#middle of the road - drive on 1973

[margindata]

Margin Reward: "Make road travelling more safer"

Start service to provide a range of essential services to motorists and truckers traveling along major highways in the country. Our focus will be on providing a clean, safe, and convenient experience for all travelers, offering amenities such as food, fuel, restrooms, and parking. Our research indicates that there is currently a shortage of high-quality rest area services along major highways,…

[monstersinthecosmos]

September 11, 1973

The car gives up about forty minutes from the California state line.

Daniel just sits there for a little while, slouched in the seat, staring ahead at nothing. Part of him thinks it’s good that it happened while the sun was out, safer this way, but he wonders how long he can make it before the desert heat suffocates him. 

Sweat is prickling around his hairline when he gives up. Grabs his cigarettes off the passenger seat and pops the hood. 

Truthfully, there’s only a few things he knows to check for, that his dad made sure to show him when he first started driving. Anything else is outside his purview. Not the oil, not the hoses, the belts look okay. He lights a cigarette and blows the smoke up towards the sun.

“Fuck.”

He drops the hood. Holds his hands on it long enough to burn, then leans in through the open window to grab his water bottle. A day old, and he left it in the car overnight. It tastes like plastic, but. Maybe he should save it, actually. 

There are no cars in sight. He walks out to the middle of the highway, just standing there, trying to remember when the last mile marker was, wondering if he can walk to the next town. 

He wonders how Louis got out to California, can’t help thinking about it. 

Not something he interrogated in the moment, but he tries to picture it now. And all the traveling he did with Armand. Was it all shipping themselves as cargo? Did they ever take nighttime train rides? Could they steal cars? There’s so much more he should’ve asked. 

His heart flutters. The horizon ripples in a heat mirage. He stomps his cigarette out on the pavement and thinks he should conserve these, too—only a few left—but he immediately lights the next one.

And he walks off the road, into the brush. At the last rest stop there had been signs to stay off the desert, with pictures of scorpions and snakes. Daniel rubs at the scab on his neck and thinks he doesn’t fucking care. He watches for them, but it doesn’t stop him. And he kicks at little rocks, and bends to look at a pile of bones, and pokes the spine of a cactus until a perfect red bead of blood rises on his finger.

All types of dangerous things out here. 

He sucks his finger as he heads back to his car. Thin and salty. Not like Louis said. It aches inside, though, wondering what it’s like for them. He flops into his driver seat, with the door open, with his legs hanging out onto the shoulder, and tries to imagine it. Not just little tastes like this, but… and taking life… 

Maybe someday…

And it’s fucking hot. 

He drinks his water. Tries to remember when he ate last. No breakfast this morning, he was too anxious. If he can get to a town maybe he can get food while they look at his car. 

It’s an hour of dozing, on and off, baking in the heat and finishing his water, making it down to his last smoke. He leaves it on top of the dashboard, staring at it, dozing off again when he finally hears another car.

Or, no, a truck. He pushes his hair out of his face and goes to stand in the road. Sticks his thumb out. 

The driver slows. Offers him a ride. He grabs his cigarettes and the tapes and climbs in.

It’s odd, being around a person. Trying to act normal. He tries to remember the interview skills, asking leading questions, but it’s like a foreign language now. He taps his foot up and down as he burns through the last cigarette, and the air conditioning vent blows in his face but he’s still sweating. The driver probably thinks he’s on drugs.

He’s kind enough, though. Doesn’t comment on it. Daniel probably heard all kinds of stuff about where this guy is from and what he’s carrying but none of it sticks. He pulls off the highway in Needles, just long enough for Daniel to hop out, and then he’s continuing back onto the highway. Daniel stares until the truck is out of sight, and reaches for his cigarettes, but the pack is empty.

Short walk to the gas station. And he buys cigarettes in the convenience store before he tries to wander around back to the garage to ask about his car. Probably should get water first, but he doesn’t think of it until the nicotine is pulsing in his brain. He steps back inside and buys a soda, instead. 

There’s a flyer by the register about the spooky series at the drive in, coming up in October. It starts on the sixth with a showing of The Innocents. His thumb brushes over the words and he remembers his cousin taking him to see it when it came out. 

He’d laughed out loud when the kid threw the turtle. She had elbowed him in the ribs.

Maybe he should’ve called her the other night, when he had the chance.

Still, Louis had said with a shrug. Who is going to believe you?

His hands are shaking around his cigarette as he wanders back to the garage. The older man at the desk in the corner takes pity on him and helps him open his soda. They can go tow his car, the man tells him, once the truck gets back from its current trip. He points to the motel down the street and says they can call him, that he might as well get a room because it’ll be a few hours, at least. 

He slept like shit last night, anyway. This is probably fine.

And the room has orange blankets and wood paneling on the walls and he bets the carpets have never been washed. He doesn’t care, though. He sets his bag down on the bed and opens it up, has to put his eyes on the tapes to make sure they’re still here. 

He moves his bag to the small table by the window, stares at it. Moves it to the dresser. No, not there either. Moves it inside the top drawer. 

Checks his watch.

He could shower, he guesses. Sweaty and covered in desert dust. And the water is scalding hot and the towels are thin but he feels more like a person when he comes out. 

Checks the tapes in the drawer.

The bite wounds are so soft from the shower. He presses his fingertips to them. It doesn’t hurt as bad anymore, but he sort of mourns it. He scratches at them until the scabs come off, and tastes his own watery blood again. Looks up to the mirror in time to see the tiny red trickles rolling down into his collar bone.

His neck is still bruised. He wonders if the truck driver noticed, or the gentleman at the garage. He wonders what they thought of him.

It doesn’t matter, though.

None of it matters now. 

They can’t know. 

[previous day] | [next day]

[fastmusclecar123]

New Post has been published on https://fastmusclecar.com/exploring-the-timeless-appeal-of-classic-vintage-muscle-cars/best-muscle-cars/

Exploring the Timeless Appeal of Classic Vintage Muscle Cars

In the fast-paced world of automobiles, where each passing year brings forth innovations and modern designs, a class of vehicles seems to defy the sands of time. With their roaring engines and iconic designs, classic vintage muscle cars maintain an enduring appeal that transcends generations. This article explores the reasons behind the timeless allure of these automotive legends.

The Birth of an Icon

Classic muscle cars arose in the mid-twentieth century, fueled by post-World War II optimism and a thirst for speed. Sensing a demand for excitement on the road, American automakers developed muscle cars. The Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Dodge Charger emerged as trailblazers, representing the spirit of defiance and power that defined a period. These brands are characterized by unique engine and body parts that ultimately make the automobile stand out. You can see more info here about various automotive products from these brands.

The allure of classic muscle cars lies in their performance and their symbolism. These vehicles were born when the open road symbolized freedom and driving was not just a means of transportation but an expression of individualism and adventure.

Some of the most iconic classic muscle cars that have left an indelible mark on the industry are:

Ford Mustang

Model Years: 1964-1973

The Ford Mustang is an American icon and one of the pioneers of the muscle car era. Its introduction in 1964 created the “pony car” class, offering a blend of style, performance and affordability. The 1967 Shelby GT500 is particularly revered, featuring a powerful 428 Cobra Jet engine.

Dodge Charger

Model Years: 1966-1974

The Dodge Charger is known for its bold design and powerful engines. The second-generation Charger (1968-1970) is often considered the pinnacle, with the iconic “Bullitt” Charger R/T and the monstrous Charger Daytona, designed for NASCAR dominance. The 1969 Charger, immortalized in movies like “The Dukes of Hazzard,” is particularly iconic.

Chevrolet Camaro

Model Years: 1967-1969

The Chevrolet Camaro is another heavyweight in the muscle car arena. The first-generation Camaro, especially the SS and Z/28 models, is celebrated for its aggressive styling and high-performance options. The 1969 Camaro ZL1 is one of the most sought-after muscle cars, boasting an all-aluminum 427 cubic-inch engine.

Pontiac GTO

Model Years: 1964-1974

Often credited as the first true muscle car, the Pontiac GTO paved the way for the revolution. The early GTOs, especially the 1966 model with the potent Tri-Power carburetion system, are highly coveted. The GTO embodied putting a big engine in a midsize car, creating a formula that defined the muscle car ethos.

Model Years: 1964-1972

Chevrolet Chevelle SS:

The Chevelle SS is a classic example of Chevrolet’s prowess in crafting muscle cars. The SS (Super Sport) package, available on various Chevelle models, turned these midsize cars into high-performance beasts. The 1970 Chevelle SS with the LS6 454 cubic-inch V8 is legendary, boasting one of the highest factory horsepower ratings of the era.

Design Elegance that Stands the Test of Time

The timeless design of classic muscle vehicles is one of their distinguishing features. The sleek forms, forceful poses and eye-catching color palettes distinguish them from their counterparts. The union of form and function in these vehicles reflects a time when style was just as vital as substance. Even in the middle of a sea of modern automobiles, the timeless beauty of their design guarantees that these cars remain head-turners.

Classic muscle cars are not just machines but works of art on wheels. The aesthetic appeal of their design is not subject to the whims of passing trends, making them a testament to the notion that true beauty is eternal.

Nostalgia and Cultural Significance

Beyond their mechanical prowess, classic muscle cars carry a cultural significance that adds layers to their timeless appeal. These vehicles are not just relics of the past; they are living reminders of a bygone era. Nostalgia plays a pivotal role in their enduring popularity, as they evoke memories of when the automobile represented more than just a mode of transportation.

Movies, music and popular culture have all contributed to the mystique surrounding classic muscle cars. From iconic scenes in films to the rock ‘n’ roll tunes that echoed through the radio waves, these cars became intertwined with the cultural fabric of their time. Owning a classic muscle car is not just about having a vehicle; it’s about possessing a piece of history that encapsulates the spirit of an era.

Conclusion

In a world where trends come and go and technology advances relentlessly, classic vintage muscle cars stand as stalwart guardians of a bygone era. The birth of these iconic vehicles marked a turning point in automotive history, and their timeless allure continues to captivate enthusiasts across the globe. From the engine’s roar to the elegance of their design, classic muscle cars are more than just vehicles; they are living legends, embodying the spirit of an age that refuses to be forgotten.

[you-dont-know99]

Rear cars that you don't know !!!

These are Rear Cars that you might not hear about or seen. Read this article and please tell me in the comment which one is your favorite and what you like about it.

Peel P50: smallest car in the world

Peel P50: produced in the 1960s, it is only 3.5 feet tall, 8.5 feet long, and has a single door that opens upwards. It has only one seat and a gasoline engine.

Amphicar: a car that can float on water

Amphicar: made in Germany from 1961 to 1968, it had a top speed of on the water of 7 knots and on the road of 70 mph.

Tatra T87: aerodynamically advanced car from Czechoslovakia

Tatra T87: produced from 1936 to 1950, had a rear-mounted air-cooled engine and streamlined body for improved fuel efficiency and stability.

Messerschmitt KR200: bubble car from 1950s Germany

Sinpar 4x4: developed in the 1970s, it was used by the French army for amphibious operations. It can drive on land, float on water, and has the ability to be airlifted by helicopter.

Terrafugia Transition: a flying car that can fold its wings for road use

Messerschmitt KR200: produced from 1955 to 1964, it was a bubble car with a canopy-style roof that enclosed the driver and passenger. It had a rear-mounted engine and a maximum speed of 60 mph.

Tata Nano: ultra-low-cost car from India

Tata Nano: produced from 2008 to 2018, it was marketed as the world's most affordable car. It had a starting price of $2,500 and was designed for India's growing middle class.

McLaren F1: a high-performance sports car with a three-seater layout

McLaren F1: produced from 1992 to 1998, it was one of the fastest and most technologically advanced cars of its time. It had a top speed of 240 mph and a 6.1-liter V12 engine.

Isetta: microcar with a single door that opens like a fridge.

Isetta: produced in the 1950s by several European manufacturers, it was known for its unique design that allowed the entire front of the car to open like a refrigerator door.

Reliant Robin: British three-wheeled car infamous for its tendency to roll over.

Reliant Robin: produced from 1973 to 2002, it was a three-wheeled car notorious for its instability and tendency to roll over, especially in strong winds.

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[hell-much]

Once In A Lifetime - Chapter 5

Pairing: Sansa Stark / Margaery Tyrell Rating: Explicit Summary: On a farm, in the far north of Westeros the path of Sansa Stark’s future seems destined. The four days in the summer of 1973, when her husband and kids are away, promise to be no different than any other day.  Yet, when photographer Margaery Tyrell, happens to turn into the Stark farm and asks Sansa for directions, everything changes.  Soon  Sansa finds herself faced with an unexpected fork in the road, and a love that causes her to question everything she had come to expect from  life. A love that happens just once in a lifetime, if you’re lucky.

…

Shaking her head, Margaery drops back in her seat and fishes for her cigarettes in the middle console, taking the last one out of the pack. “I’m usually a better driver than that, you know.”

“I believe you.”

The empty cigarette pack lands crumbled next to Sansa’s feet, and lets her spot the thermos lid. As she bends down to pick it up, she hears the rasp of a lighter and a deep inhale.

“Don’t mock me.”

“I’m not,” Sansa returns, screwing the lid back. A small smile plays at her lips at the way Margaery’s posture slumps with that first drag. Somehow, with her eyes closed and her head tilted back, she manages to make even that look graceful. “You drive through the entire country by yourself, so you can’t be that bad of a driver.”

A sly smirk builds on Margaery’s lips. “If you think that’s impressive remind me to tell you about the car I took through Essos where the reverse was broken.”

Sansa chuckles. “What?”

Rolling down the window, Margaery nods and inhales once more. “It was so annoying. The worst was getting off the ferry. It was one of those you back out off.”

“So what did you do?”

Shrugging Margaery holds the glowing cigarette out and Sansa ignores the instinct to tell her, that it’s too early for her. “Popped open a few buttons on my shirt and found myself a guy who pushed it off the ferry for me.”

“You’re kidding.” As she brings the cigarette to her lips, she finds the filter is slightly damp. It feels strangely intimate, and adds to the lightheaded feeling that comes with smoking on an empty stomach. It’s as if their lips just touched. With that thought, she tears her eyes away from Margaery. “That’s not very feminist of you.”

“What does that have to do with feminism?”

Sansa takes another deep drag to delay having to answer. That’s what you get for saying words just to fill a silence. She’s still caught up in that last train of thought. Her stomach feels queasy and as much as she would like to blame it on the cigarette, she has to admit that it isn’t that. “I don’t know. You could have pushed the car yourself?”

In passing the cigarette back, Margaery bestows her with a slightly patronising look. “Just because you are able to do something on your own, doesn’t mean you should do it.”

Sansa hums and wraps an arm around her middle, staring ahead, where the light cone illuminates the dark road. 

“You disagree?” Margaery probes.

“No. I just wish someone would have told me that ten years ago.”

“Well, now you know. Better late than never.”

Sansa isn’t sure how true that is.

Her hand trembles slightly when accepting the cigarette one more time. Wrapping her lips around the filter she takes a consciously slow and deep drag. It takes everything not to wonder why the simple and harmless act of sharing a cigarette churns her this much. Why, when Margaery puts the cigarette out in the ashtray, part of her wishes they’d have another one, and could repeat the whole thing right away.

...

[READ CHAPTER ON AO3] [READ FROM THE BEGINNING]

[coyoteskenning]

Chapter 3: Hit and Run

Anna floored it. 

"Do you think Nixon has a reincarnation?" 

"What?" 

"Richard Milhaus Nixon, 37th president of-" 

"No I know who Nixon is." 

Anna scowled at the GPS mounted on the windscreen.  

"Then-" 

"I don't think anybody admires Nixon enough to want to be him. Red, this road look right to you?" 

Red pulled the phone from its cradle and let their eyes trace over the map displayed on its screen.  

Their nose was still broken, and their face covered in bruises; they didn't let it show, but they felt like shit.  

"This address doesn't look right. I think you fucked up the zip code." 

Anna looked out of the window at the desert landscape pouring by. "Who even gets fucking mail out here? I mean, is it coming on a fucking horse?" 

"You know we're in a car right?" 

The cool automated voice came from Anna's phone as Red finished keying in the correct address. "ROUTE RECALCULATING." 

They remounted it on the windscreen. 

"Should be right now." 

"Shit, I mean, it's all gotta be wackjob Mormons out here, right?" 

"Better than a wackjob Satanist?" 

"No I - shut the fuck up. I mean, I don't wanna get shot at if we pull up. They'll probably think we're tax collectors or something." 

Red looked out at the blank road ahead of them. There was no other cars on the road. No buildings. Nothing but the car, two girlfriends, and desolate wastes as far as the eye could see. It was kind of pretty, though. Put them in mind of Mars. 

"Do you think the IRS hires sexy trans people now?" 

"Get chasers to open the door more, right?" 

"How often would that really be a factor?" 

"More often than you'd think-" 

They hit a cattle grid; Boleskine whirred for a second as the entire body shook, and Red swore and dropped their phone. 

"Slow down!" They said, scrabbling to the side of their chair for it. 

"No." Anna put her foot down, changed gears; watched the speed needle twitch up a few more gradings. "I wanna get here before the sun goes down." 

"It's 3pm!" 

Anna jabbed a finger at the phone. "2 hour drive to your destination." 

"Have you actually checked to make sure that he's still there?" 

"No, you check. I'm driving." 

Red managed to retrieve their phone, looked at the incarnate app. "Oooh." 

"What?" 

"oooooh-" 

"Fucking what?! What is it?!' 

"5 miles from your destination." 

"What?!" 

Anna grabbed the phone out of Red's hand. "Give me- What? How- the address was right like, an hour ago!" 

"He's travelled 2 hours in one?" Red raised an eyebrow. 

Anna looked at the map. "I guess he could have driven across the lake? That'd cut it down." 

"Or teleported?" 

"Neither of those were in the spec, anyway." 

"Slow down, he might be waiting by the side of the road or something." 

"What, he'll flag us down?" 

"Yeah."  

Red looked at the road. "Like, you know Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas-" 

"We're not high." 

"Could be." 

"What?" 

"Idk, send an @ to of the guys I know in the discord, ask if he wants to bring us some-" 

"We're in the middle of nowhere!"  

Anna vaguely waved a hand around. "That app had him miles off the road, I hope you know I'm not pulling off and getting stuck." 

"Well we can't DM him because he's not in the server, so what?" 

"Look, just keep a look out. I'll keep my eyes on the road, you look for any...fucking, hitchhikers or whatever." 

There was a silence for a few minutes, filled only by the GPS occassionally chiming in to helpfully remind them to continue driving on the only road for miles. 

"I mean, Nixon won 49 states, right?" 

"That election was rigged." 

"But no he had popular support. I mean, there was even the old bumper sticker, right?" 

"What?" 

"Don't blame me, I'm from Massachussets. Because it was the only state that didn't-" 

"Look, even if he had admirers in fucking, 1973 or whatever-" 

"72 dumbass" 

"1972, he doesn't now! And besides, even if you look up to a guy, doesn't mean you want to be him." 

Anna looked at Red. "I mean, Nixon was pretty miserable, right?" 

"I've seen people 'carn as people who fucking killed themselves!"  

"Yeah but. Like. Not in a sexy way." 

"Speak for yourself." Red held up a pic of Nixon on their phone. "I'd fuck those cheeks." 

"Why-why did you have that pic saved-" 

"Seems self evident." 

"Also, did you just say carn?" 

"Yeah. I'm inventing new slang. I'm on the forefront of things. I'm an influencer-" 

"Shut up. It's incarnate. That's already a shortening of reincarnate, you are not shortening it further to fucking - Italian food-" 

"That's carne, dumbass."  

"Same root! Meat, flesh, et cet!"  

"Et cet? Who's the one shortening words now-" 

Another cattle grate, another Red phone drop. 

"I said slow down!" 

"Look, if we pass a guy, I'll turn round! There's no cops round here!" 

"This road isn't wide enough, dumbass. You'll get stuck!"  

Anna moaned. "I need a cigarette." 

"Well, pull over if you're gonna get one. I'm not ending up in some sand dune-" 

"This isn't that kind of desert. Dumbass." She imitated Red's tone on the last word. 

Red stuck out their pierced tongue at Anna, who struggled not to break into a smirk.  

"Made you laugh." 

"Did not." 

"Would you clap Nixon's cheeks?" 

"You clapped L Ron Hubbard's cheeks!" 

"Damn right! And I'd fucking do it again. Answer the question." 

"If we meet a reincarnation of Nixon are you gonna fuck him?" 

"Well now that you've said that, I have to." 

Anna started corpsing. "He'd be racist!"  

"Hot." 

"GOP voter!" 

"Hot." 

"Probably transphobic!" 

"Ooh, hot. I hope he calls me a bull dyke-" 

There was a loud thud as the car hit the child running out in front of it, hurling his body across the hood and shattering his frame against the tarmac behind.  

"FUCK!" 

"What the-" 

"PULL OVER PULL OVER PULL OVER-" 

"I'm trying to!!" 

Anna hit the brakes and swung the wheel; as Red has predicted, it hit the edge of the road, and came to a messy, juddering stop.  

Annabelle Boleskine in neutral and peered at the spiderweb patterns on the shattered windscreen as Red frantically tore off their seatbelt, kicked open the door, and sprinted back down the highway towards the bloodied body lying in their wake. 

It was a kid, as the size of the figure ragdolling across the chassis had made clear seconds ago; maybe 10 or 11 years old. He was Latino, with dark skin and hair, neck broken and scalp split open in five places to show red and white of skull. Blood was weeping out of every orifice; his twisted posture held one arm below him on the wet tarmac, another stretched out in a motionless claw on the road. He wasn't breathing. 

"He's dead! ANNA! YOU FUCKING KILLED A KID-" 

Anna came, at a slower pace, stomping along. Her face was coldset, but she was pale, and her hands were fumbling at her bag for cigarettes.  

"CPR." Her voice was quiet. "Can we-" 

"Fucking look at him! CPR? He doesn't have a fucking ribcage! He looks like a-" 

"Shut up! Shut up. Look-" Anna knelt besides the body. She felt for a pulse. Nothing. His eyes were closed, already starting to bruise livid where his face had slammed into the tarmac. 

"He jumped in front." She said, quietly, not looking at Red. 

"What?! No! You hit him! You were going at 90mph and not looking you fucking hit him! You killed a fucking kid, Anna!" Red was starting to tear up. "What are we going to do?!" 

Anna pressed the back of her hand, now obviously shaking, into his cheek. She didn't seem to know what she was doing. 

"Anna you -" Red's voice caught. "You can't heal him." 

"He - I -" Anna fought to regain her composure, then when she next spoke, she was cooly measured again. "I had my eyes on the road. He jumped out. I saw him. You didn't-" 

"Anna..." Red stared with hollow eyes. "You.." 

They were both interrupted, with a start, by a wheeze from the child.  

Anna jumped back in horror, and landed on her butt on the road as she let out a little cry. Her eyes were wide as she watched him start to twitch, and move.  

Air was dragged, with a horrible ragged sound, into ruined lungs. Torn muscles tried to pull on shattered bones. The head writhed on a broken neck. 

"Fuck! Fuck, he's still alive?!" 

"I didn't- I didn't- heal-" 

Anna was trembling harder now.  

Red heard that last word, and looked closer. They saw what was happening before Anna did.  

Beneath the boy's skin, bones were moving. His skeleton was reassembling; knitting itself back together. Ribs that had visibly punched through skin on a blood-soaked shirt sank back down like control rods into the diagraphm, that began to pump as the heart beat strongly. Seeping blood stopped, and cuts closed. His breathing, at first gasping and gurgling from a throat filled with froth, become desperately alive. His hands scrabbled at the ground, eyes still closed as his unconscious body began to pull itself back together. 

"We. Are. So. So. Lucky." 

Anna, trembling, managed to claw the cigarette packet from the handbag. "Is that- him then? The- healer?" 

"Oh shit, yeah. Let me look, one sec." 

Turning away - with relish, frankly - from the spasming, gasping little boy, eyes now open but unseeing, neck agonisingly bending back into place, starting to moan between gasps as vertebrae repaired themselves, Red jogged back to the car, and retrieved their phone.  

The dot matched up perfectly with the child; they watched the blue dot, representing them, drift over across the greyish representation of the road, and overlap with the pulsing orange incarnated dot as they moved back to Anna and him. 

He let out a scream of pain, head bending back as his spine arced. He cried out in Spanish, rolled over into the foetal position, spasming as the last of his wounds healed. 

"What is he-" Red started. 

"I don't-" 

"It...didn't....work..!" The boy's voice came, in English this time. 

"What-"  

"Oh, so did he really..." Red looked sheepishly at Anna, who didn't look comforted. "Sorry." 

"It didn't work!" He screamed, burying his face in his hands as he achieved full mobility. He barely seemed aware that they were there. 

"Hey, kid. You...did you...are you ok?" Red tried. 

He moaned something in Spanish. 

"Do you know what that means?" 

"I don't speak Spanish!" Anna snapped. She stood up, her hands now still enough to pull a cigarette from the packet. She put it in her mouth, and moved to put the packet away and retrieve her lighter. 

The boy moaned, and suddenly reached out, grabbing at Anna's boot with a bloody hand. 

Anna gasped, and instinctively jumped back, out of his reach. Red moved forwards in response, taking his hand in theirs as he mumbled something incomprehensible. 

Anna ran the back of a troubled hand through her hair, box still gripped in its palm, and moved to get the lighter for the cigarette in her mouth...before her eyes focused inwards and down on it, and widened. Her lips fell open, and the not-a-cigarette plopped out, and fell to the floor. The box fell from her other hand, hit the ground, and spilled its contents.  

Matchsticks.  

A single matchstick, that had been a cigarette about ten seconds before, was laying on the ground, still wet from her mouth. About a hundred matchsticks had fallen out of the clearly marked cigarette box, that had been full of cigarettes about twenty seconds before.  

Anna stared, eyes wide, as Red turned to look, kneeling by the boy's side, one hand knitted with his left, the other on his hair, and saw. Saw her goth girlfriend, gaping open-mouthed, at a spill of matchsticks on the road.  

"He-" 

"I don't..." The boy managed, weakly, eyes closed. His forehead was pressed against Red's cool hand. "I don't like...smoking..." 

Anna's eyes were still wide as saucers. "Who is he.." She said, in a low voice. 

"Kid. Kid. Who...who are you incarnated from?"  

No response but a weak cough, and a gasp of pain as a result. A little blood trickled over his chin, from a still unhealed cut just under his lip. 

Red, keeping one hand on the barely conscious boy's face, picked up one of the matchsticks. They examined it in awe.  

"Transfiguration...healing of self and others...fast travel...who's that?"  

Anna shook an unknowing head. She was starting to collect herself, although she kept making mournful glances at the lost box of former cigarettes. 

"I don't know either, but some pretty major medic I'd bet, or something." Red looked down at the boy. "Hey kid, you're pretty powerful." They playfully slapped his chest; he cried out, and they cringed. "Sorry, sorry."   

"Red...your face..." 

"Huh?" Red touched their face, their fingertips soaked red from his bleeding. No bruises. No broken nose. They twisted their shoulder, so recently painfully reset. Nothing.  

"Man...that's something, huh?" 

They looked down at the boy, who seemed to have drifted back into unconsciousness, head pressed against Red's side.  

"Well, if he won't tell us..." Red took out their phone, clicked through. Tapped out a few lines of code, then gently pressed the boy's limp thumb to the screen. 

"I mean, do you wanna take bets?" They said, as the progress bar rolled on the screen. 

"Not in the mood." 

"No, c'mon! I mean...maybe he's fucking, carn of Jonas Salk or something." 

"Jonas Salk could turn cigarettes into matchsticks?" 

"Well, I dunno. Representation of better public health, I guess? You know how weird these things can be sometimes. Probably some famous doc, like I sai-" 

Red froze, mid-expression, looking at the screen.  

"What?"  

"..." 

"Who is it?" 

"......" 

"Red, tell me-" 

"Jesus. Fucking. Christ." 

"What? C'mon, who is it?" 

"I just told you..." 

There was a long silence.

Anna grabbed the phone from Red, then stared at it with wild eyes.  

She took a second to read the name of the person the boy was the reincarnation was, then dropped the phone, and ran.  

[internationalrealestatenews]

[ad_1] Banco Santander scored approval for its deliberate 40-story workplace tower in Brickell. The Miami City Improvement Assessment Board voted on Wednesday in favor of the 1.5 million-square-foot challenge at 1401 Brickell Avenue in Miami. The challenge, known as Santander Towerwould substitute Banco Santander's present 14-story, 237,000-square-foot workplace constructing on the positioning. Designed by Handel Architects, Santander Tower would include 613,000 sq. toes of places of work, in addition to 108,000 sq. toes of meals and beverage house on the ground-floor and atop the nine-story podium. The constructing has an exoskeleton design and landscaped terraces, with the intention of constructing it “extra welcoming” towards the road and of steering clear from “hermetically sealed places of work,” Gary Handel, of Handel Architects, instructed the board. The tower's top is lower than the 48 tales allowed on the positioning. Wednesday's approval is the ultimate board evaluate for the challenge, though the town's zoning administrator nonetheless has to log out on growth plans and waivers. Board member Gia Zapattini, a Miami-based architect, known as for the plaza landscaping to incorporate greater than palm timber to make sure the realm is well-shaded. “It is Miami, and palms really do not do us any favors. They create no shade,” she mentioned. To ensure that the town to actually use this plaza, it's important to put timber and ensure they don't seem to be palms.” Zapattini additionally urged design tweaks that higher tie within the backside ranges, high façade and exoskeleton center of the tower, together with suggesting spherical shapes for the ground-floor columns as a substitute of the oblong shapes proven on renderings. “I might counsel switching the orange from the highest of the constructing to maybe some wooden cladding,” she mentioned. “It is a very bold challenge that will require a number of coordination.” Banco Santander purchased the prevailing constructing, accomplished in 1973 on 2 acres, in 2008 for $114 million, data present. The financial institution has a department within the constructing. Santander Tower marks no less than the fourth deliberate Brickell workplace tower in latest months. Builders have seized on the Miami monetary district's increase, as out-of-state corporations have signed leases at high-end workplace towers at document charges of over $100 per sq. foot. The Ardid household's Key Worldwide proposes a 51-story, 750,000-square-foot workplace tower on the positioning of the agency's headquarters at 848 Brickell Avenue. Steve Ross' Associated Corporations and Swire Properties plan the 1.4 million-square-foot supertall One Brickell Metropolis Middle at 700 Brickell Avenue and 799 Brickell Avenue. And billionaire hedge funder Ken Griffin is anticipated to develop a headquarters tower for his Citadel and Citadel Securities at 1201 Brickell Bay Drive. [ad_2] Supply hyperlink

[itwas50yearsagotoday]

8/13/23: It was 50 years ago today, August 13th, 1973, Lynyrd Skynyrd would release their debut album (pronounced leh-nerd skin-nerd). So supposedly this album was named after a high school gym coach who ragged on some members to cut their long locks when they were students. Look, this is a pretty difficult album to review because honestly every single one of these songs is at least very good, if not excellent... by the time of this recording, Skynyrd was already an extremely tight group, having been formed in the late '60s in Jacksonville. Al Kooper (formerly from Blood, Sweat & Tears, but also general weirdo) was working for MCA (heh) and not only produced their first album but also assisted on having the band as openers on the Who's Quadrophenia tour (now that must have been some show). Anyway, I think most of us know the final song on the album, second perhaps only to 'Stairway' as THEEEE Classic Rock anthem 'Free Bird'... and you know what? It's still fucking solid, even today... heck, I was driving down Kingshwy in STL yesterday jamming on it, probably looking like some kind of head-banging middle-aged maniac... I mean the build-up, then the second half jam... it's just legendary. The album opener 'I Ain't the One' is just about as good, but in a different way... like that weird Hendrix-like backward drums shit at the beginning, and then it just flings into the three-guitar-attack... wow. This album is also chock full of great-to-excellent ballads... like aside from 'Free Bird' you have both 'Tuesday's Gone' and 'Simple Man', the latter of which has become some sort of blue-collar man anthem... supposedly Kooper wasn't a fan, and was forced to leave the building while the band produced it themselves (read that on Wikipedia, so you know it's true!). I don't think it's a bad song at all, but perhaps along with 'MIssissippi Kid' might be the weakest track on the record. Strangely, I've been obsessed with 'Tuesday's Gone' since I was drug-free teenager... I'd hear it, and the DJ (probably K-SHE) wouldn't say who it was, but I dug the wistful melody... finally, I think when I got this record on cassette, I was gobsmacked to finally hear it on my own efforts. I think it's not quite as good as I used to think, but it's still good... maybe about the equal of 'Simple Man' as second best ballad on the record (after the 'Bird', of course). Then we get the fun shuffle 'Gimme Three Steps'... I mean it's kinda dumb but also like somehow brilliant at the same time... I know every word to that fucking song, so they must have done something right! Maybe the least-known song on the record is 'Poison Whiskey'... at first it might seem like a throwaway tune, but man overtime it kinda hits home, especially for us alcoholic types. Also, 'Things Goin' On' is a great piano number... I've heard some writers indicate that it is a pro-Civil Rights' song, but I'm not so sure because the lyrics don't really dig that deep... still a great song tho, and sure I'd like to think of the most Southern-fried band (not their fault) to be all good on race-relations, but who knows! Everyone on that album cover is dead so we cannot ask them. Anywho, good tune. I ragged a little on 'Mississippi Kid' earlier, but one thing I noticed is that on the headphones you can isolate all three of the acoustic guitars... it's kinda neat. You know I think I mentioned them all... but as a whole this is one hell of a debut album, rivaling only a select few bands (e.g. Zeppelin, the Cars, Pearl Jam...). Put away any of your snobby Left Coast pretenses I give this entire album a solid listen... great on road trips too.

Also, as a bonus, here is a link to the exact location where they took the album photo. It is in Jonesboro, GA, where they were producing the record:

[hydralisk98]

Angora Politics Summary (WIP Draft #1)

"LIVELY-WISE CAMERA PERSPECTIVE PRESENT DAY" mostly around ~4523-4525 of this world mainline solar calendar.

Negative values in the calendar meaning prehistorical periods like neolithic, mesolithic, paleolithic, ice ages, cenozoic... back to the cosmogony / big bang period. Which aren't much of a vital focus into the main story I am about to tell. But as time wraps around and timewise links are abundant + intricate enough, you could go to learn about such if so desired.

~0001-1440 timeline section (bronze age)

Bronze scroll libraries + bookstores, chariots & cavalry warfare, amber + silk road trade routes, mummies, hardened clay soldier replicas, mausoleums, nomadic migrations, written songs & poems, oral mythos, first legal + trade documents...

1440-2400 timeline section (iron age)

Classical naval exploration, papyrus codices, first adoption of the alphabet, popularization of the written word amongst lower classes, rise of non-fiction essay literature, dawn of the worldwide Samoan trade network (road to Gold & metals)

2400-3080 timeline section (axial age)

Vellum books, rise of democratic structures, spread of some organized religions, development of philosophy and ethos,

3080-4096 timeline section (early "celtic" & later "gothic" ages)

Mass adoption of a Shoshoni alphabet across its continent, printing presses, "Panini"+"LambdaCalculus" grammar thesis, first query-based Mundaneum, diversification of religions, explicit microtonality on one end and implicit then loss of microtonality on another part of the central world...

4096-4408 timeline section (early modern age)

Emulates the early modern age we got for the most part, still got some subtle differences but nothing too drastically different or very unique yet, there are index card libraries, still many well-preserved bronze-age scrolls preservatories, research towers, enlightenment-era windmills, data-wise automata, proto-socialist assemblies, charter of human rights and other worldly trade and cultural exchanging period with all its colonial jazz and imperialistic mayhem.

4408-4800 timeline section (late modern age)

Shoshoni elections diverges from the OTL around (1908?) 1912, 1916 compared to OTL and the rest diverges more from there onwards (because that ~1908-1912 period is the core point of divergence that drives future planetary history into either of the three timelines of my storyline) to accommodate my preferences in either ethos direction (50+% = majority). Progress-majority: Theodora wins majority with the Progressives party in 1912, enhancing the progress variable much and swaying the 16^12 galaxy to the less long-term destructive direction of them all albeit with stronger luddite 21st century unrest and rebellions due to the quicker, alienating, speed of technological progression. Features improved yet alternate technologies & unique cultural media, such as peer-to-peer distributed networking, synthetic "servant agents / sapients" beings by 2000, data rental stores, morphological liberties, magickaly spiritual freedoms & incentives, three worldly-scale conflicts (WW1, WW2 about defeating Strasserism & continental nuclear war limited in effects to the global South during the early-middle seventies [1973-1975]), worldwide data processing GAI benevolent modules, Lisp symbolic programming linguistics, tribble-based computer words, diversification of lifestyles, just to name a few of such era's worth of innovations in this timeline. Liberty-majority: Tina wins majority with the Republicans party in 1912, enhancing the liberty variable much and swaying the 16^12 galaxy in a moderately autonomous direction. Features somewhat fewer of the above technological enhancements but as the progression was way less alienating yet still significant enough, it features the longest line of historical records and the best balance of diplomacy + nicer integration with both of the other radical timelines. Including better federation diplomatic ties up to a certain degree. Harmony-majority: Toria wins majority with the Preservationists party in 1912, enhancing the harmony variable much and swaying the 16^12 galaxy in a diplomatic federated manner. Slower technological progression compared to the two others but stronger spirituality / religions, meta-awareness and overall diplomatic ties with the rest of the galaxy very early on. Makes for a easier repeal of late-game crisis factions & nemesis attempts due to powerful cooperation and most inclusive integration of the curators' lore from this specific galactic history. (There is a implicit non-Majority weaker "Harmony" TL aka a OTL-esque timeline that is very VERY similar to our very own that I shall use as counter-example of what to emulate narratively, essentially one where they elect a Woodrow Wilson-like figure in a minority Democrats government in 1912 [~ 40D-30P-25R-5S] and the rest goes pretty much like in our timeline henceforth. It does mean that it the timeline that is the most damaged by the Nemesis event, possibly without the possibility of triggering event chain from the Curator and his Communion due to the galaxy being too dead / undead by then as the game may have been killed by then (due to Nemesis undead lichdom victory) or simply too inhospitable for any lifeforms to enjoy life enough there)

More about all that ethos singularity madness in a later article...

4800-5600 timeline section (early interstellar age) [Stellaris + CivBeyondEarth RisingTide playthroughs]

Earlygame (early space exploration, expansion and planetary colonization), Midgame crisis (Marauders, Great Khan, Gray Tempest, end-point to the CivBeyondEarth RisingTide playthrough lore), Lategame crisis (Pretoryn Scourge, Feral Pretoryn, Hunters, Contingency, Cybrex, Ancient Caretakers, Unbidden, Aberrant, Vehement...);

5600-~6400 (middle interstellar age)

Victory endscreen (5600), "Deluge" / heavily modded Nemesis crisis about galactic hegemony in necromantic manners BUT quite timewise preserving (~6000), its aftermath and the slow benevolent overlordship rise through the road to the Communion event chain (fully ends at the dawn of year 6400, much happens within the last few decades prior depending on galaxy diplomatic autonomy and development status to welcome the Curator communion and the ethereal estates he rules by)

6400-RedShift / GalacticalClusterConsolidation (late interstellar ages)

The Curator and his sapient kin does actually resides in this era to best administer the full set of three timelines, so they naturally converge around those late interstellar / galactic ages. Still timeless enough to navigate to wherever they need be but preferring not to distribute their full weight onto other timespans so they project into volunteer hosts and constructs if need may be. Essentially a timespan with enough infrastructure and capacity to do anything they so desire and best made to accommodate ethereal patrons and estates. Most of them stay here but some do migrate forth or back in time to fill a mission / quest of theirs.

Dying Universe / Degenerate Cosmos group of ages

Somehow we visit this group of ages in the following order through the story through a psychic lens. Still unsure when to put the Curator's avatar host biological body birth and life across the first three eras among these. But as their energetic sapient spirit does belong from a darker yet similarly nuanced alternate reality (the axis victory one I talked about every so often) It think that doesn't need to be specified and can be left to the observer's imagination. However the core value is to weave some nihilistic optimism & overall constructive attitudes to every agent present during the soul projection.

RedDwarves

Not yet

BlackHoles

Not yet

IronStars

Not yet

HeatDeath

Not yet

Boltmann Brains / Judgment

Not yet

HALT, WAIT and then JUMP back to cosmogony when the programmable space is fully processed.

[mikesavagenewcanaan]

Mike Savage New Canaan The Tale Of The Chevy Chevelle

The Chevrolet Chevelle is an unbelievably popular cars and truck within the American classic automobile market as it personifies every little thing that a real muscle mass was supposed to be. Originally designed to serve as a middle alternative between the a lot more expensive Impala as well as "low-level" Nova, these cars swiftly became a pillar within the American auto neighborhood to offer lots of power as well as performance to their customers at a quite small cost the moment. The very first generation was improved the A-body platform as well as was introduced in 1963. 1964 saw the intro of the 327 ci V8, which produced a crazy, for the time, 300 horse power. By this point, the Chevelle was in vogue in America due to the fact that it permitted the younger generation of cars and truck fanatics the capability to have an exceptional muscular tissue automobile of their very own without quiting an arm as well as a leg. This was a great selling factor. You require both your arms and legs to drive these lorries, particularly if you obtained the four-speed handbook.

1965 was probably among one of the most prominent years for this model as it saw the use of the L79 V8 engine, which had an even crazier power output of 350 horsepower. However, this choice only can be found in the SS choice, of which only 201 designs were generated. A total redesign can be found in 1966, which saw the SS progress into its different design, which left the Chevelle with a maximum power output of 327 horsepower. Very little took place for the 1967 production year of the Chevrolet Chevelle, aside from some brake upgrades.

Mike Savage New Canaan

Nonetheless, 1968 saw the intro of a completely brand-new body style that included a lot of swooping body lines as well as a protruding back side which commanded the focus of many enthusiasts on and off the road. The 396 ci V8 engine was a widespread option for this year as it managed to produce 375 horse power. This body design hung around up until 1973 with a double front lights as well as solitary front lights choice. When the oil situation, American automobiles began to obtain a little bit unsightly besides extremely few choose versions. The Chevelle was no exemption to that as it transformed more into a deluxe boat than the initial muscular tissue vehicle that all of us know as well as enjoy.

Nevertheless, 1968 saw the introduction of a totally brand-new body design that included a lot of swooping body lines and a protruding back side which regulated the attention of several lovers on and off the road. The 396 ci V8 engine was a prevalent alternative for this year as it handled to create 375 horsepower. This body style spent time until 1973 with a twin headlight as well as solitary front lights option. Once the oil crisis, American cars and trucks began to get a little bit unsightly aside from really couple of choose models. The Chevelle was no exception to that as it transformed much more into a high-end boat than the original muscular tissue cars and truck that all of us recognize and enjoy.

Mike Savage New Canaan

Some of one of the most extraordinary alternatives that you can obtain with these vehicles consisted of the Heavy Chevy choice as well as the significant performance you could manage getting the lorry through the COPO program. The Chevelle sadly finished its production in 1978 due to drooping sales numbers and also a modification in the general public alternative surrounding previous performance automobiles being turned into dog-slow land luxury yachts. Basically the Chevelle was exterminated out of grace as well as has remained inactive ever since. Probably we will certainly see a new generation of these vehicles arise in the future. However, in the meantime, the first and also second-generation Chevelles still inspire auto fanatics worldwide to take their love for traditional American muscular tissue cars to the following level.

[monstersinthecosmos]

September 9, 1973

Daniel chews his thumbnail down to the quick somewhere been Paso Robles and Barstow. He tries to breathe, tries to focus on keeping both hands on the wheel at ten and two like he’s supposed to. And after the tenth loop of his Link Wray 8-track he gets frustrated and throws it into the back seat.

The car speakers fizzle on nothing, and he twists the tune knob slowly, listening for anything, but he’s too deep into nowhere to pick up a signal.

Well, okay. He shuts it off. Sits in silence for a little while, just hearing the rattling noise from his engine. Every time he goes over sixty it gets louder, and his steering wheel shakes, and he slows back down. In the middle of fucking nowhere; he doesn’t know what he’d do if the car broke down out here.

Louis’s interview is on the front seat, and every few minutes he lays his hand down on top of the bag, needing to know it’s there. And sometimes he even unbuckles it and reaches inside to touch the tapes themselves, needing to know. 

In the motel last night he’d listened to the first tape. It burned through an entire pack of cigarettes. And he’d stormed out of the room when it ended, had to walk around the parking lot to calm down. Walked down the street to buy more smokes and a bottle of whiskey. And he came back and smoked more. Did a few shots. Stared at the tape deck.

And this morning he found a Radio Shack before hitting the road. Bought a pack of tapes and a double tape deck. He’s gonna copy them tonight. Listen to them again. Make copies to be safe. Maybe he can send one of the sets to Connie, to make sure someone knows.

Or, no. No. Don’t do that. 

He’s not sure.

The sky is huge out here. He blinks up at it, cracks the window to get some fresh air in the car. Takes his eyes off the empty road to look around at the desert.

It makes him feel small, but something feels safe, too. Encased in the sunlight, where they won’t find him. It’s safe, knowing that Louis is sleeping somewhere. And Lestat is under that house. 

On the drive out, when he moved to San Francisco, he was so excited. First time road-tripping by himself, and not really understanding how huge the country was. And every day seeing how the landscape changed, watching the transition from the mountains, to the plains, to the jagged red rocks. And out here, California desert filled with scratchy green plants and weird trees. 

It’s different now, though. Time feels different. Sunlight feels different. 

A knot forms under his ribs when he sees he’s got a quarter tank left. He shifts in his seat, rubs at it, digs his thumb in beneath the bones. The car rattles as he spaces out, pushing too hard, heart pounding. He grabs the road atlas from the floor, trying to find his place on it between glances to the road, trying to catch the mile markers.

He can switch to CA-46 soon, he guesses. And he can stop for gas, bound to be a town near the junction. And he can take a leak, drink some water, study the map again. 

It gives him the same feeling he had in that gross little room, as the reality slowly dawned on him. Kind of frightened, kind of excited. Entering a fatal domain.

This is actually happening.

His chest is still tight an hour later when he pulls into a gas station. For a moment he just sits in the car, rubbing at his breastbone, hoping it will pass. Tries to stretch, when he gets out, but it only pinches worse. 

They became fewer as he got older, but he remembers his dad having fits like this when he was a kid. He’d pace around the house at night, or wake up pale in the morning. Complain that his chest hurt. Snappy on those days, and Daniel would avoid him. Afterward, his dad would never really talk about it, never acknowledge that it happened. His mom told him it was because of the war, but she wouldn’t really say more than that.

Daniel wonders if this is how it felt. The pain, the way his ears ring, how his heart races even though he’s been sitting around doing nothing.

But he’s not his dad. He’s not.

He buys a bottle of water. Sips at it as he pumps the gas. Breathes the fumes, deeply, like it might help. And he’s almost okay when he gets back in the car, when he unfolds the map over the steering wheel to decide what to do next.

A station wagon backs into the space in front of him. He glances up from the map in time to see three children popping the tailgate window open. Twin boys and a little blonde girl. And they’re all wrestling and laughing and she’s hanging the upper half of her body over the door to yell to their father. 

Daniel’s insides turn to ice.

He shoves the map down. Hands shaking too much to get the key in the ignition. Sweating, and his chest throbs, and he can’t catch his breath as he tries to pull out.

That horrible little girl…

Not sure where he’s going though, as his tires screech, tearing out onto the road too fast. Face numb and his heart in his ears as he tries to read the road signs. And he tastes blood in his mouth and claps his hands over the wound on his neck, still stinging because he can’t stop picking at it.

Where am I going? he asks himself. Look for the signs. For the highway. 

Lays his hand down on the tapes again.

Where am I going.  

[previous day] | [next day]

[anitosoul]

tripreport.008: Pinecore

What’s that coming from the woods? 🪓

Key Pinecore Inspirations:

Frank Ocean – Endless (Visual Album)

David Lynch – Twin Peaks (TV Show) / Fire Walk With Me (Film)

Wim Wenders – Paris, Texas (Film)

Blues, folk, country, classic rock (Music Genre)

Cowpunk (Music Genre)

Nirvana – MTV Unplugged (Album)

Specifically, “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” (Song)

The Last of Us Pt II (Video Game)

Meat Puppets (Music Artist)

Time Crisis (Internet Radio Show)

Kurt Cobain (Music Artist)

Daniel Quinn – Ishmael (Book)

Blackbird Spyplane (Newsletter)

Peter Wohlleben – The Hidden Life of Trees (Book)

DIY Construction (Activity)

Antlers, Oklahoma (Town)

@organiclab.zip (Instagram Account)

Evergreen and brown (Colors)

Pinecore Tracklist A-Side: Fog

Angelo Badalamenti – Twin Peaks Main Theme (1990)

Bill Withers – Ain’t No Sunshine (1971)

Joanne Shaw Taylor – Summertime (2016)

B.B. King – Chains and Things (1970)

Chris Stapleton – Whiskey Sunrise (2020)

Buddy Guy, Mick Jagger – Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) (1973)

Khruangbin – Father Bird, Mother Bird (2020)

Glen Campbell – Wichita Lineman (1968)

The Cactus Blossoms – Powder Blue (2016)

Fleetwood Mac – Gold Dust Woman (1977)

The Mamas & The Papas – California Dreamin’ (1966)

Grateful Dead – Me & My Uncle (Live at Fillmore East, New York 1971)

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Mary Jane’s Last Dance (1993)

The Quakes – Paint It Black (1990)

Pinecore Tracklist B-Side: Dusk

Buck Owens – I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail (1964)

The Reverend Horton Heat – Marijuana (1990)

Led Zeppelin – Dazed and Confused (1969)

Meat Puppets – Lake of Fire (1984)

The Meteors – Into the Darkness (1981)

The Gun Club – A Devil in the Woods (1982)

The Cramps – I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1980)

Kurt Cobain – Burn the Rain (some time in the 1990s)

Woody Guthrie – Buffalo Skinners (1945)

Blood on the Saddle – Endless Highway (1987)

Ry Cooder – Paris, Texas (1984)

Nirvana – Where Did You Sleep Last Night? (1994)

Frank Ocean – Higgs (2016)

Gustavo Santaolalla – Longing (from “The Last of Us Pt II”) (2020)

My lifestyle at the beginning of the year was entirely opposite of my lifestyle at the end of year: I ended 2021 living in downtown Manhattan, a city of 8.4 million people, but I began 2021 living at home in Tulsa with my dad, spending every weekend working on an A-frame cabin in Moyers, Oklahoma, an unincorporated community with a population of 451 (453 when my dad and I were there, I guess).

My entire life centered around construction, being in the woods, driving my dad’s truck, listening to guitar music, and solitude. In my downtime I watched the entirety of Twin Peaks, which was a major inspiration for the vibe of Pinecore. My life kind of felt like a combination of Twin Peaks and King of the Hill: the closest real town to the cabin was Antlers, Oklahoma, the “deer capital of the world.” The town coffee shop was called Tipp’s Sacred Grounds, and the rotating cast of visitors (local older Oklahoman couples, jaded teenage employees, the suspiciously overly-friendly owner, random European tourists who decided lockdown was the best time to do a road trip through middle America, etc.) were reminiscent of the bizarre characters and relationships in both of those shows.

Pinecore was inspired by the eerie discomfort I would feel sleeping in the woods at night, the silence highlighting every noise in a mile radius. It wasn’t scary per se, but felt more like a primal fear. It’s a mirror version of the bright, saccharine sounds of indie folk; basically, it’s evil Fleet Foxes. The sound of Pinecore is an amalgamation of country, blues, classic rock, and “cowpunk” (or country punk), which was one of my favorite music genre discoveries of this year. I would listen to these genres all day as I hammered and drilled and lifted and sawed planks of wood. My dad and I had been working for about a month and finally put up the A-frames, sealing the achievement of erecting the structure of the cabin.

The song that best encapsulates the feelings of Pinecore is Nirvana’s cover of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” from their MTV Unplugged session. Throughout January I was surrounded by tall pine trees in the dead of winter, away from civilization. Given the world events like pandemic and like the storming of the U.S. Capitol, life felt pretty apocalyptic. Spending time in the woods building a home with my dad gave my life a tangible purpose despite its simplicity; it was a reprieve from the chaos of the world. The ominous, deep-seated fear of the woods was more natural and preferable to the disorienting dread of what was happening everywhere else.

[outfitterhimalaya]

Best of Nepal Adventure: 12 Days

Best of Nepal adventure is an exclusive adventure tour package for Nepal made for those, who have about two weeks in Nepal and who want to explore Nepal and experience the culture, Nature, Himalayas, Valleys, and jungle.

Himalayan View from Poon hill on Best of Nepal Adventure

Nepal is the best destination for all types of tourists/travelers having many cultural, historical, religious, Mountains, Jungles, and natural heritages. We have covered almost all the most attractive tourist destinations of Nepal on the Best of Nepal Adventure.

The best of Nepal Adventure is an amazing exhilarating adventure tour in Nepal, the tour comprises a complete trip within Kathmandu, travel to Pokhara, and trekking in Annapurna Region, the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek, and the Jungle Safari in Chitwan National Park.

The highlight of Best of Nepal Adventure is the Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek, which is one of the most popular, short, and sweet trekking in the Whole Annapurna Region. The Ghorepani Trek is suitable for those who have limited holidays for Himalaya Holidays, and all ages people even children.

The visit of Poon hill on the Best of Nepal Adventure offers views of the beautiful Annapurna Himalayan ranges and sunrises when Sun rises, it touches the snow-capped summits Dhaulagiri (8,167m) and Annapurna (8,091m) along with a maze of other peaks. Gradually, the sight comes there, just like magic. The Trek goes through the charming villages inhabited by the Gurungs and Magars communities. The Trek also goes through the thick rhododendron forests, which are full of birds, and deep sub-tropical valleys, all set below the Annapurna’s with the scenic peak of Machhapuchhare (Fishtail).

Jungle Safari in Chitwan National Park is also included in the Best of Nepal Adventure Itinerary. The Chitwan is the most accessible for all travelers. It is located in the southern middle part of Nepal and is linked by well-paved roads. The Chitwan National Park is one of the best Parks in Nepal, established in 1973 AD, where you have a look at various species of birds, plants, wild animals, floras, and faunas.

You will finally return to Kathmandu to take your return flight home after visiting the Chitwan National Park. We at Outfitter Himalaya arrange departure regularly. We welcome you to join one of our listed dates, and if any of these dates are not suitable for you. The best of Nepal Adventure is available on any day of the year.

We also have similar trek and trip in Nepal Such as Helambu Valley Trek, Mardi Himal Trekking, Khopra Ridge Trekking, Langtang Valley Trekking and Renjo La pass Trekking.

Itinerary of the Tour

Day 01: Arrive at Kathmandu airport and transfer to hotel You will be met & greeted by our airport representative who will be on standby to pick you up and transfer you to your hotel.

Day 02: Full day sightseeing of Kathmandu valley & an orientation After having Breakfast at the hotel, we take you for a sightseeing tour in Kathmandu Valley. You will be escorted by a professional guide and Your tour will include Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath Temple, and Baudhanath Stupa.

Day 03: Drive from Kathmandu to Pokhara

We drive along the scenic Trisuli and Marsyangdi Rivers to reach Pokhara, it’s a pretty good drive as we go by the beautiful river which is also good for rafting;

Day 04: Drive from Pokhara to Nayapul and Trek to Tikhedunga After having breakfast at the hotel, we start to drive to Nayapul which takes approximately one and a half hours. We then start the first part of our hiking out to Tikhedunga (1577M) Via Birethanti (1065m.) this is a pretty easy flat-out hike as we pass through several small lively villages and settlements. After some time, we will ascend gently to the final destination of the day, overnight at Guesthouse.

Day 05: Trek to Ghorepani

After having a hot breakfast at the lodge, we start the trek and ascend steeply for the first 2 hours then ascend gently passing through Ulleri (2070m.) and Banthanti, villages. This path gives breathtaking views of Machhapuchhare or Fish Tail (6997m.), Hiunchuli (6441m.), and the grand Annapurna (7219m) south on the way. Our trekking trail now gets quite easygoing as we pass through rhododendron and shadowy forests amidst the cackling of birds which gives us good feelings till we ascend gently up to the final camp to the Ghorepani.

Day 06: Hike to Poonhill and trek to Tadapani

Today, we hike to Poonhill (3232m.) to enjoy the sunrise views over Mt. Dhaulagiri (8167m.), Tukuche Peak (6920m.), Nilgiri (6940m.), Varaha Shikhar (7847m.), Mt. Annapurna I (8091m.), Annapurna South (7219m.), Annapurna III (7855m.), Machhapuchhare (6993m.), Annapurna IV (7525m.), Annapurna II (7937m.), Lamjung Himal (6931m.) and other numerous snowcapped mountains in the morning; Poonhill has always been a symbol of beauty for the Annapurna region then we will return down to Ghorepani and have a hot breakfast at our lodge and trek to Tadapani (2650m.). Most of the trail today is through blooming rhododendron forest; the beautiful flower makes the jungle colorful in spring when they bloom.

Day 07: Trek from Tadapani to Ghandruk

After having breakfast at the lodge, we start our trek, and today, it is easy trekking by descending gently through rhododendron, oak, and other kinds of dense forests. We will hear different kinds of birds chirping on the way, this is one of the popular destinations for birds lovers, Ghandruk is a big Gurung village, there is a handicraft center and Gurung museum, from this village we will see the views of Annapurna South, Hiunchuli, Gangapurna (7455m.), Annapurna III (7755m.) and Fishtail.

Day 08: Trek from Ghandruk to Nayapul & Drive to Pokhara After having breakfast at the hotel, we start our trek today is the last day trekking of our trek and it is a very easy trek by descending gently half of the way through the rice field and local villages to Syauli bazaar and walking the flat part until Nayapul then drives to Pokhara, checks in to the hotel and your evening are free.

Day 09: Drive from Pokhara to Chitwan After an early morning breakfast at the hotel, we will drive to Chitwan which takes about 6 hours and check into our jungle lodge and embark on a wildlife Tharu village tour.

Day 10: Full day of go-wild jungle activities After b/fast amidst the sweet chirping of birds, we set out for a Full day of jungle activities that include Jungle Walking, Elephant Back Riding Safari across streams & into the jungles; we also enjoy watching the Elephants bathing, and visiting the elephant Breeding center, at eventide, while having supper, we enjoy a scintillating Tharu cultural stick dance that’s exciting to watch in the evening.

Day 11: Drive from Chitwan to Kathmandu After b/fast, we will take you for an interesting Bird watching tour in the morning and drive to Kathmandu and check into the hotel.

Day 12: Transfer to the international airport for your final flight departure We know that you will always remember this combo vacation & will return home to tell stories of your amazing experiences in the incredible Himalayan nation of Nepal. We know that you will return someday. Bon Voyage! On your way home.

[annab-nana]

Stay With Me - Colby Brock

When tagging along with the boys on a trip to London, you experience some crazy things when you’re alone in your room at the Langham Hotel.

@traphousedaily’s favorite snc series project with: @lonely-xplr, @sarcasmhadachild, @taradummy @reddesertcolbs, @reinad-snc, @cartiercolby, @colbylover99, @sunflowerwhoever, @xplrtrash, @goddess-of-time-and-magic, @xolbyz

A/N: This is my longest fic I have ever written, so if you like the longer fics, let me know! Also, this probably isn’t the best edited because I tried to get it out in a hurry so sorry about that haha

Warnings: some curse words; mentions of suicide, murder, and suffocation

Word Count: 4.6k+

--------------------------------------------------

“We’re going to England, brothas!” Sam shouted which was followed by excited squeals and scream from you, Jake, and Corey as Colby clapped beside you all. When you went to the party at Kian and Jc’s, you were not expecting your best friends to come up and surprise with such news. You giggled as you watched Corey prance around, saying “Oh my God” repeatedly, and Jake spew absolute nonsense of connecting Queen Elizabeth to Bloody Mary.

“Pack ya bags. We’re going to London, baby!” Sam spoke enthusiastically before covering the camera lens that Colby was holding with his hand. And from there, your crazy adventure with the boys began and you hand no idea what you were in for or how badly it would end.

...

After your suitcase was packed and you had your backpack on, you were ready to go to London. You were so excited to see a new place and considering you have never left the country, this was a whole new experience for you. After a ride in an uber and a plane, the five of you arrived in the capital of the United Kingdom.

“Are you guys gonna be safe driving on the opposite side of the road?” Jake questioned as we walked through the parking lot of cars.

“Oh,” Sam and Colby say together, though Colby’s ended with a ‘my God’.

“I didn’t even think about that,” Colby added as he walked backwards, facing the camera towards us.

“Look at the steering wheel, brotha!” Jake pointed to the steering wheel of a black car in front of you all and the wheel was in fact on the opposite side.

“Oh no! How are we gonna do this?” Colby questioned as we all looked at the car, thinking the same thing as the boy with reddened locks.

“I don’t know my right from my left,” Sam spoke in a horrid British accent that you could not help but laugh at.

“Alright, you’re gonna drive,” Colby told his counterpart as you playfully rolled your eyes.

“Okay,” the blond sighed in defeat.

“This isn’t looking good,” you spoke to the camera that Colby held as you two watched Sam try to pull out of the parking spot. He already nudged Jake with the car and then tried to turn right when you can only go left. After a bunch more tomfoolery from the group, you all finally moved your stuff into the car and got in as well.

“Alright boys so-” Colby started to explain what we were doing but was cut off by Corey clearing his throat.

“And girl,” he scolded as he nodded his head in the direction of you.

“No, Corey. Y/n is one of the boys,” Jake butted in.

“I don’t know if that’s a compliment or an insult,” you chuckled before turning your attention back to Colby so he could continue his explanation.

“Anyway, this is what we’re doing. We’re going to the Langham Hotel which is known as the most haunted hotel in the UK.”

“And also top ten in the whole world,” Sam added.

“Wait, are we going there or staying there?” Jake asked beside you. Your eyes followed from his to Colby’s to see his answer.

“Staying there.” Your eyes widened slightly as you looked at the two boys beside you. Corey giggled nervously and made jokes to hide his fear and you and Jake just laugh in disbelief.

“In our last series, The Origin, we talked to those guys like a demonologist and he says we’re a lot better at paranormal investigations than normal and he thinks we have a gift. So, this whole trip is trying to prove that our group is the best ghost hunters on YouTube and because of that, we are meeting with two paranormal experts who’ve been studying the paranormal and demonology for years and we’re doing an interview here in an hour,” Sam explained.

Jake appeared to be really excited to the right of you and on your left, Corey stayed quiet, which led you to believe he was kind of scared and trying to hide it. You felt a mix of both the emotions of the boys next to you. You were excited for the adventure like Jake was, but also a little scared like Corey since y’all were going to one of the most haunted hotels in the world.

...

“Hey, there it is,” Colby announced to you three in the back and the camera that he had pointed at the building before you guys.

“The Langham!” Sam shouted as he kept his eyes locked on the road, still trying to get used to driving on the other side of it. You all pulled up the hotel, got your bags, and headed inside in no time.

“So, we have a reservation under Golbach,” Colby started as he spoke to the man at the front desk.

“We put in a request. We don’t know if it was able to be fulfilled, but we’re trying to do room 333,” Sam asked the man in the grey suit, a maroon tie and handkerchief to compliment it. You and Corey shared a look after Sam mentioned the number 333, both knowing it did not sound good.

“Absolutely. You have been allocated in that room,” the front man told y’all and Colby turned to you three with an excited grin which you returned. The man at the front desk noticed your group’s excitement and smiled along with you.

“We heard online that room 333 was like haunted or something like that?” Sam mentioned, hoping to get some information from the clerk.

“Is this why you have the camera?” He grinned as he processed the transaction.

“A little bit, yeah,” Sam chuckled.

“There is the legend, yes,” he told you all as he focused on his work.

“Have you heard anything about that?” the blond pressed again.

“We can’t tell guests,” the clerk starts with a smile, but the grin soon drops as he nods his head. Something about the way he did that made you feel a bit uneasy.

“Do you believe in it personally?” Sam questioned as you all listened intently to what the man had to say.

“No. In one year that I’ve been here, I didn’t have any complaints and so on, but you can tell me. Just stay there with the camera, yeah?” he laughed as you all joined in, trying to relieve the awkward and weird tension.

...

“My name’s Sam. This is Colby, Y/n, Jake, and Corey. We’re filming for our channel, but these guys are always into it and woah.” Sam turned the camera to the large creak you all just heard coming from above him and Rosie, the lady you had just met who is a member of the ghost club. John, a guy from the council for the Society for Psychical Research, sat next to her. You sat on the couch nearest to him between Colby and Jake and Corey sat on the chair next to Sam across for you.

“We just rented out room 333. We haven’t even told them why that’s a significant number, but do you guys know much about room 333 here in the Langham Hotel?” Sam asked, filming the response from Rosie.

“Well, the story goes that a Victorian doctor spent the night in room 333 with his bride. It was his wedding night. Who knows the circumstances, but the story goes, he actually murdered his bride in room 333.” She pauses as y’all take in the information she had just given before she continues.

“So, fast forward now to 1973 and the journalist James Alexander Gordon was staying room 333 where he’s waking in the middle of the night and he said he saw a fluorescent ball of lights that slowly formed into the figure of a man, but there was something strange about this man. He was dressed in a full evening suit, very smart, but the bottom half, his legs, were actually missing. Now the journalist actually tried to speak with the figure, but the figure didn’t speak to him. He just walked towards with his arms open wide.”

“A famous cricketer, he was staying at the room and in the middle of the night, he was woken by the sound of taps turning on. He went into the bathroom. Water was gushing out through the tap.”

“Woah,” all of you say collectively as you think back on what happened to the boys previously. You didn’t go with them on that trip, but you heard the story several times and watched the video too. Sam fills in the woman in on the experience briefly before she can continue with her story.

“Anyway, he turned off the taps, went back to the bed, what he could hear was still the sound of running water, gushing out even though the taps were turned off.”

John nods along before speaking about a theory that ghosts are like a tape recording of traumatic experiences that just play over and over again. He explains that you can’t really interact with it because it’s always going on a loop. The theory piques the interest of the group to say the least.

...

After finishing the interview and exploring a bit of the beautiful town you were in, you all gathered around the camera as Sam gave some background on the hotel. He tells you all about a German prince who jumped from the building out the window and how the doctor from earlier killed his wife and himself afterwards, both stories happening in room 333.

Soon the camera is turned off and you all pile in the elevator to head to the third floor. The whole hotel has an unsettling vibe, especially with some weird and creepy paintings that are hung all around. There is a big one of a boy with creepy eyes right when y’all get off the elevator.

“Which way is room 333?” Corey asks a worker when y’all get to a hallway and do not know which way to turn.

“Oh… uh… room 333… it’s that way,” he speaks, dragging out each word and shuffling away in a weird fashion. You and Corey share a wide-eyed look before going to catch up with the rest of the group.

“This is the most haunted room in the most haunted hotel,” Colby tells the camera as he films Sam who is about to unlock the dreaded door. The key does not work on the first try or the second which scares you all, but thankfully, the third time’s a charm.

Sam pushes the door open to reveal the supposed haunted room. A bed sat in the center of it, a closet to the left and a desk to the right. Huge grey curtains covered the window and another door was next to it, which you assumed to be the bathroom.

“It smells like old people,” Jake mentioned. “You know what that means? That means its haunted, bitch.” You and Colby giggled at the beanie boy as Sam and Corey were off in the other corner of the room. Colby mentions how tiny the room is as Corey says how that one of us could be standing where someone got murdered.

“Oh, we got three rooms. There is no way we can all share this bed,” Colby mentioned.

“Where are the other rooms at?” Corey asked as he stuffed his hands into his new hoodie that he got earlier when we were going around the city.

“Just down the hall,” Colby told him.

“Oh, so still on the most haunted floor,” Corey rolls his eyes and nods, accepting the fact that something bad might happen tonight.

...

You all left room 333 and headed to 324 where Corey and Jake would be staying to check the room out. Your room was next door, 323, and looked remarkably similar to 324. After exploring the rooms, y’all take on the hotel in its entirety, passing more creepy paintings and experiencing a door closing behind you without anyone around it, several vortexes, handprints on mirrors, immediate temperature changes, strange noises, and so on. The thing that freaked you out the most was Sam getting random headaches as you explored.

Back in room 333, you guys sat on the bed and Sam explained all the new ghost hunting gadgets they got, from the EMF reader to the dowsing rods. Sam says that with the dowsing rods, you can find basically anything you want.

“Anything?” Colby questions as he picks up the rods.

“Alright, where’s my girlfriend?” he asks and both rods point to you almost immediately. A blush scatters on your cheeks as you laugh it off.

“See guys, even the rods think you two should get together,” Jake tells the camera. Colby ignores the awkwardness between you two as he asks Corey how to effectively use the rods.

Y’all decide to begin the investigation, starting with the EMF reader. Corey brings it close to the hangers that made a noise and it moves up one green light. It lights up to orange in a few places on the right side of the bathroom which freaks you all out and y’all decide to set the EMF reader up in the bathroom since it got the most activity. You all put together that the bathroom is the only spot in the room that has a vortex and that it is exponentially hotter than the bedroom.

While Sam and Colby messed around in the bathroom, you, Corey, and Jake stayed in the bedroom to see if anything would happen in there while the cameras weren’t running in there at the moment.

“If there’s anything in here, can you please make the bed shake?” Jake asked into the air above him, trying to get whatever was out there to make the bed shake like they did earlier. At the moment, he was laying on the left side and you were on the right. Corey was next to you in the desk chair. You guys waited a moment for any responses and then you got one.

“We’re here,” you heard the raspy low whisper come from the closet.

“Please tell you heard that too,” you begged as you sat up, pulling your knees to your chest to comfort yourself. Corey nodded profusely in the dim lighting as Jake audibly answered ‘yes’. Corey dashed to the bathroom door to tell the other two.

“Hey, you good?” Colby asked you quietly as the other boys discussed what happened. Your eyes left the trio before meeting the blue ones that gave you such peace. He had placed a comforting hand on your back, his thumb rubbing it to soothe your nerves.

“Yeah, just freaked out. This place has been giving me an uneasy feeling all day, but I’m good.” You smiled up at him and he gave you a grin right back, one big enough for those adorable little dimples to pop out.

“Bro, if you guys lay on the bed, you will feel something with you,” Jake told Sam and Colby. You stood off the bed, allowing Colby access to lay on it. He handed you the camera, which you handed to Corey because you were not the best them and your hands were slightly shaky.

“When I was laying with him, we could feel it shaking,” you told the duo as they sprawled out on the mattress.

“You should turn off the light,” Jake told Corey and he did. It was just you five in the room alone with the darkness and all who inhabit it.

“Do you guys feel the bed shaking at all?” Corey asked, his voice right next to you.

“Maybe, barely,” Colby’s voice sounded in front of you.

“If the German prince or the doctor that killed his wife is in here, please shake the bed,” Sam asked nicely of the spirits that are presumed to be in the room with you guys. After a moment of silence, a stunned ‘woah’ fell from Sam’s lips.

“What?” Corey questioned as you heard him fiddling with the camera. “What? Bro, I can’t find the light.” Sam grabbed the green light grid thing and turned it on to provide you all with some sort of light.

“I felt it go back and forth,” Sam told us all as he kept his eyes on Colby to see if he felt anything too.

“You felt it? I don’t know if I’m feeling anything,” Colby sounded a little disappointed like he wanted to feel what you, Jake, and Sam had felt.

“It literally rocked bro,” Jake told the camera and you nodded your head in agreement. You all hung out in the bedroom, trying to figure out the green light grid and how else you all wanted to go about the investigation when Corey got a text from his little brother, Cambrey.

“Are you okay?” you asked Corey as he stared wide-eyed at his phone screen. The other boys turned to look at Corey to see why you asked him such a question when y’all were just chilling at the moment.

“Uhh yeah, Cam just texted me this: Hey so I just saw your new video and at the end of it when you were talking about in the part where y’all kept saying save me and you were wondering like what you should do, I just wanted to let you know I went to a psychic lady and she told me that I have powers to send ghosts to the other side lol. All I have to say is you are free to go to the other side and it helps them go through. I know this sounds really stupid but ever since I talked to her, I’ve been seeing giant black figures in my room every night and when I sleep, it feels like someone’s watching me.”

“What the fuck?” Sam comments as you all share looks between you guys.

“Wanna know what’s even freakier? Cam is fourteen right now and I was fourteen when I first saw the shadowman.” ‘Woah’s fall from the group around him as we take in the information and process what we’ve been told because it seems so surreal. You all talk about how to deal with this. Corey feels guilty and responsible for Cambrey possibly seeing the shadowman. You try to comfort him, but the heavy feeling that he is dealing with is something that you can’t help that much.

“Maybe it might be good if we call it a night,” Sam suggests to the group as you nod your head. Things are a bit tense right now and maybe just getting settled into our own rooms and stopping the investigation for now could ease it some.

“Let’s set our alarms for three or something like that, but I think it’s good to take a break for a minute and like relax and we’ll come back to this in a minute.” And that is exactly what you guys did.

“Are you gonna be good by yourself, y/n?” Colby asked before you left their room with Jake and Corey.

“Yeah, I should be but I might call you so that if I hear something, you might hear it too and so I don’t go crazy,” you chuckled as he smiled at you, the grin making butterflies flutter around in your belly. He nodded before you turned around and went to your room.

A sense of relief flooded your body when you walked into the room. You were still very creeped out by the hotel and the fact that you were on the most haunted floor of the most haunted hotel in the most haunted country in the world. You were happy you were no longer in the most haunted room, but the things that were happening in there freaked you out.

You went to your suitcase and flipped through your clothes until you found something to sleep in. You had packed mainly warmer clothes for sleepwear, but since room 333 was so hot and you were still burning up from it, you grabbed the one pair of shorts you brought and a tank top. You grabbed a hair tie from your backpack and went to the mirror, throwing your hair into a ponytail. After you brushed your teeth and got your charger out, you settled into bed and shot Colby a text.

Y/n: can I call you?

Colby: of course

“Hello?” you asked as soon as you hear the ringing stop.

“Hey, are you okay?” His voice sounds so concerned and it makes you smile.

“Yes, Colby. I’m fine. Can you stay on the phone with me until I get tired?”

“Yeah, sure.”

It didn’t last long until you were about to conk out, so the two of you said your goodbyes and you placed your phone down on the bedside table. Just as you were about to fall asleep, you swore you felt the bed shake. You do not know why you said what you were about to, but you did.

“If there is anything there, can you make the bed shake again please?” A moment or two of silence passes before it does it again. The bed wobbles lightly beneath you.

“Okay so there’s something here,” you whisper to yourself. You try your best to shrug it off and go to sleep. You almost slip into a blissful sleep before you hear a whisper similar to the one from before.

“You’re not alone, y/n.” You immediately grabbed your phone to text Colby. You knew he would probably be in a deep sleep by now, but it was worth a shot.

Y/n: the bed shook in here

Y/n: and I asked it to do it again and it did

Y/n: then it whispered youre not alone y/n

After not seeing the bubble with three dots pop up, you decide to let your phone record audio while you sleep just to catch anything that might happen and set an alarm from three in the morning. Finally, you get to sleep.

You woke up with a jolt, a sweat on your forehead and the bed moving slightly beneath you.

“You’re not alone”

“We’re here”

“Come with us”

The whispers filled your head as you watched an outline of a guy appears in the hallway near your door.

“Colby,” you call out as you sit up and rub your eyes.

“Sam? Jake? Corey?” you continue but not a peep comes from the man as he inches towards your bed.

“Seriously guys. Cut it out,” you chuckle, but he keeps coming closer and closer until he is right beside you. You reach a hand out to try to touch him, but your hand falls through his misty form.

“Whoever you are, please leave. You aren’t welcome here,” you demand, but your voice falters at the end. You hear a loud maniacal laugh vibrate throughout your small room as the figure crawls on top of you.

His presence is suffocating enough, but when a hand comes up to your throat and clamps down, it becomes difficult to breath. You fear for your life as you try to pry the hands from your neck, but just like his body, you can’t grab onto them. Your fingers slip through his and there is nothing you can do about it. Tears seep out your eyes and black spots cloud your vision before all you can see is black.

“Y/n! Open the door! Y/n!” you hear the worried shouts of your friends. You look around and reach for the lamp to turn it on. Looking around, you see that you are safe. It was nothing but a bad dream. You hand flies to your throat and when you feel that there isn’t a misty hand closing in on it, a sigh of relief leaves your lips.

You sling the covers off your body and run to the door. When you open it, you are met with the concerned expressions and worried eyes of the four boys you loved most. Your tear-filled eyes meet the specific blues ones before you step forward and wrap your arms around his waist, hiding your face in his chest.

“Are you okay, y/n?” Sam asks as he places a hand on your shoulder. You flinch at his touch unintentionally before muttering a ‘sorry’.

“You were screaming,” Jake added as he met your eyes.

“Really?” you asked, but based on how scratchy your voice sounded, you could tell it was true. “What happened?”

“Sam and I went to Corey and Jake’s room because Corey called us, but we heard you screaming and rushed over here. What happened to you?” Colby asked calmly above your head.

“Did you get my texts from earlier?” Colby nodded at your question. “I had a nightmare and the same whispers I heard earlier, I heard in my dream. And then this figure came up to me and try to choke me to death. I saw black and then woke up to you guys banging on my door,” you finished as the tears came back and you went back to hiding in Colby’s chest. His hand rubbed up and down your back comfortingly as he looked around at the other guys, unsure of what to do.

“I don’t want to be alone anymore,” you muttered into his chest.

“You can come stay in our room,” you heard Corey offer.

“Or ours,” Sam suggested.

“Can you stay with me?” you asked the blue-eyed boy as you looked up at him.

“Yes. Sam, can I have the camera? I’ll start looking through the footage and you can go to sleep since you couldn’t earlier.” Sam handed him the camera that he had hanging by him side before the other three left to go back to their rooms.

“Was I really screaming?” You asked Colby as soon as you sat on the bed.

“Like you were being killed,” he told you. You grabbed your phone and began to listen to audio recording you started earlier. It is mainly quiet for the most part, just your soft breaths and sounds of you moving in your sleep. Then, you hear the whispers again.

“Listen to this!” you shout as you hand the phone to Colby. His eyes widen at the sound.

“That’s what I’ve been hearing.”

“That’s insane,” He told you as he handed the phone back to you. You get all the way to the end and do not hear any screams.

“There’s no screaming on this.”

“When did it end?” You check and the time that stares back at you freaks you out even more.

“3:33 a.m.”

“Here. Let’s put this away because you have been through a lot tonight and just chill out,” Colby suggested as he placed your phone down and pulled you closer to him. You settled yourself into his side and placed your head on his chest. He had one arm around you while the other laid on his stomach.

“I’m sorry we put you through this,” he muttered as he fiddled with the bottom of his shirt.

“No, it’s okay. I have had a lot of fun this trip and I don’t want it to end early because I had a bad dream. That’s all it was,” you tried to see the bright side of it all.

“That makes me feel better because I really do love you, y/n, and I’d hate to see you not come on another trip with us or stop hanging out with us because of this.”

“I love you too, Colby, and it’s gonna take a whole lot more than a bad dream to get rid of me,” you both chuckled as a comfortable silence fell over the both of you. You fell asleep in the safety of his arms and right there, you did not have another bad dream that night.

[bubbas-chainsaw]

((OK so I wrote this for a different rp, but it sets the scene well and took forever to write up, so I’m reusing parts of it.  This version of the starter is for @dancinggh0stlings ))

1973

NEWT, TEXAS

Waves of heat rose from the cement of the highway.  If it could even be called a highway, that is.  One lane each direction, in between miles of farmland and small towns.  If you were lucky, the towns had more than one stop sign.  But it was home to the Sawyer family.  Always has been, always would be.

Breaking the silence, a rusty blue pickup truck was roaring down the road, driving almost as if the driver was drunk.  But there was nobody around, and Choptop Sawyer was behind the wheel--which meant shenanigans would be involved in this outing.  Holding the steering wheel with one hand, and sometimes with just his gangly knees, he was singing along loudly to the radio as they drove toward town.  More specifically, the gas station.

As they sped down the street, the hulking man in the passenger seat was just trying not to get knocked into his brother, with such reckless driving.  If he did fall against the gangly Choptop, he would likely crash the truck.  And their oldest brother would skin them alive if he wrecked another car.

“Hey, earth to--earth to Bubba!” Choptop said, as the radio station went to commercials.  “Stop lookin’ at cows an’ help me look for dinner.  We might as well make this trip a two for one!”  As he spoke, he itched his wig with a wire coat hanger.  It was his favorite, his Sunny Bono wig.

Bubba, as his brothers called him, was Jedidiah Sawyer, the youngest and last Sawyer brother.  The behemoth grunted back at him.  All six feet, five inches, and three hundred plus pounds of strength that made up the giant, wanted to get the drive over with.  Though not much of a talker, the look Bubba sent his brother seemed skeptical.  Behind the mask he wore, his eyes were surprisingly expressive.  But not many saw past the human-leather mask.  Only his brothers really understood him.

Their destination had originally been the gas station.  After their grandma passed, the eldest brother, Drayton, had taken it over.  And he’d had it thrive, as much as an empty gas station, in the middle of nowhere, could be thriving.  Mostly it was the chili he made, “world famous” around town.  This was likely the only Sawyer the town could tolerate.  But Choptop had wanted cigarettes, and it was easier to steal from his brother, than from another store.  Bubba was just happy to get off the farm.  As they drove home, his thoughts were now on dinner.

Today was their lucky day.  A lone figure dotted the horizon, fuzzy through the heat waves.  Choptop looked at Bubba with a grin.  “Jackpot.”

As they got closer, they could make out the person a little better, walking down the highway.  How the person had gotten this far walking, in this heat, they would never know.  But Choptop slowed to pull over, and rolled down his window to talk to them.

“You need a ride, sweetheart?” Choptop called out, giving one of his famous grins.  “Where ya goin’?”

[randomvarious]

Uprising - “Long Hard Road” Motor City’s Burnin’ Song released in 1972. Compilation released in 1998. Blues-Rock / Garage Rock / Boogie Rock

Dipping into some awesome, little-known Detroit rock history with a band called The Uprising here. But first, in order to understand who The Uprising were, you should get yourself acquainted with The Up, which critic Jason Ankeny dutifully handles below:

Ann Arbor, Michigan-based proto-punks the Up were formed in the spring of 1967 by vocalist Franklin Bach, then the stage manager and announcer at Detroit's famed Grande Ballroom. Rounded out by guitarist Bob Rasmussen, bassist Gary Rasmussen and drummer Vic Peraino (soon replaced by Scott Bailey), the group was managed by David Sinclair, the brother of local White Panther Party leader John Sinclair, and as such their history became inextricably linked with that of local revolutionary rockers the MC5, with the two bands even living together at the same Ann Arbor commune. The Up regularly opened for the MC5 as well, and were the opening act at the legendary September 1968 show at the Union Ballroom that so impressed Elektra Records president Jac Holzman that he offered a contract not only to the Five but also the second act on the bill, the Stooges; as both groups went on to national notoriety, the Up remained mired on the regional circuit, becoming the primary musical outlet for the White Panthers' propaganda after the MC5 broke away from the party. Finally, in 1970 the Up recorded their debut single "Just Like an Aborigine," a blistering cut similar in sound and spirit to the punk records which emerged from Britain at the end of the decade; a second single, "Free John Now!" -- a rallying cry in honor of the imprisoned Sinclair -- followed a year later. Although the group disbanded in 1973 -- Gary Rasmussen later resurfaced in Sonic's Rendezvous Band -- they left behind enough material for a 1995 retrospective LP, Killer Up!

However, this summary of The Up's history is missing just a tiny sliver, because while it's true that the band broke up in 1973, they actually underwent a big change in the year prior: Frank Bach left to become the group's publicist and was replaced as lead vocalist by a guy named Leon Mills, and they also changed their name from The Up to Uprising. As Uprising, they didn't release anything, but they continued to play shows, and in 1998, an excellent, unreleased studio recording from the last days of the band appeared on the Total Energy label's great Detroit rock compilation, Motor City's Burnin'.

Now, while The Up is described as being proto-punk, this Uprising song, which has the same rough, garage-like sound quality of any ol' 70s Detroit proto-punk tune, actually sounds way more like a piece of classic blues-rock boogie, but with a freewheelingly beautiful sloppiness. And because of that, it just flat-out rules. It opens with a bouncy, clap-along riff and then launches into driving, upwardly-inflected-scratch-twang and squealing choruses, with Leon Mills' grizzled, soul-filled vocals managing to cut through it all. The middle consists of back-to-back guitar solos, courtesy of Bob Rasmussen and Don Benson, and then at the end, for that final minute, off of the energy sustained from the preceding chorus, the band really lets it all hang out for their last noisy push.

Just some great, underheard classic rock from early 70s Detroit here.