#this looks like a group of rich tourists who got lost on vacation

[baldursghaik]

A full lineup of my "core" party in bg3, with some creative liberties taken (plus postgame Thyneron)

I figure Thyneron has probably never been with someone that was actually taller than him before, so

bonus:

[willddheartt]

Just Another Shade Of Blue | JJ Maybank

Summary: You’re a kook, and somehow, you’ve become friends with the infamous Kook hater, JJ Maybank. For summer break your father is letting you take a trip anywhere, with whoever you’d like for a few days, as a “I’m sorry your mom and I are divorcing, but please love me” present. Who else would you take other than the one person who you think could use a little vacation from the outer banks? 

Inspired By: If They Only Knew - Alfie Arcuri & Bittersweet - musicbyblanks

Warnings: angst(?)

Word Count: 3.3k

A/N: This was supposed to be a Rudy imagine/fic/one shot but I find it incredibly hard to write for real people so I changed it to JJ. I hope the ones who asked to be tagged in the Rudy one don’t mind the substitution but I was working on it for too long and nothing was working out how I would have liked so here we are with the same concept but inspired by a different song. This turned out way longer than I expected. 

Masterlist

Tag List: @afterglowsb-tch13​ @n1ghtsh4d3-67​ @hucklebaefinn​ @milamaybank​ @marianas-studyblr​

The last few months were not easy for you. Your parents had finally been filing for the divorce they threatened for many years, but that in now way made the fighting stop, if anything it made it far worse. Almost every night for the last month both your mother and father ended up in a screaming match downstairs over something small and insignificant. At first it was what college you were going to, then where you were going to live, and the cherry on top, how they weren't trying to control your life. Even though that was completely true. 

Tonight was no different. Your mother was screaming at your father about how you should not be allowed to go off to a completely different country alone without a parent. You knew the trip was only even mentioned because your father wanted you to stay with him once the devorce was finalized, which you had no problem with but if you were getting a free trip, to wherever you wanted in the world, with all expenses paid and spending money, you weren't going to turn it down. 

Although your father got lucky with investing into some real estate company and you now had more money than you knew what to do with, You had never been one for the Kook lifestyle. The thought of getting into places just because you had money was never appealing, and the thought of hanging around shallow rich people was something that sounded like the lowest ring of hell to you. You found comfort and friendship within the small family of Pogues. They didn’t seem to care about your social status, as long as you were there for them, they were there for you. Like tonight. 

You’ve had enough of the screaming coming from downstairs, after climbing out of your second floor window you made your way to the lake house you have spent many nights at. The chateau was on the other side of the island but the walk was better than listening to your parents for god knows how long, they could go on for hours. The house was dark, no lights were on except for the one outside above the front door, it was light with a dim amber glow that helped guide you up the few stairs. You let yourself in, not bothering to knock seeing as the brunette who inhabited the home was probably well asleep by now. You weren’t surprised when you saw JJ sitting on the couch, he stayed with John B a lot, but you were surprised to see he still seemed wide awake. 

“Hey,” You sighed, walking into the living room  “What are you doing here, it's late?” The blonde asked, getting straight to the point.  “Fighting again,” You shrugged, sitting on the couch next to the tired looking boy. “Divorce stuff or different shit?”  “Kook stuff,” You shrugged, knowing he probably didn’t want to hear it seeing as how he couldn’t wrap his head around how people could have so much money and still have problems.  “Shoot,” He said, surprising you. 

With your eyebrows raised and eyes wide you turned to him, “Really?”  The blonde shrugged, “Why not, got nothing better to do,”  You nodded, “Dad said I could go anywhere I wanted for three days, all expenses paid and he’d give me however much money I wanted to spend on shit, as his way of saying ‘I love you please stay with me once the devorce is over’ and mom’s mad because she doesn’t think I should go to another country alone,” You sighed, crossing your arms once you had finished explaining. “Kook stuff,” You repeated.  “Wow, you’re right. Kook Shit,” JJ chuckled  You nodded, “I told you,”  You thought the boy was just going to shrug it off, and move on because it was after all, kook shit, but he surprised you with what he said next.  “You said she’s mad because she doesn't want you going alone, right?” the blonde asked  “Yeah, pissed,” You nodded  “Why don’t you take someone with you, I mean by the sounds of it your dad is going to give you whatever you want until the divorce is done,” The boy shrugged, “I’d take advantage if that if I were you,” 

You thought about what he was saying for a second. In the first offer from your dad, he did mention you could take a friend, any friend, he didn’t say they had to be of the female gender. An idea popped into your head, one that was surely to piss off your mother further.  “Do you want to come with me?” You asked, catching JJ off guard  “What? I don’t have the money for that,” He said  “All expenses paid,” You said, “Dad said I could take anyone I wanted, so i'm asking you,” 

JJ continued to shake his head and give you the normal spew of excuses, you'd heard them a thousand times when you asked him to come over or stay the night, even if it was your dad asking him to stay for supper. But this time, you weren't taking no for an answer.  “No, I'm not giving up until you say yes. Will you, JJ Maybank, accompany me in an all expenses paid trip to Paris, France?” You asked, flashing your best attempt at puppy dog eyes, the same ones that had worked on your parents so many times before, the same ones that had been used to get you and your friends out of heaps of trouble in the past. The blonde boy held eye contact with you for a few seconds before looking away and shaking his head at you, “Fine, fine, I’ll go with you,” He sighed in defeat, chuckling.  You grinned, “Yay, we leave Thursday, 5:00am,”  “Five am?” JJ said, shocked, “That's so early,”  “So?” You shrugged, “Stay over Wednesday, it will save us time and will make sure you're there.”  “Fine, alright. It looks like I’m going to Paris with you,” He smiled slightly.  You grinned, “I cannot wait,” 

-

JJ had never been on a plane before, flying and airports were a new thing for him. When the plane started to take off he looked terrified, but nothing compared to the way his eyes shot open when you hit your first patch of turbulence. It was comical for you, as much as you tried to calm him down you couldn’t hold back your laughter to do so. But the boy had no shortage of sarcastic comebacks.  Your flight landed at 1:00 PM, giving you time to settle back onto the ground before dinner. JJ seemed relieved when the plane’s wheels finally touched down onto the cement of the runway.

The two of you were sharing a hotel room. The room only had one decent sized bed. At the time of booking the room your father assumed you’d be bringing along a female friend, so there would be no issue in sharing a bed. You and JJ stood in the doorway looking at the one bed, saying that it would be alright but in all honesty neither of you have shared a bed together before and this was going to be something new. Even in the Chateau, you never bunked together in the spare room, or even at your house, he always bunked on the pull out couch in the corner. 

By the time you were fully settled into the surroundings you’d been starving from the journey, the hotel was surviving dinner but it didn’t look like something either of you wanted to try and so the search for something more american was in way. You walked down the busy Paris street, your arm linked with JJ’s to ensure you wouldn’t get lost, as you looked for any kind of burger joint restaurant.  Your camera hung around your neck alerting everyone you were tourists, but that wasn’t the only dead give away. You were in no big rush to find a place to eat even though you were hungry, you both seemed to forget about that once you stepped foot out of the hotel. The old buildings and beautifully detailed architecture work caught your attention as the setting sun flashed golden rays upon the bricks that built up the city, leaving a golden hue hanging in the air to engulf you. It was summer in Paris and it had been everything you’d imagined it could be. It was beautiful and warm and it felt like the rest of the world didn’t exist as you walked down the street with the Pogue, you were finally in a place where nobody focused on your social titles such as Kook or Pogue, you could just be. 

After dinner as the two of you were walking through the winding streets that were lit by amber glowing street lights, it felt like it was just the two of you in the world. Like whatever life back home didn’t matter. There were groups of teens scattering the streets, laughing and messing around with their friends. It felt like everything in the night was infinite, like you didn’t have to worry about tomorrow because everything was going to stay exactly how it was. You only had one full day in Paris, your flight to go back home leaves on Sunday, but you were going to make the most of it with the blonde boy who was accompanying you. 

“So?” You asked as you walked down the cobblestone path holding JJ’s hand, “What do you think?”  His eyes were glittered with yellow and orange reflections from the lights as you looked at him, he was in awe of the beautiful city, “Its- wow. I’ve never seen anything like it.” He sighed, with a small smile.  “I’ve always wanted to come here since I was a kid. I thought I could have a romance like in the movies but I ended up falling in love with the city,” You sighed, a content smile came to rest upon your lips.  “A romance like the movies?” JJ turned to you with a teasing smirk.  “Hey,” You playfully hit his shoulder. “It's beautiful, alright.”  “I never took you for that kind of person,” He shrugged  You nodded, “I know, I don't mention or even pursue it. Somethings feel best left unsaid, because then they cant fall apart on you,”  “If you never try to find it you’ll never know if it had the chance to fall apart,” he pointed out “Maybe that's for the best,” You shrugged, leaning out over the side of the bridge to get a photo from one of the canals. Although you felt like that conversation was far from over, JJ dropped it for the moment being.

The city was even more beautiful in the day but you did really prefer it at night. You dragged JJ out of bed bright and early to go sightseeing. You spent the day walking around the historic city, wandering through the winding streets, looking through small shops as well as paying a very thorough visit to the street lined with tourist vendors. The line for Notre-Dame was long but so worth it. Inside the beautiful gothic cathedral was huge stained glass windows that sent colourful patterns onto the floor. It was packed, you followed the direction of the crowd but clung onto JJ’s arm so you didn’t lose him, something that you have become accustomed to in the last 24 hours. It was dim inside but there was still enough light to see where you were going, and be able to make out the beautiful stone work on the inside of the cathedral. As you were coming back around to the exit, security began pushing people aside, clearing the way and holding you back with a red velvet rope. At first when you were grabbed by the shoulders and pulled away from JJ you thought you were being thrown out for something but quickly you came to realize what was happening and you were able to get back over to the other side of the cleared path to JJ’s side again. Your heartbeat in your throat as you took a breath.  “Jesus christ, that scared the shit outta me” You sighed once you were able to continue walking The boy you clung to once again nodded.  “Me too, I thought we were getting thrown out,” He chuckled 

As the sun was setting you took one last tour around the tourist shops, making your last purchases before heading off to the eiffel tower. Thankfully you purchased your tickets earlier in the day and you didn’t have to wait in the winding line up. You and JJ walked through, flashing your tickets to the workers and to the elevator operator. Once everyone piled out one side you were allowed on. You were pressed up against the very back of the elevator. Inside the metal cart that was hauling you up the tower was small, it couldn't have been anymore than 4’x4’ but it felt like almost 50 people squeezed in, all eager to overlook the city and see all the twinkling lights from above. Once you came to the first stop JJ pulled you off with him. Slowly you made your way around, looking out over the city and snapping a few photos from 187 feet up. The streets and lights were still very much visible, you could still see the people walking on the sidewalks. Without wasting any more time you got inline for the elevator going to the very top. If you thought you were squashed before, you didn’t even know what to call it this time. It felt like the ride to the very top took far longer than the one to the first level. You were pressed into the corner, with JJ mostly in front of you. Both doors opened this time, you were able to slip out the back doors that you were pressed into on the way up, and finally you got to look out over the city. It looked almost magical, like you had entered another dimension from the slow moving elevator.

Everything on the ground, 906 feet below you, faded away into a small dot. The people weren’t even visible, only the lights from the moving cars alerted you there were still people down there. Quickly you snapped a few shots of the city scape below you that was lit with amber glowing lights, before turning your camera and pointing it was the blonde boy who was standing next to you. He was looking out over the city, he may have been in awe the first time seeing how the city came to life at night but right now, when he looked back to you, his eyes held an emotion you hadn’t seen from him before, it was something unreadable. Something intriguing.  “Beautiful, isn't it?” You asked, putting your camera away in your bag, deciding you were going to live in the moment for the rest of the night.  JJ nodded, “Gorgeous, I can’t believe I'm actually here.” He was impressed. 

As you walked around the very top you witnessed multiple couples doing the very romantic kiss from the top of the Eiffel Tower, while a generous bystander took their phone or camera and snapped a couple of photos from them. You looked at JJ after witnessing yet another couple kiss, he looked back at you, it was like you both wanted to say something but were too afraid to speak until JJ cleared his throat.  “Would you like to pursue a scene straight out of your movie romance dream?” JJ asked with his famous smirk, his blue eyes light up with the faint twinkling of the outside lights on the tower. Your words almost got stuck in your throat, out of all things that was something you had not expected him to ask, nevertheless, you nodded. “I would be honoured,” You smiled. You both handed your phones off to two different people, asking one to video and the other to snap photo bursts. You stood with you back to the railing of the tower and JJ held you by your hips, one hand quickly coming up to cup your jaw as he leant in, connecting your lips together in a soft yet deep kiss. Your hands instinctively linked at the back of his neck, and you pulled him back in for one more quick peck before letting him pull away completely.

There was no lie in the world that could hide how you felt right now. Your lips tingled, and your stomach filled with butterflies and you could swear you saw fireworks. It was like every movie romance ever. People around you clapped like they did for everyone, assuming you were together. 

Getting down from the tower was not as easy as getting up, the demand to be taken back down from the tower was huge, the lines winded around almost too far and you could almost argue that as soon as you stepped off the elevator from coming up you would be joining the line to go down. 

It took way too long to get down but even with the clock reading 12:30 AM, you weren't tired. Far from it actually. You didn’t know if it was from the kiss or if it was because you didn’t want the night to end. But you and JJ found yourselves running through the emptying streets as the early hours of the morning approached. The two of you laughing like you had no cares in the world, because as you were walking through the empty streets, it truly felt like it was just the two of you in the world. It was just the two of you and that city on earth. 

You were pulled down onto the blondes lap when he sat down on a park bench. As you admired his flawless tan skin in the moonlight and amber glow from the streetlights, his eyes looked bluer than ever, like what you’d imagine the deepest part of the ocean would look like if you dug deeper. His hand grip around you waist tightened and your hands that sat on his shoulders came up to gently cup his cheeks as you slowly leaned in. Before you knew it he closed the rest of the distance between your lips and you were kissing him, hard. Like he was about to slip away and out of your grasp, like it was a dream and you were desperately trying to cling onto anything that could keep you asleep for longer. 

The longer you kissed him the harder his hands gripped your hips, the closer he pulled you. One of your hands held onto his shoulder and the other found home in his hair as you pulled away out of need for oxygen. Your breathing was as heavy as if you two had just gone at it for 20 minutes, but the truth was the kiss didn’t even last a minute. You looked down into his dark blue eyes, in the yellow hue of the Paris lighting and it was like your heart knew this was your movie romance. And like waves on a beach shore, you were falling and crashing hard. 

“I’m sorry,” You breathed out immediately, your hand feeling out of his hair. The blue-eyed blonde shook his head “don’t ever be sorry for that,” He pulled you in for another kiss and it was like the universe had exploded all over again. Every nerve ending in your body had been brought to life, you felt every inch of his lips on yours. Out of all the people you were bound to meet in this lifetime, you never expected JJ Maybank to be the one you’d fall for. But as he was kissing you as the two of you sat in a random park, in Paris, everything you thought you knew or ever might know became irrelevant and unimportant, the only thing you knew for sure was that you were in love with the boy you were kissing so hungrily at 3:00 AM.  JJ was your tv romance, something that took you awhile to see it but once you did, you fell hard and fast. 

[quentinblack]

Smoke and Mirrors 

Word Count: 5K words

Chapter 14 - Harry IV: The Camden Raid (link to full story on FF.net)

Featuring: Harry Potter, Ernie MacMillian, Savage, OC 

Warnings: Racism, Slightly graphic violence

The relatively busy tube almost entirely emptied as it stopped at Tottenham Court Road station, with the eclectic carriage of muggle tourists of all colours and creeds emptying out to enjoy the shopping opportunities on offer.

The commercial London street had much darker connotations for Harry himself.  He vividly recalled the destruction that had been caused when they had encountered Antonin Dolohov and Thorfinn Rowle in that dingy café during the aftermath of Bill and Fleur’s wedding.

Sometimes he wondered how many deaths that the two dark wizards had been personally responsible for after they were defeated that night.

He knew deep down that the three of them had made the right moral choice to show the men mercy, that to kill them would have sunk Harry, Ron and Hermione to the Death Eater’s level – but that didn’t stop him from playing devil’s advocate in his mind.

Dolohov and Rowle were both stone-cold killers and the three of them had inadvertently let them go on to wreak more havoc on the wizarding world. It killed Harry to think that this may have led to the deaths of Tonks, Remus, George or any of the others that ultimately lost their lives.

The former and possibly more dangerous of the duo was at least now safely behind bars, but the erratic Thorfinn Rowle was still at large and possibly in cahoots with the other five missing Death Eaters.

It was two of those missing Death Eaters, Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange, that had led Harry and the eight other magical passengers onto the Northern Line service that evening. As the scattering of muggle passengers alighted the carriage Harry could once again see the other two groups of three Ministry staff huddled together throughout the train.

The furthest to Harry’s group at the rear of the carriage were Femi Wakanda, dressed in a flamboyant, yet still quite practical purple gown and Neville, in a comfortable looking grey hoodie, both gripping a hand onto the bars above their head, whilst the considerably shorter Conrad Proudfoot could only reach a bar that was many inches lower below his colleagues. Wakanda and Proudfoot seemed to be having a hushed conversation, as Neville remained silent, with a deep and thoughtful look in his eyes.

Harry had at first thought his pureblood friend had just felt a bit uncomfortable on what would possibly be his maiden muggle tube voyage, but then he remembered the obvious connection and extra investment that the sole son and heir of Frank and Alice Longbottom would have in this mission.

The closer trio, at the front-facing side of the carriage, was the attractive young muggle-born witch Farzana Badwal, alongside the foreboding figure of Robert Williamson and his flustered young protégé, Ernie MacMillan, who certainly was feeling quite uncomfortable on his first trip on the London Underground. He had not at first grasped the concept of holding onto the bars to keep your balance, so as soon as the train had departed Charing Cross he had been violently flung into Farzana -  who had wasted no time in giving him a stern telling off, with many muggle strangers quietly laughing nearby.

Rhea Savage and Josh Morris, who Harry was grouped up with, had both also laughed at Ernie’s mishap, much to his horror. Savage and Morris were both muggle-borns themselves so were no doubt more up to speed with using non-wizarding transport – and indeed, also wearing non-wizarding clothes, as they both blended in fairly well with their respective leather and denim jackets.

Josh Morris looked particularly sharp as he wore his faux-wool collars up, with a low cut white t-shirt underneath it that showed off his muscly frame. His fingers were adorned with several eye-catching rings, the most noteworthy of which was in the shape of a golden eagle. Harry had even noticed a couple of the young female muggle tourists eyeing him up, although Josh himself had been completely oblivious to them.

“So… since we have a few more stops and some time to kill, tell me, did you see much action in New York?” Rhea probed, as she shot her brawny colleague a slight wink as they each sat down in the now vacated seats.

Harry recalled in his mind the time that Ron had commented on the wacky designs and patterns on muggle public transport – and his horrified reaction when Hermione had said that it was primarily only to help hide the dust and the dirt.

“Erm… well there was the odd bit of bother here and there… but nothing massively exciting, I spent most of the time floating between the Transport and the Magi-… the Creatures department,” he quickly corrected, as he remembered they were still in the presence of a few muggles scattered about the carriage.

Harry was pretty sure though that even with Josh’s belated amendment that there was no such equivalent department for ‘creatures’ in the muggle government.

“Guessing they thought I’d want to avoid too much action given I’d transferred from Britain,” Josh continued. “Still, it could’ve been much worse if Kingsley stuck to his original plan to send me home to Manila. It would’ve been nice to see my parents a bit more, but man, way too many…”

He silently mouthed ‘dragons’ to the two of them.

“…causing all kinds of shit all of the time. It’s crazy how lapse the Filipino Ministry are about them, it’s a different world out there, man!” he said as he enthusiastically gestured his hands about whilst talking.

Rhea scoffed slightly, as the train briefly stopped at Goodge Street, as the last of the muggle passengers remaining on the carriage left the train.

“That’s great Josh, but I wasn’t talking about that kind of action…” she replied, rolling her eyes at him as the doors slammed shut and they began moving again.

Josh burst out laughing as soon as he realized what she had meant.

“For fuck sake Rhea!” Josh jeered.

“What?!” she replied in a mock incredulous tone. “An attractive fashionable bloke like you with a nice British accent and those muscles, you must have had all of the American witches queuing up for a go like you were Harry Potter or something!”

Harry laughed awkwardly as Josh sniggered slightly at Rhea’s remark, with the muggles now all off the train it seemed that they could now speak more freely.

Rhea crossed her legs, putting her right over her left, as Harry caught the outline of a brightly coloured Holyhead Harpies tattoo that was partially on display through her ripped black jeans, which were tucked into a well-worn pair of purple doc martens boots.

“Well, there was this one girl…” Josh began, as Rhea smiled enthusiastically.  

“Details! I need details, Josh,” Rhea snapped back quickly. “Do you know how many lesbian or bisexual witches there were in Paris? Nil-pwa, mon amie!”    

“Alright… alright, keep your hair on… so on this one assignment when I was in the Department of Transport I got chatting to this one chick, Kimberley, she was from Texas…”    

“Ooh, Kimberley from Texaaas!” Rhea ribbed in a mock Southern accent, which caused Josh to laugh involuntarily.

“Well you know me, I have a soft-spot for blondes, so we kinda hit it off from the get go and yes… she did love the British accent… we were seeing each other almost every other day after work at her place for well over a month and then one night…” he stopped mid-sentence, looking a bit uncomfortable.

“And then what?!” Rhea demanded, on the edge of her seat in anticipation.

“… and then one night her husband came home! Of course, she never told me about him now, did she?”

“Bloody hell,” Harry muttered.

“You can say that again!” Rhea added.

“And it’s not what you think. She wasn’t that sort of girl… well, not really. It was a pureblood arranged marriage type deal that their parents had set up, or rather, her parents had set up with him. He was this rich potion-maker, much older than her, almost old enough to be her dad…”

“Jesus…” Rhea mumbled with a disgusted look on her face.

“I felt a bit bad for her… but as you can imagine it went down like a sack of shit with him. It turned out he was reasonably influential at the MACUSA too… he was one of their biggest suppliers of potions in the entire country and he winded up being the main reason why I got transferred to the Creatures department outpost in Arkansas.”  

“Tough break, mate,” Rhea sympathised. “We’ve all been there.”

“You’ve been caught sleeping with a married woman too?” Josh quizzed back, with a look of real intrigue on his face.

“A lady never tells,” Rhea said in a faux-posh accent, as the train pulled into Warren Street and a group of three muggle-men, all armed with beers cans in hand, stumbled on board their carriage and started arguing among themselves.

“I’m fucking tellin’ ya Trevva, Hoddle ain’t got a clue. He ain’t got a bloody clue! How’s he not gonna take Gazza to the World Cup?”

said the shortest of the three men, before downing the rest of his can and belching loudly, which drew a rather disgusted groan from Farzana Badwal on the other side of the carriage. The man, who had a buzz cut and a poorly kept beard, did not notice her, nor did either of his friends..

“Don’t worry Mark bruv,” replied the tallest of the three, who was wearing a black baseball cap and slurring his words quite considerably. “He knows what he’s doing. It’s coming home!” he cheered, as he took a large swig of his own can of beer.  

“Ere chuck us anuvva Stella then Tel,” the short man with the buzz cut light-heartedly ordered the man in the middle, who had spiked up hair and was wearing a creased black shirt that was much too big for him.

‘Tel’ obliged and passed Mark, the shortest man, another beer, as the baseball cap wearing muggle, Trevva, began eyeing up Rhea, before his eyes eventually fell on Harry.

“What’d you reckon four-eyes?” he asked, before briefly stumbling as the tube hit a bit of a bump. “You think it’s comin’ home?”

“Oh yes… definitely,” Harry replied, as he attempted to not rise to the jibe about his glasses. He had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. Besides, they were on an important mission and the last thing they needed was any trouble with a group of rowdy drunk muggles, so he gave him the answer that he thought he would want to hear.  

“See it’s fuckin’ comin’ home lads!” Tel announced triumphantly to his two cronies, as he enthusiastically poured a large amount of lager into his mouth, spilling some over both himself and the floor of the train in the process.  

“What do you think sweet cheeks?” Mark said to Rhea, as he too started to eye her up.

Harry noticed that Josh no longer seemed to be in the jovial mood he had been in before. It was almost as if he was anticipating and preparing for some kind of trouble. The look on Savage’s face certainly suggested that there may well be some on the cards, although Harry was sure that the Head Auror would keep her cool.

“I don’t care much for football… and I certainly don’t care much for men who call me sweet cheeks,” she hissed, whilst giving the three of them a cold stare, before suddenly rising to her feet. Josh jumped to his feet too, with Harry following his lead.  

“HA! She’d be so lucky ehh lads?” Mark said, addressing both of his friends. “Ugly fucking greebo anyway. Off to go slit your wrists at the rock show are you, love?” he goaded, as Trevva and Tel laughed along, eyeing up both Harry and Josh as they did so.

Josh initially looked like he might rise to their attempts at provoking them – but Rhea shot him a fierce glare which kept him at bay.

“Aww, you not gonna defend your girlfriend? Must have a tiny pair of bollocks to go with that tiny little cock of yours!” Tel jested, daring Josh to react. Harry ran his fingers along the shaft of his wand through his jacket pocket, ready to use it as discreetly as he could should the time come.  

“Is there a problem here?” Williamson demanded, as the tall wizard came to their aide, presumably having noticed the commotion.

The large Auror towered over the drunk trio, even Trevva, the tallest of the three troublesome muggles, but they showed no sign of backing down – in-fact, Williamson’s arrival to the scene, with Ernie and Farzana in tow, only seemed to increase their desire for some kind of conflict.

“Who’d you think you’re talking to? Long haired cunt. Only problem here is your fucking barnet!” Trevva joked, which caused Tel and Mark to laugh too, although Harry thought the shortest of the three, Mark, did seem at least a little intimidated by the comparatively giant Williamson.

“Well, I say,” Ernie uttered in a dubious manner. “That is quite the insult from a man so insecure about his own haircut that he conceals it beneath a hat.”

“Ernie!” Robert berated under his breath, although Harry thought that for a moment Williamson had shown a slight smile and possibly even a fondness for Ernie at coming to his defence so quickly.

Harry thought he even caught a momentary grin from Farzana Badwal at Ernie’s albeit quite passé retaliation at the muggle.  

“You’ll be insecure about having no teeth in your fucking mouth in a minute you fucking toff,” Tel raged at Ernie, as he threw his now empty beer can aside and raised his fists for a fight.  

“Don’t worry about it Robert, they’ll be getting off at the next stop,” Rhea calmly instructed, as she saw the pony-tailed Auror losing his patience, with both Ernie and Josh also clearly ready for some kind of altercation, should it come to that. Harry felt more confident about Josh’s chances than Ernie’s and even his own should it wind up being one without wands.  

“Oh yeah, so who’s gonna make us get off then, you dirty goth slut?” Trevva asked incredulously, as his two friends stared the rest of them down in a quite antagonistic manner, as Josh and Williamson exchanged a quick knowing glance.  

“We’ll be at Euston soon,” Farzana said quickly, with a tone of frustration and impatience in her voice. “Let’s just confundus them now and be done with it.”

“You won’t do nuffink you blimmin’ paki!” Tel spat – and that was when it suddenly all kicked off.

Ernie MacMillan directed a punch at the much taller Tel as soon as the racist slur had left the muggle’s mouth. He stumbled slightly, but his friend Trevva soon got a strike of his own away, right into the former Hufflepuff prefect’s prim and proper face, sending him hurtling to the ground in a heap.

“You stay out of this,” Rhea ordered under her breath to Harry, as Williamson instantly jumped in to Ernie’s defence, as he sent a thundering right hand into Trevva’s nose, knocking him back a few steps, but surprisingly not down to the floor.

Morris laid a punch and a kick into Mark, who retaliated instantly by hurtling his half-empty beer can at Josh, splashing beer all over the muggle-born auror’s denim-jacket, whilst Rhea landed a heavy kick on Tel, who felt the full force of the half-French witch’s boot to his shin before she whacked him in the chin.

Farzana fought her way through and hit Tel with a vicious slap of her own as a receipt for his insult to her, before Willamson connected with another right hook to Trevva that did finally floor the tall baseball cap wearing muggle.

Harry jumped in to stop Tel from hitting Rhea, with the muggle’s knuckles slightly knocking into Harry’s head in the process. He felt momentarily dazed for a moment, before he heard a still-on-the-floor Ernie MacMillan yell “STUPEFY!” at the top of his lungs, soon after upon which a jet of red light hurtled into Tel, causing him to crash into the carriage door and down onto the floor.

Morris had a clearly defeated Mark pinned to the door, as the short man with the buzz cut looked absolutely horrified and in fear for his life having just witnessed his friend be knocked unconscious by magic.

The next station is Euston

“What in Merlin’s name has happened here?!” Femi Wakanda demanded, as she marched over with a concerned looking Neville and Conrad Proudfoot, who had rushed over from the other side of the carriage.  

Harry gave Williamson a hand pulling a slightly bloodied and dazed Ernie MacMillan back to his feet, as Williamson told Ernie off for using magic, before checking that his young trainee was alright and fussing over his injuries.  

“The muggles started it. Couldn’t be helped,” Williamson said quickly in Ernie’s defence, as an embarrassed looking Rhea pulled out her wand and started obliviating Trevva and Tel, as Morris did the same to Mark.

“All the same we’re on a tight schedule that doesn’t factor in fights with muggles or breaking the international statute of secrecy,” Wakanda grumbled, clearly unimpressed with the events that had transpired.

The train pulled into Euston and between Josh, Rhea and Harry they quickly managed to jostle the three muggles off of the train and onto the platform, as Williamson and Farzana began patching up Ernie’s face.

Wakanda used a voiceless spell to shut the carriage door as soon as the drunken muggles were off the train. Harry was not sure what type of magic she had used, but the electronic doors stayed shut even when several bewildered would-be passengers pressed the button on the door to get on.

“Luckily for us they don’t have any security cameras on these wretched things,” Wakanda muttered under her breath in a condescending fashion, as she shot Rhea a deeply unimpressed look.

Savage led the way as they made their way through the Camden Town underground station exit and into the night.

“BUY OR SELL FEEDER! FEEDER BUY OR SELL!” shouted a tall middle-aged white man in a thick black coat.

“FEEDER TICKETS BUY OR SELL!” bellowed another similarly dressed dark skinned muggle.

“There must be a gig on tonight,” Rhea noted to Harry and Josh as she guided them past without looking at the muggles. “They’re ticket touts. When a gig is sold out they sell tickets for it at double the price,” she added, with the sound of disdain and loathing in her voice.

“But how do they get the tickets if it’s already sold out?” Josh asked.

“They purposely buy a load when they go on sale specifically just to sell them on at a profit closer to the time,” Rhea replied.

“Is that even legal? To sell them on like that, just for a profit?” Harry enquired.

“No, not strictly speaking, but the muggle police don’t really bother enforcing it,” Rhea said. “I’m sure in the future when you can just buy and sell tickets on the internet it will cut these scummy touts right out of the equation though,” she added in a hopeful tone, as she checked behind to ensure that the other two groups were just behind them – they were, as Harry spotted a now blood-free Ernie MacMillan, with Williamson and Badwal making their way through the crowded Camden street.  

“BUY OR SELL FEEDER TICKETS! BUY OR SELL-

Harry spotted the next ticket tout abruptly stop his hollering, as he noticed a pair of muggle police officers dressed in the customary fluorescent yellow night-time wear. The muggle man calmly put his hands in his pockets and casually strolled off in the hope they hadn’t spotted him – and he was in luck, as they hadn’t.

The first two touts they had initially walked past at the station were not as fortunate though, as Harry looked behind and could see that they hadn’t notice the two coppers walking towards them.

“See look at that,” Josh began incredulously. “It’s so much easier for the muggle police. Those three drunk blokes would’ve never started on us if we were coppers.”

“Yes… quite,” Rhea added slightly absent-mindedly, seemingly caught in a deep-thought.

“BUY OR SELL TICKETS!” yelled a tall man with a deep voice directly ahead of them. “FALMOUTH FALCONS BUY OR SELL!”

The large figure stepped into the light and Harry instantly recognized him as Kingsley Shacklebolt.

“Minister,” Rhea uttered formally, as Kingsley shot Harry a quick wink. They formed a semi-circle in-front of the Minster for Magic, with Williamson, Ernie and Badwal quickly joining, before Wakanda, Neville and Proudfoot formed in behind them too.

Harry saw Kingsley mutter something under his breath, but it was so quiet it was barely audible. His wand hand was still in his jacket pocket, so Harry guessed it must’ve been some kind of enchantment to stop passing muggles hearing what he was about to say to them.

“As I’m sure you’re all aware from your venture on the muggle underground,” Kingsley began, speaking quickly. “We’ve got an anti-apparation barrier secured in the area a mile wide in all directions. We can’t get in or out, but neither can they – and that’s all that matters. The Floo-network is on lockdown. Peasegood and Podmore are acting as air support, just in-case they have brooms and attempt to fly out.”

“Minister, surely you’re not going to be-

Kingsley interrupted the Head Auror with a heavy sigh of frustration.

“You will be pleased to know that I have heeded the Head of Magical Law Enforcement’s concerns that as Minister for Magic I should not be taking part in raids,” he said in an annoyed tone.

“Gawain is waiting for you not far from here, just keep walking straight ahead until you reach the phone box at the end of the road,” Kingsley said, before he gave Rhea a stern look. “I’ll be in the Mexican restaurant just across the street. If anything serious goes down you will send your patronus for me immediately… and that’s an order.”

“Yes Minister, sir,” Rhea replied swiftly, as Kingsley smiled a little, possibly still not used to being addressed as Minister or sir.

“I wish you all the best of luck,” Shacklebolt said, as he began to slowly stroll off in the opposite direction.

“And Rhea…” Kingsley barked, turning his head back round to face them all.

“Yes?” she replied confidently, although Harry sensed some nerves in her voice.

“Try not to take too long, girl! They’ve got 2 for 1 mojitos all night at this place. I can’t be duelling drunk at my age,” he sniggered.

“Just make sure you save some for us!” Josh shot back hopefully.

“You guys lock up those damned Lestrange brothers tonight – I’ll get you all so many mojitos that Proudfoot there will end the night puking up on another pair of Robards’ loafers!”

They followed the path that the pavement took them on for a few minutes in relative silence, until they reached the phone box and Robards revealed himself.

“Quickly! Behind me, single file,” he ordered, as Rhea formed a line behind their boss. Robards weaved through a back alley at a frantic pace that was as close to a sprint as he could manage, then led them out to a large opening by the lock.

“It’s that house over there,” he said quietly, pointing in the direction of a very derelict looking property about fifty metres away.

Harry thought it was quite generous to even call it a house. It looked more like a shack, not all that unlike the hut on the rock that Vernon had ferried them off to all those years ago.

“Took us a while to uncover it and make it visible to the naked eye. The muggles still can’t see it though,” Robards said. “It had some damn good protective charms on it. We’ve not breached the inner defences yet, so if they are in there they won’t know that we’ve found them yet.”

“Willamson,” he commanded.

“Yes, boss?” Williamson replied.

“Take MacMillan and Longbottom and secure the perimeter. You join them too, Proudfoot.”

Williamson and Proudfoot did as they were told without hesitation, ushering the two young apprentice Aurors along with them as they started casting protective enchantments around the nearby area as an additional defence.

“We’ll need heavy firepower to break the house’s defences,” he continued. “Savage. Wakanda. You’ll join me at the front. Badwal and Morris, you’ll act as cover.”

“Potter,” Robards muttered, as he put his hands into his worn-out woven woolly jacket.

“Yes,” Harry replied, eagerly anticipating his own orders from the Head of Magical Law Enforcement.

“You’re on air support with Peasegood and Podmore,” he said sternly, pulling out what looked like a Cleansweep Eleven from an enchanted bag in his pocket.

Harry tried to hide his disappointment at what he felt was Robards trying to keep him out of harm’s way, but his boss seemed to have an innate ability to spot what he was thinking.

“You’re the best flyer we’ve got, son. Podmore’s not bad on a broom, but he’s no Harry Potter. Now get up there and sit tight,” he added, before giving Harry a firm pat on the back and heading over to the house with Savage, Wakanda, Morris and Badwal.

Harry did as he was told and got onto the broom and quickly ascended into the cloudy sky.

He saw what looked like Sturgis Podmore directly ahead of him, with another figure who he guessed must be Arnold Peasegood to his left.

The warm spring wind brushed against his exposed face as he flew up to meet them, before he banked left and turned to watch over the house like the other two were doing. Podmore gave him a nod of acknowledgement and Peasegood winked at him.

From where they were positioned they really did have a perfect bird’s eye view of the proceedings on the ground, as Harry could see Robards, Savage and Wakanda all armed with their wands slowly approaching the front of the house, with Morris and Badwal close behind them on either flank.

In the distance he could just make out Williamson and MacMillan setting up additional shield charms on one side, with Neville and Proudfoot doing the same on the other.

“You reckon those bastards are in there?” Peasegood pondered to nobody in particular.

Podmore didn’t respond, instead rolling his eyes slightly as he appeared to want to silently focus on the mission at hand.

“Life in prison’s not good enough for those scumbags,” Peasegood continued. “Sooner we catch ‘em, the sooner they can go the way of their master.”

Suddenly there was movement on the ground.

“EXCINDO TUTELA!” came the distant cries of Robards, Savage and Wakanda, as blinding bolts of blue came flying out of their wands and crashed into the front of the house.

Harry could not tell if they had broken the inner defences of the property, but Robards sent a probing bolt of yellow sparks, which seemed to go straight through the front door unopposed.

Gawain raised his arm and ushered the others to follow him onto the porch, before he stopped abruptly just outside the door, with his wand pointed out cautiously.

Harry heard an odd flickering type noise.

It almost sounded like the noise a golden snitch would make when it was fluttering around in the nearby vicinity.

He adjusted his ear slightly and thought that it rather sounded like a ticking kind of sound, like the one a muggle alarm clock might make.

It looked as though Savage and Robards were having a heated discussion about something on the ground, with Robards waving away whatever it was that Rhea was saying to him.

“Anyone else hear that weird ticking sound?” Peasegood enquired. “Almost sounds like a bomb or something-

“OH FUCK!” Podmore yelled, as Harry saw Josh Morris suddenly barge past both Savage and Robards, thrust them out of the way and loudly cast “PROTEGO!” at the top of his lungs.

The initial explosion of the bomb almost threw Harry off of his broom.

He scrambled to cling onto it as shards of debris and smoke came flying up into the sky at random.

Harry ducked and dived on instinct alone as his glasses became fogged up and he lost all of his senses.

His ears had been deafened by the great sound that came from the detonation and all he could hear now was a migraine inducing ringing noise piercing into his ear-drums.

As he slowly gained his composure he flew out of the now thick, black smoke and plummeted to the ground as quickly as he could.

He could just make out the figures of Podmore and Peasegood who had just landed themselves.

Harry pulled up alongside them as they rushed to survey the damage.

The derelict house that had once stood in-front of where they were standing was now nothing more than a pile of fiery rubble.

Harry saw an uncharacteristically weary looking Gawain Robards in a heap on the floor.

He was covered in black smoke and debris, but he was still breathing and alongside Peasegood and Williamson who had now rushed onto the scene they helped pull him up.

Robards coughed heavily, possibly having inhaled a lot of smoke.

“Don’t fucking worry about me,” he wheezed, taking a deep breath before coughing again. “Where are the others?!”

To their right Badwal and Ernie had spotted Wakanda and were slowly helping her rise to her feet. She looked like she’d injured her left leg when she’d fallen to the ground, but other than that she did not look too bad, although her once vibrant violet dress was now a shade of dusty, dirty brown.

“Savage!” Podmore cried loudly, as Neville and Proudfoot helped him magically elevate a large pile of wooden debris which looked like it was once the front door.

The door had shattered into several pieces and seemingly crashed straight into the Head Auror, striking and then trapping her onto the ground, although aside from a few cuts and bruises on her face she looked relatively unharmed in the grand scheme of things.

“Where’s Josh?” was all she could muster, as she too coughed heavily, having probably also inhaled a lot of smoke in the blast.

Harry helped the others as they used wingardium leviosa and other charms to quickly lift the fallen remains of the property to try and find Josh Morris amongst the wreckage.

It took a few minutes to find him, but Harry knew they must have located Josh when he heard Rhea cry out in horror.

Morris lay flat out on his back in a huge pile of blood, eyes closed, with his left arm laying prone and clearly broken.

Yet, it was his right arm that had taken the most damage in the explosion – as it lay five feet away from him, no longer attached to his body.

The flamboyant golden rings still sat on the fingers of his severed and crimson-soaked right hand, with the golden eagle staring directly up at Harry.

Podmore was the quickest to reach his fallen colleague, as a distressed Savage froze up in fear for her friend.

Sturgis put his hand out and reached down towards Josh’s neck, softly feeling around for a pulse.

“He’s still alive…just… but we need to get him to St Mungo’s… now!”

[tina-incambodia]

Service Interrupted.

I have so much to say but I'm not sure I could put it into words that would successfully complete the journey from my mushy brain to my shaky finger tips. I wasn't planning on ever having a "Part 2." I planned on an 11 day vacation in the 9th month of my service. Instead, I left my home for about 8 weeks. Home? What's home?

“You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.”

― Miriam Adeney

June 14, 2018

I'm sitting in the airport. The same one I sat in almost one year ago to leave the first time, but it couldn’t feel more different now. I have people, whole families that love me on both sides of the planet. I have two bedrooms, thousands of miles apart. I am welcomed at countless dinner tables and patio chairs, yet I couldn’t feel more lost or, most of all, homeless. So I'm back on a plane to search for a feeling and chase a dream. It is a wonderful yet painful experience to have a heart so full yet stretched so, so thin, 8,671 miles to be exact. 

So, 8 weeks is a long time to be home… or be away from home…? It’s a long time to be so unsure of and have no control over what comes next. Limbo, as I like to refer to it. With Peace Corps as the facilitator, I've spent many, many months of the past few years in limbo. And the answer to most questions during those times is, "I don't know." Not "I don't know," because I don’t want to tell you, but because I truly don’t know. I don’t know when I'm leaving. I don’t know if I'm staying. I don’t know what I'm hoping for either. That is one real thing I've learned. When Peace Corps used the word, "flexible," years ago, I can say now that I had absolutely no knowledge of what that word actually means. To be flexible with coming or going, and staying or leaving, in regards to home…. And to know and understand that hoping worrying for either end is, to be frank, useless. To reach a place in your mind where either and any option will be okay for you. On small scales this is simpler; having flexible eating habits, for example comes more easily. Sure, I won't be happy about eating my 536th bowl of rice this year but hey, I'm flexible. This is the definition of flexibility I expected when I signed my name in the little box 2 years ago. 

The universe throws you for loops, and through hoops, under falling rocks, and over oceans. "It doesn’t get any easier along the way, it just gets different." I had been looking forward to my  April vacation to the US for about 8 months. At the beginning of September, not even 2 months into my service, my nephew Camden Jorge was born and it broke my heart to miss out. I was determined to visit home the first chance I had so I could meet this gentle bundle of joy before he took his first steps. And my niece too; we had countdowns and plans far in advance to bake a cake and have a sleepover. I had 11 days home and every moment was precious. That was the plan. 11 days, 1 family party, 1 sleepover, a trip to Boston, and a lot of pizza and buffalo chicken. I had been dreaming about the damn buffalo chicken… I got to have it many, many more times than I had expected, because instead of a short 11 days, I was home for 8 weeks: 2 weeks of vacation and 6 weeks of medical evacuation…. 

August 17, 2018 

To cut to the point: I was knocked to the ground and stepped on by an elephant. Yup, you read correctly, an elephant. I was traveling alone to a sanctuary and reservation in Modulkiri, a province in northeast Cambodia, for what I hoped would be a peaceful and adventurous retreat before I went back to the states. There were 9, lucky for me, very kind helpful people on our tour and we had just taken a crazy ride in the back of a pick-up into the jungle and met the first two elephants of the five we would see that day. My fear and apprehension in the face of the gentle beasts had worn off in time to meet Lucky, a 72 year old female who likes to live alone across the river from the others. I was the last one to join the tour group when we found her thanks to a young woman dressed more for a picturesque summer pool party than a trek in the Cambodian jungle. Needless to say, she had a little trouble keeping up in her Forever 21 flip-flops and I was stuck behind her for the walk. By the time I arrived, Mr. Tree, the guide and owner of the sanctuary, had already finished his introduction to Lucky, which apparently was very important to hear as this elephant is especially particular about how she is fed. I asked a young French woman who I had spoken with earlier to take a few pictures as I fed Lucky.

We were in a tight space surrounded by tall grass; the 9 of us just fitting into the nooks and crannies of the paths created by the elephants and their trainers. I stood about a foot from Lucky as I fed her and touched her truck. In the next moment, she turned towards me and rammed the strongest part of her against my chest and neck. My head whipped backwards and I fell to the ground away from her but my lower extremities were still in her reach. The knock to the ground scared me but didn’t hurt just yet. It was the excruciating pain I immediately felt in my right foot. As I shot up, pushing the branches of the bush I fell into out of my way, my thoughts were racing and I expected a bag of bones for a foot. Luckily, (no pun intended) my foot was still in the shape of a foot. From what I could see, my first and fourth toenails had bent all the way back, and my third toe was unmistakably dislocated. I have never had any broken bones before but some sort of instinct kicked in and I fixed what I could; maybe thinking it would help the pain subside. I pushed my toenails back down and popped my dislocated toe back into place. I cringe thinking about it now, even after telling the story hundreds of times. Mr. Tree sat down in front of me and asked if I was okay. "This has happened to four girls before you," he said. Searching for some comic relief, I responded, "Oh, you don’t put that on your website do you?" He didn’t think the comment was so funny. I could tell from his wide-eyed worried face, probably thinking what would happen if I was the next review on TripAdvisor. I winced as he tried to pull all my toes into the right place, just like you do when you might be trying to crack your knuckles. I had to get up and out of the bush and get to some place of comfort. An older Canadian man traveling with his wife helped me to a small clearing. I grabbed my makeshift med kit, which I would later learn, didn’t contain even half of what I needed to care for an actual injury, from my backpack and popped three Peace Corps issued Ibuprofens.  My fellow tourists gave me clean wipes, elevated my foot with their backpacks, and sat by me while I processed the trauma. The Canadian woman sat by me and rubbed my shoulders, breathed with me, and talked me through my fits of sobbing, laughing, and complete and utter disbelief. "What the actual fuck?!" I kept repeating. “How could this happen? How did I just get attacked by an elephant?” I didn’t know it then but, for the next two months family, friends, and strangers would try to answer these hypothetical questions with such wise words, “Well, at least it’s a good story.” I can’t count how many times I’ve heard that one. I sat on a log and waited for a truck from in town to deliver the stretcher I would involuntarily be carried out of the jungle on. Usually, when I'm hurt, I try to act tough, I don’t ask for help, I hold back the tears and carry on. This time, I wanted to do all those things but absolutely could not. I tried to walk and crumbled in the pain and as we sat and waited the adrenaline and shock wore off and the pain only got worse. So, four Khmer men lifted me up and I was dubbed, "Queen of the Jungle."

We returned to the lodge perched above the jungle and the girl I had asked to take my picture helped tape my toes and as the rest of the tourists continued on with the planned excursions for the day, I sat looking out at the Cambodian canopy skyline all afternoon ruminating over my recent trauma and convincing myself the injury wasn't that bad. At least I had a great view. They don’t do anything for broken toes anyway, right? (wrong) In addition to a hammock for the night, the tour provides a traditional Khmer dinner and rice wine too. I didn’t want to miss out on any of it. I waited till the next morning, said good bye to my helpful, kind fellow adventurers, climbed up a big hill to reach the tuk-tuk and returned to the lodge in town. Cutting my peaceful adventure a few days short, I called PC explained the story and was delivered to the hospital in Phnom Penh, a 6 hour long car ride. 

The doctors in Phnom Penh showed me my X-rays and the breaks, gave me a huge ugly boot, and 3 prescriptions. I couldn’t process how real my injury was, even if it was just broken toes. I would be spending my much treasured time at home in a big boot and on anti-biotics. I was devastated and, aside from the amazing PC Medical Officer, alone in Phnom Penh. I didn’t even tell my family at home. I didn’t want them to worry about me traveling home. And I mostly didn’t want to have to tell my story again and again before I had even processed it myself. I spent the next 3 days in a hotel room ordering delivery, binging netflix, soaking my swollen purple foot in ice cold water, and crying. It sounds dramatic, I know. It could have been much worse, I know. 

I tried to mentally prepare myself for the next 25 hours of traveling, which is something I would, in a normal state, enjoy. Traveling alone gives me a sense of independence and maturity. I like to explore airports, drink bloody marys at whatever time I damn well please, and if I'm in the right mood, talk to some strangers. I had even considered leaving the airport during my layover in Dubai. But this time, I was dreading it; dressed like a bum with swollen, "I've been crying for days," eyes, lugging around bags much too heavy for broken toes, and stuck in a bulky plastic boot. I didn't want a bloody mary, I wanted a hug and my bed. I had to ask for bulkhead seating so I could elevate my foot during the flight and get up and walk often to avoid blood clots. I didn’t think about how hard this might be on a full 16 hour flight from Dubai to Boston sitting in a window seat next to a very nice, but very sleepy, couple. 

So, I went home for vacation, arrived at the airport with a great story for the family and then did all the things as planned. I finally met my nephew, I had a sleepover with my niece, ate food I had been craving with the people I missed, and on the 8th day home had one little party so I could see my whole family before heading back. I saw a podiatrist the day after to make sure everything was healing correctly. It was healing... but nowhere close to where it needed to be for my main form of transportation to be a bicycle. The doctor said, "Your big toe is in 5 pieces...there is no way you are going back in 3 days. I'll see you in 3 weeks.” My jaw dropped, I hadn't expected this at all. When I was in Cambodia PC had already seen the x-rays and ruled I'd be just fine to come back. Turns out the expert podiatrist thought differently. I called PC. I’d be home for 6 more weeks.

An extended vacation, you say? Oh! How wonderful! More time to spend with family and friends, more buffalo chicken and quality beer, maybe even a beach day? Great point. The thing is, my partner planned to leave for Cambodia the following week. In the most romantic and wild gesture, he quit his jobs, tied up loose ends and we planned spend the next 3 months in the same country  figuring out if we could make it work after spending the last year on opposite sides of the world trying to move on and failing at it quite miserably. It was a crazy thing to even think about. I had left for Cambodia almost a year ago and now he would be coming too; for us. We had been planning this for months now and we were so close, but the universe doesn’t care about your plans! So now, with flights booked already, he would leave for Cambodia and I'd be home. And we would be on opposite sides of the world, yet again all because of this elephant ironically named, Lucky. If I believed in signs like I say I do… I think this was one for the books. The universe with all its magic and power was pulling us apart once again. Writing this now, 4 months later, I still can't believe it all happened. I'm not sure Hollywood or even the infamous Lifetime could write this story. 

Before I was assigned medical evacuation status, I thought of it quite romantically; that'd be nice… six weeks home. I could use an extended vacation from bucket showers and rice. And it was nice. It was great to have so much extra, unexpected time with family and friends. I was home for mother’s day and my brother’s college graduation (peek my big ugly boot in the pic).  I even fit in a beach day. But I really didn’t expect all the mental and emotional challenges that come along with living in such a state of limbo for 6 weeks, in which I had no control of the outcome. Did I want to return to PC? Yes. Was I completely sure of that answer? No. But was I ready to quit? Hell no. Was it even in my hands? Nope. If I wasn’t healed in 6 weeks, I would be "medically separated," essentially ending my service unless I wanted to apply to return at a later date. If my foot didn’t heal correctly, I would need surgery, which would most definitely exceed my six week limit. The podiatrist explained where he would stick the three metal pins in my big toe if the 5 puzzle pieces weren't agreeing with each other.  I can’t count how many times or how many people, relatives, friends, old bar customers, and strangers, I told my story to. But I can say that my answer to their follow up questions was usually, "I don’t know." I had no clue when I was going back. I had no clue even if I was going back. And while I tried to swim in this state of uncertain limbo, I felt that I really didn’t have a place at "home" anymore. My friends were busy with jobs, boyfriends, and moving on with new cars and apartments. And although time with my family was great, many times my mind reminded me that this is what I was missing out on as I struggled to teach English and drink a gallon of water a day to make up for all the sweating on the other side of the world.  It had been years since I first decided I wanted to join PC, and I was facing the decision again, and it was harder than ever before.  I didn’t expect anyone's life to stop while I went on my big adventure, but I also didn’t expect to feel so lost and out of place when I returned. I loved eating chips and salsa on my couch alone, it was something I had been looking forward to, but I never expected to feel so lonely doing it. Yoga had become my saving grace throughout the past year of ups and downs and with 3 broken toes I couldn't even do that. And other activities I would have found peace in, hiking mountains, dancing, walking through parks, were all impossible for me. I felt the universe was giving me a big middle finger. Self-pity, I know, but that’s how I felt. I had waited almost a year to spend time with my partner again and he was traveling Thailand and Myanmar while I sunk into the couch. For a few weeks I really had no idea how to deal with all of these emotions. They say you are never alone but had this ever happened to anyone else in the history of the world? This crazy, unbelievable story of mine truly started to weigh me down. And having to tell it over and over again only to get the same advice or laughs or looks from each and every person was draining. All of my plans were crumbling in front of me and I had no control over what would happen next.

A long six weeks and several doctor appointments and x-rays later, I received medical clearance just in time. Leaving the second time was much harder than the first. The excitement of the unknown was lost and I knew I was going back to a challenge, one that I wasn’t even sure I wanted to take on again. After three long flights and two treacherous and stressful layovers, one of which if I hadn't been flying the same airline, I would have missed my next flight, I arrived in Phnom Penh close to midnight on June 17th. Two of my closest friends here surprised me at the hotel with a bouquet of freshly picked flowers and a few beers. We stayed up late catching up on the balcony overlooking the city. And just like that, I was back. It is months later now and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. Just last week someone said, "So happy you came back." I had heard that so many times since I returned. This time, I finally replied, "Me too," without the guilt of lying. I am happy I came back. It was a strange transition. It still is. I returned towards the end of the school year with energy and motivation dying down on the parts of both students and teachers. I hadn’t spoken any Khmer in 8 weeks. I felt, and still feel, such a loss of fluency, and more emotionally, a loss of belonging. I went home to America and didn’t belong there. I came back to Cambodia and didn’t belong here either. It was a tough and painful and at times still is, but all in all, home is where you make it; it just takes a lot of effort and time.

My partner was here for my first five weeks back; we spent our weekends together as planned, finally on the same side of the planet and in the same country. It was wonderful. We visited some of the most beautiful spots in Cambodia. My family here, in addition to welcoming me back after 8 weeks, also made him feel at home as well. It was heartwarming to witness my two worlds meeting. He left at the beginning of August. School vacation began at the same time and now I'm left with a crazy amount of free time which I'm hoping to fill with productive and fulfilling activities. I’ve been getting back into yoga, reading some good books, and prepping some eager 12th graders for their exam. All in all, I guess I’m pretty lucky to be here considering I was attacked by a 6,000 pound beast. So begins part 2 of my service. I am left with the task of jumpstarting my heart and mind to be fully here; committed and happy. 

[moayoub1]

The Best and Worst Times to Visit Japan

We love it so much that it's difficult to envision that there are ideal and most exceedingly awful occasions to visit Japan. Truth be told, we'd recently live there all year on the off chance that we could! In case you're arranging a once in a blue moon trip, however, you will need to time it right. Having been there on various occasions throughout the years, we do have a few proposals for taking advantage of your time.

Japan is a heavenly nation in Asia with a rich history and excellent culture. Notwithstanding the numerous noteworthy locales and cafés, you'll find extraordinary exercises consistently. Do look into dependent on close to home inclinations before booking your outing to locate the best and worth occasions to visit Japan.

Finding the correct fit will rely upon what you're searching for. Japan sees each of the four seasons, so in case you're planning to climb Mt. Fuji you will need to maintain a strategic distance from the coldest and wettest seasons. Everybody discusses the Cherry Blossoms, so if that is on your must-see show, you have to know when they are in sprout. Here are a few hints to assist you with beginning arranging.

January

Much the same as numerous pieces of the world, Japan will be for the most part shrouded in the snow in January. Through March, the nation will see it's coolest temperatures. It's very tranquil, however. If it's all the same to you the tidying, you'll appreciate some staggeringly pleasant scenes. The first occasion when I visited Japan was over 20 years prior. It was around the special seasons, so I spent Christmas and New Year's in the Kansai district. It was awesome!

We needed to wrap up, yet we're so thankful for the warm nourishment and beverages accessible in comfort stores. The first occasion when I tasted an impeccably improved, hot milk tea from a candy machine, it was too acceptable to even think about believing!

Here are a few things you can do in Japan in January:

The climate will be cold and blanketed

Skiing and other winter sports

Sumo New Year Basho in Tokyo

Cherry Blossom season starts in Okinawa

Extremely, perhaps the best thing about Japan is that they realize how to get warm. On the off chance that things get excessively crisp, simply head to a hot onsen (natural aquifers) or get a blistering bowl of ramen to warm up following a day of investigating wide open to the harshe elements climate.

February

As you would have envisioned, February is frigid and cool in Japan. It will, in general, be the coldest month of the year (at any rate it's radiant and dry, however!). In case you're intending to visit during this time, wrap up and think about the accompanying before booking your outing:

It will be freezing (coldest in Hokkaido, hottest in Okinawa)

Plunging season starts

Snow Festival in Sapporo

Igloo Village in Hokkaido

Have a warm cup of purpose to shake off the chills and afterward head retreat for progressively fun! Despite the bone-chilling temps, I can just envision how lovely it is bouncing on the Shinkansen (shot train) and hurdle through the open country. Experiencing childhood in Canada, I built up solid gratefulness for winter sports (which is the reason I love tubing so a lot!), so I'm certain I'd have a ton of fun in Tokyo in February. Obviously, on the off chance that you despise winter, you'd most likely think February is one of the most noticeably terrible occasions to visit Japan. Go to Mexico rather 🙂

March

Visitors love to visit Japan in March. Spring is dazzling in many places on the planet, however, it's out and out supernatural right now. The climate is heating up, yet the sweltering, sticky long stretches of summer are still weeks away. It's likewise when we begin to see everything returning to life. Here is a portion of the reasons why March is probably the best time to visit Japan:

Gentle climate

Cherry bloom season begins – book well ahead of time!

One of the merriest seasons

Sumo Spring Basho in Osaka

This is certainly one of the most well known seasons to visit Japan, so be readied. It will be occupied! If you do design an outing, you'll need to make a beeline for Okinawa where the cherry blooms will presumably be done blossoming before the month's over. It's completely terrific, and you've most likely observed nothing like it!

April

When April moves around in Japan, it will be an ideal opportunity to get together the skis and winter gear. Spring climate will formally be in progress so you won't need to pack the same number of layers for your excursion! Likewise, in case you're planning to see humpback whales or manta beams in Japan, evade April and May. You most likely won't perceive any! There are still a lot of different things you can do, however. Look at the accompanying:

Climate is heating up

Dust and allergens are high

Cherry bloom season proceeds

Ski season closes

Warm climate without the summer heat

Brilliant Week starts on the last Sunday in April

This is an extremely wonderful season to visit, even though it may pummel hypersensitivity sufferers. On the off chance that you truly need to visit Japan during this time yet have hypersensitivities, converse with your primary care physician. They might have the option to endorse a solid antihistamine to make you progressively open to during your movements. Else, you could be hopeless (and who needs to feel terrible on vacation?!). We didn't pay attention to this, and it was unpleasant!

May

What would I be able to state about May but reveal to you that it is my FAVORITE season to visit Japan. The pre-summer vitality is humming, the climate is perfect, and there are a lot of activities with little groups. What more might you be able to request? On the off chance that you love flower scenes however can't make it during cherry bloom season, head to Japan in May. There will at present be a lot of other wonderful things to see!

On my mom little girl trip with Hayley, we picked May. In addition to the fact that I chose for the current year dependent on climate and exercises, yet she likewise commended her sixteenth birthday celebration in Tokyo. Discussion about sweet! Shockingly, we lost each other for 47 minutes in the Osaka train station, which was alarming so we'll spare that story for one more day. Beside that, the excursion was immaculate. Here are a portion of the reasons for what reason May is perhaps the best time to visit Japan.

Warm (yet not singing sweltering) climate

Occupied, yet not overwhelmingly swarmed

Wisteria, azalea and iris blossoms sprout

Brilliant Week is the principal seven day stretch of May

Sumo Summer Basho in Tokyo

In case you're attempting to keep away from swarms, skirt the principal seven day stretch of May. Brilliant Week (a bunch of national occasions) will cause everything from cafés to amusement parks to feel like a bazaar. Also, the costs during that time may be ridiculously high. In case you're wanting to visit Japan explicitly for Golden Week, good karma! We were there in mid to late May and went to Universal Studios Japan close to Osaka and Fuji-Q Highland close to Tokyo and the group size was extraordinary. We likewise didn't need to stand by long for tables at eateries, in spite of the fact that, we ate at a great deal of comfort stores as well!

June and July

We were there toward the finish of May and just got a pinch of it, yet June and July are Japan's stormy season (read our endurance tips!). It's truly no joke. Because of our uneasiness and OCD, touring while at the same time wearing soggy (or doused) apparel is totally activating. For other people, it's not such a serious deal. Gauge this cautiously, however, in light of the fact that cloudy skies will affect your photography and how plainly you'll have the option to see tourist spots, for example, Mount Fuji.

Warm and stormy/hurricane season

Rich, green view

Sumo Basho in Nagoya

Mount Fuji opens for climbers toward the beginning of July

Fuji Rock Festival (starts a weekend ago in July)

There's no deficiency of activities in June or July, yet anticipate the warmth and downpour. The stickiness is a big deal either. A few people feel awkward wearing tank best in Japan, in any event, when it's hot, so be set up for that. We saw individuals wearing them (Hayley did likewise) and nobody said anything. We felt a little unsure, however!

In case you're wanting to visit Universal Studios Japan or Fuji-Q Highland, the groups will most likely be at the very least during this time. Either plan by buying Express goes from sellers, for example, Klook, or be set up for long queues on the attractions (single rider lines speed up, however!).

August

The finish of summer is extremely occupied in Japan. It's likewise incredibly stunning. The climate is still warm, however the downpour is decreasing and everybody is clutching those last days before harvest time moves around. The vitality is practically substantial, but at the same time there's a chill vibe noticeable all around. Ok, Japan. How we love you!

Most sultry climate

Obon occasion regarding the dead (August 13-15 out of 2020)

Monstrous celebration season

Elusive lodgings

On the off chance that you book ahead of time and plan for swarms, you may truly like August in Japan. It's an enjoyment time and the Japanese accept that, during Obon, the living and the dead are brought together. You'll be overwhelmed by this recognition and the customs. It might simply make you ponder the existence cycle.

September

You'll despite everything have the option to appreciate some great climate, yet with less visitors in September. Behind May, this is my second-most loved time to visit Japan. Why? Since we love amusement parks and open air exercises, the two of which work out very well in September. Less groups, warm climate, less stickiness. So decent!

Nothing is great, obviously, so you'll need to watch out for the climate. In the event that you travel to Japan in September, it could be hot — or it could be pouring. In any event it keeps things energizing!

Erratic climate

Mount Fuji climbing trails close

Sumo Basho in Tokyo

September is likewise the best time to sneak in before cold and influenza season starts (you know how my movement uneasiness functions!). Get your visiting in before the nation is attacked by hacking, wheezing, and sneezes. In the event that it strikes, however, in any event you can feel good wearing a cover to secure yourself!

October and November

Much the same as most places on the planet, October and November are the point at which the leaves start to truly change in Japan. You've never observed a wonderfully diverse scene like the one's along the Japanese wide open in harvest time. The temperatures cool, and Halloween festivities are getting progressively normal so in the event that you love wool and creepy stuff, this is an incredible time. Simply remember that the Japanese are specialists at being unnerving and frequented attractions are on an entire other level!

Cooler climate

Plunge season closes

Incredible time to see deer in Nara

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Japan

In the event that you love train rides, this is the ideal time to see the fall foliage across Japan. Attempt to get a decent seat by the window so you can simply kick back and absorb the excellence. You can reserve a spot on the Shinkansen or even the Hello Kitty train. We love the course among Osaka and Hiroshima!

December

Who wouldn't have any desire to spend Christmas in Japan? As a matter of fact, when I showed up on my absolute first outing over 20 years back, it was Christmas Eve. It's such a wonderful time, yet expect winter climate — and an incomprehensible fixation on having KFC for Christmas supper. The entire nation is chowing down on seared chicken on December 25th!

Chilly, cold conditions

Pinnacle cold and influenza season

The travel industry is high

Regardless of whether you're packaged up with a runny nose, however, you'll likely sob at seeing a snow-shrouded sanctuary or hallowed place. It truly is that amazing! Your body may be chilled deep down, yet being in Japan during the Christmas season will make you feel good inside.

By and by, I think May and September are the best occasions to visit Japan on the grounds that the climate is nice and it's only outside of the wiped out season. You know us restless explorers — we love seeing the world, yet we have our limits. Honestly, however, I'd move to Japan instantly so I surmise whenever of year works for me!

[aurorabeatriz]

adBEAnture: Basilan

It was Thursday night in my hotel room when my sulking has taken its toll over my entire three days of postponed island hopping in Pink Beach. Tita wanted to go there but I wanted another one -- the dangerous and taboo discussion of my ten-day trip plan without them. I talked to the two people in the group who I trust to change Tita's mind. But they lost hope after so many attempts to persuade Tita.

I was on the verge of crying while talking to Nang Joy. I told her that I refuse to stay in the room and end my seven-day vacation with less travel and more food trip and staycation. I wanted to visit more places. All I got was a sympathetic look. Frustrated, I rolled myself on the blanket and wrapped myself like a lumpia. It was 11 PM when someone knocked on the door. It was Alvin. He announced that we're going to Isabela City but not in Malamawi island because Tita didn't approve. When I heard the news, I immediately got up from the bed and prepared my bag. My roommates were happy to see me finally regained my mood after a series of complaints about the past few days.

I woke up the next day, an hour earlier the call time. Fast forward to 6:30 AM, the six of us embarked on a Weesam fast craft. There were armies around. Most of the passengers were Muslims. As I settled on my seat until the 45minute travel, I was excited and at the same time wary of our safety. My mind was playing a lot of scenarios. What if one of the passengers is carrying a bomb? What if somebody will take passengers as hostages? And a lot of other crazy things. When we arrived, we immediately proceeded to another port. Talk about hardheaded travelers! We were going to Malamawi!

It was a five-minute motorized banca ride going to the island. Stilt houses are the common structures in the island and are visible from Isabela port. We arrived at a waiting shed where a strong competition among habal habal drivers awaits passengers. Just a few kilometers since the motorcycle left the port, we were welcomed by a plantation of coconuts. The air is fresh and the sun is starting to get hotter. The road is concrete and some people are walking with their animals. Few meter before the entrance to the beach is a platoon that is stationed to monitor the area.

When we arrived in the resort, there were only three groups of tourists including us. There are cottages for visitors, bathrooms and cr, a canteen and an event center. A Malamawi marker is placed under the tree, few meters away is the walk bridge and the pristine sea as the backdrop. I was so excited to explore the place that I forgot that I was hungry the entire trip. 

The sand is powdery white and the water is clear and pristine. There is also a variety of fishes swimming around. There are jetskis for those who want to level up their experience but are only available on weekends. I spent almost an hour swimming in the sea.

It is unfair to leave the province of Basilan undiscovered because of the threat of war and terrorism. If I let terror and fear reigned in me, I would not be able to see the beautiful island of Malamawi. I wouldn't be able to experience the harmony among Muslims and Christians living in the island. I wouldn't be able to experience the kindness of people living Basilan that is always negatively portrayed as dangerous.

It is not what most people think - bombed buildings, feared people, underdeveloped - but rather the opposite. High rise buildings, cars, and tricycles occupying the road, business establishment, Jollibee, two ports, two cities, lanzones and durian plantation, rich marine resources and kind people.

I must say that my trip to Malamawi is one of my most unforgettable trips this year. My 2019 is by far the most exciting, too, because in a span of seven months, I visited the northernmost and the third farthest province in the south. Philippines you are beautiful ❤️.

[aion-rsa]

Top New Horror Books in September 2020

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There’s so much to look forward to in our speculative fiction future. Here are some of the horror books we’re most excited about and/or are currently consuming…

Join the Den of Geek Book Club!

Top New Horror Books in September 2020

Night Of The Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones

Type: Novella Publisher: Tor.com Release date: 09/01/2020

Den of Geek says: The second book by Stephen Graham Jones this year after The Only Good Indians this zippy horror sees a bunch of teens pull a prank in a movie theater involving a dressed up mannequin which turns tragic. Now our protagonist Sawyer needs to put things right. Funny, camp and gory, this is a quick read, a coming of age story with a b-movie feel that’s full of surprises.

Publisher’s summary: Award-winning author Stephen Graham Jones returns with Night of the Mannequins, a contemporary horror story where a teen prank goes very wrong and all hell breaks loose: is there a supernatural cause, a psychopath on the loose, or both?

Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare 

Type: Novel Publisher: HarperCollins Release date: 09/17/2020

Den of Geek says: You might be tempted in by the title alone (or indeed the cover art which is pleasingly cheeky) but this YA novel from author and horror nut Adam Cesare sounds like it should be also be a fun romp as a clown mascot goes nuts and starts offing the kids of a run down town. This is Cesare’s first foray into YA, though he has a rich background in genre.

Publisher’s summary: In Adam Cesare’s terrifying young adult debut, Quinn Maybrook finds herself caught in a battle between old and new, tradition and progress—that just may cost her life.

Quinn Maybrook and her father have moved to tiny, boring Kettle Springs, to find a fresh start. But what they don’t know is that ever since the Baypen Corn Syrup Factory shut down, Kettle Springs has cracked in half. 

On one side are the adults, who are desperate to make Kettle Springs great again, and on the other are the kids, who want to have fun, make prank videos, and get out of Kettle Springs as quick as they can.

Kettle Springs is caught in a battle between old and new, tradition and progress. It’s a fight that looks like it will destroy the town. Until Frendo, the Baypen mascot, a creepy clown in a pork-pie hat, goes homicidal and decides that the only way for Kettle Springs to grow back is to cull the rotten crop of kids who live there now. 

The Loop by Jeremy Robert Johnson

Type: Novel Publisher: Gallery / Saga Press  Release date: 09/29/2020

Den of Geek says: An evil corporation conducting nefarious experiments on unsuspecting teenagers in a small town, a violent outbreak which sounds zombie-adjacent and a group of plucky outsiders trying to survive and even save the day, this should be a sci-fi horror page turner for lovers of this particular sub-genre. Despite the slightly generic sounding plot, Johnson is known for his ‘bizarro’ work so we’d expect this to have hidden flair.

Publisher’s summary: Stranger Things meets World War Z in this heart-racing conspiracy thriller as a lonely young woman teams up with a group of fellow outcasts to survive the night in a town overcome by a science experiment gone wrong.

Turner Falls is a small tourist town nestled in the hills of western Oregon, the kind of town you escape to for a vacation. When an inexplicable outbreak rapidly develops, this idyllic town becomes the epicenter of an epidemic of violence as the teenaged children of several executives from the local biotech firm become ill and aggressively murderous. Suddenly the town is on edge, and Lucy and her friends must do everything it takes just to fight through the night.

The Ghost Tree by Christina Henry

Type: Novel Publisher: Titan Books/Ace Berkeley Release date: 09/08/2020

Den of Geek says: A very dark coming of age tale from Christina Henry whose novels Alice and Lost Boys were reimagining of classic tales. The Ghost Tree is a standalone story which sees a teenage girl become her own hero in the face of terrible circumstances. Though it’s about young adults, this isn’t a YA novel, more, says Henry, it’s “an homage to all the coming-of-age horror novels I read when I was younger – except all those books featured boys as the protagonists when I longed for more stories about girls.”

Publisher’s summary: A brand-new chilling horror novel from the bestselling author of Alice and Lost Boy

When the bodies of two girls are found torn apart in her hometown, Lauren is surprised, but she also expects that the police won’t find the killer. After all, the year before her father’s body was found with his heart missing, and since then everyone has moved on. Even her best friend, Miranda, has become more interested in boys than in spending time at the old ghost tree, the way they used to when they were kids. So when Lauren has a vision of a monster dragging the remains of the girls through the woods, she knows she can’t just do nothing. Not like the rest of her town.

But as she draws closer to answers, she realizes that the foundation of her seemingly normal town might be rotten at the centre. And that if nobody else stands for the missing, she will.

Dracula’s Child by J. S. Barnes

Type: Novel Publisher: Titan Books Release Date: 09/22/2020

Den of Geek says: A long and thorough tribute to Bram Stoker’s original, written in the style of Stoker’s prose and imagining a continuation of the story this is a must-read for Dracula fans. It follows on directly from the original novel and imagines the Harkers’ lives some years after their ordeal at the hands of the Count.

Publisher’s summary: Evil never truly dies… and some legends live forever. In Dracula’s Child, the dark heart of Bram Stoker’s classic is reborn. Capturing the voice, tone, style and characters of the original yet with a modern sensibility this novel is perfect for fans of Dracula and contemporary horror.

It has been some years since Jonathan and Mina Harker survived their ordeal in Transylvania and, vanquishing Count Dracula, returned to England to try and live ordinary lives.

But shadows linger long in this world of blood feud and superstition – and, the older their son Quincey gets, the deeper the shadows that lengthen at the heart of the Harkers’ marriage. Jonathan has turned back to drink; Mina finds herself isolated inside the confines of her own family; Quincey himself struggles to live up to a family of such high renown.

And when a gathering of old friends leads to unexpected tragedy, the very particular wounds in the heart of the Harkers’ marriage are about to be exposed…

There is darkness both within the marriage and without – for new evil is arising on the Continent. A naturalist is bringing a new species of bat back to London; two English gentlemen, on their separate tours of the continent, find a strange quixotic love for each other, and stumble into a calamity far worse than either has imagined; and the vestiges of something forgotten long ago is finally beginning to stir…

Top New Horror Books in August 2020

The Hollow Ones by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro

Type: Novel Publisher: Del Rey Release Date: 08/04/2020

Den Of Geek says: Master of horror Guillermo del Toro reunites with Chuck Hogan, who collaborated with del Toro on The Strain for the start of a new horror series. It’s a paranormal tale that begins in the world of crime as a young FBI agent experiences an otherworld evil on the job. Del Toro is a master of world building and Hogan is a well respected literary voice so this should be a corker.

Publisher summary: A horrific crime that defies explanation, a rookie FBI agent in uncharted, otherworldly territory, and an extraordinary hero for the ages.                                                                                                                              

Rookie FBI agent Odessa Hardwicke’s life is derailed when she’s forced to turn her gun on her partner, who turns suddenly, inexplicably violent while apprehending a rampaging murderer.

The shooting, justified by self-defence, shakes Odessa to her core and she is placed on desk leave pending a full investigation. But what haunts Odessa is the shadowy presence she saw fleeing her partner’s body after his death. 

Determined to uncover the secrets of her partner’s death, Hardwicke finds herself on the trail of a mysterious figure named John Silence: a man of enormous means who claims to have been alive for centuries, and who is either an unhinged lunatic, or humanity’s best and only defence against an unspeakable evil.

Night Train by David Quantick

Type: Novel Publisher: Titan Books Release date: 08/25/2020

Den of Geek says: Quantick is a former journalist and screenwriter for shows including Veep, The Thick of It and The Day Today. His latest novel is a high concept horror with an intriguing premise – a woman wakes up on a mysterious train full of the dead with no idea of where she is or how she got there. His books have been likened to David Wong and M.R. Carey which is incentive enough for us to pick this up. 

Publisher’s summary: A woman wakes up, frightened and alone – with no idea where she is. She’s in a room but it’s shaking and jumping like it’s alive. Stumbling through a door, she realizes she is in a train carriage. A carriage full of the dead. This is the Night Train. A bizarre ride on a terrifying locomotive, heading somewhere into the endless night. How did the woman get here? Who is she? And who are the dead? As she struggles to reach the front of the train, through strange and horrifying creatures with stranger stories, each step takes her closer to finding out the train’s hideous secret. Next stop: unknown. 

In Night Train David Quantick takes his readers on a twisting, turning ride through his own brand of horror, both terrifying and darkly funny. With echoes of Chuck Palahniuk, David Wong and M.R. Carey, Quantick’s unique and highly entertaining voice sings out in a page-turning adventure through a hellscape only he could imagine. If you haven’t discovered this rising star of the genre it’s time to step on board and have your mind melted. 

Nicnevin and the Bloody Queen by Helen Mullane, Dom Reardon, Matthew Dow Smith and Jock

Type: Graphic Novel Publisher:  Humanoids Inc. Release date: 08/20/2020

Den of Geek says: This is a great looking new graphic novel written by film distributor and documentarian turned sled dog racer Helen Mullane. It’s a British folk horror in the classic tradition with a modern twist, featuring a young female protagonist and gorgeous art. A proper page turner from an exciting new voice, illustrated by industry heavyweights. 

Publisher’s summary: Something strange has been unleashed in the north of England. A modern-day druid commits a series of ghastly murders in an attempt to unleash the awesome power of the ancient gods of Great Britain. But all hell really breaks loose when his latest would-be victim, Nicnevin ‘Nissy’ Oswald, turns out to be more than she seems. A British tale mixing black magic and horror, godfathered by Jock, one of the new masters of comic book suspense.

The Living Dead by George A Romero and Daniel Kraus

Type: Novel Publisher: Tor Books Release date: 08/04/2020

Den of Geek says: This is the book that zombie king George A Romero left unfinished when he passed away in 2017. It’s now been finished by Kraus who collaborated on the books of The Shape Of Water with Guillermo del Toro – this an multi-threaded origin story charting the start of the dead walking the Earth from the man who created the modern zombie genre this is pretty essential reading.

Publisher’s summary: It begins with one body. A pair of medical examiners find themselves facing a dead man who won’t stay dead.

It spreads quickly. In a Midwestern trailer park, an African American teenage girl and a Muslim immigrant battle newly-risen friends and family.

On a US aircraft carrier, living sailors hide from dead ones while a fanatic preaches the gospel of a new religion of death.

At a cable news station, a surviving anchor keeps broadcasting, not knowing if anyone is watching, while his undead colleagues try to devour him.

In DC, an autistic federal employee charts the outbreak, preserving data for a future that may never come.

Everywhere, people are targeted by both the living and the dead.

We think we know how this story ends. We. Are. Wrong.

Top New Horror Books In July 2020

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay 

Type: Novel Publisher: William Morrow/Titan Books Release Date: July 7

Den of Geek says: The latest from the master of sad horror Paul Tremblay is one of his best yet. It is however, disturbingly prescient. Following an outbreak of fast acting rabies, hospitals are short of PPE and citizens are on lockdown. But when Doctor Ramola’s heavily pregnant best friend Natalie is bitten, the two must go on a perilous journey to save her unborn child. It’s gorgeously written, very moving and a little bit disturbing during a pandemic.

Publisher’s summary: A riveting novel of suspense and terror from the Bram Stoker award-winning author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts.

When it happens, it happens quickly.

New England is locked down, a strict curfew the only way to stem the wildfire spread of a rabies-like virus. The hospitals cannot cope with the infected, as the pathogen’s ferociously quick incubation period overwhelms the state. The veneer of civilization is breaking down as people live in fear of everyone around them. Staying inside is the only way to keep safe.

But paediatrician Ramola Sherman can’t stay safe, when her friend Natalie calls, her husband is dead, she’s eight months pregnant, and she’s been bitten. She is thrust into a desperate race to bring Natalie and her unborn child to a hospital, to try and save both their lives.

Their once familiar home has become a violent and strange place, twisted into a barely recognisable landscape. What should have been a simple, joyous journey becomes a brutal trial.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Type: Novel Publisher: Gallery/Titan Books Release date: July 21

Den of Geek says: Stephen Graham Jones is being touted as the next big thing in horror circles and while he’s had more than 20 books published it’s likely this will be his big breakout hit. The Only Good Indians follows a group of Blackfeet Native Americans who are paying the price for an incident during an Elk hunt a decade ago. Social commentary, a supernatural revenge plot and an intimate character study mix in this literary horror with something to say which brings genuine chills.

Publisher’s summary: Adam Nevill’s The Ritual meets Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies in this atmospheric gothic literary horror.

Ricky, Gabe, Lewis and Cassidy are men bound to their heritage, bound by society, and trapped in the endless expanses of the landscape. Now, ten years after a fateful elk hunt, which remains a closely guarded secret between them, these men and their children must face a ferocious spirit that is coming for them, one at a time. A spirit which wears the faces of the ones they love, tearing a path into their homes, their families and their most sacred moments of faith.

The Only Good Indians, charts Nature’s revenge on a lost generation that maybe never had a chance. Cleaved to their heritage, these parents, husbands, sons and Indians, these men must fight their demons on the fringes of a society that has no place for them.

Malorie by Josh Malerman

Type: Novel Publisher: Del Rey/Orion Release date: July 21

Den of Geek says: This is the sequel to Bird Box, the brilliant horror-thriller which spawned a not-that-great Netflix movie that was nonetheless extraordinarily successful. The original imagines a world populated by monsters – if you look at them you instantly lose your mind and harm yourself or others. The sequel finds Malorie and the two children years later – the kids are now teens who’ve never known a world other than the one behind the blindfold while Malorie still remembers the world before it went mad. A character study as well as a tense, paranoid horror story, this is one of the most anticipated horrors of the year.

Publisher’s summary: The much-anticipated Bird Box sequel

In the seventeen years since the ‘creatures’ appeared, many people have broken that rule. Many have looked. Many have lost their minds, their lives, their loved ones.

In that time, Malorie has raised her two children – Olympia and Tom – on the run or in hiding. Now nearly teenagers, survival is no longer enough. They want freedom.

When a census-taker stops by their refuge, he is not welcome. But he leaves a list of names – of survivors building a future beyond the darkness – and on that list are two names Malorie knows.

Two names for whom she’ll break every rule, and take her children across the wilderness, in the hope of becoming a family again.

Top New Horror Books In June 2020

Devolution by Max Brooks 

Type: Novel Publisher: Century  Release date: 06/16/2020

Den of Geek says: If anyone’s going to make a book about Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) not only genuinely very scary but also entirely believable it’s Max Brooks. The author of widely acclaimed World War Z weaves a found journal, snippets of interviews and the odd real life example together to tell the story of the remote eco-community of Greenloop who is isolated after a volcanic eruption and faces a deadly new threat brought on by changes in the ecosystem. It’s a cautionary tale, and a sometimes satirical fable of the dangers of underestimating nature.

Publisher’s summary: As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier’s eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now.

But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town’s bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing – and too earth-shattering in its implications – to be forgotten.

In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate’s extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the beasts behind it, once thought legendary but now known to be terrifyingly real.

Kate’s is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity’s defiance in the face of a terrible predator’s gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death.

Yet it is also far more than that.

Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us – and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity.

Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it – and like none you’ve ever read before.

The Secret of Cold Hill by Peter James  

Type: Novel (paperback) Publisher: Pan; Main Market edition Release date: 06/25/2020

Den of Geek says: This is the follow up to 2015’s The House on Cold Hill, a supernatural thriller from multi-award winning British crime writer Peter James. It’s a modern take on a classic ghost story set in the Sussex countryside – the sequel sees the haunted Georgian mansion of the first book destroyed and new houses built in its place, where new families face malevolent forces from the past. 

Publisher’s summary: From the number one bestselling author, Peter James, comes The Secret of Cold Hill. The spine-chilling follow-up to The House on Cold Hill. Now a smash-hit stage play.

Cold Hill House has been razed to the ground by fire, replaced with a development of ultra-modern homes. Gone with the flames are the violent memories of the house’s history, and a new era has begun.

Although much of Cold Hill Park is still a construction site, the first two families move into their new houses. For Jason and Emily Danes, this is their forever home, and for Maurice and Claudette Penze-Weedell, it’s the perfect place to live out retirement. Despite the ever present rumble of cement mixers and diggers, Cold Hill Park appears to be the ideal place to live. But looks are deceptive and it’s only a matter of days before both couples start to feel they are not alone in their new homes.

There is one thing that never appears in the estate agent brochures: nobody has ever survived beyond forty in Cold Hill House and no one has ever truly left…

Top New Horror Books In April 2020

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires

Type: Novel Publisher: Quirk Books Release Date: 04/07/2020

Den Of Geek says: The latest novel from Grady Hendrix is set in the same world as his masterful horror My Best Friend’s Exorcism, this time focusing on the wives and mothers of Charleston, South Carolina. Occupied with looking after their families and keeping up appearances, one group of women have to step up and fight when a charismatic stranger comes to town. A modern vampire novel packed with heart (and gore) this is another hit from one of the most exciting horror writers around.

Publisher’s summary: Steel Magnolias meets Dracula. A haunting, hair-raising, and ultimately heartwarming story set in the 1990s, the novel follows a women’s true-crime book club that takes it upon themselves to protect their community when they detect a monster in their midst. Deftly pitting Dracula against a seemingly prim and proper group of moms, Hendrix delivers his most complex, chilling, and exhilarating novel yet. 

With Grady’s unique comedic timing and adoration of the horror genre, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires is a pure homage to his upbringing, the most famous horror book of all, and something we can all relate to – the joy of reading. 

Eden By Tim Lebbon

Type: Novel Publisher: Titan Books Release Date: 04/07/2020

Den of Geek says: From the author of The Silence (which is basically A Quiet Place, published several years before A Quiet Place came out) comes another eco-horror which sees pollution and climate change force humanity to create locked off zones which are off-limits to people. Eden follows a group of adventurers who break the rules and enter one of the zones where nature has taken hold and begun to rebel. Should appeal to fans of Bird Box and Annihilation.

Publisher’s summary: In a time when Earth’s rising oceans contain enormous islands of refuse, the Amazon rainforest is all-but destroyed, and countless species edge towards extinction, the Virgin Zones were established in an attempt to combat the change. Off-limits to humanity and given back to nature, these thirteen vast areas of land were intended to become the lungs of the world. 

Dylan leads a clandestine team of adventurers into Eden, the oldest of the Zones. Attracted by the challenges and dangers posed by the primal lands, extreme competitors seek to cross them with a minimum of equipment, depending only on their raw skills and courage. Not all survive. 

Also in Dylan’s team is his daughter Jenn, and she carries a secret – Kat, his wife who abandoned them both years ago, has entered Eden ahead of them. Jenn is determined to find her mother, but neither she nor the rest of their tight-knit team are prepared for what confronts them. Nature has returned to Eden in an elemental, primeval way. And here, nature is no longer humanity’s friend. 

Eden is a triumphant return to the genre by one of horror’s most exciting contemporary voices, as Tim Lebbon offers up a page-turning and adrenaline-fuelled race through the deadly world of Eden, poignantly balanced with observations on humanity’s relationship with nature, and each other. Timely and suspenseful, Eden will seed itself in the imagination of the reader and continue to bloom long after the last page. 

The Wise Friend By Ramsey Campbell

Type: Novel Publisher: Flame Tree Press Release date: 04/23/2020

Den Of Geek says: The latest from British horror legend is a mystical tale of the occult which hints at the monstrous. Campbell is regarded by many as one of the most important horror writers of his generation. Influenced by H P Lovecraft and M R James, and influencing many horror writers who came after him, he’s published more than 30 novels. His latest sounds like a treat.

Publisher’s Summary: Patrick Torrington’s aunt Thelma was a successful artist whose late work turned to- wards the occult. While staying with her in his teens he found evidence that she used to visit magical sites. As an adult he discovers her journal of her explorations, and his teenage son Roy becomes fascinated too. 

His experiences at the sites scare Patrick away from them, but Roy carries on the search, together with his new girlfriend. Can Patrick convince his son that his increasingly terrible suspicions are real, or will what they’ve helped to rouse take a new hold on the world?

The Book of Koli – The Rampart Trilogy, Book 1, By M.R. Carey

Type: Novel Publisher: Orbit Release date: 04/14/2020

Den of Geek says: This is the first book in a new trilogy by M.R. Carey who wrote excellent zombie novel The Girl With All The Gifts. This is an eco-horror/sci-fi which sounds like Tim Lebbon’s Eden in reverse – in Carey’s book it’s everything outside a small village that’s a threat – and both books are aimed at fans of Jeff Vandermeer’s Southern Reach trilogy. Little surprise that horror writers are turning their attention to the environment in these frightening times and in Carey’s careful hands (there was an element of nature evolving in Girl With All The Gifts) this should be a new world worth visiting.

Publisher’s summary: EVERYTHING THAT LIVES HATES US . . . Beyond the walls of the small village of Mythen Rood lies an unrecognisable landscape. A place where overgrown forests are filled with choker trees and deadly seeds that will kill you where you stand. And if they don’t get you, the Shunned men will. Koli has lived in Mythen Rood his entire life. He believes the first rule of survival is that you don’t venture too far beyond the walls.

He’s wrong.

The Book of Koli begins a breathtakingly original new trilogy set in a strange and deadly world of our own making.

Top New Horror Books In March 2020

The Deep by Alma Katsu

Type: Novel Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Release date: 03/10/2020

Den Of Geek says: A ghost story set against the backdrop of the sinking of the Titanic is a strong premise to set out with, from a writer who has good form with mixing horror with history after The Hunger which centres around The Donner Party, a group of pioneers in the middle of the 19th century, some of who resorted to cannibalism when their group got stranded. Alma Katsu is an author who “Makes the supernatural seem possible” according to Publishers Weekly, and the weaving in of real people with this creepy sounding tale of a nurse who survives the Titanic only to meet another passenger who couldn’t possibly have made it out is highly appealing.

Publisher’s summary: This is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the passengers of the ship from the moment they set sail: mysterious disappearances, sudden deaths. Now suspended in an eerie, unsettling twilight zone during the four days of the liner’s illustrious maiden voyage, a number of the passengers – including millionaires Madeleine Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim, the maid Annie Hebbley and Mark Fletcher – are convinced that something sinister is going on . . . And then, as the world knows, disaster strikes.

Years later and the world is at war. And a survivor of that fateful night, Annie, is working as a nurse on the sixth voyage of the Titanic’s sister ship, the Britannic, now refitted as a hospital ship. Plagued by the demons of her doomed first and near fatal journey across the Atlantic, Annie comes across an unconscious soldier she recognises while doing her rounds. It is the young man Mark. And she is convinced that he did not – could not – have survived the sinking of the Titanic…

The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home: A Welcome to Night Vale Novel By Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor

Type: Novel Publisher: Harper Perennial Release date: 03/24/2020

Den Of Geek says: The third novel in the Welcome To Night Vale series, which spun-off the wildly popular podcast of the same name promises more eerie, weird, wistful but wonderful musings delving into the enigmatic character of The Faceless Old Woman and exploring Night Vale’s history. It’s written by Fink and Cranor, the creators of the podcast, and has already garnered widespread acclaim. Fans of Twin Peaks should definitely check out Night Vale.

Publisher’s summary: From the New York Times bestselling authors of Welcome to Night Vale and It Devours! and the creators of the #1 podcast, comes a new novel set in the world of Night Vale and beyond.

In the town of Night Vale, there’s a faceless old woman who secretly lives in everyone’s home, but no one knows how she got there or where she came from . . . until now. Told in a series of eerie flashbacks, the story of The Woman is revealed, as she guides, haunts and sabotages an unfortunate Night Vale resident named Craig. In the end, her dealings with Craig and her history in nineteenth century Europe will come together in the most unexpected and horrifying way.

Part The Haunting of Hill House, part The Count of Monte Cristo, and 100% about a faceless old woman who secretly lives in your home.

Cursed: An Anthology edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane

Type: Anthology Publisher: Titan books Release date: 03/03/2020

Den Of Geek says: some of our favourite horror writers assemble for this collection of stories surrounding the concept of the curse. Some are updates of well known fairy tales, some are brand new mythologies and all come together in a magical, mythical, mystical collection that should appeal to fans of dark fables and traditional folk horror. Authors include Neil Gaiman, M R Carey, Christina Henry and Tim Lebbon.

Publisher’s Summary: It’s a prick of blood, the bite of an apple, the evil eye, a wedding ring or a pair of red shoes. Curses come in all shapes and sizes, and they can happen to anyone, not just those of us with unpopular stepparents…

Here you’ll find unique twists on curses, from fairy tale classics to brand-new hexes of the modern world – expect new monsters and mythologies as well as twists on well-loved fables. Stories to shock and stories of warning, stories of monsters and stories of magic. Twenty timeless folktales old and new

Top New Horror Books in February 2020

Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland

Type: Novel Publisher: Balzer + Bray Release date: 2/4/20

Den of Geek says: Justina Ireland’s Dread Nation was one of the most-talked-about YA debuts of 2018, and for good reason! The story of Black zombie hunters in an alternate Reconstruction-era America is already one of the best premises of all time, and Ireland more than follows through on the promise of kickass, sociopolitically cathartic potential—with Dread Nation, and now with Deathless Divide. (We love this one so much, it’s also on our Top New YA Books of February 2020 list.)

Publisher’s summary: The sequel to the New York Times bestselling epic Dread Nation is an unforgettable journey of revenge and salvation across a divided America.

After the fall of Summerland, Jane McKeene hoped her life would get simpler: Get out of town, stay alive, and head west to California to find her mother.

But nothing is easy when you’re a girl trained in putting down the restless dead, and a devastating loss on the road to a protected village called Nicodemus has Jane questioning everything she thought she knew about surviving in 1880s America.

What’s more, this safe haven is not what it appears—as Jane discovers when she sees familiar faces from Summerland amid this new society. Caught between mysteries and lies, the undead, and her own inner demons, Jane soon finds herself on a dark path of blood and violence that threatens to consume her.

But she won’t be in it alone.

Katherine Deveraux never expected to be allied with Jane McKeene. But after the hell she has endured, she knows friends are hard to come by—and that Jane needs her too, whether Jane wants to admit it or not.

Watching Jane’s back, however, is more than she bargained for, and when they both reach a breaking point, it’s up to Katherine to keep hope alive—even as she begins to fear that there is no happily-ever-after for girls like her.

Buy Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland on Amazon.

The Boatman’s Daughter by Andy Davidson

Type: Novel Publisher: MCD x FSG Release date: 2/11/20

Den of Geek says: If it’s good enough for Paul Tremblay, it’s good enough for us! We love a good atmospheric horror read, and The Boatman’s Daughter sounds like it has more atmosphere in one page than most books do in their entirety.

Publisher’s summary:  A “lush nightmare” (Paul Tremblay) of a supernatural thriller about a young woman facing down ancient forces in the depths of the bayou.

Ever since her father was killed when she was just a child, Miranda Crabtree has kept her head down and her eyes up, ferrying contraband for a mad preacher and his declining band of followers to make ends meet and to protect an old witch and a secret child from harm.

But dark forces are at work in the bayou, both human and supernatural, conspiring to disrupt the rhythms of Miranda’s peculiar and precarious life. And when the preacher makes an unthinkable demand, it sets Miranda on a desperate, dangerous path, forcing her to consider what she is willing to sacrifice to keep her loved ones safe.

With the heady mythmaking of Neil Gaiman and the heartrending pacing of Joe Hill, Andy Davidson spins a thrilling tale of love and duty, of loss and discovery. The Boatman’s Daughter is a gorgeous, horrifying novel, a journey into the dark corners of human nature, drawing our worst fears and temptations out into the light.

Read The Boatman’s Daughter by Andy Davidson on Amazon.

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Type: Novel Publisher: Berkley Release date: 2/18/20

Den of Geek says: Who doesn’t love a good creepy motel story? From the author who brought us The Broken Girls, comes another female-driven foray into horror mystery. If you’ve been digging Nancy Drew or love Sharp Objects, there’s more where that came from.

Publisher’s summary: Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel from the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.

Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary.

Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.

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Read The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James on Amazon.

The post Top New Horror Books in September 2020 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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