#Neil has the patience of a saint but they managed to make him snap after all

[raggedy-spaceman]

Neil finally snapped.

[djhinnwe]

Stranger Things: If Billy Ever Needs a Redemption Arc, This Is My Headcanon (WIP)

The void, the in between of worlds, is a place few know and even fewer visit. Darker than midnight beneath cloud cover, as dank as a swamp in spring, with static akin to changing stations on a radio. A shadowed figure strolls through the dank dark between rows of doors, the station changing between each one. One in particular catches the figure’s attention and they open it to the sounds of music from outside the year they know. With a slick smile, the figure opens the door and steps through to the sound of Pink’s “Secrets”.

    ---

    Pa’s Garage and Diner sits on the edge of Hawkins, Indiana, standing proud along the highway to serve its purpose as a refuel for truckers. Whether the trucker needs to eat, sleep, or simply pick up some gas, Paul Blacks built the Diner to serve the profession the accident of ‘69 had forced him out of. Up until her death Saundra, Paul’s wife, had run the diner end while Paul dealt with the mechanics and gas end of things. She is the one who insisted on taking in foster children, and for that Paul still finds himself grateful. From the system they had given a home to Saskia Dawn, a native teen they had managed to get their hands on after she was kicked out of her final residential school. Once Saundra passed, the torch passed from wife to husband, and father to daughter.

    Saskia Dawn sits in the open garage, her foot tapping to a beat only she can hear while she works on a 1949 Harley-Davidson WLA. She hums as she works, hopping off her stool and triple-stepped to change out her tools. When she finds what she is looking for, she twirls and taps back to her station.

    A bang of metal hitting concrete breaks her attention. “Fer the love o’ Gods,” she mutters as she grabs a pipe wrench and marches toward a shelf full of spare parts. “Can’t get one night o’ peace, can I?” Saskia Dawn demands of the invisible entity. She squats down to pick up the offending rim.

    A black and brown ophidian lunges toward her off the shelf. It opens its maw to reveal several rows of teeth. Saskia snatches the ophidian out of the air and slams it onto the ground. Her heavy boot stomps on its head. The satisfying crack of bone echos in the otherwise empty garage. She swings the pipe wrench down over and over until she severs the ophidian’s head from its body. She picks it up by the tail and scoffs. “Geese woulda been hard.”

    ---

    Fear breeds anger. Fear breeds resentment. Fear breeds hatred.

    Neil Hargrove slams his son into the bookcase his wife, Susan Hargrove, had just purchased a few days before. “I bring you here to start a new life, and this is how you repay me?” he yells, the quiet scream that sends shivers down Susan’s spine and makes Max Mayfield cover her ears even though she is in her bedroom. “By getting in trouble with the police?”

    Billy looks away from his father. For all his bravado, he can’t find the strength to stand up to his father. Nor can he find the words to speak. Fighting Steve Harrington is easy. Steve doesn’t know how to hold his ground.

    “Is jail what you want? Look at me.”

    He’s frozen.

    “I said, look at me.”

    Billy closes his eyes to steel himself. If Max hadn’t opened her damn mouth to her father, they would still be in California. If Susan hadn’t said yes to Neil, Billy would have left and not looked back. He would have been free. Neil grabs his face and forces Billy to look at him.

    “You will not make another mistake. Do you understand?”

    “Yes sir.”

    “Useless felon,” Neil snarls and gives in to the temptation of slapping his son again. “Pull this shit again, and you’ll be without a roof over your head.” He shoves Billy into the shelving unit one more time before taking a step back and turning his attention to Susan. “Go make dinner.”

    Billy takes just enough time to compose himself before he storms outside and throws himself into his car. He takes off, ignoring the sight of Max climbing onto Lucas Sinclair’s bike. He still remembers the thunk of the spiked bat landing between his legs like a guillotine. Fighting with her is not worth it, not that she deserves to suffer for her mother’s stupidity either. She could have chosen different losers to hang out with, though.

    The next time he slows down is in front of the Wheeler house. Karen Wheeler is home, but so is her ingrate of a husband, Ted. Billy hesitates and takes a drag of his cigarette. The thought of storming in and stealing Karen away on one of their rendezvous, Ted be damned. Bastard wouldn’t notice, but Holly needs her mother and as much as Billy doesn’t care, Karen does and he doesn’t want to lose such a nice piece of tail quite yet. She is fun, and free.

    And the knowledge. Oh man, the knowledge.

    The corner of his mouth twitches and he drives. Scenes fly by his window and he loses himself into the blaring radio and the empty asphalt. He could just keep going, not look back. Just like he’d intended in California before everything went to shit.

    Except he hasn’t topped up the gas, or grabbed the money from under his mattress, and the car is rolling to a stop. He hisses through his teeth as he stares at the gas gauge with its arrow pointing to the E. His fists smash against the steering wheel over and over, not quite enough to break the wheel the same way he had broken Steve Harrison’s face, but close. “SHIT!”

    Billy flings himself from the car and kicks the useless piece of junk, still swearing. The approaching truck, an ancient thing that look as though its lifespan should have ended more than a decade ago, does little to dissuade Billy’s abuse on his car.

    “You alright, boy-o?” the driver asks. Billy swings around, caught off guard by the good-natured voice. The stranger, a balding man whose hair must have migrated from his head to his arms, smiles with the patience of a saint. “What’s got your goat, aye?”

    Billy shoves his hands into his back pockets and holds his chin high to curb his embarrassment. “Ran out of gas.”

    “Aye. Cars’ll do that. Normally I got a jerry, but a sweet li’l lady needed a bit of a rescue out the way. Hop in, and I’ll get you taken care of.”

    Billy shifts his weight with indecision. The adults ignore him unless he does something worthy of their attention, and they’re all too happy to chastise him for it. The man seems harmless, but harmless is not always so.

    “Could walk, too,” the man says and gestures down the highway toward Hawkins. “Gas station’s ‘bout a mile back. You look fit, shouldn’t be an issue.”

    With one more curse, Billy storms around to the truck’s passenger side door and yanks it open. “I’ll take the ride, thank you,” he grumbles and pulls himself inside.

    The man’s smile turns into a grin and he holds out a wide, worn hand. “Name’s Paul. Nice to meet-ya.”

    Billy takes the hand, noting the calluses and burn marks between the mottling. “Billy,” he introduces himself. The man, Paul, radiates a steady warmth as he drives. He talks without expecting Billy to answer, and Billy is torn between annoyance and muddled gratitude.

    How he missed the turn-off to the garage was beyond him. The sign may as well be neon, with the chipping mint green paint with red lettering not needing help in standing out, and the structure is...obvious. Two pumps sit in front of a diner, with an extra door presumably leading into the attached garage. A woman around his age sits in front of the second door, one leg swung lazily over the other as she smokes a cigarette. Her dark eyes watch him beneath fringe bangs in a way that make his stomach flip. Instinctively he checks his hair. She ashes the cigarette against the side of her armrest.

    “Saskia Dawn’ll take care of ya, boy-o. Looks like the kitchens need me,” Paul says and hands Billy the large jerry can. Billy follows Paul’s gaze into the windows of the diner where something has caught fire.

    He huffs. “Okay.”

    “Come in when you get your car back. I got some pie for you.” The warmth surprises him. He nods to Paul’s back and straightens his jacket. He approaches the woman, Saskia Dawn by his guess, and gives her one of his most charming smiles. The same one that had Karen falling over herself when she had opened the door that fateful day.

    “What’s a pretty thing like you, doing in a place like this?” he asks with as much sincerity as he can muster as he props his foot onto a log being used as a side table and leans over her.

    Saskia Dawn blows smoke in his face with the most disinterested expression he has ever witnessed. She sees through me. A ripple of power emanates from her and he can’t hide the shiver. His smile only wavers when she asks, “Depends. What’s a donkey’s behind like you need?”

    He forces a laugh and she cocks a brow. Lifting the jerry can, he waves it in front of her. “What do you think?”

    “Haircut,” she quips dryly. She stabs the cigarette out in a crystal ashtray and pushes herself out of the chair. Billy frowns as he steps away to let her by. She snatches the jerry can out of his hand and walks to the pumps. “Pa say you were payin?”

    “He has pie,” Billy said, cursing himself as he follows her to the pump. She grunts and starts filling the jerry can. He pulls his cigarettes, placing one between his lips as he goes for his lighter.

    “No smokin around the pumps,” Saskia Dawn interjects. He flicks the lighter, it doesn’t light. “Don’t care if you want to blow yourself up, but I’m interested in dyin today.”

Billy purses his lips, but the quiet power reminds him of his father and he has quite enough confrontation for one night. He shoves the cigarette back into his jeans. “Happy now?” he snaps at her. This earns him a shrewd smile.

“It’ll do,” she says. It feels like praise.

“My money’s in my car,” he starts, leaning against the pump and shoving his hands in his pockets where he fiddled with the lighter. “I’ll-”

“Don’t worry about it. Pa’s got pie,” Saskia Dawn says, as though he is supposed to understand the damn pie reference. He balls his fists. “Means he don’t expect to be paid. Where you parked?”

    ---

    The drive with Saskia Dawn back to his car is different from the ride to the gas station with Paul. She is quiet, smoking a fresh cigarette and tapping the ash out the window, looking straight ahead. Billy wonders if her silence stems from her father’s ramblings. He watches her and realizes the quiet is just as peaceful and warm as Paul’s stories.

“If you don’t return the jerry can yourself, keep in mind that I’ll find ya.”

    Billy blinks and sits up as the truck coasts to a stop. “I’ll return it,” he says, hand on the door handle. Saskia Dawn starts to give him a nod, but something outside catches her attention. She grabs his arm. The grip is strong, but it doesn’t hurt. Billy can’t see what she’s looking at.

“Wait here,” she orders, her expression serious as she barrels out of the truck and grabs a pitchfork from the truck bed. Billy hops out and she twirls to face him as the night air fills with a rattling sound. “Back. Inside. Now.” The urgency in the order means squat.

“No one tells me what to do,” Billy growls, stepping toward her in a way that causes most people to change their pants. She stares at him as the rattling gets louder. It’s too dark to tell if she’s blinking, but she isn’t rising to the occasion. If he throws a punch, she won’t bother meeting it with anything except the pitchfork.

“Suit yourself.”   

A hiss catches Billy’s attention, just over the rattle. He can’t pinpoint the sound at first, not until the pitchfork lands next to his foot and he hops back to see her fighting a diamondback rattlesnake. At least that’s all he can assume it is in the dark, though it’s large and fat for a snake and unearthly wails fill the air, mixing together with Saskia Dawn’s angry breaths. “Stupid. Don’t learn. Motherf-...GAH!” The pounding of her pitchfork gets heavier as the creature writhes and stills. She brandishes the pitchfork at Billy. “Please, get the sack from the back of the truck. When we-”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

“Boy, do I sound like I’m tellin right now? Get the damn sack and enjoy the damn pie. I don’t have time for your shit right now.” The quiet power she wields roars over Billy like a tidal wave. His anger builds and he loses focus, the world fading to haze. When he comes to Saskia Dawn has him pinned to the side of her truck with more force than his father had mustered when throwing him into the bookcase. He struggles, but the grip is there and he feels her power and he wants it as much as he wants to hide from it. His breathing slows and he closes his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters, because that is what is expected of him.

“I don’t want your apologies. I want the rucksack.”

He staggers when she releases him, knees quacky from the rush of adrenaline. Blood ran down his temple and he saw the broken bits of glass that should have been from her head going through the window, but somehow she had put his through instead. “I’m sorry,” he breathes again.

She grabs the rucksack from the back of the truck, along with a sharp metal stick and scoops the unidentifiable corpse into the sack. “I told you. I don’t want no apology. Should only say ‘em when you mean ‘em, and right now you’re in shock, not remorseful.” She ties the sack off and tosses into the bed in what can only be described as a single motion. “If you want some good pie, go back to the diner. And watch out for snakes.” --- TBC

[gossipgirl2019-blog]

Which current Premier League stars are good enough to become 'club legends'?

New Post has been published on https://gr8gossip.xyz/which-current-premier-league-stars-are-good-enough-to-become-club-legends/

Which current Premier League stars are good enough to become 'club legends'?

It’s an accolade like no other.

The fickle nature of Premier League fans is nothing to be proud of.

Many players who were once ridiculed and bemoaned are now remembered fondly back at their old stomping ground, some even paraded as ‘club legends.’

SIGN UP – WIN £10k BY PLAYING DREAM TEAM WEEKENDER THIS WEEKEND

Getty – Contributor

Pascal Cygan is an Arsenal legend, apparently

But what exactly constitutes a legend?

How do former flops come to be endeared by the same supporters who aged whenever they saw *that* name on the team-sheet?

I guess time really is the best healer.

Getty – Contributor

Ivan Campo. An icon at the Bernabeu

It got us thinking… which Premier League stars might earn themselves legend status at their current clubs?

It might not necessarily be the best player at the club, but perhaps one who has built a certain rapport with the fans.

We’ve attempted to predict one player from each Premier League club who might end up cast in bronze one day…

Arsenal – Aaron Ramsey

Times Newspapers Ltd

Two-time FA Cup winner

There’s a massive disclaimer attached to this one.

Considering that Ramsey does sign a new deal with Arsenal, there’s no reason why this couldn’t happen.

The Welshman has been through hell and back with the Gunners, including an almost career ending injury in 2010.

The 27-year-old has come out the other side stronger and worked hard to prove his many doubters wrong.

Ramsey has popped up with two FA Cup final winning goals, a feat which alone could see him hailed as an Arsenal legend.

Bournemouth – Lewis Cook

Getty Images – Getty

He’s knocking on the door of Gareth Southgate’s England squad

Cook is a player with the world at his feet.

Having made the move from Leeds in 2016, the midfield maestro is still finding his feet in the Premier League.

Eddie Howe is allowing the youngster to adapt, however this season could be the one when Cook becomes a household name.

With Howe set to stay and build a dynasty with Bournemouth, the 21-year-old could become a player he forges his future teams around.

Cook has already captained the England U21 side and could well end up as the Cherries skipper in the future too.

Brighton – Lewis Dunk

News Group Newspapers Ltd

Captain fantastic

Dunk has been through all the ranks at Brighton. He’s had to work for his chance.

The towering centre-back signed his first professional contract with the Seagulls in 2010 and has since become club captain.

The 26-year-old has already turned down lucrative moves away from the Amex, and looks to have his heart set on establishing Brighton as a Premier League force.

Dunk signed a new five-year-contract on the South Coast just last year. He screams of a future Brighton legend to me.

Burnley – Nick Pope

PA:Empics Sport

He’s been made to wait for his chance to shine

Pope’s story is an unbelievable one. From Milkman to World Cup call-up, this man has done it all.

The Burnley goalkeeper emerged from nowhere to save the day last season after Tom Heaton’s season-ending injury.

The 26-year-old has utmost of another ten years in him for the Clarets and might well establish himself as England’s No1 on the way.

If Pope resists the temptation of a move away from Turf Moor, we can easily see him becoming a legend with Burnley.

Cardiff City – Danny Ward

Getty – Contributor

A late bloomer, similar to Jamie Vardy

Cardiff were still been hunting for their first goals of the Premier League season, until Ward came along.

Having spent most of his career bouncing from club to club on loan deals, the forward looks to have found his forever home with the Bluebirds.

The 26-year-old could score the goals to keep Neil Warnock’s side in the Premier League this season and beyond.

With a lack of funds available for Cardiff to simply snap up the best strikers around, Ward could be the man they throw their hat on for many years to come.

His emergence from the footballing wilderness makes his story an even more romantic one.

Chelsea – Cesar Azpilicueta

Getty Images – Getty

Mr reliable

READ MORE OF THE BEST FANTASY FOOTBALL TIPS FROM OUR EXPERTS:

Azpiliecueta is the type of calming influence everyone needs in their life.

The versatile defender has become one of Chelsea’s most consistent players since his arrival from Marseille in 2012.

The 29-year-old has seen his role change in recent seasons, however his level of performance and commitment has never waived.

Affectionately referred to as ‘Dave’ by Chelsea fans, the Spaniard has already built that special rapport with the Blues supporters.

Surely he will be remembered as a legend at the Bridge.

Crystal Palace – Wilfried Zaha

Getty – Contributor

He’s one of their own

Zaha ended months of speculation when he pledged his future to Palace last month.

The forward’s new deal will keep him at the club until at least 2023. We can see him staying beyond even then.

The 25-year-old came through the ranks at Selhurst Park and has emerged as the club’s talisman figure. They simply can’t win without him.

Zaha will without doubt become a player worthy of legend status if he finishes his career with the Eagles.

Everton –  Jordan Pickford

Reuters

He’s already on his way to becoming an England legend

Everton have a history of sticking with their goalkeepers for long periods – Just ask Tim Howard.

The Toffees will have no problem standing by a shot-stopper with the quality of Pickford.

The 24-year-old impressed in his debut season at Goodison Park and could well be in it for the long-run.

Pickford’s loyalty to Everton will no doubt be tested during his blossoming career.

If he can resist attention from elsewhere, the England hero might find himself a future Everton hero too.

Fulham – Aleksandar Mitrovic

Reuters

This man is only 23-years-old

Since joining Fulham on-loan in January, Mitrovic’s love-affair with the club began.

The Serbian joined the Cottagers permanently this summer, and taking into account his first spell, has scored more goals than anyone else in English football’s top four leagues.

The 23-year-old has proved his critics wrong and left Newcastle wishing that they had never given up on him.

Mitrovic is already Serbia’s all-time top scorer and could well become Fulham’s if he keeps up his current form.

Huddersfield – Mathias Jorgensen

Reuters

He’s been an ever-present for Huddersfield

Since joining Huddersfield in 2017, Jorgensen has become a stalwart figure for David Wagner’s side.

The towering centre-back was instrumental in the Terriers’ survival snatching campaign and will be a key-player if they are to stay up once again.

The Dane has already endeared himself to the fans after he offered to buy all the travelling fans a pint at one of last season’s away games.

If Jorgensen helps secure back-to-back Premier League survivals, he will be well on his way to becoming a Huddersfield legend.

Leicester – Jamie Vardy

Getty Images – Getty

He’s already got his hands on the top prize

Vardy’s scoring antics in the Foxes’ Premier League title winning campaign has booked him a place in the club’s hall of fame.

Just to ensure he banked cult hero status for life, the striker turned down Arsenal to stay with the club who gave him his big chance. Fair play.

Vardy can’t help but endear himself to Foxes supporters, even retiring from international duty to prolong his career in the east Midlands.

The rags to riches story of Vardy makes his success even more romantic for Leicester fans.

Liverpool – Virgil van Dijk

Getty – Contributor

The flying Dutchman

A close contest between Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk was won by the Dutchman.

The former Southampton man has plugged a major gap in Liverpool’s leaky defence.

It’s no coincidence that the arrival of the 27-year-old has resulted in the Reds launching their most serious title challenge in years.

Van Dijk is almost guaranteed to become a future captain at Anfield and soak up the fan’s adulation as a result.

Mo Salah wasn’t in contention considering his impending transfer to Real Madrid, right?

Man City – Vincent Kompany

AFP

Is that Jack Rodwell in the background?

It was simply impossible to not pick Kompany.

The Belgian has been the heartbeat of Man City since joining in 2008 and it doesn’t look like ending any time soon.

Having snapped up seven major honours with the club, Kompany is a player who will forever be regarded as a legend in Manchester (the blue side).

They should be casting him in bronze as we speak.

Man United – Marcus Rashford

PA:Press Association

He’s got time on his side

The likelihood of this will depend heavily on Rashford’s patience.

The 20-year-old is in no rush to make any decisions about his future, but there will come a point where it’s a case of stick or twist.

The wonderkid’s toughest test will be dislodging Romelu Lukaku, unless Jose Mourinho or a future manager works them both into a system.

Rashford is already a firm-favourite with United fans, who would much rather see him given more opportunities than allow a potential future icon leave.

Newcastle – Martin Dubravka

Getty – Contributor

The shot-stopper has emerged as an important player

There are slim-pickings to choose from in the current Newcastle crop, their supporters will even tell you that.

Dubravka has however stepped up to the mark when his side needed him most, proving to be an inspired-purchase in January.

The Slovakian goalkeeper will be a busy man again this season and will no doubt build on his growing relationship with the fans.

We can’t see him having a statue next to Alan Shearer anytime too. He could definitely get the nod for a legend’s game in the future though.

Southampton – James Ward-Prowse

Reuters

He’s becoming the Saints latest one club man

A product of the famed Southampton academy, Ward-Prowse is a player with undoubted quality.

Having racked up 30 or more Premier League appearances in the last three seasons, the midfielder’s stock continues to rise.

Ward-Prowse is an obvious replacement for Steven Davis as club captain, and stands out in a side which otherwise lacks real quality.

The metronome midfielder could well become the Saints latest one club man, in a similar mould to Matt Le Tissier.

Spurs – Harry Kane

Getty – Contributor

Obvious, we know

Spurs fans will let you know during every game at Wembley, or whichever stadium they happen to be at that week, that Kane is “one of their own.”

His ties to the club, partnered with his outrageous scoring record, make him an obvious candidate to be a club legend.

Gareth Bale saw his legend status fall by the wayside following his move to Real Madrid.

If Kane stays loyal to Spurs, it’s only a matter of time before he’s returning to the club with a pot-belly and receding hairline in 30 years.

Watford – Troy Deeney

Getty Images – Getty

Mr Watford

Deeney is the first player who comes to mind when you think of Watford.

The bulldozer striker continues to deliver for the Hornets, despite being written off by fans and pundits alike.

Having been with the club since 2010, he’s nearing a decade of making some of football’s best defenders look like amateurs.

There’s no doubt that Deeney will end his career at Vicarage Road and be suitably rewarded by the club for his years of service.

Imagine the horror of a Deeney statue.

West Ham – Declan Rice

Reuters

He’s yet to decide his international future

Joining the West Ham academy at just 14-years-old, Rice almost certainly bleeds claret and blue.

The 19-year-old is being given more-and-more first-team opportunities at the London Stadium as he picks up valuable experience.

The utility man faces a tough decision over his international future, with both England and the Republic of Ireland vying for his services.

If Rice decides his long-term club future is in east London, he could well become a player remembered fondly at West Ham.

Wolves – Conor Coady

Reuters

He’s the first name on the team-sheet at Molineux

Amongst a side jam-packed full of stellar names, Coady remains a player who continues to impress.

As the makeup of Wolves’ starting-eleven dramatically evolves, the 25-year-old will still remain an ever-present at Molineux.

Coady, a product of the Liverpool academy, captained his side to an impressive promotion-winning campaign last season.

The defender is set be an important player as Wolves hope to make their mark in the Premier League this season and beyond.

See you at the reunion

Do you agree with your club’s proposed future legend?

Tweet us @DreamTeamFC with who you think could be a legend of your club.

Join the Winners Club this weekend…

Want to show off your fantasy football credentials every weekend? Fancy joining an elite club? Then Dream Team Weekender is just for you – and it’s absolutely free to play.

Simply pick seven players with no budget limitations from the Saturday and Sunday fixtures to be in with a chance of winning a whopping £10k this weekend.

And the best thing about it? If you don’t win, you’ve only got to wait until the following weekend for another shot at the prize money.

Sound like a bit of you? Sign up to play Dream Team Weekender here and join the club.

SIGN UP – WIN £10k BY PLAYING DREAM TEAM WEEKENDER THIS WEEKEND

WATCH: Love Of The Game: Leyton Orient (Episode 1)

[embedded content]