounds pretty juvenile to simply put it that way, but I’m almost certain he does.” She took a long breath. “So what do you plan to do about him? About you and him.”

I laughed. “Are you his friend or his wingwoman?”

“His friend, first and foremost. Perhaps I’m his unofficial wingwoman too, in this case. So be it. You also didn’t answer my question. Do you like him too?”

“That wasn’t your question. You asked what do I plan to do about him.”

“There’s nothing to do until you determine if you have developed feelings for said person.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“Tuh. You so do have feelings for him.”

“You sound so sure.”

“If you haven’t caught feelings you would’ve put a pin in this entire conversation the minute I brought Hill up. Oh, and you smiling every time I say his name speaks volumes. That’s a dead giveaway. This is such a textbook definition of crushing if I’ve ever seen it.” She giggled, cupping her hands together. “Anyway enough about Hill. Let’s talk more about this luncheon. Do you happen to know which orchids are in season…”

As she went off into her massive spiel on the delicate flowery theme she desired to play up for the lunch and the lone massive dining table and wait staff she expected me to weed through all by next week, my body sank against the desk chair crafted into the shape of an hourglass, sorting through what I considered to be my first healthy and positive sentiments that I’ve felt for a man -- any man-- in a while.

I interjected once Vickie began segueing into elaborate centerpieces. “Hill, he’s a good guy.”

And handsome as hell, I so desperately wanted to add but kept my composure.

Her daughter’s godfather did happen to be the topic of discussion for crying out loud.

“I can’t place my finger on it. But there is something about him that just clicks with me. We haven’t known each other for that long, but we gel pretty well together. At least I think so. Then again, I could be chalking it all up to me being deprived of this form of male attention. I don’t know.”

“Would I be prying too much if I were to ask why that is? Have you looked at yourself? You’re a total fucking knockout.” She blurted out. Both hands shot to her mouth with a quickness. Immediate regret flagged over her face as her cheeks warmed a deep shade of crimson. “Granted we aren’t good girlfriends who sit around and tell each other our deepest darkest secrets over drinks, but is there something about you that I’ve overlooked?”

“Nothing that I’m up to get into at the moment. So, let’s keep it light for now. Please. I’ve had a long day.” I muttered, recalling my jam-packed morning. Following my rather sporadic trip from Brooklyn, I returned back to the office and met with the manager to a potential client.

After a very brief meeting with the manager that came off to be more of an interview than a business-related conversation, I learned of the potential client’s alias. His name was Haneef Parker, reformed R&B playboy initially catapulted into the spotlight by way of TV-sitcoms.

“Will do.” Her faint smile withered into a look of indifference the moment we proceeded to teeter on the basis of my sentiments -- feelings towards Hill that I had yet to vocalize to him, let alone myself.

“What do you plan to do?” She queried, her palms clasped together, allowing both of her index fingers to meet.

A simple shoulder shrug became my initial response until my lips parted. “Something. That’s for sure. I just don’t know what ‘something’ is at the moment.”

“Perhaps I could be of some assistance.”

****

The Caledonia -- even the name sounded nothing shy of stush.

If my brain worked itself into overdrive and allowed that familiar hint of insecurity to fester, I wouldn’t have mustered up enough courage to make it past the doorman every day, let alone get through my first weekend inside the pretentious building. As another work day neared its day, I hurried by the stocky doorman named Darius, my hand laced with Ayla’s. Idle chitchat was nixed completely as we commuted home together on the train. Often Ayla tended to wind down from her active days at the Brooklyn day camp I enrolled her in shortly after school let out for the summer. A curated playlist equipped with hours’ worth of songs from her favorite TV shows occupied her well throughout the train ride and all the way home.

Subsequent to entering the cool lobby and taking in its typical sight of tenants and their furry four-legged companions Ayla and I made a beeline for the elevators adjacent to the massive zen waterfall.

Still I was getting used to skirting by it, or the lush open-aired garden a mere ten feet away from the concierge desk. Once inside the elevator, I released a sigh of relief, hearing Ayla resistant demand for my attention. “Here,” she murmured while returning the rather dated iPod touch along with its earphones, “Can we have pizza for dinner?”

“Oh no. Not again. You’ve had pizza for dinner two nights in a row already.” I replied, huffing inwardly at the thought of her not eating home-cooked meal back to back on account of me being swamped with work I brought home. If Mama Sarah caught wind of her precious little Ayla eating junk for two nights straight, she’d haul her right back to Brooklyn herself. “I took ground beef out to thaw overnight and it’s in the fridge. Does Spaghetti sound good to you?”

An automatic pout curled her lips into a disgruntled look of disgust. “Granny Sarah makes spaghetti all the time! I don’t wanna eat spaghetti tonight, mommy.” Ayla huffed, resting against the elevator’s interior.

“What about house burgers?”

Ayla shrugged, “What about them?”

“If we’re not having spaghetti, burgers are on the menu tonight then, kid.”

Groaning, she exited the elevator the moment its doors parted and stomped in the direction of the third door on the left.

“Lose the attitude before you come in.” I scooted back to the door, watching her aggressive demeanor shift the moment her hands fell to their sides. Per my timely request whenever the two of us stepped foot inside the still apartment, Ayla removed her shoes, placing them into one of the wall hutch’s designated cubbies. With haste, she slipped into the tiger slippers embossed with raised ears, next. Long after she ventured down the hall, hurrying towards the pile of toys I dreaded stepping on in the dark, I unpacked her backpack; the assorted crayon box that were just a few shy of a full box, doodles of various puppies and a paper bag containing the uneaten apple slices I packed away for her earlier this morning. Simultaneous to placing the ribboned navy blue backpack onto the hooks and zipping into the kitchen to recover the thawed out ground beef from the refrigerator, Ayla muttered, “I heard Granny Sarah and Nana were talking --”

I placed the minced meat on the counter and proceeded to wash my hands. “Were you eavesdropping? Because you know it isn’t good to be nosey.”

“I wasn’t being nosey!” She insisted, obtaining the oversized Barbie doll she’d gotten as a gift last Christmas. From the living area, she dragged the massive styling head into the kitchen. “Nana said you have a boyfriend.”

“Nana doesn’t know what she’s talking about. I do not have a boyfriend, okay?” I clarified, searching the stocked lower cabinets for the brand new cutting board Mama Sarah purchased last weekend. She vowed to sit out of at least two of her weekly card games with the other matriarchs of the neighborhood and insisted on purchasing all of the basic kitchen necessities that I would need for my own home. Pyrex prepware, glass-lid sets, cooking utensils and bakeware still remained in their respected packaging since II hadn’t found the time to actually put them to use.

“That’s what I thought, too.” Her head nodded in agreeance, causing the tiny gold hoops adorning her ears to shakes from one side to the other. “Boys are icky anyway!”

“Eh. I wouldn’t say that. All boys aren’t icky,” I lectured, placing the cutting atop the flat surface. I didn’t want her to follow suit with the old adage that boys were gross and that the cooties were transmitted through close contact with those of the opposite-sex.

“Daddy wasn’t icky.” I stated matter-of-factly. At the mention of her father, she halted in her movements; the section ragged doll hair she was adamant about braiding fell from her grasp. There was a twinkle in her eyes, but as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. “He was cool. A tad bit quiet at times -- I think that’s where you get it from.” I murmured, grabbing an onion from the copper wire bowl in the counter’s corner and a dicing knife from the knife block. “I wish I didn’t have to tell you things about your father and how he was. If I were to have things my way, you would’ve known him.”

I would’ve given anything for them to have a relationship.

Though we were practically children ourselves, I often dreamt of how our life together would’ve been had he not passed. In a perfect world, his corner kid days would’ve dissolved shortly after, if not the moment I found out I was expecting. We would’ve married years later after we both fell into the destined career-paths of our choosing. In a perfect world, we would’ve had more children -- enough to occupy positions of an NBA team’s starting lineup, as men often joked. We would’ve grown old together and retreated to one of the best old folks home money could buy where we’d spend our last days, still immersed in one another and looking forward to loving each other in the afterlife.

My love for him ran that deep, knowing no bounds, no limits.

It was, without a doubt, unconditional love in its truest form.

The combined aroma of handmade patties and sauteed onions simmering on one of the four stove top burners wafted into the air. As we waited for the oven to preheat so the crinkle cut french fries could be placed in, Ayla and I rummaged through a box of old photos I placed inside of the hallway closet on move-in day. Memorable outings from my early upbringing, parties, my horrendous school portraits I wanted to never see the light of day, and Polaroid snapshots I’d taken of Richie all rested inside, separated from the pictures taken of Ayla. While still contained in the box I skimmed over the photo collection, removing pictures of Richie Ayla still had yet to see. Photos capturing our summer excursion beyond the Brooklyn borough where Richie and I journeyed to Manhattan’s Forbidden Planet flagship for additions to his impressive comic book collection as well as nights that I chose to accompany him to idle the grim housing projects over on Euclid Avenue provided background to many of the poorly shot optics.

Pictures I bedecked her room with as a newborn lined the bottom of the box. In pictures frames scattered around her bedroom were snapshots of him -- of him and I together placed for her to later identify the man she’d never have the pleasure of knowing. Though they were present for her sake I inevitably removed them when Ayla was just a month old.

Simultaneous to removing a random stack and placing them on my lap, Ayla scooted over, grabbing a few of them. Giggles fell from her lips as she scanned the picture. “Daddy’s pants were huge!” Ayla emphasized.

“That they were.” I chortled, cringing at the memory of fashion of the mid-2000s. “And then he’d have the nerve to sag his pants...with a belt on!”

Soon, our shared laughter settled.

The slightest bit of contentment I attained vanishing within minutes.

“I see him in you, all the time.” My voice low, as audible as a whisper, “From the way you scrunch your nose up out of confusion to the slight raise in your eyebrows whenever you find something amusing. You’re the spitting image of him, in almost every way.”

She smiled, an uncertainty as to how to respond was easily detectable.

“Your room at the old house used to be filled with pictures of him. Believe it or not, we took a lot of pictures together. I had this old digital camera I took everywhere with me. Before that, I used a Polaroid camera because of the film. When you were born, I put them in pretty little pink frames that had bows in the corners of them. There weren’t around for long.”

“Why?”

“Because there came a point where whenever I looked at these pictures I started to cry. But, I wish I hadn’t kept them up from you. I’m sorry for being so selfish.”

In an attempt to console me her small hand patted over my hair, quelling the emotions that were leading me to a peak of an emotional tailspin.

#Different Worlds #Different Worlds Fiction #fiction

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heathergoffrier · 5 years ago

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25 Little-Known Facebook Groups For Moms To Make New Friends Online

If you're a new mom needing friends, don't overlook Facebook groups as a place to meet people. Check out these 25 groups to make new friends online! Plus get "The Ultimate List Of Places To Meet People: 79 Spots To Make New Friends" You can get access here: SEND ME THE LIST This is the 5th post in my "Make New friends" Series. Be sure to check out the other posts in the series- links at the end of this article!

Several years ago, before launching Strong with Grace, I had a military spouse-focused blog for a few years. The problem was, when I started that blog I didn't know too many military spouse bloggers at the time. I had a passion for developing it but felt a bit out of my league with how to get it off the ground. Somehow I found myself invited to a military blogging group. I don't even remember how I got into it. I think someone I know invited me, but the details are blurry at this point. All I remember Is feeling elated as I saw the amazing networking, exchanging of ideas, and genuine friendships developing in the group. People I didn't know shared my posts, offered help and advice, and even answered military life questions not related to blogging.

The Power Of Facebook Groups For Moms To Make New Friends Online

After that point, I was sold on the benefits of Facebook groups. That group had not only helped my business ventures, but I gained connections with amazing, inspiring military spouses I never would have met. Many of them I still consider friends, even though I've never met most of them in person and I'm not focused on the military spouse niche anymore. Facebook groups can be a huge blessing in the lives of isolated moms who don't have many friends. I've discovered that Facebook groups is one of the best sites to make friends online, especially for lonely moms. Because when I moved to Virginia recently after starting that milspouse blog, that's what I was: a mom with only a couple friends and a baby that kept me stuck at home much of the time. The group proved to be a much-needed connection point and tool of growth in my life. I know it can be strange to try to make new friends online, and you might be thinking, "but I want to make friends near me." I get that. But sometimes, friends you meet online can become real-life friends. If you join groups that are fairly large, odds are there's someone close to you. *if you do decide to meet up in person, always take caution, tell someone that you're going, and meet in a public place. If you're interested in more places to make new friends online and off-line, don't miss my free list of 79 Places To Make New Friends! You can get it here:

SEND ME THE LIST

How To Find Good Friends In Facebook Groups

Before we jump into the list of groups, here are my tips for using a group to make new friends online. Join groups with which you have a similar interest, stage of life, or career aspirations. I’ve joined many groups (probably too many!). My preferred groups are mostly for military spouse, mom and parenting focused, christian- based, or blogging groups.Think about your interests and search for those terms in the Facebook search bar. Across the top you can filter your search down to “groups.”Next, look at a few groups and their “about” section. That will give you an idea if you would enjoy being in that group. All that’s left is to join the group and wait to be approved, if necessary. Some groups require you to respond to a few questions so they know whether you would be a good fit for the group.

You may not know them yet, but as you interact with the group members, you can develop relationships from strangers into acquaintances, and hopefully even friends. After you have some meaningful exchanges, you might add them as a friend or start a private conversation (if allowed by the group) to keep building your connection. If you want more tech help on finding friends on Facebook, I give a lot more tips in this post on ways to make friends on Facebook.

25 Little-Known Facebook Groups For Moms To Make New Friends Online

Here are a few groups I've gathered to give you a starting place for your search, along with a snippet from their current "about" section if available. Please keep in mind that I don't own these groups, nor do I endorse them specifically. They're here for your personal enjoyment, so join at your own discretion!

PIN TO SAVE!

Non-Faith-Based Groups

1- New mom advice and support group The purpose of this group is for us to support each other, ask/give advice, share tips, ideas, coupons, deals, etc. 2- New moms, moms to be, and experienced moms This group was created so that moms and new moms can get together and encourage each other in a positive manner. We’re just a group of women trying to get it right. 3- Parenting tips Useful Tips and Discussion Related To Parenting and Grooming Of Your Kids 4- Parenting Parenting or child rearing is the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, financial, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood. Parenting refers to the aspects of raising a child aside from the biological relationship. 5- New Moms- Newborn, Baby and Toddler Support Group New Moms - Newborn, Baby and Toddler is about new parents looking for advice for their special newborn created by Clever Parenting Tips. Each day we find high quality information that will help you tremendously in the long run for you and your family. The community here will also be a great place to get personal advice for you. 6- Child Development And Parenting Tips Child Development and Parenting Tips is a group for all things relating to child and parenting. 7- Parenting Survival Guide Being a parent in these busy times can be hard. Managing your time between a busy work schedule and a demanding family can sometimes seem overwhelming. Parenting Survival Guide is a group for those interested in all things about parenting. Here is a place you can share and learn from other parents about the day to day activities, problems, and troubles that may arise from being a parent. We encourage you to feel free to share advice, stories, recipes, questions and even venting as long as it pertains to parenting or family life in general. As always, please remember to take all advice with a grain of salt and do your own research whenever in doubt. And of course feel free to invite friends and family to join in on the discussions. 8- Pregnancy, parenting and all things babies Welcome to ❤ Pregnancy, Parenting And All Things Babies❤ Our group is for everyone to join mothers, fathers, couples trying to conceive etc. 9- Parenting Tips: Toddlers and Pre-schoolers No parent should feel alone as they wander through the maze of parenting. Our online community is a safe place to ask parenting questions and find fun preschool activities! 10- Love and Logic Parenting Welcome to our online parenting group Love & Logic Parenting - a place to share ideas, theories, stories, the good and the bad relating to raising children using Love & Logic principles.

Christian-Based Facebook Groups

11- Christian wives/moms Let's support one another through Christ, while having fun, sharing quotes, recipes, church events, & more! Let's uplift each other and stay on fire for God...be sure to read the rules, which are pinned to the top of the group page.

12- Christian Moms of Littles As beautiful and sacred as motherhood is, it’s also incredibly hard. If you are anything like us, then you have likely felt terribly blindsided at one moment or another by just how challenging these little years can be. That is precisely why we began the “Christian Moms of Littles” FB group - we want this to be a warm, encouraging, uplifting, helpful place where you can come and share your heart, pouring out your struggles and frustrations, asking your pressing mothering questions, seeking prayer for when the going gets tough, and finding camaraderie in those who are in the same season as you... 13- Christian Stay-at-home moms

14- Christian Wives and Moms I have searched & have not been able to find groups for Christian moms. I wanted a place where I can share & receive Christian encouragement for parenting & marriage. Let's join together as sisters in Christ... help each other by being a positive, safe group. 15- Christian Moms Support Group I wanted to start this group as an outlet for us mom's for when things get tough, days get rough. This is a great place to post frustrations, prayer request, hurts and success stories! Please feel free to invite all of your mom friends! 16- Bad Christian Moms WELCOME! This community is a place where Christian moms can be real, open and raw about their thoughts and lives without fear of judgement. This is for the slightly cynical Christian, the sometimes crass Christian, at the very least the Christian certainly ready for a laugh and able to handle some off color jokes. But this is also for the desperate Christian, the Christian who at least has a sneaking suspicion that all they long for is really, truly, somehow going to be met in the person of Jesus Christ. 17- Christian Moms- Crunchy Lifestyle Welcome! Christian Moms - Crunchy Lifestyle is a gentle, Christ-centered support group for natural-minded mothers and mothers-to-be. This group is for women only. Topics of discussion include pregnancy, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, attachment and gentle parenting, non-toxic cleaning and beauty supplies, organic eating, green living, homeschooling, and alternative wellness remedies. Discussions frequently stem from a position of faith and are Biblically-based with scriptural references. 18- Christian Moms Welcome to the Christian Moms Group. Being a mom is not easy but its one of the most important roles that God designed. We are a community that sends out daily scripture to help and encourage you throughout your day. This is a safe, private place for Christians women to pray for one another and to encourage one another. We are a group of Believers who have asked Jesus Christ to be our Lord and our Savior because we recognize we are sinners in NEED of a Savior. 19- Christian Stay at home moms Hi Ladies! In my search to find a decent Mom group on Facebook that would offer wholesome and biblical support, I came across a whole lot of garbage. So I decided to start a new group dedicated to providing support and encouragement for stay at home moms who have a relationship with Jesus!

Recommendations From My Blogging Friends

I asked a few blogging friends to share their groups with me (and you), and here are their responses: 20- Embracing This Special Life Embracing This Special Life is a group for Christian mothers who have children with special needs. Special needs parenting can be a challenging and isolating journey, but this group knows the challenges and can offer faith-based hope, support and encouragement. -Jenn Soehnlin of Embracing Life 21- Imperfect Moms Seeking to be Intentional with God Imperfect Moms Seeking to be Intentional with God - is a group where you will find real life, Biblically based encouragement for growing in your Christian faith, marriage, parenting or homeschool! Equipping you to embrace the imperfect and radiate Christ ❤️It's also a group that I co-run with my dear friend Lee Felix from Like-minded Musings. We have an engaged group of sweet moms that encourage and pray for another. -Jessica Anderson at Intentional In Life 22- Homeschool Planning Mama Homeschool Planning Mama- is a group where we share practical tips on topics like routines, schedules, planning methods, organization ideas, planners, record keeping, etc. as well as shares encouragement as you plan for a year or purpose and peace. A new group I just started to help support homeschool moms. -Jessica Anderson at Intentional In Life 23- Equipping Moms I am biased as it is my group. However, my mission is to equip Christian mommas who are struggling as to how to navigate her child’s more challenging behavior. For the mom raising and educating a child with special needs... ADHD, autism, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, trauma... hope and encouragement that the Lord has chosen her to raise her child on purpose. That He has a mighty plan for every child and that there is a Christ-centered way to equip these unique-thinkers to thrive as He intends. Such a wonderful community of moms. 💕 -Lindsay Leiviska at A Heart For All Students 24- Christian Family Living Christian Family Living includes family issues, marriage, and parenting. -Julie Plagens at Mom Remade 25- Christian Parenting Lounge The Christian Parenting Lounge is just parenting. both have lots of ideas and help. -Julie Plagens at Mom Remade

THE “MAKE NEW FRIENDS” BLOG SERIES

This post is the fifth post in a set of articles called the "Make New Friends" Series. My goal in these posts is to help you gain confidence and take steps to actually make new, better, deeper friendships. You can check out the other posts in the series below! THE “MAKE NEW FRIENDS” POSTS Want To Make New Friends? Here’s The Good And Bad News8 Skills That Will Help You Make Friends As An Adult39 Conversation Starters To Make Friends Fast11 Ways To Make Friends And Develop Acquaintances With Other Moms25 Little-Known Facebook Groups For Moms To Make New Friends Online (this post) DON'T MISS "THE ULTIMATE LIST OF PLACES TO MEET PEOPLE: 79 SPOTS TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS." Grab your free copy here:

SEND ME THE LIST Read the full article

#friendship #motherhood

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jojkraig5201294-blog · 7 years ago

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Funds & Careers Articles.

If you have actually been actually caught on a past error, regret or disappointment: Discard this. Rip it up. Melt that. Forget it. Cease if you discover yourself believing concerning this. Situation 3 created that popular blunder can easily remove a deal simply if the mistake from the subject-matter was sufficiently fundamental to make its identification other from just what was actually hired, making the performance from the contract difficult. You should allow oversights as well as failings as a part of lifestyle as well as a pure comments and absolutely nothing additional but responses. A mistake through which each party has an incorrect understanding from the other's posture, or even through which both individuals share the same mistaken belief, normally a basis for terminating the agreement. If you have any questions pertaining to wherever and how to use yellow pages uk reverse lookup (Highly recommended Reading), you can make contact with us at our own web site. While Katie felt like she had actually created a huge blunder, she gained from it. Her calendar from deadlines now additionally consists of word-of-mouth" ones as well as conferences aside from the hard dates released by funders. There's certainly not a bunch of aspect telling your supervisor that an error was actually made without knowing how or even why it took place. This challenge, featured listed below, is actually going popular considering that it's made plenty of smarty-pants seem like simpletons. You pull into your lifestyle exactly what you pay attention to. Considering your errors are going to not secure you from making potential errors. Put more data points out there certainly to rebuild their leave if this made folks examine your knowledge. When there is a material oversight about a product facet from the deal, the essential function of the agreement, there is the question of the assumption from the risk. Often errors are pretty small and trigger very little damages or nuisance. Blunder from law is actually a self defense that the criminal offender misconceived or was actually uninformed of the rule as it existed at the time. Mistakes hold true gift coming from God that he has actually provided our company due to the fact that he desires us to know as well as gain a variety of experiences in life. Going out with blunders of this particular nature often lead to uncertainty as well as dating can even end below. All factors considered, these are several of the absolute most preferred blunders that homeowners often make the instant they make a decision to replace their old windows along with PVC home windows. Work toward overcoming these mistakes and also everything, and whatever you desire is within your grasp. Therefore, aim to observe errors as well as failures as an ideal option to find out as well as expand as an individual. The choice is your boss finding out the blunder anyway and finding that you're at deficiency - which is actually not a great situation to become in. Then various other errors comply with considering that this definitely isn't really the right situation for our team. Thus have a look at the situation and establish regardless if the scenario was actually one that ought to have been steered clear of. One of the most usual subscription internet site blunders that most individuals often make is actually to not specify their target audience correctly. Talk to previous or even present coworkers or individuals outside the association for their viewpoint on the mistake as well as exactly what they believe you can do to bounce back. Call around to a handful of insurance companies for quotes just before you select an insurance carrier. Blunders massage therapy therapists frequently create are to either fall into a routine where they deliver the exact same massage over and over again, or to disregard the customer's ask for tension/ emphasis and also instead only pay attention to exactly what the therapist feels is crucial. The absolute best factor to do is actually acknowledge this and use to make up for it; not asking forgiveness for a mistake is an additional oversight when you produce a blunder. Each time you deal with an oversight you have actually created, this's as if you are actually creating that mistake all over again. When it pertains to mistakes impacting both the sides of a number of profiles, rectification from these types of errors could often be actually implemented with the aid of an entry made in the diary. You spend each day from your whole entire life producing an identity on your own, but you think that your business doesn't should have one. You may hear or review that in the news regular about someone's unfortunate story from jeopardized identity. Mistakes of simple fact come up when a criminal offender misconceived some fact that negates a factor from the crime. Plenty of of my clients, and people that I come in contact with, battle with acknowledging oversights. Always remember, regardless of the number of errors you make or exactly how slow you develop, you are actually still way before everyone that isn't making an effort. The No 2 error that many Foreign exchange traders create is to begin increasing up on a dropping field and, once more, they make this error for exactly the very same explanation. There are actually others who refuse to recognize the oversights that they carry out and also condemn all of them on others. The trick is actually to always keep removaling as well as pass over each individual real estate committing error that you make, particularly beforehand! Although our experts possess all listened to the scary tales of individuals obtaining benefited from through auto mechanics that have actually made recommendations for repairs or even companies that were actually certainly not needed, you do not wish to take the chance of the possibility that your auto mechanics is being actually honest with you, just because you are actually being or even inexpensive. Our team typically uncover exactly what are going to do through finding out just what will certainly refrain from doing; as well as probably he who never ever slipped up never ever produced a discovery. David Slepkow is a Rhode Island Divorce Legal representative concentrating in Breakup, Loved ones Legislation, Restraining Orders, DCYF, Adoptions, Paternal, Post Separation, Relocation, Kid Safekeeping, support as well as visiting. Consequently, you have to receive quotes off many firms to guarantee you're receiving the most effective rate. The important trait in my viewpoint is actually not to pin the blame for a blunder on somebody, yet rather to discover exactly what created the oversight. When you make a mistake you could utilize the Sedona Strategy in order to help you release the adverse psychological fee that accompanies making a mistake. They attempt to play the sufferer duty, want to appear best, and also totally deny any kind of engagement in creating the blunder. The ones that never discovered or accepted their synthetic certainly never produced that in to the business field and certainly never produced a variation in their own lifestyle, or the field. All this has is actually for one blunder to take place as well as whatever you have actually functioned therefore difficult to achieve could be removed in the blink of an eye. The the main thing they all share is the willingness to take a threat even when they might create blunders along the road. Off document hiding, utilizing redaction resource plans as well as redaction software application and also legal redaction, right here are a few of the overall oversights people make. And also we all perform. Perhaps our company make the exact same blunder three opportunities, but perhaps certainly not four or even five. Be actually caring as well as gentle when you correspond this with her, but do not make the blunder from neglecting that. You'll only create resentment eventually, and also is actually heading to injure your marital relationship. Katie instantly called her boss, clarified the error and used concepts concerning how they can secure brand-new financing resources to maintain the association afloat. Still, this is actually not where very most identities are taken as well as it is a huge blunder to think that only safeguarding your personal things could make a major difference in your identification burglary threat. Already this was actually virtually inconceivable for me to locate the identity and also place of the pet dog manager so I needed to decrease the case (which I believed possessed a negotiation worth of a minimum of $50,000 to $75,000). An additional usual error made by those that are trying to enrich their appearance is actually thinking that they must possess the most basic. The 5th error providers make is to never ever think about making a photo and also identification for their firm. Nonetheless, the mature and professional point to carry out is to own up as well as confess to your employer or even supervisor that this was you that created the error. MISTAKE 3: Reproduce or even unoptimised information- Several content farms feed on the web that provide write-ups on various subject matters that have been actually copied coming from various other resources. Gadgets that sense an incorrect action or part could be made use of to mistake verification a procedure.

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mrmarknewman · 8 years ago

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A primary care doctor delves into the opioid epidemic

Our nephew Christopher died of a heroin overdose in October 2013.1 It had started with pain pills and experimentation, and was fueled by deep grief.2 He was charismatic, lovable, a favorite uncle, and a hero to all the children in his life. His death too young was a huge loss to our family. I have always felt that I didn’t do enough to help prevent it, and perhaps, in a way, even contributed.

Good intentions with unintended consequences

My medical training took me through several big-city hospitals where addiction and its consequences were commonplace. Throughout all of it, great emphasis was placed on recognizing “the fifth vital sign,” i.e. pain, and treating it.

I distinctly remember as a medical student wearing a little pin with the word “PAIN” and a line across it. One was considered a bad doctor if they didn’t ask about and treat pain. And so, treat we did. This medical movement, combined with the mass marketing of OxyContin and a swelling heroin trade, has created the current opioid epidemic.4

It generally starts with pain pills: Percocet, Vicodin, Oxycodone or OxyContin, either prescribed or given or bought. Quickly, a person finds that she or he needs more and more of the drug to get the same effect. Almost overnight, they need the drug just to feel normal, to stave off the horror of withdrawal. Street heroin is cheaper and easier to come by than pills, and so, people move on to the next level. Just like Christopher.

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) show that deaths from overdose of opioids have been rising every year since 1999.5,6 (OxyContin came to market in 1996). Deaths from heroin overdose have recently spiked: a 20% increase from 2014 to 2015.7 And most recently we’re seeing fentanyl, an extremely potent synthetic opioid, where even a few small grains can kill.

So, if we doctors helped everyone get into this mess, we should help them get out of it, no?

Needed: Treatment that works

As the opioid epidemic has exploded, so has the demand for treatment. But treatment is almost impossible to come by. The U.S. is short almost 1 million treatment slots for opioid addiction treatment.8, 9 And not all treatments offered are that effective.

The “traditional” treatment of detoxification, followed by referrals to individual therapy or group support (think Narcotics Anonymous), may work well for some, but the data suggest that there are more effective approaches. In fact, a growing body of evidence very strongly supports medication, combined with therapy and group support, as the most effective treatment currently availabe.10,11,12

“Detox” followed by therapy has consistently shown poor results, with more than 80% of patients relapsing, compared to treatment with medications, with only 15% relapsing.10,11 Medications, specifically methadone and buprenorphine, can help prevent withdrawal symptoms and control cravings, and can help patients to function in society.10,11,12 Suboxone (a combination of the drugs buprenorphine and naloxone) has many advantages over methadone. It not only prevents withdrawal and controls cravings, but also blocks the effects from any illicit drug use, making it more difficult for patients to relapse or overdose. In addition, while methadone can only be prescribed through certified clinics, any primary care provider who completes a training course can prescribe Suboxone. That means treatment for opioid use disorders could be much more widely available.

Basically, treatment with medications, and especially Suboxone, is effective, and safer than anything else we have to offer. Yes, relapses can occur, but far less frequently than with traditional treatment.10,14,15 And death from heroin overdose? Far, far less.16

Biases against treating opioid use disorder with medications

Despite their effectiveness, there is stigma associated with treating substance use disorders with medication. I admit that I had my own doubts as well. People say, as I did, “Oh, you’re just replacing one drug with another.” But a lot of hard science has accumulated since 2002, when the FDA approved Suboxone for the treatment of opioid addiction.17

Think about it. Is shooting street heroin that’s cut with God knows what, using needles infected with worse, really the same as using a well-studied, safe, and effective daily oral medication? Some may claim “Oh, you’re just creating another addiction.” Would you tell someone with diabetes who depends on insulin that they’re “addicted”? Then why say that to someone with opioid use disorder who depends on Suboxone? This is literally the reasoning that played out in my head as I have learned about treating opioid addiction, or, more correctly stated, opioid use disorder.

Stepping up

I’ve decided that it’s time to do something. There’s a great need for doctors willing and able to treat opioid use disorder. In 2016, surgeon general Vivek Murthy issued a strident call to action to all U.S. healthcare providers, asking them to get involved.18

This issue has been on my mind and soul since Christopher’s death, so I started educating myself, and contacted our hospital’s substance use disorders specialist with my motivation and concerns. In the few months since then, I’ve taken the training course to become a licensed prescriber, and am working with the team to begin treating a small group of patients.

In my 16 years of clinical training and practice, I have witnessed all of this firsthand: the blatant, medically rationalized over-prescription of pain meds, the stigma and undertreatment of opioid use disorder, and the unnecessary, premature death of a really good kid. I’m just starting off on this, and I’m still learning, but my hope is to keep another family from experiencing unnecessary loss. (For more information see Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction)

Take the online course OpioidX: The Opioid Crisis in America. This course challenges common beliefs about addiction and the people who become addicted to opioids. Through an increased understanding of the biology of addiction, the course aims to reduce the stigma around addiction in general, and help people discover the multiple pathways to evidenced-based treatment. A variety of Harvard Medical School clinicians and health policy experts explain these topics and you’ll hear stories first-hand from those who have experienced addiction, or whose lives have been touched by this the opioid epidemic.

Sources

Generally Medicine: Ripped from the family

Generally Medicine: Drugs, Violence, and Tragedy in our Family

Mularski R.A., White-Chu F., Overbay D., Miller L., Asch S.M., Ganzini L. Measuring Pain as the 5th Vital Sign Does Not Improve Quality of Pain Management. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 31 May 2006.

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Jones, C.M., Campopiano, M., Baldwin, G., and McCance-Katz, E. National and state treatment need and capacity for opioid agonist medication-assisted treatment. American Journal of Public Health, August 2015.

http://ift.tt/1Lsul2U

Wakeman S.E. Using Science to Battle Stigma in Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Opioid Agonist Therapy Saves Lives. American Journal of Medicine, May 2016.

Bart, G. Maintenance medication for opiate addiction: the foundation of recovery. Journal of Addictive Diseases. October 2012.

Connery H.S. Medication-assisted treatment of opioid use disorder: review of the evidence and future directions. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, March/April 2015.

Mattick, R.P., Breen, C., Kimber, J., and Davoli, M. Buprenorphine maintenance versus placebo or methadone maintenance for opioid dependence. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 6 February 2014,

Mauger S., Fraser R., Gill K. Utilizing buprenorphine-naloxone to treat illicit and prescription-opioid dependence. Neuropsychiatric Disease & Treatment, 7 April 2014.

Colson J., Helm S., Silverman S.M. Office-based opioid dependence treatment. Pain Physician, July 2012.

Schwartz, R.P., Gryczynski, J., O’Grady, K.E. et al. Opioid agonist treatments and heroin overdose deaths in Baltimore, Maryland, 1995-2009. American Journal of Public Health, May 2013

Subutex and Suboxone Approval Letter. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (October 8, 2002). fda.gov.

Murthy V.H. Ending the Opioid Epidemic — A Call to Action. New England Journal of Medicine, 22 December 2016.

The post A primary care doctor delves into the opioid epidemic appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

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