Anthology Complex VI by M.B. Julien - HTML preview
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CALLED "5G," THIS PROCESS WILL ONLY TAKE 1.5 MONTHS UNTIL IT IS
FULLY DEPLOYED AND UP AND RUNNING TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO THE
ENTIRE CITY. IN THE FOURTH QUARTER, A VIRUS WILL BE DISPERSED
INTO THE CITY WHERE IT WILL INFECT AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE. THIS
VIRUS, CALLED "CA-CRV10," IS DESIGNED TO INFECT AT LEAST 2.8 PEOPLE
AND IS INTENDED TO GROW EXPONENTIALLY WITHIN 0.5 MONTHS. WHILE
THE VIRUS SPREADS, WE HAVE EMPLOYED CERTAIN MEDIA OUTLETS TO
CAUSE CHAOS AND CONFUSION TO FURTHER SPREAD THE VIRUS AND TO, EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, CAUSE THE COMMUNITY TO FEAR AND SEEK
VACCINATION. THIS LEADS US TO THE FINAL STEP OF DUSKFALL; THE
VACCINATIONS EACH RESIDENT GETS WILL INCLUDE A NANOMACHINE
WHICH CAN BE CONTROLLED BY THE 5G NETWORK. IF THIS OPERATION IS
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SUCCESSFUL, IT WILL BE OUR FIRST STEP TOWARDS TOTAL CITIZEN
OBEDIENCE.
Duskfall? I remember Dice telling me of an individual named Dusk, and I wonder if this Dusk has anything to do with Operation Duskfall...
Senator Dusk: When the dusk settles, visibility lowers.
The middle school students looked on in terror as Dave and FKII walked toward the Spookhouse, of which was deemed the very portal to a horrifying hell. “You my nigga, Kane,” Dave said. Looking over at Dave, Kane spoke, “I know,” he said softly.
When the pair got to the abandoned apartment that previously was a cemetery for many bodies, they first noticed the boarded up doors, then the paneless windows. Kane helped Dave climb through into the apartment through the window, and soon after Dave gave Kane a hand in lifting him up into it as well. As Sara, Dam, Christy, Pattie and Gun looked on, it was momentarily the last they saw of their friends.
Inside the dark apartment Dave and Kane did not smell the terrible smell they anticipated, instead they smelled nothing and saw the leaving behinds of policework.
Slowly, the two advanced into the portal of hell but saw nothing that would actually lead to it. “You see,” Dave said lowly, “nothing to be afraid of.” “What do you think is up there?,” Kane inquired, and the two went up to a higher level which seemed to be as unexceptional as the lower one. And mostly, it was, but Kane spotted a table in a corner which on its surface had the carvings of a chess board on it. “Did you see that?,” Dave asked quickly. “See what?” “...Nevermind.”
When Kane and Dave reached the table, Kane blew all of the dust off of it, and when the dust settled, Kane began to speak about comicbooks and two separate games.
“Have you ever read the first issue of Dawn?,” Kane asked. “No, is it good?” “It's okay. But in the first issue, the theme of the battle between light and dark are set. It's usually tied to the object of dominoes. But later on there are two other types of games mentioned, Chess and Tetris.” “Why those?” “It's mainly because the concept of the hook exists in both. In Tetris, there is a piece that fits in as a hook pattern, in Chess there is a piece that moves in a hook pattern. In the first issue, both games are played and studied by a chemist. Any guesses why?,” Kane asked. Dave paused to think, then answered momentarily, “...Change?” And Kane was surprised that Dave answered correctly, for his following words otherwise would have been “Because a chemist studies changes in matter, and the hook could geometrically symbolize change in direction and philosophically symbolize change in a person,” but alas these were not his following 60 | ISSUE #1
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words, and instead they were “Yes, you're right.” And a surprised but confused smile grew on Kane's face.
As the two ended their conversion on Chess and Tetris, Dave remarked something to Kane, “You are the strangest sixth grader I know,” and the two exited the Spookhouse.
Upon the light of day the pair noticed the changed atmosphere. When they got outside the sky was completely clouded in cloudy gray skies. It looked as if in a moment it were about to rain, but as they walked toward the backside of the church, no rain ever fell.
At the otherside of the church, Kane and Dave found the others preparing an event in the alley. Sara, whom was the closest to them, told them about how Dam Son and Gun Ho were about to race eachother to see who was faster.
“Dam said Gun was failing P.E. because he's not athletic at all,” Sara stated. Way down the alley Dam and Gun were lining up to race to Sara who would signal the winner.
Back at the starting line was Christy, who would drop her hands when it was time to begin, and just adjacent to the runners was Pattie, who observed their feet to make sure no false starts polluted the competition.
“Three... Two.. One. Go!” And the feet shuffled upon the small rocks of the alley.
Thirty yards from the finish line Dam Son took a slight advantage in the campaign as all the other middle-schoolers looked on.
It was a stormy day but with no rain, where in the Philippines, Chin Tu Phat had recently become a widow. Before her late husband had passed, he had promised her that a man was coming from out of the country to take care of her and her two-year old son, Dam.
Standing on an unpaved street in the province of Lanao del Sur with Dam Son, Suhm Yung Guy came along and told her that he was the man her late husband had spoke of.
He packed her things into a small vehicle and started for the edge of the city, where together she and her son were to be issued a new life.
Fifteen yards from the finish line, Gun Ho had closed the small gap created by his stepbrother and the contest was once again even. In only a matter of seconds, one of them would be declared the victor.
It was again a stormy day with no rain, and in the world's own prison a friend of Suhm Yung Guy's met with him in silence. The man pleaded with Guy to take his son to America and away from the confines of Korea. Guy, who for so long had lived his life in the aid of others, did not allow this moment of begging to be an exception. He took Gun Ho and introduced him to his new brother, and then the family made plans for the Americas.
At the finish line, Sara, Dave and Kane watched on eagerly as the two were preparing to cross the finish line. Their feet still quickened they both seemed to cross the finish line 61 | ISSUE #1
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at exactly the same time. As they stopped and looked to Sara for the verdict, Sara could only show a confused look as she asked her brother and Kane for what they thought.
Kane and Dave also could not decide on who crossed first. Therefore, afterwards, as Pattie and Christy walked up to them, it was confirmed as a draw.
Dam Son was not pleased, but Gun Ho was not entirely dissatisfied by the tie, for to his brother he said “Since we're even, I basically win because that means I'm as athletic as you.”
After the race, and after the stormy weather became stormier, the seven had decided to begin walking home, and when the others asked what Kane and Dave found in the home, and what it was like, they both spoke about how it wasn't scary at all. That it was mostly just empty.
I've just come back to my apartment building after visiting my parents' home, and currently I stand on the corner of an intersection on the odd-numbered parallel.
I am thinking of dark saints in Los Angeles. Or well, I had been, until I became a witness to a nearby traffic accident. A vehicle driving straight had been hit by another vehicle driving perpendicular to it, which caused the hit vehicle to hook a left for several yards in basically a ninety-degree fashion.
After the vehicle came to a halt, both drivers exited their vehicle and it appeared that no one was critically injured. I crossed to the other road to finally find my home.
Something came to me in my mind as I entered my apartment building. It was the notion that nothing in the natural world, or nothing naturally occurring, ever came in the form of ninety degrees. An example that comes to mind is a rock traveling in outer space; never would it naturally turn at ninety degrees. Though I am not sure if this is entirely correct, I suppose it makes a bit of sense.
If something were indeed to move sharply ninety degrees, such as that rock, it might be evidence of something influencing its movements. Most likely a physical force, or in the case of the vehicular accident, a car. In the same regard, or in the same terms, something that is structured at ninety degrees may be evidence that it was created and not formed naturally if it is true that there is nothing in our world that is natural and ninety degrees. The principle, or concept, of ninety degrees seems to implicate an outside influence or an outside creator. This also seems to feed the idea that nothing involving change is able to operate completely on its own.
When I finally stepped into my apartment I was reminded of that dream with encryption. Again of that dream of Roceisious, but not of Roceisious himself, instead another old character: Derecious. He too traveled through the perils of Oceidicious, and much like the other, had a method to avoid any moral blame: For all the evil he committed, he countered it with doing a daily amount of good. For any person he killed, 62 | ISSUE #1
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he fed an entire starving family. For anything he stole, he gave compliments to the unassured.
In modern times you can find modern-day Roceisious and Derecious; for criminal lawyers do not ask certain questions and civil lawyers do certain works for free.
Who bears the weight of conceiving the atom bomb? Were some questions avoided?
Was it an evil act that came with some sides of good? The contour of this moral responsibility...
Inside my apartment Lynne was playing a game on her phone. For some reason she went about the business of asking me where I lived when I was seven. I thought about the question and then finally answered “San Rashida.” I learned that the day before she had visited my parents' home and found evidence of this, and then told me that she too lived in San Rashida when she was about seven. For a few minutes we talked about how we may have passed eachother on the street and never realized the pedigree.
When came the night Lynne made several hints about her large phone bill, and finally I asked her bluntly if she wanted to do more photoshoots. She was so painfully shy about asking me directly.
She gave me the option of choosing what she would wear, but seeing her shyness I told her instead it was her option, and so as I watched her go through the box of erotic clothes, I waited in anticipation what she would wear for me.
Except I couldn't see; in a very secretive fashion she turned her back toward me and hugged the clothes all the way to my bathroom to change out of Moonbeam.
A
ugust 17 th , 1968
Apparently in this business, the businessman I met a while back is called a “dark saint.” And apparently I will never be seeing him again, which is weird because he is really the only person I know about all of this. I guess that's not entirely true now, because I've met the man who is supposedly paying for all my endeavors. I also met his secretary, Alana, but she's not important. Ugh, secretaries. She's too dumb to realize she's supposed to be sad. I have to say though, the meeting with Mr. Morley, my “everything,”
was really weird. He gave off such strange vibes. I'm not saying he was a rapist or anything, but the feeling I got from him was a feeling I've never gotten from any other man, which I guess can be a good thing or a bad thing. When I walked into his room he looked me up and down and commented on how gorgeous I was. I was expecting that.
What I wasn't expecting was how only a moment after he asked me to take off my top, and then my pants. As I got undressed, I joked and asked if this was the interview, and all he did was laugh. When I was just in my bra and panties, he got on his phone and seemed 63 | ISSUE #1
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to phone someone who was a physician. Only a moment later a man walked into the room and asked if I was the one. Morley said yes. Morley then looked at me and told me that the man who just entered the room was a physician and that he was going to be checking my skin for certain conditions. I just smiled and said okay. The next few minutes had him rubbing up and down my body. I became a bit uncomfortable when he started checking my bum, and then even more uncomfortable when he began to squeeze my breasts. I just assume he was checking for conditions, but what does this have to do with beauty competitions? Are they making sure I'm not a liability? I don't know, whatever. The entire time, Morley just sat at his desk looking at us. I wouldn't be surprised if he was one of those guys who liked to watch rather than touch, to be honest.
After he finished he said he didn't find any concerning signs and I got dressed. I'm supposed to be back there in a week to really start my career, so we'll see how it goes! I feel so ambitious and I now see that up until a little while ago I was living a life without a drive...
When she returned to me I was entranced. And I know in her mind she knew she had the upperhand because of the way I looked at her.
She came out like a dream; much like the attire from before, her legs were covered in a silky fabric but this one ended at the top of her thighs in a flowery end, where it was attached again by straps to a piece of lacy clothing at her waistline. Unlike the other, this fabric exposed her privates in full. Also unlike the other, there was no top but instead just a white flowery and lacy brassiere. Around her body was a large piece of cloth with sleeves that went from her shoulders to her feet that would flow if given to wind. The final piece was a blonde wig that went from her head to her shoulders.
After walking in a way that I could not see her privates, she laid down on the bed still concealed. I took out my cellular device and proceeded to take a photograph. After the picture, she turned around and for a snapshot of a second I saw her intimately, but soon she was gone to change again for the second photo.
This time she came out much quicker, and a part of me believed there was a slow confidence growing in her.
There was very little clothing to this one; simple black string panties which on the backside was a large black bow. There was also a gold necklace which went around her neck.
For this one, she knew exactly what I wanted as she posed against the wall with her backside toward me, featuring her bum. After the picture, she turned around and walked toward me, holding out her hand. I reached into my pockets and placed in her hand a Jackson. As she walked away she slid her hand across my crotch and vanished. I never 64 | ISSUE #1
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saw her again, but I assume she went back into my bathroom to change and then to her apartment for the night. I was teased, left hardened, but in my possession were photos of her. And yet three were not enough for my insatiable desire for her. Oh, L, fire I have forgotten, passionate evenings I have forgotten. I looked to you for memories of the formette, but how does one make up for a decade of lost photos.
A
pril 12 th
Men who con never see who is conning them while they're at work. They're so focused on their cunning that they don't pay attention to someone who might be conning them. A few months ago I conned two men because that's exactly how they behaved.
They would have never suspected someone so unassuming as me to leave them high and dry. The other night my number was called and I was to escort a young man to a charity event. There I met a bunch of high-profile fancy people, and if I was ten years younger I would have been in awe and aspired to be like them, but ten years later I know my place in the world. After we left the party we returned to his hotel room and I found out he was from out of town. We had sex and right after he went to take a shower. For some reason he told me to stay, I guess he wanted seconds. As he showered I stared at his keys and his wallet on the table. If he weren't from out of town, I wonder if I could have made copies of his keys and then find out where he lived. When no one was home it would have been easy money for me. This would only work with someone who lived near. Maybe I'll try it next time. I need to find a place where I can buy those clay pads. I also need to find out how to find out their addresses. There must be some kind of sign-up process or registration on a website or at the office. I wish I knew a hacker. I bet these guys have some expensive things in their homes. I'm going to look for all the hidden valuables...
And speaking of expensive things, I have to watch out for any wives or girlfriends they may have...
Most times any ideas I have come from my dreams. There was a dream I had when I was going up in an elevator, and the ride up was so long and so many floors I had a rifle of ideas along the way. There I was, standing, in an elevator, thinking.
And as I went up in the elevator I thought on things perceptive alike. The likes of objectivity and subjectivity. I thought to myself, “If a rock is governed by gravity and a human is governed by gravity, one can begin to draw parallels and base assumptions, though not conclusions. And one might assume that it is possible a person's life is worth, under terms of objectivity, no more than a rock.” But I also thought to myself, “How can we talk about objectivity if all we know is subjectivity?” Think about this. The universe 65 | ISSUE #1
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is encrypted. It's why we still haven't come to a complete understanding of it. We have yet to decode all of its mysteries. However, we have developed some natural custom keys in understanding the message. We've developed senses. We've developed a form of consciousness. We've even developed external tools, such as many scientific instruments, to help us perceive what we cannot perceive naturally. But, despite these custom keys, we can never label them as objective keys, which means our understanding and use of these naturally custom keys remains subjective. We have yet to obtain an objective key for the encrypted message that is the universe.
That is to say, a message that is translated from a complex language to a simple language may not be translated all that well and may not retain the full meaning held in the original language.
By the end of all of these thoughts, the elevator door opened and before me there was no platform to step out onto. I was just there, looking down at the Earth, not even questioning how any of this was possible.
You know, a very difficult concept to decrypt is morality and the properties of good and evil. In fact, it is so difficult to decode, we have employed numerous institutions to help in its understanding. We have law, which helps to maintain the order of a force we understand very little. We have religion, which helps to study the very nature of this force. We have statistics, which through numbers and patterns and science, helps to deter evil and replicate good. But despite our efforts, we have shown little progress in the ongoing war of good versus evil. Perhaps this is best illustrated by the character of Roceisious, who has escaped the verdict of evil on a technicality.
Sometime in the early morning when it was still dark out, I looked out of my window to find Dave's friend, Kane, reading a comic near Lynne's garden. A nearby light seemed to give him the option of reading clearly.
And then he did something interesting. He began cutting through certain pages the shape of large letters. It was hard to see what exactly he was cutting out, but most of the letters I was indeed able to see and recognize. Of the letters I clearly saw him cut were as follows: S, A, A, R, H. And from this, I could see that he intended to spell out “SARAH.”
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Chapter 87
VINYL VIOLET SKY
2:3:9:87
WHEN one suddenly becomes aware that they are dreaming, often they undertake the exploitation of two things; that is experimentation, and to explore. And what are the differences between experimenting and exploring in reality as opposed to in the dream?
Perhaps in reality, the imagination is limited by the respective mind, but in a dream is given the dreamer a muse of one thousand reveries.
The moment Lynne and I stepped outside into the yard I saw her hair flow with the wind the same way the brown leaves flew through the air. Along with the wind, which came not too cool nor too warm but a temperature relaxing, was a darkness in the night that was alleviated only by a violet sky.
As we walked further into the yard, just over the wooden fence my mind saw in the distance a tiny city skyline in song that was not actually there, and this was only an example of the creativity she inspired within me.
Once she had laid out onto the grass the thick blanket she was carrying, she looked at me and made a presenting gesture, saying “Come lay with me.”
After I had laid down on my side facing her, she knelt down and gently pushed me onto my back, where afterward she sat down on me, our waists and legs aligned but she still upright and facing away from me so I could see her back.
Now came a moment of passing wind where the violet sky made a contrast against her flowing hair and the leaves on bushes and trees rustled slightly in our presence. It was a sound I think we both enjoyed the same way we both enjoyed quiet nights.
I placed my hands on the top of her thighs and soon after she interlocked her fingers into mine, and slowly she dictated the movement of the both of us stretching out our bonded arms, then slowly she leaned back into my body.
After she had gently laid the back of her head onto my body, she again dictated the motion of our arms to come back inward to cause a sort of embrace; my arms wrapped around her torso as hers rested on top of them.
As the wind blew I felt her body melt into mine, her bottom rested snugly onto my pelvis and the skin of my arms were delicately nested between the skin of her torso and her arms. The feeling of bare contact I think soothed the both of us and was multiplied by the calming wind.
“You feel good,” I said softly. “You feel good,” she replied emphasizing her first word. We were within eachother and could not be without.
At that moment our bodies became a dream and we were to eachother a muse of one thousand reveries. We wanted nothing less than to experiment and explore eachother, and 67 | VINYL VIOLET SKY
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what difference is there between a scientist who experiments with the universe or an artist who explores the body of their subject? In both there is such an intimacy so driven by curiosity that fuels inquisitor and muse alike.
The next movement was dictated by me; I leaned forward and sat up with my arms still wrapped around her and her bottom was now on the thick blanket. Our legs now spread, the both of us upright, I pressed my skin against hers and placed my chin on her shoulder. With my body so firmly pressed against her, I freed one arm, and with that hand I slowly rose up her torso, passed underneath her top, then felt her left breast. She met my curious hand with her own and placed it atop it and followed the form of my hand as I gently squeezed repeatedly. A few seconds later I could feel her excited nipple brush the palm of my hand.
After I removed my hand from the inside of her top, and after she fixed her top, I dictated the movement once more by leaning the both of us forward into a stretching position.
For a moment everything was still as we were both in a forward-leaned position, but the moment we leaned backward, a breeze of wind followed and a swarm of brown leaves flew our way. One got stuck in Lynne's hair and I believe she also tasted one due to her spitting sounds. As I pulled the one out of her hair, she turned around while still sitting to face me.
After a moment there was something in her face and I could tell there was something she either wanted to say or ask. I stared at her, and without any words my face told her to proceed.
“Have you ever loved anyone else?,” she asked. “What do you mean?,” I asked. “You know, like this...” The question was still confusing to me, but eventually I answered.
“I have liked some people, and in the moment even thought I was in love, but afterwards and thinking back on those times, I would have to find another word for how I felt then.” “Another word?,” she asked. “There was a feeling for them but if how I feel for you now is what love truly is, I didn't feel love for them,” I answered.
She moved closer to me, pillering her hands into the ground and raising her hips then her legs, and then carefully placing them around my body in a wrapping way. She then moved her face forward into my neck and said almost into me, “I used to think I was just jaded. Like I couldn't fall in love. But I met you and I immediately realized that I wasn't just jaded, I just needed your love, and I needed you to love me the way that you do.”
“How do I love you?,” I asked. She smiled, as if it were her heart's desire to tell me. “Out of order, intense, we started our tale in the deep end,” she answered.
She removed her face from me and kissed me on the cheek, then leaned backwards onto the blanket, and with her legs still wrapped around me she lifted herself back up.
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When she was fully raised she brought her face to mine and kissed me, then leaned backwards onto the ground once more. Raising again, she kissed me when her face got to mine, and she did this several more times as I held her sides.
On the final kiss, her lips left mine more slowly than the previous kisses and you could hear a wet sound as they departed.
I felt her move her curious right hand down my thigh and soon she slowly entered from the top of my shorts into my shorts themselves. It did not take much time for her to feel the entirety of my excited penis. As she rubbed back and forth I moved my face towards her to kiss her and our tongues met in a sensually curious way.
The next time the wind blew a serene touch, or the leaves rustled a quiet song, or the violet sky dispersed a white cloud, my mouth was on her right breast and we were engaged physically and psychologically. The tightness of her vagina had gripped, secured and made snugly fit the fullness of my enlarged penis. And as we both dictated our movements in a fashion so innate, in a manner so frank, in a form so candid, we both came upon a great release of passion and desire and bliss. In each other we found a piece of land to call home.
After we had dressed back into what we were in before, we laid on the blanket facing eachother, and we were connected in all the old ways mystery has connected the galaxies.
“You make me feel good,” she said softly. “You make me feel good,” I replied emphasizing my third word. She smiled, slowly climbed onto me placing her body on mine, then rested the side of her face on my chest, and I placed my arms around her as she melted into me one final time.
It seems exploration can be like the experiment of conversing two different languages against eachother. You may not understand what you see at first, but there is a subtle learning that occurs in the brain. And when that mystery is solved, the speakers can communicate under a body of languages.
CAM00112: A long stretch of road that covers the town from end to end shows many vehicles and many pedestrians and many storefronts. In the distance can be seen the likes of Bowbat being played.
CAM04000: Vehicles headed eastward come whipping down the road as seen from a camera attached to a trafficlight.
CAM00045: A man is shown walking out of a store named “Food PLUS” carrying two bags and one cigarette in between his fingers.
CAM00183: In front of the church could be read the sign which reads “Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten.” Several minutes of monitoring this camera would eventually show the conclusion of a church session.
CAM00781: A handful of schoolchildren can be seen exiting West Chester 69 | VINYL VIOLET SKY
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Elementary as the schoolday was finally over.
On a Friday the thirteenth past the hour of daylight, FKII peered out of the window of the Spookhouse and noticed someone walking toward the abandoned building. Of this place was there the lore of a set of twins who patrolled the forgotten neighborhood at night, and so when FKII pointed him out to the others, and after they themselves saw the figure walking closer toward them, a freight came across and caused them all to run down the stairs and out of the abandoned building forever.
Each of the seven children could be seen busting out of the first floor door as the figure continued to approach them in through the darkness, and as each child got closer to the sanctuary of the abandoned church, the figure began to slowly disappear until it was no longer visible altogether.
“Was that Rigor Mortis?!,” Sara cried out. All the others were still too struck to reply.
But as Gun Ho went to the window of the church to check on the current status of the possible Rigor Mortis, he assured them that he was gone and a calm came across that caused them to settle down. Once his breath was caught, Kane addressed an earlier question from Sara, “He was moving too fast to be Rigor Mortis, I think it was Algor Mortis.”
While peering out of the window, Ho noticed a small piece of writing near the window ledge, which read when looked at very closely, “tall white skinny dude.” He had no idea in what reference this was to, and didn't bother telling any of the others.
After ten minutes, the group felt that maybe it was perhaps safe to venture outside again and decided to go to their favorite spot which was the outside backend of the church. There they found their seats and the familiarity that came from home.
On the subject of home, each of the kids found themselves talking about their parents'
professions. For Dam Son and Gun Ho, their father was a cab driver and a factory worker and their mother a grocery store cashier. For Dave and Sara, their mother was a waitress and they were uncertain of what employment their father had, though his last known profession was as a car mechanic. For Christy, her father was self-employed and ran a type of repair shop and her mother aided her father in the company's day to day tasks. For Pattie, her mother was a hairstylist and a make-up saleswoman and her father was deceased.
On the subject of Kane's father was most interesting. Opposite of Pattie, only his father remained alive, and Kane went on the topic of his father's past.
His father's nickname was “T.J.,” which was short for “Ti Jay,” which in his father's mother tongue meant “Little J,” which was short for “Little Jamal,” as often he was called “Little Jamal” as his father's father was Muslim and named his son, FKII's grandfather, Jamal.
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As each of the six kids confusedly thought about this, FKII went on to tell them about what he had learned of his father through other family members. In his prior profession in Haiti, he was basically a book keeper for some bad people, and every once in a while when going to collect a gambling debt, he would break someone's knees.
“Damn, Kane's dad be takin' names and kickin' ass,” Dave laughed. “Dude be kicking people where the Sun don't shine,” Gun Ho added to the laughter. And for a while Kane thought about all the places where the Sun didn't shine.
Somewhere in the talks of parenthood, Dam Son noticed a camera and began throwing rocks at it in an attempt to break the camera's glass screen. In anticipated rivalry, Gun Ho also got up and began doing the same thing. Surely enough, it became a sibling competition, but Son had been given an edge as he started first, and soon he hit the camera dead-center and shattered the glass from CAM00184.
J uly 4 th , 1992
I just finished shooting my latest film. I have to admit I am not exactly happy with it.
This story should have been more about Mixie than The Pool, but I guess I should have realized that when I looked at the list of tentative titles: Pool Paradise, Poolies, Pool XXX, Pool Girl, Pool of Dreams, Pool Garden, Garden Pool, Mixie by Night. There is literally one possible title with her name in it, the rest of them are about the Pool. The official name of the movie was decided to be: Poolidise. That's fine, that's the nickname that place got when all the prostitution was moved there. “Poolidise, redeem your frequent fucker minutes here.” I learned that in 1951, a young prostitute by the nickname of “Mixie” died during the police force's attempt to move all prostitution to a certain area.
This place, who all the pimps called “Poolidise,” was basically a cesspool of sex. Buying skin was essentially legal here, and it was allowed to go on because it stripped all the other streets of hookers, making the city clean again. In the movie, I played Mixie, just smart enough to make money off of mens' primitive desires but also just naive enough to feel something for some of them. The movie makes a point of not revealing what eventually happens to her and focuses on just her sexual adventures, basically exploiting the notoriety she got from being a death under a police force's method to solve the problem of the streetwalkers. I mean, if you live in London, there's a good chance you've heard of her despite her profession. This movie could have been a film and could have taken the opportunity to turn the genre of erotica into education, but instead we went the route of sometimes kinky sex. The entire movie is almost an anthology of sexual encounters; about every 15 minutes is a new story of an encounter Mixie has with a man.
The only encounter that was actually artistic was when about halfway through the movie, 71 | VINYL VIOLET SKY
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she meets a man with an unusual fetish; he loves the way the backs of some women's heads look under a certain hairstyle, so he has Mixie position herself on a couch looking away from him after he has done her hair and he masturbates, eventually cumming on her ass. Shooting that was somewhat artistic to me because of all the hairstyles I went through and how some of them had specific meaning to the man, and later to Mixie.
Maybe one day, someone will make the right movie about her tragic story. I just know that day wasn't today.
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Date: REDACTED
Court: REDACTED
Enforcement agent: Steve Jefferson
ID: 8861
Confidential informant: Connor O'Rourke
Exchange requests: Family receives citizenship
Status: Deported (Ireland)
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Target: Boris Preobrazhensky
Last known address: 1189 Bush Ave. Second Floor, Bayton CA, 60077, USA Prior addresses:
1. 677 Kenway St. APT 9V, REDACTED
2. 8038 Chase St. APT 3D, REDACTED
3. 9071 Michigan Rd. APT 19, REDACTED
4. 5552 Powell Rd. APT 396, REDACTED
Suspected activity: Fraud
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While on one mode of public transportation I saw the mode of another transport. I was on the main city bus stopped in front of the G.S. Metro, or GSM, which is what most people call it.
After I exited the bus I made my way to the department store of my choice. Inside, the place was crawling with furniture shoppers and there was that smell that department stores often have. I passed through the multitude of people and found the office chair I needed for the composition notebook room that I had seen on the internet.
Looking further at the office chair model, I noticed that someone, perhaps an employee of the franchise, left behind branch finance reports which featured a number of charts and graphs.
I must admit, I was nosy and gave it a quick reading. It wasn't long before I understood that this particular store was declining of viability. All the graphical representation of this made me think more on the concept of calculaic conditions.
The thesetic of the concept is proposed as follows: In order to achieve a certain condition, do precedent events have to be in order or is it possible for them to be random?
Vocabulary:
Condition; the end result through a number of events
Event; an action in the sequence
Conditions that can only be met through a chronologically ordered sequence are described as “Linear Conditions,” whereas conditions that do not require any sort of order from the list of events but will retain the same end result are described as “Nonlinear Conditions.”
An example of a linear condition is time. As far as we know, time seems to be sequential and to get to a certain point in time, the preceding events must be in a certain order, as opposed to cutting up seconds and randomizing them to get to that same 73 | VINYL VIOLET SKY
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destination in time.
Illustration:
Cheryl is running, storm comes, road flooded, storm ends, traffic diverted
= Cheryl gets home 5 minutes late
Storm comes, road flooded, storm ends, Cheryl is running, traffic diverted
= Cheryl gets home 5 minutes early
An example of a nonlinear condition is weather. The requirements for a thunderstorm do not necessarily have to accrue in a certain order for that thunderstorm to come to be.
As long as you have all of these requirements in a relative manner, a thunderstorm may brew.
Illustration:
Cheryl is running, storm comes, road flooded, storm ends, traffic diverted
= Cheryl gets home 5 minutes late
Storm comes, road flooded, storm ends, Cheryl is running, traffic diverted
= Cheryl gets home 5 minutes late
In one illustration, the order of the events determines the ending condition, whereas in another illustration, regardless of the order of events, the same ending condition is inevitable.
Notes:
Linear;
1(8-7) = 1
1(7-8) = -1
7(8-1) = 49
7(1-8) = -49
8(7-1) = 48
8(1-7) = -48
Nonlinear;
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15
3 + 1 + 5 + 2 + 4 = 15
Etc... = 15
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With simple arithmetic, things seem to be mostly nonlinear. It seems as if you must dabble into multi-operational numerical expressions to find a form of linearity. This may tell us a lot about our universe itself. One wonders if the universe is a linear or nonlinear condition. One also wonders if our lives are calculated by expressions such as addition and subtraction.
My finger twitched at the checkout where I finished purchasing the office chair.
When I got out, I called for a taxi and I was soon on my way home using another mode of transport.
396-9189 posted a video: JHC
768-1849 replied: You guys ok?
837-1017 replied: When was this???
396-9189 replied: Just now, yes we're ok!
912-1152 replied: Always something at Lorenzo's.
768-1849 replied: Right. That's gotta be the worst fight ever there 837-1017 replied: He literally knocked his tooth out, you can see it holy shit 912-1152 replied: This is like a 8 man wreslting man lmao 912-1152 replied: Match*
768-1849 replied: Right lmao
396-9189 replied: Wish you guys came out so we could all have enjoyed this lmao 837-1017 replied: Next time for sure
On January 5, 1933, construction begins on the Paradise Port Bridge, as workers began excavating 3.25 million cubic feet of dirt for the structure’s huge anchorages.
Following the Silver Rush boom that began in 1849, speculators realized the land north of San Rashida Bay would increase in value in direct proportion to its accessibility to the city. Soon, a plan was hatched to build a bridge that would span the Paradise Port, a narrow, 400-foot deep strait that serves as the mouth of the San Rashida Bay, connecting the San Rashida Peninsula with the southern end of Niram County.
Although the idea went back as far as 1869, the proposal took root in 1916. A former engineering student, Theo Babugee, working as a journalist with the San Rashida Bulletin, called for a suspension bridge with a center span of 3,000 feet, nearly twice the length of any in existence. Babugee’s idea was estimated to cost an astounding $100
million. So, San Rashida’s city engineer, Drew Insum (he’s also credited with coming up with the name Paradise Port Bridge), began asking bridge engineers whether they could do it for less.
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Engineer and poet Bob Guniry, a 5-foot tall New York-born San Rashidian, said he could.
Eventually, Insum and Guniry concluded they could build a pure suspension bridge within a practical range of $25-30 million with a main span at least 4,000 feet. The construction plan still faced opposition, including litigation, from many sources. By the time most of the obstacles were cleared, the Great Depression of 1929 had begun, limiting financing options, so officials convinced voters to support $35 million in bonded indebtedness, citing the jobs that would be created for the project. However, the bonds couldn’t be sold until 1932, when San Rashida based Bank of Freedom agreed to buy the entire project in order to help the local economy.
The Paradise Port Bridge officially opened on May 27, 1937, the longest bridge span in the world at the time. The first public crossing had taken place the day before, when 200,000 people walked, ran and even roller skated over the new bridge.
With its dreamy lights and famously trademarked "international green" paint job, the bridge quickly became a famous American landmark, and a symbol of San Rashida.
Nov
ember 12 th , 1973
He was my first. And I've tried so hard to not see him but he's like an addiction. So I met up with him again after a few months and the same thing that always happens happened between us. First he offers me a drink, then some drug, then his dick. And I took every single one of those things. He's always hid the fact that he's a homo from everyone except me. Unless there are other boys he's been with, which truthfully I would be shocked if there wasn't. I would feel so special if I was the only boypussy he's ever had and ever been interested in. His wife, kids, relatives, none of them have a clue. With good reason I guess. If anyone ever found out he'd probably lose his job, probably lose everything. Everything except me. He was the first person to ever get me to take off my clothes. He was the first person to ever see me naked. His was the first penis I had ever seen. I loved the way it curved. I loved how thick his veins were and how much they stuck out. I loved how rough it felt. I always remember how he said he loved how much darker my dick was than my overall skin tone and how the underside of it had more than one shade. I guess I can't let him go because he is forever connected to me in that way.
Either that, or he is just a plain straight-up addiction. He left again this morning and tonight I have a show at The Pool. There are suppose to be a lot of agents there and tonight is supposed to be a great night for business connections which I can use because I'm running out of money. Where have all the Benjamins gone?
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It is oft said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but what if each and every one of those words is a lie? And who is to say that the lie to a certain person isn't the truth?
When I walked into my parents' home, I noticed that the box of erotic clothing had been brought here and had recently been rummaged through. And then suddenly, in the corner of my eye, I saw a figure walk through the living room. It was strange, because this was the first time in perhaps decades the sliding glass doors had actually been closed; since the death of my mother I have never touched them, and nor did my father; how this home was when she died was essentially how it remained. But someone, someone who is unfamiliar with this home's history, has taken it upon themselves to close the doors for them to meet at both ends.
And soon I saw that that person was obviously Lynnette, who on the other side of the glass door was unaware of me and while bending and leaning onto the large table seemed to scribble something down.
But that was not all, as she had just gone through the box of erotic clothing and without my request put something on for the next photoshoot session.
She had on red heels with flowery white socks, red panties, and a very small top which exposed her belly button and shoulders that was striped in red and white. This also came with a teddy bear, a tied white bow in her hair, and a large red and white lollipop.
I stood there and watched her. For a while she never realized I was there and up until she did I was filled with terrible incandescent thoughts.
Turning, she saw me and was at first surprised then became terribly shy, hiding behind a chair. When I took out my wallet and then several bills, this seemed to eliminate the fear, and soon she was standing in front of the sliding glass door. I was so entwined at her attire that I never even saw her open the doors, it almost seemed as if they magically opened themselves for her.
Walking toward me, she held her teddy bear and mimicked licking her large lollipop which made us both laugh. “There's my princess,” I joked with her, and soon after she posed for me to take my picture. It was an innocent little pose and one that would afford me great delights later.
I thought that was all she was going to give me for the day, so I went to open the sliding doors but for whatever reason the damn thing was jammed. It was stuck until she came over and they seemed to magically open again for her, and leaving, she closed them behind her and said she would be back out in something different, then winked at me.
I waited, but not for long, and when I heard her walking through the hallway I proceeded to equip my cellular device.
A dirty blonde wig with bangs. Around her shoulders and hanging down was a gold tie with black circles and she had on a striped dress shirt which must have belonged to a 77 | VINYL VIOLET SKY
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fashionable male. Like a couple others, she had on blue stockings which was attached to a strangely designed garter belt that exposed her privates completely.
Again, like dreamwork, the doors opened for her as I watched her walk toward me and felt the growing fire in my loins.
She had ideas of her own as she went and laid on the couch, looking away from me and then spreading her legs. I took the photo and knew it was already in my hall of fame.
After the photo was taken, I went over to her and placed my hand on her thigh and made my way toward her vagina, finding it through the small amount of pubic hair and rubbing it softly.
“Say 'you make mommy so hot',” I told her to say outloud. She looked at me and then looked away again, and as I massaged her pussy she started, “You make mommy so hot,”
she said softly. She made a sound, and I saw that the tips of my fingers were covered in her ejaculate fluid, and then looking at me she said it again, louder, this time biting her lip after and telling me to take another photo as she bit her lip. I did, telling her this did not increase my balance. “It's a freebie,” she smiled still recovering from her orgasm.
Once she got up and told me she was going to try on one final outfit, I slapped then squeezed her bum as she walked away, and once again the door opened like magic as I watched her walk away, then watched her come back.
It was almost like a pink one piece swimsuit but had a soft silky fabric. The top was outlined in white and showed her cleavage. In her hair were pink and white plastic flowery clip-ons and her feet were in 3-inch platform heels. Her lower legs were protected by pink very thin transparent socks. On her fingers were about four rings.
The door opened magically one more time and when she got to me I took a picture of the pose she supplied. After the picture was taken, she noticed how excited I had become and came closer to me, saying “Daddy...,” and reaching inside my pants and stroking my dick, french-kissing me at the same time. As she gripped more firm and stroked less delicately I felt the intensity of her hand and saw the erected form of her nipples, and instinctively I began sucking almost the entirety of her right tit. It was after I ejaculated all over her hand that I began to taste her milk. I continued sucking on her lactating breast, and needless to say, like a rising starlet she earned every bit of the Jackson and Hamilton.
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Chapter 88
THE ENGLISH READER
2:3:9:88
FLIPPING through the channels late one night, or perhaps it was early one morning, I came across a stand-up comedian and decided on impulse to watch him.
“...and the whole concept of modern tipping has me scratching my head. It used to be that when a waiter or waitress provided excellent service, you would send a little extra money their way, but now tipping is literally automatic, regardless of service. I mean, come on, what the hell is that? It completely counteracts the idea of tipping itself, which used to compensate employees who went above and beyond in service, but now you can provide mediocre service and, well 'here's your seven extra bucks you bastard.' One day, when the tipping concept is returned to its former glory, I think my grateful words will be more akin to 'thanks for the handjob in the bathroom earlier.' ….. Speaking of handjobs, I never understood the double-knock entrance. I understand the double-knock confirmation entrance, but I never understood how people could knock twice and just enter. I mean how many things are there you can quickly stop doing within two knocks? Realistically?
If you're looking at porn, the first knock throws you into shock, and then it's really on the second knock that you may or may not find that 'X' button. So for porn, I guess it's a toss up. Sex. Ha. Masturbation? Good fucking luck. Cross-dressing? You'll need about twenty knocks to get out of that one. Cheating? Try it. In fact, with the way we're going, I think the only thing you can get out of in two knocks is an engagement. ….. That actually reminds me of a conversation I had with an ex somehow. 'On the way to the bank there's this lingerie store. It's got mannequins dressed in all kinds of sexy lingerie. Back in January I actually tried taking a picture for you but it was too dark.' 'Oh I would have wanted to see that.' 'Yeah so today I rode by and saw that on their windows they were having a half-off sale I was going to take a picture but realized I didn't take my phone.
After I showed you the picture I was going to be like 'everything's half off, like your bra and panties are gonna be when I see you.' 'Lmfao only half off?' 'Hey when they have a going out of business sale EVERYTHING WILL GO'...”
I found myself laughing uncontrollably at the stupid delivery of that final joke and really just the joke itself. It was one of those jokes that was so completely dumb you couldn't help but laugh at it. And when the laughter stopped, I saw that it was 1:42 in the morning.
I walked into the composition notebook room misremembering that the computer was in there, then was reminded that it was instead in the bedroom where I ventured to next. I did so with the form of Lynne's nude body on my mind.
Waking up the computer, I went from folder to folder, folders within folders, and 79 | THE ENGLISH READER
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found the six photos of her I had recently taken. I opened up “the professional” and stared at her for a while. Oh, I have been trapped in her trance for a triple set of twin days. A Tuesday afternoon of the beauty in her eyes, a Thursday night made my body throb. A Saturday morning of the beauty of her skin, a Sunday evening made me the sinner of Chase.
In another subset of folders I found audio I had recorded of Lynne's voice and I set the audio file to play. Then I took the hidden, thin smooth silky-like fabric, and placed it on my swollen member and began stroking firm the yearned missings of my missing miss. The image file combined with the audio file set forth a conqfurb fantasy.
“...if I even like it. I have to commute all the way out there and work long hours. And with all these bills, I'm going to have to work two damn jobs. Since I always have a couple days off maybe I can do something else, because these bills ain't gonna pay themselves. I also need money for the kids and because I need some new clothes for myself. Not having a car was a good idea, if I did I'd be in a real mess. I was also thinking if I don't find another job, maybe I'll take some classes somewhere so I can do something else. Maybe night classes. What do you think? ...if I even like it. I have to commute all the way out there and work long hours. And with all these bills, I'm going to have to work two...”
And soon it came, soaking creamily the inside of the fabric, some of it oozing through the fabric itself onto my hand; let it be known that her siren was a timeless siren.
In the cool blue of the early morning at 5:45, Charles F. Kane entered the cab of Suhm Yung Guy, who every morning gave Kane a free ride to the train station.
Taking the Blue line to the Searle Way station, he passed by the Route 110 Memorial, which stood to remind Grand Searle of the horrific tragedy that took place in 1978; an earthquake had broken the ground underneath this section of highway, forming a massive sink-hole, where sixty-two people in twenty-one vehicles plummeted to their untimely deaths.
Finally reaching one of the offices of his place of employment, G.S. Global Publishing Co., where he worked as a janitor and groundskeeper, he completed his tasks and also received a free book that had just been published. Such was often the case, as Jennifer Cole, part of administration, felt he was a hard worker and often gave him the review copy of books that had recently been published.
Just how long had Ms. Cole been giving Mr. Kane these books? That question could easily be answered when Kane returned home and entered his bedroom, where he put the book he had just received onto a rolling bookshelf, which was only one of eleven rolling bookshelves in that room which carried the capacity of at least seventy-five books each.
CAM00251: The focus of a yellow building which appears to be a meat factory.
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CAM00183: In front of the church could be read the sign which reads “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” Several minutes of monitoring this camera would eventually show the conclusion of a church session.
CAM08991: Footage of what seems to be a remote area displays a firetruck vehicle upside-down inside a ditch.
CAM00781: An ice cream truck awaits the ending of the elementary school-day.
CAM50030: A shot of a tower-clock tells the community that it is nearly noon.
“Lift with your fucking knees, Kane,” Dam yelled. “What? That doesn't make any sense. Shouldn't I use my hands?,” Kane replied. “No, I mean, don't use your back, squat all the way down and then lift with your hands, that's why it keeps falling on your end.”
“I'm still confused.”
The seven children had been wandering away in the abandoned part of town when they came to a pile of garbage they had never seen before. There, they laid down their sights on a large black refrigerator which they were determined to bring back to the endside of the church.
“Steady, steady,” Christy repeated each time the appliance almost fell. And each time it did indeed fall, the moving crew of seven decided to take a one-minute long break.
“Yo, guys, last night I was watching one of those standing-up comedies, you know the one when the person stands up while he tells jokes?,” Kane asked. “What about it?,”
Dave inquired. “Well, the guy told this strange joke about a hand job, and I have no idea what that means because it's so ambiguous.” The three girls looked at eachother awkwardly as they rested on the fridge, then soon looked at the other boys uncomfortably.
“Is it just some random job that you can do with your hands?,” Kane asked. The prior awkwardness which came from the girls did not stem from the knowledge of knowing what a handjob was, for in actuality they did not know what a handjob was, but actually came from knowing that the suffix “job” sometimes had sexual connotations. This suffix-knowledge was also known to Dam and Dave, but not to Gun.
“You guys don't know what a hand job is?,” Kane asked amidst the silence. “I'm not sure,” Pattie replied, “but I think it might be when a guy rubs a woman everywhere.”
“Oh, that's what it is?,” Sara asked emphasizing “that's.” “Wait, so then it means a man can give a woman a hand job, too? Because the joke was about a woman doing it to a man,” Kane said. “I guess,” Pattie replied.
“What's a boob job, then?,” Gun asked. “Probably when the person focuses only on the boobs, I would suppose,” Christy said. “That makes sense.” “Are you sure it's not just employment that has to deal with breasts?,” Kane asked. “I don't know, it seems like 81 | THE ENGLISH READER
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whatever body is focused on is in the name, so like, if it were the feet being touched, it would be called a foot job,” Dave answered, “if it were the shoulders, then a shoulder job.” “Yeah, that makes sense, if it was the dick then it would be called a dick job,” Sara said.
“That was a good bit of information to attain,” Kane said, “and you know what, there is this police officer who keeps following me around. I think she either wants to arrest me, or fuck me, and honestly, I'm fine with either.” Laughter could be heard from everyone as Kane grinned at his joke. And soon, the moving crew was moving again.
Christy was extremely tired, and in her tired confusion, she suggested taking a shortcut to the backend of the church, which everyone else, in their tired confusion as well, agreed upon. As they cut through an alley they had never been before, but surmised would be a shorter way in reaching their destination, they came upon a wall which had been vandalized. After putting down the fridge, they each walked over to the wall to read its contents.
It was mostly a list of names which surrounded the group name of “M.C.A. Mafia.”
The surrounding names included; MALCOLM, MARCUS, CHRIS, CEDRIC, ANDRE, ANTHONY.
The group of seven were quickly fascinated, and then just as quickly lost interest as they remembered the task of moving. And soon, they re-embarked on their journey and finally made it to the end of the church and set the fridge upright.
“What do we do with it now?,” Kane asked. “I don't know, put stuff in it?,” Dave replied. “What stuff?,” Sara asked. “Anything,” Gun answered.
After the task, Dave passed around Gotz Hotz which everyone accepted and ate as they went to go sit. In the relaxing cool air, Dam readjusted himself, and looking at the sky, he noted, “Kane, you need to get your literitis checked up,” and soon after all the kids laughed.
A
pril 29 th , 1985
Whorror Horror '85 is over but what a night it was! It was a good way to get the boss's mind off of his legal battles. The company had to be renamed to “Pool Girls”
because using the name The Pool gave him problems legally. Whorror Horror was kind of a re-opening and it turned the stripclub into a haunted stripclub, and Tonya and I had the privilege of being sexy twin zombies. It's kinda weird how much we look alike. Since we both have dark skin it was kind of easy to scare the living daylights out of all the men (and women) as we came from the darkness. We stayed in a room with a trapdoor and made ourselves known whenever we heard people near us. All the men got to see 82 | THE ENGLISH READER
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zombified women in nothing but a thong and gory makeup. Our necks were chained (maybe for sexy reasons) but when we got close enough to anyone all we did was brush up against them. It must be weird to be so terrified and turned on at the same time.
You've got titties bouncing right in front of you but at the same time there are skeletons floating all around you. All the hard-ons I saw walking to the next room. The mouth may tell lies but the dick does not. When a man likes you, you know it. As weird as this may sound, I was thinking of my son the entire time and how much he would have loved it if it weren't for all the nude women. Maybe this Halloween I'll take him to a haunted house or a scary festival. He'll think I'm the best mom for that. The only bad moment during the night was a creep who grabbed my ass because he wanted to see what my tattoo was of.
Oh please. I know it's dark hunny, but you can just ask. It's just a lipstick kiss. Other than that, it was pretty fun. I'd love to say I can't wait to do it again next year, but honestly I don't want to still be working here by then. By then I need to get my plans and goals going. I took a picture in front of the Pool St. street sign to remind myself that I need to see the world and that life is more than this. I want to look back on this picture one day and see how far I've come. Many women who sell sex see the act as cost-effective, they aren't really giving anything away except for time, and in return they get something physical such as money or goods. But what they don't realize is that they are trading abstract things, such as dignity and respect, for these monies or goods. Losing respect in your society can affect your life physically. Trust me, I know. And when my son is older, I want him to respect me.
Alondra had been strategically and meticulously cleaning the air vents inside her vehicle when she received a phone call from Sara detailing their displacement within the confines of the abandoned town.
Sara was unable to tell her where exactly they were as they were lost, but nonetheless Alondra told her to stay where they were and she would come pick them up.
As Sara gave her landmarks and clues to their location, Alondra used the information and her knowledge of the area to locate them, and soon Sara saw a slowly driving recognizable vehicle. The seven kids walked up to the car finally relieved that they were going to be leaving this place after their encounter with Algor the other night.
“I thought it was just you and David,” Alondra said. The seven children looked at eachother blankly. “Well, someone's going to have to sit on someone's lap,” Alondra said.
The seven kids looked at eachother blankly once more.
After a discussion of three minutes, Christy volunteered herself to sit upon Dam's lap, and because of Sara's smaller stature, it was agreed that she would sit on Pattie's lap.
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contemporaries, and soon they were all on the fast road back to civilization.
“Why are you guys even out here at this time? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to be in this place at night? I'm risking my neck just coming here,” Alondra stated.
“We lost track of time, and since it's Friday we just decided to stay a bit longer than usual, but when we started to leave everything was weird,” Dave said. “You mean nothing was where it's supposed to be, right?,” Alondra asked. “Yeah, it was weird,”
Dave continued. “That's because once it's fully dark, this place becomes aware and if it knows you're here, it starts to shapeshift.” “Shapeshift?,” Pattie asked. “It starts to move things around, buildings, streets, signs, it will move them around to mess with you.” The seven kids looked at eachother blankly.
“I remember thinking that when I turn this corner, the church should be there, but it wasn't, it was the Spookhouse instead,” Gun said. “So you guys know about the Spookhouse but you don't know about the shapeshifting?” They all gave a confused “No”
at the same time.
“Ya'll don't know about the twins?” “Wait yeah, we know a little about them. I think we saw Algor the other night because he was moving slow but not really slow,” Dam said. “You guys were here another night?” They all gave a hesitant “Yes.” “Do not ever do this again, as soon as it starts to get dark, go home immediately. Algor is extremely dangerous.” “He is?,” Kane asked.
“His real name is Algoris, but most people just call him Al.” Alondra suddenly stopped the vehicle to look around. “See, it shifted and I have no idea where I am,” she said as she continued looking around. Defeated, she took a flashlight from the car and exited the car to better identify where she was. When she got back into the vehicle, she reversed, saying they need to go the other way.
“Anyway, this is not the place to be at night. And if you're here once midnight strikes, you can't leave until sunrise.” “Why?” “Because everyone is out by midnight.”
“Everyone?” “Yes, the Ice Cream Man, Lady Glabella, Sourhand, the Twins, who you already know, Birdman, Necro.” “Wait, I've heard of Necro, but I thought his name was Negro,” Pattie suggested. “Well, it's both, he's the one who killed all those African-Americans. The thing is, he ate parts of them after he killed them.” “Do black people taste better than white people?,” Kane interrupted and asked. The car remained silent.
“There are rumours that Lady Glabella is still alive and still lives here.” “Really?”
“Yes, she is literally death, so that means she can't die, and since she is still alive, that means she can come out during the day time, so if you see her, run your ass off.” “Okay we will. Thanks for telling us all of this.” “No problem.” A moment after these final words, with her expertise, Alondra had found the exit to the abandoned town.
What the hell is this? She knows I don't like this flavor. What's that back there? Fact, 84 | THE ENGLISH READER
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whole fruits are better than juice concentrates. Concentrate? “Concentrate on these nuts.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
Like any normal people know what this means. It's probably not even an accurate fact. Fucking liars. Oh, here we go, look at this great debater spewing out facts. Fact this, fact that. You got anything for the viewers other than facts?
You see that's why these types of people are so soon forgotten. They just repeat what they hear. Every once in a while you'll get a creative view from one of their facts, but for the most part they neither inspire nor offer anything new. That's the difference between prophets and debaters. Prophets don't use facts, they use stories. What's a fact today may not be a fact tomorrow, but stories are always relevant and are forever. Debaters get fanbases, prophets get religions.
J une 3 rd , 1951
Netted $172.34 today. The 34 cents came from a peck on the lips. Got a black eye now but it was worth it. Fuck the Benjamin girls on Cromwell. The girls on Pool street have the biggest games. After that photographer came back he confessed to me that the photos were for an underground publication for “readers” who were mostly into underage-teen girls. He asked me if I would shoot again but I said hell no. Even after he offered me 2 bucks per picture. I wasn't having any of that. He gave me print-outs of nine of the pictures I did and tried to tell me how this was more about art than “self-gratification” as he put it, but I'm not in the business of helping pedos get off. The next day I really needed some cash, and while talking to Peaches about Claudia's overdose, she mentioned an idea she had had in her mind for a couple months now, and I put her idea to test. I took the print-outs of me, wrote the motel address on it, and then went to Cromwell street and placed the print-outs in the Men's bathrooms of the establishments on that street. We call the girls on Cromwell Benjamin girls because they make the most out of all of us, their clientele literally pay them hundreds per hour. I guess in a way they make so much because they have the best reputations, even if they are all evil bitches. An hour after I left Cromwell, I went back and waited near the motel. Sure enough, a suspicious man came up to me and asked if I was Mixie. Of course he knew I was Mixie, and I knew exactly what he came for. It worked because I wasn't asking for hundreds per hour, my costs were reasonable. And up until a Benjamin girl found out what I was doing, the men kept coming and going. I told Peaches (we call her Peaches because she is fully bald, like not bald by choice but medically bald, if she grows her hair out she ends up with bald patches and it makes her look like a crackwhore, so she just shaves it all off, she thought about wearing a wig but her baldness has become her calling card for men 85 | THE ENGLISH READER
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who are looking for a particular type of woman, or men who don't know that they like bald women yet, her uncle used to call her Patches but when she got here someone renamed her to Peaches) anyway, so I told her about her idea and now she wants to use it on the Grant girls. I expected to make something, but I didn't expect to make so much.
Now that I think about it, I'm not so sure it was just because I was cheaper. To these men, money is not an issue. I honestly think it worked so well because when they saw the print-out of me, they saw something exotic. I can count the number of mixed girls I know on one foot. But one day I want to break out of this cycle of fucking. I want to do something else. If I really am exotic, it shouldn't be hard to find other work. I'm starting to sound like the starlet cliche. Oh well... I'm a whore and I'm a dreamer. My best work is done on my back.
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: Lynne is shown walking down Chase street with multiple traveling bags in her hands. “Ah shit, this girl is ready to go camping!” Lynne, nodding, continues to walk closer until she finally reaches Olya's minivan.
DCAM-MPX12-64918: A picture is taken of Lynne and Jasmin while Jasmin points a recording camera at Olya.
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: The focus is switched from Lynne to Olya as Olya exit's the minivan to observe a Lynne who is ready to go camping.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]: What do you guys want for music? [unintelligible]. Gangsta rap it is. [laughing]. Is the camera fully charged? Hold on let me check.
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: A view of the passenger's leg space is shown. “You know you're recording right now, right? I am? Yes, look at the light on the left side.
Whoops.”
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]: It's at ninety-eight percent right now, so we're good. I'll turn it off for now. What are we going to get to eat when we get there? Fifth Season? Sounds good to me, their burgers are supposed to be good.
CELL-ESHARKV3-0042931187: A photograph of a woman is taken as she is: riding a child-sized bicycle, has a one year-old baby strapped to her back, is pushing a stroller with a baby inside it with her right arm.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]: Jesus you guys have to see this picture I just barely was able to take of this Asian lady. Jazz, look. What the fuck? Is that a baby on her back? Yo, Olya, look at this. Hold up let me hit a red light.
That is the most G thing I've ever seen in my life. [laughs?]. Send that picture to my phone please. Here. Ay Lynne did you bring your gun? [laughs]. No, but I brought my 86 | THE ENGLISH READER
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son's toy gun. Toy gun? How will that help? It shoots these heavy plastic balls at ninety feet per second. The box says it can literally take out a person's eye. Okay, well I brought my machete so if we get chased by a bear, shoot him in the eyes while I chop away.
[laughs]. What about you Olya, while me and Jasmin are shooting and swinging you got to be doing something too. Well, before you can shoot it in the eyes and before you can cut it open, someone has to disable it. Look in my bag.
CELL-ESHARKV3-0042993576: A photograph of a can of bear spray is taken.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]: I just sent it to Felicia. She already thinks we're all crazy as hell for doing this. Aren't we though?
[laughs]. Trust me, this will be a memorable part of your life.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8: Hello? Olya? This is Jasmin, Olya's driving.
Oh, hi Jasmin, can you ask her where she put the paperwork for Ivanna. Where did you put the paperwork for Ivanna? Second drawer on the right side of the desk. Did you hear that? Yes I did, thanks you guys, having fun on your trip? We just left really. Ah, well have a good time. Thanks. Bye. Bye.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]: You guys want to play Gumshoe? Yeah, I go first. Okay, you in Olya? Yeah I'll play. Okay, I'm going to say... Glasses, unkempt hair, white shoes. Okay what's the pocket? Let's do red light stops, whoever walks by first. Okay sounds good. Can you put the music up, I like this song. Here we go we got a red light coming up. No glasses, hair is pretty tidy... Brown shoes. Sorry girl. [laughs]. Olya you can go next, I'll go last. Alright, I will say...
Lipstick. Lipstick? That's bold. Yes, lipstick, purse... And beard. Oh okay, she's not putting all her eggs in one basket, smart. I play to win girl. Okay red light, but it doesn't look like anyone's crossing. Wait, wait, we may have someone. Nope, didn't turn. Okay here we go I see people waiting to cross at this red light. No purse... Definitely no beard.
Is she wearing lipstick? It kind of looks like she is but I can't tell from here. I'm not letting my points walk on me like that. [unintelligible]. What are you doing? You're going to call her over here? Excuse me, we're lost, do you know what town we're in?
[unintelligible]. Ah, right, thank you. I can't believe you just did that. Got my point though, she was definitely wearing nude lipstick. [laughs]. You up Lynne. Okay, I have to get something here now. I'm going to say... Red shirt, fat... And cell phone. Cell phone, huh? If I see someone crossing the street while on their cell phone I swear to God I will honk at them. Red light coming up. Well I can already tell the person is fat so that's one point. What color shirt is that? Please don't tell me it's red. Ooh it's pink, so close. Wait, what the fuck is he looking at? A phone? No fucking way, this guy is on his fucking phone. Are you serious. He's putting it away. He's putting it in his pocket. Now he's crossing, does she still get the point? Hell yeah I still get the point, fuck you mean? But 87 | THE ENGLISH READER
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the pocket is crossing the red light. So what, he had a cell phone out. I don't know, what do you think Olya. Hmm. Fine, you can have the point this one time because that was a hard guess. You damn right I'm getting that point. Bitches. Gimme that pussy and now you're trying to take my shoes. [laughs] [laughs] [laughs] [laughs] [laughs]. Your turn Jas. Okay, I'm not messing around this time. You guys want to change the pocket? Sure.
How about driver, passenger-side? That'll work. Okay, I'll say... Facial birthmark. Bald.
Nose ring. If this person has a nose ring, I'll give you a dollar. Don't tempt fate Lynne.
I'm serious. Okay pulling up on a car, what do you guys see. Looks like he has hair...
Wait shit, he's missing an entire patch of hair in the front. That's a point right? Well you said bald, not balding. He's looking at Jas. Yoo, is that a lip ring? Yes, yes I believe it is.
I'm done. I hate this game. This only ever happens to me I swear to God. [laughs]. Okay so, no birthmark, a lip ring, where are we on the balding? Well I mean, if he were filling out a form and he had to state the state of his hair, if bald was an option he would have to check that, so I guess we can give her that one. I can agree with that. Thank you, finally some justice in this bitch. Here. Why are you giving me fifty cents? It's wasn't a nose ring but a lip ring is pretty close, you get fifty cents for the big games on you. [laughs]. I'm next right? Yeah. What you got? Okay, I will say... Smoking, accessory in hair, dyed hair. And here we go pulling up to a car now... No smoking... Nothing in her hair that I can see... Black hair on a black woman sounds natural... Three and out? For real? I suck at this game. Well you got the lipstick, probably the best guess so far today. You're up.
Okay, let me get... Red hair. Ooh, red hair. Elderly. Damn elderly, okay. And... Suit and tie. Where are all the traffic lights. Oh ok here we go. Let's see what you got. A blonde, and she definitely can't be anymore than thirty. But look at what she has on. Wow okay. I said that thinking it would be a man, too. Not often you see a woman wearing a tie.
Business attire sure, but a tie? I swear to God you're cheating somehow. I just can't figure out how. Anyone know the count? Uh, I think I have one. You have one too, right?
Lynne has like four or something. I think I have three. Final round? Okay, no-pocket final round? No-pocket proxy, let's play this game safely. [laughs] Let's do it. Eyes closed. I want a... Necklace. Bicycle. White shirt. Okay let's wait one minute. Are we near people.
Yes, open them whenever. Booya. Bike and white shirt. Lucky. Does he have a necklace?
Can't see from here really, you should call him over. I ain't you girl. I'm pretty sure he doesn't anyway. Your go. Okay, I'll say... White shirt bike hey hey hey ok ok kidding.
[laughs]. Drink, sandals, tall. Who's my proxy? I'll be. Okay, eyes closed? Yup. Okay, we'll go exactly a minute and a half after this green light. Okay fair. Open. I already know I didn't get anyone. Who did you see? I looked behind me and this asshole is drinking water. Who dat. Who dat. Is he tall? Wearing sandals? Driving. Well, I lost, and I'm not driving if we play this game on the way back. [laughs]. Okay Lynne, your go.
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Okay, I'll say... Hurry up we're about to hit open road unless you want to play this game with animals and trees. One earring left earlobe, thickly-framed black glasses, Nigerian.
Wait what? [laughs]. The games on this broad. You heard me. This bitch did this to me last year. What the fuck is going on? Opening my eyes. I win. Okay I don't get it. Look up there. Noo way. That's cheating, isn't it? Well, it's a billboard with a person on it though, so technically she can use him. Fuck that bullshit. That's cheating. We tied. Nah, gimme my crown. This ain't over, we playing again on the way back. I ain't going out like that. I said give. Me. My. Crown. Shut. The. Fuck. Up.
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: Lynne is seen momentarily as she sleeps in the back seat. The dim light of the footage is revealed to be a result of it being evening and the sky turning to darkness. “You tired yet?” The focus adjusts to Olya. “Getting there.” The focus does a 180-degree turn to reveal a large field that stretches for miles, and every minute or so cattle is seen. The footage continues to display this scene for exactly three additional minutes.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]: You up? Yeah.
You almost got two hours of sleep. I needed it, worked almost the whole day yesterday.
You hungry? Yeah are you guys? I'm hungry, I need to pee, I need to stretch my legs. I can use a break from driving. Is there anything around here? Let me check. That place you were talking about is seventeen minutes away. What place? Fifth Season. You guys want to go there? I'm down. Okay. Food is pretty damn good. I agree, food can be pretty damn good, especially if you're hungry. [laughs].
DCAM-MPX12-64918: A photograph of Fifth Season is taken, of its west entrance.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]:
[unintelligible].
[unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. Hello welcome to Fifth Season, may I take your order? Can I get a number seven meal? [unintelligible].
[unintelligible]. Mom do they have pizza? [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. Jas the bathroom is that way. [unintelligible]. Hello, welcome to Fifth Season, may I take your order? [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. And he says to me, Trish, you are not your job.
You're more than that. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. You don't need to use the bathroom? Nah I'm good. You must have a big ass bladder. [laughs]. Yo Sean there go your order. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. That bathroom ain't bad for a food joint. Hi your food will be ready very soon. Thank you.
Thanks. You're welcome, would you like any bread or water while you wait? No thank you. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. Here you are. If you need anything else please let me know. Thank you. Thanks. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible].
[unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible].
[unintelligible]. [impractical data discovered: audio noise].
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CELL-ESHARKV3-0042931187: A photograph of Olya is taken as she bites into a hamburger.
CELL-ESHARKV3-0042931187: A photograph of Jasmin is taken as she drinks from a cup through a straw.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8: A photograph of Lynne is taken as she tries to cover the camera with her hand.
CELL-ESHARKV3-0042993576: A photograph of Jasmin is taken while she makes an unusual face.
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: Focus bears upon Jasmin as she drives the minivan.
Focus then switches to the passenger side of the vehicle which shows Lynne changing the radio station. “As you can see, we have commited our first rotational shift for the trip. I am now in the back, relaxing.” The camera shows a short segment of Olya smiling at the camera. “Jazzy is now driving, and Lynne is now radio operator. It's pitch black outside as it is approaching midnight, and we are now getting ready to listen to our scary audiobook as soon as Lynne can figure out what the fuck she's doing.” Camera footage shows Lynne giving Olya a convicted straight-faced middle finger. “That's it folks, we outty five thousand.”
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]: As you can see, we have commited our first rotational shift for the trip. I am now in the back, relaxing.
Jassy is now driving, and Lynne is now radio operator. It's pitch black outside as it is approaching midnight, and we are now getting ready to listen to our scary audio-book as soon as Lynne can figure out what the fuck she's doing. That's it folks, we outty 5000.
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: A blurry snapshot of Jasmin and Lynne is taken.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]: In the totality of the known universe, there are things you can touch and there are things you cannot touch.
We as a species have given name to what we can touch as "matter," but for what cannot be touched remains only as a dark study. This dark study has been investigated by promising minds, and a method that has been used since the dawn of modern man to study this darkness, or this untouchable realm, is the disoic method, which deduces to conclusion using information that mimics what would otherwise be unobservable. For example, we know that matter is capable of existing in a multitude of states, and a question the disoic method poses is whether or not the abstract can exist in a variety of states as well. If water can exist in seven different states, how many different states can evil exist in? It is here. It is there. It was here since the inception of time. It is here now. It will be there when time ends. It is observable in both the tangible and intangible alike.
Hidden deep within the crevests of the valleys and even deeper within the anger of stoics.
It takes up residence in the religious temples of monks yet has made the crime-ridden 90 | THE ENGLISH READER
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streets of any major city its breeding ground. Anywhere you go there is no escape. It wanders the walls of your home until it makes your body its home. Once settled, it controls your fear, it controls your desire, it controls your freedom, mind, your morality.
It hides in the waiting rooms of hospitals; the alters of churches; in the sanctions of asylums. [impractical data discovered: digital recording].
DCAM-MPX12-64918: A photograph of Olya sleeping in the back seat is taken.
DCAM-MPX12-64918: A photograph of the morning Sun is taken.
DCAM-MPX12-64918: A photograph of Jasmin walking into the woods is taken.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]: She up yet, I think we're almost there. Olya. What? Wake up, we're almost there. Shit how long did I sleep?
The whole night. MET? Like 14 hours I think. Where are we? Almost there.
CELL-ESHARKV3-0042993576: A photograph of Lynne's hiking shoes are taken.
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: A shot of the wilderness appears onscreen. “We have arrived and I am recording the traveling from the car to the tent spot.” The camera focuses on the minivan and then does a 180 to focus again on the wilderness. Moments later, the camera ventures deeper and deeper into the wilderness. “We're supposed to follow these trees with these leaves until we reach a creak.” Every few seconds the focus is upon Jasmin or Olya until briefly a deer is spotted, at which point all hikers stop and observe. The camera zooms in on the deer who is oblivious to the existence of the three hikers. “So cute... Shit, it sees us. Don't move.” After a second the deer runs wildly in the opposite direction. “Did you get any of that? Yeah I did.” The hikers continue to trek deeper into the wilderness. After about eleven minutes of walking, they come across what seems to be a rare bird of paradise. “What the fuck is that? What? That black thing over there. What the hell?” The focus now belongs to a bird in the distance. “I heard of these things, they're called like a Vader Cop or something. Nah, they're called Vogelkops, but that can't be a Vogelkop, those only live in New Guinea. How do you know that Olya? I like birds. Then what is it? I don't know, but it's not a Vogelkop. I'm definitely taking a picture of it though.”
DCAM-MPX12-64918: A photograph is taken of the unknown bird species.
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: The focus of the camera remains on the bird until it suddenly flies away. The hikers continue their travels but nothing interesting is recorded along the way.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]: I think this is the spot. There's the creak. So we set up here? I guess so, it's a nice enough spot. Should we record us building the tent? I don't see why not, how much battery does it have left? It had 67%. Maybe we just record it in intervals or something. Like only some steps of the way. Sounds good to me.
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CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: The camera focuses on the three campers as they unbox the tent supplies and begin building the tent.
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: The camera focuses on the three campers as they resume tent-building after being confused by the instructions and taking a water break.
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: The camera focuses on the three campers as they argue over the setting up of the tent.
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: The camera focuses on the three campers as they near completion of the tent-building exercise.
DCAM-MPX12-64918: A photograph is taken of the three campers as they stand in front of their recently built tent.
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: “Hello, Jasmin with you now giving you a tour of our tent. Here we have Lynne in her area.” Lynne smiles and waves at the camera. “And here we have Olya in her area.” Olya turns around to look at the camera and it is visible she had been injured during the tent set-up as she has a small cut on her right arm. Olya waves Jasmin away. “And here we have my area.” The camera focuses on Jasmin as she makes an unusual face.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]:
Y'all getting
service? Nope. Not me either. Whenever I'm in a place where there is no service I always think about this weird lady that was on the train once. Wait I'm getting something. Nope nevermind. That's ten minutes of trying and that is enough time for me, anyone want to go outside? What other option do we have? [unintelligible]. [unintelligible].
[unintelligible].
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: A football is seen laying on the ground, and a second later the shot focuses on Lynne at bat holding a silver baseball bat as Olya prepares to pitch. Lynne points the bat towards the wilderness, and finally the pitch is thrown but it is a strike. Lynne throws the ball back to Olya, and the process is repeated but results in another swing and miss. The process is repeated again once more, however this time it is a base hit that sends the baseball flying into the woods. “Man, that's our only ball.
Whoops.” The camera begins to walk toward Lynne and Olya as they venture into the woods to search for the baseball.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]:
[unintelligible].
[unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible].
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: As the Sun begins to set, the camera focuses on Olya who is standing with her back to Jasmin as Jasmin points a toygun at her from approximately forty-five feet. Olya can be seen making small body movements suggestive of anxiousness. “Do it already. Wait, wait. Okay do it.” Jasmin continues to switch between aiming techniques until finally the toy gun is shot and the small ball hits 92 | THE ENGLISH READER
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Olya directly in the back of the head. The action sends Olya running forward holding the back of her head as she laughs in pain. The camera runs toward Olya to capture her priceless facial expression.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]:
[unintelligible].
[unintelligible]. I'm going to come out of the woods after taking a piss and Lynne's scared ass will probably shoot me thinking I was a bear. [laughs]. Ooh, I thought you were a bear girl. [laughs].
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: Jasmin stretches as she prepares to climb a near-by tree to demonstrate her ability to escape any bears in this wilderness. “If a bear does chase us, I'm breaking Lynne's leg and then running for my life. That won't work, they don't want her small ass. Olya you're the tallest, so I hope you can run fast.” [laughs]. Footage of Jasmin attempting to climb the tree but failing is recorded. [laughs]. “And I hope you can climb better than that.” [laughs].
DCAM-MPX12-64918: A photograph of a small fire is taken as the three campers roast pigs in a blanket.
DCAM-MPX12-64918: A photograph of the three campers is taken in the early morning as they wash their faces at a near-by creak.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]: Save the battery for the video camera. Yeah the digital camera is running low on battery as well. I wonder how much I have left on my phone. I'm pretty sure mine will be dead by the time we start going back at night. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. I think we have to go this way, right? Yeah that's what I read online. Alright, here we go then. On the video it looked like they kind of blend in with the trees sometimes. Keep your eyes up. I'll look a bit lower on the grounds and you guys look upward.
[unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. What's that? What? Nevermind. Idiot. [laugh]. Shh. Are you sure this is the right area. This is the general area. And you're sure they aren't like, the kinds that go to sleep in the day? Nocturnal? Yeah, sure. I don't think so. They better not be. [unintelligible]. Why the fuck are you yelling? Maybe we can scare some of them out. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. Okay that didn't work. We have hours, just keep moving and looking. Okay, I say we take a break on these rocks. Agreed. Agreed. Still no service. Figures. That's some good water, where you get that from? Dilano's. Where's that at? It's off Division and Gould. Ah, damn good shit, let me get some more. Here. You guys ready? Yeah let's go. Stop. What? Do you see that? Where? Right there.
[unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible].
[unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [impractical data discovered: audio noise].
DCAM-MPX12-64918: A photograph of a “flying” squirrel is taken as it takes flight 93 | THE ENGLISH READER
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to glide off of a tree in the distance.
CELL-ESHARKV3-0042931187: Footage of a “flying” squirrel is taken as it lands on a tree, quickly climbs up the tree and then runs up a branch. When it gets to the end of the branch, it leaps off and extends its arms once more to glide.
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: A “flying” squirrel lands onto a branch and quickly races down the tree to find ground, where it begins racing away from the hikers.
DCAM-MPX12-64918: A photograph of the squirrel is taken as it races through the brown leaves.
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: The “flying” squirrel jumps onto a large rock and then onto another tree where it again races upward.
CELL-ESHARKV3-0042931187: The “flying” squirrel races up another branch and then leaps off of it once more, extending its arms once more to glide onto another tree, and almost immediately afterward it leaps again to quickly glide toward the ground.
DCAM-MPX12-64918: A photograph of the squirrel is taken as it jumps over a small body of water and glides onto the other side, effectively escaping our hikers.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]:
[unintelligible].
[unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible].
[unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [unintelligible]. [impractical data discovered: audio noise].
CAMCO-9XSHD-TP09337: The camera focuses on a sweating Jasmin. “Yes, motherfucker, you just saw a flying squirrel.” The camera then focuses on a butting-in and equally sweating Olya. “And now this trip is complete biatch.” The camera then focuses on a bewildered and excited and equally sweating Lynne. “What you got to say for the cameras? All I got to say is that squirrel had some quality fucking game.” The camera loses focus of all persons as it records shakily and laughing voices are heard.
CELL-ESNECIL5G-WER45L4FJ8[VOICE-MONITORING]: I'm telling you, the car was this way. Look, I marked this tree. Ah, okay. Thank God for that. My phone is about to die. Mine been dead. Mine too. Everything's probably dead, anything left in the cameras? They're all dead. I literally have one percent left, I don't know how this thing is still on. Lynne you're driving right? Yeah. Oh wait, yeah, there it goes. It's shu
[terminal error: power failure].
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Chapter 89
MIDDLE GROUND
2:3:9:89
ONE may come to realize that for many years now, we have known only the silence of God. But once there was a time when he made himself known.
The present God, most associated with the Old Testament, was a loving God who presented himself to the peoples. He led them to do good and was proud when good was done and virtue served. The angry God was much like the present God, who too led us to good but became angry when we failed. Though we were led to do good, often we were given to commit evil, and the doing of evil displeased the angry God greatly.
And then came the silence who was the impersonal God. He did not lead us to do good nor commit evil, for he was indifferent in this matter. And he did not reward good nor punish evil, for he too was indifferent in this regard. The likes of this approach surely made him not known, as there was no presence of him whatsoever. A presence of Satan, however, is often felt in the most tragic times of human history.
My lack of belief in a personal God who protects us has never diminished my need to help others, on the contrary, it has fueled it. If there is no personal God, then all the world has is you and I.
I answered my phone to find it was Lynne, who told me she was only five minutes away and asked me if I could help her with her bags.
It was afternoon and I watched as the minivan pulled into the parking lot. Walking up, I saw Jasmin get out first, then Lynne, each of them setting luggage outside of the minivan. Soon enough, Olya exited and began helping.
My first words asked about the well-being of my metal baseball bat, and then for a short period of time we all lugged the bags into their respective apartments, and somehow I found myself trapped inside Jasmin's apartment, who truthfully had done very little to change the interior of Jack's old home.
They invited me to stay to watch some of the things they had recorded on their camping trip. “You guys aren't tired?” They had all slept a few hours earlier.
Jasmin booted up her computer and it didn't take long for them to begin the tour of footage and photograph.
Of the many interesting visuals I saw, and there were many interesting visuals that I saw, the flying squirrel was easily the most appealing. I had never known such a thing existed. Maybe I will go on a lone camping trip to see one for myself. The second most interesting visual was the execution of Olya Dimic by Jasmin Minaea.
Olya was a woman with light skin. She had long blonde hair and must have stood at least five feet and nine inches. Her eyes were gray and she had a very slender physique in 95 | MIDDLE GROUND
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her frame. She was nearly flat chested. Her legs were long and topped by a small bottom.
A feature of her face were a set of eyebrows and eyelashes that seemed to be very carefully managed.
Jasmin had very short hair. She was a brunette with dark skin, brown eyes and a height of perhaps five six. She was not flat chested at all and had a fuller frame than Olya. The feature that stood out most to me about her was her dark shining hair.
Despite the dichotomy between the two, and the dichotomy within this dichotomy, I did find one striking similarity; they both had unique face shapes. Olya had a square face type, and Jasmin a round face type.
Of the third woman, her eyes were not as light as one, but not as dark as the other.
Her physique not as thin as one, but not as thick as the other. The length of her hair was not as long as one, and not as short as the other. The shade of her skin was not as light as one, but not as dark as the other. And finally, of the third woman, her face type was not as square as one, but not as round as the other.
I was beginning to realize that these two women were dear friends to Lynne, and the thought alone made me think of Claire and when she said many moons ago that Lynne has a few friends when she's doing well.
A few days later, there was a knock at my door as I sat and watched the news. It was the landlord, who very rarely ever made himself known to his tenants. Wondering what the visit may have been about, I soon learned that the landlord had sold the apartment building and was personally visiting everyone today to let them know of this. What did it matter? Sell the building and we will send our rent to a new address. But no, that was not the matter. He came to tell us that renovations were being had and that all tenants would have to move. Assistance in finding housing would be provided. Then he left and went on to the next.
O
ctober 21 st , 2009
My show yesterday went as I expected. I walked in and Sorina walked out. I had my usual warm-up conversation with some of the early guys and we actually talked about shyness. Virginity to be more accurate. Some guy with the username deadBunny started it and I think we vibedbecause of our shared Spanish background. The world will never know of my own virginity because they see me as a slut. Guys think the prettiest girls have the most sex. I've never had sex because I think my standards are way too high. But my face and my body match my extremely high standards. So there's that. I just don't think there is anyone out there who meets my expectations. Anyone who wants to have sex with me is automatically off the list. If you want my attentionand my body you need 96 | MIDDLE GROUND
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to figure out a different route. I'd like to tell a guy I'm a virgin and see his reaction as it sinks in. His whole world of assumptions about women and sex would be crushed. But that's the way it goes. From average girls you get sex, from gorgeous girls you get look don't touch. After we got enough viewers, the show really began and people started throwing money at me. I rubbed my pussy while making moaning sounds and you could hear my wet juices. I put on some blues and did a little dancing for the boys after I put on my garter and stockings and classic top. Every once in a while Ichanged the camera position as I chatted to show cleavage, legs, ass, anything they requested. Oh how the boys loved my sexy ass pink heels. One strange guy asked to hear me type. I don't know what it was, but he just loved the sound of me typing, so for about a minute I just pretended to type extremely fast and hard. There was a moment when I got bored and started putting on make-up and made kissy faces and someone liked that too. When the big dildo came out I got on the couch and turned my ass toward the camera and rammed myself over and over until I “came.” When I turned around I started sucking the tip and then started to slowly deepthroat it. I know they loved it when the cum dripped outofmy mouth as I sucked it whole. I spent a few minutes singing along to some songs and that was fun for a while until I put the cam under my tits and started bouncing with my nipples hard as glass. I need some new ideas. I watched this movie called Horrotica Romantica and maybe I'll try something in the horror theme next session. When my shift was over, Stacy walked into the room and I walked out. Then I paid the fucking man and left.
It is possible, perhaps, that despite being a facilitator of growth (I say facilitator of
“growth” and not of “flowers” because it seems that she is a gardener (she is practically a daughter of mother nature (it makes sense that she not only likes to create (which is a concept I have always felt was Godlike (perhaps this is why I have always seen a light about her) or atleast divine) but likes to extend her own resources to help nourish other things as she is a mother herself) and a gardener is sometimes described as arguably the oldest occupation in the world) of anything), Lynne is as invested in darkness as I am.
I got up after a little bit to turn on the light and it blinded her. She looked at me with squinty eyes until she fell backward perhaps to rest. I stood there and pondered on the fact that in a few months, none of us would be living in this apartment building any longer. I wondered how she felt about it.
About a week later I woke up in the composition notebook room and stared at my dreams. I had decided by then that it was finally time to begin transferring my dreams onto the computer. I was done with writing them, and now I would begin typing them.
I cleaned a stubborn space-bar before I sat down to think, and as it all came back to 97 | MIDDLE GROUND
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me I began to type.
⸿ Last night, I had a dream. Satan and I were in the cockpit of an airplane flying over water. Soon we began to see a piece of land take form, and soon after this we realized it was the city of Hiroshima.
Though I could not tell why, there was a dire sense impending. And as we flew toward the city, still many miles away, we saw something begin to fall toward it from the heavens. What was of the sight later became the single most intensively violent act of humanity in its seven-million years.
When I turned my head, I saw Satan, who was currently looking on with intent eyes.
It is hard to describe accurately the expression I saw on his face, but it was one I had never seen before. Not on his nor on anyone else's, before or since. It was as if he had had a harrowing revelation given to him, and he was, not in a good way, surprised; and perhaps for the first time he had not an answer for the world he created.
Now we were grounded, walking toward the devastated city on foot. It was becoming nearly night and one could see the fire of the flames reflected in the darkening red clouds.
When we were finally there, Satan went astray from me, possibly forgetting I was there with him. He went off, on his own way, and I believe this was something he needed to see on his own. He needed, in solitary, to walk through the wreckage of his own creation.
When came the morning I found him sitting on some of the debris. When he looked up to see me I sat down next to him. He stayed quiet for a long time, and this was unusual because so often he was constantly telling me about his creation.
Finally, he told me that he was not sorry, because it meant he was correct about his argument with God. I never replied, but soon he began to tell me about a time in his childhood by asking me a question.
“Do you know what the difference is between the terms 'middle' and 'center'?” I told him that 'center' was a synonym of middle, but that it was defined as being more exact.
He nodded his head in a curious way, and began with his story.
When he and God were younger, the deities before them gave them a peculiar lecture and lesson on gemiscousics. They were taught that in context to a middle, there were two polar ends, but in context to a center, there were three-hundred and sixty polar ends.
There were two required points of information to gauge a middle, and three-hundred and sixty required points of information to gauge a center.
“It is simple enough to calculate two points of information, but three-hundred and sixty points of information is a lot of data.” Then came the notion of complexity and the idea that as you introduce more points of information into a given system, you have to test that system and its aggregated points of information to make sure it is still 98 | MIDDLE GROUND
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functioning properly.
And so was born the concept of what we as human beings have defined as
“mathematics.”
Satan reveals to me that what we note as “mathematics” was originally conceived by Child God as a sort of multi-purpose log. In short, it logged errors and also logged how things worked when they actually did work.
“Initially, while working on the project of the universe, after either God or I had introduced new points of information, we would need to test the environment to see that it still functioned as we designed.”
The problem, Satan says, came from the downtime in testing this new universe. As it stood, one had to “enter” the new world to test any hypothesis, and if God had not developed math, it would have taken nearly 103 times as long to complete the project.
With this new idea, one no longer had to load the properties of atoms and energies and laws, they were merely noted in abstract ways in his new language and the equations were executed and yielded either an error or success.
“The potential of mathematics was amazing, we could take small samples and scale them to larger proportions with a ratio. We could see how the project would work without actually seeing it, and after this we ran across much fewer errors.”
If there was an error, however, the maths became sort of like a debugger and a log of information. But there were also errors they couldn't account for. I suppose technically they were not errors by their definition, but moreso mistakes they could not foresee. In their mathematical equations and formulas, the concept of “freewill” was noted as a variable. “A powerful variable which increased entropy.”
As Satan spoke on entropy, I could see in his eyes he was actually talking about the bombing of Hiroshima. And, perhaps, of his efforts and agenda many years ago to persuade God that they should agree on a middle ground concerning the concept of freewill. And as he bowed his head a final time in thoughts of the city, he said to me,
“But often we cannot find middle grounds, for we live in a world of extremes.”
After I woke up, I thought about how scary the notion of an atomic bomb is. It really makes you think about what humans are capable of.
After typing down this dream, I got up and then sat back down with a composition notebook that I selected at random, and I began to read and type an old dream.
⸿ Five years ago, I had a dream. The three of us, my partner, Musashi and I, we walked into the palace and then soon into the theater hall. We were in a country on the continent of Africa that was known globally for its dense corruption. When we found a vulnerable break in the production, in the play, we introduced ourselves into the story.
Everyone in the audience and everyone on the stage wore a mask of some sort.
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Everyone except we three. Even the king and his two accompanying kingsmen wore masks, and so when we seized the building and brought these three men to center-stage, no one had any idea who we were about to unveil.
The stage was cleared except for the six of us and now the audience engaged. We did not go into the details of the king's murder of innocent civilians. We did not expose the fact that he found a loophole in the country's deformed law with the help of these two kingsmen and then proceeded to kill anyone who opposed him with impunity. No, we didn't need to tell of this legal murdering, because anyone who attended this production already knew.
“We have chosen tonight of all nights,” Musashi addressed the audience, “because tonight was the showing of 'Thieves from York'. And we have chosen all of you to bear witness to the end of an evil empire. All of you must choose between good and evil, and if you choose evil, know that you will be in our sights.”
If duplication accuracy falls below one-hundred percent, this results in the phenomenon of diversity. This phenomenon is represented in everything that is unique and different, in a word, diverse, such as; the many colors, the many elemental compounds, the many species on Earth; it is simply diversity occurring as a phenomenon all throughout the universe.
With the phenomenon of diversity in play, we will see that the concept of chemistry is intrinsically formed. Everything unique has a unique specified reaction to everything else that is unique of it. And this inherently results in a world that is fueled by reactions. This is opposed to a world where the duplication accuracy does not ever fall below one-hundred percent and there is no phenomenon of diversity, and therefore there is no chemistry, or to put it in another way, no reactions.
If you add water to water, you get more water. If you add fire to fire, you get more fire. But if you add water to fire, you get smoke.
The chemistry between good and evil is an example of something that is reactive, and the combination of the two have shaped our world just as much as fire and water. When everything is the same, you have a dormant world, but when everything is unique, you get a world based on reactions, a reactive world, full of explosions and transformations and eternal battles between right and wrong.
Musashi now went to the king and removed his mask. The crowd gasped in an almost rhetorical way. And then Musashi placed the neutral theater mask which was gray on his own face.
Seeing this, we two repeated what he did, myself taking hold of the happy theater mask which was white off of the kingsman, and he taking the sad theater mask which was black off of the other kingsman. This was strange, because it was first time any of us had 100 | MIDDLE GROUND
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adorned ourselves with any items of the rich, or any items of those we struck down. But these theater masks would become the image in which the evil dreamt of us.
Once the three of us had on the masks and our firearms drawn, Musashi waited in silence for the dramatic conclusion as we two delivered our message, speaking alternatively.
“Now you will receive us.” “We do not ask for your poor or your hungry.” “We do not want your tired and sick.” “It is your corrupt we will claim.” “It is your evil that will be sought by us.” “With every breath, we shall hunt them down.” “Each day, we will spill their blood till it rains down from the skies.” “Do not kill. Do not rape. Do not steal.
These are principles which every man of every faith can embrace.” “These are not polite suggestions. These are codes of behavior, and those of you that ignore them will pay the dearest cost.” “There are varying degrees of evil. We urge you lesser forms of filth not to push the bounds and cross over into true corruption, into our domain.” “For if you do, one day you will look behind you and you will see we three. And on that day, you will reap it.” And right before the three triggers were pulled, Musashi gave the final word,
“And then we shall send you to whatever God you wish.”
After the triple murders, the entire theater hall was sent into a frenzy and we three escaped novelly masked through the chaos.
I received a message on the computer from Lynne as I typed, telling me she was coming home from some social services offices. I asked if she was coming all the way from the ones near Lake Cellardoor, and she promptly proceeded to correct me on the subject of Cellardoor Lake. And with that laughter, I marked off the dream and went on to the next, which I found in another notebook and was one of the rare dreams that did not have a recorded date.
⸿ During a church service, a senator was given a moment to speak, and I must have arrived in medias res because he had already been talking.
“...We can forgive Detective Marshall, who, out of his frustration and despair, found himself condoning something which can't possibly be condoned. We can do that much.
But, gentlemen, what we can't forgive, what I can't forgive, ever, is how we, you, me, this administration, all of us, how we turned away from those streets in Vondapolis. The poor, the sick, the swollen underclass of our city trapped in the wreckage of neighborhoods which were once so prized. Communities which we've failed to defend, which we have surrendered to the horrors of abstintion. And if this disaster demands anything of us as a city, it demands that we say enough. Enough to the despair which makes crime fighters even think about surrender. Enough to the fact that these neighborhoods are not saved or are beyond the saving. Enough to this administration's indecisiveness and lethargy to the garbage which goes uncollected, the working men and women who every day are denied 101 | MIDDLE GROUND
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a chance at economic freedom. Enough to the crime, which every day chokes more and more of the life from our city. And the thing of it is, if we don't take responsibility and step up, not just for the mistakes and the miscues, but for whether or not we're going to win this battle for our streets, if that doesn't happen, we're going to lose these neighborhoods, and ultimately this city, forever. If we don't have the courage and the conviction to fight this war the way it should be fought, the way it needs to be fought, using every weapon that we can possibly muster, if that doesn't happen, well, then we're staring at defeat. And that defeat should not and cannot and will not be forgiven.”
The crowd was thunderous, clapping loudly and shouting, and I could feel the power of his influence like static throughout the church. But to me, honestly, the speech sounded like it was stolen from something out of a television show.
When the church session was over, I followed the senator and watched him as he entered his vehicle and made his round to where ever he had planned to go.
Dice told me that the senator was a murderer. A politician by day and a killer by night. Apparently, he lived a double life and was a poetic murderer and told the truth through his murders. Every time he witnessed a killing, Dice said, the senator was wearing a suit and a black hockey mask.
What I would find out that night of trailing him was that the senator did not actually live a double life. Not in the way Dice meant it and not in the way I thought it. I learned that the senator actually had a split-personality induced by sleep.
On an overpass somewhere in the quiet country, the senator pulled over and was stationary for a long while. Curious, I got out of my vehicle and went up to his car door, where there I saw him sleeping. As I observed the senator, I assumed I had the wrong politician. That was until I was bizarrely transported into a room with black walls. I had been here before, I thought to myself, but not exactly here.
On the walls were switches and dials. Some went up and down, others left and right, some turned clockwise, others counterclockwise. A few of them had three possible options; the usual on and off that most had, and then a third neutral option. What is neutral of on and off?
Passing by each of them, I read the titles just above them each in certain colors. There was foolish, which was red, and was off. There was deceitful, which was red, and was on.
There was organized, which was green, and was on. There was compatible, which was green, and was off. And there was intelligent, which was yellow, and was on.
I noticed that for some of the things that were currently on, there was a different type of dial next to it that seemed to spin counter-clockwise.
I got to a strange section where there were no switches or dials, but actually buttons.
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around it were switched to the up position. Each title for each button was basically the same, except it had a number after it. Profile 1. Profile 2. Profile 3. Profile 4.
Suddenly, button 2, which was in the up position, switched to the down position, and button 1 went into the up position; buttons 3 and 4 were already in that state.
When I looked around, I saw certain titles beginning to blink, and soon after, their setting changed. I saw organized begin to blink in various shades of green, and then switch from on to off. This happened with numerous other settings, with both switches and dials. The dial change which stuck out to me most was strength, which changed from a degree of 149 to 311.
As all the changes were in progress, a figure in the corner of the room was revealed to me. It was that of a man cast in a sort of white light, and when I went over to him, he saw me.
He told me that his name was Democ, and I assumed that he must have known Dice.
Throughout the transformation he told me details about himself in contrast to the man shadowed in darkness. He instead was a man who represented the conclusion of full knowledge. He was a concept devised to illustrate what happens not when there is too much evil, but when there is too much good, and he detailed the spread of good as being just as dangerous as the spread of evil. With the spread of good came the notions of laws and the individual's restraint on free will. The notions of censorship and the dictatorship of ethics. The notion of forced reiterated kindness. With the spread of good came forth religions and religious wars fought to control the popularized perception of goodness.
Where evil gives you a fighting chance, the good show no mercy. And I knew soon, just after he told me that he was evenly matched with Dice and was the only entity in this world who could go toe-to-toe with him, that he spoke the truth.
The transformation was complete and I was standing there again, looking into the senator's car. This time he was looking back at me, a black hockey mask on his face.
Confused, yet well aware, he drove away, and I got into my own vehicle and followed.
That night, he ran over a man jogging in the night. I was struck by the action, but I could find no truth or poetry in the hit and run. Instead, I found only that Dusk was in the ranks of the insane.
Senator Dusk: From ashes to ashes and from dusk to dusk!
As Lynne placed the luggage on the bed she began telling me about how she came up with a plan for her near and possibly distant future. She was saving up now, every dollar she could, to pay for a night class that would help her get a job as a nursing aide, or perhaps a person qualified to medically take care of people in their homes.
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When she said “every dollar,” I naturally thought part of every dollar was also from the erotic clothing she was placing in the luggage. I offered to pay for the totality of her class or classes, but she didn't want that. She told me she enjoyed taking the photos as they made her feel sexy. And with that, we ventured on through 2:00 A.M. and into the treehouse with the erotic articles of clothing she'd selected.
In the treehouse, she looked outward with her backside toward me. The back of her head told the tale of her gaze at the Moon.
She looked like a princess. A dark brown wig and a completely transparent pale-pink one-piece-like swimsuit that suffocated her breasts. It was soft to the potent touch, and on her hands were thick pink gloves that were accompanied by a large bracelet.
In the basement, she bent over to do laundry. The sight of her thighs as they pressed against eachother was something I wanted to pass my hand through.
A large hanging gold earring. A black short-haired wig, and on each hand a small bracelet. Her bra was gold and made of silk and finished toward the bottom with flowery lace. Her panties were more like a very short golden lacy skirt that exposed the lower half of her delicate bottom.
In the office, she sat with her legs spread wide open on the office chair. Her unsuspecting reading seduced any voyeur.
She had on thin black make-up all around her eyes. Black stockings and a garter belt that exposed her vagina and her pubic hair. She also had on a black shirt with red roses on it which opened in the middle and showed her black see-through bra. Her stomach was covered by something that was attached to the garter belt, and she had lacy gloves on that showed some of her skin.
In Datura, I saw her profile view as she mimed a painter. And the expression she gave was like an erotic paining itself.
This was an outfit I think she was excited to show me. Very minimal panties which were a string around her waist and completely showed her bottom, and the backside of the panties were wider in width and tucked into her butt. Her shirt was rolled up toward her chest and was like a light blue women's dress shirt. Her hair was tied with a white bow, and her favorite part, which she probably wanted me to notice most, was a paintbrush in her hand.
In the kitchen, she stood at the stove with some cookware. And as she turned around to look at me, I took a photograph of serene frontal appeal.
This was a very simple outfit. Your average white lacy flowery brassiere and panties that were shaped like boyshorts but hung loosely on her body. On each side, there was a small opening.
When we were finished, she looked at me quietly as I looked through the photos.
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Soon after, I gave her a fifty-dollar bill. She put it away, and suddenly and softly, she asked me if I wanted a bonus video for free. I didn't decline.
If I were to describe the ensuing video that was taken, I would recommend the user to search the following: “pussy spreading”, “tit play”, “ass jiggle”, “sensual moaning”.
I joked and told her that I was going to be saving the video as “Exotic Mommies 2.”
She joked back and asked me what happened to Exotic Mommies 1.
I asked with a confusing look on my face, “You don't remember shooting Exotic Mommies 1? Remember? The whole thing takes place while you're asleep. You won a MissPlay Award for it, and it was regarded as one of the greatest sleeping performances of all time in the industry. People thought you were actually asleep.” She began to nod her head as if remembering her role, “Yeah, yeah, I remember now. I spent almost eight hours a night preparing for that part.”
The night ended with a conversation about selling the home. I thought it was finally time, and since we were moving anyway, the money might help us go somewhere new.
As Lynne checked up on Sara and Dave and asked them if they wanted to hang out with us at the home, I thought more on the dreams I had transcribed earlier in the day.
Why do criminals and superheroes both wear masks? Initial thoughts land on identity concealment. But despite humility being a virtue and heroic quality, it is actually because superheroes are performing vigilante justice which can sometimes be considered a criminal act and even immoral in the eyes of the law, though will not be immoral to most individual people. Superheroes are not qualified nor have they been elected and given the right to judge and act against crime on behalf of the people. It makes me wonder, have we given cops this right? I suppose anyone who pays taxes does.
A conflicting arc in some comic books is the fact that the people did not choose that superhero to fight crime on their behalf, and so the hero becomes a sort of enemy.
A
pril 29 th
That was a lot harder than I thought it'd be. A lot of trial and error. The first customer had too many keys. It's amazing how many people in London have no idea what half of their keys are used for. The second guy didn't have enough keys. Thank God it's easy to spot a car key, otherwise that would have been a waste of my time. The third guy required a key to get access to his other keys, which made me think that I am not the first woman to think of doing this. The fourth guy had three keys, one was for his car, so I chose one of the others to copy. After I copied it I put the clay pad away and texted Yadia, telling her to follow the man I was with. She followed him for about four hours until he went home and got his address. I gave Yadia the clay pad later on and she copied 105 | MIDDLE GROUND
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the key and then tested it on the address. It didn't open it. I guess we copied his mailkey.
The fifth guy was living in the 22nd century and only had these magnetic key cards. The sixth guy was the perfect candidate, but after Yadia opened his front door, an alarm went off. I loved the sixth guy. For some men, you have to build their trust and turn them into a client before they leave things lying around, but for other men, they are just careless and underestimate women. This guy only had two keys, one of them being for his car. I copied the other and Yadia tested it after she followed him home. It opened the door and there was no alarm. Yadia sat on his house for a week until she determined a pattern, and on her say so we drove to the man's home in the afternoon with a van. We opened the garage and parked the van inside and then walked into a candy store. Yadia is a lot bigger and stronger than me, so she focused on stealing the items like T.V.s, computers, paintings, appliances, cells, etc. For me, I had the task of finding the hidden valuables.
Things that wouldn't be out in the open. A house this big definitely has some. I was hoping to find a safe, and while I didn't, I did find a box hidden in boxes. There was jewelry, some documents, and at least a few thousand in cash. When I showed Yadia the ice and the dough, she was so happy. Before we left, we broke the window in the yard and then drove away, undetected by any curious neighbors. I can't wait to see what the next house looks like.
Margaret worked a long shift at the meat plant. Leaving the large yellow building, she made plans in her mind to watch television and rest for the remainder of the day. She said goodbye to all of her co-workers and then left the town that was diminishing in population.
When she got home, she saw that her sister had prepared dinner. This was good because she was starving, and to take her mind off of the wait, she went inside a room and toward a baby's crib where she found her niece, Christina.
Christy hovered over Sara as Sara placed her report card inside the black fridge. Once Sara had moved, Christy went ahead and placed her math homework inside the fridge.
Dam and Gun hovered over Dave as he filled out a form online on his cell that might help him win a free video game console. “Dick Handler?,” Gun asked as Dave input the name field. “Dick Handler. That's my alias.” Dam chuckled.
The last to arrive at the church spot were Kane and Pattie, and though the two were not very well acquainted, they were having an intimate conversation as they approached.
“My uncle passed away today two years ago.” “Oh, I'm sorry about that...” “Don't worry about it, it was a one time thing. He's not going to do it again.” “Wait, did you just see that?,” Pattie asked Kane. “I did not see anything,” Kane replied. “Hmm, thought I saw something just then,” Pattie finished.
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When the two arrived, the boy went to the boys and the girl to the girls. And on such the matter of boys were spoken of by the girls; Pattie had an argument with Toby about the various girls he socialized with; Christy and Dam shared their first kiss; Sara was asked by a boy she liked to go to the movies.
When the seven kids all formed together, Dave began asking if any of them had heard about the kids who found a skeleton under a building that was undergoing construction.
“They were all just playing in a construction zone and one of the kids went too far below and found it,” Dave said. “I wonder if there were any more skeletons there that they missed,” Kane thought.
A strange look came upon Sara's face. Then strangeness came upon her words. “In L.A., Connie was telling me about a rumor she heard. She heard that the yellow building used to be a meat packing plant and that that's where the Corpsor lives.” “Who's the Corpsor?,” Christy asked. “From what I heard, he always appears in the walls, and it's always just his face.” “What do you mean in the walls?” “Like, his face will just pop out of the wall and his face copies the texture of the wall itself. So like, if it's a brick wall, it will look normal, and then when you walk by it just his face will come out of the wall and it will look like a brick face. His face never really comes all the way out of the wall, but it's like his face is stuck in the wall and he's trying to force himself out of it.”
“That sounds made up,” Dave and Kane somehow insisted at the same time. “Then go in there and see,” Sara dared. “I'll do that shit right now,” Dave declared and at the same time invited Kane. And everyone waited.
As Dave began walking toward the yellow building, everyone grabbed their bookbags and belongings and followed him.
As they neared the yellow building, Kane whispered to Dave, and the two at the time were leading the pack, “Are you really going in there?” Before Dave could answer, he heard a shout from behind that came from Sara. “Are you guys really going in there?”
Kane turned around, then Dave, and Kane answered. “Well, I've made it this far, I'm not just going to turn around now... Well, I am going to literally turn around after I'm finished speaking.” And Kane turned around, continuing the way.
As the group of two approached nearer the entrance of the meat facility, the group of five behind ran toward them to also enter the building.
Standing just in front of the entrance, it was time to prove bravery. The seven prepared themselves to enter a building they had never even thought of entering before, and just before they went to step a foot forward, they heard an engine coming their way.
When the vehicle passed alongside a view in which they could see it for a moment, they all realized it was the engine that of a speeding ice cream truck that currently played no music. The blank faces stared at eachother for a moment, and each little heart wished it 107 | MIDDLE GROUND
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was only a coincidence.
As they ventured inside into the abandoned meat factory, their sights were set ablazed by the ancient ruin of it all. Most of it was very dim, save for any parts touched by the light of Sun.
Though this building had been privately owned, after the town was abandoned, it was sold and became property of the local government. This meant it was complicately part of a universal power grid. And that meant this building, unlike the other buildings in the abandoned town, still received power. The building was, however, damaged over the years and this has led to faulty wiring. This bit of knowledge has been given to the reader, but not to the children.
After discovery, Pattie found a level which included what looked to be a large slide.
When she pointed it out to the others, there was nothing left to do other than slide down it.
Before Dam went to enter the large slide, Gun pointed out a bit of rust and told him to avoid it, saying anyone who dies here probably remains here until they are turned into a monster themselves.
One by one, each child slid down the large slide until they crashed onto the lower level. And the evening went on like this; the finding of apparatus and creative usings of it. Sometimes one of the kids found hidden rooms. One hidden room had a sign which read “2 Days without an Accident.”
Kane found a room with labels of “dark meat” and “white meat,” and wondered to himself, “If a cannibal is someone who eats other people, what is a black person who eats other black people?”
Gun Ho had the idea to play hide and seek within the large structure, but as he thought more on explaining the rules, he noticed a room they had not noticed before and was drawn to it. When he opened the door to this room, he saw that there was a door on the floor that seemed to lead as a long dark tunnel. “You think the Corpsor is down there?,” he asked everyone. And while everyone knew there was only one way to find out, not everyone was keen on going down there.
As usual, Dave volunteered Kane and the two prepared to travel down the long dark way while the other four stayed above to provide assistance should anything happen.
A few yards into the dark, Kane and Dave found nothing interesting, but after a few more meters they came upon a piece of trash on the ground. Picking it up, Dave read a receipt which came from Chase Mart and concerned the purchase of a box of toothpicks.
Whispering, he told Kane about it, to which Kane asked if Pattie had ever been down here. “Doubt it,” Dave replied. And the two continued on.
In the darkness, the two reached what appeared to be some kind of gate. “Do you 108 | MIDDLE GROUND
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think it goes to the sewers?,” Dave asked. Kane was unsure. And during his unassuredness, power was restored to the entire building.
A light began to flicker above Christy, and as they all started to look upward, the sound of a piece of machinery gearing up like a high-pitched spinning blade took hold of their ears. Followed was madness as they each panicked and began to run.
“What the hell is that?,” Dave asked Kane while still below. And the moment he was finished asking, a light turned on just on the other side of the gate. This grabbed their attention and they stood dazed, noticing a warning of biohazards and taped off areas, but it was the sound of a large freezer room turning on that sent them running back to their peers.
In her confusion, Pattie mistakenly ran into a room she had not yet seen, and upon entering it, a hidden television turned on with the terrifying sound of loud static and white noise.
Gun Ho, still panicking, took a wrong turn into a room that now had rotating meat hooks as they traveled from one side of the room to another.
Dam and Christy were aware of the way out, but saw in the distance that the entrance had shut and was now displaying an array of electric colors, and so they turned around and went another way.
Sara, like the others, had too become lost, and was shocked terror almost half to death when the large slide turned on and began to spin wildly near her.
And then just like that, the power was turned off. There was not a single child in that factory that did not have the Corpsor on their mind.
As calmness overtook the building, the vision of their young minds was restored and they saw the exit to the area, and by ones and twos they each walked out. In their spooked out frames, they each agreed that there would be no more visiting of this ghostly town.
Not at all. After-school now meant going directly home.
While the group of seven did walk the many miles home, Kane noted to Pattie of the receipt he found in the tunnel. “I didn't know it used to be called Chase Mart,” said Kane.
The receipt was something that both interested and confused Pattie.
Patricia was helping her uncle at Chase Mart with stocking inventory in the backroom when she grew thirsty and went out into the store for a beverage. She had heard the thunder even from inside the warehouse, and when she walked out, she heard its true power after grabbing a drink from a stand.
On her way back she bumped into Julia, a family friend, who was mopping the floor and who told her there was something she wanted to show her. She followed, and when they got to the point, Julia pointed out of the window. There, in the distance, was a tree that had been struck by lightning and split in half.
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Chapter 90
TIMELESS
2:3:9:90
CAM04000: Vehicles headed eastward come to a stop as seen from a camera attached to a trafficlight.
CAM08593: A patient is shown being wheel-chaired out of the hospital.
CAM02701: A deceased person is shown being moved out of the police station in a decorated police officer's uniform.
CAM03030: No activity is shown coming from out of the cemetery.
CAM00183: In front of the church could be read the sign which reads “We shall overcome this virus.” Several minutes of monitoring this camera would eventually show the conclusion of a church session.
A week had passed by, but the children could not resist the lure of lore. And the day they had returned proved to be a day they would not soon forget.
“I can't sleep,” said Pattie as the group sat at the backend of the church. “Oh, I can help you with that,” Kane replied, “all you have to do is go to a bed, lay down on it, and then close your eyes. You'll usually be asleep within thirty minutes.” “No, I mean I can fall asleep, but everytime I fall asleep I have a nightmare of that T.V. I run into the room and the T.V. is on and is making these scary sounds and there is only static on the screen.
Or is it called white noise?” “There was a T.V. there?” “Yeah, in one of those rooms. It's where I ran when everything was turning on. I only saw the screen for a moment, but I swear to God there was something in all that snow that T.V.s make when they're not working. I'm pretty sure it could have been a face or something. Like a face screaming in pain.” “The Corpsor?” “That's what I was thinking, but I don't know for sure.”
“That was seriously an IQ 20 move by us, we should have never gone in there,” Dam said. “Hey, I was asking around, and you guys remember Negro? Or Necro, whatever his name is?” “Yeah.” “Filbert told me that one of the guys Negro ate was Smith Wesson.
Negro tried to eat him, but vomited him back out because he tasted nasty, then Smith Wesson became this half-eaten undead gangster. He also told me Smith Wesson has a high threshold for pain, so he is basically unkillable.”
“You just reminded me of what Jessie told me about the hospital. She said there is a person in there named Don the Bleeder who is just as dangerous as Algor.” “Wait, why is he named 'the bleeder'? Is it because he bleeds easily or because he bleeds other people?”
“Jessie said it's both. He bleeds very easily so he has to kill people and drain their blood and put it into his body. He literally hangs people up upside-down and bleeds them to death. And get this, his blood type changes every midnight.” “Why?” “I don't know, but he can sense your blood type and one day he'll be a certain blood type and only chase 110 | TIMELESS
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certain people, and then another day he'll be a different blood type and chase other people. Some lucky people will be allowed to escape because he isn't their type, but then again there are days when he has the universal blood type and he chases everybody.”
“Well we already agreed that we aren't ever entering any other buildings except the Spookhouse and the church, so there's no need to worry about the bleeder unless we have to go in the hospital for some reason which we never will have to anyway,” Pattie said.
“Christy, why did you change your name?,” Gun asked looking at his cell phone.
“She wants to be known as 'Kristie' now,” Sara said with a grin. “Why?” “Don't worry about it,” Kristie replied.
Gun Ho, the joker as he was, got up and began sashaying, “Ooh look at me, I'm Kristie, I spell my name with a 'K' and an 'I', ooh lala,” Gun danced. Kristie picked up the nearest thing to her, which was her backpack, and threw it directly at Gun, but Gun was able to dodge the attack. And suddenly, a noise approached the group of seven.
As the noise became louder and louder, they became more and more frightened because it was a noise that moved. And what could be more frightening than a moving sound in a place that is supposed to be dead.
At this point, all the children were standing, foot positioned and ready to bolt, and finally after a long delay, the noise that moved was revealed to them; it was an old lady with an orange rolling grocery cart.
Adrenaline ran indiscriminately throughout all of their bodies when she turned and looked at them. “Lady Glabella,” Kane muttered underneath his breath, and soon all the children slowly began to walk backwards.
“Oh, hello!,” the old lady waved at them, rubbed her eyes, and then began to walk toward them with the grocery cart every step behind her of the way. “I've never seen you kids here before,” she remarked.
Though the thought of death and evil and all things darkness were on their minds, the old lady did not seem as if a threat as she walked gently toward them. But still, their feet walked backwards, and softly, Dave replied and asked, “Do you live here?”
“I've lived here all my life. Right over there,” the old lady pointed. The kids stopped and looked, and it was a building they recognized but never gave any matter of mind to.
“You live here alone?,” Kristie asked. “For about the last fifteen years, yes, I think. I'm sorry, my memory loses me,” the old lady answered. “Did you kids recently move here?”
“No, we just come here after-school,” Dave replied. The gathering of information continued on like this until the old lady knew all of their names, and finally, until they too knew her name, which was Florella. She even offered to bring them snacks when she saw their refrigerator. And soon enough, a concept began to form into their imaginative minds; the problem with the myth is that as soon as the real person dies, the mythos of 111 | TIMELESS
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the person is born and sometimes that is all that is left of that person, good or bad, and this same idea can be said of a place.
You expressed your reasoning and logic behind the idea of moving into his parents'
home permanently, but that discussion turned nasty very soon. It didn't take long for him to realize that there was indeed a fair amount of rationale to your argument. A moment later he came to compromise, telling you that you could pick any place to live and he would follow you there and pay whatever expenses need to be paid using the money earned from the sale of the home.
Sometime in the next week, just after noon, you finished washing half of the walls at the home. You ate lunch and then took a 1:45 bus to keep a scheduled appointment. You found the address of a home in candidency, which was one of many townhouses surrounded by acres of woods.
Looking around, you noticed that it was a very quiet area filled with nature, and soon the person renting the townhome invited you in.
You would be looking at the home on the left side. Inside it was spacious, having two bedrooms and one bathroom. A window in the kitchen, which was located toward the backside, had a view of the neighboring woods. You think about quiet evenings and crackling campfires at midnight.
The next appointment came after cleaning all of the carpet in the parents' home. You took a 2:30 bus to the general area and then walked into the large apartment complex which was registered under the name of “Kenway Villas.”
You tell the person showing the apartments that your name is Lynne and she guides you to a building which houses four families. You follow her up the stairs and then follow her into the apartment on the right.
Much like the townhome, it included two bedrooms and one bathroom, but somehow seemed less spacious. There was a deck just outside the backdoor from which when standing on, you could see a squared man-made river which squarely snaked around the entire community in ninety degree angles. You think about how calm the water is, and how its shine comes from the true Sun.
The next two appointments came after finding and cleaning all the uncleanable places in bathrooms and kitchens and basements, but you did not keep them for reasons following.
Walking toward the address of the next appointment, you realized that as you got closer to the home, you also got closer to a train station, and when the train bulleted through the area, you realized that this would not be a suitable living arrangement. The same could be said about the next appointment, for when you got to the address, you learned that the apartment was just atop a possible loud cafe.
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The next appointment came after having a discussion with the real estate agent who would be trying to sell the home. You were about to paint over the Daturian wall when he suggested not to, saying the artwork in that room could be a selling point.
You took a 4:15 bus to the address and then an elevator up to the 22nd floor of 30
total floors. There you met the woman who recently called you and was going to be showing you the apartment, and when you walked inside you were drawn to the city view of the living room window. Like the others, it included two rooms and one bathroom, and was somewhere in between in spaciousness. You looked out the living room window once more, remembering the past of your childhood and the constant moving.
282-0646: ...Do you think she knows?
499-0365: That I'm cheating on her with you?
282-0646: Yes.
499-0365: Melanie is a lot of things but she's not dumb.
282-0646: So is that a yes...
499-0365: I'm not sure, if she thought I was, she would have already confronted me.
282-0646: Or maybe she's gathering intel and evidence.
499-0365: PI?
282-0646: Who has the money for those nowadays...
499-0365: Well, anyway, where do you want to meet up next?
282-0646: The first place? At lunch?
499-0365: The motel?
282-0646: Indeed.
499-0365: That'll work.
282-0646: Since we got that out of the way, what do you want to talk about tonight?
499-0365: I've been dreaming about running away with you. Just leaving everything behind.
282-0646: Leaving Chad and running away with you is all I ever think about.
499-0365: Where do you go in your mind?
282-0646: What do you mean?
499-0365: Like where in the world?
282-0646: For me it's always Greece. I've always fantasized about escaping to Greece.
499-0365: Greece, I think we'd be very happy there together.
282-0646: Me too.
499-0365: I could write, you could paint, we would be so free.
282-0646: Listen, we've been talking about it for so long but we still haven't made 113 | TIMELESS
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any plans. When are we really going to do this? I love you and I am ready.
499-0365: I love you, too, but you know my situation is a bit more complicated because of the kids. Just give me a few more weeks.