I am a Japanese American and I am confused with some social etiquettes in Japan.
I recently went to Japan for a quick vacation. I have been there a few times but still have confusions about social etiquettes especially when it comes to dating. There were many moments when I would catch eyes with women walking by or would catch them looking in my direction. In the US, I feel like that would often be a cue to start a conversation or to introduce myself. It seems like it's very common for Japanese people to just keep to themselves, so I did not want to make any assumptions.
I am also wondering how Japanese people tend to make new friends or meet new people since it seems like so many people just keep to themselves? I am a pretty outgoing person in the US, but Japanese etiquettes still feel foreign to me.

I'm 13 year old boy from Portugal, in my dream, I had this pencil sharpener, he was odd, he had life,he communicated trought mind and I talked to him by a calculator, let me explain: if I wanted to talk Lucca (btw my name) I would have to press 10334 beacause its similar to the letters by view. The pencil sharpener was super jealous, I couldn't say that he was just a pencil sharpener, he had this feminine voice of terror I couldn't be with other sharpeners, and while she was sleeping, me and my friend (that I didnt knew in real life, just a random guy from the dream) were trying to kill or hide the sharpener somewhere beacause of her jealousy (she tried to protect me from evrything, like in a relationship) and all of a sudden she was gone, disappeared, And the sharpener said: "I can't trust you, you tried to kill me" all mentally. So I gaslight her to come back and I tried really to destroy it. He just opened a smal portal, the size of herself and disappeared there. I'm christian so I decided to ask Jesus for help, I was not able to say Jesus or God, or ask help from the bible. And the portal catched me, and I was teleported to a grey, black and white world in a apartment and there we could look in to the broken window a land that we could see the sun going down, there was people with me screaming in pain, and a voice from them said: -This world is infinite and gray you need to be careful with memory loss, and the urge to comit suicide, if you forget to much he will kill you and I replied: -"How can we escape?" The same voice: -"I dont know, Im dying (vomit sound) Someone or something was holding me back from saying positive stuff, as I looked at the gray sun going down some creature was killing the people in the room, and I said: -In bible jesus said...... Boom I could open my eyes in real life but I just saw my bedroom's roof, I was in real life, but when I close my eyes again I was in another place, pitch gray black and white and a lot and really foggy.I was at a place in my school, There was a guy eating besides me and a guy with child's clothe was bullying the guy besides me and as the guy leaves we can hear him touture an killing someone really quickly, and the dead body dropped a ball with "run" written on it.The guy beside my started running around the building and in my prespective the killer was trying to catch him by running into him, but i faked runned in a way and sit were I was pretending dead but the killer revealed being a demon and he goes on my trying to kill me when that guy appeared and sacrificed himself, as I saw that I understood that the demon was controlling that dimension and time, so he glitches the time and I don't understand that, so I shouted with much difficulty "Jesus help...." And I woke up again and started writting this. This is all real my name is Lucca and its 9:23 (Lisbon) 2/6/23

since i can remember my biological father was abusive and narcissistic, he hid behind his religion to act as if he was a pious man. he would use emotional blackmail when ever I didn't meet his standards. he would use it in the form of deals without empathy regarding the person and the situations they were in. example, my grandmother died and he wanted me to go to the college he chose and do the classes he wanted me to do, (i wanted to be a Detective for SVU so i could help catch monsters, and actually before that i had many ambitions he would put down and disregard) he would try rewriting history with any new person in his life as if he never beat or cheated on my mother. there is a lot of messed up and detestable things he has done causing my mother, grandmother, aunt, grandfather and myself to have trauma.

1. tried to forcefully keep my mother and me by showing up with a gun at my grandparents, police had to be called and there are reports that we have copies of, I was only a year old at the time.

2.he had lost custody of me when i was 5, due to over whelming evidence of his wrong doings but before that still had joint custody. so when i was living with my grandparents (between16-21 for more personal reasons). I wasn't wanting to talk with him or do as i was told, he used the old custody paperwork to get the cops to forcefully take me from my grandparents ( i was lucky i had been out with friends) but my grandmother who had tried being on his side until the bitter end was brutalized by cops when she approached him and asked him "why not find a better way? Why do this?" he claimed that she had his him hard enough to cause damage to his face but there was nothing wrong with him. for almost a year my grandmother didn't remember who any of us was because of the cop and him. it was the hardest time for our family. he lost his case when he kept trying to take me. my aunt put a restraining order on him to keep him away from me but it didn't last.
those are just two of the many things he had done or caused.
his mother, i loved her unconditionally until now. i never realized how she used my love for her to manipulate me into feeling like i had no choice but to keep him in my life. (don't get me wrong i tried as i was growing up to cute ties with him but the adults at the time would say "that's your father" "get to know him to make your choice" just cause they didn't want him or myself to think they kept us from each other not realizing I was already aware of what he was truly like. that i was saying i didn't want to see him because i meant it. But my grandmother, his mother made me make a promise that i would let him have a chance to be in my life and possibly be a good grandfather someday.. she died a few weeks later and i had held onto that promise out of obligation for her like a idiot .
over and over i was treated like a possession in the most passive aggressive ways. he tries to force his religion down my throat and then expects me to smile. he would send letters/Emails and contradict himself a lot, I thought I was losing my mind reading all of them over the years. Because he would talk about loving me and being proud and then immediately talk shit in a formal way. Then spent any and all response letters not addressing me and just going “let’s agree to disagree, I love you although you’re gonna go to hell for not listening to me” when ever i stood my ground and would confront him.
his most resent Emails were enough, i finally reached my breaking point and the out come of me standing up for myself was the same so i sent him one last Email in response and blocked him from everything i had him on.
i don't want his ideology poisoning my son, who is only 4years old. i don't want my son seeing his mother being treated as if she was a possession or had no right to boundaries or autonomy. i don't want to be involved with someone who is a source of pain and trauma anymore. i don't care anymore if this is something my grandmother wouldn't forgive me for or would turn over in her grave for. i just want to have a healthy and happy life with my family. the real dad who raised me with true love and respect though i wasn't his blood, being seen as my sons true grandfather on my side, as a male figure to look up to, and as a healthy guide for what a father daughter relationship should be, incase my son has a daughters of his own one day.
and if my toxic bio father ever finds this....GET SOME THEROPY, TALKING ABOUT HOW WONDERFUL AND LOVING YOU ARE AND THAT DOING AS YOU PLEASE AND SAYING AS YOU PLEASE TO YOUR CHILDREN IS YOUR RIGHT EVEN THOUGH YOU DIDN'T RAISE ANY OF US DUE TO YOUR OWN ACTIONS. STOP BEING DELULU. YOU NARCISSISTIC CHERRY PICKING RELIGIOUS PSYCHO!

Was a topic that evolved into a pretty fun conversation in a couple discords I'm in and wanted to know what everyone here would think how a conflict would go with pros and cons of both factions.
Empire can be either Legends or Canon continuity.

Hey you! Yes you, the one reading this message. I hope you like this message and here is a bit of information about me:
Who the hell I am?
​

• Healthcare assistant for learning dissabilities, my sleep schedule is variable, my work shifts are from 7 to 12 hours, either day or night.
• Future Graphic Designer (In a long future), I love it and I'm taking it as hobby right now. In love with art and every day learning a little more about it.
• Music lover. I listen to almost any genre. I am ready to find the music that is missing in my life and that I want to play every day.
• I'm a bit at a gamer, but I'm not obsessed with it. Lately I'm mostly playing on Nintendo Switch
• I love movies, we can talk about many films. My favorite movies are The Godfather (both the first and the second one), Interestellar, The Green Knight, Grand Hotel Budapest, Before Sunrise and Princess Mononoke ( I have more haha)
• My family says I'm special. I don't know if they say it in a good way or a bad way, but I'm happy with it.
• I Iove reading, it allows me to experience and live many different lives. My favorite book is Name of the Wind.
• Extension of the previous point: Basically I read any book that catches me interest. (Fantasy, fiction, poetry, etc.)
• I love learning new things, exploring new ideas and figuring out how everything works in detail.
• I'm learning to draw (Right now I really suck) and taking up writing again.
• Future writer of a book that I don't even know what it will be about, maybe written in prose? maybe in verse?
• I'm a bit introvert, but once I feel confidence, you won't even notice it.
• I don't mind exchanging pictures if we both want to do it.
• If you wish I can make a powerpoint presentation about me. I do not promise that it will be serious

​
​
Have you decided to talk to me yet? Maybe these opinions will help you
He is a really handsome boy - My grandmother
My brother is special and crazy, don't talk to him. - My brother
I want to make him mine, break up after a few months and write a song about him. – Taylor Swift
I wanted him as my padawan, but they imposed Anakin Skywalker on me and you know how it ended. - Obi Wan Kenobi
He was going to be the model I used for my sculpture David, but he's neither as handsome nor as strong. - Michelangelo
I was about to hire him to play Sebastian in La La Land, but he can't sing well or play the piano, Emma Stone preferred him to Ryan Gosling. - Damien Chazelle (La la land's Director)
I turned down Ted Mosby for so many years because I waited for him, he never came and in the end I had to stay with Mosby. - Robin Scherbatsky
I'd like to see him die in one of my movies - Quentin Tarantino
He has a good musical taste and at least he does not put the music to full volume - My neighbor
If you think we can get along, do not hesitate to send me a message or a chat invitation, you are pretty welcome. The chatting app that I use most now is Discord, but I can use any other app if you prefer or just chat on reddit. Please include some information about yourself in your message. If you're not sure how to break the ice, ~throw a iceberg at me~ include an interesting question you've been thinking about lately, a song you love or any interesting thing, if you can't think about a question, this is my question for you, What would be the last song you would listen to if you knew today was your last day on earth?

So I put into ChatGPT and Bing AI: Write a beginning to a story based on Metal Gear Solid, with Solid Snake sneaking into Shadow Moses.
Let me know which one you prefer! 😂
ChatGPT:
Deep within the icy wilderness of Alaska, a clandestine facility known as Shadow Moses stood as a testament to secrecy and intrigue. Its towering walls and impenetrable defenses concealed the dark secrets harbored within its confines. And on this fateful night, a legendary operative known as Solid Snake prepared to infiltrate the heart of this enigmatic fortress.
With the moon veiled behind a thick layer of clouds, casting an eerie glow on the snow-covered landscape, Snake made his approach. His footsteps muffled by the dense accumulation of winter's embrace, he navigated the treacherous terrain with precision and stealth. His mission: to uncover a conspiracy that threatened not only the world but his very existence.
As Snake neared the perimeter, his senses heightened. The frigid wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it an ominous foreboding. His keen eyes surveyed the barbed wire fences, motion sensors, and armed guards that stood as obstacles to his objective. But Snake was no ordinary soldier. Trained in the art of infiltration, he was the epitome of a lone wolf, accustomed to facing insurmountable odds.
Drawing upon his arsenal of skills and experience, Snake meticulously disabled the security measures one by one, leaving no trace of his presence. Each calculated step brought him closer to the heart of Shadow Moses, where answers awaited him—answers that would shatter his perceptions and ignite a battle for survival against an unimaginable threat.
As the biting cold gnawed at his bones and his breath crystallized in the frigid air, Solid Snake embraced the solitary path he had chosen. Unwavering in his determination, he knew the risks that lay ahead. The line between hero and villain, truth and deception, would blur within those steel walls. But Snake was prepared to navigate the shadows, confront the demons of his past, and emerge victorious against all odds.
The stage was set for a battle that would not only shape Snake's destiny but determine the fate of the world. With each stealthy footstep, he disappeared further into the darkness, ready to face the trials that awaited him within the enigmatic labyrinth of Shadow Moses.
Bing AI:
The night was cold and dark as Solid Snake approached the island of shadow moses in a stealth submarine. He had been briefed by his former commander, Roy Campbell, that a rogue unit of genetically enhanced soldiers called FOXHOUND had seized control of a nuclear weapons disposal facility on the island and threatened to launch a nuclear strike if their demands were not met. Snake’s mission was to infiltrate the base, rescue the hostages, and stop the launch.
He checked his equipment and weapons: a tranquilizer gun, a combat knife, a pair of binoculars, a codec radio, and a pack of cigarettes. He also wore a special suit that could blend in with the environment and mask his body heat. He was ready for anything.
He surfaced near the shore and climbed out of the submarine. He contacted Campbell via codec.
“Snake, this is Campbell. Can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear. What’s the situation?”
“Snake, you’ll have two mission objectives. First, you’re to rescue DARPA Chief Donald Anderson and the president of ArmsTech, Kenneth Baker. Both are being held as hostages.”
“Where are they?”
“According to the intelligence we’ve received, they’re probably being held in the second floor basement of the nuclear warhead storage building.”
“And the second objective?”
“Snake, it’s a nuclear weapon. It’s called Metal Gear.”
“Metal Gear?”
“It’s a bipedal tank that can launch a nuclear missile from any terrain. It can walk on land, swim in water, and even fly in the air. It’s the ultimate weapon of mass destruction.”
“And FOXHOUND has it?”
“That’s right. They’re planning to use it to blackmail the world. You have to stop them before they launch it.”
“How do I do that?”
“That’s what you’re here to find out. Snake, you’re the only one who can do this. You’re a legend in the special forces. A hero.”
“I’m no hero. Never was. Never will be.”
“Just an old killer hired to do some wet work.”
“Snake, that’s not true. You saved the world from a nuclear war two years ago. You’re a hero to me and to everyone in this unit.”
“Whatever. Let’s get this over with.”
“Snake, be careful. You’re not going in alone. You’ll be supported by a team of specialists via codec. They’ll give you advice and information on your mission. Use this frequency to contact me: 140.85.”
“Got it.”
“Good luck, Snake.”
Snake ended the call and looked at the island. He saw a helipad, a guard tower, and a snowfield. He decided to head for the helipad first. He moved quietly and cautiously, avoiding the searchlights and the patrolling guards. He reached the helipad and hid behind a crate. He saw a large cargo plane parked on the pad. He wondered what it was carrying.
He heard a voice from his codec.
“Snake, this is Mei Ling. I’m your data analyst and save support. I’ll be monitoring your vital signs and recording your mission data. If you want to save, call me on this frequency: 140.96.”
“Thanks, Mei Ling.”
“Snake, I also have something to tell you. There’s a radar on the upper right corner of your soliton radar screen. It shows enemy positions and their field of vision. Be careful, if you’re spotted by the enemy, the radar will be jammed and you’ll have to fight your way out.”
“I see. Thanks for the tip.”
“Snake, one more thing. Don’t kill any of the guards if you can help it. They’re not your enemies. They’re just doing their job.”
“I know that. But sometimes it’s kill or be killed.”
“I understand, Snake. But remember, this is a sneaking mission. The more noise you make, the more trouble you’ll have.”
“I got it, Mei Ling.”
Snake hung up and looked around. He saw a vent on the wall near the plane. He decided to crawl inside and see where it led.
😂

Welcome to the /pokemontrades Weekly Casual Trade Thread!

This thread is for competitive/casual trades, and tradebacks, in the older games this subreddit supports: Pokémon HOME, Sword/Shield, Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, Pokemon Legend: Arceus, Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee, Sun/Moon, Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon, X/Y and ORAS.
Do not trade, or tradeback, shiny or event Pokémon or serial codes in this thread.
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I had my little girl on 1/6 at exactly 38 weeks. I was scheduled to be induced at 39 weeks at a hospital an hour away. There are plenty of closer hospitals, but I chose this one because I was high risk and they had excellent perinatologists and a level 4 NICU.
It was just about 1am and I hadn't gone to sleep yet when my belly started to feel mildly crampy. About ten minutes later, as I was thinking this could be early labor (I was induced with my son, so I didn't really know what going into labor naturally was like), my water broke. I immediately woke my husband, telling him what happened and that we had to go. We still had some last minute things to throw together and I thought we would have a little time since I hadn't even been in labor all that long yet. (I labored with my son for 6 hours before pushing for 3.5 hours)
We probably actually got on the road by about 1:45am, at which point my contractions were getting pretty bad, but I honestly thought maybe I was being a baby about it because I hadn't been in labor long and I had anticipated getting an epidural as soon as I needed it, as I had done with my son. Once we got about 30 or so minutes down the freeway, my contractions were absolutely horrible and coming every 30-60 seconds or so, we obviously realized we were not going to make it to my intended hospital so while my husband drove, my mom searched for the closest hospital which was about 15 more minutes away.
We pull up to this small hospital in a pretty major city. It turns out that this hospital was so small, they were an ER only (once inside, you could basically see the entire ER from right there), meaning they had no maternity ward of any kind, not even an OB on staff (which we didn't know until we were settled inside). A nurse comes out to wheel me in and as soon as I get in there, I'm like "can I get that epidural now?" She said "here's the thing... we don't have anyone here to give you one." My heart just dropped lol. I had my heart so set on getting an epidural that I honestly did not really prepare for the possibility of not being able to receive it.
They told me they called an OB from the nearby hospital (5-10 mins away, that we should have gone to lol) and 911, so an ambulance was on it's way, sirens on, to take me there. You could tell all of the nurses/doctors were not used to handling a mom in labor, everyone was scrambling. Luckily, they really did well in helping me. The whole time, I just felt so delirious from the pain, they just kept giving me shots of fentanyl over and over, which didn't do a whole lot to be honest.
The OB arrived right about the same time the ambulance did and by the time I transferred to the gurney, I felt like I had to push, so they moved me back. The Dr. said to resist the urge to push, but there was NO resisting at that point. I was really nervous about the actual pushing because, with my son, I was completely numb from the epidural and even accidentally leaned up against the button to release more of the epidural medicine during pushing, so I had no idea what to expect in terms of feeling my baby actually come out of me.
I did a small push and went to push again, this is embarrassing lol, but I totally thought I was pushing out a giant poop (like along with my baby, but more poop than baby)...Then it just shot out! My very first thought was that I was pooped and they are going to have to move it to clear the way for my baby! Then my brain caught up lol, what actually happened is she just FLEW out! I guess the OB was not ready, but thank God she just happened to turn and literally catch my baby by the leg/ankle as she was already upsidedown, going over the end of the bed!
I felt the early signs of labor (felt kind of like period cramps) at about 1am and she was in my arms by 3:07am.
This whole experience was a whirlwind. I feel like it was something out of a movie lol. I have always rolled my eyes at the way movies/shows portray going into labodelivery. They always show the pregnant mother get a sudden twinge and then she cries out in pain that she's in labor and they need to go now (and usually they show her water break right at the start too). I thought how silly, that is just NOT how it works lol. But thats honestly how it played out for me! I spent longer on my birth plan than I actually laboring/giving birth lol.
I'm sorry this is so long winded! I have struggled to find the time to write this and also debated on whether I even should, but once I began writing it out, I realized it feels really cathartic to get it all out. Also, I thought perhaps this may help someone in someway. I really don't want my experience to freak anyone out that is nervous about labor. I guess I feel like if I had to do it over, I would have prepared myself for the slim chance of not being able to get an epidural/it failing. I prepared for so many different things, at least tried to mentally, if nothing else, but it's like my brain didn't even accept that as a possibility. Even still, I'm really thankful for the whole experience! It was nothing at all like I had anticipated, but despite how it all happened, it really went as well as it could have, I feel. We had no idea if my daughter would require a NICU stay or extra help, but she did amazing and still is!
Please forgive any grammaformatting mistakes! Thanks for listening :)

A 12th Grade Advanced English student's opinion :)
Let me preface this with saying that there is no way of knowing of this analysis is accurate, as the band is extremely unpredictable, and this is all based on numerous assumptions. I will present an alternate theory at the end. Also sorry for the length lol
The character who is ascending is the same character who is at the focus of PH:SH's artwork, as the head shape, third eye, body type, and body colour are all the same. Furthermore, the flowers at the bottom of the artwork are the same as the flowers at the bottom of PH:SH's artwork. The residents of this world all look similar between the two artworks, which allows us to fully assume that the stories of the 4 EP's will be all set in the same storyline.
Where the artworks differ is their art style. PH:SH is stylised as an ancient folklore painting with warm colours, suggesting that it is the past in which the residents of this world take comfort in. However, AmEN!'s artwork is smooth and dreamlike with colder colours, similar to an AI artwork. Considering that AI is perceived as a threat to the modern world, it can be interpreted that the world perceives their protagonist's ascention as an unprecidented event bringing uncertain times and threats; it is the here and now of this world.
This will relate to Oli's personal life through the use of an allegory. For those of you unaware, an allegory is a literary technique where a compelte story has a second meaning to it which relates to the authors own context. I believe that the story presented by these artworks has some relation to Oli's life and mental health. He was feeling okay and confortable (EP 1's artwork) until something (Covid) forced change and unpredictability (EP 2's artwork).
From here. Some predictions can be made. The third EP will be futuristic in their art styles, representing the unkown future of their world and meshing well with the musical soundscapes of the EP. In terms of Oli and the allegory, it would represent the unpredictability of the future, and how he cannot know how his life and mental health will pan out. The final EP's artwork will represent this world's Armageddon, with our protagonist at the focal point of it; meshing with the "heavy" musical sound. Regarding the allegory, it would represent the certainty of death as a human experience. Oli knows that death will be the ultimate and inescapable end; to nothingness we return after death, completing the cycle of life, and the band would complete their musical journey back to where they started.
The alternate theory is that DiE4U and sTrAnGeRs are singles from the second EP, LosT is from the third, and AmEN! is from the last, with the ascention artwork forsgadowing the band's ascention to legend status by ending their career by returning to their roots.
Of course, all of this is speculative and with the band being the way they are, it is impossible to predict if any of these pretictions will eventuate; I guess we'll have to wait and see.

I've been struggling with severe trochlear dysplasia. Gotten x-rays and an mri
My trochlear groove is nonexistant and is slanted to the outside, both of them are mirrored. My parents seem to not care and are just waiting for me to become an adult(ive struggled with this since i was a freshman) so that it's my problem so I might as well try to mitigate it since they won't do anything. I think their lack of care stems from both my parents also having severe knee and leg problems
Doctor said this has caused arthritis that is "normally found in 50 60 and 70 year olds"
My knees frequently will just give out and ill fall(I've learned to subconsciously catch myself now) and I can't take alot of weight or pressure when knees are bended. I was a wrestler and a football player but I stopped doing both bc the emense pain I'm in while I try to play either. Actually have completely dropped out because that's all that was keeping me in school.
What can I do? I've already basically been told by multiple pt specialists that basically "yea your legs are fucked upside-down and backwards" I feel I don't have much of an option other than surgery but I am scared of that too bc I've heard how often people are worse off when they get an invasive surgery like I need. And plus I'll have to wait bc my parents surely will not do it.
It's hard to work alot of places without the pain. And it hinders me immensely. I don't seem to have any options.

As a man who has lived abroad in Asia, I want to warn hopeful immigrants that coming here is likely an expensive mistake.
Australia is an okay country to live moderators, not bad. But this post is just about some of the problems here as a local, that I have seen.
I'd you're already here get out of the city and go somewhere up-and-coming.
Australia is my birth country but I've never felt happy here like I was abroad.
It's a nation that has a lot of financial security, but not much heart.
There is a depressing lack of community spirit. When I went to South-East Asia they were significantly more communal and kind than Australians on average.
The most disappointing part is how people treat each other here. We are definitely not the worst, but as others will attest there is a indescribable apathy. Some kind of entitled frustration in the culture here.
We are not the lucky country...
Money will not make you happy if people don't really care about you.
But on the topic of money and culture, there is a major catch for me personally:
I don't like high taxes.
I dislike our nasty immigration laws.
It's dog-eat-dog and no one in your community will care if you're struggling (maybe family).
If you don't make much money you are treated as subhuman and it is assumed you are on government money.
There is a grand delusion among people that this is the greatest country by far, when in fact numerous countries have comparable merit or better.
Australia is not as relaxed as you think and actually has high government control and red tape.
Egalitarianism totally not a thing here. It's more an excuse to be an asshole to everyone.
Being three weeks since i've returned, call it a bad day, or maybe severe reverse culture shock, but one day I will leave this place for good and start a business.
One day I will live in my version of paradise and be happy. I know it for a fact.
Living overseas for a year was the best time I have ever had and I regret coming back to Australia because of money.
If you don't like your country then consider moving to somewhere in Europe or Asia. Hell, why not our neighbour New Zealand.

My name is Adrian, an investigative journalist from Poland driven by a thirst for uncovering hidden truths. Chernobyl held a profound significance for me, not only as a haunting scar on history but also due to a personal connection. My grandparents had been affected by the disaster, forced to abandon their home and lives. Inspired by their resilience, I embarked on this journey to capture their stories and unravel the mysteries that shrouded Chernobyl. Filled with trepidation and excitement, I packed my gear, ready to confront the demons lurking within its irradiated walls. Little did I know that this expedition would push me into a sinister web of conspiracy, blurring the lines between reality and nightmare, forever changing the course of my life.
We were a group of intrepid travelers, united by a shared curiosity and a thirst for the unknown. The journey ahead would take us deep into the heart of the Chernobyl exclusion zone, a place shrouded in mystery and haunted by the ghosts of the past.
Our guide, Igor, regaled us with tales of the ill-fated Chernobyl disaster. His voice, tinged with a mix of reverence and melancholy, painted vivid pictures of a once-vibrant city reduced to a post-apocalyptic wasteland. As we approached the border of the exclusion zone, the landscape began to transform. The lush, green countryside gave way to desolation and decay, a stark reminder of the cataclysmic event that had unfolded here decades ago.
As we drove deeper into the heart of the exclusion zone, a palpable sense of unease settled over the van. The silence that permeated the air seemed to amplify the weight of the past, the residual energy of lives disrupted and dreams shattered. Through the windows, we caught glimpses of abandoned buildings, their crumbling facades standing as a testament to the transience of human existence.
It was amidst the eerie silence of Pripyat that my fascination with the strange and unexplained lured me away from the safety of the group. A stray cat, with its radiant blue eyes and matted fur, darted playfully through the remnants of the city, drawing me deeper into the labyrinth of abandoned streets. The curious creature seemed almost otherworldly, an enigmatic guide leading me toward an unseen destiny.
As I ventured further into the forgotten alleys of Pripyat, the echoes of my companions faded into oblivion. The weight of solitude settled upon my shoulders, both thrilling and unnerving in its intensity. It was as if I had crossed an invisible threshold, stepping into a realm where time and reality intertwined, where the boundaries between the living and the departed became blurred.
In my solitary exploration, I stumbled upon a hidden path concealed beneath a tangle of ivy and overgrown shrubbery. It beckoned to me, an invitation to uncover secrets long buried in the annals of history. My curiosity overpowered any trepidation, propelling me forward, further into the heart of the enigma.
The hidden path led me to a dilapidated building, its weathered facade standing defiantly against the ravages of time. The faded sign, barely visible amidst the peeling paint, identified it as "Laboratory 23." The air crackled with an aura of mystery as I hesitated at the threshold, my heart pounding with a mix of trepidation and excitement.
Stepping into the forsaken laboratory, I found myself in a time capsule frozen in a perpetual state of abandonment. Broken glass and discarded equipment littered the floor, remnants of a hasty retreat. The air carried the scent of rust and decay, a haunting perfume that hung heavy in the atmosphere.
Amidst the wreckage, my eyes fell upon a collection of documents scattered across a table. Their faded pages held cryptic symbols, enigmatic diagrams that seemed to dance with arcane knowledge. As I traced the lines with my trembling fingers, a sense of foreboding washed over me. It was as if these documents were a portal into a realm of forbidden knowledge, a Pandora's box that held the darkest of secrets.
Driven by an insatiable thirst for truth, I delved deeper into the lab's forgotten chambers. Within the dimly lit recesses, I discovered a hidden room, concealed behind a heavy, rusted door. The moment it creaked open, I knew I had unearthed something unimaginable.
The room was lined with shelves, each holding a multitude of binders meticulously labeled with names. As I perused the contents of the binders, a wave of disbelief washed over me. Each name was accompanied by a photograph, a face frozen in time. But it was not the faces themselves that sent a chill down my spine. It was the realization that these were the faces of missing individuals, those who had vanished without a trace from society.
One binder in particular caught my attention. It bore the chilling label "clones." Opening it, I discovered an unsettling truth: the missing individuals had been cloned, their lives replicated in secrecy within the confines of this clandestine laboratory. The implications of such a revelation were staggering, a betrayal of humanity that defied comprehension.
The weight of the evidence I had collected threatened to crush my spirit. The room, suffused with an oppressive aura, seemed to tighten its grip around me. With the damning photographs and documents securely tucked away in my bag, I turned to leave, determined to escape the clutches of this nightmare. But as I moved toward the exit, a peculiar sensation prickled the back of my neck, sending shivers down my spine. It was as if the air itself carried an ominous whisper, a ghostly echo of footsteps echoing through the desolate laboratory.
Fear seized me, freezing me in place. The realization dawned upon me like a chilling gust of wind—I was not alone in this forsaken place. Someone or something else lurked within the shadows, drawing nearer with each passing moment. The excitement of discovery mingled with a growing sense of dread, creating a disorienting cocktail of emotions.
In that harrowing instant, instinct took hold, overriding rational thought. Without a moment's hesitation, I pivoted on my heels and bolted towards the exit, my heart pounding in my chest. Panic fueled my every step as I navigated through the dimly lit corridors, the clamor of my own breath and the echoing footfalls of my pursuer serving as a macabre soundtrack to my escape.
Every shadow seemed to shift, morphing into a sinister figure poised to snatch me back into the clutches of the unknown. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, propelling me forward, my only goal to break free from this labyrinth of horrors. The very air seemed to thicken, as if resisting my frantic escape, but sheer determination fueled my desperate flight.
Finally, I burst through the door, gasping for breath, my pulse thundering in my ears. The world outside the laboratory, though still cloaked in an eerie silence, felt like salvation. I sprinted through the desolate halls, never looking back, each step propelling me farther from the unseen terror that had pursued me.
It was only when I reached the relative safety of the open air, the sun casting long shadows across the abandoned landscape, that I allowed myself a moment to collect my thoughts. Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead as I leaned against a crumbling wall, trying to steady my racing heart. The weight of the encounter pressed upon me, a reminder that the horrors lurking in the unknown were far more menacing than I could have ever imagined.
I knew, deep down, that the discovery I had made in that foreboding laboratory had unleashed something far greater than I had anticipated. It was a truth that demanded to be revealed, but it also posed a danger that threatened to consume me. With trembling hands, I clutched the bag containing the evidence—the only tangible proof of the conspiracy I had encountered. With a renewed determination, I vowed to bring the truth to light, no matter the personal cost. The echoes of footsteps and the ghostly whispers would forever haunt my memory, driving me forward into the heart of darkness, prepared to confront the unimaginable horrors that lay ahead.
Against all rational judgment, I made the fateful decision to return to the forsaken laboratory, driven by an insatiable thirst for the truth that burned deep within my soul. The weight of the knowledge I had gained hung heavily upon my shoulders, propelling me forward into the heart of danger, where few dared to tread.
As I cautiously stepped into the decaying lab, the air seemed to grow heavier, pregnant with an otherworldly presence. The soft glow of my flashlight illuminated the desolate scene before me. Each creak of the floorboards echoed like a spectral cry, a warning from the spirits of those whose lives had been extinguished in this place.
With renewed determination, I retraced my steps, reexamining the cryptic documents and peculiar biological equipment that had initially captivated my attention. But now, armed with new insights, I saw beyond the surface. I deciphered the enigmatic symbols etched onto the aged papers, connecting them to forbidden knowledge hidden within ancient texts and whispered legends.
As I ventured deeper into the labyrinthine chambers, the air became charged with an electric energy, as if the very walls pulsed with the secrets they held. Each room held its own story, its own secrets waiting to be unraveled. I meticulously examined every piece of equipment, every forgotten notebook, uncovering a web of interconnected experiments that went far beyond human cloning.
The further I delved into the lab, the stronger the sensation of being watched became. Paranoia gnawed at the edges of my mind, as if unseen eyes tracked my every move. Shadows seemed to dance in the corners of my vision, fleeting glimpses of a presence that eluded my grasp. The air crackled with a malevolent energy, leaving me on edge, my senses heightened to every flicker of movement and every whisper of sound.
Strange occurrences plagued me, testing the limits of my sanity. Objects inexplicably shifted positions, as if moved by unseen hands. Whispers, barely audible, resonated through the empty corridors, their cryptic messages fueling my determination to uncover the truth. Each encounter with the unseen presence left me trembling, yet I pressed forward, compelled by an insatiable curiosity mixed with a gnawing dread.
With each passing moment, the veil between the tangible and the intangible seemed to thin, blurring the boundaries of reality. I began to question my own perceptions, wondering if the presence haunting the lab was merely a figment of my imagination or something far more sinister. It was as if the very walls held the memories of those who had suffered and perished in this forsaken place, their specters reaching out from the past to guide or deceive me.
Piece by piece, the puzzle began to reveal the true magnitude of the conspiracy that had been woven within the walls of the Chernobyl laboratory. The Chernobyl disaster had been orchestrated, a calculated smokescreen to mask the clandestine operations of human cloning and organ trafficking. The government, entwined with a powerful and sinister cabal, had exploited the chaos and devastation to carry out their heinous deeds.
Through a network of corrupted scientists and government officials, they had perfected the art of human cloning, creating identical duplicates to fulfill their nefarious agenda. These clones were mere commodities, their lives extinguished to harvest their organs, which were then sold on the black market to the highest bidders.
As I pieced together the fragments of the conspiracy, my mind reeled with the implications. The very fabric of society had been torn apart, with those in power manipulating the lives of countless individuals for their own gain. The Chernobyl disaster had been not just a tragedy, but a meticulously planned cover-up, shrouding the dark underbelly of a far-reaching conspiracy.
But as the shadows of truth began to coalesce, so too did the darkness that had been lurking within the lab. Confronted by unidentified individuals, their faces concealed behind masks of shadows, I found myself cornered, my heart pounding in my chest. Panic surged through my veins as I fought against overwhelming odds, desperately clinging to the sliver of hope that remained.
In the chaos and desperation, a blow to the head sent me spiraling into unconsciousness, my fate hanging in the balance. What awaited me on the other side of consciousness remained a terrifying mystery, as I teetered on the precipice of oblivion, caught between the harsh reality and the realm of nightmares.
When I finally regained consciousness, I found myself alone in the eerie lab, the ominous silence enveloping me like a suffocating shroud. As my vision cleared, I realised with a sinking feeling that all the physical evidence I had painstakingly collected had vanished, leaving behind only blank, empty pages and hollow photographs. It was as if the truth itself had been stripped away, erased by an unknown force that sought to bury the horrifying secrets I had uncovered.
Confusion and frustration gnawed at my soul. How could the evidence disappear so mysteriously, leaving no trace of the monstrous conspiracy that had threatened the very fabric of humanity? Doubt crept in, whispering insidious questions about my sanity and the validity of my discoveries. But deep down, I knew that I had seen the truth, felt its chilling touch, and I couldn't let it be silenced.
Drawing upon the last reserves of my strength, I rose from the cold, barren floor. Every muscle ached, every joint protested, but my resolve burned brighter than ever. The forces that sought to bury the truth would not deter me. With a renewed sense of purpose, I vowed to press forward, to continue the fight against the darkness that had infiltrated Chernobyl.
Steeling myself, I navigated the labyrinthine corridors, my senses on high alert for any signs of danger. The lab had become a graveyard of secrets, its walls bearing silent witness to the atrocities committed within its forsaken halls. As I ventured deeper into the heart of the darkness, I clung to the flickering flame of hope, knowing that the final chapter of this harrowing journey was yet to unfold.
The chilling realisation that the powers orchestrating the conspiracy were far-reaching and influential only fueled my determination. With every step I took, I knew that I was walking a treacherous path, one that could lead to my own demise. But the truth had become my unwavering guide, guiding me through the murky depths of the unknown, urging me to shine a light on the horrors that had been buried beneath Chernobyl's haunting facade.
As the final pieces of the puzzle fell into place, I prepared myself for the ultimate confrontation. The shadowy figures who had cornered me before would not have the final say. Armed with knowledge, resilience, and an unwavering desire for justice, I would emerge from the depths of the lab to confront the conspirators and expose their malevolent machinations to the world.
Little did I know that the journey ahead would be fraught with danger and despair, pushing me to the very limits of my sanity and physical endurance. But I was prepared to face whatever awaited me, for the truth must be unveiled, even if it meant walking through the darkest recesses of human depravity.
With a heavy heart and unwavering resolve, I ventured forth, ready to unravel the final layers of the conspiracy that had gripped Chernobyl, determined to bring light to the darkest corners and emerge from the shadows with the truth firmly in hand. The culmination of my journey was yet to come, a reckoning that would test not only my own strength but also the endurance of those who dared to confront the unspeakable horrors lurking in the depths of the human soul.
Injured and disoriented, I found myself trapped in the labyrinthine depths of the desolate laboratory. Every step felt like a battle against the darkness that surrounded me, as if the very walls conspired to keep me captive within their clutches. But the flickering flame of determination burned bright within me, pushing me to navigate my way out of this nightmarish realm.
Wounds throbbed with each movement, a reminder of the confrontation I had faced with the unidentified individuals who sought to silence me. Despite the pain, I refused to succumb to despair. Through sheer grit and unwavering resolve, I charted a treacherous path back towards the world beyond those foreboding walls.
Every shadow seemed to breathe, every creak of the decaying structure echoed like a sinister whisper. The air hung heavy with an oppressive silence, broken only by the sound of my own ragged breath. Fear gripped my heart, but the urgency to expose the truth propelled me forward, my footsteps guided by a desperate hope for escape.
As I neared the exit, a surge of relief mingled with a haunting sense of loss. Leaving behind the horrors of the laboratory meant stepping into a world forever altered by the knowledge I carried. The once-familiar reality now appeared distorted, as if a veil had been lifted to reveal the sinister undercurrents that flowed beneath the surface.
Back to safety, I struggled to find a voice amidst the cacophony of disbelief and dismissals. The physical evidence I had collected, once concrete proof of the conspiracy, now lay blank and empty, a haunting reminder of the insidious forces at work. Desperation clawed at my chest as I sought to share my story, to expose the darkness that threatened to consume us all.
But the world, ensnared in its own illusions and complacency, rejected my claims. Labelled a conspiracy theorist, my words fell on deaf ears, dismissed as the delusions of a tormented mind. The weight of frustration and isolation threatened to extinguish the flame of truth within me, but I refused to be silenced.
Filled with an unwavering sense of purpose, I returned to the desolate location of the lab one last time, hoping against hope to find remnants of the evidence that had vanished into thin air. But as I stood before the site, my heart sank. The entrance stood sealed, the lab forever concealed behind layers of impenetrable cement. It looked like it was sealed for years. It was a stark reminder that the forces orchestrating the conspiracy were determined to erase all traces of their nefarious activities.
I lingered for a moment, absorbing the weight of the loss, before making peace with the fact that physical proof was forever beyond my reach. But the fire within me continued to burn, fueled by the belief that even without tangible evidence, the truth had a way of seeping into the collective consciousness.
Edit: Someone sent me a weird email with link to my nosleep post and this image. I have no idea what does it mean, have anybody seen this image before?

In light of recent of events I've been seeing a lot of people reacting to the most recent chapter and expressing a lot of hype and anticipation for the Imu as the series' big bad and final villain. And It was definitely a crazy chapter but I actually think Oda has made it abundantly clear that Imu will not be the final villain and that it will in fact be Marshall D. Teach himself.
It's always seemed pretty obvious to me and many others that Blackbeard was being set up as the end of series threat as him and Luffy are polar opposites and the same can be said for their respective crews. And beyond that Blackbeard stood out for being the only man to eat 2 fruits leading many theorize that he might even get a 3rd one.
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He can eat 2 fruits and never sleeps, what is he?
But with the introduction of Imu things got a little muddled. And I get it, Imu is the King of the World and the reason the One Piece verse is in the state it's in and defeating him would mean freeing the world and ending the 800 years of oppression. And this is all true, but Imu's character while being the world villain is not the MAIN villain of One Piece as it is the story of Monkey D. Luffy and his journey to becoming the greatest pirate in history and stepping into his role as the man to usher in the dawn of the new world. And the key antagonist in that Narrative is Blackbeard.
Oda's Original Plan
Let's start from the beginning, Oda originally intended for One Piece to be a story about Luffy fighting the Yonko and being wrapped up in about 5 years, but he created the Warlords and that greatly lengthened the serialization of the story. But if you notice, in this comment Oda NEVER says that his original plan for the story changed, just that the the story got longer. Blackbeard is undoubtedly Luffy's ultimate Pirate threat and as a Yonko who is set up to be the man to take down Shanks it makes sense to say that if Oda views the story of One Piece as a story about fighting the Yonko surely the best of them would be the main villain, no?
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Some people won't really be convinced by this as a lot of you find Oda's statements to be highly dubious so I'm gonna piggyback of something I mentioned in the last paragraph, Shanks. Shanks is a pivotal character in One Piece as he is the one who inspired Luffy to become a pirate in the first place and has several connections to many big name pirates in the past and present. But unfortunately, Oda is setting him up to fall at the hand of Blackbeard.
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This is one example, but without exception, every single volume cover Shanks has appeared on has also featured Blackbeard
Oda has been deliberate in setting up the connection between these two with Shanks getting his scar not from Mihawk or Kaido but Blackbeard. And we know in the world of One Piece are important and create a complex intrinsic bond between 2.
Blackbeard's true power
But Shanks doesn't simply have a grudge with Blackbeard over his wound, he views Blackbeard as a serious issue, going as to far as to warn Whitebeard as the true threat Blackbeard posed to not just him, but the whole world.
Shanks knew what was coming but no one listened.
Shanks even commented on Blackbeard not being in Wano as he had wrongly assumed Blackbeard would be drawn there. Meaning Shanks is on the move trying to intercept him. And i'd even go a bit further and theorize that the Pirate Shanks wanted to discuss with the Gorosei wasn't Luffy, but Blackbeard himself. The subject matter of the conversation is anyone's guess bit if i had to I'd say that he is trying to warn them in the same way he tried to warn Whitebeard.
Who is he talking about?
With all this in mind we take into account that Blackbeard and Shanks are in the running for the One Piece too, and interestingly both them just got a big leap from Kidd and Law, so even outside of what was posted they are on a collision course I just posted, and love him or hate him Blackbeard will prevail over Shanks and might even kill him. This would be a big blow to the verse, but most importantly it'd be a big blow to Luffy. Seeing his hero and friend be defeated by the same man who played a role in his brother's death and killed Whitebeard would make Luffy hate Blackbeard more than anyone.
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Not yet, Not Yet
And on the subject of Marineford I always viewed Blackbeard as the main villain of that Saga. Not Akainu, not Magellan either but Blackbeard. Think about it, he started the Summit War, he freed the prisoners at Impel Down and ended up getting the biggest come up after the events of the war. Shocking the world and ending the era of Whitebeard. And I believe the post skip parallels the pre-skip, so if Blackbeard is the main villain at the midpoint, the end of the series he will be the villain again and finally get his comeuppance.
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The Key was Blackbeard
Now let's get into that, the idea of Luffy and Blackbeard as enemies. Now on the surface there's alot that puts these 2 against each other. The first chapter where Blackbeard is introduced perfectly sets up how Luffy and Blackbeard are very different but also similar, both are D's and it's clear that Blackbeard's crew is a preverse reflection of Luffy's. But let's go beneath the surface and we'll find that the 2 contrast each other more, especially now that we know the true nature of Luffy's fruit.
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Dayman, Fighter of the Nightman.
Luffy in his true form is the sun god Nika bathed in white. Teach however is a man who wields the power of darkness itself and is known and feared as BLACKbeard, Nika's power allows him to free himself completely and this concept is represented as the sun. Blackbeard's ability restricts and even robs other's of their abilities with the supreme gravity of his black holes. Blackholes are collpaed stars I might add, and What is the sun I ask you? A star.
Think back to Ace and Blackbeard's fight way back when and look at this interesting piece of text
The Stuff of Legends
Don't you guys think it's interesting that Blackbeard directly refers to Ace's ability as the sun? Not fire, flame, or even light but the SUN. I think this was Oda being cheeky and foreshadow the ultimate conflict. Another interesting piece of Info is Blackbeard's association with the moon, this factoid further proves that Blackbeard is the literal antithesis of Luffy on a molecular level.
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Note that in Blackbeard's portrait as kid the moon hangs over him.
Oda has put a lot of stock into making Blackbeard the perfect counter for Luffy, having him built in the story since Drum Island but the subject of Imu might throw a wrench into all this to the uninitiated. But the opposite is true. Imu is the King fo the world, the shadow ruler who reigns above all, and that makes him Blackbeard's number one enemy, even beyond Luffy. In terms of goals anyway.
The idea that Luffy fights Blackbeard at Raftel and finds the One Piece starting the final war never made sense to me because there is now ay Oda is going to eliminate Blackbeard from the story have him miss the throne war.
People might not realize this, But Blackbeard is a D as well, and he will have a role to play in the events surrounding the end of the story. And on the subject of the D, Let's talk about Xebec and Blackbeard's true ambition.
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The Strongest
Blackbeard's predecessor
Rocks D Xebec had the ambition to be the King of the world and was a force so powerful that the marines, pirates and the celestial dragons had to work together to best him. This is relevant to Blackbeard be he is most likely inheriting Xebecs will as there are several connections between the 2 pirates. One Blackbeard has made his new base of operations Hachinosu, the former stronghold of Xebec and his ship is even known as the "Saber of Xebec." This makes me think that he is carrying the will of Xebec and is essentially his 2nd coming and will be much worse.
We recently learned that Blackbeard wants to be King, so imagine when knowledge that of Imu's existence is made public, he will WANT what Xebec wanted and sit upon the empty throne. Only thing is he'll come a lot closer than Rocks ever did.
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Note that Blackbeard's hobby is Archaeology. Meaning he has a desire to learn the secrets of the world.
Blackbeard is ignorant to alot right now, but when he learns the truth he will be inflamed as we see multiple times through the story new information has caused Blackbeard to change his trajectory and let his ambition run wild.
The 3 who have Imu's attention
Factoring in Blackbeard's desire to sit at the top, Imu himself has shown an express interest in Blackbeard as we see that off the mutilated wanted posters he had in his garden, Blackbeard was among them. Not Dragon, Not Law, Not Kaido, Not Big Mom, BUT BLACKBEARD. Imu sees him and Luffy as his principal threats alongside a literal ancient weapon. So the people thinking Blackbeard a guy who has ambition to take Imu's spot and is actually living rent free in his head will be defeated BEFORE the final war you're kidding yourself.
No, Blackbeard and Luffy will both participate and BOTH will play a hand in Imu's defeat. Not team up, but their actions will effect and help each other inadvertently as they always have. Imu is scared of the D and is grateful that they don't know the true meaning of their birthright, but like Law said the D shall cause a storm. Luffy will play the biggest part but the other D's are also guaranteed to have their own roles in the displacement of the old world order.
Imu will fall and the dawn will be ushered in, but like the saying goes the night is always darkest before the dawn. Luffy will have to settle things with Blackbeard once and for all to stop him from ushering in a new age of darkness and finally prove that Teach was in fact not the man Roger was waiting for.
There's many more things I could add or touch upon from the story and outside of it that shows Oda's intentions for Blackbeard's character but I think i've made my point.

I've noticed the answer of "It's ok for casual play or FLGS tournaments but not for GW tournaments" pop up regularly in various topics like painting subfactions, WYSIWYG, proxies, recent transfer of minis to legends etc. My genuine question is: how many people actually play official GW tournaments? I've never even heard of someone I know attending one, though I know some very competitive players doing a lot of unofficial tournaments. And, to the best of my knowledge, there is only one official GW store in my whole country (Poland). Is this the usual situation, or am I just living in a Warhammer backwater?

The travel industry is booming. For other travel businesses worldwide, there are now better ways to serve customers and target them with relevant online marketing messages. However, along with all these new opportunities, do some challenges. In this article, VietISO outlines seven marketing challenges in the tourism industry today and how they will impact the future of businesses in this sector.
Personalized
Personalization has become very important in many different aspects of the travel industry. It is not only necessary to capture the attention of your audience with your marketing message, but also to provide a good customer experience.
Regardless of whether someone is traveling for business or pleasure, they appreciate and expect personalization, and businesses are doing everything they can to incorporate it into their offerings. For example, Delta Airlines uses personalization technology to help flight attendants support their business customers and includes services such as in-flight amenities, special offers, information on connecting flights, and more. trip, etc.
Hotels can also collect extensive micro-data about their guests and use it to deliver a more intimate experience. Guests interact with the hotel in many different ways during their trip: at the check-in counter, at the hotel's restaurant, with room service, at the spa,... These are all opportunities to collect Collect data and learn about guest preferences.
However, capturing and utilizing this information are two completely different things.
Hotels need to have systems in place to collect this data and connect it to a customer relationship management (CRM) platform to automate personalization activities to encourage repeatability and upgrades. book room. Let's say a previous guest spent the day of their week-long vacation on the golf course. They can be retargeted with a relevant marketing message promoting discounted tee times.
Advertising is no exception to today's traveler's need for personalization. According to a recent travel advertising report, personalization is the number one challenge for travel marketers today, with nearly half (46%) reporting that delivering offers and promotions Real-time personalized reporting is the top challenge for 2020.
Perhaps the greatest personalization opportunity for travel advertisers is catering to the interests and desires of each audience. For example, today's youth are less concerned with luxury and relaxation and more concerned with the experiences they have when they travel:
Aruba.com does this very well with the targeted ads shown above. They also track onsite with MyAruba, an interactive feature that allows you to build your own itinerary of favorite places and experiences:
Personalization is more than just ad targeting. It's also about giving people the autonomy and customization features they need to build the travel experience they want.
Keeping Up With New Technology
Technology is constantly innovating industries decade by decade, but the real impact of new technology on tourism over the past 10 years has been dramatic. Back in 2010, hotel and airline apps were just getting started, but now they're just as important to the travel industry as other big businesses.
One prominent example of new technology that travel businesses need to catch up on is dynamic pricing. Airlines and hotels can use factors like time of year, day of the week, and corporate versus tourist travelers to estimate the right rates to drive conversions. Using technology powered by artificial intelligence, it is possible to make these adjustments based on day-to-day changes in market demand. Some pricing engines have the ability to update fares as often as every 15 seconds, and businesses are starting to notice the big difference this makes in bookings.
The problem travel marketers face, however, is that taking advantage of dynamic pricing requires more than just investing in new technology. The challenge businesses face is to redo their entire data management process, including CRM integration and revenue analytics.
New technologies bring new opportunities for marketing and sales, but they also bring new competition. Airbnb is a prime example of this. The home and room rental platform helps travelers book accommodation at a fraction of the typical hotel price. It also excels at meeting individual needs by providing rentals with co-working and pet-friendly spaces, kitchens, and all the other “home” amenities that people need. want that most hotels do not provide. 49% of Airbnb users use it as an alternative to hotels.
Seize New Opportunities
Marketing channels are constantly introducing new features and content formats that businesses can use to advertise their services. This is especially true of social media. Airlines and other businesses in the travel industry have a presence on social media, but they often have trouble keeping up with the latest marketing opportunities on these platforms.
For example, take a look at Facebook's travel ad. These are dynamically generated ads that contain information based on an individual's travel interests. Let's say someone browses hotels or watches flights. Airlines, hotels, and other travel businesses can target Facebook ads based on dates, specific destinations, and other trip details.
Other new ad types like Story Ads on Instagram or Short Video Ads on TikTok also offer businesses a unique opportunity to reach audiences directly. However, since this is primarily a video format, travel businesses need to be prepared to invest in creative marketing to capture attention and encourage action. Once done, businesses can also take advantage of Facebook video ads as well as ads on TikTok and YouTube to reach their audience with more engaging marketing messages.
Competition on search networks is so fierce that most travel businesses invest the majority of their marketing budgets in paid search, largely ignoring social media. However, they can't really ignore new features and social targeting anymore.
Google
Google is a problem for travel marketers that most don't realize they have. Google offers all kinds of features for marketing: paid search ads,Google Hotel Search, Trips, Maps, and more. But these opportunities also essentially serve to give Google a marketing monopoly in the travel space. The Google products ecosystem tends to be in its own favor. Google Flight is a feature that allows travelers to make reservations right from search results. Having it appear above the organic results actually encourages people to use it over other options like Expedia or Kayak.
What Google considers to be a feature that improves the user experience is actually just encouraging people to use their other properties. Another example of this is Google Trips, which offers travel recommendations to people based on information gathered from their Gmail accounts.
The growing monopoly of the tourism industry presents businesses with a conundrum. Many people feel they have no choice but to invest their entire marketing budget in Google products. And even then there's no guarantee Google will suggest their business in search results.
There's still not much businesses can do about this particular marketing challenge, other than maintaining a diverse and patient strategy. Google has been fined for favoring its own products in the past, and the issue of tourism exclusivity is currently being discussed with law enforcement.
Voice search
Voice search is a growing concern for search engine marketers in every industry. Alexa, Siri, Google Home, Cortana, and other technologies encourage and empower people to use voice search to get the information they need. This is especially true for travel related queries. According to research by Travelport, nearly half of travelers have used voice search to help manage trips. It takes a lot of work to optimize your content for search engines in general, and considering voice search even more of a challenge. People use voice search differently than they do regular search queries. Here are some key things you can do to optimize for voice search today:
Conversational Keyword Targeting
Voice search users are more likely to use longer keyword phrases in their queries. For example, instead of saying “hotels in Da Nang”, they might say “show me hotels in Da Nang near Dragon Bridge”. Travel businesses should create pages optimized for these long-tail queries to get more traffic. Creating a detailed FAQ page is a great way to do this.
You can explore voice search keywords using Google Search Console. There are also many third-party tools designed to help you brainstorm long-tail keywords. For example, Answer Public shows you common questions people ask related to specific keywords.
Use schema markup
In order for smart devices to provide your website information as query results, it needs to make sure your information is really the type of content people are looking for. Instead of letting the machine guess, you're better off encoding your content to help the machine determine what the information really is. This is commonly done using schema markup. It's a standardized vocabulary that you embed in your website's HTML code. It effectively labels your content. For example, say you have a hotel suite listed with two bedrooms. Using schema markup to indicate the number of rooms helps ensure your listing shows up when people search by voice for “hotel in Boston with two adjoining rooms.”
Optimize Google My Business
Optimizing my Google My Business information is a good idea for SEO in general. When people specifically search for your business, Google My Business information will immediately show up in the search results.
In today's digital environment, with nearly all voice searches going to local businesses, it's even more important to keep this information up to date. Including relevant information like your address, availability, and amenities makes it easier for voice search to display your listings when referring to specific voice search queries.
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I am currently in school and I’m going to graduate in two months. It’s an accelerated program so there are always new students every month that get added to classes. I am 26 years old and I’m the type of person that just goes to school does my work I don’t talk to anyone except if I’m spoken to but moreover unbothered by everyone and just keep to myself. I do have a ‘friend’ I occasionally speak to and she tells me that in her class they bring me up from time to time (I don’t know who even if I ask her she doesn’t tell me) and I started noticing that some of the girls obviously don’t like me when I have never had any sort of interaction with any of them and they don’t know me? I just smile if I catch one of them staring at me and be on my way but I always receive dirty looks or stares and even someone talking about me right in front of me with someone next to them. And it’s honestly getting to me to the point where I want to switch to a different instructor because I feel extremely uncomfortable with the whole situation considering the age I am now and how they act like high schoolers. They’re all full of drama and I literally am just a nice person I don’t know what I did wrong. What should I do?

When i was young my dad would play horror games on his ipad, the most notable one was a horror game on his ipad. It was a first player game as we were never able to see the player chracter and a survial with no weapons, the main objective was to survive till dawn, im not sure if the game had levels or no, and the entire map was always covered with fog and made use of mute colours. If you were out after a certian time the ghost/entity would catch you resulting in a game over so the player had to go from house to house in a deserted area.
I am unable to check for my history on the apple store on that device because it had been reset due to my dad forgetting the pasword, so if i checked my dads apple accound on the apstore is it posible to find this game in history of previous games downloaded? This was a free game and im not really sure how the appstore works since im an android user.

Darkness engulfs me. It devours me like the creature I fear most. I try opening my eyes but there’s no difference. All I see is total black nothingness.
It wouldn’t be so bad if I weren’t deathly terrified of the dark.
At home there’s never a time when I allow darkness to fully overwhelm the light. I have night lights and security lights lining every hall and in every room. I’m never one hundred percent in the dark. That is, not until now.
I feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead at the mere thought of what could be lurking in the inky blackness that envelopes me. Even the most mundane holds terror when you can’t see it but your mind tells you it’s there. A throng of spiders waiting just out of reach to make me its next meal. A pit of snakes that you dangle perilously close to the precipice.
If you can’t see, how can you tell if your eyes are open or closed?
I reach down and press my hand against the cold floor that I lay on. I stretch out my fingers, laying them flat to feel it. The cold creeps into them, its tendrils invading my body like a virus. It feels like the darkness is digging through my skin deeper down inside me to my bones, to my marrow, to my soul.
I’m lost in this sea of gloom. I don’t even know where I am. I’m terrified to make a move lest I tumble over the invisible edge.
I don’t know how I got here.
I don’t know where here is.
I’ve no idea why I’m here, unless…
As fearful as this mysterious place makes me, the thought of unless chills me to the marrow. The darkness is even set aside for a moment in my mind, displaced by the unless.
It seems so long ago and at the same time, it feels like it just happened. The deepest, darkest place in my soul. The thing I keep locked up tight, never to ponder let alone discuss. The unless is untouchable. Only in my worst nightmares does my subconscious toy with the idea of the unless.
No. I can’t let it consume me. My thoughts running rampant won’t help me to discover what this place is. I must do that first if the miracle of escape is even possible.
I slowly slide my hand outward as far as it will reach. Each micro-moment prepared to withdraw it if harm is approached. With my senses diminished, the only way to search for harm is to sacrifice my hand. Like sending out a scout to see if the area is clear or the enemy is close by.
My hand reaches its limit unmolested. I change direction from straight out to an arc. Feeling for anything like a one-winged snow angel.
My hand discovers nothing, but the movement has stimulated something of my lost senses. I hear the sliding of my fingers on the floor’s surface.
It echoes back to me quickly. I try once again, faster and louder this time. The echoes return almost immediately.
My mind absorbs the details and makes a conclusion. The room must not be very big. It augments the conclusion with the supposition that the floor is concrete. The smoothness, the cold, and the sound it makes all seem to come together.
I further test the conclusion by forming a fist and knocking on the floor.
The sound and feel cement the hypotheses.
As I congratulate myself on my deduction, I hear something. Having not moved, I don’t think the sound came from me. It happened only briefly and I wasn’t listening for any sounds outside the ones I’d made.
My mind replayed it and came to a startling conclusion. It sounded like a sigh.
As if someone was my unwitting cellmate in this murky prison.
Relief and despair fought a furious battle at the prospect of another in my company that I know nothing about.
Company in this tenebrous place would be a welcome happenstance. It may even lead to our escape if we work together.
However, if I am here about the unless then what horrid crime had they committed to be relegated to this torturous existence?
Caution seemed the most prudent course. Perhaps my cellmate was unaware of my existence. Keeping it that way until I could discover more seemed a prudent goal.
Armed with the knowledge of the floor’s composition and the existence of a potential cellmate, I set about to gather more information about my surroundings.
I rolled onto my back slowly, so as not to make any noise that would alert the other to my presence. I then used my other arm to search for any obstructions within its arc.
Finding none, I proceeded to move my legs as far to the side as possible, completing my concrete angel.
Next on my list for this absurd exploration, I slowly rolled over onto my stomach, making sure to feel as far out with my hand should a sudden drop-off present itself unannounced and end my journey in the most horrific fashion.
Finding nothing to impede my progress, I took the next step of taking my first step.
As I did, my shoe brushed the floor, making a sound that under normal circumstances would barely be noticed. However, I wasn’t in normal circumstances.
The effect was immediate and terrifying.
This time there was no sigh. It was a low-throated growl.
I became a statue as liquid nitrogen rushed through my veins. The growl was deep and throaty, like a lion’s only somehow different.
Every inch of my being clenched in a group effort to stay as still as humanly possible. My hope was that this thing would think it had made a mistake and hadn’t heard the movement of its next potential meal. It was more than a hope, it was the key to my survival.
The problem was I was trapped in a position kneeling on one knee, about to get up. My knee on the hard floor was starting to complain and I knew it was only a matter of time until my balance wavered.
I couldn’t hold this position for long. I was already starting to shake from the effort. My balance was wavering, beads of sweat formed on my forehead. I hoped it couldn’t smell fear because I was throwing out waves of it.
My leg was shaking, my knee was screaming. I had to make a decision. Do I sit back down or go all the way to standing?
Whichever I did needed to happen fast before my knee gave out and I collapsed to the floor in a noisy heap.
I decided to stand. Putting one hand on my knee and the other on the floor, I pushed up and ascended. As I rose, my knee popped. It wasn’t painful, but it was loud in this quiet room. So loud that it echoed back to me.
I made it all the way to the standing position before I heard the growl again. This time it was followed by sounds that were much worse. First was a sniffing sound as if it was testing the air, searching for its prey. The second was the soft yet unmistakable sound of a footstep.
I didn’t breathe as I waited to hear another. I listened for any sound, and unfortunately, I heard one. It was this thing’s breath. It was long and slow as if this monster’s lungs were huge to accommodate a massive body.
The sniffing continued but the second footfall didn’t come. Perhaps it was as confused as I was as to why it was here.
I was never so glad about the darkness as at that moment. I was still terrified, but at least the darkness had become my ally if only for a moment. I couldn’t see the monster, which was a blessing in itself. My imagination was already picturing the most horrendous, demonic thing that ever cursed the planet with its existence. But the darkness was a double-edged sword. It couldn’t see me either. If I stayed quiet enough, it might write me off as nothing more than a figment of its imagination.
With only rhythmic breathing and no sound of pursuit, I took my first standing step away from the beast. With measured and calculated caution, I stepped away from the sound of my bane and felt silently and cautiously with the toe of my shoe to make sure there was a floor to step onto.
My foot landed with the impact of a feather. I transferred weight to that leg and stepped with the other. With the lights on and no demon waiting to devour me, my motions would’ve been quite comical.
As the situation was, they were anything but.
I continued the arduous task of silent escape, listening intently for any change in the monster’s breathing.
Time had no meaning in this place, but if I were to guess I would say it took me nearly half an hour to take ten steps.
The eleventh step, however, was the problem.
When I put my foot out, it hit something.
I immediately froze. I couldn’t tell if the something had been hard like a table, or soft like another creature lying in wait for some poor stupid person to stumble into it.
I drew my foot back and waited to see if whatever it was reacted. The darkness didn’t abate. At times I considered holding my eyes closed. At least that would keep them hydrated. For some strange reason, it also seemed to help my focus.
I listened for any sign that this object was alive and/or about to devour me. After a few moments, the only sound I heard was my own breathing. I tentatively stuck out my foot and touched the object again.
It was hard and unyielding. I reached out with my arm and also touched something solid. I felt around on it and bent down all the way to the floor.
It was a wall.
The rough texture and ridges told me it was made of concrete block. I reached as high as I could, even getting up on my tiptoes, trying to find anything useful.
I explored the wall, feeling my way to the right until I reached a corner. As tempted as I was to turn and feel down this new wall, I knew it ended on the side of the room where the monster dwelled. I had no desire to approach that thing without light and a very deadly weapon.
As much as my fingers had become my eyes, my ears became my sonar, staying tuned to any sound. To this point, there hadn’t been much.
That didn’t last.
There was a shuffling sound that made me freeze. It was followed by the sounds of scraping on the concrete floor. Its soft breathing had gotten deeper and steadier.
It was getting up.
I stood in my corner not moving, barely breathing as I heard one soft footstep after another, getting louder with each step.
It was curious about the other side of the room… my side of the room.
I had to focus not to give it a strong smell to follow. I hadn’t used the bathroom in hours. Not that there was a bathroom in here that I knew of, but I would’ve used the other corner and then never returned to it until nature called again.
As the monster continued across the room I could hear sniffing.
It was hunting for me.
My nerves told me to run. My mind told me to stand still. My bladder didn’t care as long as it was emptied soon.
The footsteps continued to approach. There was no doubt it was searching for me, and it would find me. My mind ran through every option available in a blindingly dark room with a beast searching for its next meal that was slowly approaching.
I hugged the wall and started toward the other side of the room.
Common sense argued that I had no idea if there was another creature on the far side of the room, but there seemed to be no choice.
As we continued our silent dance, I pictured the creature passing by as I slid along the wall toward its side of the room.
When we had both reached the halfway point, it suddenly stopped. I froze and held my breath as it sniffed the air. For a long moment, it was totally silent. It seemed to be holding its breath as well as if listening for me.
I kept my eyes squeezed shut and focused on being totally still. My lungs were burning from holding my breath. I knew I would soon spew out the stale air and gulp in fresh.
I also knew that would be the end of me. The creature would know I was here and it would use the sound to track me down and tear me to bloody shreds as it devoured me.
The countdown had begun in my mind. It was a matter of seconds until my lungs gave out and I had to breathe the last breath.
10…
9…
8…
7…
I heard a footstep. The creature was moving again.
I held my hand over my mouth and slowly exhaled, then just as slowly inhaled. It was difficult to keep my oxygen-starved lungs from demanding more air, but I was able to catch up quietly without breathing so hard as to make noise.
I continued on my perilous journey toward the unknown, carefully listening to the creature also continue its journey.
As I reached the corner of my nemesis, fear gripped me as I stepped on something soft. I waited for an attack that never came. Slowly, I reached down to explore this newfound softness. It was hair. Soft fur the kind that an animal would shed.
All my suspicions were now fact. There was an animal here. It wasn’t just my imagination. My fear and anxiety were fully justified.
As I made my revelation, I heard my nemesis reach the far wall and bump into it. It then began sniffing in earnest.
It must’ve caught my scent.
It knew I was real too.
The sniffing was getting closer. I allowed myself a moment of panic before the realization that the only thing I could do was continue my course around the room. I made my way through the blanket of fur and headed for the far wall, feeling as I went for the one thing that may hold my potential rescue, a doorknob.
So far, there had been no indication of a door whatsoever. I prayed that the unexplored wall would remedy that.
I continued on this insane and deadly game of ring around the Rosie, stepping up my speed as much as possible while still staying silent. It’s one thing to know you’re being hunted, it’s another thing altogether to ring the dinner bell by giving your position away.
I was counting on it becoming confused when it circled back to its own nest. It was still as dark as ever and apparently, this thing didn’t have any better night vision than I did.
I reached the far corner and hope surged through me that I would find a door. My escape seemed imminent. I stepped up my search, going faster along this wall, but also feeling as much of the surface as possible in search of the desired door.
My hopes came crashing down when I reached the next corner without finding anything.
It couldn’t be.
It had to be here.
How else did this demon and I enter the room?
My despair crushed me like a ton of bricks. There was nothing left to do. This thing would eventually catch me. There was no escape.
In the middle of my pity party, I noticed something. The room was silent.
I couldn’t hear it sniffing.
I couldn’t hear it breathing.
I had no idea where it was.
I tried to keep my breathing under control as panic washed over me. There was nothing to do but wait.
In the darkness, I felt something soft brush against me.
It had found me.
The subtle growl was no longer across the room, it was right here in front of me.
OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod!
I felt a river run down the inside of my pants as my bladder finally gave up the fight.
A sharp claw ran across my throat, not hard enough to cut, but enough to let me know I was about to die.
I couldn’t take it anymore. The darkness. The silence. The menace.
I screamed at the top of my lungs.
I screamed over and over. It wasn’t even words, just primal sounds that escaped me. Every wail as a baby. Every cry of pain. Every shriek of fright as I woke from a nightmare. I let them all out. The screams of my victims as they suffered at my hands. The screams of their families as the court sentenced me. The screams inside my mind in a cell alone thinking only of the unless.
The unless.
The unless…
The unless!
Suddenly the lights came on.
I covered my eyes to ward off the brightness. As I slowly adjusted I was able to look around the room.
The creature was gone.
No, it couldn’t be.
I looked over at the wall where I had walked through the fur, but there was none. I looked all around, but there were only blank walls.
Where is it?
Whereisitwhereisitwhereisit?
I turned round and round, but it was gone. Had it ever really been here?
A door opened and two large men dressed in white came in.
“No,” I screamed. “Don’t come near! It’ll get you!”
They marched across the room oblivious to the danger and picked me up.
“It’s time to go back to your room,” one of the men said, picking me up under the shoulder. “The doc says you’ve had enough therapy for today.”
“Did you see it?” I said.
They carried me out without answering. We came into a hallway that stretched forever. I tried to look back at the open door.
“Don’t let it out,” I said. “You’ve got to keep it in.”
They didn’t bother to look back, just continued down the hall.
I turned and saw it peek it’s head out of the room.
“No!” I screamed.
They didn’t stop, didn’t slow, just picked me up so my feet dangled off the floor until we reached a room. They unlocked it and set me in on my bunk.
“You should probably get cleaned up,” one of the men said as I tried to get up but he held me down.
“You know how this goes,” he said. “You stay on your bunk until we lock the door.”
The second man backed out of the room then the first man released me and followed him.
I ran for the door.
“You don’t understand! It’s loose. It’ll kill you all!”
They turned and walked away.
“No!” I screamed at the tiny window in my door.
I pounded on the door for a long time, but no one else came by. Maybe it had already gotten them. Maybe it would come to my door and peek in my window with blood dripping from its mouth.
I stepped back from the door, feeling exhausted. I looked over at the tiny shower stall and did what they suggested.
Everything was built into the wall. The shower, the sink, the table, the bed, there was nothing I could use to hurt myself or defend myself.
After I took a shower and put on fresh clothes, I sat at my desk and wrote what had happened with the monster. When I was done I laid down, hoping to be able to rest.
At the appointed time, the lights went out.
The darkness engulfed me.
It devoured me like the thing I fear most.
I lay there with my eyes open, waiting.
In the black nothingness, I heard it, a soft growl.

Darkness engulfs me. It devours me like the creature I fear most. I try opening my eyes but there’s no difference. All I see is total black nothingness.
It wouldn’t be so bad if I weren’t deathly terrified of the dark.
At home there’s never a time when I allow darkness to fully overwhelm the light. I have night lights and security lights lining every hall and in every room. I’m never one hundred percent in the dark. That is, not until now.
I feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead at the mere thought of what could be lurking in the inky blackness that envelopes me. Even the most mundane holds terror when you can’t see it but your mind tells you it’s there. A throng of spiders waiting just out of reach to make me its next meal. A pit of snakes that you dangle perilously close to the precipice.
If you can’t see, how can you tell if your eyes are open or closed?
I reach down and press my hand against the cold floor that I lay on. I stretch out my fingers, laying them flat to feel it. The cold creeps into them, its tendrils invading my body like a virus. It feels like the darkness is digging through my skin deeper down inside me to my bones, to my marrow, to my soul.
I’m lost in this sea of gloom. I don’t even know where I am. I’m terrified to make a move lest I tumble over the invisible edge.
I don’t know how I got here.
I don’t know where here is.
I’ve no idea why I’m here, unless…
As fearful as this mysterious place makes me, the thought of unless chills me to the marrow. The darkness is even set aside for a moment in my mind, displaced by the unless.
It seems so long ago and at the same time, it feels like it just happened. The deepest, darkest place in my soul. The thing I keep locked up tight, never to ponder let alone discuss. The unless is untouchable. Only in my worst nightmares does my subconscious toy with the idea of the unless.
No. I can’t let it consume me. My thoughts running rampant won’t help me to discover what this place is. I must do that first if the miracle of escape is even possible.
I slowly slide my hand outward as far as it will reach. Each micro-moment prepared to withdraw it if harm is approached. With my senses diminished, the only way to search for harm is to sacrifice my hand. Like sending out a scout to see if the area is clear or the enemy is close by.
My hand reaches its limit unmolested. I change direction from straight out to an arc. Feeling for anything like a one-winged snow angel.
My hand discovers nothing, but the movement has stimulated something of my lost senses. I hear the sliding of my fingers on the floor’s surface.
It echoes back to me quickly. I try once again, faster and louder this time. The echoes return almost immediately.
My mind absorbs the details and makes a conclusion. The room must not be very big. It augments the conclusion with the supposition that the floor is concrete. The smoothness, the cold, and the sound it makes all seem to come together.
I further test the conclusion by forming a fist and knocking on the floor.
The sound and feel cement the hypotheses.
As I congratulate myself on my deduction, I hear something. Having not moved, I don’t think the sound came from me. It happened only briefly and I wasn’t listening for any sounds outside the ones I’d made.
My mind replayed it and came to a startling conclusion. It sounded like a sigh.
As if someone was my unwitting cellmate in this murky prison.
Relief and despair fought a furious battle at the prospect of another in my company that I know nothing about.
Company in this tenebrous place would be a welcome happenstance. It may even lead to our escape if we work together.
However, if I am here about the unless then what horrid crime had they committed to be relegated to this torturous existence?
Caution seemed the most prudent course. Perhaps my cellmate was unaware of my existence. Keeping it that way until I could discover more seemed a prudent goal.
Armed with the knowledge of the floor’s composition and the existence of a potential cellmate, I set about to gather more information about my surroundings.
I rolled onto my back slowly, so as not to make any noise that would alert the other to my presence. I then used my other arm to search for any obstructions within its arc.
Finding none, I proceeded to move my legs as far to the side as possible, completing my concrete angel.
Next on my list for this absurd exploration, I slowly rolled over onto my stomach, making sure to feel as far out with my hand should a sudden drop-off present itself unannounced and end my journey in the most horrific fashion.
Finding nothing to impede my progress, I took the next step of taking my first step.
As I did, my shoe brushed the floor, making a sound that under normal circumstances would barely be noticed. However, I wasn’t in normal circumstances.
The effect was immediate and terrifying.
This time there was no sigh. It was a low-throated growl.
I became a statue as liquid nitrogen rushed through my veins. The growl was deep and throaty, like a lion’s only somehow different.
Every inch of my being clenched in a group effort to stay as still as humanly possible. My hope was that this thing would think it had made a mistake and hadn’t heard the movement of its next potential meal. It was more than a hope, it was the key to my survival.
The problem was I was trapped in a position kneeling on one knee, about to get up. My knee on the hard floor was starting to complain and I knew it was only a matter of time until my balance wavered.
I couldn’t hold this position for long. I was already starting to shake from the effort. My balance was wavering, beads of sweat formed on my forehead. I hoped it couldn’t smell fear because I was throwing out waves of it.
My leg was shaking, my knee was screaming. I had to make a decision. Do I sit back down or go all the way to standing?
Whichever I did needed to happen fast before my knee gave out and I collapsed to the floor in a noisy heap.
I decided to stand. Putting one hand on my knee and the other on the floor, I pushed up and ascended. As I rose, my knee popped. It wasn’t painful, but it was loud in this quiet room. So loud that it echoed back to me.
I made it all the way to the standing position before I heard the growl again. This time it was followed by sounds that were much worse. First was a sniffing sound as if it was testing the air, searching for its prey. The second was the soft yet unmistakable sound of a footstep.
I didn’t breathe as I waited to hear another. I listened for any sound, and unfortunately, I heard one. It was this thing’s breath. It was long and slow as if this monster’s lungs were huge to accommodate a massive body.
The sniffing continued but the second footfall didn’t come. Perhaps it was as confused as I was as to why it was here.
I was never so glad about the darkness as at that moment. I was still terrified, but at least the darkness had become my ally if only for a moment. I couldn’t see the monster, which was a blessing in itself. My imagination was already picturing the most horrendous, demonic thing that ever cursed the planet with its existence. But the darkness was a double-edged sword. It couldn’t see me either. If I stayed quiet enough, it might write me off as nothing more than a figment of its imagination.
With only rhythmic breathing and no sound of pursuit, I took my first standing step away from the beast. With measured and calculated caution, I stepped away from the sound of my bane and felt silently and cautiously with the toe of my shoe to make sure there was a floor to step onto.
My foot landed with the impact of a feather. I transferred weight to that leg and stepped with the other. With the lights on and no demon waiting to devour me, my motions would’ve been quite comical.
As the situation was, they were anything but.
I continued the arduous task of silent escape, listening intently for any change in the monster’s breathing.
Time had no meaning in this place, but if I were to guess I would say it took me nearly half an hour to take ten steps.
The eleventh step, however, was the problem.
When I put my foot out, it hit something.
I immediately froze. I couldn’t tell if the something had been hard like a table, or soft like another creature lying in wait for some poor stupid person to stumble into it.
I drew my foot back and waited to see if whatever it was reacted. The darkness didn’t abate. At times I considered holding my eyes closed. At least that would keep them hydrated. For some strange reason, it also seemed to help my focus.
I listened for any sign that this object was alive and/or about to devour me. After a few moments, the only sound I heard was my own breathing. I tentatively stuck out my foot and touched the object again.
It was hard and unyielding. I reached out with my arm and also touched something solid. I felt around on it and bent down all the way to the floor.
It was a wall.
The rough texture and ridges told me it was made of concrete block. I reached as high as I could, even getting up on my tiptoes, trying to find anything useful.
I explored the wall, feeling my way to the right until I reached a corner. As tempted as I was to turn and feel down this new wall, I knew it ended on the side of the room where the monster dwelled. I had no desire to approach that thing without light and a very deadly weapon.
As much as my fingers had become my eyes, my ears became my sonar, staying tuned to any sound. To this point, there hadn’t been much.
That didn’t last.
There was a shuffling sound that made me freeze. It was followed by the sounds of scraping on the concrete floor. Its soft breathing had gotten deeper and steadier.
It was getting up.
I stood in my corner not moving, barely breathing as I heard one soft footstep after another, getting louder with each step.
It was curious about the other side of the room… my side of the room.
I had to focus not to give it a strong smell to follow. I hadn’t used the bathroom in hours. Not that there was a bathroom in here that I knew of, but I would’ve used the other corner and then never returned to it until nature called again.
As the monster continued across the room I could hear sniffing.
It was hunting for me.
My nerves told me to run. My mind told me to stand still. My bladder didn’t care as long as it was emptied soon.
The footsteps continued to approach. There was no doubt it was searching for me, and it would find me. My mind ran through every option available in a blindingly dark room with a beast searching for its next meal that was slowly approaching.
I hugged the wall and started toward the other side of the room.
Common sense argued that I had no idea if there was another creature on the far side of the room, but there seemed to be no choice.
As we continued our silent dance, I pictured the creature passing by as I slid along the wall toward its side of the room.
When we had both reached the halfway point, it suddenly stopped. I froze and held my breath as it sniffed the air. For a long moment, it was totally silent. It seemed to be holding its breath as well as if listening for me.
I kept my eyes squeezed shut and focused on being totally still. My lungs were burning from holding my breath. I knew I would soon spew out the stale air and gulp in fresh.
I also knew that would be the end of me. The creature would know I was here and it would use the sound to track me down and tear me to bloody shreds as it devoured me.
The countdown had begun in my mind. It was a matter of seconds until my lungs gave out and I had to breathe the last breath.
10…
9…
8…
7…
I heard a footstep. The creature was moving again.
I held my hand over my mouth and slowly exhaled, then just as slowly inhaled. It was difficult to keep my oxygen-starved lungs from demanding more air, but I was able to catch up quietly without breathing so hard as to make noise.
I continued on my perilous journey toward the unknown, carefully listening to the creature also continue its journey.
As I reached the corner of my nemesis, fear gripped me as I stepped on something soft. I waited for an attack that never came. Slowly, I reached down to explore this newfound softness. It was hair. Soft fur the kind that an animal would shed.
All my suspicions were now fact. There was an animal here. It wasn’t just my imagination. My fear and anxiety were fully justified.
As I made my revelation, I heard my nemesis reach the far wall and bump into it. It then began sniffing in earnest.
It must’ve caught my scent.
It knew I was real too.
The sniffing was getting closer. I allowed myself a moment of panic before the realization that the only thing I could do was continue my course around the room. I made my way through the blanket of fur and headed for the far wall, feeling as I went for the one thing that may hold my potential rescue, a doorknob.
So far, there had been no indication of a door whatsoever. I prayed that the unexplored wall would remedy that.
I continued on this insane and deadly game of ring around the Rosie, stepping up my speed as much as possible while still staying silent. It’s one thing to know you’re being hunted, it’s another thing altogether to ring the dinner bell by giving your position away.
I was counting on it becoming confused when it circled back to its own nest. It was still as dark as ever and apparently, this thing didn’t have any better night vision than I did.
I reached the far corner and hope surged through me that I would find a door. My escape seemed imminent. I stepped up my search, going faster along this wall, but also feeling as much of the surface as possible in search of the desired door.
My hopes came crashing down when I reached the next corner without finding anything.
It couldn’t be.
It had to be here.
How else did this demon and I enter the room?
My despair crushed me like a ton of bricks. There was nothing left to do. This thing would eventually catch me. There was no escape.
In the middle of my pity party, I noticed something. The room was silent.
I couldn’t hear it sniffing.
I couldn’t hear it breathing.
I had no idea where it was.
I tried to keep my breathing under control as panic washed over me. There was nothing to do but wait.
In the darkness, I felt something soft brush against me.
It had found me.
The subtle growl was no longer across the room, it was right here in front of me.
OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod!
I felt a river run down the inside of my pants as my bladder finally gave up the fight.
A sharp claw ran across my throat, not hard enough to cut, but enough to let me know I was about to die.
I couldn’t take it anymore. The darkness. The silence. The menace.
I screamed at the top of my lungs.
I screamed over and over. It wasn’t even words, just primal sounds that escaped me. Every wail as a baby. Every cry of pain. Every shriek of fright as I woke from a nightmare. I let them all out. The screams of my victims as they suffered at my hands. The screams of their families as the court sentenced me. The screams inside my mind in a cell alone thinking only of the unless.
The unless.
The unless…
The unless!
Suddenly the lights came on.
I covered my eyes to ward off the brightness. As I slowly adjusted I was able to look around the room.
The creature was gone.
No, it couldn’t be.
I looked over at the wall where I had walked through the fur, but there was none. I looked all around, but there were only blank walls.
Where is it?
Whereisitwhereisitwhereisit?
I turned round and round, but it was gone. Had it ever really been here?
A door opened and two large men dressed in white came in.
“No,” I screamed. “Don’t come near! It’ll get you!”
They marched across the room oblivious to the danger and picked me up.
“It’s time to go back to your room,” one of the men said, picking me up under the shoulder. “The doc says you’ve had enough therapy for today.”
“Did you see it?” I said.
They carried me out without answering. We came into a hallway that stretched forever. I tried to look back at the open door.
“Don’t let it out,” I said. “You’ve got to keep it in.”
They didn’t bother to look back, just continued down the hall.
I turned and saw it peek it’s head out of the room.
“No!” I screamed.
They didn’t stop, didn’t slow, just picked me up so my feet dangled off the floor until we reached a room. They unlocked it and set me in on my bunk.
“You should probably get cleaned up,” one of the men said as I tried to get up but he held me down.
“You know how this goes,” he said. “You stay on your bunk until we lock the door.”
The second man backed out of the room then the first man released me and followed him.
I ran for the door.
“You don’t understand! It’s loose. It’ll kill you all!”
They turned and walked away.
“No!” I screamed at the tiny window in my door.
I pounded on the door for a long time, but no one else came by. Maybe it had already gotten them. Maybe it would come to my door and peek in my window with blood dripping from its mouth.
I stepped back from the door, feeling exhausted. I looked over at the tiny shower stall and did what they suggested.
Everything was built into the wall. The shower, the sink, the table, the bed, there was nothing I could use to hurt myself or defend myself.
After I took a shower and put on fresh clothes, I sat at my desk and wrote what had happened with the monster. When I was done I laid down, hoping to be able to rest.
At the appointed time, the lights went out.
The darkness engulfed me.
It devoured me like the thing I fear most.
I lay there with my eyes open, waiting.
In the black nothingness, I heard it, a soft growl.