Hi,
And thank you for taking the time to read this.
I have started getting routine shut downs where the power light remains on after and will not power back up unless I power off the back of the PSU and remove the cable.
I had thought it was related to the GPU and Valheim but it occured today as I was streaming a TV show online.
The issue started last week and has happened every time I have used the computer after extensive use (average 4 hrs).
I am getting reasonable temps and CPU usage is at a minumim, Ram seems to be ok although I am only monitoring everything from within HWiNFO.
I have used both Windows 10 and now Windows 11 following a compelte restart, along with all driver updates (Bios, GPU, etc.)
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
Further details below
(sorry if I am missing anything or if there is too much unessesary information and the format is off within the post).
All my parts are located here: https://pcpartpicker.com/useCDeeco88/saved/xQrzYJ Event Viewer states:

Log Name: System Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power Date: 31/03/2023 16:43:30 Event ID: 41 Task Category: (63) Level: Critical Keywords: (70368744177664),(2) User: SYSTEM Computer: ------------- Description: The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly. Event Xml:    41 9 1 63 0 0x8000400000000002  3282   System ---------    0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x0 0 0 0 16 false 1 2 false 0 2 false false 0 0 3

System information:

OS Name Microsoft Windows 11 Education Version 10.0.22621 Build 22621 OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation System Manufacturer Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. System Model B450M DS3H System Type x64-based PC System SKU Default string Processor AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Six-Core Processor, 3400 Mhz, 6 Core(s), 12 Logical Processor(s) BIOS Version/Date American Megatrends International, LLC. F64a, 09/02/2023 SMBIOS Version 3.3 Embedded Controller Version 255.255 BIOS Mode UEFI BaseBoard Manufacturer Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. BaseBoard Product B450M DS3H-CF BaseBoard Version Default string Platform Role Desktop Secure Boot State On PCR7 Configuration Elevation Required to View Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32 Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1 Locale United States Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "10.0.22621.1413" Time Zone GMT Summer Time Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 32.0 GB Total Physical Memory 31.9 GB Available Physical Memory 25.1 GB Total Virtual Memory 36.9 GB Available Virtual Memory 26.4 GB Page File Space 5.00 GB Page File C:\pagefile.sys Kernel DMA Protection Off Virtualisation-based security Not enabled Windows Defender Application Control policy Enforced Windows Defender Application Control user mode policy Off Device Encryption Support Elevation Required to View Hyper-V - VM Monitor Mode Extensions Yes Hyper-V - Second Level Address Translation Extensions Yes Hyper-V - Virtualisation Enabled in Firmware Yes Hyper-V - Data Execution Protection Yes

I'm familiar with the 'forced restart' for my iPhone 12 Pro Max, 512kb model. I see that's the proper term rather than 'hard reset'.....although 'hard reset' appears to mean 'factory reset'. So confusing.
1 -Quick volume up
2 -Quick volume down
3 - Hold power button down until phone shuts off and Apple logo appears

When I do that, why do all the apps that I have used still appear when I swipe up?
Is there a reset sequence that actually totally closes the apps and the placeholders (for lack of a better term)?

The word ladder comes up but their is no button prompt.

This is just a compilation of previous comments. [Part 1, 2, 3]

Tier	Fragrances
S	Thé Noir 29, Molecule 01
A	Lira, BdA, Pure Musc for Her, Remember Me, Cedrus, Infusion Cèdre
B	Café de Dua 2.0, Choco Violet, Versense, GFG, Coffee Break, Petit Matin, Musc Ravageur, Prada L'Homme, Whispers in the Library
C	Maui Fantasy
D, F	None

Britney Spears Maui Fantasy - a tropical fruity floral. Fresh, shampooey, inoffensive, great for daily use. [3/5]
Byredo Bal d’Afrique - also a love at first sniff. This is one of those sunshine in a bottle fragrances. To me, this is a woody, lemony (but not tart), fruity floral with a soapy dry down. There’s also some sweetness to it from the fruity notes. My only gripe is how this ridiculously underperforms on me considering the price. Signature-scent worthy here in the tropics. Idk if I’ll ever get a full bottle because I still have bottles of dupes. [4.75/5]
Chloé Cedrus - there’s something familiar about this, and it's not something I'd consider unique. Looking at the notes, I wasn’t surprised to strongly like this at first sniff: cardamom, sandalwood, vetiver, and moss blended well. This is sheer, skews feminine but dries down mossy and earthy, which I love. It's an easy reach, and it's summer weather signature scent worthy. I want a full bottle, but it’s not the easiest to source. So a bigger decant maybe. [4.5/5]
Dua Café de Dua 2.0 - sweet, buttery latte. Stronger than Al Rehab French Coffee. Whole day longevity and good projection. If you like to smell like café latte and café latte only, i.e., no flowers and no fruits compared to the likes of Black Opium, then this is a great option. It's full-bottle worthy, but I’d rather have this as a candle. [4/5]
Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 - Woody, musky. Fragrant cardboard? Couldn't smell this at first. The trick is to spray it away from your nose, move, and let the scent warm up and waft up to you. The way this is being described makes you think about The Emperors New Clothes, but it does have a smell! Thought about the layering possibilities so got a full bottle and a backup. [5/5]
Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur - This reminds me of the holidays and cooler weather. Cinnamon, vanilla, and cloves. There's an animalic note towards the dry down, and I think it's part of the charm. Not getting much of the cat pee thankfully. Some people find this sexy, I find it more comforting. [4/5]
Jovoy Remember Me - another love at first sniff. When someone asks for fragrances that smell like milk tea, this has been my answer. Opens with lemon, bergamot, tea, and cardamom notes. Gets creamier and sweeter over time. Very comforting. Almost a chai latte in a bottle. This has shades of By Kilian Princess, but RM is like a more laid-back second cousin. This has more cardamom while Princess is more fruity. Got a bigger decant for now, but I won’t hesitate to get a full bottle if I come across a great deal. [4.75/5]
Le Labo Thé Noir 29 - Black tea, vetiver, tobacco, fig, and hay masterfully blended together. Sometimes herbal, sometimes foresty. Not a whole-year scent. Sprayed this one summer morning and got a headache. There’s an occasional sharp and almost bitter accord here that kind of makes it seem unfriendly, but it’s part of its charm I guess. Above average projection and lasts the whole day. Already sprang for a full bottle. [5/5]
Maison Francis Kurkdijan Gentle Fluidity Gold - an airy, fresh spicy vanilla with some powdery touches. Vaguely reminds me of Montale Intense Café, but IC has more heft and definitely has more pronounced rose notes. Didn’t like this at first, but that airiness has kept it interesting and the scent overall has an elegant vibe. Would make a great vanilla fragrance for semiformal to formal afternoon events. Maybe I’ll get a bigger decant. [4.1/5]
Maison Francis Kurkdijan Petit Matin - White florals and citruses. Instant mood lifter. I find the full bottle too pricey for the scent profile, but it was worth the try. It's a contender for a signature summer fragrance. [3.75/5]
Maison Martin Margiela Replica Coffee Break - you’re sipping your latte inside a coffee shop. On the table beside you is a mason jar loosely filled with lavender stems. That’s pretty much the vibe. Projection is on the gentle side. Longevity is around 6 hours. IMO as for lavender vanillas scent-wise: this > Mon Guerlain EDP > YSL Libre > Mon Guerlain EDT. Not really missing it so no bigger decant for me for now. Also eyeing that dupe from Eternal. [3.8/5]
Maison Martin Margiela Replica Whispers in the Library - Projection is indeed more of a whisper than a shout. The spicy woody notes and cedar give off that old library vibe. Saw a comment somewhere that this is dark academia in a bottle, and I couldn't have worded it any better. It may not be the the best smelling or the most ground-breaking vanilla out there, but I like the mood this creates. Heard this is getting discontinued so got a 30ml. BUT it's back on the US website now ~~(which has an ongoing 20% off sale on some fragrances btw)~~ [4/5]
Mancera Choco Violet - The violet gives it this powdery accord. There was a fleeting hint of orange in the first few minutes. Mostly cacao with some nuttiness. Strong projection and good longevity (it’s Mancera after all). [4.25/5]
Prada Infusion d'Iris Cèdre - pretty much soapy but with a gentle woody twist. Starts with some mild citrus notes. Dries down powdery and slightly woody. This is clean and fresh and lasts the whole day, the last few hours being a skin scent. Got a bigger decant. Torn between this and Molecule 01+Iris, which is in the same ballpark, but the latter is simpler with only cedar + iris and projects less (but I love them both equally). [4.5/5]
Prada L'Homme - Soapy clean, powdery with a sweet and woody drydown. A crisp, white button down type of fragrance. Good projection during the first two hours. Marketed to men, but this shouldn't stop anyone from trying it. I'd probably get a bigger decant once I use up my other samples. [4.25/5]
Narciso Rodriguez Pure Musc for Her - this has been my constant recommendation for musk fragrances (and I’m not alone here -- note: 'here' as in the beautytalkph sub). Has a clean, just got off the shower vibe. Opening has a sharp floral note, but it goes away after a few minutes to make way for a comforting and clean musk. Wore this one humid morning, was sweating, and yet I still smelled fresh two trike rides later. It blooms in the heat. My favorite among the For Her flankers. Got a full bottle. [4.7/5]
Versace Versense - starts with a zingy citrus then becomes more floral, woody, and a little musky over time. Around 6 hours longevity. Not a dupe of Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche imo. Would've recommended this as an alternative to to D&G Light Blue if it wasn't discontinued. [3.9/5]
Xerjoff Lira - love at first sniff. Citrusy vanilla pound cake. Would’ve been S-tier in my book had it performed better. On the flip side, that means it’s more wearable in Philippine weather. Bigger decant for now. [4.8/5]

First of all its March 31st, so HAPPY TRANS VISIBILITY DAY!
Recently I have come to the conclusion that I am transgender. I made a post abt it in coming out. Now that post was pretty negative, I talked about how much I hated being transgender and that everything leading up to my realization made sense. I was, and still am afraid of hate that I will get for simply being who I am. Hopefully I get to a point where I can transition and just live my life, and I'm so glad I have this community now. My feelings on the matter have changed over the week and I feel much better now.
I AM A TRANSGENDER WOMAN! Everything I have felt my whole life now makes sense! I used to think as a kid that I would just grow out of wanting to be a girl. I didn't know I was trans then, but now it makes sense. AND I'm not the only one whos felt this way, there's a whole group of people who have felt the same as me! I cannot tell you how alone in this I feel sometimes, but knowing that others like me exist makes me feel better about myself. I hate that the trans community gets so much hate, and anytime 1 trans person does anything wrong, we're ALL labeled as crazy or even killers in some cases. When haters push our buttons and we eventually react, we're the crazy ones. It's so messed up and so backwards.
I used to kinda get what the right we're saying, but they too also take things out of context and LABEL a whole ass group of people based on 1 or two bad people who just so happen to be transgender. Most dont even want us to exist. Anything is only a big deal when someone is trans, otherwise nobody talks about it. I hate that nowadays trans people, a small percentage of the population, are all anyone wants to talk about. Both the far left and far right are guilty of this. I feel that their are more important things to talk about. Why is everyone making this such a big deal? I and other fellow trans people just wanna live our lives without all this attention from both sides. I am just another bi woman who wants to live a peaceful life, wants a career, wants a partner. I just so happen to be a trans woman. I was born male, but that doesn't dictate how I'm supposed to live my life and now I finally understand that.
I'm no longer mad that I'm trans it's just matter of fact. I am mad though that we get so much attention and lots of backlash because of it. I was just born this way, I'm in no way doing this for attention. People who say I am clearly don't know how much attention we get from haters. A visible trans person breathes and they get mad. Some people even criticize cisgender people as being trans bc their different than traditional feminine female and masculine male. Like bruh.
Anyways, I'm glad I found this community, I'm glad I've figured it out, and now I'm at peace with being transgender. Thank you all for your help and support ❤️

You have a large tile project to take on and you found the perfect team to handle it. The Steam Team of Austin. But before they start, you notice that the crew has donned some rather unusual attire: scrubs. Why are they wearing scrubs? Are they protecting their clothes from something?
The answer is yes, and it could be more important than you think. Wearing scrubs helps keep bacteria, dirt, and stains away from their everyday clothes so they're not taking home anything that's been exposed to their project. Some residue could linger in your tile project like colors bleeding or paint and grout setting making it a wise practice for The Steam Team of Austin to don scrubs while working on your project.
In this article, we'll explore why The Steam Team of Austin wears scrubs while cleaning your tile and other safety precautions they take to ensure your tile is pristine when the job is done. Let's get started!

Benefits of Wearing Scrubs for Cleaners

When it comes to cleaning tile, it's important to keep your uniform clean to protect yourself from stains and bacteria. Wearing scrubs while doing the job is the best way to go not only are they comfortable and functional, but they can also help you maintain a professional look.
Scrubs provide a barrier between your skin and any potentially hazardous chemicals you're using or coming into contact with during your work. They also prevent staining on your clothes, so you don't have to worry about carrying around a change of clothes with you all day.
Additionally, wearing scrubs creates an air of professionalism. Most people recognize that certain professionals wear scrubs, so it helps to create an image of expertise in the eyes of customers. Scrubs are also designed for easy movement and access to pockets, so you can easily store cleaning tools if needed a great time-saver!

Reasons to Rely on Professional Cleaners

You might not know that when you rely on professionals like The Steam Team of Austin, they come equipped with a knowledge and skill set that most don’t possess. Not only do they know how to clean tile and grout, but they also understand what type of cleaning solution or scrubber to use for the job.
The Steam Team of Austin is one such professional we recommend you trust. They cover their uniforms with scrubs while cleaning, and this is done for a reason.

Protecting Clothes

Not only do scrubs provide an extra layer of protection against staining when cleaning tile, but they also keep the cleaners' clothes free from bacteria. The material doesn’t absorb grease and grime as normal clothes do and it is easily washed with warm water and mild detergent before it has time to set into the fabric.

Professionalism

Scrubs are professional-looking which sets them apart from the typical t-shirt and shorts uniform many cleaners opt for. The uniform reinforces that The Steam Team of Austin is a team of professionals who can be trusted to work safely and quickly in your home or office.
If you need tile cleaning in Bellevue way or the surrounding areas, you can rest easy knowing The Steam Team Of Austin’s staff will complete their job professionally – right down to the last detail when it comes to protecting their uniforms from staining and bacteria while they work!

Keeping Uniforms Clean at the Steam Team of Austin

At the Steam Team of Austin, wearing the right uniform matters especially when it comes to keeping your clothes clean and protected from all the bacteria your job can involve. That’s why it’s standard practice to layer up with surgical scrubs.
Not only do scrubs look sharp and professional, but they are essential for keeping you sanitary while on site. A thick and tight weave prevents dirt, oils, and other materials from coming in contact with your clothing protecting them from any staining or bacteria. And not just any scrub will do disposable material is always preferable, as it’s easy to discard if contamination ever becomes a concern.
In addition, these scrubs make it easier to move around. The lightweight fabric is cooler than traditional workwear, which makes them even more comfortable in warm environments like a kitchen or bathroom.
So when you’re cleaning tile at the Steam Team of Austin or taking on any other job that might involve coming into contact with hazardous materials, reciting details like these can help maximize safety for yourself and others.

Types of Scrubs for Cleaners

You may be wondering what type of scrubs you should wear to protect your clothes from bacteria and staining from cleaning tile. The Steam Team of Austin recommends wearing disposable garments made from lightweight, breathable materials like polyester-cotton blends. These scrubs can be worn over clothing and thrown away at the end of the job.
There are also reusable scrubs, which may be more cost-effective for frequent cleaners. These are usually soft polyester-cotton fabrics treated with a germicidal solution and have pockets for quick access to tools and supplies. Reusable scrubs can be machine washed between uses, making them ideal for those who clean frequently or who prefer to invest in a garment that will last longer.
For those in the medical field, you may need specialized scrubs that offer protection from biohazards such as blood or bodily fluids. You should check with your employer to see what types of pants and jackets they require when cleaning tile before investing in any kind of scrub.
No matter which type of scrub you choose, make sure it's comfortable and fits properly so you can do your job safely and efficiently!

Conclusion

Cleaning tile can be a messy business, but scrubs keep you safe while you do it. Thanks to The Steam Team of Austin, you can wear professional-looking scrubs that not only protect your clothes from stains but also keep bacteria at bay.
Moreover, the brand ensures that you have a choice of colors and styles that fit both your body type and the job at hand. So if you're looking for a hassle-free way to stay clean and stylish on the job, you should consider investing in scrubs from The Steam Team of Austin. With the right tools and know-how, you can make sure your uniform is safe from staining and bacteria and you'll look great doing it.

More of a rant than anything. I just needed to get this off my chest.
I've been working as a server at a large, well-known restaurant chain in the US for almost two years (not for much longer). Around holidays last year, the scheduling app we use to request time off/vacations wasn't allowing us to put in holiday request time - we had to actually tell it to our GM, who makes the schedules.
I told him WEEKS in advance before the month of December that I was planning on driving up to Idaho for Christmas weekend to spend time with my family up there (I live in California). GM says sure, whatever, he'll get that time for me. Christmas rolls around - GM gives me 23-25th off....then has me down for a fucking 12 noon shift the next day. After Christmas. While I'm in snowy Idaho. Obviously I call off & tell my GM there's no way I'd be able to make it there even if I wanted to, short of just bouncing from my family on the morning of christmas & driving 12 hours straight through snowstorms. He's annoyed, but both of our hands are tied, and I think nothing of it.
That was DecembeJanuary. The workweek after that incident? My normal 5-6 days a week is reduced to just Friday/Saturday/Sunday. At first I didn't think anything of it; we were training new servers & I was able to pick up shifts here & there/doordash to supplement the cut. But come February...it's just Saturdays and Sundays. Since the beginning of February, I've worked two days a week.
What REALLY irks me is we have this "goals system" where servers who get the best reviews/royalty sign-ups/etc. get "priority scheduling" by management. In February, it was only me and one other server who met the month's goals; I still was only put on two days a week.
Which leads me to today, where my scheduling app notified me that my GM has now but me down to just 1 shift a week. One. The week of April 8th, I only work that saturday.
I don't know if he's being petty or vindictive that I called off after a holiday or what, but even if he was, that was HIS mistake. I'm quitting at the start of my shift on Saturday & leaving them out to dry.

30 seconds is longer than I want with the new pitch clock, but a full minute? Idk who thought this was a good idea, but it isn't. ROKU remotes don't hold up to lots of FF - they tend to get stuck if you do it too often, or you kill your batteries very quickly. Anyway, my suggestion would be a 15 second skip button. It'd be perfect for going straight from "catcher has ball" to "next pitch being delivered."

I always try to hide having mental problems. I’ve lived a very fucked up, unfair life (I’ve witnessed about any and everything)
2 weeks ago my friend asked me if I had any mental health issues because our other friend told her I was in the 7th floor a few times (she had to come get me, I didn’t drive then)
I told her I diagnosed with C-PTSD, major depressive, borderline personality disorder and generalized anxiety disorder along with a few other clusters. I’m currently in group therapy 3x a week and seek frequent help for. She told me I’ll be fine that she has PTSD and it’s way worse and more severe than C-PTSD. I didn’t really know what to say back. Caught me very off guard. I’m not open about my mental health for many many reason (I am seriously never okay. I cry in my sleep from trauma flash backs and faint from how hard I get worked up but I do my fucking best to hide this flaw and how beat down I am) I try to act as normal as possible because I never let me guard down with anyone and constantly paranoid what could be said. I just agreed with her while she went on to tell me about all her trauma. She also said what I have must be wrong because she doesn’t have flash backs so that she didn’t really understand why they told me that. It’s been 2 weeks and it’s still bothering me this was said. I feel invalided. I feel I’m a suck up.
I had to force myself to get out of the house in an attempt to have a good, normal time so I can just be normal and like everyone else and like always, fucking always somehow mental health ruined it for me. I feel invalid, I feel I’m a phony, I feel like every night I’ve woke myself up bawling, every time I’ve just stood there in a trance remembering a traumatic event, every time I’ve fainted, completely soaked my shirt from sweat, broke down, beat my head in for the thoughts to go away was for no reason because mine is easier and I’ll be okay that I just overreacted. I’m NEVER FUCKING OKAY!!!! It ended in me cutting again and now my 14 month free self harming has ended. I can’t tell anyone anyways. But I need it off my chest. Maybe I can breathe better now.

By the time I was sixteen Linda got my dad to send me off to what they thought was boarding school. In reality it was a compound where the Order of the Wren would begin training me so I could be a full-fledged member.
During this time D and I would talk on the phone a few times a week. Since the Order had me move around so often I had to be the one doing the calling. These conversations didn't last as long as I would have liked because there was no privacy in the hotel rooms we would frequently stay at.
By we, I mean the two experienced hunters I would have to learn from. Their names were Williams and King. Neither did much talking and I could tell they didn't like having me around. Not that I could blame them. I was inexperienced and they had better things to do than to hold my hand and explain things to me. That meant that when we had to go somewhere to slay some monstrosity, I would have to wait in the hotel we were staying at.
I was bored out of my mind most of the time when we were traveling the country but I would learn to love those dull moments soon enough.
Williams was alright even though he smelt like a chimney, but at least he was patient with me and kind. However, King was crazy, cynical and had an unhealthy obsession with explosives. I asked him about it once and he told me “In this line of work, some things are vulnerable to fire, monk root, silver and stuff, right? But in my experience nothing can survive when twenty pounds of homemade explosives go boom.”
The days passed slowly so I would kill time by sharpening rune covered blades that would hurt all sorts of monsters, making specialized ammo, documenting everything I thought was noteworthy so future generations of members could learn from us, reading, playing cards and waiting for Farsight to call.
I asked Williams about Farsight on a few occasions and he told me that they were high ranking members of the Order who essentially ran everything. Since they were a secretive bunch, who they were and how they knew where to send all the teams was a mystery.
Most people I spoke to said they thought the biggest clue on how Farsight operated was the history of the Order itself.
Learning about the Order was a top priority during my studies at the compound. The long and the short is: back in the day there were some nerds that saved a bunch of books and scrolls from a fire that was about to consume a library named after some guy named Alexander. Lots of these people died as a result of saving what they could and because of their sacrifice the Order knows how to dispose and kill monsters.
My studies were not limited to history either. Most of the time was spent doing military drills, however on a few occasions I got to try my hand at magic. That being said, magic welders are rare and I was not one of them.
The first time I ever saw any action we were waiting somewhere in Ohio when the phone rang.
King answered the phone, waited and responded with ‘yes’, ‘no’ and finally ‘understood’ before hanging up.
“What did they say?” asked Williams.
King sighed and shook his head. “We got a plane to catch,” King answered as he slapped his knees and stood up.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Alaska.”
“What's in Alaska?” Williams asked before I could.
“Farsight got wind of some town that went missing.”
“A town went missing?” I asked, pinching my eyebrows together in confusion.
“It happens,” King shrugged. “Roanoke, Waterway… Etcetera.”
“Waterway?” I asked. “Never heard of it.”
“That's because it disappeared,” Williams answered before turning to King. “Did Farsight tell you what was there?”
King gave him a look before returning to pack up his things. “Do they ever?”
Getting to our destination meant getting in three different single engine planes that all took off and landed on someone's field instead of an airport. Each of the planes were held together by duct tape and prayers. After that, we rode in a boat for an hour.
The island we were assigned to go to was small and covered with equal parts trees, brush and rocks. There weren't many houses and the nicest one of them was a doublewide trailer in poor condition.
“Where is everyone?” I asked as we made our way off the dock and onto land.
“I don't like this,” Williams added as he took out the HSD (Handheld Supernatural Detector. It sort of looked like half of a bike handle covered in copper wire, black electricians tape and at the end there are two antennas). “Nothing” Williams said after waving it around a little while.
“Keep it activated” King said, his shotgun at the ready as he led us through what passed as a town on this island.
“Maybe the signal is too weak” I suggested.
“Might be,” King responded. “Might not even be supernatural?”
“What else could it be?” I asked.
“Disease? Jobs disappearing” King answered.
“Doesn't look like there were lots of jobs here anyways” Williams pointed out, waving the HSD in different directions but not picking up anything. “Besides, Farsight isn't wrong about these things” he added as King led us to the first house and walked in.
“How many people lived here?” I asked.
“No more than thirty,” King answered.
We kept checking the houses, but time after time there were no clues to tell us what happened to the island's occupants. There were no signs of struggle, the clothes were still on the hangers and there was even food that sat around for so long that whatever it once was became mostly mold.
“So what's the plan?” I asked after reaching the last house before the forest started. I was hoping that they would say something that involved a hot shower. After the trip out here I felt that I could have used one.
Or two.
“It's going to get dark soon,” King answered, looking at the sunset. “And since we don't know what we are dealing with, we should find a place to stay for the night.”
“Where?” I asked.
“Churches are safer than most places” Williams suggested, pointing to a squat, square building.
The door was unlocked so we let ourselves in. The first thing King and Williams did was to see if we were alone. They checked the confessionals, the back office, the bathroom, under every pew and kept their eyes on the rafters.
King figured the safest part of the building was the back office, so we all went there. With the three of us it was cramped. I would have suggested staying in one of the houses, but it wouldn't have felt right sleeping in a strangers house when they were missing, besides, places of worship would provide safety. At least from some things.
On the desk that belonged to the priest was a newspaper and Williams picked it up to check the date. Something I would never have thought of doing, and saw that it was two months old.
“In a place like this, I wouldn't think they would get their news fresh off the press” King responded when Williams pointed this out.
“Still” Williams said. “That's a long time, even for way out here.”
When it came to claiming sleeping areas it was nearly impossible for all of us to be satisfied with the results. Not only was it crammed with all of us in the back office, but both men also suffered from night terrors.
By the time we all had our designated sleeping spots, Williams grumbled about being low on cigarettes and ordered me to run to the island's convenience store and “grab an armful.”
At first I protested, but they told me that since the island was abandoned it wasn't stealing.
It was my turn to grumble, but I did as I was told.
As I walked to the convenience store, I wondered how Farsight would react if they knew King and Williams sent me off by myself like this.
Pulling the door open to go inside, I was surprised to find that the store looked nearly the same as the one in Gray Hill. They had stuffed animals on the walls, pickled pig parts in glass jars, they even had the same off brand food items that I could never find anywhere other than home.
Excited, I raced to the cooler and found the same brand of ginger ale I loved so much. I sucked down one, feeling the carbonation reach up into my nose and burn like hell.
Once I loaded the rest of the bottles in my bag I went over to the counter and hopped over it to grab Williams his cigarettes.
After leaving the store I saw a truck parked out front of the church that wasn't there when I left. Feeling something was wrong I ducked behind a fence. Just in time too because a second later the door swung open and a group of people were dragging King and Williams to the truck.
The people seemed to be wearing the furs of all sorts of animals. From skunk to deer to bear and whatever else that lived on the island. At first I thought their faces were covered in dirt, however thanks to D’s alterations I could see that it was actually black rocks glistening in the dying light. Not only that but they were growing out of these people. One had a large piece coming straight up from behind his left collarbone, another had her face peppered with small rocks but the man who appeared to be their leader had one coming out of his eye socket.
King and Williams were shouting at the group, what they were saying I can’t repeat and if I cleaned it up it wouldn't be much of a sentence.
I stayed still and out of sight until the truck pulled away. Since I was only armed with the buck knife I kept on my belt at all times I wouldn’t be much help. Even less so if I was caught by whoever took the more experienced monster hunters.
As soon as the truck was out of sight I ran into the church to grab the weapons we brought with us. Both shotguns that were filled with special shells we made ourselves and our rune covered machetes.
Just as I was about to leave I remembered the backpack filled with explosives. When I scooped that up I took off in the direction I last saw the truck going.
I ran for about two miles before finally finding the truck which was parked in the middle of nowhere on the side of the road. Most of the journey was uphill, however thanks to what D did to me I had plenty of energy to spare.
It didn't take long for me to see that there were tracks that led into the woods and without thinking about it, I followed them. King and Williams needed my help.
The tracks were easy to follow considering there were six people plus King and Williams who were struggling with their abductors.
I had been tracking these people for fifteen or twenty minutes by the time I came across a rocky hill, and since rocks don't leave tracks, I thought I lost them. However, just then I saw a small cave entrance. Figuring that was where King and Williams were taken, I hustled up the hill to investigate, making sure I kept low and quiet.
When I got in the cave I thought my eyes would adjust, however it didn't. Inside was completely dark and there was no sound other than my own breathing and footfalls. I would come to learn later than caves are like that. Completely dark so even my eyes couldn't adjust and they muffle sounds.
After a short time of navigating down a narrow passageway by dragging my hand on the wall I saw a faint orange glow and slowly walked towards it, careful not to make any sound. As I drew closer, I heard a group of people chanting in a strange language that almost sounded like angry small dogs.
A few stalagmites and stalactites separated the passageway I was on from a large open area with small bonfires scattered around. The people who took King and Williams were circling a large black monolith that sat in the middle of the room and they seemed to be praying to it. To me the monolith resembled the rocks that grew out of the people.
“I’mma kill you” shouted a familiar voice about ten feet below where I stood. It was King. Both he and Williams had their hands tied behind them, around a rock. “Stem to stern, you hear that? You hear that?!”
As King was shouting, I figured I would have less of a chance at getting caught if I climbed down the steep cave wall instead of following the path. Thankfully I managed to get to them without making a sound that Kings yelling didn't muffle.
D made me a borderline superhero, and superheroes save people. So even though my heart was jumping out of my chest, that didn't stop me from doing what I had to do.
“Shh” I whispered to Williams as I put the handle of my knife in his still bound hand. “I’m leaving the bag of explosives behind you. The shotguns and your machete too.”
Williams didn't make a sound, but he nodded and started to cut the ropes.
King was still shouting to his abductors, masking my voice as I told Williams that I was going to buy them time by serving as a distraction.
Without waiting for a nod, I went back the way I came and started climbing. I was sure I was going to get caught when I caused a few rocks to fall, but then Williams started to yell, joining King to mask the sound.
After reaching the passageway I came from, I turned around to see Williams give me a slight nod. Then I shouted for everyone to hear.
“Your mom shaves her chest and you—”
I didn't get any further than that because the people hissed and ran towards me. Some climbed the wall I just did while others ran down the path I chose not to take in order to reach the two more experienced hunters.
Seeing how fast they were moving made me regret not thinking past this part of the plan.
I ran as fast as I could down the dark and narrow path I entered from. The entire time I could hear them behind me and I imagined that they were getting closer.
As soon as I got outside, it was dark and I made a split second decision to run to the coast. This would make it look like I was trying to get to a boat instead of buying the more experienced monster hunters some time. However every time I tried to head towards the beach a few of my pursuers would be in my way, forcing me to change course.
After what D did to me I was fast, not Olympic speed but it was safe to say I was faster than everyone I knew. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw that these people were keeping pace with me. If it was just one of them, I wouldn't have given it much thought, but all of them were. Even the fat and the old ones.
I tried coming up with answers that might help my chances if I had to fight these people, or should I say what these people became? The rocks gave them enhanced strength and speed, but other than that the clues I had were minimal. The rocks could have been anything from viral, extraterrestrial, interdimensional or even parasitic.
However it was safe to say that even if it was parasitic it was not demonic. If it was, the HSD would’ve picked it up.
If I knew what language these people were speaking, that would narrow the possibilities that much further.
I must have been running for about ten minutes before I realized three things at once. The first thing was these people were much faster than they were letting on and were just toying with me. The second was that I was being herded back to the cave and the third was that I was going to have to stop running and fight.
As soon as I stopped running, I pulled the machete out from its sheath and turned to face those who meant me harm.
They surrounded me like a pack of wolves, and like a pack of wolves they snapped their jaws and made sounds that reminded me of a group of angry tiny dogs barking. These people also attacked like wolves too because the ones behind me would be doing the attacking.
The first one tried to jump onto my shoulders but before she could wrap her arms and legs around me I quickly turned around and used her momentum to throw her into the others. Immediately another lept towards me and was met with a front kick, connecting right below the belly button.
That was when the third one, the one with the rock growing out of his eye, bit my hand.
I don't know who was more surprised, me because I was bit, or him because it cracked his teeth.
I recovered from the shock before he did and raised the machete up to cut off his head.
As I swung he lifted up his hand to block it. Even though I didn't take his head, I still managed to take his hand and half of his forearm.
If he felt pain he sure hid it well.
He swiped at me with his other hand and I leaned back to dodge it. He was fast though and managed to rake my cheek with his nails.
Before I could swing my weapon again, another jumped on my back and put me in a choke hold. The grip was tight and as I tried to free myself the others tackled me. Thankfully this loosened the grip around my neck. However I was on my back and the others were closing in.
I kicked one of my attackers in the knee so it broke and went backwards. This person didn't make a sound and I doubt they felt it.
One of them kicked me in the face and even though it didn't knock me out, it hurt like hell and made me see stars.
I swung my machete in a wide half circle, managing to open the belly of another.
That bought me some room but as I tried to stand up two more jumped on my back and took me to the ground. The rest all piled on top of me, snapping at me while growling and nipping at each other to get out of the way so they could get to me.
I really thought this was going to be how I was going to die, however just then all of them went limp and fell.
A fraction of a second later I heard an explosion coming from the cave.
As I layed there, in the bottom of the pile of bodies, it felt like my heart was going to explode. I was so close to dying, but I prevailed.
I won.
I let out a warcry that Otis would have been proud of and pushed the bodies off of me.
Standing up, I gave one of my attackers a kick for good measure. However it was like kicking a dried up hornets nest and the toe of my boot went right through. The only part that wasn’t brittle was the rocks that grew out of them.
Wiping my boots off in the grass, I heard shouting on the other side of the hill. As soon as I heard this I knew it was Williams and King and ran towards them, a large grin on my face.
“Hey” I yelled out happily when I saw them, but they didn’t seem to hear me and were yelling at each other. Not because they were angry, but because the explosion made them momentarily deaf.
“What?” King asked as he rubbed his ears.
“You’re an idiot,” Williams shouted.
“I can’t hear you,” King complained, pointing at his ears.
“Are you two okay?” I asked as I jogged closer to them.
Williams saw me in the corner of his eye and jumped. When he saw it was me a grin spread on his face. “Hey, you’re alive.”
“Of course I am.”
“What?” King shouted before turning around and seeing me.
“You saved us” Williams answered as he used his pinkie finger to rub deep in his ear.
“Damn,” King said as he took my chin in hand and turned my head to get a look at my face.
“It was nothing,” I answered.
With a closer inspection of my nose, King sucked air through his teeth. “Could've been worse, I guess.”
“It’s true what they said about you,” Williams yelled. “The Order is going to hear of this.”
“Hear of—-“ I started, nervously. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Wrong?” Williams asked loudly, his ears were still ringing.
“What are you saying?” King shouted.
“Did I do something wrong?” I asked, louder than before.
Williams and King looked at each other for a moment and there was a fleeting mischievous expression that came over their faces.
“Where's my cigarettes?” Williams asked sternly.
I didn't know what to say to this and stammered.
A smile grew on William's face and he walked past me. “Just playing with you, kid. Just playing with you.”
“You did good,” King said, placing his hand on my shoulder. “I think Farsight was right about you.”
“Right about me?” I asked. “What do you mean?”
King smiled. “You remember the first day of training?”
I nodded because dozens of kids jogged in formation for miles at five in the morning, sparring with blunt weapons, performing military drills, eating in the mess hall during mealtimes and sleeping in one of the bunkhouses that were hidden in the woods wasn't something I was likely to forget. “Why?”
“You remember that little test they gave you?”
I nodded. All of the questions involved how to dispose of one monster or another. Most of the monsters I never heard of, but as I filled the questionnaire out I remembered Otis’ wise words during my time mowing the lawn at Miss Luther's house: Gotta hit them with your bullets.
This was what I used to answer all the questions.
“Yeah, what about it?”
King squeezed my shoulder and his smile grew. “The Order was impressed and I don't know if I should tell you this or not, but… they think you're going to save the world.”
WAE

I always try to hide having mental problems. I’ve lived a very fucked up, unfair life (I’ve witnessed about any and everything)
2 weeks ago my friend asked me if I had any mental health issues because our other friend told her I was in the 7th floor a few times (she had to come get me, I didn’t drive then)
I told her I diagnosed with C-PTSD, major depressive, borderline personality disorder and generalized anxiety disorder along with a few other clusters. I’m currently in group therapy 3x a week and seek frequent help for. She told me I’ll be fine that she has PTSD and it’s way worse and more severe than C-PTSD. I didn’t really know what to say back. Caught me very off guard. I’m not open about my mental health for many many reason (I am seriously never okay. I cry in my sleep from trauma flash backs and faint from how hard I get worked up but I do my fucking best to hide this flaw and how beat down I am) I try to act as normal as possible because I never let me guard down with anyone and constantly paranoid what could be said. I just agreed with her while she went on to tell me about all her trauma. She also said what I have must be wrong because she doesn’t have flash backs so that she didn’t really understand why they told me that. It’s been 2 weeks and it’s still bothering me this was said. I feel invalided. I feel I’m a suck up.
I had to force myself to get out of the house in an attempt to have a good, normal time so I can just be normal and like everyone else and like always, fucking always somehow mental health ruined it for me. I feel invalid, I feel I’m a phony, I feel like every night I’ve woke myself up bawling, every time I’ve just stood there in a trance remembering a traumatic event, every time I’ve fainted, completely soaked my shirt from sweat, broke down, beat my head in for the thoughts to go away was for no reason because mine is easier and I’ll be okay that I just overreacted. I’m NEVER FUCKING OKAY!!!! It ended in me cutting again and now my 14 month free self harming has ended. I can’t tell anyone anyways. But I need it off my chest. Maybe I can breathe better now.

By the time I was sixteen Linda got my dad to send me off to what they thought was boarding school. In reality it was a compound where the Order of the Wren would begin training me so I could be a full-fledged member.
During this time D and I would talk on the phone a few times a week. Since the Order had me move around so often I had to be the one doing the calling. These conversations didn't last as long as I would have liked because there was no privacy in the hotel rooms we would frequently stay at.
By we, I mean the two experienced hunters I would have to learn from. Their names were Williams and King. Neither did much talking and I could tell they didn't like having me around. Not that I could blame them. I was inexperienced and they had better things to do than to hold my hand and explain things to me. That meant that when we had to go somewhere to slay some monstrosity, I would have to wait in the hotel we were staying at.
I was bored out of my mind most of the time when we were traveling the country but I would learn to love those dull moments soon enough.
Williams was alright even though he smelt like a chimney, but at least he was patient with me and kind. However, King was crazy, cynical and had an unhealthy obsession with explosives. I asked him about it once and he told me “In this line of work, some things are vulnerable to fire, monk root, silver and stuff, right? But in my experience nothing can survive when twenty pounds of homemade explosives go boom.”
The days passed slowly so I would kill time by sharpening rune covered blades that would hurt all sorts of monsters, making specialized ammo, documenting everything I thought was noteworthy so future generations of members could learn from us, reading, playing cards and waiting for Farsight to call.
I asked Williams about Farsight on a few occasions and he told me that they were high ranking members of the Order who essentially ran everything. Since they were a secretive bunch, who they were and how they knew where to send all the teams was a mystery.
Most people I spoke to said they thought the biggest clue on how Farsight operated was the history of the Order itself.
Learning about the Order was a top priority during my studies at the compound. The long and the short is: back in the day there were some nerds that saved a bunch of books and scrolls from a fire that was about to consume a library named after some guy named Alexander. Lots of these people died as a result of saving what they could and because of their sacrifice the Order knows how to dispose and kill monsters.
My studies were not limited to history either. Most of the time was spent doing military drills, however on a few occasions I got to try my hand at magic. That being said, magic welders are rare and I was not one of them.
The first time I ever saw any action we were waiting somewhere in Ohio when the phone rang.
King answered the phone, waited and responded with ‘yes’, ‘no’ and finally ‘understood’ before hanging up.
“What did they say?” asked Williams.
King sighed and shook his head. “We got a plane to catch,” King answered as he slapped his knees and stood up.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Alaska.”
“What's in Alaska?” Williams asked before I could.
“Farsight got wind of some town that went missing.”
“A town went missing?” I asked, pinching my eyebrows together in confusion.
“It happens,” King shrugged. “Roanoke, Waterway… Etcetera.”
“Waterway?” I asked. “Never heard of it.”
“That's because it disappeared,” Williams answered before turning to King. “Did Farsight tell you what was there?”
King gave him a look before returning to pack up his things. “Do they ever?”
Getting to our destination meant getting in three different single engine planes that all took off and landed on someone's field instead of an airport. Each of the planes were held together by duct tape and prayers. After that, we rode in a boat for an hour.
The island we were assigned to go to was small and covered with equal parts trees, brush and rocks. There weren't many houses and the nicest one of them was a doublewide trailer in poor condition.
“Where is everyone?” I asked as we made our way off the dock and onto land.
“I don't like this,” Williams added as he took out the HSD (Handheld Supernatural Detector. It sort of looked like half of a bike handle covered in copper wire, black electricians tape and at the end there are two antennas). “Nothing” Williams said after waving it around a little while.
“Keep it activated” King said, his shotgun at the ready as he led us through what passed as a town on this island.
“Maybe the signal is too weak” I suggested.
“Might be,” King responded. “Might not even be supernatural?”
“What else could it be?” I asked.
“Disease? Jobs disappearing” King answered.
“Doesn't look like there were lots of jobs here anyways” Williams pointed out, waving the HSD in different directions but not picking up anything. “Besides, Farsight isn't wrong about these things” he added as King led us to the first house and walked in.
“How many people lived here?” I asked.
“No more than thirty,” King answered.
We kept checking the houses, but time after time there were no clues to tell us what happened to the island's occupants. There were no signs of struggle, the clothes were still on the hangers and there was even food that sat around for so long that whatever it once was became mostly mold.
“So what's the plan?” I asked after reaching the last house before the forest started. I was hoping that they would say something that involved a hot shower. After the trip out here I felt that I could have used one.
Or two.
“It's going to get dark soon,” King answered, looking at the sunset. “And since we don't know what we are dealing with, we should find a place to stay for the night.”
“Where?” I asked.
“Churches are safer than most places” Williams suggested, pointing to a squat, square building.
The door was unlocked so we let ourselves in. The first thing King and Williams did was to see if we were alone. They checked the confessionals, the back office, the bathroom, under every pew and kept their eyes on the rafters.
King figured the safest part of the building was the back office, so we all went there. With the three of us it was cramped. I would have suggested staying in one of the houses, but it wouldn't have felt right sleeping in a strangers house when they were missing, besides, places of worship would provide safety. At least from some things.
On the desk that belonged to the priest was a newspaper and Williams picked it up to check the date. Something I would never have thought of doing, and saw that it was two months old.
“In a place like this, I wouldn't think they would get their news fresh off the press” King responded when Williams pointed this out.
“Still” Williams said. “That's a long time, even for way out here.”
When it came to claiming sleeping areas it was nearly impossible for all of us to be satisfied with the results. Not only was it crammed with all of us in the back office, but both men also suffered from night terrors.
By the time we all had our designated sleeping spots, Williams grumbled about being low on cigarettes and ordered me to run to the island's convenience store and “grab an armful.”
At first I protested, but they told me that since the island was abandoned it wasn't stealing.
It was my turn to grumble, but I did as I was told.
As I walked to the convenience store, I wondered how Farsight would react if they knew King and Williams sent me off by myself like this.
Pulling the door open to go inside, I was surprised to find that the store looked nearly the same as the one in Gray Hill. They had stuffed animals on the walls, pickled pig parts in glass jars, they even had the same off brand food items that I could never find anywhere other than home.
Excited, I raced to the cooler and found the same brand of ginger ale I loved so much. I sucked down one, feeling the carbonation reach up into my nose and burn like hell.
Once I loaded the rest of the bottles in my bag I went over to the counter and hopped over it to grab Williams his cigarettes.
After leaving the store I saw a truck parked out front of the church that wasn't there when I left. Feeling something was wrong I ducked behind a fence. Just in time too because a second later the door swung open and a group of people were dragging King and Williams to the truck.
The people seemed to be wearing the furs of all sorts of animals. From skunk to deer to bear and whatever else that lived on the island. At first I thought their faces were covered in dirt, however thanks to D’s alterations I could see that it was actually black rocks glistening in the dying light. Not only that but they were growing out of these people. One had a large piece coming straight up from behind his left collarbone, another had her face peppered with small rocks but the man who appeared to be their leader had one coming out of his eye socket.
King and Williams were shouting at the group, what they were saying I can’t repeat and if I cleaned it up it wouldn't be much of a sentence.
I stayed still and out of sight until the truck pulled away. Since I was only armed with the buck knife I kept on my belt at all times I wouldn’t be much help. Even less so if I was caught by whoever took the more experienced monster hunters.
As soon as the truck was out of sight I ran into the church to grab the weapons we brought with us. Both shotguns that were filled with special shells we made ourselves and our rune covered machetes.
Just as I was about to leave I remembered the backpack filled with explosives. When I scooped that up I took off in the direction I last saw the truck going.
I ran for about two miles before finally finding the truck which was parked in the middle of nowhere on the side of the road. Most of the journey was uphill, however thanks to what D did to me I had plenty of energy to spare.
It didn't take long for me to see that there were tracks that led into the woods and without thinking about it, I followed them. King and Williams needed my help.
The tracks were easy to follow considering there were six people plus King and Williams who were struggling with their abductors.
I had been tracking these people for fifteen or twenty minutes by the time I came across a rocky hill, and since rocks don't leave tracks, I thought I lost them. However, just then I saw a small cave entrance. Figuring that was where King and Williams were taken, I hustled up the hill to investigate, making sure I kept low and quiet.
When I got in the cave I thought my eyes would adjust, however it didn't. Inside was completely dark and there was no sound other than my own breathing and footfalls. I would come to learn later than caves are like that. Completely dark so even my eyes couldn't adjust and they muffle sounds.
After a short time of navigating down a narrow passageway by dragging my hand on the wall I saw a faint orange glow and slowly walked towards it, careful not to make any sound. As I drew closer, I heard a group of people chanting in a strange language that almost sounded like angry small dogs.
A few stalagmites and stalactites separated the passageway I was on from a large open area with small bonfires scattered around. The people who took King and Williams were circling a large black monolith that sat in the middle of the room and they seemed to be praying to it. To me the monolith resembled the rocks that grew out of the people.
“I’mma kill you” shouted a familiar voice about ten feet below where I stood. It was King. Both he and Williams had their hands tied behind them, around a rock. “Stem to stern, you hear that? You hear that?!”
As King was shouting, I figured I would have less of a chance at getting caught if I climbed down the steep cave wall instead of following the path. Thankfully I managed to get to them without making a sound that Kings yelling didn't muffle.
D made me a borderline superhero, and superheroes save people. So even though my heart was jumping out of my chest, that didn't stop me from doing what I had to do.
“Shh” I whispered to Williams as I put the handle of my knife in his still bound hand. “I’m leaving the bag of explosives behind you. The shotguns and your machete too.”
Williams didn't make a sound, but he nodded and started to cut the ropes.
King was still shouting to his abductors, masking my voice as I told Williams that I was going to buy them time by serving as a distraction.
Without waiting for a nod, I went back the way I came and started climbing. I was sure I was going to get caught when I caused a few rocks to fall, but then Williams started to yell, joining King to mask the sound.
After reaching the passageway I came from, I turned around to see Williams give me a slight nod. Then I shouted for everyone to hear.
“Your mom shaves her chest and you—”
I didn't get any further than that because the people hissed and ran towards me. Some climbed the wall I just did while others ran down the path I chose not to take in order to reach the two more experienced hunters.
Seeing how fast they were moving made me regret not thinking past this part of the plan.
I ran as fast as I could down the dark and narrow path I entered from. The entire time I could hear them behind me and I imagined that they were getting closer.
As soon as I got outside, it was dark and I made a split second decision to run to the coast. This would make it look like I was trying to get to a boat instead of buying the more experienced monster hunters some time. However every time I tried to head towards the beach a few of my pursuers would be in my way, forcing me to change course.
After what D did to me I was fast, not Olympic speed but it was safe to say I was faster than everyone I knew. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw that these people were keeping pace with me. If it was just one of them, I wouldn't have given it much thought, but all of them were. Even the fat and the old ones.
I tried coming up with answers that might help my chances if I had to fight these people, or should I say what these people became? The rocks gave them enhanced strength and speed, but other than that the clues I had were minimal. The rocks could have been anything from viral, extraterrestrial, interdimensional or even parasitic.
However it was safe to say that even if it was parasitic it was not demonic. If it was, the HSD would’ve picked it up.
If I knew what language these people were speaking, that would narrow the possibilities that much further.
I must have been running for about ten minutes before I realized three things at once. The first thing was these people were much faster than they were letting on and were just toying with me. The second was that I was being herded back to the cave and the third was that I was going to have to stop running and fight.
As soon as I stopped running, I pulled the machete out from its sheath and turned to face those who meant me harm.
They surrounded me like a pack of wolves, and like a pack of wolves they snapped their jaws and made sounds that reminded me of a group of angry tiny dogs barking. These people also attacked like wolves too because the ones behind me would be doing the attacking.
The first one tried to jump onto my shoulders but before she could wrap her arms and legs around me I quickly turned around and used her momentum to throw her into the others. Immediately another lept towards me and was met with a front kick, connecting right below the belly button.
That was when the third one, the one with the rock growing out of his eye, bit my hand.
I don't know who was more surprised, me because I was bit, or him because it cracked his teeth.
I recovered from the shock before he did and raised the machete up to cut off his head.
As I swung he lifted up his hand to block it. Even though I didn't take his head, I still managed to take his hand and half of his forearm.
If he felt pain he sure hid it well.
He swiped at me with his other hand and I leaned back to dodge it. He was fast though and managed to rake my cheek with his nails.
Before I could swing my weapon again, another jumped on my back and put me in a choke hold. The grip was tight and as I tried to free myself the others tackled me. Thankfully this loosened the grip around my neck. However I was on my back and the others were closing in.
I kicked one of my attackers in the knee so it broke and went backwards. This person didn't make a sound and I doubt they felt it.
One of them kicked me in the face and even though it didn't knock me out, it hurt like hell and made me see stars.
I swung my machete in a wide half circle, managing to open the belly of another.
That bought me some room but as I tried to stand up two more jumped on my back and took me to the ground. The rest all piled on top of me, snapping at me while growling and nipping at each other to get out of the way so they could get to me.
I really thought this was going to be how I was going to die, however just then all of them went limp and fell.
A fraction of a second later I heard an explosion coming from the cave.
As I layed there, in the bottom of the pile of bodies, it felt like my heart was going to explode. I was so close to dying, but I prevailed.
I won.
I let out a warcry that Otis would have been proud of and pushed the bodies off of me.
Standing up, I gave one of my attackers a kick for good measure. However it was like kicking a dried up hornets nest and the toe of my boot went right through. The only part that wasn’t brittle was the rocks that grew out of them.
Wiping my boots off in the grass, I heard shouting on the other side of the hill. As soon as I heard this I knew it was Williams and King and ran towards them, a large grin on my face.
“Hey” I yelled out happily when I saw them, but they didn’t seem to hear me and were yelling at each other. Not because they were angry, but because the explosion made them momentarily deaf.
“What?” King asked as he rubbed his ears.
“You’re an idiot,” Williams shouted.
“I can’t hear you,” King complained, pointing at his ears.
“Are you two okay?” I asked as I jogged closer to them.
Williams saw me in the corner of his eye and jumped. When he saw it was me a grin spread on his face. “Hey, you’re alive.”
“Of course I am.”
“What?” King shouted before turning around and seeing me.
“You saved us” Williams answered as he used his pinkie finger to rub deep in his ear.
“Damn,” King said as he took my chin in hand and turned my head to get a look at my face.
“It was nothing,” I answered.
With a closer inspection of my nose, King sucked air through his teeth. “Could've been worse, I guess.”
“It’s true what they said about you,” Williams yelled. “The Order is going to hear of this.”
“Hear of—-“ I started, nervously. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Wrong?” Williams asked loudly, his ears were still ringing.
“What are you saying?” King shouted.
“Did I do something wrong?” I asked, louder than before.
Williams and King looked at each other for a moment and there was a fleeting mischievous expression that came over their faces.
“Where's my cigarettes?” Williams asked sternly.
I didn't know what to say to this and stammered.
A smile grew on William's face and he walked past me. “Just playing with you, kid. Just playing with you.”
“You did good,” King said, placing his hand on my shoulder. “I think Farsight was right about you.”
“Right about me?” I asked. “What do you mean?”
King smiled. “You remember the first day of training?”
I nodded because dozens of kids jogged in formation for miles at five in the morning, sparring with blunt weapons, performing military drills, eating in the mess hall during mealtimes and sleeping in one of the bunkhouses that were hidden in the woods wasn't something I was likely to forget. “Why?”
“You remember that little test they gave you?”
I nodded. All of the questions involved how to dispose of one monster or another. Most of the monsters I never heard of, but as I filled the questionnaire out I remembered Otis’ wise words during my time mowing the lawn at Miss Luther's house: Gotta hit them with your bullets.
This was what I used to answer all the questions.
“Yeah, what about it?”
King squeezed my shoulder and his smile grew. “The Order was impressed and I don't know if I should tell you this or not, but… they think you're going to save the world.”
WAE

Hey Reddit,
First time poster here so let’s go! I live in Australia and saved up for months to go on a vacation with my parents to Switzerland. My ticket was $7000 and it took 32hrs of travel to get here. The plan was to visit my parent’s friends and go around Switzerland as tourists to see things we hadn’t before - which for me is the whole point of traveling. Despite having planned this trip 5 months ago, my father’s ‘best friend’ has left for a vacation to Spain for a week, while we’re here.
The wife who did not go to Spain made plans for me, without asking, to see people that I don’t know. I shared that I didn’t want to go along with those plans because I would be out on a day trip to a nearby town. Instead of contacting the people she made the plans with to cancel, she got pissed off, gave us their phone number and said that we had to call them despite knowing that our phones don’t work here because we’re visiting from Australia. We tried to contact them but couldn’t, so we found Wi-Fi and asked her again to cancel (on messenger). She got incredibly upset and said that she no longer wants to have anything to do with me because I am rude and ungrateful. I’ve gotta say the feeling is mutual right now but I feel awful because the whole thing has caused a lot of tension and what seems to be a rift between my parents and their friends.
To try and remove myself from the equation, I left the accommodation I was sharing with my parents and checked into a hotel in the next town over. I’ll admit that probably wasn’t the best move and it upset me doing it but I figured that if the friends don’t want to see me, I’d make that happen and go around Switzerland on my own until I go home in 10 days. For context, I’m 29 years old.

Trying to clear out some stuff I don’t use, and looking to possibly make some trades. OR TAKE IT ALL FOR $400 AND MAKE MY RANDOM STUFF INTO YOUR RANDOM STUFF
Timestamp
Slide is from my p365 and was originally coated to be a gift for my brother, who wanted a rifle instead. Host gun was purchased in 2019. Has seen approximately 500 rounds. This will be a complete slide, with all internals, barrel, and recoil assembly. Cerakote is battleworn red/black with the assassins creed logo on top. Figured I’d put it up for trade before just sending it for a cut. I’m looking for a 365/x/XL complete slide with factory optic cut. Can add cash if you have a threaded barrel. I strongly prefer Sig brand/factory. TV: $275 SV: $250 video
Sig P226 15 round mags, USA made, stamped Sig brand. 2 for $70 pic
Leupold PRW2 34mm medium height rings. SV: $55 pics
Centerpoint 4-16 x 40mm with red/green illumination scope. Battery is replaced new. Glass could use a cleaning. Was mounted on my .17 hmr. SV: $40 pics
CVLife 2.5 - 10 scope with push button laser and illumination. SV: $20 pics
SOG Sogfari machete with sheathe. Never used. SV: $35 pics
Arisaka momentary tailcap. Came off my 300. SV: $27 pics
Magpul polymer 5 slot Mlok pic rail. SV: $9 pic
Some old school Choate PMag connectors/mag couplers. They fit standard 30 round 5.56 pmags. They may also work with steel mags but I don’t have any way to verify. These things range from salty with lots of surface rust, to barely any surface corrosion at all, but still salty They are steel with polymer cores and I have 3 of them, 1 still with the factory bags and instructions. SV: $12 for all 3 pics
Glock 48/43/X IWB adjustable Kydex holster with foam wedge. Also comes with additional cut to size foam wedges as well as an alternative clip. SV: $25 pics
Uncle mikes left hand size 15 soft holster. SV: $9 pics
Sig MPX OEM charging handle. Salty. SV: $18 pics
Bianchi Competition buckleless belt, says 1.5” but I measure it to be 1.75”. Size 34-40, hook and loop, inner and outer belt. Inner belt has wear, but outer belt was hardly used. SV: $27 pics
Bianchi 7200 duty belt, 2.25”. Size 34-40”, hook and loop. Inner and outer belt. Both have wear but still functions well. Buckle locks up tight. SV: $30 pics
Open to some trades, looking for a cheap Romeo 5, TLR7A. I would greatly prefer trading the p365 slide, but willing to sell.
PPFF, CONUS. Will ship USPS, discounts for bundles. Please PM, I don’t get chats. More pics upon request.

Selling a bunch of old clothes I don't wear anymore (mostly Uniqlo and J. Crew). Sizes range from S to L. Would prefer to sell in bulk. Add shipping and 4% for G&S.

T-shirts $6 each
Long sleeve shirts/sweatshirts $10 each
Button down/up shirts and polos $10 for polos and $20 for button up/down shirts (for some reason my local dry cleaner wrote my name on the inside of some of the shirts but they should fade away as seen in some of the pics. here are approximate measurements for the J. Crew shirts:
length: 24.5"
pit-to-pit: 19"
sleeve length: 35.5"
closest sizing would probably be an XS in the body but M-L in the sleeves which you can probably get shortened by a tailor)
Outerwear $24 for H&M bomber, $63 for Patagonia Retro-X fleece, $36 for Uniqlo +J reversible vest
Bottoms $15 each
Sweaters $15 each

See my post other post on outliermarket for more things I'm selling

I've been having a blast watching the Donny Buttons "Reunion" series on the Smosh main channel. I’ve seen a few people suggest this idea already, but I think a great theme for a reunion would be the Powerpuff Girls!
It’s a popular franchise that Smosh’s audience of millennials and zoomers grew up with. If I were casting this reunion, these are the roles I think would work best.
Courtney as Blossom
Angela as Buttercup
Olivia as Bubbles
Shayne as Professor Utonium
Damien as the Townsville Mayor
Amanda as Ms. Bellum
Similar to the other reunions, this could be about the characters being older and estranged after the original show. For example, the girls no longer fight crime, haven’t spoken to each other in years and potentially have since used their powers for nefarious/selfish purposes. Professor Utonium experimented with more chemicals and basically became Walter White, the Townsville mayor turned out to be a crooked politician, etc.
There are many contentious topics that Donny could bring up and poke fun at: the 2016 reboot, the failed CW pilot currently in development hell, Ms Bellum never having her face shown, the girls originally being called the “Whoopass Girls.” There’s plenty of ground that can be covered.
The cast I listed is already pretty large, but there’s also opportunity for one of the villains to appear (Mojo Jojo, HIM, Fuzzy Lumpkins) or even the Rowdyruff Boys.
I’m curious to hear what other Smosh fans think!

Originally from 2007, on another now defunct forum. Searched the subreddit, and the last time I saw it posted (well, a link to it) was a decade ago, so many of you might not have encountered it or be aware that it existed in the first place. It was written by a survivor of the war in Sarjevo, they shared it with the world, now I share it with you.
100 Items to Disappear First
Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy...target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
Water Filters/Purifiers
Portable Toilets
Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 - 12 months to become dried, for home uses.
Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar
Rice - Beans - Wheat
Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly) Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY - note - food grade if for drinking.
Mini Heater head (Propane) (Without this item, propane won't heat a room.)
Grain Grinder (Non-electric)
Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.
Survival Guide Book.
Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
Vitamins
Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)
Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
Coleman's Pump Repair Kit
Tuna Fish (in oil)
Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
First aid kits
Batteries (all sizes...buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
Flour, yeast & salt
Matches. {"Strike Anywhere" preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
Writing papepads/pencils, solar calculators
Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)
Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, "No. 76 Dietz" Lanterns
Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)
Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting - if with wheels)
Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
Fishing supplies/tools
Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
Duct Tape
Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
Candles
Laundry Detergent (liquid)
Backpacks, Duffel Bags
Garden tools & supplies
Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
Bicycles...Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
Board Games, Cards, Dice
d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase
Reading glasses
Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
"Survival-in-a-Can"
Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
Lumber (all types)
Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
Cots & Inflatable mattress's
Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
Lantern Hangers
Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts
Teas
Coffee
Cigarettes
Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
Paraffin wax
Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
Chewing gum/candies
Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
Goats/chickens
From a Sarajevo War Survivor: Experiencing horrible things that can happen in a war - death of parents and friends, hunger and malnutrition, endless freezing cold, fear, sniper attacks.
Stockpiling helps. but you never no how long trouble will last, so locate near renewable food sources. Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden. After awhile, even gold can lose its luster. But there is no luxury in war quite like toilet paper. Its surplus value is greater than gold's. If you had to go without one utility, lose electricity - it's the easiest to do without (unless you're in a very nice climate with no need for heat.) Canned foods are awesome, especially if their contents are tasty without heating. One of the best things to stockpile is canned gravy - it makes a lot of the dry unappetizing things you find to eat in war somewhat edible. Only needs enough heat to "warm", not to cook. It's cheap too, especially if you buy it in bulk. Bring some books - escapist ones like romance or mysteries become more valuable as the war continues. Sure, it's great to have a lot of survival guides, but you'll figure most of that out on your own anyway - trust me, you'll have a lot of time on your hands. The feeling that you're human can fade pretty fast. I can't tell you how many people I knew who would have traded a much needed meal for just a little bit of toothpaste, rouge, soap or cologne. Not much point in fighting if you have to lose your humanity. These things are morale-builders like nothing else. Slow burning candles and matches, matches, matches

Christmas vacation button up shirt

All things Trashy!

Benefits of Wearing Scrubs for Cleaners

Reasons to Rely on Professional Cleaners

Keeping Uniforms Clean at the Steam Team of Austin

Types of Scrubs for Cleaners

Conclusion