My car was involved in a bad hail storm about 10 months ago. There was substantial body panel damage (hood and roof need to be entirely replaced) without any glass breaking. I took my car to a State Farm estimator that said my car was one of the worst he had seen but the damage was at around 50% of my car's value ($17,500, was given a check). The repair shops in my area were backed up, so it took me a few weeks to get it reviewed. When I to take it in, the shop estimator felt the prior quote was low and requested a supplement ($2,500, was given another check). The repair shop was hard to work with and said they wouldn't be able to start the repair for months. Because of this, I took the car to a different shop that felt that prior quote with supplement was exaggerated and agreed to move forward. As the second repair shop had a long wait as well, I took the car in last week to start the repair. While scheduling my rental, State Farm informed me that the car could still be deemed a total loss. Low and behold, I received a call Friday telling me that this had actually happened as the loss was 71% of the total value. I just looked into the most recent quote provided by the repair shop and it seems that they came back at $50 CHEAPER than that of the 1st supplement. I did a calculation on the loss ratio and came up with 69.7%.
Now, I have been given two options as the car is still safe to drive.

1. Accept the total loss and receive an additional $10,000 to what I already was given.
   
2. Keep the car and pay State Farm $3,500 as they feel that they have overpaid me because of the difference between the car's replacement value and salvage value (replacement car is valued at $30,500, salvage value is $15,000).
   

Early on, I had a Carvana offer for around $25,000 after accounting for the damage. In hindsight, I should have accepted this immediately and moved on. I instead chose to move forward with the repair. I realize that car values have fluctuated greatly during the past few years but am suspicious about the numbers I have posted above. Does anyone have any advice in terms of how to move forward wit the repair as I initially intended?

I low-sided my motorcycle yesterday and was taken to the hospital. Thankfully could’ve been worse, some nasty road rash and a couple sprains and the bike wasn’t hurt too bad. However, since I couldn’t ride back the bike had to be towed. I wanted to call AAA but the firefighters wouldn’t let me make a phone call (fair since they were focused on my health), and they said to let the cop know when he got there. Well once I saw the cop I asked him to call AAA and he said he already called a tower.
Getting to the point, I went to the lot today (less than 24 hours after the tow) and they want $900! That’s like 15% of the value of the vehicle and more than the cost of the damage (meaning there’s no real point for to go through insurance). Is there anything I can do to get this reduced? Any laws I can refer to? This feels like highway robbery.

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Rented car in Texas. Fully charged to (Canadian) Amex (canadian Amex are primary LDW coverage unlike in USA) with coverage up to $85k for the rental vehicle itself (standard such LDW policy included on that card).
Will do my best to explain the circumstances. At a 4 way intersection. North south directions are 2 way and have stop signs. East/West are 4 lane, very busy (35-40 mph limits) and have uncontrolled turn lanes in the north and south sides respectively. For those looking to to turn north or south from the east or west directions.
I am in the north bound, south side of the intersection, facing north direction, come to a stop, fully, at the sign, with my right turn signal on. At the sign and intend on making a right turn.
Now, a lot of Texas (Houston) is different than anywhere I’ve been before and trees line the road (or electrical/fiber junction boxes etc) such that your visibility when looking east and west is extremely hindered. You really have to look like 3 times and then one last time left if you are facing north but making your right hand turn to go east (hope that makes sense). You only have a very limited sight line and cars east west go fast. But you have to edge out to be able to see and give yourself more than 2-3 seconds of visibility. It’s wild. But, just is how it is there for anyone that’s spent time in Houston.
I make my checks and proceed to advance to make my right turn. A guy in another rental car heading west, in his left hand turn lane, decides to make a u turn and go from west facing, to u turn and proceed easterly.
He makes his turn into my lane as I am getting going and we connect.
U turns at uncontrolled intersections appear legal in Texas but the person making the u turn must yield. How exactly that works is outside of my expertise as it pertains to this case.
Damage is minor, everyone is polite, we file a police report etc.
His insurance company says after reviewing police reports and statements and dash cam footage that I am 100% at fault.
I follow all procedures, report to the rental company, my Amex insurance etc.
How does this play out? How could his company determine that I am at fault? Will Amex (my primary for my vehicle damage) fight this determination?
I understand Amex doesn’t have third party liability but they will not want to pay the $1500 damage to my rental so that has to be worth something? The other vehicle is estimated to be about the same but could be higher. It was very very low speed, like 5-8 mp mph (not relevant to liability probably).
For any Americans on here Amex Canada cc Ldw coverage is primary and not secondary like stateside. I will attach a diagram to help show the circumstances.
basic accident diagram
Additional context that may or may not matter: Guy apologized when he got out He had AirPods in and was on the phone to someone when he exited (probably 30 seconds after we connected) He was new to the area from elsewhere Driving for Uber and it was a rental
It’s a bad intersection and anyone local knows doing anything unconventional beyond right turns or left turns is taking your life into your hands.

[←Chapter 56] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 58→]
On the whole, things were actually looking up for Efrain at least as far as he could reckon. It was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one that Naia had reached out to him. Adding on top of it that at least one of the children had fallen right into his lap, he might come away from this trip with more than near-death experiences.
The trio was sitting on the wooden floor of the waggon, the morning light rapidly brightening. It wouldn’t be long before the paladin’s awoke, by Efrain’s reckoning, so they’d best be quick.
“Well,” Efrain began, “I’ll let you ask three questions. That’s all we have time for today.”
Having a student, a proper student, was a prospect that he enjoyed more than he cared to admit. Aya took her time, drumming her fingers on the floor as she tried to come up with whatever her mind demanded of him.
“What is magic? What’s the difference between magic and miracles? And… what am I?”
Three, concise. Innie stirred at the first two, and Efrai guessed that Aya had already asked them before.
“‘What is magic’ is a matter of some debate. In the most practical sense, it’s a way of manipulating the world. Some have worshipped it as divine or spiritual. Some haven’t,” Efrain answered, “though, if you want my personal opinion, magic is a process of discovery, just as mathematics or philosophy is. It requires skill, or talent, most of all, dedication and practice.”
She nodded, this definition perhaps striking a cord with her.
“The difference between magic and miracles?” he said, “Well, I’m not entirely sure what miracles you’re referring to, but I can certainly attest that there are those that pass off magic as miracles.”
Aya stiffed slightly as it, and Efrain guessed from where the questions had sprung.
“Ah. I would’ve imagined the paladins said something like that. Self-aggrandizing hogwash - they use magic, I use magic. It’s fundamentally the same thing.”
He left out the part about how radically inefficient their methods likely were - that was for a later time.
“But the church says-”
“That magic is a sin. Something used by people in dark places?” snorted Efrain, “Angorrah used to be a centre of magical education, though the church would never admit that. I myself used to dwell there, many years ago.”
“The madame said that you would know about the night of the Burning Tree,” said Aya, looking at the cat, “that you lived through it.”
Efrain, at the usage of the word ‘madame’, also looked at the cat, significantly less impressed than his young charge. He indeed had lived through it, although he couldn’t recall it.
“It was over three centuries ago,” he said, “complete chaos. Partisans from the lands conquered during the Helgacite expansion. Angry youths from the Academies who felt betrayed by the church, mixing with other factions. Worst of all was the portion of the military that wanted to overthrow the ruling authority. The Night of the Burning Tree was a poorly thought out riot.”
Once more, the hypocrisy of the unknown haunted his assertion.
“I left the city not long after,” he said, “the writing was on the wall at that point. The church was preparing for decades to destroy the Academy, and that night was the perfect excuse for them to do so. Sometimes I wonder…”
Aya leaned forwards, clearly interested in this history he recounted.
“But that’s not relevant to your questions, nice try,” he said, leaving his suspicions on who exactly had set fire to the sacred tree to himself, “as for your third question - what are you.”
Out of habit, a long finger reached up to scratch at his temple.
“You are an enigma, a mystery. I don’t think I’ve encountered anything quite like you, and, believe me, between books and my own travels, that is not a low bar. It’s rare to stumble on someone so unique.”
Efrain was conscious of how bright it was beginning to get.
“Perhaps we’ll find some answers as we continue to explore magic together,” he put together quickly, “but alas, that’ll have to wait for another time. Best that you get back to your fellows. Quick now.”
Satisfied, at least for the moment, Aya thanked him, and with a little bow to Innie, quickly got out of the wagon and departed.
“A bow?” he said to his long-time companion.
“I was never going to get it from you,” she said, snorted, “besides, how long will it be before you get her calling you ‘teacher’?”
Efrain decided that was fair and not to press the point.
“I’m going to find Tykhon, I’d rather ride him than be in this rickety thing on a forest path,” he said, “also, have you see Clarallel?”
“She seems to be having a ball,” Innie said, “There’s no shortage of injuries for her to treat.”
“Oh, goodie,” he said, “at least she’s been keeping busy I’m sure.”
Efrain made his way around the camp, not taking long before finding another class taking place. Claralelle was inscribing lines in the dirt with a stick, depicting this muscle and that, while a collection of mostly shirtless men and women stood around her. As she explained its shape and what connected into what, she indicated so on her model - a vaguely embarrassed looking young soldier in the middle.
Efrain leaned against a tree, studying the reactions of the soldiers as Claralle launched into a fairly in depth explanation of the forces involved in a sword swing. To their credit, most of them seemed fascinated, and one was even scribbling hasty notes on a piece of parchment. As the lesson wrapped up, and the soldiers departed speaking in hushed tones, Efrain walked up behind Clara.
“My. Seems you’re gaining a following,” he said.
“Something like that?” she said in her customary joyous tone, “they’re interested. I’m interested. I might as well share!”
“Indeed,” he said, “keep in mind not to complain about the church too heavily, lest you land in hot water with some.”
She gave him a blank look, and it occurred to Efrain that she might not even know the slightest about the church, other than it existed.
“Anyways,” he continued, “I wanted to know what your plans were. Now that we’re out of both frying pan and fire.”
“Oh, I have no idea,” she said.
“...really?”
“I suppose I should go find another flesh lord, and complete my training. Or set up my own practice and… practice. Oh, and I like to read, and there are a lot of books. And there are a lot of people to treat as well!”
“Uh-huh,” Efrain murmured, “well, I don’t know about any others, but I can certainly introduce you to Carnes. Whether or not they’d be willing to take you on as a student is another story.”
“Also, I should find the skull of my master, if it hasn’t been crushed to dust by now,” she said, “we used to joke that I would strip it of the flesh and boil it. Then I’d put a little hat on it, or maybe use it to drink wine from. I don’t entirely remember.”
“They may have been joking.”
“No, I don’t think so. Either way, he’s dead, so he doesn’t have the luxury of choice.”
“Well, then,” Efrain said, clearing his throat to change the subject, “is it on to Angorrah, then? That’s where Carnes is, if you’re interested in meeting them.”
She nodded in a manner that was akin to a shrug, hoisting one of her many tool belts onto her pleated skirts.
“I’ve never been in a big city, I would like to see one,” she said.
“Don’t let me stop you,” he said, deciding not to mention the kind of reception she might receive there.
“Well, then, what about you? Are you going to the city? Seems like as bad an idea for me as it is for you.”
“Granted,” he said, “I’m not sure yet. We’ll be in Karkos in a few days, and we’ll see what happens. By the way, you don’t happen to have a pair of cups that you could spare, do you?”
“You could just take one or two from the ground. They leave them around all the time. I don’t think they’ll notice if they go missing.”
“And you know that because… you’ve done it before,” he said.
She nodded vigorously, before turning and walking away.
Efrain began to walk to the outskirts of the camp, looking for an unaccompanied piece of dishware or two. Clara was soon proven right, as he found that there were quite a few, enough for him to select a set of shallow wooden constructs between a plate and bowl. Perfect for what he was planning, or so he hoped. With his objective secured, he passed between the trees, and once he was a significant distance from the camp, he whistled.
The physical impossibility of the sound amused him, especially since he managed to do it perfectly every time.
Tykhon came through the trees, loping along on his six limbs, swivelling his head this way and that. Efrain wondered if that was for vision, or if he was scenting the air. The mount did not seem worse for ware, despite the danger they’d passed through. Efrain supposed there was no lack of food and water in the woods, and he’d been more than happy to wander along in them.
“I’m glad to see you,” he said, rubbing the creature’s long snout.
The creature nuzzled at him, leaving Efrain to wonder if Carnes had built some fondness for him in the creature’s very blood. He turned back and looked through the trees, seeing the soldiers beginning to pack their tents and tools.
“I don’t entirely know what I’m doing,” he said to his mount, “feels like I might’ve really stepped in it this time, Tykhon. I might end up headless, or with a new friend.”
Tykhon offered no response, other than to lay its massive head on his shoulder.
“Trying to get some blood on me?” he said, noticing the red flecks near the slit of its mouth, “rascal.”
He led Tykhon through the trees and back towards the wagon circle where Innie waited. Oddly enough, the mounts being hitched didn’t bolt or grow agitated at the approach of the much larger creature. Efrain wasn’t sure how Carnes had managed that either, but he supposed it was just another example of the skill of the flesh lord.
Soon, he and Innie were heading to the top of the line, but they stopped before they reached where the men were forming up. Damafelce was washing some clothes in a creek, leaving a trail of red-purple water.
“Don’t you have a page to do that for you?” he said from the back of his mount.
“I do,” she said, “but I prefer to do it myself. It’s what I used to do while my mother composed.”
“A bit of home then?” he said.
She nodded as she withdrew the shirt from the stream, its pale surface still stuffed with a red-brown stain.
“That being said,” she said, “I think this one is beyond my aid. I see you found your mount, lord Efrain. He’d been trailing the caravan for a while, some of the soldiers were getting nervous.”
“Well, I’m glad they didn’t shoot him. I would’ve been quite upset, though I doubt they would’ve harmed him much.”
“What is he exactly?” she said, wringing out the shirt before throwing it over her well muscled shoulder, “I’ve never seen nor heard of a beast like him.”
“A chimera of some description,” Efrain said, “actually I don’t even know if it's a he. It was a gift from a friend.”
“A… what?” Damafelce said, trying to sound out ‘chimera’.
“A mixture of animals, modified and merged. Flesh lords dabble in such things occasionally.”
“And is that… blood around his muzzle?” she said, looking concerned.
“Yes. He’s… well, I think he eats both plants and flesh, given the chance. I’ve seen him eating berries, and also… an eagle. I’m not sure how he managed to catch it,” Efrain said.
Damafelce looked more impressed than frightened, but Efrain noticed how her eyes drifted down to the claws on the forelimbs of the creature.
“He’s not particularly aggressive,” Efrain said, “but I think he can get skittish.”
“I’ll keep it in mind. Is there anything you wanted to speak to me about?”
“No, no,” Efrain said, “I just saw you in the clearing and wanted to say hello.”
She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, clearly doubting him.
“Although, there’s one question I would like to ask if you wouldn’t mind.”
“There it is,” said the captain, “well, then, ask away.”
“This seems like a less than desirable post for you, so far away from home. Why did you come?”
Her eyebrows furrowed at the question, almost as if she was insulted that he’d even asked her.
“I volunteered, we all did. Even the commander. He needed good men, so he had us.”
“Well then, that wraps some lingering questions I had,” Efrain said, nodding, “I’ll see you on the road, captain.”
Now that was interesting, Efrain thought, so was Naia put forward, or did he volunteer on his own?
Efrain rode on to where the men were massing, and waited patiently for the line to form up properly. Tykhon shifted his weight to the side and began to rub himself on the bark of a nearby tree, snuffling and grunting as he did so. Efrain absent-mindedly rubbed behind his ears as he thought about the day’s lesson.
It didn’t take long for the men to get moving along the old road, though it was more a foot path than anything else. Efrain didn’t have much time or desire to speak beyond common courtesy as he and Innie rode alongside the soldiers, and most were too unnerved by Tykhon to press any conversation. They’d made a distance of perhaps twenty or thirty miles before the day had darkened. The trees were beginning to thin out just slightly, and the balance was shifting definitely to deciduous.
As the men broke for camp, Efrain took up a position on a small rise, where a young birch stuck out from the ground. Tykhon had curled up, chewing on some of the fresh grass as he snorted and twitched, Innie asleep on his back. Efrain set out the two bowls before him, filled from a nearby stream, a fresh picked bundle of herbs, and waited.
Innie awoke at one point, flicking one amber eye over to his assembly.
“Getting prepared for your covert lesson?”
Efrain nodded as he sat, leaning against Tykhon's massive flank.
“I could wake you if you’re interested in aiding in my instruction.”
“Correcting your mistakes, you mean,” she said, “no thank you, I’ll be happy to sleep through your instruction.”
“Charming. At least I’ll be among friends,” Efrain said.
“You’re counting the beast-creature?”
“I take what I can get, including mouthy cats.”
That earned him a little laugh from the wisp-mother.
“And what exactly are you planning to do with those bowls, Efrain?”
“I was planning on making tea,” he said, “though it will be exceedingly poor quality with what fare I have.”
Innie’s laugh was not little this time as she rolled over and settled.
“Never change, Efrain,” she said, as she drifted back to sleep.
The moon was well-risen before Aya crept out from between the trees.
“Sorry,” she said, “they were a little more watchful this time. I had to wait until they were by the fire.”
“I have all the time in the world,” Efrain said, “besides, I don’t intend to keep you for very long.”
“They say we’re going to be coming to Karkos soon,” Aya said, “we might see it as early as tomorrow, the commander says.”
“That might be optimistic,” Efrain said, “maybe if we push ourselves, we could get to the hinterlands. As for actually getting into the city, that’s taking a night ride, which I’m not sure the soldiers would be happy about.”
Aya sat and processed the information in silence.
“Well, in any case, we will soon be in Karkos, barring any misfortune on the road. And we both have had quite enough of that, I think.”
The laughter was brittle, but good-natured regardless.
“So, then, magic. I haven’t done this in a very long time,” he said, “teaching, that is. As with anything, it’s best to understand the fundamentals of what we call magic. Under normal circumstances, this would take a few weeks, and we’d have lots of practical examples. Oh well, we’ll have to make do.”
He gestured to the various pieces in front of him.
“I teach in a more specific way than I imagine the paladins would, Three bedrock principles, which, while seemingly simple, take time to truly grasp. Memory, intent, emotion. A goal to find, the method to find it, and something to drive at. Do you understand?”
“I- I guess.”
“They seem a bit abstract, don’t they?” Efrain said, “don’t stress over the literal meanings of the words. They are flexible concepts, meant to capture a larger process. That is, the process of making magic.”
He held up his hand, and tried to envision the sparks of a blacksmith’s hammer. What he found instead, was a different explosion of colour and sound. The memory was surprising, and he couldn’t place it, but he remembered a name.
‘Fireworks’.
From his hand, a little stream of multicoloured tracers and dots of light flowed out into the night, vanishing into the dark. Aya gave a little gasp of delight as they floated above her head. He let his hand fall, pushing a dish of water towards the young girl.
“Do you want to take a guess at what your first actual act of magic will be?”
“Uh…” she said, looking down at the assorted plates and herbs, “are you asking me to make… tea?”
Efrain Belacore, behind his mask, smiled wider than he ever had in death.
[←Chapter 56] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 58→]

So I’m thinking of buying a 2019 Duke 790. I’ve been riding dirt bikes my whole life so a 790 I feel is a great starter bike.
However, this one has some problems and has a crazy low price. I’m nervous about buying due to the crazy low price and I don’t want to get scammed. The chain skips teeth due to the back sprocket teeth being crazy bent. They also say that clutch cover gasket o-ring for the top hose of the cooling system is bad which causes some low oil pressure which he said makes it have a hard time idling.
Should I be concerned or did I find a good deal lol

Car accident (rental) in Texas with Canadian Amex
Rented car in Texas. Fully charged to (Canadian) Amex with coverage up to $85k for the rental vehicle itself (standard such LDW policy included on that card).
Will do my best to explain the circumstances. At a 4 way intersection. North south directions are 2 way and have stop signs. East/West are 4 lane, very busy (35-40 mph limits) and have uncontrolled turn lanes in the north and south sides respectively. For those looking to to turn north or south from the east or west directions.
I am in the north bound, south side of the intersection, facing north direction, come to a stop, fully, at the sign, with my right turn signal on. At the sign and intend on making a right turn. Now, a lot of Texas is different than anywhere I’ve been before and trees line the road (or electrical/fiber junction boxes etc) such that your visibility when looking east and west is extremely hindered. You really have to look like 3 times and then one last time left if you are facing north but making your right hand turn to go east (hope that makes sense). You only have a very limited sight line and cars go fast. But you have to edge out to be able to see and give yourself more than 2-3 seconds of visibility. It’s wild. But, just is how it is there for anyone that’s spent time in Houston.
I make my checks and proceed to advance to make my right turn. A guy in another rental car heading west, in his left hand turn lane, decides to make a u turn and go from west facing, to u turn and proceed easterly. He makes his turn into my lane as I am going and we connect. U turns at intersections are legal in Texas but the person making the u turn must yield and that is the law
Damage is minor, everyone is polite, we file a police report etc.
His insurance company says after reviewing police reports and statements and dash cam footage that I am 100% at fault.
I follow all procedures, report to the rental company, my Amex insurance etc.
How does this play out? How could his company determine that I am at fault? Will Amex fight this determination? I understand Amex doesn’t have third party liability but they will not want to pay the $1500 damage to my rental so that has to be worth something? The other vehicle is estimated to be about the same but could be higher. It was very very low speed, like 4-5 mph (not relevant to liability probably).
How does this play out for liability? My Canadian car insurance? My Canadian insurance record?
For any Americans on here Amex Canada I believe is primary and not secondary like stateside. I will attach a diagram to help show the circumstances.
basic accident diagram
Additional context that may or may not matter: Guy apologized when he got out He had AirPods in and was on the phone to someone when he exited (probably 30 seconds after we connected) He was new to the area from elsewhere Driving for Uber and it was a rental
It’s a bad intersection and anyone local knows doing anything unconventional beyond right turns or left turns is taking your life into your hands.

We have an a 10 acre parcel of land that is mostly treed, but it has about 1 acre yard that is clear, as well as some pretty nice trails cut through the trees. I have a 2022 XT2 LX42 that I use for the yard, and would like to keep the trails cut, mostly to keep the trees from growing in and taking over the trails. There's some hills though. I know too steep of a hill obviously can be dangerous, but will they also cause damage to the tractor or it's transmission etc? Some examples of the paths:
Edit - I don't know why Imgur is flagging it as possibly 18+ content lol.
https://imgur.com/a/RzXwpFT
I took it for a couple laps today and it felt fine, stable etc, but would I be doing any damage to the unit? Thanks!

We have an a 10 acre parcel of land that is mostly treed, but it has about 1 acre yard that is clear, as well as some pretty nice trails cut through the trees. I have a 2022 XT2 LX42 that I use for the yard, and would like to keep the trails cut, mostly to keep the trees from growing in and taking over the trails. There's some hills though. I know too steep of a hill obviously can be dangerous, but will they also cause damage to the tractor or it's transmission etc? Some examples of the paths:
Edit - I don't know why Imgur is flagging it as possibly 18+ content lol.
https://imgur.com/a/RzXwpFT
I took it for a couple laps today and it felt fine, stable etc, but would I be doing any damage to the unit? Thanks!

This post will have TMI
I am 25wks today. First pregnancy and first sickness in the pregnancy other than headaches.
Yesterday I started developing a cold/flu sore throat and lethargic in the morning with a dehydrated feeling. By late afternoon the nasal symptoms started along with a chesty cough (I have asthma so not abnormal when I’m sick). This morning the throat is a little better but still have all the other symptoms and some diarrhoea.
I am having an unremarkable, low-risk pregnancy and Bub seems to be kicking at the same frequency although his kicks are a bit softer, I am assuming my sluggishness and illness is going through to him a little so I’m not majorly concerned.
Pharmacist gave me some lozenges and a throat spray as well as advised continuous Panadol/Tylenol to keep any fevers at bay. I’m also using hydralyte to help with dehydration.
Normally I would drug up and sleep it off but I can’t drug up with what I usually use so I feel like I just have to ride it out.
In your experiences when do I need to be concerned or when should I make an appointment with my GP as I understand I need to be more careful in pregnancy. Is there anything I need to watch out for as I understand cold/flu can hit differently during pregnancy.

​
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​
disclaimer: really only know a little about pot stills and even that is not much...
​
Hi Y'all
So I did a reflux spirit run today of TSFFV aiming towards a really neutral spirit.
New to me this run are a real parrot and a sight glass and thermometer at the top of my column.
Started everything up, got everything equalized, did foreshots, took off a whole bunch of jars between 96-92%. temp at the top of column below defleg very steady for a long time. (oddly a section tasted a lot like banannas?) then temp goes up, ABV goes down. tastes like tails. did some reflux adjustment got back to 85% for a few hundred mls that tasted "better", then too hard to regulate reflux/boiler temp and ran out to 30%-ish.
Started with 15.5L 35% low wines ended up with +- 4.5L all in.
Questions:
sight glass: I have one now and can see the top of my rashig ring packing! it "flooded" quite vigorously like a bubble plate does in fancy still videos. dancing bubbles and liquid. never got too high but I was worried so I turned it down with power adjustment. Is that bubbling/liquid load bad or good? it may have been happening before but I couldn't see it before so I don't know.
At the end of the run: I did quite a bit of fiddling and got more "good stuff" ( by ABV) out at the end of the run. Do people usually ride the controls all the way down or are people just content to collect tails as they come for the feints jar. will you ever get anything useful (other than for re-distilling) that late into the run? it seems clearer on a pot still as there is not much you can do to adjust at the end.
​
Thoughts?

I think this is a global problem “Affordable housing” especially for youths, we do not have access to government housing especially for youths who seek independence from family homes, apartments are expensive and salaries are low, unemployment is high in Trinidad. There’s alot of politics and nepotism that goes into acquiring govt houses or apartments so a great business idea will be a non govt affiliated housing/ apartments rent to own or just leased or rental properties made affordable. The issue is the money to start this .

Complaint Warning ! So, I have lived in (South) Huntsville for a long time, and each year they put in storage facilities. It is outrageous how much storage buildings there are. At this point it feels like every new thing is STORAGE. There is some land for sale in my area, and I’m going to lose my mind if they put in storage. It ticks me off. I’d rather they put in housing / apartments (even though they are working on many rental homes right now). I just had to rant about the infestation of storage facilities in South Huntsville.
Edit: instead of storage, it would be nice if they put in more small shopping centers. It feels as though only large corporations exist around HSV (South anyway). The only place I know that is practically only small businesses is Lowe Mill. More places for small businesses please !

Hi Reddit,
So my poor Malibu got totaled from hitting a deer, rip. While I did love the Malibu it’s the second one I’ve totaled from a freak accident that was not my fault lol, so I’m staying away from them. Call me superstitious. Anyways I’m looking for something AWD with decent gas mileage. I’m trying to stay under 25k as well. Here are my options so far,
-2019 Mazda CX5 for $24,994 with 46,582 miles -2020 Subaru crosstrek for $24,950 with 27,000 miles -2017 Infiniti QX30 for $22,995 with 28,466 miles -2020 Chevy equinox for $22,698 with 54,134 miles -2017 Buick encore for $19,500 with 38,035 miles
I know everyone hates Chevy but my family has never had issues with them but doesn’t look like the best option out of these. I’ve read many people prefer the ride and features of the CX5 more than the crosstrek but I like both a lot and the crosstrek is a lot lower on miles. The Buick is cheap and I haven’t heard much bad things about it. As for the Infiniti there really isn’t too much online about it other than roasting it for it’s design lol.
Size wise they look/sound similar and I just need something for a daily commute of 30 miles, plus road trips/camping. I know technically they’re different classes of size but idc about that. Our winters are nasty and with camping we do go off road a bit so that’s the main reason for Awd. The amount of iced up hills here in the winter is insane. I also looked into an Impreza and decided I would probably mess something up with how low to the ground it is lol. Let me know what you guys think of these and which is the best deal/choice please!
Also the market for Toyota and Honda is insane rn and I’m trying not to get something w 100,000 miles on it already.

First Previous Next ​

In a mobile shipyard:

Lord Justiciar Brexdron was more than willing to accept the demotion to captain. His responsibilities as an enforcement officer notwithstanding, this took precedence. Like all Star Sailors, he raged. He raged at the cowardly attack on a peaceful diplomatic ship, he raged at the murder of an almost holy ship, but most of all, he raged at the murder of kin. His mother had grown up on that ship. His grandmother had grown up on that ship. While the Dron patrilineal line had its honors and venerable deeds, he instead had the most pride in the name his sisters carried. His grandmother Trandi "Lucy" Drilldi had pioneered the Mental Health ships for Republican veterans, as a way to ease servicemen into post-service life if they couldn't stand being stationary, Negotiated the RNI Justiciar compliments, and started a minor "best girl" cult by accident. His mother also had an impressive list of honors, as she was the first Star Sailor combat corpsman in the Republican Navy, and while she was a part of a generation of Star Sailors following the example of Linus the Rescuer, they had earned the Star Sailors a high regard within the Republic, giving them a special place unlike that they enjoyed among the stars of any other nation. Any Star Sailor ship, in any nation, was considered Republican space for the purposes of triggering mutual defense treaties, effectively making every Star Sailor under Republican protection, wherever they were, a privilege not extended by any other nation.
All of this made the Murder of the Among the Star Tides We Sing particularly painful to him, and the loss of his kin aboard certainly was no balm. In just a few hours, he would be Captain Brexdron again, unless other captains wished to form a flotilla or even a fleet with him. It was likely he would be at the very least Sir Commandant Brexdron before the day was out, if not Lord Admiral. Not one on the council, not unless his fleet wished him to have a seat, but he wasn't much one for political office. He surveyed the latest war vessel his people had built from keel up, the Among the Star Tides We Rage, and again doubted his decision to volunteer for her captaincy. Was he truly competent to captain a dreadnaught? Could he lead other captains and their ships into the fires of war? These questions and more tugged at his mind as he watched Star Sailors work together with the various races of Terrans in the shipyard.
He knew better than most how the adorable Humans could become more than a little frightful under the right circumstances, and this was one. In the Republic, shipbuilding and modification is a highly competitive field, and firms would rise or fall in the span of mere decades, and the forward sight was ever pressed on by high winds. In this case, the most prestigious shipbuilding firm had sent their top engineers and technicians to assist in the construction of the Among the Star Tides We Rage, and asked for not a single credit, ounce of gold, rare earth deposit, or other medium of exchange in return. They wanted only to sign their names on the keel, a purely ceremonial location of the structure.
As a Lord Justiciar, he'd had a contingent of Terrans in his Landers, and he personally knew that the Humans were the most terrifying. Even though the "uplifts" as they were called had certain unique physical attributes that they had adapted to shipboard fighting admirably, especially the Chimpmandos, but the ingenuity and sheer stubbornness of Humans made them a terror to any criminal vessel they boarded. That, and their ability to survive a ride in a boarding torpedo. This was why he'd requested the Republican Navy send some RNI Shipboard Troopers to fill out her infantry complement. However, unlike the We Sing, the We Rage would have a mixed formation of Star Sailors Landers aboard to provide fire support to the RNI troopers. The Chief Admiral of Republican forces herself had created a formation, plucked the top preforming troopers out of the top preforming formations, except the Lost Boys, and created the Vengeful Vanguard. "Here is the tip of your spear, strike true," she had written.
Additionally, he was reuniting with an old friend. "She's as big as one of our battleships," said that friend over the speakers.
"Aye Marv. Plenty of room for you and your squad."
"Did I ever thank you for saving our ship?" M4rv1n asked.
"Many times, Sergeant? It is sergeant now?"
"Active rank Sergeant, permanent rank Captain, yes."
"A demotion for you as well?"
"Nominally, I still keep my paygrade and clearance."
"My paygrade has increased due to captaining a dreadnaught."
"Your escorts will be ships-of-the line rather than sloops, huh?"
"Aye."
"I'm glad it's you, sir."
"I requested you when I saw your name on the volunteer list. You can still back out, you know. You've already proven your courage."
"They have slaves," M4rvin said over the speakers.
"Aye."

In the harsh conditions of the creatively named Republican Services Hazardous Environment Training Facility 14:

Emily Sullivan ignored the sweat dripping from the tip of her nose as she struggled to suture the simulated wound on a simulated victim. She ignored the splatters of sweat on the inside of her faceplate. She even ignored the ache in her muscles as she forced her armor to move through low power mode. She had a harder time ignoring Instructor Tech Harambe screaming at her, "MOVE IT TT! YOUR PATIENT IS BLEADING OUT TT! YOUR ARMOR IS RUNNING LOW ON POWER TT! ARE YOU TRYING TO STITCH A PRETTY PATTERN SULLIVAN? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO EVAC YOUR PATIENT IF YOUR ARMOR SHUTS DOWN TT?"
"If my armor shuts down I'll get out and walk, IT!"
"WHAT? I THINK I HERAD A LITTLE MOUSE SQUEAK TT, OR WAS THAT YOUR PUNY LITTLE CIVVY VOICE, TT?"
"IF MY ARMOR SHUTS DOWN I'LL GET OUT AND WALK, IT!" She shouted into her helmet mic, all the while she diligently tied off the suture.
"IS THAT SO YOU LITTLE TWIG? YOU THINK YOU CAN CARRY A FULLY GROWN STAR SAILOR FIVE CLICKS UNAIDED? SAY THAT AGAIN AND I'LL SUT YOUR ARMOR DOWN SO YOU CAN SHOW ME!"
"IF MY ARMOR SHUTS DOWN, WE GET OUT, IF THE FLOOR FALLS THROUGH, WE GO DEEPER, IF THE PATIENT HAS GIVEN UP, WE DON'T LET THEM. I AM SAR CORPS! I DO NOT STOP, I DO NOT GIVE UP! IF MY TOOLS BREAK I WILL IMPROVISE, IF I BREAK THE PATIENT DIES, THERFORE I MUST BE UNBREAKABLE!" Trainee Tech Sullivan screamed as she shouldered the simulated patient and began to exfiltrate from the simulated burning building. Simulated only in the sense that the building that was on fire could be set alight over, and over, and over again. "NO POWER" flashed across her faceplate display, and she forced her grip to loosen and exited her armor to face the sweltering heat. Then, she did exactly like she said, and shouldered the simulated patient and struggled under the weight to ensure that she did not cause further injuries to the extraction point.
"Good work Trainee Tech," Instructor Tech Harambe said as he dumped cooling water over his trainee. "Good work."
"Thank you IT," she panted.
"We'll go over your performance for this exercise in half an hour, get some water, get some rest, and try to be tough. You get to know how many simulated patients didn't make it."
"Yes, IT."

In a recently conquered system within the Clans of Eldra:

Captain Lina Chen had been fighting over this planet for days. It was amazing how much fighting someone could do when a bunch of insane LLARP cultists pop out of nowhere and just take out one of the battleships with a single shot, and then proceed to engage the enemies. Their arrival had given the Warp Speed Battle Wagon precious opportunities to pull back and rest, both her stressed reactor and shield generators, and her officers, since the Roma Nova weirdos had this strategy of rotating two main groups to the forward and rear while a third, smaller group was held in reserve and provided support. Plus, that big, stupid temple ship had ammo depots in it somewhere, so she'd been able to restock twice to stay in the fight. Marcus and Mei both told her that their side was probably winning, and she agreed, but none of them really knew much about fighting anything other than pirates.
Even though they'd made a pretty spectacular arrival, and gotten the first kill of the battle before the weirdos ever showed up, the enemy had wised up and kept their shields up at all times and didn't hold back on their weapons. Alexei told her that the Romans were super confident, but they were crazy people, so their confidence wasn't exactly reliable, but the chatter he'd picked up from the enemy was more encouraging. It turned out that the Romans had sniped the bridge of the command and control ship of the enemy with their opening shot. Nobody said that crazy people weren't smart, and she wasn't complaining about fighting alongside them. Not that she'd go drinking with that weird Ponteflex guy, or whatever he was called.
Captain Chen had been keeping an eye on the crew, more than the ship, since her helmsman, weapons officer, and chief engineer had kept the ship from taking any damage. She didn't really get half of what Mei told her from the engine room about the reactor and shield generators, but she said that they were both running hot, but safe, and Jameson hadn't caused any structural stress with his crazy flying, so she kept an eye on the crew. They were starting to show signs of forcing their eyes open, of the exhaustion the added stress of fighting causes, and the slipping of their normal judgement and performance that might get someone hurt or killed. "Heave to," she ordered, "We're going to the back lines for a nap and a snack."
"You got it," Jameson said wearily.
"You too," Marcus said.
"I'm the captain on this tub."
"You want me to make you?" her XO rejoined half-jokingly.
"Two cruisers is a good kill count for this rotation," Maria said as she pulled her hands back from the weapons command station and stretched her arms into the air.
"Marcus," Captain Chen began, "you're not allowed to be that sexy in front of other girls. It's fine, I'll get my snack and my nap too. We'll split the bridge into watches in case something goes sideways."
"Got it cap," came the discordant reply from her bridge crew.
"Why couldn't these xenos have just kept charging at the Romans?" asked Alexei.
"How dare the enemy not be idiots and try to not get killed?" asked Maria.
"Exactly!"
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Partner isn't attracted to me and admits they currently just want access to my family and assets
Hi all, really in need of advice. Me (M, 28) and my fiancé (F, 28) have been together for 5 1/2 years and engaged for half a year. She has managed to lose 2 stone whilst I struggle with my weight and yo-yo. I have stood by her through the most difficult times of her life, gave her a place in my family when her's pushed her away and stood by her as anger issues welled to the surface - I persuaded her to try counseling and a psychologist and she's had such fantastic improvement. She is the complete love of my life and I have sacrificed so much for her with no regret. It's not been easy but then again, when is love?
To cut to the chase, in the last two months she has become increasingly distant, opting to go out with her friends until 3am, has been messaging a guy she met in work long messages ending in rows of kisses and has rejected any attempts to be intimate. I have listed and pushed to spend more time with her and I'm met with no's at each junction. I confronted her about a week ago and on pushing and ultimately tellimg her how low, alone and depressed I feel, she has admitted that she is no longer attracted to me and doesn't feel that 'spark' anymore. However, she doesn't want to leave me because of everything I offer, my family, my car, the house myself and my father are renovating for us to live in, etc. She claims she still loves me but honestly, I just feel worthless and broken. I feel used in that she is essentially dragging me along while figuring out what she wants from me to make this work.
I love her to pieces but my self confidence is shattered. I'm not sure if I even trust that she still loves me and that she isn't at least emotionally cheating on me with this 'friend' she messages. I've attempted to do all I can to compliment her, ask her to do things with me, look after her etc but she just always finds fault / disregards my effort completely. It feels like I'm trying to save our relationship and she just doesn't care.
Is there anything I can even do at this point? I feel miserable and broken but I love her and I just can't throw away the possibility of our future together. If we did break up, she would lose her home (in my name), my family, our friends...and me, though she completed disregards me as mentioned. I want to save our relationship but how do I stop getting taken for a ride?

Hey all, it’s me Frank Jones again. I wrote that post a while ago about why you shouldn’t be a paranormal investigator and a lot of you liked it. Since settling into my hideaway in the mountains, life has become quiet and I thought about checking in. The plague hit us like nothing and now that everyone is wanting to travel again, I thought to say hi. I want to say thanks to all of you who commented and gave me those weird pointy thingies this social media does. Some of you even figured out my post office box address and sent me letters. I appreciate it (and don’t do it again).
The common strain among your posts was wanting to know if I had ever encountered other things as an auditor. Of course I have but I have been reluctant to tell you because I don’t want to shine some sort of light on all of it or make it sound like some romantic adventure. It’s “pissing yourself” fear all wrapped up in a waking nightmare with a side of gory terror. I am one of the few who actually made it to retirement…if that’s what you could call this life I’m living now.
But, I have nothing else to do really. Carl only visits once in a while when he’s passing through and I cannot risk any other sort of company knowing I’ve pissed off a lot of people…and things. So, I’m back on this internet board and sharing. So many are curious, I thought maybe another story can scare you all straight. This was the first time complacency almost got me and another killed.
This story takes place somewhere in the 90s in a small New England town. It was one of those places nestled along the banks of a serene river, historic brick buildings line the winding streets, their facades adorned with weathered signs that hint at the town's seafaring heritage. A place where everything smelled like either the ocean or decaying fish. I’m not going to specifically name the town to protect the young lady that may still be living there but in the heart of the town, there’s a renowned drawbridge which stands as a testament to the place’s affinity for water. Its ancient mechanisms creak and groan when allowing vessels to pass through the calm waterway. It also had some of the best outdoor markets I had a chance to stop and check out.
I didn’t pass through this part of the country that often as my boss preferred me to do the long hauls across the country but there was a dead haul nobody wanted.I took it cause I wanted a change of scenery. I was already working as an auditor and part of a loose alliance of others who investigated and dealt with any weird things. I actually had a few monsters under my belt. I honestly had the foolhardy idea that I could handle anything out there. God, I was an idiot.
The supernatural never crossed my mind until that evening, stopping to fuel up my red 1992 Peterbilt 379 and paying for the gas with the attendant and restocking up on those beef jerky sticks and coffee.
That was when I noticed her. She was a young woman about in her mid 30s looking like one of the corporate types with the short hair cut and business suit. I would have not paid her any mind if it wasn’t for the touch of apprehension on her face as she talked on one of those new fangled bright yellow Nokia cellphones. Soft strands of chestnut hair framed her face, their gentle sway moving as she glanced around while talking on the phone. As I observed her, I couldn't help but notice the way her fingers trembled slightly, when trying to get money out of her pocket. I’ve seen that type of fear before. So, like a creep, I eavesdropped on her call.
“Yes, it happened again,” she had said as the nickels finally made it to the counter to pay for her snacks. “I could have sworn there was something outside the window near the edge of the forest….no, of course the security cameras didn’t pick up anything. They’re cheap. Ronald was a skinflint when it came to things like this. Hope he’s rotting in hell wherever he is.”
My mind began to drift away, more annoyed I couldn’t get a move on it. It sounded like a problem for the police and if anything, I was gonna tell her that. It was what she said next that made me stop and brought back the reality of the world.
“Yeah. like nine or ten feet tall. I’m thinking kids are playing around with scarecrows or something. Won’t come from the edge of the forest and when I check, I can see foot impressions and stuff. I already put in a call to the cops. They found nothing.“
“Did it sway a bit and its eyes seem to glint like a cats or owl?” I asked without thinking.
The look I got from both her and the gas attendant made me realize what I had done. Well, too late now.
“I’ll call you back,” she said quickly, eyeing me as she hung up the phone and slipped it back into her purse.
“You need me to walk you to your car, ma’am?” the attendant asked, staring at me.
Of course, I forgot that The Truck Stop Killer had only been arrested a few years before.
“I’m fine, thank you,” she said, quickly gathering her stuff and making for the door. I slapped the one hundred and seventy bucks on the counter to pay for my diesel guzzler ignoring the change and followed her out but making sure to not move in a way that caused the teenager in the station to call the cops.
“Ma’am,” I called out to her and she turned to me while hurrying up her pace.
“I’ve got pepper spray. Stay away from me.”
“The thing in the woods. You could have sworn you smelled fresh dirt like mulch and it seemed to sway back and forth like it could not keep its balance.” I threw it out there in desperation.
She froze and turned to look at me. Eying me up and down as I kept my distance and angled to head towards my truck.
“How do you know?”
“I…uh…dealt with something like that before. On a job in Canada.”
“Who are you?” she asked, looking at my faded shirt and company logo. “A trucker?”
“I moonlight as a problem solver. Like an auditor of sorts.”
“Who is it?” she demanded, eyes still affixed to me and hand in her purse.
“Better question is ‘what is it?’,” I answered.
I have learned to pick up on the contempt and disbelief from people who hadn’t seen what I have. I was already being dismissed as a whack job.
“You have tracks on your porch you have written off as animals, especially if you own a dog. If you did own a dog, it’s missing. Cops told you it ran away. You got a garden?”
“Yes,” the certainty had started to leave her voice. “A walled garden.”
“And anytime you’re in there, you feel like you’re being watched.”
At that, her hand came out of her purse empty and she approached me with the fear I had seen in her eyes now on her face.
“How did you know?”
“I’d rather not explain out here,” I said sheepishly running my hand through my sandy brown hair that only started getting flecks of gray. “But you got a…pest problem.”
“And you can do something about it? I’ve had exterminators, cops, nature lovers…even a priest.”
“None of those won’t do you any good and I don’t want to scare ya but it’s more active which is not a good sign.”
For a few moments, I could see the indecision in her eyes. The desperate want to dismiss me as a lunatic but whatever she had heard or seen won over.
“Fine. You can follow me to the house.”
“Mind if I hitch a ride?”
The woman started but then looked at my truck. “Promise. I mean you no harm. I really think you’re in danger.”
That was when I found her name was Isabelle Walker.
We left my truck in long-term parking after she told the attendant that I was a long lost relative and that’s why the change of demeanor. I don’t know if he believed her but at that point, I don’t think he cared. I left my truck with its metallic frame standing tall and proud amidst the rows of other vehicles.
I did not realize how desperate this woman was until we got going on the road. I had loaded myself in the passenger seat after pulling out my military backpack from the war which I also used for my auditing services and tried to look as harmless as a man of my stature could.
For the first fifteen minutes of the drive, her focus was on the lonely road, those beautiful eyes darting to me anytime I shifted my weight. I didn’t want to scare her so it was her that spoke first.
“What is it?”
“I really don’t know but the people in my profession call it a Bone Walker.”
The nose crinkled in disbelief.
“Halloween is not for a few more months, Mister…”
“Jones. Frank Jones.”
The James Bond reference caused her to snort in amusement.
“I don’t know what to tell ya, ma’am, except I’ve dealt with some pretty scary things out there. Normally I’m never this forward as most people try to call the cops on me or dismiss me as a lunatic. I mean, I could be a lunatic but I know what I’ve seen.”
“And that is…?”
“You know. Ghosts, vampires, werewolves. They’re real. They’re not common but real nevertheless.”
“Really?”
There was still the disbelief in Isabelle’s voice but I grew to ignore things like this.
“Sure. I mean, think of all the things you experienced and be open to alternate answers.”
Isabelle was quiet for a few minutes and then sighed. “Either you are telling the truth or you're the biggest liar and I’m a fool that’s not going to live through this night.”
“I promise,” I tried to reassure her. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
After a few more minutes and off the main highway, we approached her home. The large house stood resolute amidst the dense, ancient forest, its weathered exterior a testament to the passing of time. It was a grand structure, its imposing presence commanding attention. The sprawling estate exuded an air of mystery and faded grandeur, as if it held stories whispered through generations.
As we pulled in, the main house loomed before me, its facade adorned with intricate woodwork and worn stone. Ivy crept along the walls, weaving an emerald tapestry that hinted at the passage of years. The windows, framed by elegant yet slightly cracked panes, stared out into the world with a mixture of curiosity and melancholy.
To the side, a large shed stood detached from the main house, its weathered boards echoing tales of forgotten tools and lost endeavors. The wooden structure sagged under the weight of time, its roof covered in a patchwork quilt of moss. Inside, shadows danced amidst remnants of a bygone era, rusty equipment and dusty shelves attesting to the once-bustling activity that had long since ceased.
Not far from the shed, a family cemetery nestled amongst the ancient trees. Tombstones, adorned with intricate carvings and weathered inscriptions, dotted the landscape. The hallowed ground exuded a solemn tranquility, as if time stood still in reverence for those who rested eternally in its embrace. Wisps of fog clung to the grassy knolls, lending an ethereal quality to the sacred space.
At the far end of the property, an old walled garden stood as a testament to the house's former splendor. Once vibrant and lush, the garden now appeared overgrown and untamed. Stone paths meandered through a sea of tangled foliage, leading to hidden nooks and forgotten corners. Dilapidated stone benches, adorned with intricate carvings, sat scattered throughout the garden, silent witnesses to a time when laughter and conversation filled the air.
As I stood amidst the silence of the forest, the house, shed, cemetery, and walled garden formed a tapestry of history and mystery. They were a testament to the ebb and flow of life, the remnants of a bygone era that clung to the present. Within their weathered walls, secrets whispered and memories danced, waiting to be discovered by those who dared to venture into their enigmatic embrace.
“Great place to be haunted, huh?” she said with sarcasm. “My ex left it to me in the divorce. Was only going to be here long enough to sell it but no one wants it and my job wants me to move to this state anyway.”
“Where are you originally from?”
“California.”
“So, this is definitely a change of scenery for you,”
Isabelle only hummed back at me as she fumbled for her keys in the dying light of evening. I pulled my backpack closer to me as my eyes scanned the treeline where the shadows had begun to deepen. Nothing stood out against the silhouettes of ancient trees which was a good sign. I wasn’t too late.
Stepping through the weathered front door, I entered the interior of the old house, greeted by a mix of nostalgia and faded elegance. The air carried a hint of mustiness, a reminder of the countless years the house had to have witnessed. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light filtering through the stained-glass windows, I could make out the clash between old decor and the modern furniture Isabelle had bought.
The foyer, adorned with a worn, threadbare rug. The walls, once adorned with portraits and intricate wallpaper, now bore the markings of time's passage. The wooden banister of the grand staircase, polished with use, creaked softly under my touch as we made our way towards the living room.
Moving further into the house, I found myself in a spacious living room. Large, ornate windows which would have allowed slivers of daylight to filter through the heavy velvet curtains. The walls were adorned with faded wallpaper. An aged fireplace, its stone mantle adorned with trinkets and old photographs, served as the heart of the room.
“You want some coffee?” Isabelle asked, throwing her keys on to the coffee table. I sat down on her couch and dropped my backpack on it with a clunk.
“Sure.”
“Sugar?”
“A lot.”
The kitchen light clicked on and I heard her moving about setting up the coffee pot. The adrenalin was now pumping through me as my mind raced. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail on what a Bone Walker is but it’s a creature that usually haunts the western coast. It being so far out east was strange. I pulled out my old gun bag and unrolled it. My Stevens Model 520-30 “Trench” shotgun was the first thing I reached for as I popped open the internal pouch holding he high flash shells I was glad I packed. It was the startled sound from Isabelle that made me quickly look up.
She stood there with my coffee, eyes locked on the shotgun in my hand. I slowly held up one of the cartridges I was planning to load.
“Flash powder shotgun shells. No load. Just makes a loud noise and a bright white light. What we’re facing lives in the shadows and hates light…normally,” I had heard stories that they could strike in the day but it was extremely rare. She didn’t need to know that.
“Oh,” was her quiet response. “Do…do I need a gun?”
“You know how to use one?”
“No.”
“Then it’ll do more harm than good. You got any flashlights?”
Isabelle nodded mutely, the gravity of the situation sinking in at the array of weapons and items in my pack laid out in front of her.
“Go get them.”
While she was gone, I quickly unloaded the silver bullets out of my Makarov pistol (a gift from a Viet Cong officer and a story for another time) and placed normal 9mm rounds in the clip. I had it holstered under my jacket with the two back up clips when she returned with three cheap flashlights.
“One in your hand and one in your pocket.”
“Why?”
“In case you drop the one you are holding.”
The woman obeyed silently.
As night fell quickly around us, I slung my shotgun over my shoulder and with Isabelle close, we made our way upstairs. There were tell tale signs I needed to check as the only advantage I had over this thing was the fact it stuck to a pattern. If it was at the stage I thought it was, there would be signs.
“Which room is yours?” I asked.
Isabelle pointed to a door down the hallway across from a large window. Approaching it, I quickly shined my flashlight at the mahogany door frame. It was the glint that caught my eye. Deep gouges in the wood.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Claw marks,” I responded. There was no use sugar coating anything now.
“This thing was in my house?” Isabelle said horrified.
“For the last few weeks now,” I said, my nose picking up the faint odor of dirt and mud.
“Why didn’t it attack me then?”
“It wasn’t time.”
“What?”
Talking was going to be the only thing to keep her focused. I had felt the world shift a bit as night fell and I needed her not to panic.
“Bone Walkers are ritualistic creatures. They are very choosy over their prey. It can take a month or two before they move in. That’s why they are so hard to catch.”
“Criteria? Like what?”
“We don’t know.”
That was the honest truth. The only reason we knew their existence and patterns was thanks to blind luck and people surviving their encounters. I showed my light around looking for other signs. Discolored stains in the corners where shadows would naturally form, healthy moss and mold that shouldn’t be there. I found a patch around her bed. She did not notice and I did not want to tell her that it probably stood over her through the night watching her sleep. The sooner I buried this thing, the better.
“Frank!”
There was a trill of terror in Isabelle’s voice and I immediately looked to where she was. The woman was standing by her bedroom window staring out at something. I quickly moved and spotted what she saw. In the forest, at the edge of the shadow cast by the moonlight was an almost, imperceptible form. It stood nine feet, hunched over like a broken scarecrow, its owl like eyes staring back at us.
“Shit,” I muttered. Thank god we had turned on the lights as we went.
It was the flash of light and the crack of thunder that heralded the arrival of the storm. The lights of this old houses flickered which caused my belly to flop a few times. My brain was on fire as I glanced back from the lightbulb to where the creature was and found it had vanished.
“Where did it go?”
I did not have time to explain as another crack of lightning caused the lights to dim. I grabbed Isabelle roughly by the arm and yanked her back down the hallway towards the living room where I had left my stuff. We barely made it to the living room when the lights dimmed low. I grasped the glow sticks out of the bag, cracked a handful and scattered them about, their bright yellow light beginning to glow. The power then went out bathing us only in the eerie glow of the emergency lighting.
As we waited in breathless anticipation, the storm struck, its wrath manifesting in torrential rain. The mansion seemed to respond, succumbing to a power outage that plunged us into an abyss of blackness only moments before.
A trill of terror coursed through me. I knew this Bone Walker thrived in darkness, using it as a cloak to conceal its malevolence. We auditors were not sure if it actually teleported or it preferred to move in pitch darkness. I just knew that the black was our biggest threat.
For a few moments, we could only hear the ragged breathing of the two of us being drowned out by the pounding rain against shingle and glass. Isabelle had wound her hand into my jacket pocket and was gripping it tightly, I could feel her shaking with terror. I kept my shotgun gripped tightly in my hand listening for the tell tale sound of its arrival.
It was the movement out of the corner of my eye and the fact her grip got tighter on my jacket. I swiftly turned on my high-powered flashlight as I spun around and the brilliant beam pierced the obscure corner of the room. No matter what I had read or seen before did not prepare me for what I saw.
It stood there in the corner, its eight foot height engulfing that section of the house. My eyes strained as it appeared the thing was struggling to stay in focus. Its arms were too long for its body, spindly and almost to the floor while the legs appeared backwards giving it a strange forward leaning look. It wore a hunter’s long coat and trousers but through the rips and tears I could make out something squirming and moving underneath. The air filled with the stench of decaying plants and diseased vegetation. Its face was covered with what looked like the remnants of a cheap bandanna but its owl-like eyes gleaned back with malevolence.
Isabelle whimpered, her fear palpable in the room and the Bone Walker lunged toward us. Even though my fear was ripping through me like an unstoppable train, I had the sense to pull the trigger of my shotgun aimed in its direction. The flash and resounding roar painted the entire room in a brilliant black and white shadow causing every corner and edge to appear thick and vivid. The creature screamed and fell to the side into the shadow not illuminated by the weapon’s fire.
Isabelle had thrown herself on the couch and was huddled there, trembling with terror, while I moved quickly to crack a few more glow sticks and toss them into the dark corners of the room. In one, I saw its foot recoil back into the kitchen where it was darker than night itself. This was quicker than I had anticipated. The plans I had been formulating on the drive were no longer viable. I wanted to lure it to where I controlled the battlefield but that was not an option anymore. This had become a cat and mouse game and I knew this was with a predator I could not even hope to understand and had years to hone.
Out of the kitchen again this thing charged forward, relentless in its pursuit, it was trying to find a way around my light barrier which only appeared to slow it down. With shaking hands, I fired several more rounds, each blast forcing the creature to retreat and the girl to scream in terror. As soon as it retreated to a dark part of the house, I turned to where the woman of the house had been. To my horror, Isabelle's fear had gotten the best of her. In that moment of panic, she darted from the safety of the light, towards the hallway and the door outside.
“Isabelle! Stop!” I yelled trying to command her back with my voice but I doubted she heard me. Between the abject horror and the relentless rain, she was going to take her chance. A chance I knew she did not have.
I only took a step when I sensed it. The musty smell of an organic landfill overwhelmed me as the form silently darted past me, its long arm clobbering me up the side of the head. The world spun as pain burst through my brain. I felt the world tilt and fall heavily to the ground, flashlight and shotgun falling away.
As I slipped in and out of consciousness, I knew I was a sitting duck for this thing. There was no way for me to stop it from ripping me to shreds like some of the corpses I had seen. As I blinked, I came to my senses and realized I was alone. How long I had actually been on the ground, I did not know.
I sat up, my head pounding and I could see the door hanging open, the wind slamming the door on its hinges and the rain soaking the hallway floor. Struggling, I found my flashlight and gun and pulled myself together.
There was a slim chance that Isabelle was still alive. I had to think. Where would it go? I ran all the stories I could think of and then it hit me. The garden. The walled garden.
I charged into the rain-soaked night. I sprinted toward the enclosed garden at the edge of the property. As I grew closer, I saw that the rusted door was open and hope flickered in my soul. As I came to a stop, I brought my flashlight up again with my shotgun and saw it.
This creature stood there in the middle of the overgrown garden, its massive clawed hand wrapped around Isabelle’s chest and holding her up. Out from under its bandanna mask, putrid vines had appeared and led up to Isabelle’s face where they were forcing their way down her throat and up her nose. I could see the wide terror in her eyes as vines were snaking their way around her waist and I did not want to think about what they were planning to do.
I brought up the shotgun again and fired. Knowing that I had distance, the flash of light caught the creature by surprise. It shrieked as it fell back. Trying desperately not to release its prey. I did not hesitate to grab the machete at my side and hack at its arm until Isabelle fell down free of it.
It’s claw swiped at me striking me on the leg and easily tearing through my pants leaving bloody lacerations but I put the weapon point blank and fired another round. I do not know if it was the flash, the combination of the creature, or that the almighty above was looking out for me, but the creature caught ablaze from the spark.
It fell back swinging wildly as the fire spread unnaturally fast catching the plants around it on fire. Within a matter of seconds, the walled garden had become ablaze with the bone walker in the center. As I ripped the vines out of Isabelle’s mouth and dragged her towards the door, I looked up to see those owl-like eyes looking at me with such abject hatred that the look stick with me today.
I honestly don’t know how we survived. I had helped Isabelle to her porch and we both passed out against our will from the sheer terror and exhaustion. We were awoken by the sound of a siren. The lights had come back on sometime in our sleep and the rain had drifted off to a comforting drizzle. The fire was still raging in the garden but contained by the ancient walls. At least two fire trucks, an ambulance and cops were flying up the private road towards us.
This entire hunt had been ill-planned and stupid. I knew it. As the cops approached with their hand on their pistols, I knew that I had allowed my own ego to get in the way. I should have taken Isabelle somewhere else until I had done a proper reconnaissance. I shouldn’t have taken her home where it was waiting. And now, the cops were looking at two thoroughly soaked humans, one a trucker with a wound and a gun and a young lady in distress. I was pretty sure I was going to go to jail.
“Isabelle?” One of the cops and his voice caused her to sit up, relief washing over her.
“Derek!” she wailed. “We were attacked! In the garden!”
Another two cops that had arrived had taken off in that direction while Derek helped the girl up and took her towards the ambulance. The other cop with a comically large mustache looked at me with keen eyes, his hand still on his pistol, sergeant stripes glowing in the light.
“Attacked?”
“Yeah,” I said, sitting up slowly and keeping my hand away from the shotgun and trying not to show the one under my jacket. “Someone came after Mrs. Walker. They were in the garden.”
The cop watched me closely but there seemed to be a recognition in his eyes.
“You by any chance Frank Jones?”
My heart jumped and I must have looked startled as the cop’s face broke into a smile. To my relief, his hand fell away from his holstered sidearm.
“I’ll take that for a yes. My guess is you don’t remember me. Clay Wilson. Santa Fe PD, about six years ago. You helped my partner with a...problem. Nellie Nelson?”
I knew the name but the face escaped me.
“She told me you helped her audit a police union building.”
“Ah, yes,” I said, remembering dealing with the wraith and the twinge in my right arm from it’s bite.
The cop looked towards the fire that was slowly being put out by the fire fighters.
“Any chance this will be one of your audits?”
“Yeah.”
He seemed to think for a few minutes and then nodded.
“Then I think you need to grab that shotgun of yours and hitch a ride with me before too many people ask questions. Whatcha think?”
I nodded. I was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I collected my stuff quickly from the living room and made my way back out where he was waiting. As I limped with the cop to his car, I looked towards Isabelle who was being held by the other. She gave me a look of thankfulness as the cop looked at his partner with confusion.
“Her brother’s got her,” Clay said, opening the back door for me. I was not gonna argue or fight. If he took me to jail or not.
And that was it. My leg was not as bad off as I thought and wrapped it in the back of the police car. Clay only asked where I wanted to go and he took me back to my truck. With that time, I was back on the road with that small town in the rear view mirror.
I never did find out what happened to Isabelle after that, if another creature came looking for her or if she had a chance to live in peace. I just knew that we both barely made it out alive and that was due to my own stupidity. I was furious with myself for weeks after that and told myself I wouldn’t put another person in jeopardy like that again. At least, despite my idiocy, another life was saved and another monster was put in the ground...I hoped. I never did find out if they found a body.

​
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So I recently drove the UX250h and really enjoyed it. It’s a great riding vehicle. Perfect for my daily commuter to the city when I actually go to the office (once a week maybe).
The dealer is offering the car for 34k but aren’t willing to negotiate further. They said that the price is simply the price and they are low on supply anyways.
Just wanna see what people think about the deal? I’ve checked a few other places near me and the deals just are nowhere as good.
Should I wait to see if the price comes down a bit more or pull the trigger?