#where i live its still 11pm of christmas eve

[dreamy-mx]

merry christmas, my babies 💕 i hope you're all having a good and happy christmas's eve.

[myhauntedsalem]

911 Operators Describe the Most Disturbing Calls they’ve Ever Taken

1. “Daddy’s Eye Fell Out”

“Had a call for a brother who killed his other brother with a hammer (the pick part) while the victim’s little daughter was watching. The daughter called us from another room and told us her daddy’s eye fell out.

Perp was apprehended, daughter taken by relative. Had to smoke after that one, and I don’t even smoke.”

– rainbowbrite0091

2. “I Need your Help”

“There was an old couple who lived on a run-down ranch house about 20 miles east of town. When the husband passed away, the woman would call 911 at least three times a week, asking for assistance with very mundane tasks not normally dealt to first responders. “I need help turning the thermostat up”, “I need help boiling water for my tea”, etc.

The woman developed dementia, and eventually, it progressed to the point where she believed she was calling 911 to ask her deceased husband for help. All of the dispatchers would recognize the address immediately, even though all she could say was “(husband’s name), I need help. Please come home and help me”

One day she called, and again was only able to repeat her husband’s (I’ll call him “John”) name. “John, I need help. Please come home and help me John.” By the time the first responders arrived on scene, they found the woman lying dead in her bed. The first unit on scene called dispatch to confirm that it was the woman herself who had called 911, as rigor Morris had already set in. We wrote it off as the fact that the heater in her house wasn’t working, and the ambient temperature in the room was about 50 degrees.

We continued to receive 911 calls from that woman, at that address for just over a year after she passed away. Even after her home was vandalized, and burned to the ground, the phone calls did not stop. “John, I need your help. John, please come home and help me.” We were obligated to send a response each and every time, but not once did we find anyone on or near the property.

Multiple calls to the phone company confirmed that the phone line had been disconnected, and the call was not coming from another address.”

– Nevadadrifter

3. Glass Breaking

“1979 NYC. Got a call from a crying child – a little boy – saying his mom and dad were fighting and his dad said he was going to throw the mom out of the window. I could hear a terrible fight going on in the background – woman screaming, things breaking, man yelling, etc. The poor kid didn’t know his address. We didn’t have the technology for call ID and would have to use reverse telephone books. A trace would take forever. Anyway while I’m trying to get the address I hear a horrific scream and glass breaking. A few seconds later the other operators in the room are getting calls about a woman lying in the courtyard who came out of a window. Very sad.

Worst of all is that I am sure someone else in this apartment building must have heard this fight but no one called for help until it was too late. Poor kid. Working 911 in NYC during the 70s/80s was a nightmare.”

– Mizcreant908

4. Alone in the House

“The single worst call I’ve ever taken though was a woman who was calling in that she was hearing weird noises in her house. While walking through her house she started screaming and told me there was someone in her house. There we a couple soft pops followed by a gargling sound. After the officers had cleared the house and found her, it finally came out during the investigation that her adult son had killed her while high and freaking out.

Gunshots don’t sound like you’d think on the phone, they’re rather soft. It’s an eerie sound, something so violent being so soft that if you aren’t paying attention you can miss it.”

– 4x49ers

5. Static on the Line

“My uncle works for dispatch in my town and he recently told my family of the weirdest call he’s ever gotten. He says that he had received a call from a landline one night and when he answered it there was only static on the other end. This happened two more times. Finally, he calls a squad to go check out the address from the caller ID. When the cops got there and walked into the house they immediately saw that there was a dead body. The person had been dead for 5 months.

The craziest part about it was that there was no electricity or any other utility working. So there is no way they should have been able to get those calls into dispatch. But if they hadn’t, who knows how long that person’s body would have stayed there.”

– Zombie_Dance_

6. A Long Raspy Exhale

“Christmas Eve night I answered 911 for a hysterical lady who was crying so hard she couldn’t breathe. I asked her what was going on and she told me these exact words “my boyfriend and I… we were watching a movie… I fell asleep. I woke up and he wasn’t here.”

I thought this was a little odd so I said, “okay ma’am, do you know where he may have went?” she wasn’t done. She said, “I found him.. in our closet, he hung himself.. with our bed sheets.” I walked her through cutting him down and starting CPR. when in the middle of it, he starts making this long raspy exhale that sounds exactly like something from a horror movie, it’s the rest of his air leaving his lungs. She starts getting hysterical again begging him, “oh my god, he’s breathing, please breathe baby, please breathe..” But I knew that’s not what he was doing.

Police/fire/ambulance got there and of course, the guy was way dead. I felt so bad for that woman. That’s really the only call that has ever stuck with me.”

– JeCsGirl

7. Halloween Night

“My mom was a 911 dispatcher in the early 90’s (I was 5 years old-ish) in Washington State. When I got older, I remember asking her about some of the calls that she could still recall. One in particular was pretty bad. She was working one year on Halloween night and around 10 or 11pm she had a call come in that a couple guys were driving around town with a dummy or something dragging behind their truck. The dummy was falling apart and pieces of clothing/plastic were being torn off and scattered around the city.

Being Halloween, it seemed like a prank but she had a patrol car try to find and stop the truck. As time goes by more and more people started to call in about it. Eventually the patrol car caught up with the truck and it turns out that it was a person.

The guys had gone to a store earlier and when they left, they had backed their truck into an elderly man whose clothes got caught in the rear bumper or whatnot. The two guys never even knew that they were dragging around another human being all across town, for miles.

The elderly man had passed away and those pieces of clothing scattered around town, was his clothing, flesh, and body parts. Still gives me chills.”

– Turkeyshoes

8. The Man in the Attic

“I worked dispatch for a total of three months, and in that three months I only received one call I would call creepy. It was the voice of a little boy, and I was trying to be calm because it felt like he was having a hard time breathing. I asked him if he was in danger and he said no, not anymore. I asked him why he had called and he said “well, the man in the attic finally killed my mom. I asked him if he could still see his mom and he said “no, the man took her to the moon” I asked him if he was alone in the house, to which he replied “no, I still have the mans dog here” I asked him what the doggies name was in the hopes I could keep the boy calm, the boy replied “his name is shaitan” I asked him to say it again thinking he said “satan” but he clearly replied “its shaitan”. By the end of the call, the police showed up and I still don’t know what ever happened with the boy and his mother.

But years later I was researching the Djinn/jinn and according to ancient texts, evil spirits like djinn are able to manifest themselves as a dog or other animals and guess what the djin were known as? Shaitan.

I still have a hard time sleeping at night when I think about this call.”

– Mr–Night

9. Possessed

“I was a 911 call taker 10 years ago when I received one of the creepiest calls ever. It was freezing that night, which usually equaled a calm, quiet shift due to even the criminals not wanting to go outside. Around 3am my call box popped up green and as usual I asked what was the emergency. A man starting frantically screaming that his still was possessed by a demon and tried to cut his heart while he slept. He had ran when the attack started and locked himself in his bathroom. I ask him a series of questions trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

I ask him a series of questions trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Everytime he tried to answer I heard what sounded like scratching and banging on the bathroom door. He whispered “There is a demon in my sister’s body, it has been battling me for days. It got free from the chains…” I swear what I heard next chilled me to the core. This unearthly voice began taunting my caller through the door. It didn’t sound like a 20-something woman. It was low and guttural, like she had gargled razor blades before speaking. She continued to growl and speak in a strange sounding language until police arrived. She let out a terrifying scream when the officers broke in, then dead end.

The call was over, I was shaking and had to know what happened? Even my supervisor (who had been listening to the call in real time) was pale and speechless when the line abruptly ended. Before my shift ended the commanding officer on my creepy call called in to tell me what they found. He told me he would have nightmares for the rest of his life.

Apparently, when my caller said his sister got out of her chains, he wasn’t joking around. She still had a chain tied to a bloody handcuff when the officers came in. Her whole body was covered in self-inflicted scratches, her one eye had popped a blood vessel and was bright red. Most of what she was wearing was also shredded and her skin looked like she had been drained of her blood. She was taken in for a psych consult and as you probably guessed, stayed there for a long time. The brother was okay except for deep gouges in his chest. His sister literally tried to dig out his heart.

There was some talk about arresting the brother but nothing ever came of it. I still can vividly remember that voice, it still makes my blood run cold.”

– QueenoftheNorth82

[ofharrie]

tied down

Summary: Y/N wants a relationship, Harry doesn’t. Until jealousy got to him. Word count: 3.7k  Warnings and themes: smut, swearing, angst

masterlist / request

(A/N: A big thank you to @sweetdaisys  and @playmelikeacello for helping me out with the concepts as well as proofreading and a massive thank you to @alwaysjacked-up for taking the time to edit, review and provide me with lots of very helpful feedback you’re a legend Sarah! Hope you guys enjoy this one!)

Harry was seated on an old recliner right next to the Christmas tree, flickering blue and yellow lights were giving him a small headache that wasn’t being eased by the mulled wine he’d been nursing all night. It was Christmas Eve and everyone was busy in the kitchen preparing for dinner as well as Christmas Day dinner. He was meant to be in there, too; giving a helping hand with the baked goods or even just checking on the pots so they don’t boil over, but his mum insisted otherwise.

“Have some wine and put your feet up, love,” She told him after handing him a glass. “You’ve been busy all week. Just look after the kids in the living room, keep them entertained and out of the kitchen.”

But his nieces and nephews were all already pre-occupied, colouring in their drawings with a heavy hand, whilst munching on gingerbread cookies that Gemma baked for them earlier. He wanted to busy himself, try and distract himself from the fact that his phone still hadn’t buzzed in his pocket. This thought often spiraled into him wondering if she’s with him and what they were doing. Although Harry knew deep down, it wasn’t his place to wonder.

He’s had his chance and he blew it. Y/N has dropped many hints before that she had romantic feelings for Harry. But Harry didn’t know if he could commit to anyone. Back then he was 23, exploring his first time as a solo artist, trying to find his place in the world. For the first time ever, Harry felt free and the thought of being in a relationship evoked feelings of being trapped and starting again from square one.

But, at the same time, Harry did reciprocate those feelings. He was sure of it. But the nagging thoughts in the back of his mind that lingered everytime he was having difficulty falling asleep (which happened to be almost every night) prevented him from ever pursuing anything with Y/N. And yet, the ugly feeling of jealousy crept up on him but he knew it was selfish of him to continue wanting to be the only man in her life and at the same time, not want to commit to her.

“I can’t give you what you want, Y/N,” He finally admitted, partly to her but mostly to himself. “You deserve better than some guy who doesn’t know what he wants.”

”Then you have to quit being a jealous sook,” She spoke softly through tears falling from her cheeks. ”You can’t have both, H. It’s either just me and no one else, or you can’t have me at all.” Their argument broke Harry’s heart and he knew that he couldn’t keep doing that to Y/N.

They’d forgotten about the argument and decided to completely move past it. It was never spoken about again and for a brief period of time, Harry felt relieved. They were fine again and were back to talking every single day like they always have. But a few months later when Y/N introduced him to some guy named James, who wore too much cologne for his liking, he’d never wanted to talk about the unpleasantries of their complicated situation more than he did now.

When James came along, the daily text messages, snapchats and random drop-bys came to an inevitable halt. It seemed like Y/N was just a distant friend and Harry was beginning to miss the smell of her perfume that usually stuck around the decorative throw pillows in his sofa, or the banana pancakes that she made for him but never ate herself because she wasn’t a fan of the texture, or even her laugh that would interrupt his sentences whenever he tells her about something funny that happened to him.   

So he left her a voicemail, asking her to come to Christmas Eve dinner in hopes that they could talk about it. It had been two days since he called, and not once had she replied. It was safe to say he was epically losing the staring game with his phone.

It was when the timer for the apple pie started rattling against the marble countertop that Harry jolted; the buzzing in his pocket mimicking the timer’s motions. His haphazard movements almost made him spill his drink on to the faux fur carpet that laid underneath the recliner, frantically reaching for his phone from the tight confines of his front pocket.

Y/N 3:02PM

Sorry for the late reply I only just heard your voicemail. I’d love to come!! Need to catch up with Gem and Anne anyway. What time did you want me there? x

Harry 3:05PM

No worries. Around 5 maybe? Altho you won’t get ahold of mum until maybe after dinner lol

Y/N 3:10PM

Alright I’ll see you then

-

Y/N was, in fact, not with James. Instead, she was cooped up in her apartment, watching Love Actually, wrapped up in her duvet with a cup of tea in her hands. She had ended things with James a few days back, politely telling him that she didn’t see their relationship going any further due to her not seeing a future for the two of them. That’s what her mouth said, anyway. Her heart, however, knew that it was because she’s still hung up on Harry and there’s no way she could pursue a relationship without moving on from him first. Hence, her avoiding him.

Harry and her haven’t spoken since she broke up with James and she wasn’t planning on breaking that streak until she finally listened to Harry’s voicemail. Y/N supposed that it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to spend Christmas Eve with Harry’s family, as she’s done so for the past five years that they’d been friends. But, then again, the thought of seeing Harry made her stomach flip.

A reply was eventually given, however, as Y/N heart finally caved as she found herself curating a message for Harry. Before she could think about just what she has done, she caught her thumb pressing on the blue arrow and sending her message.

Y/N threw her phone across the room, her actions surprising herself, but she didn’t dare move to pick it up. A few minutes passed and the phone eventually vibrated twice, indicating an incoming message. She hurriedly crawled off the couch and on to the carpeted surface on which the phone (luckily) landed on. There were no scratches or damages on the screen, instead just a reply from Harry.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” She whispered to herself, pacing back and forth around the room with her phone in her shaky hand. “What do I do? What do I say to him?”

A whisper-scream burst out of her lips (being wary of disturbing her neighbours) as she typed a second message to Harry. She still wasn’t sure if she’s ready to see him or not, but what’s done is done.

-

The next two hours were spent in contemplation. Harry didn’t know if it was right of him to invite Y/N to dinner, despite knowing that she was most likely trying to avoid him. He knew her like the back of his hand, Y/N always tried to distance herself from him (even more so than she already has) whenever there was something wrong and the lack of conversations between them the past thirteen days had taken its toll on Harry. He had no idea what was going on but if he had to guess, he’d say it was something to do with that James guy she was seeing.

He was furious just from the thought of him being anything but an absolute gentleman to Y/N. His Y/N. Harry knew he should be with her but, at the same time, he knew he couldn’t give her was she wanted. The doorbell rang ten minutes before 5PM, alerting Harry, as he was sitting in his spot in the recliner, and placed his drink down on the coffee table before hurrying off to answer the door, knowing exactly who was behind it.

“Hi!” Y/N greeted accompanied by a big smile on her face. Harry embraced her into a hug, reciprocating his actions with her arms wrapped around his waist.

“I’ve missed you,” Harry mumbled against the crook of her neck, his voice coming out muffled.

“Missed you, too,” She replied, pulling back from the hug and letting herself into the house.

Much to Harry’s dismay, Y/N went straight into the kitchen, looking for his mum and his sister. Before he could steal her away from them, she had already agreed to help Gemma set the table for dinner, so Harry decided to go back to his babysitting duties instead.

The dinner went well, everyone got along as per usual and the food tasted amazing. It’s exactly what Harry’s been missing all tour long, what he wishes he could bring along with him wherever he goes. It was nearing 11PM when he finally had Y/N all to himself. Deciding to step away from the large group indoors, he took her to the backyard with a space heater running and a couple of blankets, pillows, and bean bags spread out on the patio.

“How’ve you been?” He asked, sitting across from her. “Haven’t annoyed me with your lame jokes for weeks.”

“Hey!” She scolded, playfully throwing a pillow at Harry. “My jokes are funny, Styles. You’re the one whose jokes are lame.”

Their shared laughter faded and instead was replaced by Harry’s voice. “But, seriously, Y/N,” He said. “Where have you been?”

“Just my apartment,” She replied, avoiding his gaze. “Haven’t really been out much.”

“Thought James would have taken you on a few dates,” Harry sneered. “Especially since I’m not around.”

Y/N knew that Harry would soon pester her about James so she quickly tried to change the subject in order to not cause any arguments between the two of them. She didn’t want to ruin the night, after all. “Your hair’s getting long again,” She commented, nodding towards his disheveled curls that were barely touching his shoulders.

“Yeah, been wanting to grow it out again,” Harry replied, running his fingers through his hair. “D’ya remember what happened last time my hair was this long?”

-

She could see the evident smirk on his face and knew exactly what he meant. Neither of them intended for it to happen. Y/N was just mindlessly playing with Harry’s hair, admiring how it looked cascading down to his shoulders and in the heat of the moment, accompanied by a few glasses of champagne, they found themselves caught in a feverish kiss with the sound of their lips moving against each other echoing throughout the empty hallway as they made their way to Harry’s bedroom.

It was Harry’s shirt that was discarded first, the faded and worn out fabric of his Rolling Stones shirt hitting the carpeted flooring of his bedroom. One of his hands roamed around the small of her back, slithering down to squeeze her ass and causing her to moan against Harry’s lips. His other hand was cupping her jaw, desperately trying to deepen the kiss as they made their way to his bed.

She pushed him onto the bed and Harry leaned back on his hands, using them for support as he watched Y/N rid herself of her own clothing, leaving only her bra and panties. They were mismatched; her body adorned a simple black t-shirt bra and coral undies but Harry didn’t mind, he adored her nonetheless.

Y/N straddled him, continuing their frenzied kissing. She was dizzy from it all, a good kind of dizzy. She never thought any of this would happen, and yet there they were, about to fuck on his bed. She tried pushing those thoughts aside, instead focusing on unzipping Harry’s jeans.

“Can I?” She whimpered against his lips. “Please?”

“Can you what, love?” Harry asked, moving from kissing her lips to proceeding to sponge kisses all over her neck.

“Want to, uh,” She stammered, feelings Harry’s bulge rub up against her centre. “Wanna suck you off, H.”

“Yeah?” Harry asked mockingly, smiling against her throat. “Want my cock in your mouth before I fuck your pretty little cunt?”

She couldn’t help but pull at his long hair as he purposely thrusts up against her, almost soaking her panties with his actions. “Can I?”

“Of course you can,” Harry replied followed by a lingering kiss on her lips. “Anything for my girl.”

She stood up, removing her bra before getting on her knees in front of Harry. He lifted from the bed, helping Y/N remove his jeans and boxers before throwing them off the side. She’d be lying if she said it didn’t make her mouth water; Harry was so big and thick, she was almost scared to suck him off in fear that she’ll disappoint him.

“You’re so big,” She whispered, diverting her gaze towards Harry’s eyes. “Don’t know if I can take all of it.”

“Don’t have to take it all, love,” He said, stroking her hair. “Just do what feels right to you.”

She placed a hand around his shaft, giving him a few slow strokes before sponging kisses along his length. Harry was already a mess. He watched as her tongue darted out to give his hard cock a few kitten licks, paying special attention to his leaking tip. She hollowed her cheek as she sucked on his tip eagerly, letting out a sigh of content. Her tongue returns to the base of his shaft, licking a fat stripe all the way to the head of his cock.

“Such a good girl,” Harry whimpered, giving her a lazy smile.

She took him back into her mouth, gliding her wet lips along his tip before taking half of him into her mouth, feeling every ridge of his length against her tongue. Harry watched intently as Y/N bobbed her head, the light sound of her gagging as she eagerly tried to take all of him in her mouth. He could feel her swallow around him every so often and Harry knew he would cum soon if she kept going.

“Y-you have to,” Harry stammered, his jaw dropping as she eased more of him into her mouth. “Gotta pull off, love. Need to be inside you.”

She obeyed eagerly, slowly pulling off him. Harry almost let out an embarrassing whine after seeing the sinful look of Y/N, with her lips all puffy and shiny with a string of spit connecting them to the head of his cock.

“On the bed, love,” Harry ordered, his hand on the back of her neck gently guiding her up from her knees. Y/N sat on the bed, leaning against her forearms as she watched her best friend’s fingers curl around the waistband of her panties and slowly slide them down her thighs, leaving her completely naked for Harry to admire. He was quick to restart their kissing, wanting nothing more than to be inside her.

Harry began to tap gently on her clit, eliciting a small gasp from Y/N. He then proceeded to play with her throbbing clit, his fingers softly grazing along the button that was slippery from her wetness.

“Harry,” She moaned, feeling very sensitive. “Just want you inside me. Please.”

“Need to open you up first,” He replied, his fingers wandering lower to her opening. “Don’t wanna hurt you.”

“You won’t,” She replied surely, looking up at Harry whose long hair has been disheveled from their activities. “I can take it.”

“You sure about that?” Harry teased, giving her a smug smirk, before sliding two of his fingers knuckle-deep inside of her. She let out an audible gasp, surprised by his actions. Harry groaned, feeling her juices coat his fingers. His thumb began rubbing against her clit all the while his digits were gliding in and out against her wet walls.

“Get inside me, please,” She begged again, giving Harry a pleading look. He didn’t listen, instead pumped his fingers faster and deeper until he reached that special spot and had Y/N writhing underneath him. But before she could cum, Harry removed his fingers and put them in his mouth, savouring the taste of her juices.

“Taste so fucking good,” He muttered, giving Y/N a deep kiss and letting her taste herself on his tongue. Harry took his length with one hand and the other pinned Y/N’s thigh against the mattress. Slowly, he guided his leaking cock towards her entrance, pushing in inch by inch and watching as Y/N’s eyes roll back and her jaw drop in pure ecstasy.

“Feel so full,” She whispered, grabbing onto Harry’s biceps. It was a surreal experience, finally fucking Harry, bare and raw nonetheless. It was dizzying, the feeling of his hard cock inside of her and stretching her out like no man ever has before. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, occasionally pushing him closer towards her as an involuntary response to how good his throbbing cock felt inside of her.

“You’re so tight, love,” Harry moaned, jaw going slack as Y/N pulled on his hair. “Have no idea how long I’ve wanted this.”

Y/N let out a small and breathless laugh as she felt Harry’s curls tickle her neck, followed by a loud moan as his thumb began rubbing her swollen clit. “So warm and tight, wanna be inside you all the time,” Harry whispered, his voice muffled as he pressed kisses all over her neck and chest. His thrusts were growing shallow, desperate for a release from the both of them.

“I’m gonna-“ Y/N’s words were cut off by Harry grinding against her spot, making her see swirls of colour as her eyes rolled back. “Oh, fuck, Harry! I’m so close.”

“C’mon, Y/N,” Harry begged, his brows knitted as he continued fucking Y/N, still continuing to play with her clit that was slippery wet with both their juices. “Cum for me, cum around my cock.” A loud moan came from her mouth as Y/N came, her walls tightening around Harry’s cock triggering his own orgasm.

-

That night was never spoken of again, especially after Y/N started seeing James, and neither parties knew if the other one regretted it. Until Harry brought it up again. “Was a fun night, huh?” Harry said suggestively, giving her a smirk. “Bet you haven’t had a night as fun like that with James.”

“We’re actually no longer seeing each other,” Y/N quickly replied, looking away from Harry.

“Oh,” Harry quietly spoke. “Why’s that?”

“We didn’t want the same things, I guess,” She turned her gaze towards her twiddling thumbs.

“And what is it that you want?” He asked, a hopeful look on his face.

“You know exactly what I want, Harry,” She replied followed by a humourless chuckle. “But apparently that’s too much of me to ask.”

“Y/N…” Harry trailed off, not knowing what to say to her.

“It’s okay,” Y/N dismissed. “I know what you said before and I understand. It just really fucks me off that you have the audacity to be angry and jealous because I’ve decided to quit pining over you and instead start seeing other people. Just doesn’t seem fair to me.”

“I’m not angry nor am I jealous,” Harry scoffed, shaking his head. “That’s not at all how I’ve been acting. Was just teasing you, love.”

“Really?” She deadpanned, raising an eyebrow. “You expect me to believe that? I mean for fuck’s sake, Harry, you’ve been acting like a child about this whole situation. You don’t get a say in who I date. You’re just my friend.”

“Well maybe I don’t want to just be your friend anymore,” Harry rebutted.

“No!” She growled, standing up from her beanbag. “You’re being so unfair and you can’t even see it. You don’t just get to choose when you want me because it benefits you. You either want me because you do, or you don’t want me at all.”

“I do! I love you, Y/N!” Harry argued, also getting up from his seat and leveling with her. “Fuck, of course, I love you. You’re my best friend!”

“That’s exactly it!” She groaned, rolling her eyes at him. “You only love me as a best friend and yet here you are, constantly giving me shit for dating other people.”

“No, Y/N,” Harry interrupted as he moved closer, cupping her cheek and looking directly at her eyes that were welling up with tears. “You don’t get it. I’m in love with you. I know I haven’t been the best at dealing with my feelings, and I know I don’t deserve another chance with you after I made it very clear that I don’t want to commit to anyone. I also know that I broke your heart and I never apologised for it.”

“Harry-“ Y/N began to speak but was cut off by Harry’s words.

“I’m sorry,” He spoke quietly, followed by a kiss planted on her forehead. “It’s true when they say that you don’t realise what you have until it’s gone. Because every single time you weren’t with me and you were with James instead, it made my heart ache. I didn’t realise that you filled the void inside me until it was dug out again.”

There was a brief pause, a calm silence blanketing over the two of them outside the chilly patio with the orange burn of the space heater radiating a faint illuminance. Y/N wrapped her arms around Harry’s waist, bringing him closer to her. Harry’s heart was hammering against his ribs and he knew that Y/N could probably feel it with her cheek pressed to his chest.

“If we’re going to do this,” She began to speak, looking up to meet Harry’s gaze. “Then you have to be serious about it. You have to commit to the relationship. Are you really willing to do that, Harry?”

“I’d do anything for you, my love.”

[i-growl-growl-growl]

Since Christmas is around the corner, can you do an NCT Dream reaction to waking   up in the middle of night and accidentally  walking in on Santa putting down presents? With Jisung, Chenle, Renjun, Jaemin and   Jeno.    

Jaemin version

  Unlike most kids or teens these days, Jaemin wasn’t so excited to wake up to his own presents as much as he was excited to finally capture a glimpse of Santa in the midst of his work when he’d arrive to deliver NCT’s presents.

Most would say that it’s a bit childish for someone his age to still believe in Santa Claus but anyone who knew Jaemin knew that he’s one of those people who’d grow to be 60 and still believe in that sort of stuff because he’s a child at heart forever and always.

Upon the clock striking 11pm, Jaemin awoke (although he hadn’t really slept all that much, opting to just take little cat naps from time to time instead so that he wouldn’t miss his miraculously small chance of seeing Santa). He lifted his head from the softness of his pillow  with a smile forming on his face.

“now is the perfect time to go down to the living room and hide so that when Santa came, he’d could watch him from afar.

Jaemin sprung up from his bed, however trying to be as quiet as possible at the same time despite his excitement so that he wouldn’t wake up any of the other Dreamies or worse, his managers.

Once he managed to get past his room, he stealthily tip toed down the hall towards the living room. As he peered past the corner of the hallway into the room, he laid eyes upon what he hadn’t expected to see for at least another hour. There in the living room, at 11:10pm on Christmas eve, was Santa.

Seeing Santa made Jaemin happy enough because he had finally succeeded in catching him with his own two eyes, but what made this even better was the Jaemin had left Santa a present of his own (along with the typical gingerbread cookies, milk, and carrots for the reindeer) and at that very moment, Santa was opening the gift.

As Santa peered into the box to find a gift of eyeglass cleaner spray and wipes, a scarf, a xxl belt, and a new pair of gloves, a smile unconsciously appeared on the jolly man’s face, which also caused the already wide smile on Jaemin’s to grow bigger as well.

Jaemin thought he wouldn’t be found out by Santa but, as his smile grew, a slight chuckle escaped from deep within his throat, one that Santa heard which caused the man to spin around and spot Jaemin from his hiding spot.

Jaemin’s smile disappeared as he realized he had been found out. Now Santa would probably use some sort of magic power to wipe his memory of this moment or something.

Santa: “why such the glum look my boy?” Santa spoke, filling the silent room.

Jaemin: “oh.... I... ughh.... well, I heard that you don’t like it when people spy on you so you’re probably going to wipe my memory or something right? so that no one will know that I saw you?”

Santa looked at Jaemin and, if the stare he was receiving was anything to go by, Jaemin had assumed right. Santa looked furious.

but all was for not because soon after Santa burst out laughing.

Santa: “my my my, now where would you get such an idea like that from?”

Jaemin didn’t know how to respond so he just remained unnaturally silent, his eye wide in shock and a slight tint of pink rushing to his cheeks from embarrassment.

Santa: “no no no my boy, I wouldn’t wipe your mind” he went on with a giggle “ Oh ho ho, no Jaemin. You’ve got it all wrong. I don’t mind that you’re spying so long as you keep this a secret between the two of us. No one may know that we’ve met alright my boy?”

Jaemin was ecstatic to hear that he’d get to keep his memory. “oh uh yes. Yes definitely!” he smiled again (the big smile that has everyone swooning at his cuteness)

“Don’t worry Santa, your secret will stay with me. We cool!”

Santa: “you dang right, we cool! Good boy!!!”

With that, Santa waved a jolly good bye to Jaemin.

“remember Jaemin, it’s between the two of us. Now you best be getting back to bed and get some rest, I wouldn’t want you to be too tired in the morning. It’s never a good idea to stay up so late, no matter what reason you may have to do so.”

With that Santa disappeared up the chimney upon turning to glistering specks of lights within the room. The box with jaemin’s gifts to Santa as well as the carrots for the reindeer following pursuit.

Jaemin looked up to the chimney grateful for the experience. He silently promised that he’d head off to bed once he knew that Santa had given the reindeer their treats and flew away to the next house.

After a few minutes Jaemin was sure that Santa was gone so he headed back to his room as promised.

Upon getting there Jaemin noticed something under his bed. He got on his knees and grabbed the unfamiliar box from its spot under the bed. Once he had the box in his hands, he saw the note on top of it “A special gift for a special boy. don’t open until Christmas. From: your secret friend, To: Jaemin”

[catearsandchaos]

This is my piece for the Secret Snow Angel I participated in! I was the Snow Angel for the wonderful @youre-mostly-water and although I should have been around much more than I was, it was lovely talking to her. It has been such a fun experience this year to meet someone new and learn something about them. 

This is a little something that I’ve been working on and off since the start of this. It just four non-connected drabbles surrounding the ideas of love and Christmas, set in four different genres (period, post-apocalyptic, fantasy and modern). They were all a lot of fun to do and it gave me a chance to do some things I’d never done before. Including writing a piece where I don’t kill anyone off, which I only do once in a blue moon, as well as try a few genres I’d never written in before. 

So here goes nothing. I hope you enjoy it, @youre-mostly-water !!!

Snow falls outside. Inside, a crackling fire provides a backdrop to the gentle murmuring of the ballroom. Polite applause bounces between marble pillars as the current dance ends and bows are exchanged. Young girls are huddled in groups of fluttering fans and rustling skirts, while the older women look on disapproving at every stammering young man who dares to approach, egged on by his friends to ask for the next dance.

 Politics is discussed over glasses of whiskey and cigarettes while gossip circulates behind gloved hands. Even Christmas Eve provides no respite for those that live in these worlds. The politics of man stops for no celebration while the gossip of women blooms. The New Year beckons on the distance, the exciting promise the turn of the century- the 20th Century calls with its siren song.

 Tucked away in a corner, hidden from the room and from the world, is a giggling couple, closer, perhaps, than proprietary would allow with hands clasped tightly and shoulders touching. They share whispered promises of forever, heady dreams of marriage and children, a grand old house in the city with an even grander Christmas Tree, where they will be the envy of all. They share their promises of love with every word and every touch, every glance and movement. Their love lives in stolen moments, so very precious in their rarity. Christmas Eve finds a quiet simple love blooming in a quiet simple corner, a haven of peace as the snow falls outside. ***       She never admitted that Christmas Eve after the apocalypse was fun. There was little chance to find a festive spirit underneath the constant barrage of gunfire from up above. The mutants had been advancing on their stronghold in The Basement for the past few weeks and the air is tense with worry. Business has been slow, it’s so cold that long journeys are unwelcome and many hunters are waiting until the spring to restock and replace their arms, preferring to wait out the winter chill in their safe houses. She fiddles with a broken pistol, paying little attention as she pokes her tools around the trigger, attempting half-heartedly to fix the crooked pull. The tell-tale creak of the entrance sends a gust of chilling wind whipping through The Basement before the cover is pulled shut with a solid thud. The whispers spread like wildfire. There’s snow on the surface. Only a light fall, it’s mostly melting as soon as it comes into contact with the ground but snow hasn’t been seen around these parts for years. A group of children- ragged clothes and bare feet- scramble for the entrance and the fastest of them is halfway up the ladder before the hunter yanks her back down again. It’s not safe out, he tells her; the snow is not worth the risk of being caught by a mutant.

The children are disappointed, but they are eventually encouraged back into the basement and most of them dash to the far corner, collecting as many pieces of white cloth as they can beg and borrow from family and friends to drape over boxes and old mattresses, creating a winter wonderland of their own underground. Most of these children have never seen snow. Most of them have never seen above ground, outside the four damp walls of The Basement.

 Christmas is always an odd time of year. Regret isn’t a productive emotion in The Basement. The apocalypse has come and they left their old life behind the minute they retreated down here and sealed the gates shut. But Christmas leaves a faint air of melancholy and hearts seem to soften for a few days. At least, that is the excuse she gives, when she asks herself what exactly she is thinking as she shoulders an old rifle and slings her coat around her, battling through the crowds to the exit.

 Twenty minutes later, she slides the cover open again and with a muffled thump and handful of snow lands in the basement, covering the ladder in a soft white powder. There isn’t much, barely enough to make a couple of snowballs, but in the chill of The Basement it doesn’t melt. Mud-streaked and pitiful though it may be, it’s a beautiful sight. She retreats back to her shop, sliding her rifle back under some boxes as the children make noises of delight, giggling as they reach out to touch the snow and find it cold and damp to the touch. And if after that, the air of The Basement seems lighter and more carefree, well she won’t be the one to mention it.

 ***

 The tavern is full when they arrive. It’s Christmas Eve and most people are out, determined to be merry and chase away the winter’s chills with copious amounts of alcohol and good company. The group is just happy to find seats and a place to rest their feet, cramped though their table may be, mismatching chairs pulled around a small wooden circle just about managing to hold 6 mugs of the establishment’s finest ‘ale’. It’s a dubious murky colour and the smell is strong enough to peel the paint off the wall behind them- although by the looks of things it doesn’t need much help on that front- but it is alcoholic and cheap, and those are the only two criteria that matter at this juncture.

 When a mug is lifted in toast, the rest follow swiftly. It is their first Christmas together as an adventuring party, a ragtag group of misfits and loners who have found a family in each other to replace those they have lost or left behind in distant lands. They drink in comfortable solidarity, sharing tales and barbs of battles fought, an easy teasing that puts them at ease for the first time in many months, the solidarity of four walls surrounding them and the floor beneath their feet. They know that evil does not stop for Christmas, and soon there will be some new foe to fight, as there always is, a continuous pattern that finds them trading sorrows and discomfort for problems they can fix.

 But tonight they spend a few coin on drinks of an uncertain nature and a bit of time in the company of those that they love. Although they are not connected by blood, they are family nonetheless, and Christmas has always been a time to spend with those that are held most dear.

 ***

 The coffee shop is open late. Elle has never been more thankful for the unfair demands of corporate chains on their workers as she is now, skidding into the cafe at 11pm on Christmas Eve. There isn’t a single other light on High Street, every other shop closed for the weekend, and even the shop emits only a gentle orange glow. It’s deserted at this time, no one but Elle and the barista behind the counter, who looks half asleep propped up on one elbow. She feels almost guilty as she approaches, a handful of loose change jingling in her pocket with every step.

 “Um. Hi.” She waves awkwardly. “A, um, a latte, please. To go.”

 The girl behind the counter starts, the arm holding her head up slipping and her face hitting the counter with a bang that echoes around the abandoned shop.

 “Oh God! Are you alright?” She darts forward, hands stretching out as if to pat the barista, offer comfort or to check for injury, Elle isn’t sure which. The barista pulls back with a groan, wiping at her nose with bloodstained fingers.

 “I’ll- I’ll be fine. Just a nosebleed. It’s my own fault for falling asleep on the clock. A latte, you said?”

 Her voice is rough and sleep drawn and she fumbles around the coffee machine, one hand still stemming the flow of blood with her sleeve.

 “Never mind about the latte, you need to sit down and wait for your nose to stop bleeding. You shouldn’t have broken it, not from that height, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

 Elle flutters around, resisting the urge to take this girl she’s just met and sit her in one of the booths near the corner, leaving her with a hot drink and plenty of sugar, and to let her sleep until the end of her shift. It certainly looked like she needed it. As it is, she digs in her backpack for a packet of tissues, handing them over as the barista slips onto a stool behind the till, looking just about ready to doze off the moment her feet life off the ground.

 Silence descends, and Elle might have found it awkward if she wasn’t too busy looking closely at the barista, ready to spring into action if it looked like she might slip off the stool in a daze. As it is, neither of them notice the door opening until a throat clears behind them. Elle barely spares tall, dark and handsome in his business suit a glance, instead levelling her best glare upon the barista, who is now attempting to find her footing. She none so subtly pushes her down and turns her best customer service smile onto the gentleman stood behind her. She suspects it looks more like a grimace, if she is honest.

 “Good evening, sir. What can I get you?”

 “Black coffee.” The answer is short and abrupt, barely out of his mouth before he strides away and leans against the far wall, already engrossed in his smartphone. Elle rolls her eyes when she is sure he can’t see and turn back to the coffee machines. She squints. How is she supposed to know which one of these silver monstrosities will make a black coffee?

 She picks up the cup she is fairly certain a black coffee is served in and begins working her way down the line, peering closely at each machine in an attempt to discern its use. She is more than amazed when, 3 minutes and 5 failed attempts later, she hands over a black coffee to the suited inconvenience. The till is a whole other challenge and it takes her 30 seconds of focused staring until she works out how to charge for a coffee. The whole system seems far more complicated than it has any right to be to Elle, but she hands over the right change with a strained smile and a ‘Merry Christmas, sir’, collapsing in relief when the door swings shut behind him.

 The café is quiet again, but for the sound of… giggling? Elle whips her head around to find the barista slumped against the counter, laughter muffled behind both hands as she gazes at Elle, eyes dancing with mirth.

 “All right then,” challenges Elle. “Let’s see you do better.”

 The barista pushes herself up from the stool, still laughing in short bursts. In what Elle is sure must be a time worthy of a world record, the barista has cleaned the machine, prepared Elle’s latte and pulled up the cost on the till, placing the steaming cup in front of Elle. Elle holds up her hands,

 “I admit defeat. That was considerably better. How much do I owe you?”

 It is only after Elle has paid and found her way back to her apartment and the stack of last-minute Christmas preparations that she notices the message scrawled along the side of the cup in a neat, precise hand. There’s a number underneath the message.

 You look cute when you’re concentrating. Perhaps I’ll teach you how to use the coffee machines next time you stop by.

Sara

 Elle has a feeling that she might be drinking far too much coffee in the upcoming weeks.

[yoonmelody]

Merry Christmas from Ebeye

I was fully funded literally at the last minute and left sunny Kona on Tuesday, December 19th with my eight team members and stayed the night at Honolulu Airport.

Because our flight wasn’t until 7:30AM, we spent the night there for our 12 hour layover. We first settled in the baggage claim. It was quiet, cool, and two feet away from the Starbucks, but closed at 10PM. No problem! We lugged all our bags back upstairs to a waiting area. There were chairs and a nice square of space to leave our stuff. We even asked the security guards if we could stay there. They said we could, but roused us only an hour later to tell us to go “to the end,” whatever that meant, to sleep since we weren’t allowed there.

Truthfully, I was grumpy and exhausted, maybe even beginning to feel a little lonely despite being in a group with wonderful people. My 40L hiking backpack was heavy despite its small size and hurting my shoulders. I had my school backpack slung in front of me as well as my canvas bag hanging off one arm. I trudged behind, pouting as everyone continued on ahead. We finally found the “correct” sleeping area: outside in the warm, humid air with the airport traffic, on the exact opposite side of where we were supposed to check in tomorrow morning. It was around midnight now. I laid down on my beach towel on some uncomfortable blocks of a bench, no blanket, lights shining above. Our little caravan finally attempted to sleep. Since our flight was at 7:30, we could wake up at 5:30AM and check in with no problem!

NOT! Security guards woke us up at 3AM. They rushed us to pack whatever we slept on and to shuffle to our gates. Thankfully, one of the guards gave us two more baggage carts so we didn’t have to walk with our heavy backpacks all the way to the end of the airport. We checked in around 5AM after waiting in line for an hour, then made our way to our flight.

The flight was rather uneventful, save for some light turbulence. I was able to watch a few movies (they had the live action Gintama movie!!), and fell asleep for the majority of the flight from Honolulu to Majuro. At Majuro, we stopped for a brief moment, then flew to the Kwajalein Atoll.

Our plane landed on the US Military base there. It took awhile since 6 members were international. Christine, April, and I were the only ones with US Passports!

We met up with the Sudernos, the full time missionary family who has been here for two and a half years. They work with children’s ministry, teaching ESL, and other relational ministry. They moved out of their home and to the sailboat for the duration of our stay. They blessed us with rooms, a kitchen, running water, and WiFi!

The first day, we hopped right into the Good New Club Christmas Party! Since Micronesia is past the dateline, it was already Friday the 22nd! About 90 kids showed up and we sang, danced, and performed a few skits about Christmas and a short message about why Jesus came down to us.

The next day, we did a prayer walk around the island, blasting worship music as we prayed in front of various buildings and places. As we waited for Sophie and Annika to finish talking with a local woman, we ended up playing with the children in the area and spent another hour learning the games they played. Bingo and Big Man!

After lunch, we continued with our sports ministry, coming out to the basketball court with some balls and nail polish! While the guys went and played soccer and basketball, we sat near a bench and started to paint some girls’ nails. After two girls, we were swarmed by girls, boys, and mothers wanting to get their nails painted. When the rush ebbed, we began to play with the children. The kids especially enjoyed seeing me get confused with the more complex version of Bingo. After the nails, we performed two skits! He Lives In You (we did that twice, since a crowd formed and asked to see it again) and Everything.

Candi seemed to like me. She laughed whenever she beat me at Big Man and clung to my side as I walked around. Berta is older, around 9. There were so many more kids who told me their names, and I hope to remember them better as we get to know them more these coming weeks.

I also met Kio. She lives near the basketball court. She was happy when she found out that I was Korean, since she likes K-Pop!

On Sunday, Christmas Eve, we went to the Salvation Army Church to attend service around 11. Some children from yesterday yelled my name and walked beside me on the way there. It was really sweet, knowing that even after a few hours of playing with them, we had forged this relationship with the children! After the 3 hour service, we rested back at our house!

Christmas is a big event in Ebeye. They practice for their celebrations 2 months in advance! They practice from 7PM, officially start practice at 11PM and go until 2AM all week except the weekend.

We had brunch with the Sudernos, opening presents from our Secret Santas, then headed to the first church for the performances at 1PM. Other rubele, or white people, were there from the military base on Kwaj. This was the most white people we’ve seen days. We were there at Calvary Church til 5PM, and that was only one performance! The rest of the group was pretty exhausted after watching the dancing and singing, so we rested back at the house while Katie and Scott moved onto the next church. They didn’t get back to the house until 12AM!! Even then, they were still continuing the festivities.

So far, it’s been both a low energy, but exhausting week. We are careful not to burn ourselves out as we do these all these relational ministries. When we do wound care, we have about 3 people patching the kids up as the rest of us do “distraction minisitry:” playing volleyball, soccer, or even spinning kids around. It’s a full workout for everyone.

On January 3rd, we will be sailing for three weeks to the other islands, where there will be no internet at all. These people are less fortunate than the the Marshallese living on Ebeye. Ebeye gets regular ferries that bring in supplies and are close to Kwaj, the outer islands don’t have a high school or accessibility to adequate health care besides some medical dispensaries, and even then, these dispensaries often run out of medicine.

There will be another update on Sunday! Or at least I will do my best! Iakwe and Kommol Tata!

[thecajuniverse]

Exploring Indochina: How to Travel on a Budget

Want to travel to multiple countries but short on time and money? Here’s how I did it! 6 days, 4 cities, 3 countries, ONE EPIC ADVENTURE.

Okay. I know I’ve only been posting photos about my trip and writing cheesy captions to go with it, but here it is: the complete braindump on everything I did in Indochina aka my feelings.

I guess it’d be hard to understand how this trip came to be without me explaining how the idea was planted in Dani and Chelle’s heads but it’s pretty simple. One summer day, I was watching I Fine, Thank You, Love you  for the nth time in 2018, when a great NEED to go to Bangkok right at the moment hit me like a freight train. Within minutes, I chatted our groupchat and exclaimed about said need and by pure psychic connection, Chelle felt the same way and before we knew it, we were looking up flights on Cebu Pacific’s website. However, roundtrip tickets to BKK were quite expensive so, we kinda abandoned the idea for a while.

See, when you’re looking up flights, you can play around with the destination and the city you’ll be coming from and all that, to find the best prices. My nerd ass knew that Vietnam was around the same area so I tried to search if there was a way to get to Vietnam from Thailand. Lo and behold, Cambodia was between them and it was completely possible to travel in between these countries. Bonus! It’s a famous route among backpackers. Armed with good faith and a seemingly bright idea, I told them that maybe we could try MNL-BKK then SGN-MNL route.

Cebu Pacific must have been stalking me (or the prices were that cheap, I’m just being weird) and we found out tickets for those routes combined were so much cheaper than a round trip to BKK. 3 countries for less than the price of one? Sounds like a plan! And a plan it really was.

It took us months to plan the whole trip, from accommodation to bus transfers to plane tickets to itinerary to budgeting and more  Our trip was perfectly scheduled right after the end of our semesters and just in time for the holidays. 

December 19, D-Day. Our first stop was Bangkok. When we stepped off the plane, it didn’t feel that real yet but once the Thai announcements came in, that’s when it really sunk: I’M IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY WITHOUT MY PARENTS OR FAMILY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE.

A lot of people say that Thailand feels a lot like the Philippines and they’re not wrong but first of all, they drive on the left side so everything felt weird (you wouldn’t feel like that at first but later on your brain will sense as if something’s wrong); second, it’s so much cleaner (we stayed near Khaosan road, and it was crowded but the sidewalks were relatively clean); and third, the people are less friendly but still nice nonetheless.

We stayed in a millennial-y hostel and had the dorm all by ourselves, at first. We had a lot of itinerary planned so we set out for lunch and the temples early. My nerd ass looked up the nearest pier so we could ride the Chao Praya river boat to the Grand Palace and let me tell you, NEVER TRUST THE ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL ON GOOGLE MAPS. I thought it was near but it turned out to be QUITE a walk to the port but it was cool the boat was a little expensive but it was cool. And we still had to walk to the Grand Palace from the port so that was, um, exciting. Thought I would survive the rest of the day with no sleep but I DID NOT (Tip: always get a full 8 hours of sleep before you travel, you will cry at 11am).

The Grand Palace, with its walls so high and land so big you think you’d get a nice stroll; WRONG. The place is literally buzzing with tourists and it will give you a headache. To be fair, even if the place was teeming with people, it still wasn’t that full so, imagine how big it had to be. Taking pictures was the hardest part because of course, everyone wants the best shot so we had to pick the most secluded parts just to get a decent picture.

And by 3pm, my feet were aching and we were all sweaty and red and basically, exhausted so, we abandoned the rest of the itinerary and instead, got ourselves a cup of ice cold Thai milktea. Verdict: CRAZY GOOD. After that, we got take out Pad Thai from the streets for dinner and of course, it’s nothing like the ones in Manila.

The second day, we booked a tour through Klook to the infamous Floating market. It’s a few hours away from Bangkok so if you’re planning to go, first of all, don’t, because it’s not worth it; second, if you really wanna go, book through Klook to avoid the following: scams, expensive prices, activities you’re unwilling to pay for but are still magically billed to you. The only good thing that came from the trip was the van that we rode on the way to the market because it’s the one that hallyu stars use to travel around (and yes, I felt like one). The rest of the day we were at Khaosan, mingling, eating, spending money we didn’t have. Yada yada yada.

Next day was our transfer to Siem Reap and I just want to say that Giant Ibis is the best transport you can ever get in Indochina. Free meals, reclining seats, they got you. Passing through the Thai and Cambodian borders was really easy, just stick with your group. And before we know it, we were in the city I like to call frozen in time, Siem Reap.

My first impression of Siem Reap was, it looked a LOT like the remote provinces of the Philippines. Everything was covered in dust, lotsa old houses, and even the cars were of old models. The adjacent big hotel resort thing and the huge Sofitel plaza looked awfully misplaced in a city seemingly forgotten by time. If poverty was painted as a city, Siem Reap surely looked like it. It was natural to feel a little bit scared, but the people proved to be nice and helpful. Our tuktuk drivers to the Angkor Wat complex were relatively nice and took us to lotsa temples to the point that we voluntarily gave up because we were so exhausted.

The Angkor Wat tour deserves a paragraph for itself because like I said in my instagram captions, you have to see it before you die. The sunrise, however, was kinda underwhelming but (note: not trying to be an architectural expert) I appreciated why we had to be dragged at 4am to see the famous Cambodian sunrise. Never underestimate these temples because they are crazy big! The sheer largeness of the temples will strike you and the fact that there are DOZENS of them in the complex… Don’t even think about it; it’ll just give you a headache.

A sidenote: like I said, Siem Reap is basically the image of utmost rural-ness and normally, tuktuk drivers would try to entice you to go to some place else that isn’t included in your Temple Run map requiring you to shell out some extra cash, but don’t fret because they’re nice people (a little persistent, perhaps?) and if you politely say no, they’ll back out.

Pub Street is a gastronomic adventure and is by far, the cheapest market I’ve ever been to. If you want to buy your pasalubongs, this is the place; not the airport (I made that mistake in Vietnam).

We literally spent a day and a half in Cambodia and by 11pm we were on our way to their capital city, Phnomn Penh (was only there for 3 hours but guessing from the tuktuk ride from the bus station to Café Amazon, aka the best SEA café ever, and back, the city is BOMB), to transfer and eventually go to our last stop: HO CHI MINH CITY.

Vietnam. Yes. Sometimes I like to call it, a french BGC. Other days, I call it budget Korea (Dude, K-pop is everywhere and every other K-pop dance cover I see on Youtube is set in Saigon). But I have to say, it’s been my favorite city out of the 4 we explored. Sure, my legs almost gave out when we were trying to look for famed Pho place in the city, but the beef broth was worth it and so was the vietnamese coffee we had right after. Walking in a foreign country late at night should have been scary but it wasn’t. It was exhausting, yes, but it gave you plenty of time to stop and appreciate the place you’re in. It got pretty existential, to say the least. I was grateful.

The trip to Mekong Delta the next day was pretty meh to say the least but we were in a large tour group and we met another Filipina traveler (who we immediately became super acquainted with because DUH, nothing like seeing a kababayan in a foreign country), which made it pretty fun.

But it was Christmas Eve then and when we got back to the hostel, all I wanted was to go home. And by December 25, 5:30 am, my feet were once again back in Manila’s arms.

Okay, I promise this is the last paragraph… ish? All in all, I had loads and loads of fun. The idea stemmed from a very very stupid reason, in my opinion, but resulted to a trip I will never forget. Shoutout again to my friends, Chelle and Dani, for being onboard on such a crazy and half-baked idea. Here’s to more adventures!

On backpacking: DO IT. Backpacking isn’t exactly mountain trekking and all that crap. It’s mostly about hopping from place to place and seeing as much as you can, in such a small timeframe. Skip the fancy boutique hotels and opt for the more practical hostels, where you’ll meet half naked Europeans walking around in their dorms which is pretty creepy lots of people, from different backgrounds, with different stories. That alone is reason enough to go backpacking and I really think everyone should try it at least once in their lives.

And if you’re looking for a sign on whether you should go on that trip or not, local or international, this is it. My motto in life now is (which will subsequently leave me broke): just book it!

[taenings]

love story entry #1

Currently it is 3:23am. 

It has been a while since I have been on this site, I haven’t been on my computer lately and due to current situations, I’m constantly on my computer. Now I know a lot of people won’t read this, but I thought maybe a selective few would. I want to tell you a story, a love story to be exact as shown from the title. It is still an ongoing love story of mine. Now for those who have decided to read, sit back, it may be a bit boring to you, but to me, it is one hell of a ride that I don’t want to get off. And a little warning, it is of course, 3am, English is a pretty funky language and grammar is kinda weird. Sentence structure and story telling may not be appealing, but hear me out.

Let me start by introducing myself. Most people call me Jess, of course it’s a nickname given to me. You can guess my full first name, it’s pretty obvious and kinda basic. My ethnic background is Indonesian. I was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, moved to Chicago at the age of 8, and moved, again, to Houston at the age of 17. Growing up my parents were not present and they divorced before I moved to America.

I am not big on dating people. Sure I have some high school hook ups and occasional boyfriends and girlfriends that didn’t last long. Mostly I got together with those people simply because I felt bad or I thought I should humor them for a few weeks. I never really payed attention to them or never really cared about them. My friends were all that I needed and honestly relationships were just burdens. They were fun, but it always a burden. Now I say that it’s a burden, but it doesn’t stop me from falling into the trend that is seeking a “partner” through the means of dating sites. You know, thing likes “Tinder” or “OKCupid”. The fun of these dating websites is that you get matched up with someone that you like who happens to think you’re also cute and also the best part is always the chase. . The moment you get paired up you would want to use your dumb, corny pick up lines right? Or go to flirt and saying “You must look really hot if you do ____” or “Damn, the moment I swiped right I knew that you were the one.” I know, they’re really bad examples.  I constantly install and uninstall these apps since the people that I talk to don’t really share the same type of humor. There were some successful ones, but eventually I got tired and bored. Like the asshole that I am, I’d throw them to the side and ignore them. Who needs love anyways right? I did, of course, had a few crushes here and there like a normal, healthy human being, but they always end up being confused as adoration and such. This past November I was set on not dating anyone or marrying anyone until I’m probably 30. I swore that I won’t date anyone and if I do decide on dating someone, it probably won’t be serious anyways and will end the same way like my previous relationships. 

I said that in November, but there I was a month later laying in my bed (or was is at work?) scrolling on OKCupid and this one person caught my eye. It’s very rare to see such a beautiful, cute Asian girl who happens to be bisexual let alone lesbian(Like we’re in Texas it’s rare to see gay people, period). For those who are familiar with the way OKC is set up, users are allowed to set in an About me, 10 things I like, etc. This girl, she just had a really short message. I got curious, and decided to shoot up a simple message. “Hey.” She didn’t reply for quite sometime, I believe it took a day or half a day for her to respond and when she does respond, she’ll take hours to reply. It made me wonder if she was interested or not, probably not. Messages were pretty slow, but the way she responded to my lame jokes with hers got me hooked. I wanted to know her more, I wanted to talk to her more. She mentioned that she was playing this game called “League of Legends” (aka toxic center.) I wasn’t surprised she played it. It’s a very common game and then I asked if I can have her username. I initially quit playing the game, but I wanted to impress someone so I thought maybe I should get back into it. We played when she got home and started talking more often. The next night we played again and the night after that. She gets home at around 11pm to midnight and I didn’t mind waiting for her to get home so we can play together even though I had to wake up at around 6am for work. One day I was playing with my friends before she got home and we were casually chatting on discord. I had 2 of my good friends from Chicago with me and when she got home I invited her to join the chat and the game. She was too shy too talk at first, but I finally convinced her to. She had the sweetest voice and the funniest laugh. That night we ended up playing until 3am and after my friends left we were just talking  to each other for another hour. She asked for my Facebook before she went to sleep since Messenger makes it easier for us to communicate. She formally introduced her name as “Emma”. We then exchanged our full names and that where everything started, the best part of it all, the chase.  I stayed up a little bit longer forgetting that I had to wake up in a few hours for work to look at her pictures. Honestly, she looked, amazing. She’s totally my type. She’s beautiful and stunning, and she has this great smile, but something was off about it. I shook it off. I was just mesmerized by how beautiful she is. It did raise some questions though. There’s one reason a girl this beautiful was single. She’s either a crazy ass little bitch or she’s probably just flirting around without any intention to date. (Honey, if you happen to find this post and read this, which you probably won’t, I hope you won’t, don’t beat me up—). We talked more and more. I thanked my job for making it easy for me to check my phone constantly because I had my own office and I always finish my paperwork hours before I clocked out for the day. She doesn’t reply as fast because of work, but it was okay. We talked a lot for a few days, but I wasn’t ready to see her yet even though it was already Christmas weekend by that time . I was out with my friends on Christmas Eve and the next day I had to attend 3 Christmas celebration parties. We did hint on trying to see each other and everything so a few days later, among our mountains of flirty text messages and long paragraphs explaining some details of each of our lives, I took the courage and asked her if she wanted to hang out on Friday, 2 days before the New Year. My excuse to her was that, I wanted to see her for the first time before the year ended and thankfully, she said yes. I was extremely happy, yet nervous in the same time.  The day before our said “date” my friend threw a party. He goes to school in Illinois so he doesn’t really see his buddies in Texas very often. He said it was a late Christmas Party/ early New Years Party/Parting Party. All the people that I hang out with they’re at least 5 years older than me and there will be alcohol. I debated if I should go to the party or not, but after going out with him and a buddy of ours to Jollibee a few days before, I felt bad if I didn’t go since I promised I would be there. I told her about the party of course and told her there will be alcohol. I’ve been very good at watching my alcohol consumption and I’ve been doing way better than before in limiting myself, but I was still debating. I took a really nice walk to this wonderful park called “Herman Park” that was really close to my friend’s house. It was December and all I had was a really thin jacket to keep me warm. It’s Texas, no big deal, it’s not that cold. My phone was dying and I was messaging her. I got lost in my own thought and was hoping that one day, I could take her on a really nice date here. There was a place that caught my eye when I was driving around. There was this really nice bridge. I walked from my parking spot all the way to the bridge and just looked at the sun setting down. I took a picture of the bridge and sent to the her. “I promise to take you here one day” before my phone decided to shut down due to its low battery. I decided maybe I should go to the party for a little bit so I can charge my phone. She was pretty worried for me that I took a walk alone at night at a really big park. I didn’t drink much which was an accomplishment of its own and before I headed home I messaged her to remind her about the next day. And when I got home late at night, I tried to not completely fall asleep so I can talk to her a little bit more and as my drowsiness took over I fell asleep, dreaming of what could happen the next day when I finally meet the girl whom I have taken a liking for. That’s all for the first part, I’ll tell our first date some other time. It’s already way past 4am and I should head to bed. I did promise her that I wouldn’t stay up to late anyways. Until next time~ part 2(coming soon)

[5hfanfiction]

Say You Won't Let Go - Chapter 2

Camila was loving her time in Texas with Ally. Her family has treated Camila like one of their own. They even went as far as getting a couple Christmas gifts for the younger Latina girl, so she wouldn’t be left out when everyone was opening presents. Camila felt loved and safe around them. A safety she hasn’t felt in a while.

It also helps that she’s been talking to Lauren Jauregui from time to time. Lauren has been so nice, and sweet. Incredibly supportive about the channel. On top of all that, she’s hilarious. Every time they speak Camila has a lasting smile.

It was the day before New Years Eve, Camila and Ally were getting ready to go to the movies. Camila’s mind kept wandering to Lauren. When Lauren first wrote to her on twitter she freaked out. She couldn’t help but to tell Lauren over and over how amazing she was. Her phone started buzzing, and her smile grew.

Lauren: When do I get to see that beautiful face? 😏

KC: lol what makes u think im beautiful?

Lauren: well we’ve been DMing for about 2 weeks, & I conclude that even if ur not physically what the world would deem as beautiful, ur personality shines brighter than anything. Ur so funny, and crazy nice. Ur passion for music is undeniable. Thats beautiful. Thats u.

KC: Ur very charming Lauren. im not sure if that’s a good thing 🤔

Lauren: Its good, trust me. Not everyone gets this side of me. Lol

Lauren: Don’t u think u gotta show ur face eventually?

KC: Maybe, idk 🤷🏻‍♀️

Lauren: What are u going to do?

KC: What do u mean?

Lauren: Like with ur voice? Do u want to be bigger than “youtube star?”

KC: I haven’t thought about it. I never thought I’d be good enough for being anything else really. I never even thought I’d have more than 100 followers if im being honest.

Lauren: lol u really thought that? ur crazy gifted.

KC: I cant with ur compliments.

Lauren: telling the truth darling. ur voice is amazing, I’m sure u r beautiful. Ur chill af, with occasional fan girling, ur modest, ur a dork, ur sweet. Ur what this industry needs. Ur what girls will look up to, & boys would want to bring home to meet mom. The whole package.

KC: ahhh ur killing me. Seriously ur words are unbelievable. All this coming from YOU.

KC: Ur so beautiful.

KC: Not ur looks

KC: I mean, yes ur beautiful like that

KC: Why am I so awkward…

Lauren: lol Relax chicken, breathe.

KC: I mean, ur mind. ur words are kind, and inspiring.

Lauren: lol I’m just being honest dork

KC: atleast I’m a cute talented dork 😄

Lauren: Eh, ur ok

KC: lmao sure jan. do the words “unreasonably obsessed” sound familiar?

Lauren: doesn’t ring a bell

KC: Oh really? K. I guess I’ll be leaving! It was nice talking to u.

Lauren: Wait wait, no no. Don’t go. I’m joking

KC: New phone 📱 who dis?

Lauren: Lmao ur an idiot.

KC: 👋🏻

Lauren: Fine if that’s what u want KC. It was nice talking u. Just wanted to let u know I actually think ur talented. I hope u get everything u want in this world.

KC: Seriously, all jokes aside. Thank u, so much Lauren. It means alot. I’m happy I fan girl less when you hmu. Sometimes I’m like “DID LAUREN JUST SLIDE IN MY DMS?” Cus like You’re YOU, & I’m just me. And You telling me I have a nice voice, it’s like AHHHHH

Lauren: You’re not JUST you…you’re amazing.

KC: Uhhh 🙈 Thank you Laur, but I gotta go, going to the movies.

Lauren: Ok KC, hmu later? I enjoy talking to you. :D have a good night.

KC: Potassium

Lauren: what are u talking about?

KC: Potassium. What’s the periodic symbol?

Lauren: K? ….. OH! Wow, u are really a dork. Wow. Bye now. lol 😂

—————————-

It was around 11pm when Ally and Camila left the movie theater. Ally was hungry and Camila never turned down food, so they decided to stop at the Waffle house. They were browsing the menu when Camila got a twitter notification.

@LaurenJauregui: Yooo @KC_LoveOnly where’s that new cover thooo?

She smiled reading the tweet. She had been done with the video days ago, but she was nervous about uploading it knowing that a specific green eyed pop star would watch it. On top of that she decided to cover one of The Holy Trinity’s songs.

@KC_LoveOnly: Girl, when I know that ur a part of my audience, I GOT to make sure its peeeerrrfffecctt!! @LaurenJauregui

“Ally Brooke? Is that you!?!” Camila heard someone behind her say. Ally squealed hopping up from her seat. When Camila turned around her mouth hit the ground. She saw Ally hugging none other than 1/3 of The Holy Trinity, Normani Kordei.

Ally and Normani were best friends before Normani moved to Miami. They talked for a couple months before losing touch.

“What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be taking over the world with your voice?” Ally asked excitedly.

Normani laughed, “Well we finally got a break for the holidays, my family came here.”

“Are you eating here alone?” Ally asked noticing no one was with Normani.

“I was going to get some food and head home” she replied.

“No! Come sit with us!” Normani looked towards Ally’s table, eyeing Camila.

“Is she going to be okay?” she asked Ally, noticing Camila was stunned and still had her mouth open.

“Oh, that’s my best friend. I guess she might be a little star struck.” Ally snapped her fingers in front of Camila, who shook herself out of the shock she was in.

Normani laughed while sitting down next to Ally. Camila thought Normani’s smile could kill her.

“I’m Normani,” she reached her hand out to shake Camila’s.

“Y-yeah, I know. I mean, how can I not? You’re you!” Camila rambled. “I’m Camila Cabello.” She said shaking Normani’s hand.

“You’re cute Camila. Relax though, I’m not going to bite.” Camila ducked her head down shyly. “You’re lucky you’re not meeting my bandmates, they can be a little…rowdy. They might bite.” Normani joked, trying to put Camila at ease.

Normani and Ally caught up for a bit while they ate. Normani made sure to include Camila into the conversation, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable. Camila was surprised to see how down to earth Normani was.

“Hey, you girls should come over my house for a little. We can continue to catch up!” Normani suggested.

“That would be so much fun!” Ally exclaimed.

“Are you sure it’s okay if I come? I don’t want to intrude on your friendship reconnection. I can just go back to Ally’s,” Camila said timidly.

“Seriously? Talking to Ally and you has made me feel so…normal. I could use some normality. So yes, I’m inviting you to my house. We will talk, watch a movie, just hangout. Pleasssse come!” Normani begged Camila.

“Okay, okay!”

——————————–

When the girls got to Normani’s house she gave them a quick tour. Ally got to see Normani’s parents after years. She was happy that they still recognized her, and they were glad she was doing well.

They reached Normani’s room, and Camila launched herself onto the king-sized bed.

“This is sooooo comfy,” she said while rolling around. “Adopt me Normani.”

Ally and Normani laughed. Ally pushed Camila over to the other side of bed, and made herself comfortable. Normani turned on the TV, and started browsing Netflix sitting between the two girls.

“So how did you two meet?” she asked the girls, focusing on finding something to watch.

“College—Friends!” Camila shouted. “Please put on Friends. I love it.”

Normani chuckled at her and put on a random episode.

“As she was saying,” Ally continued, “We met in college.”

“Cool, so we are all the same age?” Normani said unsure.

“No, she’s almost two years younger than us. I didn’t want to live on campus and my past roommates were all crazy. I couldn’t afford living on my own, Camila had an ad looking for a roommate. I thought it was a good idea to get to know a roommate before having to live with them.” Ally explained.

“She fell in love with my dorky charm,” Camila said still focused on the TV.

“It’s true,” Ally joked, “Unfortunately.”

“Unfortunately?!” Camila threw her hands up, “Without my nerdy clumsiness, we would’ve never been roommates! I wouldn’t have the world’s best friend. I’d be stuck with Shawn. I love him, but he’s NOT you! I wouldn’t be sitting here enjoying Friends.” She exclaimed.

“You’d still be watching Friends somewhere. Relax. I love you, I’m glad we met.” Ally reassured her.

“Hmmph,” Camila folded her arms turning back to the TV.

Normani laughed at the two girls. “You go to Miami University and you didn’t come to see me?”

“Girl, you were touring by that time,” Ally responded. “How did all that happen by the way? The Holy freaking Trinity!”

Normani chuckled, “Ahhhh, where do I start?”

“Well, I know how you all met. We heard your recent interview,” Ally said.

“Oh, keeping tabs on me?” Normani joked.

At the sound of the interview Camila’s head shot up. She didn’t want Ally to tell Normani about KC. She thought it might be odd, and look bad. They mentioned her in an interview, then she somehow manages to bump into one of them.

“Sorry but no. Actually, Mila—”

“I just stumbled on it, and showed her.” Camila cut Ally off, giving her a pleading look. Ally nodded in understanding.

“It’s cool, happy to be in the company of a fan,” Normani winked at Camila. “Well, I don’t know what to add to that. After meeting Demi, the next day she introduced us to Simon Cowell. He was concerned that we were too young. Me and Lauren were 16, and Dinah freaking 15.”

“Was he mean like on TV?” Camila asked.

“Opposite, he so sweet. We are signed to his label now, throughout the whole process he was so helpful. I mean we were just teenagers trying to chase our dream.” Normani said. “Before signing a contract there was a lot of back and forward with our parents, because of school.”

“That’s awesome!” Camila said.

“Yeah!” She paused thinking fondly of the memories. “It took a lot to get where we are, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

“That’s really cool, I’m so happy for you.” Ally said, hugging her old friend.

“Thank you, Ally.” Normani smiled into the hug.

After the embrace, the girls continued talking. Normani was elated to reconnect with Ally, but she was happier to get to know Camila. She thought the younger girl was adorable and dorky. Camila reminded Normani of Dinah.

The talking died down after about an hour, and the girls watched Friends. It took Ally about 2 episodes before she fell asleep.

“We should probably get going,” Camila said pointing out a sleeping Ally.

“Don’t be silly, stay the night,” Normani said sleepily. “I’ll get you some clothes to sleep in.”

She rubbed her eyes getting off the bed and rummaged through her draws. She pulled out a muscle tank top, and white shorts, handing them to Camila.

“Thank you, Normani. For everything, for letting a stranger stay here—”

“Stop, it’s all okay.” Normani cut her off, as she placed a reassuring hand on Camila’s shoulder. “You’re chill. A little quirky, but cool. It’s nice hanging out with people who aren’t trying to use me.”

“Thank you,” Camila replied giving her a hug.

When she let go of Normani she went to get changed in the bathroom. By the time she got out, Normani was already sleeping.

Camila shut the TV off and got comfortable in bed. She kept plenty of space between herself and Normani, not wanting to wake the older girl up while she used her phone.

She was on tumblr for about an hour, before she put on her headphones and decided to watch her video one more time before uploading it.

In the middle of her video, she got a text from Kellz. They’ve been talking every day since they exchanged numbers. He’s a nice guy. A bit insane, but she loved how care free he lived.

Kellz🎸: I think I just broke my face dude

Milz🎶: What do you mean?

Kellz🎸: I was just drunk fucking around. Running on cars. Fell smashed my face into the ground.

Milz🎶: Oh what different lives we live.

Kellz🎸: Lmao truu. So I’m playing a show in Miami in a couple weeks, u coming right? U get to see how I live first hand.

Milz🎶: For sure, just don’t let me break my face.

Kellz🎸: No promises Milz.

Milz🎶: Oh godddd

Kellz🎸: Turns out, my face isn’t the only thing I broke. Broke my arm to lol

Milz🎶: I’m rethinking this friendship, I think I’m going to get hurt just by being friends with you

Milz🎶: I’m rethinking this friendship, I think I’m going to get hurt just by being friends with you.

Kellz🎸: Nahhhh, u can’t leave me. We haven’t recorded a song yet!

Milz🎶: I thought we were merely writing a song? Now we are recording one?

Kellz🎸: Hell yeah! I can’t wait to chill with u! Explore that creative cool brain of urs.

Milz🎶: I’m not so sure about cool? Lol

Kellz🎸: Bro, just by the things you say when we text, I can tell ur crazy creative. That’s cool as fuck.

Camila felt the bed vibrating followed by an obnoxiously loud ring. After a couple of rings, she felt Normani shuffle around the bed.

“Girl don’t give me a reason to hate you, pick up that damn phone,” Normani grumbled.

Camila held back a laugh, “It’s not mine, grumpy.”

Normani huffed feeling around the bed for her phone. When she found it, she answered annoyed “You better be dying, there is no other reason to be calling at this ungodly hour!” Her toned soften after a moment. “Of course, babe. Do you want to talk about it?” she asked, pausing allowing the other person to talk. “Okay, you know where the spare key is. I love you.” She hung up, and looked at Camila.

“I’m sorry for being grouchy, I don’t like to be woken up. But why are you still awake? Is everything okay?” She said, concerned laced in her voice.

Camila pinched her cheeks, “Care about me already?!” she joked. “I just couldn’t sleep.” Camila yawned, “But I guess I’m getting tired now. Everything okay with your phone call?”

Normani nodded, “Yeah, my best friend is coming in a couple hours. I’m going to head back to sleep until she gets here.” She snuggled up to Ally. “Get some sleep Mila, goodnight.”

“Night Normani.”

Camila posted her video before turning off her phone. She got comfortable and headed to sleep. She was excited to meet one of Normani’s friends, hopefully they were just as chill.

———————————

Lauren was loving every minute of being home. She didn’t realize how much she missed her family. She missed her mother’s forehead kisses, and her father’s bear hugs. She missed hanging out with her siblings, Taylor and Chris. She was happy to see everyone’s faces when they opened Christmas presents from her.

She was more than happy to be talking to KC every so often. She thought the girl was talented, and after talking she liked her dorky personality. She hoped to see her face, but KC won’t let up.

It’s the day before New Year’s Eve, and she was schedule to make a club appearance. She was rummaging through her closet looking for something to wear for tonight when her sister came in and jumped on her bed. “So, what are your plans for tonight?”

“I’m kind of hosting this party at some club. Luckily, it’s not a singing job, just a partying one.” Lauren said, doing a little dance.

“Just don’t party too hard, you know dad doesn’t like your ‘Bad Girl” image. It certainly doesn’t help when you’re actually out there partying.“

Lauren and her dad have had their fair share of arguments about her bad girl tendencies. She’s never been one for rules, even when she was younger. When she went to California for the spring break where she met Dinah, her dad said no but she left anyways. She was grounded until that summer. "Dad will get over it like he always does.” She told Taylor.

Lauren pulled out her phone to listen to KC while she got ready to go. She was bummed when she noticed that KC hasn’t posted a new video since The Holy Trinity interview. Lauren hoped that didn’t scare her away.

@LaurenJauregui: Yooo @KC_LoveOnly where’s that new cover thooo?

Lauren smiled at her phone before locking it and tossing it on her bed. She continued looking through her clothes before picking out a cute black velvet dress.

After she showered, did her makeup, and got into her dress she took a picture for twitter. She was about to post when she got a tweet from K.C

@KC_LoveOnly: Girl, when I know that ur a part of my audience, I GOT to make sure its peeeerrrfffecctt!! @LaurenJauregui

Lauren laughed, and continued to posted her picture.

@LaurenJauregui: We outttttt tonight! 🎉

————————————

It was about 3:30 in the morning and Lauren was stumbling home. While at the club she ran into her old friend Vero. They danced all night and drank way too much.

They made a trip to the bathroom where Vero gave Lauren some coke. It wasn’t her first time doing it, within minutes she was dangerously high.

“Shhhit” Lauren cursed, trying to unlock her front door. She didn’t understand why she had so many keys, but most of all she couldn’t figure out which one opened her door.

“Ahhhhhh, that’s the one!” she said, tip toeing into her living room.

She whispered, “Honey! I’m home,” as she stumbled into an end table knocking over a lamp.

“Shhhhhh! You’re going to wake up papa, you stupid lamp!” she whispered shouted at it, while giggling. She heard someone clear their throat. When she turned around she was met with her fathers disappointed look. “Too late,” she laughed.

“Lauren, if you’re going to come home drunk at 3 in the morning can you at least keep it down. What kind of influence do you think this behavior is on your sister?”

Lauren immediately got angry. She thought she was a great influence on Taylor. She followed her dreams, and became an accomplished artist. Everything she does is for her family.

“I’m a suspectful..susss..successful influence on her.” She stated drunkenly, while her dad looked at her unimpressed, adding to her anger. She tossed her purse onto the sofa, and ran her fingers through her hair.

“Dad whatdoya w-want from me? I’m in what is probably the biggest girl group of this time!” she grinned widely, pleased with her career. “Everyone should be proud and inspired by me” she slurred.

“How can I be proud when I have to sit back and see pictures of my little girl stumbling out of clubs? I just want you to be careful. I don’t want you to do anything stupid Lauren.” Her dad sighed.

“I just go out to blow off steam—”

He cut her off, “What steam? You’re in the biggest girl group!” he mocked.

“Whatever dad. Just let me sssleep this off. Pleasee, yell at me later. You give me a headache” she groaned, rubbing her temples.

He sighed in defeat. “Fine, but here…don’t forget your things.” He picked up her bag to hand it to her. “Listen Mija, I love you and please know I’m proud of –” He stopped when he noticed some things spilling out of the purse. Lauren eyes grew wide when I saw the little baggy of white powder drop in front of his feet.

“Lauren, are you fucking kidding me? You’re stupid enough to bring drugs into my house? Around your siblings?” She looked down, not baring to see the disappointment in his eyes. “You know what! Get the hell out!”

She looked at him shocked, “What do you mean? Where am I supposed to go? It’s practically New Years Eve!”

“I don’t care where you go, but you’re not fucking staying here. I’m not dealing with your bullshit.” He spat. He reached down and grabbed the baggy before walking to the kitchen. “Go with the person who gave you this for all I fucking care.”

Lauren turned around not really knowing what do, she punched the wall until her hand was swollen. She took out her phone about to call the only person she can think of when her brother came downstairs.

“What’s going on Lauren?” Chris asked sleepily rubbing his eyes. She didn’t say anything but bury her face into his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her.

He never seen her this upset before, he didn’t know what to do but he knew not to press the issue.

“Can you take me to the airport?” she mumbled into him. He nodded, releasing her and headed up the stairs to grab his keys. Lauren brought the phone to her ear praying that it doesn’t go to voicemail.

“You better be dying, there is no other reason to be calling at this ungodly hour.”

“Is that offer to go to Texas still available?” Lauren sniffled.

“Of course, babe. Do you want to talk about it?” Normani asked.

“Not really.”

—————————-

Lauren was sitting at the airport, she luckily didn’t have to deal with paparazzi being that it was late. She did have to wait for her plane to be ready, due to the late notice. She sobered up as best to her abilities, which meant puking her guts out in the airport bathroom, and drinking water.

She scrolled through tumblr trying to push the thoughts of her argument with her dad out of her mind. She quickly forgot about everything when she got a notification that KC uploaded a new video. She clicked to watch the video:

“Hey pumkins! As promised I’m here to answer a few questions. I took the liberty to write down them down, as well as the answer. Hope you like!” KC said.

She had written down the questions on notecards with the answers on the back, and held them to the camera.

1. What do you look like?

She turned the card over and showed a horrible drawing of a girl stick figure. The answer read, “I look like a person. I have hair, eyes, a mouth, nose. The whole shebang.”

2. Where are you from?

“I grew up in Florida. I’m just around here and there ;)”

3. What inspires you?

“People. Love. Art itself.”

4. Who are some of your favorite musicians?

“I think Ed Sheeran is fantastic. And Taylor Swift influences me to write.”

5. What do you do?

“Well, this. I post videos, but I guess if you’re asking besides this…I go to college.”

“Okay,” she spoke, “I think that’s enough questions. I must keep some mystery to me. It’s a part of my charm, don’t you think?” She joked. “As many of you know a very talented girl group said they liked my channel. One girl specifically, so this next cover is for her.”

She started strumming.

I don’t admit it, I play it cool

But every minute, that I’m with you

I feel the fever, and I won’t lie

I break a sweat.

My body’s telling,

All the secrets I ain’t told you yet.

I struggle to contain,

The love that’s in my veins,

And how it circulates.

If you could take my pulse right now,

It would feel just like a sledgehammer.

If you could feel my heart beat now,

It would hit you like a sledgehammer.

You’re taken over the beat of my body.

You just don’t let up, don’t let up.

You’re taken over the beat of my body.

But you lift me up, lift me up.

If you take my pulse right now,

It would feel just like a sledgehammer.

So close together, so far apart.

You’re turning me on,

And my fires waiting for your spark.

I struggle to contain,

The love that’s in my veins,

And how it circulates.

If you could take my pulse right now,

It would feel just like a sledgehammer.

If you could feel my heart beat now,

It would hit you like a sledgehammer.

You’re taken over the beat of my body.

You just don’t let up, don’t let up.

You’re taken over the beat of my body.

But you lift me up, lift me up.

If you take my pulse right now,

It would feel just like a sledgehammer.

The truth is out, no stopping now.

I’m getting closer.

I’ve had enough, undress my love.

I’m coming over.

If you could take my pulse right now,

It would feel just like a sledgehammer.

Ooooh

If you take my pulse right now,

It would feel like a sledgehammer.

Hammer, Hammerrrr

If you take my puuuulse

If you could take my pulse right now,

It would feel just like a sledgehammer.

If you could feel my heart beat now,

It would hit you like a sledgehammer.

You’re taken over the beat of my body.

You just don’t let up, don’t let up.

You’re taken over the beat of my body.

But you lift me up, lift me up.

If you take my pulse right now,

It would feel just like a sledgehammer.

She finished strumming, “Well I hope you enjoyed it. Remember, love only.”

Lauren heard a voice clear their throat behind her, “Excuse me, Miss Jauregui the plane is ready.”

“Thank you,” she replied getting up from her seat. She went outside towards the plane, and tweeting something before getting on.

@LaurenJauregui: Listen to @KC_LoveOnly ’s new cover. I’m in love! 😍  I think you’ll like the song choice. She’s amazing, follow her!!

[in-the-name-of-the-holy-reborn]

Secret Santa . Arc 2 - Hibari

This one wasn’t released on the official @khrsecretsanta​ , the admin has probably their own reasons so I’ll not tag the person for whom I wrote it, if they give their agreements, I will, but for now, you’ll be the only ones to “enjoy” this Hibari almost angsty one shot. ♥

Plot: Choosing a character, choice made - TYL Hibari - Christmas memories.

Hibari squinted his eyes when the cold wind hit his face, frowning to the weather as if he could bite the death out of it. He hide the tip of his red pointy nose behind his black scarf, walking past people into the street, his eyes focused on an invisible point as his hands tighten around a bouquet of white flowers. Kyoya hated winter, humidity, cold, flu, smile on everyones face, nope, it was way too much for him and the only thing he could think about was a warm cup of tea with a nice book in his way-too-cosy-armchair. What he hated the most in this amount of end-of-year stuff was probably Christmas, for him, there were no point in wasting time by baking cakes, decorating tree which is going to dirty is floor, suspend lights garlands and smiling all along. Oh it hasn't always been the case, there were times where Hibari trembled with impatience when Christmas was approaching, but the idea of this joyful sensation already felt makes him cringe and flee far far away from the uncomfortable feeling which ensues. The sound of the bell under the pressure of his finger brought him back to reality and his sharp gaze stopped on the green crown hanging on the door, his feet lead him to this house in which he used to live for so many years and the smile of the woman who opened the door warmed his frozen little heart.

He dropped a kiss on her pale skin as he handed her the white lilies still in his hand, she appreciated the attention, letting out a clear laugh soothing his ears while he put off his jacket on the coat hanger. «You shouldn’t have done this whole road for me Kyo’, I appreciate it, really but I would understand if you weren’t coming home every year.» The sweetness of her voice was matched only by her beauty and Hibari let out a soft grunt of desapproval in response, as if he had never left the house, he walked to the couch, passing by family pictures enlighten by the face of his smiling mother next to the stern expression of an absent father. The curious ginger cat stretched lazily from its basket next to the window and drew near him with a nonchalant step, with a still agile motion, he jumped on his knees, sniffing his clothes superficially before meowing in a hoarse voice. The young man put his hand on its head, stroking its smooth furr between his fingers, it ellicited a soft purr from the old Watson and he began to knead his thighs with his clawed paws, the peaceful humming song of the woman in the next room attracted his attention as well as the delicate smell of a well-prepared dish. Hibari looked throught the window from his comfy place, detailling all of the snowflakes which began to softly fall in the garden, the sun was nowhere to be found as the sky began to darken. His grey hues traveled to his pocket watch pointing on 5 p.m and he sighed, one more thing he can’t really stand on winter, the trivial rays of sunshine disappearing so early, his eyes darted to the garden once more and a frown appeared on his face.

_

«DID YOU SEE THIS GRAND’PA HN? The night is already here, that means He’s going to come soon! - Hehe, calm down Kyo’, you have the time, it’s only 5p.m» The little boy huffed with his already signature frown, making some strands of black hair rose out of his eyes. He brought back his gaze on the courtyard where his wooden hut was covered with a white sheet of snow, his hands plastered against the cold surface as he let his mind wandered to the sweet world of his imagination. Weak circles of fog appeared and disappeared against the window to the rythm of his steady breathing until two arms gripped him firmly from behind. «Whoa- what, what are you doing?! Put me down!» His laugh filled the room while the old man made him fly around, his wife entered, rolling her eyes and put on the table, a plate of handmade appetizers which seemed delicious. Both of their hands were smacked away as soon as they were near the dish, as the old lady scolded the two of them, blowing on their red fingers, the ringing of the phone was heard from the hall and Kyoya’s mother picked up. «Oh Honey, I’m glad you call, my parents are already here, they help me up with the cooking, you’re on your way back? - Oh- hm, I understand. Is it- really necessary? Okay, take care.»

His tiny heart squeezed in his chest as his ears roamed to the conversation of the next room and a cover of gloom encircled his shoulders. He missed the bleak look exchanged by the two adults surrounding him and declined the fish shape biscuit stretched by the wrinkled hand. When she appeared in the door frame, announcing that her husband have to stay to work until 11p.m on Christmas Eve, she had to face the disapproval of her father and the disappointment of her son, she turned her heels back in the kitchen, followed by the other woman as the boys found their place back on the couch in silence.

Hibari, his back to the window, was focused on his hands, sitting on his grandpa's knees, he turned his head when the last one ruffled his hair gently. «I knew he wouldn’t be here..he never is..it..makes mom cry.» A gentle, reassuring smile on his face, he cupped his grandson’s chin between his fingers «Hn-n, I don’t want to see you like this on Christmas, and it’s not because your dad isn’t here that we’re not going to have fun.» He slided his hand behind Hibari’s ear and an origami fox appeared magically, his eyes widen with admiration and he seized the little sheet of paper as if it was made with cristal. With a satisfy smirk, the old man relaxed in the back of the sofa and pulled out a golden pocket watch from his shirt, the little boy peeped without shame on the dial. He asked in a low voice, «Say, where’s 11pm?» The man grabbed his index and explain to him the path of the clock hand «Here, you can keep it if you want to, and next I’ll see you, you'll show me how you learned to read it ? - Really? I promise, You’re the best!»

_

The cold air entered the room, sign that the front door was open, the ball of fur jumped out of his lap and Hibari headed toward the ruffling of clothes in the hall. The old woman was removing her scarf, dishes in her hands, as soon as she saw Kyoya, she greeted him with a warm smile, approaching to engulf him a bear hug, he helped her with her coat and she then left to join her daughter. Hibari hanged the clothes next to the door, listening to the voices coming from the kitchen, he pulled out on last time the watch out of his pocket, giving it a last nostalgic smile before getting ready for a pleasant moment with his dearest persons.

[myhauntedsalem]

911 Operators Describe the Most Disturbing Calls they’ve Ever Taken

1. “Daddy’s Eye Fell Out”

“Had a call for a brother who killed his other brother with a hammer (the pick part) while the victim’s little daughter was watching. The daughter called us from another room and told us her daddy’s eye fell out.

Perp was apprehended, daughter taken by relative. Had to smoke after that one, and I don’t even smoke.”

– rainbowbrite0091

2. “I Need your Help”

“There was an old couple who lived on a run-down ranch house about 20 miles east of town. When the husband passed away, the woman would call 911 at least three times a week, asking for assistance with very mundane tasks not normally dealt to first responders. “I need help turning the thermostat up”, “I need help boiling water for my tea”, etc.

The woman developed dementia, and eventually, it progressed to the point where she believed she was calling 911 to ask her deceased husband for help. All of the dispatchers would recognize the address immediately, even though all she could say was “(husband’s name), I need help. Please come home and help me”

One day she called, and again was only able to repeat her husband’s (I’ll call him “John”) name. “John, I need help. Please come home and help me John.” By the time the first responders arrived on scene, they found the woman lying dead in her bed. The first unit on scene called dispatch to confirm that it was the woman herself who had called 911, as rigor Morris had already set in. We wrote it off as the fact that the heater in her house wasn’t working, and the ambient temperature in the room was about 50 degrees.

We continued to receive 911 calls from that woman, at that address for just over a year after she passed away. Even after her home was vandalized, and burned to the ground, the phone calls did not stop. “John, I need your help. John, please come home and help me.” We were obligated to send a response each and every time, but not once did we find anyone on or near the property.

Multiple calls to the phone company confirmed that the phone line had been disconnected, and the call was not coming from another address.”

– Nevadadrifter

3. Glass Breaking

“1979 NYC. Got a call from a crying child – a little boy – saying his mom and dad were fighting and his dad said he was going to throw the mom out of the window. I could hear a terrible fight going on in the background – woman screaming, things breaking, man yelling, etc. The poor kid didn’t know his address. We didn’t have the technology for call ID and would have to use reverse telephone books. A trace would take forever. Anyway while I’m trying to get the address I hear a horrific scream and glass breaking. A few seconds later the other operators in the room are getting calls about a woman lying in the courtyard who came out of a window. Very sad.

Worst of all is that I am sure someone else in this apartment building must have heard this fight but no one called for help until it was too late. Poor kid. Working 911 in NYC during the 70s/80s was a nightmare.”

– Mizcreant908

4. Alone in the House

“The single worst call I’ve ever taken though was a woman who was calling in that she was hearing weird noises in her house. While walking through her house she started screaming and told me there was someone in her house. There we a couple soft pops followed by a gargling sound. After the officers had cleared the house and found her, it finally came out during the investigation that her adult son had killed her while high and freaking out.

Gunshots don’t sound like you’d think on the phone, they’re rather soft. It’s an eerie sound, something so violent being so soft that if you aren’t paying attention you can miss it.”

– 4x49ers

5. Static on the Line

“My uncle works for dispatch in my town and he recently told my family of the weirdest call he’s ever gotten. He says that he had received a call from a landline one night and when he answered it there was only static on the other end. This happened two more times. Finally, he calls a squad to go check out the address from the caller ID. When the cops got there and walked into the house they immediately saw that there was a dead body. The person had been dead for 5 months.

The craziest part about it was that there was no electricity or any other utility working. So there is no way they should have been able to get those calls into dispatch. But if they hadn’t, who knows how long that person’s body would have stayed there.”

– Zombie_Dance_

6. A Long Raspy Exhale

“Christmas Eve night I answered 911 for a hysterical lady who was crying so hard she couldn’t breathe. I asked her what was going on and she told me these exact words “my boyfriend and I… we were watching a movie… I fell asleep. I woke up and he wasn’t here.”

I thought this was a little odd so I said, “okay ma’am, do you know where he may have went?” she wasn’t done. She said, “I found him.. in our closet, he hung himself.. with our bed sheets.” I walked her through cutting him down and starting CPR. when in the middle of it, he starts making this long raspy exhale that sounds exactly like something from a horror movie, it’s the rest of his air leaving his lungs. She starts getting hysterical again begging him, “oh my god, he’s breathing, please breathe baby, please breathe..” But I knew that’s not what he was doing.

Police/fire/ambulance got there and of course, the guy was way dead. I felt so bad for that woman. That’s really the only call that has ever stuck with me.”

– JeCsGirl

7. Halloween Night

“My mom was a 911 dispatcher in the early 90’s (I was 5 years old-ish) in Washington State. When I got older, I remember asking her about some of the calls that she could still recall. One in particular was pretty bad. She was working one year on Halloween night and around 10 or 11pm she had a call come in that a couple guys were driving around town with a dummy or something dragging behind their truck. The dummy was falling apart and pieces of clothing/plastic were being torn off and scattered around the city.

Being Halloween, it seemed like a prank but she had a patrol car try to find and stop the truck. As time goes by more and more people started to call in about it. Eventually the patrol car caught up with the truck and it turns out that it was a person.

The guys had gone to a store earlier and when they left, they had backed their truck into an elderly man whose clothes got caught in the rear bumper or whatnot. The two guys never even knew that they were dragging around another human being all across town, for miles.

The elderly man had passed away and those pieces of clothing scattered around town, was his clothing, flesh, and body parts. Still gives me chills.”

– Turkeyshoes

8. The Man in the Attic

“I worked dispatch for a total of three months, and in that three months I only received one call I would call creepy. It was the voice of a little boy, and I was trying to be calm because it felt like he was having a hard time breathing. I asked him if he was in danger and he said no, not anymore. I asked him why he had called and he said “well, the man in the attic finally killed my mom. I asked him if he could still see his mom and he said “no, the man took her to the moon” I asked him if he was alone in the house, to which he replied “no, I still have the mans dog here” I asked him what the doggies name was in the hopes I could keep the boy calm, the boy replied “his name is shaitan” I asked him to say it again thinking he said “satan” but he clearly replied “its shaitan”. By the end of the call, the police showed up and I still don’t know what ever happened with the boy and his mother.

But years later I was researching the Djinn/jinn and according to ancient texts, evil spirits like djinn are able to manifest themselves as a dog or other animals and guess what the djin were known as? Shaitan.

I still have a hard time sleeping at night when I think about this call.”

– Mr–Night

9. Possessed

“I was a 911 call taker 10 years ago when I received one of the creepiest calls ever. It was freezing that night, which usually equaled a calm, quiet shift due to even the criminals not wanting to go outside. Around 3am my call box popped up green and as usual I asked what was the emergency. A man starting frantically screaming that his still was possessed by a demon and tried to cut his heart while he slept. He had ran when the attack started and locked himself in his bathroom. I ask him a series of questions trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

I ask him a series of questions trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Everytime he tried to answer I heard what sounded like scratching and banging on the bathroom door. He whispered “There is a demon in my sister’s body, it has been battling me for days. It got free from the chains…” I swear what I heard next chilled me to the core. This unearthly voice began taunting my caller through the door. It didn’t sound like a 20-something woman. It was low and guttural, like she had gargled razor blades before speaking. She continued to growl and speak in a strange sounding language until police arrived. She let out a terrifying scream when the officers broke in, then dead end.

The call was over, I was shaking and had to know what happened? Even my supervisor (who had been listening to the call in real time) was pale and speechless when the line abruptly ended. Before my shift ended the commanding officer on my creepy call called in to tell me what they found. He told me he would have nightmares for the rest of his life.

Apparently, when my caller said his sister got out of her chains, he wasn’t joking around. She still had a chain tied to a bloody handcuff when the officers came in. Her whole body was covered in self-inflicted scratches, her one eye had popped a blood vessel and was bright red. Most of what she was wearing was also shredded and her skin looked like she had been drained of her blood. She was taken in for a psych consult and as you probably guessed, stayed there for a long time. The brother was okay except for deep gouges in his chest. His sister literally tried to dig out his heart.

There was some talk about arresting the brother but nothing ever came of it. I still can vividly remember that voice, it still makes my blood run cold.”

– QueenoftheNorth82

[handsingsweapon]

9. For the October challenge with Phichit and anyone else you'd like to scare a bit 😂

9: A fun, creepy night of urban exploration gets the character(s) into trouble.

1. This is a college/frat AU because why the heck not2. credit: https://detroit.curbed.com/maps/thirteen-haunted-creepy-or-spooky-detroit-places3. putting all of these below cuts just in case

“Yuuri.” Phichit has a specific tone of voice he uses when he’s whining, which Yuuri now knows is his cue not to look at the Thai skater. Looking, he learned, back in Phichit’s first semester in Detroit, when they were both still living with Celestino, was always a fatal mistake. Phichit has better puppy-dog eyes than an actual puppy-dog, and Yuuri would know, he’s got experience. “Yuuri,” he repeats, forlornly, and finally Phichit Chulanont forces himself to endure the indignity of standing between Yuuri and the television screen. Normally he’s got the other playstation controller, but not tonight; tonight he’s trying to talk Yuuri into going along to the Halloween party that Sigma Theta Upsilon has put together this year. “It’s called a ghost float.”

“Phichit, nothing about walking through old Detroit until midnight at the end of October sounds even remotely reasonable,” Yuuri grumbles.

Phichit tries a series of enticements:

“Drinks are going to be half off at every pub along the way.”

“No.”

“We can wear a couple’s costume so nobody hits on you.”

“No.”

“Victor Nikiforov’s the one giving the haunted tour talks.”

This, at least, makes Yuuri die on-screen, and he tosses the controller aside, and looks up with a scowl. “Liar. Christophe Giacometti’s giving the haunted tour talks.”

Phichit has a sinister grin whenever Yuuri’s walked into a trap. “Oh,” he hums, innocently. “So at least you looked, huh.”

“No.”

“Yuuri,” Phichit repeats. “Ghost float.”

Yuuri grumbles something about Phichit, Christophe Giacometti, and the phrase notice-me-senpai, but he eventually agrees. “This has nothing to do with Victor Nikiforov,” Yuuri says, in a tone of voice that Phichit imagines Yuuri likes to think means something like let’s be clear or I want to be understood.

It actually means: I am lying through my teeth. 

“Right,” he chirps, ignoring Yuuri Katsuki’s no-good, mega-crush on Sigma Theta President Victor Nikiforov for the millionth time. Their first-ever discussion on the topic ended with this: He’s probably not even gay, Phichit. Phichit thinks Yuuri’s out of his goddamn mind and his gaydar is broken: nobody dresses like Victor Nikiforov does and is straight. Not that Phichit’s interested. He’s seen Victor and Christophe both in a swimming pool: one of them turns a strange shade of red with exposure to just forty-five minutes of sunlight; the other one turns into bronze Adonis. “I’ll take care of costumes.”

“I get veto rights if you do anything ridiculous,” Yuuri mutters.

“I’m offended,” says Phichit, who is only offended because his top three ideas are now entirely off the menu.

The party starts at 9 PM at Belle Isle. In spite of a significant amount of honking, there’s no sign of a white deer, or a woman’s ghost.

Phichit has done Yuuri a favor: together, they’re the dynamic duo of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Yuuri is the curmudgeon in a Red Wings jersey; Phichit thinks he’s in-character already. Phichit is Ferris Bueller, of course; he found the awful jacket and the leopard vest at Goodwill and counted his lucky stars. Currently, he’s counting them again, because Sigma Theta’s Vice President has shown up as Hansel from Zoolander, which means … Ah, yes. Phichit only has to look over his shoulder at Yuuri to witness his reaction to Victor Nikiforov in red leather pants. “He dyed his hair,” Yuuri whispers, with a choked, cut-off whisper towards Victor-masquerading-as-Derek. “Why did he dye his hair?”

“Gonna wash it out for him, sweetheart?” Phichit offers, batting his eyelashes. Yuuri hits him. “Ow!” 

The Ghost Float turns out to be mostly large-group pub crawl, with a few of Detroit’s landmark stops along the way. A few people peel off with Georgi Popovich at the Leland Hotel, evidently intending to brave the Industrial club in the basement. At the Alhambra Apartments, Christophe tells a story about a scorned chef who once poisoned the residents after her demotion. Apparently two people died. 

Victor Nikiforov’s eyes sparkle like he might actually cry, and he wraps his arms around himself and looks like a very distraught Derek Zoolander. 

Yuuri looks at Victor like someone’s kicked his puppy. Blue steel, indeed.

By 11PM, Phichit’s officially daunted: he’s able to walk in a straight line because Yuuri is able to walk in a straight line. Even though Yuuri’s face is already flushed from drinking and the cold, he’s got legendary endurance when it comes to this sort of event, the kind of reputation that got solidified last year at a New Year’s Eve party where he wound up running across the snow-covered quad with a tie wrapped around his head and his pants missing. They are nowhere near pants-missing territory yet. At least not in Yuuri’s case. Phichit makes no promises for himself because Christophe’s been the one telling all of the ghost stories.

Christophe tells the story of an Italian immigrant who set up shop as a mystic and would-be cultist. “Evangelist prescribed all kinds of strange medicine,” Giacomtti intones as they stand on the grass lot that was once the Evangelist home on St. Aubin Street. “He did expensive psychic readings, gave out herbal remedies, wrote a four-volume Occultist bible.” 

“Love potions,” says Victor Nikiforov, who has been uncharacteristically quiet for a great deal of the trip. It’s unusual for Christophe to do all of the talking. He smiles, tight and quick, when the assembled crowd whistles and hoots; Phichit elbows Yuuri; Yuuri stomps on his toe. “He made love potions.” 

Phichit thinks he might be looking at Yuuri. Yuuri is trying to look anywhere except Victor Nikiforov’s ass in those pants. It’s not working. Phichit is working off of two hypotheses currently: one, he is beginning to suspect that Victor Nikiforov might have a no-good, mega-crush on Yuuri Katsuki; two, he’s starting to think that Victor hates ghost stories.

What he needs is the right environment to stage a test of these two theories, but he keeps getting distracted by Christophe, gorgeous Christophe, Christophe who could read Phichit the dictionary and leave him hanging on every word. It’s not fair that someone in the universe has a body constructed for sex and gets to possess that voice. “Had a lot of enemies, too,” Christophe is explaining. “People who thought they’d been ripped off.” Phichit’s not sure where Christophe manages to pull pictures of Benny Evangelist’s creepy, paper-mache God-dolls from, but he’s got them, and they’re being passed around. He shivers. It’s not because of the beer, and it’s not because of Christophe’s voice. 

“He cut a business deal involving some lumber, promised to pay the delivery man in cash the following morning,” Christophe intones. “Morning came and went. So did a neighbor, who found all six bodies: Benny, 43, his wife, Santina, 36, their four children, Angeline, 8, Matilda, 5, Jay, 3 and their 18-month-old son, Morrio. According to the police report, good old Benny’s head was sitting on a chair next to the bed he and his wife died in.”

“Yuuri,” whispers Phichit, who quickly passes off the handout, and who tells himself he’s getting two drinks at their next bar, “that’s messed up.”

“You want a real ghost story?” Yuuri raises his eyebrows. Apparently he’s just getting started. “You ought to hear about some of the shit from back home –”

“Hard pass,” squeaks Phichit. 

They make it to Elmwood Cemetery at midnight. It’s supposed to be the last stop of the tour, so to speak, largely because the gates are closed at this hour, and Victor and Christophe have some responsibility, when it comes to university rules. The problem with this is simple:

Yuuri Katsuki is drunk. “What,” he complains, after Christophe tells another round of stories. “That’s it? We’re just going to stand here?”

“You have a better idea?”

Phichit hooks his fingers into Yuuri’s Red Wings jersey, uselessly: Yuuri’s an athlete, and he’s over the fence like a shot, waving his arms from the other side. “C’mon,” he taunts. “You scared?”

Phichit looks at Yuuri.

Victor looks at Yuuri, and then Victor looks at Christophe. Phichit does not understand the reason for Christophe’s smirk; he only knows it’s unfairly attractive. “You just gonna let the ghosts get him, then?” Christophe asks.

This is how about six or so of the party-goers wind up climbing over the fence, and how Phichit Chulanont gets lost by himself in the cold of a cemetery, wondering how it is that Yuuri Katsuki could ruin something called a Ghost Float, put on by Christophe Giacometti. Everywhere he turns he hears distant voices; probably his friends, looking for him, but who can be sure? It’s dark, and his phone has already protested the use of its flashlight once with a low battery warning, consequence of his overuse of Instagram earlier in the night. 

Leaves rustle behind him. 

Phichit thinks he hears footsteps.

When he turns around, nobody’s there.

Yuuri, I love you, and I’m going to kill you.

There’s breath on his neck, a whisper against his ear. “Boo.”

Later, there will be conflicting stories about this incident. Christophe Giacometti will insist that Phichit Chulanont screamed; Phichit Chulanont will tilt his chin up, dark eyes flashing, and insist that he roared like a lion.

He shrieks, he nearly falls over, he finds himself in Christophe’s arms.

“Have you seen Yuuri?” Phichit asks, far too rapidly, trying to play it cool. He’s Ferris Bueller. He’s the coolest kid.

“He’s with Victor.”

“With Victor or With Victor?”

Christophe’s eyes sparkle in the dark. His innocent face somehow betrays both nothing and everything. The story will come out by Christmas, by the time Yuuri and Victor make it official: Nikiforov hates ghost stories, and horror movies, and junk food, and a lot of other things Yuuri loves, and somehow they’re still disgustingly perfect for each other. “We’ve got everyone,” Christophe says instead. “Came to get you. Were you really that scared?”

“No,” Phichit lies, putting on a brave face.

“Oh.” Christophe looks thoughtful. “Cold?”

Now Phichit’s not sure where this is going. “… No?”

“That’s a pity,” Christophe murmurs, making sure Phichit’s righted on his feet before letting go and taking a few steps back towards the path he must’ve come through on. He tut-tuts underneath his ridiculous blonde wig. “Now what am I supposed to offer, huh?”

Phichit catches on quick. “Oh,” he says, falling in step behind Christophe, and trying to tell himself it’s not because he’s looking at Giacometti’s ass. 

“In that case, I was fucking terrified, and I’m freezing, too.”

[lisandyworldadventure]

Marvelous Melbourne

No rest for the wicked on Christmas Eve Saturday as we are up to drop off the car before the deadline once again. Having the car the next morning however was pretty good in the end as it allowed Andy to take part in one of Melbourne's park runs that morning at 8am. An organised 5km which tracks your timing. Park run is a friendly and easy way for anyone to get out there and do some exercise on the weekend and as Andy has taken part in a few back home, he didn't want to let the opportunity pass to run it in Melbourne on Christmas Eve, santa hat included. Though not registering the best of times after running in the pouring rain and with plimpsoles, Andy was happy to even complete the run itself after not having done much exercise in the past few months. It was then another run (in a panic this time) to ensure the car was dropped off on time. Arriving back to our hostel and keen to see as much of Melbourne as we could we joined the free walking tour which started not far from our accommodation at the Victoria state library. Melbourne town centre is easily walkable with plenty of interesting spots to explore including small alleyways, historical buildings such as the old parliament building or the old prison and plenty of cafes, restaurants and famous rooftop bars to dabble in and out of. Our tour took us first to the old prison where we learnt about Australia's notoriously famous 'Robin Hood' type criminal Ned Kelly, who was executed at the young age of 25. His crimes included burning the mortgage papers of several farms, taking part in armed robberies and killing 3 policeman in the final stand off that lead to his arrest. Not far from the old prison was the '888' golden plated pillar which commemorates the fact that Melbourne was the first place to gain the rights for 8 hours of work, 8 hours of play and 8 hours of rest. Staying in the northern part of the city we soon walked into Carlton Gardens, hugely popular for picnics, barbecues and gatherings between friends during the spring and summer seasons. It is also home to Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building, a grand victorian style building built for the Melbourne International Exhibition in 1880-81. The guide is quick to point out that the building gained heritage status before the Sydney Opera House but also that it is in fact one of his least favourite buildings in the city as this is where Melbourne University host their exams. Heading into downtown Melbourne we were taken into an area with a whole cluster of important buildings built during the era known as 'Marvelous Melbourne', such as the Princess theatre and the old parliament building. Marvelous Melbourne is a period in the mid to late 1800s when the city boomed thanks to one of the biggest gold rushes ever to be seen anywhere. So much so that the population went from just 70,000 to around half a million in the space of just 7 years. As we headed towards Chinatown, we learnt a little more about the foundation of the city. Named after the British Prime Minister of the time, William Lamb, 2nd viscount Melbourne, the city was built in a grid type formation with every other street having it's 'little' equivalent running parallel to it. For example Liverpool Street is then followed by Little Liverpool Street, a clever yet slightly unimaginative way of naming the streets. Not far from the old town, we soon entered Melbourne's Chinatown, one of the western world's oldest Chinatowns. From here we headed to the shopping part of town, Bourke Street mall, from which many querky arcades (some of which with distinct classic architecture) venture off. After walking through some small alleyways with some creative street art we soon arrived at what seemed like the epicentre of Melbourne, Federation Square, full of commuters and tourists alike. The square has many interestingly shaped buildings surrounding it which are mainly art galleries and museums and is the gathering place for many live screenings of concerts and sporting events. Flinder's Street, one of Melbourne's main train stations, sits adjacent to the square and the entrance has 4 iconic clocks above it. In 1983 these clocks were meant to have been replaced with new digital ones but after one day, public outcry was such that they returned back to the conventional clocks, I guess Melburnians love a bit of old school. Our tour was finished off by walking over the Yarra river which flows through the city and divides the CBD and the southern and more residential part of town. From the other side we stopped and contemplated the city's skyline, an interesting mixture of both classic and modern buildings (more of the latter of course). Finishing our tour around midday and as it was Christmas eve with none of us having got each other any presents, we headed up to Bourke Street Mall for a quick look around. We gave ourselves a small budget and an even smaller time frame (1 hour) to find the perfect gifts. Though not as crazy as I can imagine it being back home on Christmas eve, on reflection, leaving it this late is not something we wish to repeat. In the evening we wanted to get a little more into the spirit of Christmas but not much was happening at our hostel. And also not much happening in Melbourne aside from the live screening of a Christmas concert down by Federation Square, and even that came abruptly to an end at 11pm when the screen just turned off despite the concert still running, a shame as we were starting to get a little more festive with a hot chocolate in hand. Christmas day itself was slighly unconventional, mixed in with a few traditions of course. We woke up and did presents (conventional) during breakfast on the outdoor terrace of the hostel in 30 degree heat (not so conventional). Then we met up with Mark at our hostel for a couple of drinks and eventually sat down for a conventionally unconventional Christmas lunch. Yes there was meat, potatoes and gravy but also sweet potato and most interestingly lettuce! Maybe the aussies should let us do what we do best and not mess around with it. We guess the items we missed the most were roast parsnips, stuffing and of course pigs in blankets. You can never fully say its Christmas until you've had one of those bad boys. Anyway back to the subject in hand, after our interesting Christmas dinner we headed to the nearby Carlton Gardens to have a few drinks with some of Mark's friends who also seemed to be away from home for Christmas, mainly a few Americans and also another British couple. Again an unconventional way of spending Xmas day but at least we got to pull christmas crackers and a had a few drinks. Oh and the strangest thing of all? Spending Christmas day in almost 40 degree heat, Andy even had to go into an ice container fridge to keep cool. In the evening there was no mince pies or sitting lazily round the sofa with a cheeseboard watching specials on TV. For us it was more drinks, this time by the Yarra river and with an old uni friend, Alina and her fiance. By chance they had ended up in Melbourne after their plans to head to the Philippines had been scuppered due to a hurricane. It was nice to catch up with them and exchange stories as they too have had a similar few months to us, starting off in South America and then planned on heading to Asia. For boxing day we had planned to head to St Kilda beach in southern Melbourne, however the weather had changed in a flash from the Christmas day heat to boxing day rain and colder temperatures. We instead decided to have a lazy day around town and make the use of the hostel's facilities including the rooftop jacuzzi and the cinema. Whilst walking around town we met with another old uni friend Shaleen, I guess everyone just wants to live in Australia these days. In the evening it was yet another friendly encounter with some girls that Andy had met on a work trip a couple of years ago. Not intentionally, our meeting ended up being the second time within a few days that we won a pub quiz, mainly thanks to the girls. Staying behind to drink our prize ($100 bar tab) however didn't feature in our original plans as we had wanted to go to St Kilda to try and catch the penguins just off the pier. Unfortunately however it was too late so we headed back to the hostel for some dreaded packing for our flight to Sydney the next day. Not wanting to miss St Kilda beach however, the next day we took the tram down to the beach for a walk on the pier and along the promenade. As the closest beach to Melbourne's city centre and with a chilled out vibe, we could imagine just how popular the beach gets during their summer heatwaves. Closeby to the beach, we also took some pictures standing outside Luna Park, an icon of St Kilda and Melbourne itself with the colorful 'Mr Moon' entrance being the shape of a moon with a sun's crest on its head. From the southern part of the city to the northern bohemian neighbourhoods of Melbourne for one last stop. We had been told they were worth a visit as they are full of querky little shops, restaurants and even vegetarian and vegan cafes. Though we found most places closed due to the holiday period, we still enjoyed walking around and having a drink in our first ever vegan cafe which was interesting to say the least. Heading back to our hostel to be picked up for our transfer to the airport, our time in Melbourne had now come to an end. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here, seeing friends, exploring the beautiful city and of course spending the festive season here. However we were eager to get over to its neighbour and rival Sydney for its stunning beaches, iconic buildings and of course a celebration like no other in the final few minutes of the year, the Sydney fireworks.

[myhauntedsalem]

911 Operators Describe the Most Disturbing Calls they’ve Ever Taken

1. “Daddy’s Eye Fell Out”

“Had a call for a brother who killed his other brother with a hammer (the pick part) while the victim’s little daughter was watching. The daughter called us from another room and told us her daddy’s eye fell out.

Perp was apprehended, daughter taken by relative. Had to smoke after that one, and I don’t even smoke.”

– rainbowbrite0091

2. “I Need your Help”

“There was an old couple who lived on a run-down ranch house about 20 miles east of town. When the husband passed away, the woman would call 911 at least three times a week, asking for assistance with very mundane tasks not normally dealt to first responders. “I need help turning the thermostat up”, “I need help boiling water for my tea”, etc.

The woman developed dementia, and eventually, it progressed to the point where she believed she was calling 911 to ask her deceased husband for help. All of the dispatchers would recognize the address immediately, even though all she could say was “(husband’s name), I need help. Please come home and help me”

One day she called, and again was only able to repeat her husband’s (I’ll call him “John”) name. “John, I need help. Please come home and help me John.” By the time the first responders arrived on scene, they found the woman lying dead in her bed. The first unit on scene called dispatch to confirm that it was the woman herself who had called 911, as rigor Morris had already set in. We wrote it off as the fact that the heater in her house wasn’t working, and the ambient temperature in the room was about 50 degrees.

We continued to receive 911 calls from that woman, at that address for just over a year after she passed away. Even after her home was vandalized, and burned to the ground, the phone calls did not stop. “John, I need your help. John, please come home and help me.” We were obligated to send a response each and every time, but not once did we find anyone on or near the property.

Multiple calls to the phone company confirmed that the phone line had been disconnected, and the call was not coming from another address.”

– Nevadadrifter

3. Glass Breaking

“1979 NYC. Got a call from a crying child – a little boy – saying his mom and dad were fighting and his dad said he was going to throw the mom out of the window. I could hear a terrible fight going on in the background – woman screaming, things breaking, man yelling, etc. The poor kid didn’t know his address. We didn’t have the technology for call ID and would have to use reverse telephone books. A trace would take forever. Anyway while I’m trying to get the address I hear a horrific scream and glass breaking. A few seconds later the other operators in the room are getting calls about a woman lying in the courtyard who came out of a window. Very sad.

Worst of all is that I am sure someone else in this apartment building must have heard this fight but no one called for help until it was too late. Poor kid. Working 911 in NYC during the 70s/80s was a nightmare.”

– Mizcreant908

4. Alone in the House

“The single worst call I’ve ever taken though was a woman who was calling in that she was hearing weird noises in her house. While walking through her house she started screaming and told me there was someone in her house. There we a couple soft pops followed by a gargling sound. After the officers had cleared the house and found her, it finally came out during the investigation that her adult son had killed her while high and freaking out.

Gunshots don’t sound like you’d think on the phone, they’re rather soft. It’s an eerie sound, something so violent being so soft that if you aren’t paying attention you can miss it.”

– 4x49ers

5. Static on the Line

“My uncle works for dispatch in my town and he recently told my family of the weirdest call he’s ever gotten. He says that he had received a call from a landline one night and when he answered it there was only static on the other end. This happened two more times. Finally, he calls a squad to go check out the address from the caller ID. When the cops got there and walked into the house they immediately saw that there was a dead body. The person had been dead for 5 months.

The craziest part about it was that there was no electricity or any other utility working. So there is no way they should have been able to get those calls into dispatch. But if they hadn’t, who knows how long that person’s body would have stayed there.”

– Zombie_Dance_

6. A Long Raspy Exhale

“Christmas Eve night I answered 911 for a hysterical lady who was crying so hard she couldn’t breathe. I asked her what was going on and she told me these exact words “my boyfriend and I… we were watching a movie… I fell asleep. I woke up and he wasn’t here.”

I thought this was a little odd so I said, “okay ma’am, do you know where he may have went?” she wasn’t done. She said, “I found him.. in our closet, he hung himself.. with our bed sheets.” I walked her through cutting him down and starting CPR. when in the middle of it, he starts making this long raspy exhale that sounds exactly like something from a horror movie, it’s the rest of his air leaving his lungs. She starts getting hysterical again begging him, “oh my god, he’s breathing, please breathe baby, please breathe..” But I knew that’s not what he was doing.

Police/fire/ambulance got there and of course, the guy was way dead. I felt so bad for that woman. That’s really the only call that has ever stuck with me.”

– JeCsGirl

7. Halloween Night

“My mom was a 911 dispatcher in the early 90’s (I was 5 years old-ish) in Washington State. When I got older, I remember asking her about some of the calls that she could still recall. One in particular was pretty bad. She was working one year on Halloween night and around 10 or 11pm she had a call come in that a couple guys were driving around town with a dummy or something dragging behind their truck. The dummy was falling apart and pieces of clothing/plastic were being torn off and scattered around the city.

Being Halloween, it seemed like a prank but she had a patrol car try to find and stop the truck. As time goes by more and more people started to call in about it. Eventually the patrol car caught up with the truck and it turns out that it was a person.

The guys had gone to a store earlier and when they left, they had backed their truck into an elderly man whose clothes got caught in the rear bumper or whatnot. The two guys never even knew that they were dragging around another human being all across town, for miles.

The elderly man had passed away and those pieces of clothing scattered around town, was his clothing, flesh, and body parts. Still gives me chills.”

– Turkeyshoes

8. The Man in the Attic

“I worked dispatch for a total of three months, and in that three months I only received one call I would call creepy. It was the voice of a little boy, and I was trying to be calm because it felt like he was having a hard time breathing. I asked him if he was in danger and he said no, not anymore. I asked him why he had called and he said “well, the man in the attic finally killed my mom. I asked him if he could still see his mom and he said “no, the man took her to the moon” I asked him if he was alone in the house, to which he replied “no, I still have the mans dog here” I asked him what the doggies name was in the hopes I could keep the boy calm, the boy replied “his name is shaitan” I asked him to say it again thinking he said “satan” but he clearly replied “its shaitan”. By the end of the call, the police showed up and I still don’t know what ever happened with the boy and his mother.

But years later I was researching the Djinn/jinn and according to ancient texts, evil spirits like djinn are able to manifest themselves as a dog or other animals and guess what the djin were known as? Shaitan.

I still have a hard time sleeping at night when I think about this call.”

– Mr–Night

9. Possessed

“I was a 911 call taker 10 years ago when I received one of the creepiest calls ever. It was freezing that night, which usually equaled a calm, quiet shift due to even the criminals not wanting to go outside. Around 3am my call box popped up green and as usual I asked what was the emergency. A man starting frantically screaming that his still was possessed by a demon and tried to cut his heart while he slept. He had ran when the attack started and locked himself in his bathroom. I ask him a series of questions trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

I ask him a series of questions trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Everytime he tried to answer I heard what sounded like scratching and banging on the bathroom door. He whispered “There is a demon in my sister’s body, it has been battling me for days. It got free from the chains…” I swear what I heard next chilled me to the core. This unearthly voice began taunting my caller through the door. It didn’t sound like a 20-something woman. It was low and guttural, like she had gargled razor blades before speaking. She continued to growl and speak in a strange sounding language until police arrived. She let out a terrifying scream when the officers broke in, then dead end.

The call was over, I was shaking and had to know what happened? Even my supervisor (who had been listening to the call in real time) was pale and speechless when the line abruptly ended. Before my shift ended the commanding officer on my creepy call called in to tell me what they found. He told me he would have nightmares for the rest of his life.

Apparently, when my caller said his sister got out of her chains, he wasn’t joking around. She still had a chain tied to a bloody handcuff when the officers came in. Her whole body was covered in self-inflicted scratches, her one eye had popped a blood vessel and was bright red. Most of what she was wearing was also shredded and her skin looked like she had been drained of her blood. She was taken in for a psych consult and as you probably guessed, stayed there for a long time. The brother was okay except for deep gouges in his chest. His sister literally tried to dig out his heart.

There was some talk about arresting the brother but nothing ever came of it. I still can vividly remember that voice, it still makes my blood run cold.”

– QueenoftheNorth82

[myhauntedsalem]

911 Operators Describe the Most Disturbing Calls they’ve Ever Taken

1. “Daddy’s Eye Fell Out”

“Had a call for a brother who killed his other brother with a hammer (the pick part) while the victim’s little daughter was watching. The daughter called us from another room and told us her daddy’s eye fell out.

Perp was apprehended, daughter taken by relative. Had to smoke after that one, and I don’t even smoke.”

– rainbowbrite0091

2. “I Need your Help”

“There was an old couple who lived on a run-down ranch house about 20 miles east of town. When the husband passed away, the woman would call 911 at least three times a week, asking for assistance with very mundane tasks not normally dealt to first responders. “I need help turning the thermostat up”, “I need help boiling water for my tea”, etc.

The woman developed dementia, and eventually, it progressed to the point where she believed she was calling 911 to ask her deceased husband for help. All of the dispatchers would recognize the address immediately, even though all she could say was “(husband’s name), I need help. Please come home and help me”

One day she called, and again was only able to repeat her husband’s (I’ll call him “John”) name. “John, I need help. Please come home and help me John.” By the time the first responders arrived on scene, they found the woman lying dead in her bed. The first unit on scene called dispatch to confirm that it was the woman herself who had called 911, as rigor Morris had already set in. We wrote it off as the fact that the heater in her house wasn’t working, and the ambient temperature in the room was about 50 degrees.

We continued to receive 911 calls from that woman, at that address for just over a year after she passed away. Even after her home was vandalized, and burned to the ground, the phone calls did not stop. “John, I need your help. John, please come home and help me.” We were obligated to send a response each and every time, but not once did we find anyone on or near the property.

Multiple calls to the phone company confirmed that the phone line had been disconnected, and the call was not coming from another address.”

– Nevadadrifter

3. Glass Breaking

“1979 NYC. Got a call from a crying child – a little boy – saying his mom and dad were fighting and his dad said he was going to throw the mom out of the window. I could hear a terrible fight going on in the background – woman screaming, things breaking, man yelling, etc. The poor kid didn’t know his address. We didn’t have the technology for call ID and would have to use reverse telephone books. A trace would take forever. Anyway while I’m trying to get the address I hear a horrific scream and glass breaking. A few seconds later the other operators in the room are getting calls about a woman lying in the courtyard who came out of a window. Very sad.

Worst of all is that I am sure someone else in this apartment building must have heard this fight but no one called for help until it was too late. Poor kid. Working 911 in NYC during the 70s/80s was a nightmare.”

– Mizcreant908

4. Alone in the House

“The single worst call I’ve ever taken though was a woman who was calling in that she was hearing weird noises in her house. While walking through her house she started screaming and told me there was someone in her house. There we a couple soft pops followed by a gargling sound. After the officers had cleared the house and found her, it finally came out during the investigation that her adult son had killed her while high and freaking out.

Gunshots don’t sound like you’d think on the phone, they’re rather soft. It’s an eerie sound, something so violent being so soft that if you aren’t paying attention you can miss it.”

– 4x49ers

5. Static on the Line

“My uncle works for dispatch in my town and he recently told my family of the weirdest call he’s ever gotten. He says that he had received a call from a landline one night and when he answered it there was only static on the other end. This happened two more times. Finally, he calls a squad to go check out the address from the caller ID. When the cops got there and walked into the house they immediately saw that there was a dead body. The person had been dead for 5 months.

The craziest part about it was that there was no electricity or any other utility working. So there is no way they should have been able to get those calls into dispatch. But if they hadn’t, who knows how long that person’s body would have stayed there.”

– Zombie_Dance_

6. A Long Raspy Exhale

“Christmas Eve night I answered 911 for a hysterical lady who was crying so hard she couldn’t breathe. I asked her what was going on and she told me these exact words “my boyfriend and I… we were watching a movie… I fell asleep. I woke up and he wasn’t here.”

I thought this was a little odd so I said, “okay ma’am, do you know where he may have went?” she wasn’t done. She said, “I found him.. in our closet, he hung himself.. with our bed sheets.” I walked her through cutting him down and starting CPR. when in the middle of it, he starts making this long raspy exhale that sounds exactly like something from a horror movie, it’s the rest of his air leaving his lungs. She starts getting hysterical again begging him, “oh my god, he’s breathing, please breathe baby, please breathe..” But I knew that’s not what he was doing.

Police/fire/ambulance got there and of course, the guy was way dead. I felt so bad for that woman. That’s really the only call that has ever stuck with me.”

– JeCsGirl

7. Halloween Night

“My mom was a 911 dispatcher in the early 90’s (I was 5 years old-ish) in Washington State. When I got older, I remember asking her about some of the calls that she could still recall. One in particular was pretty bad. She was working one year on Halloween night and around 10 or 11pm she had a call come in that a couple guys were driving around town with a dummy or something dragging behind their truck. The dummy was falling apart and pieces of clothing/plastic were being torn off and scattered around the city.

Being Halloween, it seemed like a prank but she had a patrol car try to find and stop the truck. As time goes by more and more people started to call in about it. Eventually the patrol car caught up with the truck and it turns out that it was a person.

The guys had gone to a store earlier and when they left, they had backed their truck into an elderly man whose clothes got caught in the rear bumper or whatnot. The two guys never even knew that they were dragging around another human being all across town, for miles.

The elderly man had passed away and those pieces of clothing scattered around town, was his clothing, flesh, and body parts. Still gives me chills.”

– Turkeyshoes

8. The Man in the Attic

“I worked dispatch for a total of three months, and in that three months I only received one call I would call creepy. It was the voice of a little boy, and I was trying to be calm because it felt like he was having a hard time breathing. I asked him if he was in danger and he said no, not anymore. I asked him why he had called and he said “well, the man in the attic finally killed my mom. I asked him if he could still see his mom and he said “no, the man took her to the moon” I asked him if he was alone in the house, to which he replied “no, I still have the mans dog here” I asked him what the doggies name was in the hopes I could keep the boy calm, the boy replied “his name is shaitan” I asked him to say it again thinking he said “satan” but he clearly replied “its shaitan”. By the end of the call, the police showed up and I still don’t know what ever happened with the boy and his mother.

But years later I was researching the Djinn/jinn and according to ancient texts, evil spirits like djinn are able to manifest themselves as a dog or other animals and guess what the djin were known as? Shaitan.

I still have a hard time sleeping at night when I think about this call.”

– Mr–Night

9. Possessed

“I was a 911 call taker 10 years ago when I received one of the creepiest calls ever. It was freezing that night, which usually equaled a calm, quiet shift due to even the criminals not wanting to go outside. Around 3am my call box popped up green and as usual I asked what was the emergency. A man starting frantically screaming that his still was possessed by a demon and tried to cut his heart while he slept. He had ran when the attack started and locked himself in his bathroom. I ask him a series of questions trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

I ask him a series of questions trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Everytime he tried to answer I heard what sounded like scratching and banging on the bathroom door. He whispered “There is a demon in my sister’s body, it has been battling me for days. It got free from the chains…” I swear what I heard next chilled me to the core. This unearthly voice began taunting my caller through the door. It didn’t sound like a 20-something woman. It was low and guttural, like she had gargled razor blades before speaking. She continued to growl and speak in a strange sounding language until police arrived. She let out a terrifying scream when the officers broke in, then dead end.

The call was over, I was shaking and had to know what happened? Even my supervisor (who had been listening to the call in real time) was pale and speechless when the line abruptly ended. Before my shift ended the commanding officer on my creepy call called in to tell me what they found. He told me he would have nightmares for the rest of his life.

Apparently, when my caller said his sister got out of her chains, he wasn’t joking around. She still had a chain tied to a bloody handcuff when the officers came in. Her whole body was covered in self-inflicted scratches, her one eye had popped a blood vessel and was bright red. Most of what she was wearing was also shredded and her skin looked like she had been drained of her blood. She was taken in for a psych consult and as you probably guessed, stayed there for a long time. The brother was okay except for deep gouges in his chest. His sister literally tried to dig out his heart.

There was some talk about arresting the brother but nothing ever came of it. I still can vividly remember that voice, it still makes my blood run cold.”

– QueenoftheNorth82