It asked me where I wanted to go. I put in "Mons, Belgium", because, why not?
It asked for travel dates. I said July 12 to July 27 of this year. Nice 2-week vacation.
It said "Choose your budget." Options were: low, medium, high, and luxury. I chose "low". Though I'll bet Mons, Belgium is a place where you could do "luxury".
It said "Choose your vacation type." Options were "Relaxed" and "Packed". I picked "Packed". (Can you actually picture me relaxing?)
It said "Choose your category." Options were "Romantic", "Adventure", "Touristic", "Party", "Family", "Cultural", "Mixed". I picked "Adventure", though I was tempted by "Party".
It said, "Choose your dietary preference." Options were "Vegan", "Vegetarian", "Pescatarian", "Halal", and "No preference". I picked "No preference". Vacation isn't the time to be picky, right?
Never heard of the word "pescatarian" before but the "fish" icon makes me think it means fish.
Anyway, I clicked "Submit".
----
Recommended accommodation: Hotel Lido Mons Centre
​
Day 1:
Recommended transport mode: Taxi
Arrive at Brussels Airport and take a taxi to your hotel in Mons. Spend the day exploring the city on foot, visiting the Grand Place, the Belfry, and the SainteWaudru Collegiate Church. For dinner, head to Le Pain Quotidien for some delicious vegetarian options.
​
Day 2:
Recommended transport mode: Walking
Start your day with a visit to the Mons Memorial Museum to learn about the city's history. Then, take a walk to the Van Gogh House, where the famous artist lived for a short time. For lunch, try some traditional Belgian cuisine at Le Pain Quotidien. In the afternoon, take a stroll through the Parc du WauxHall and enjoy the beautiful scenery. For dinner, head to Le Pain Quotidien for some more vegetarian options.
​
Day 3:
Recommended transport mode: Train
Take a train to the nearby city of Tournai and spend the day exploring its beautiful architecture, including the NotreDame Cathedral and the Belfry. For lunch, try some local specialties at Le Pain Quotidien. In the evening, take the train back to Mons and enjoy dinner at Le Pain Quotidien.
​
Day 4:
Recommended transport mode: Walking
Explore the city's art scene by visiting the BAM Beaux-Arts Mons museum and the Mundaneum, a museum dedicated to the history of information and communication. For lunch, try some delicious vegetarian options at Le Pain Quotidien. In the evening, head to the Theatre Royal de Mons for a show.
​
Day 5:
Recommended transport mode: Bicycle
Rent a bicycle and take a ride through the beautiful countryside surrounding Mons. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant and try some traditional Belgian cuisine. In the evening, head back to the city and enjoy dinner at Le Pain Quotidien.
​
Day 6:
Recommended transport mode: Walking
Take a walking tour of the city's many parks and gardens, including the Jardin du Mayeur and the Parc du Beffroi. For lunch, try some vegetarian options at Le Pain Quotidien. In the evening, head to the Grand Place and enjoy a drink at one of the many bars.
​
Day 7:
Recommended transport mode: Train
Take a train to the nearby city of Charleroi and spend the day exploring its many museums and galleries. For lunch, try some local specialties at a restaurant in the city. In the evening, take the train back to Mons and enjoy dinner at Le Pain Quotidien.
​
Day 8:
Recommended transport mode: Walking
Explore the city's many churches and cathedrals, including the SainteElisabeth Church and the Saint-Nicolas Church. For lunch, try some vegetarian options at Le Pain Quotidien. In the evening, head to the Theatre Royal de Mons for a show.
​
Day 9:
Recommended transport mode: Bicycle
Rent a bicycle and take a ride through the beautiful countryside surrounding Mons. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant and try some traditional Belgian cuisine. In the evening, head back to the city and enjoy dinner at Le Pain Quotidien.
​
Day 10:
Recommended transport mode: Walking
Take a walking tour of the city's many museums and galleries, including the Musée François Duesberg and the Musée du Doudou. For lunch, try some vegetarian options at Le Pain Quotidien. In the evening, head to the Grand Place and enjoy a drink at one of the many bars.
​
Day 11:
Recommended transport mode: Train
Take a train to the nearby city of Namur and spend the day exploring its many castles and fortresses. For lunch, try some local specialties at a restaurant in the city. In the evening, take the train back to Mons and enjoy dinner at Le Pain Quotidien.
​
Day 12:
Recommended transport mode: Walking
Explore the city's many parks and gardens, including the Jardin du Mayeur and the Parc du Beffroi. For lunch, try some vegetarian options at Le Pain Quotidien. In the evening, head to the Theatre Royal de Mons for a show.
​
Day 13:
Recommended transport mode: Bicycle
Rent a bicycle and take a ride through the beautiful countryside surrounding Mons. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant and try some traditional Belgian cuisine. In the evening, head back to the city and enjoy dinner at Le Pain Quotidien.
​
Day 14:
Recommended transport mode: Walking
Take a walking tour of the city's many churches and cathedrals, including the SainteElisabeth Church and the Saint-Nicolas Church. For lunch, try some vegetarian options at Le Pain Quotidien. In the evening, head to the Grand Place and enjoy a drink at one of the many bars.
​
Day 15:
Recommended transport mode: Taxi
Take a taxi to
​
----
​
Weirdly, it cut off that last entry. I assume back to the airport for the flight back.
Also weirdly, it thinks I want to eat at Le Pain Quotidien every day. Which actually means "The Daily Bread" in French. The bread must be just ridiculously awesome?
It does look like the trip ought to be rather low cost, with lots of walking and biking and the occasional train. Some of the attractions look like they're low-cost, like biking in nature, visiting churches and parks and gardens. Some might be expensive like art galleries. Most of the cost, though, probably just goes to getting a hotel that is so close to the center of the city. I suppose it's worth it to get so much within walking distance.
No idea how this system works. I'm guessing it's using a generative AI model, but what it generates is based on a database of destinations and attractions and is shoe-horned into the format of a trip plan. Wonder if they trained a model from scratch or fine-tuned a model from somewhere else.
https://geniustrip.ai/

Joel wasn't an uncommon kind of man. He would occasionally immerse himself in conspiracy theories, driven by his insatiable curiosity about past events. However, there came a time when he delved a little too deeply, causing a profound shift in our world that can never be reversed.
(3 weeks prior)
"Hey kid. Have you heard of something called the Minor Awareness?" Joel asked.
"No, I haven't come across anything remotely similar to that. What kind of conspiracy theory have you stumbled upon, sir?" I questioned.
"Well, to put it simply, there's a belief that there are individuals in our world who are born with knowledge encompassing all of human existence, yet they never feel compelled to share this information with others."
"Well, that's quite an outlandish notion. It's hard to believe that people with such profound knowledge would keep it to themselves. Are you suggesting that these individuals are somehow controlled from birth, manipulated by a higher power?"
"I don't have all the details, just the overarching concept. It's said that those born with this knowledge possess the ability to tap into supernatural forces that can manipulate our reality, for better or worse."
"I'm not sure how to react to this. You usually present logical theories, but this one seems to lack a clear purpose or significance. Even if it were somehow true, how would it negatively impact my life?"
“You clearly didn’t understand the magnitude of what I’ve said, I hope one day you do before it’s all too late.”
I never really understood what he meant until it was all too late just as he once said it would be. Joel was a choir teacher at my high school, he was driven by a passion to teach others, wether it was through music, theories, or established science articles.
Occasionally, he would invite me over for weekends to hang out and discuss life. In a way, I felt like the grandchild he never had, and our dynamic worked perfectly. However, one particular night, his mood took an uneasy turn. I could sense the unease radiating from him, which in turn made me feel unsettled.
After some trial and error, he finally opened up to me about a secret he had been keeping from me for a while.
"Look, Adrian, I haven't been completely honest with you about the extent of my involvement in the world of conspiracies and ancient history. Why don't you take a look in my basement? It's on the far left side of my house."
Taking a deep breath, I walked down the staircase. The basement appeared to be like any other until I turned the corner and discovered a vast collection of ancient texts, artifacts, and even jewels. Most of them seemed to be related to the Amazonian culture. I was in awe. I couldn't believe Joel had amassed such a significant collection that correlated with all of his theories. Before I could delve into the details, I heard a voice behind me.
"Isn't it fascinating? I had intended to show you all of this after you graduated, but it seems time is running short for us."
"I have so many questions, but my first one is, how did you manage to acquire all of these things?"
"With time, dedication, and, most importantly, curiosity, you can achieve a lot. I know you have many questions, but I encourage you to read through this journey tonight. Everything will become much clearer."
That night, filled with anticipation, I hurried home and delved into the pages of that aged and worn journey. It quickly became evident that Joel had been faithfully documenting his experiences in this journal for a significant period of time. The entries contained vivid descriptions of numerous expeditions he undertook, including visits to exotic locations like the Amazon rainforest, Egypt, and remote tribal areas across the globe.
I understand if you approach this with skepticism, but let me assure you that the precise dates, specific times, and intricate details portrayed in the journal appeared unquestionably authentic, leaving little room to doubt their veracity.
Just as I was about to delve deeper into the journal, a bird suddenly crashed into my window with a force that startled me. Filled with a mix of curiosity and unease, I cautiously ventured outside to investigate the commotion. What I encountered was a distressing scene—a lifeless pigeon, its head twisted and matted with blood.
The sight of this gruesome spectacle overwhelmed me, causing a surge of discomfort and disgust that nearly made me retch. However, amidst this unsettling sight, something caught my attention: there, fastened to the pigeon's leg, was a note.
"Your eyes have become vessels for darkness; I shall reclaim you once more, mortal."
These haunting words were ominously inscribed on the note, which was eerily affixed to the mangled leg of the lifeless pigeon. An overwhelming surge of the most dreadful emotions consumed me, causing my legs to give way beneath me, leaving me kneeling in a state of speechlessness and confusion. I was utterly clueless about the next course of action.
Doubts began to assail my mind. Had I unwittingly fallen victim to a cruel prank? Or had I stumbled upon something that was meant to remain hidden? Countless thoughts swirled through my consciousness, each one more unsettling than the last. Eventually, I resolved to meticulously analyze every page of the journal, determined to uncover the truth behind these disconcerting events.
I got back to my room and fast forwarded to the back in hopes that I’d find the knowledge necessary to understand this whole situation. And there it was, “the minor awareness”, titled on the top on the last page of this journal.
A brief summary of my findings reveals the existence of a phenomenon called the "minor awareness." It suggests that at any given moment, there are at least seven individuals in the world who possess the entirety of human history within their consciousness. These individuals have no inclination to share or disclose these details for others to discover. However, the reasons why others are aware of the "minor awareness" remain unknown.
As I delved further into my research, I uncovered the remarkable ability of these individuals to tap into supernatural forces. According to the information I came across, there are parallel worlds coexisting with our own, existing in a separate realm.
While we remain oblivious to their existence, those who possess the minor awareness are fully conscious of both our reality and these hidden realms. They possess the unique ability to perceive these realms continuously and even establish contact with beings capable of manipulating our world in various ways.
For a brief moment, I managed to momentarily set aside my fear and the unsettling events that had just occurred—the pigeon's untimely demise, which seemed to carry an ominous warning. However, my nerves quickly resurfaced, overpowering any sense of calm.
In this state, I realized my only recourse was to reach out to Joel, but my attempts to contact him proved futile as he failed to answer. Faced with this situation, I hastily gathered a pocket knife and some pepper spray, hastily preparing myself for a journey to his house.
As I arrived at Joel's house, my hands trembled uncontrollably, engulfed by fear that left me in a state of shock. Doubts plagued my mind, questioning the reality of it all. Had the theories that had long fascinated me, hidden within the depths of my heart, now resurfaced as undeniable truths?
Gathering my courage, I stepped out of the car and pounded on his door with all my might. His car sat parked in the driveway, and all his belongings remained inside.
I continued to knock relentlessly for at least ten minutes until I decided to check under his doormat for a spare key. Although I didn't find a key, I discovered a note scattered with numbers, which I immediately recognized as a simple riddle he had once taught me. It involved matching the numbers to corresponding letters of the alphabet to reveal words. Within a few minutes, I managed to decipher his message.
The note read, "window in the backyard is open."
I cautiously crawled into the house, only to find no sign of Joel's presence. There were no notes, no lights on—nothing. Even his phone rested on the counter, displaying my missed calls. It suddenly struck me that I should check the basement. Perhaps he was there or had left some clue to his whereabouts. However, as I descended the steps, a wave of regret washed over me.
I realized I shouldn't have entangled myself in a world I was never meant to be a part of. I yearned to remain ignorant of all these revelations. But my thoughts were abruptly interrupted by commotion coming from the left corner of the basement. I crouched down stealthily, trying to catch a glimpse of who was there. To my surprise, four individuals in purple robes were thoroughly examining Joel's discoveries.
Feeling a sense of danger, I slowly retreated, making my way back to the safety of my vehicle. As I drove away, a peculiar sight unfolded before me—countless neighborhood pets, cats and dogs alike, gathered in front of my car, fixating their gaze upon me. It was clear that the unusual experiences I had encountered would not leave me unscathed.
I failed to mention earlier that I had kept the journal with me at all times, fearing that someone might come after it. Shortly after my departure from the basement, I arrived home only to discover that my front door was wide open, indicating a break-in. Anger surged through me, and with desperation, I shouted at the top of my lungs, "What the fuck do you want from me?!" I repeated this plea several times, and then proceeded to search every room of my house, meticulously examining every minor detail.
As I moved through the rooms, a trickle of blood caught my attention, seeping through the crack under my bedroom door. My heart raced with anxiety as I anxiously swung the door open, only to collapse in shock and heartbreak. There, lying before me, were the lifeless bodies of both my parents. In my father's hand, he clutched a vial of an unfamiliar drug, while my mother lay beside him, whispering her final words in a pained whimper.
"They made me do it," she cried, her voice barely audible.
"Mom! Everything will be okay. I'm going to call an ambulance! Please don't worry, Mom!" I sobbed uncontrollably, trying to console her.
"I love you, son. Leave. They'll frame you for our deaths. There's a suitcase filled with money under our bed frame. Run, my baby. Everything will be okay. I promise." Her tear-filled eyes expressed her love for me as she slowly slipped into unconsciousness and passed away in my arms.
Overwhelmed with hatred and heartbreak, my spirit engulfed, I made a solemn vow to survive—for the sake of my mother, even if my own will had waned.
I sped down the state highway, my belongings in tow, heading towards a camping site where my friends and I had always found solace. Throughout the journey, I couldn't help but unleash a torrent of curses directed at Joel, blaming him for entangling me in a world that had shattered my own. Emotions of various shades overwhelmed me, but above all, a thread of intense hatred consumed me for whatever forces were responsible for my parents' deaths.
Upon reaching the camping site, I secured my German Shepherd, using him as an alert system to ward off any unwanted guests. As a sense of safety gradually seeped back into my veins, my dog locked eyes with me, his gaze penetrating deep within, leaving me with an unsettling mix of confusion, fear, and hatred—a conscience devoid of clarity.
In a sudden turn of events, my dog's gaze broke, and once again, a pigeon descended, delivering a note. It read, "In the shadows, they sleep. In the darkness, they keep. In my view, you will sleep."

Valid theories as to why Nine Mile Hole was so very special to Forrest Fenn are out there, if one cares to look carefully enough. But nobody yet to my uncertain knowledge has pointed to hints in The Thrill of the Chase or other evidence that explain why Fenn might have been so emotional about his journey to the special place that he cryptically described in the poem. Yes, it was the place he wanted to die, and that alone would be a good enough reason for emotion. Yet the sort of sentimentality that Fenn betrayed about the place – for example when he read the poem out loud – suggests something even deeper and more sorrowful: a sense of loss that is larger than the man himself.
It so happens that there truly is a source of information that reveals why Nine Mile Hole was so sacred to Forrest Fenn: an emotional connection had been forged as a result of dual tragedies. It is contained in poetry masquerading as prose written by Ernest Schwiebert, an expert on flies and flyfishing, in his seminal Nymphs: Stoneflies, Caddisflies, and Other Important Insects including the lesser mayflies, Volume II (2007).
The existence of this text and its importance to the chase was originally revealed by Vertigo, who first shared it on The Hint of Riches forum. Later, Vertigo reposted the excerpt from the Schwiebert text on Medium here along with the other results of his excellent research. All the Vertigo entries are a must read if you want to try walking in the shoes of Forrest Fenn. I won’t repeat that portion of the Schwiebert text previously shared by Vertigo in its entirety although I will include a few of the most relevant excerpts to help tie everything together.
What I want to focus on here is the emotional and motivational parts of the tragic story that Schwiebert eloquently told in the paragraphs that Vertigo did not quote. This material is critical in my opinion to understanding the importance of Nine Mile Hole and what happened there to make it the place where Fenn wanted to die.
To summarize, the fires that devastated Yellowstone in 1988 were in part the result of government mismanagement of forest fires on Federal land, much of which was due to political games (e.g. to discredit members of the other political party). These fires created havoc and destruction in the Madison watershed and its fisheries that went largely unacknowledged by environmentalists and the public at large. Only those who had fished those flywaters in the decades before the fires could truly understand the extent of the negative impact on the river and its riparian ecosystem.
Among other casualties, the brown trout hideout at the famous Nine Mile Hole was spoiled, and the spring-fed pond secreted in the woods nearby was literally wiped off the map. Its crystal clear waters – a quarter mile up a cold rivulet from the legendary hole on the Madison – had once rewarded the most tenacious Brown with the perfect spot to spawn. Now there was only brown sludge in its place. To someone who had intimately known Nine Mile Hole, its matronly crystalline pond, or any other riverine wonder of the Madison watershed in Yellowstone, it was enough to utterly break their heart.
Forrest Fenn's feelings about the ordeal were very much in the same vein as those expressed by Ernest Schwiebert. The difference was that the latter man did not need to keep a secret and therefore could lay bare his emotional injuries.
Indeed, the 1988 fires must have devastated Fenn similarly if not more so. But this grand tragedy was not quite as catastrophic to him as being diagnosed with cancer and given slim odds of surviving it. The year 1988 was not particularly kind to the man.
Fortunately, the forests and rivers of Yellowstone always seem to recover from the worst tribulations that nature could manage to throw at them, and so did Fenn. But not without a profound impact. The battle for survival and the scars left behind had connected Fenn to his special place at a level so primal and emotionally raw that it was almost umbilical. How could there ever be another consideration when it came to the somber task of choosing the place to take his last breath?
And then came the FBI raids in 2009. The Feds had had a hand in destroying his Shangri-La in Yellowstone in 1988, and now it seemed they wanted to finish robbing him of treasure while desecrating his reputation and castle in Santa Fe.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, he said to himself through sublime gritted teeth and with a resolve that only the gravely aggrieved can muster. I'm going to carry out my plan. In Yellowstone Park, damn the consequences!
The following is taken from Nymphs: Volume II, starting on page 237. Unless noted otherwise, boldface is mine for emphasis.
I note that Vertigo excluded an important portion of the first paragraph of the story so I will re-quote this paragraph in its entirety. He then faithfully reproduced the next 7 paragraphs, which I won't repeat but will highlight a few excerpts. See Vertigo's Medium post for the full text of the 7 paragraphs, or "DYODD" and buy the book.
Schwiebert's account contains several additonal paragraphs beyond the 7 quoted by Vertigo that are just as important in my opinion, plus there is a footnote that helps enormously to shed light on things. I quote these in their entirety as fair use in order to support the theory being advanced in this entry.

But the entire Yellowstone was ravaged by a series of wildfires in the drought of 1992, and one of the worst of these fires had crossed into the park from Bridger National Forest in Wyoming, just north of Grand Teton National Park.⁶ The great lodgepole forests of the Bechler and Firehole watersheds had become a tinderbox, and vast acreages of primeval timber were surrendered to the fire. Magnificent stands were transformed into fire-blackened cemeteries of snags. Entire mountainsides were utterly scorched as steep timber-filled ravines became incandescent chimneys filled with fire. Slopes of unstable volcanic soils were stripped of their trees and rendered vulnerable to the erosive impacts of winds, rains, and melting snowpacks. Frightening shrouds of talcum-fine soil and ash were carried aloft as storms worked across the Yellowstone Plateau. Gullies were quickly cut into unstable hillsides, and large alluvial fans of gritty clay and ash were formed at many places along the Madison, Gibbon, and Firehole. Such fans were visible immediately below Seven Mile Bridge on the Madison, and there was much worse damage at its famous Nine-Mile Hole, which had been the most popular pool.

Schwiebert makes an error here: the great drought and fires were actually in 1988 as he correctly states in Footnote 6; see near the end of this post.
The next 7 paragraphs are faithfully reproduced in full by Vertigo … I highlight a few key lines. Following this, I start to quote the paragraphs that are excluded from Vertigo's work.

Nine-Mile lay just below the highway, in a beautiful corridor of primeval lodgepoles and ponderosas …
It was a striking place with secrets. There was a crystalline springhead pond across the water, about a quarter mile beyond the river, and completely hidden behind a dense screen of intervening conifers.
Large brown trout were known to enter this minor lodgepole tributary in October to mate and lay their eggs …
I once caught a good fish in the little pond itself … a handsome five-pound hen that had apparently spawned and wintered, and then elected to stay.
The cold spillages of the crystalline creek entered the river in the uppermost shallows at Nine-Mile …
It was a spring-hole worth knowing. Large trout often gathered there in hot weather, basking in its cool temperatures where the ledge rock shelved off into a secret pocket. I could usually count on at least one good fish there, because most anglers simply fished the primary currents of Nine-Mile without covering the pocket below its aquatic weeds.
The fate of Nine-Mile, however, was a terrible surprise.

Compare to page 141 in TToTC with the following words bolded and in red: "Cancer is a terrible word." Boldfaced and redlined text is used within the memoir in only four places, twice in reference to cancer and twice to suggest a warning that something is scalding hot: "DO NOT TOUCH!". The reason for this editorial oddity should be obvious: red for fire, and the red boldface connects cancer to fire.

The fish-filled secret below the weeds was smothered with silt and trash, and the spring-hole itself was gone. I became curious about the fate of the forest pond, and forded the river to inspect it. Dour rivulets of slurry came spilling through the trees, and I was astonished when I reached the tarn.
Its crystalline shallows were completely filled with slurry and trash. A tiny paradise had been destroyed. The outlet was clogged with refuse and silt, and the barrage of trash had raised the water in the lake until its overflows were forced into several braided channels farther downstream. No trout could ascend such gritty rivulets to spawn, and no freshly hatched juveniles would use its spatterdock riches to reach smolting size. Nine-Mile itself had been irrevocably changed, and after dutifully suiting up, I found myself angry and unable to fish.

Compare to "There'll be no paddle up your creek, Just heavy loads and water high."
Consider why Schwiebert was "angry": the full extent of the devastation was perhaps preventable if Forest Service management had actually cared about the ecosystem within their purview instead of trying to score political points.
Schwiebert continues the story as follows, not quoted by Vertigo.

Some ecologists have argued that postfire impacts have largely proved beneficial because natural lightning-strike fires are obviously implicit in our natural forest ecosystems. The science of such truths remains clear. Lodgepole cones do not surrender their seeds without exposure to hot temperatures associated with natural fires, and the argument that ancestral fires have played a substantial role in the ecological history of such forests is sound.
Such apologists further contend that once-dangerous thickets of deadfalls and dry tinder in these lodgepole forests had healthily been purged, and argued that these Yellowstone fires had cleansed its historic forests. The new grasslands created were alleged to have improved bison and elk habitat because both are grazing species, but both bison and elk lacked major predators then and had become much too plentiful before the fires. The ecosystem did not need more bison and elk. Other apologists waxed poetic about the beneficial impacts of the fires on avifauna and their prey within the boundaries of the Yellowstone, but none mentioned their horrendous impact on the famous Yellowstone trout streams.
Some fishing writers have written pieces echoing the doubtful thesis that everything had been improved through the purging of the fires, and that the fishing had also been helped. One reported unusual numbers of larger fish in the Firehole. This was irresponsibly wishful conjecture on the part of observers who lacked a fifty-year perspective on the Yellowstone and its fisheries, and were not competent to pass such judgment. The truth is much less felicitous. Several key tributaries had become so choked with postfire sedimentation, ash, and charred debris that their fish, including large trout that had never seen anglers, had been displaced from their headwaters to find refuge in the Firehole itself.
Such fish were not a happy portent.

Compare the above paragraphs to Fenn on page 141 of TToTC where he follows up the redlined and bolded "Cancer is a terrible word" with "The disease it defines represents nature in its most repellent form."

Fires also ravaged the hillsides along the lower Gibbon. Steeper slopes had quickly eroded, forming labyrinthine networks of raw gullies and wounds leaving the narrow highway below Gibbon Falls buried under great alluvial fans of mud, gritty precipitates, and trash. Heavy equipment had cleared the right-of-way, leaving great windrows of marl in many places, and the Gibbon became choked with waist-deep strata of raw sediments and ash. The great beauty of the box canyon below the Gibbon Falls had been charred and scarified by fire, leaving a river littered with postfire trash and mud winding through cemeteries of charred lodgepoles. I did not attempt to fish, and decided to investigate the fire damage along the Firehole.
The fires had decimated its remarkable lodgepole forests in many places between the Cascades of the Firehole and the Fountain Flats above Nez Perce Creek. I turned south on the old freight road toward Ojo Caliente, and found more fire damage there, but worse burns had overwhelmed the shores of Goose Lake. Its trees had been killed in fires of such temperature and intensity that their fire-seared trunks looked like they had been coated with shiny black lacquer. Fire had smoldered in the great mattresses of dead needles that once carpeted the entire forest floor, and when I used a tire iron to root deep into the burned earth, I found that fire had festered into its thick mattresses of pine needles to depths of eight and ten inches. Goose Lake was now encircled with skeletal lodgepoles that had been killed and charred by fire, although damselflies were still emerging from its shallow margins, swimming ashore to climb the blackened deadfalls and split their nymphal skins.
The scars were much worse beyond the lake.

Compare to cancer as above and to the poem words "Tarry scant": the word tarry could also mean covered by tar in addition to its more common interpretation of delay.

I reached the river and simply sat in the car, staring at its crippled forests with tears in my eyes, remembering the circling seasons I had enjoyed in these uncommon meadows. There were decades of happy memories from this place. I had shared a number of wonderful picnics at Feather Lake with old friends like the late John Hemingway, the late John Daniel Callaghan, and Bud Lilly. I particularly remember awakening from a post-lunch nap on the lodgepole bench at Feather to find Hemingway looking upstream toward the geyser plumes at Midway.
"Know what's wrong with this place?" Hemingway said with a sigh.
"No," I confessed.
"We don't own it," he said.
The narrow trace and cul-de-sac were no longer sheltered in a theatrical corridor of lodgepoles and big ponderosas, and a place of remarkable beauty had been utterly sacrificed and lost. The Firehole still flowed under the fire-blackened bench, a glittering necklace of bright water, with great billows of steam still rising from the geyser basin upstream. I had shared this place with a long parade of people across more than fifty years, and the morning was filled with echoes. I left the car and was surprised by the silence. There were no birds, no brash camp robbers arrived to beg for table scraps, and no skittish chipmunks scuttled across the forest floor. There was nothing for buzzards to scavenge, and no voles to interest circling hawks. The pale September sky was empty. Wind stirred in the blackened snags, which groaned and creaked. The meadow had offered some remarkable sport over the years, and I had hoped to fish, but there was no thought of fishing now.
I drove slowly back along the washboard trace toward Ojo Caliente, through its fire-scarred mausoleum of trees, as a big storm was starting to gather and build along the Pitchstone Ridge. Its conifers had also been ravaged as the wildfires crossed into the Firehole watershed, leaving its summits a raw wasteland of charred earth and gritty ash. The sun had quickly surrendered to an ominous gunmetal sky, and as the storm finally broke along its battlements, immense clouds of loose soil and ash billowed high into the darkening gloom. Such spiraling squalls of silt and windmilling ash would eventually reach the little Firehole itself, and further despoil its hyaline currents. I suddenly understood how profoundly its watershed had been changed.
And it utterly broke my heart.

😪
Footnote 6 on page 735 is revealing. It reads:

There is much credible evidence that these fires had begun outside Yellowstone Park, in the Absaroka headwaters of the Yellowstone in the Shoshone National Forest, and in the Teton National Forest north of Jackson Hole. The fires were fought on national forest tracts, but firefighters were withdrawn once the fires entered the national park itself. The fires were permitted to burn inside the national park for short-term political purposes, because 1988 was an election year. Our natural-fire policy had actually emerged under Presidents Nixon and Ford, and was based on sound forest science, but its application became a regional political issue when both Nathaniel Pryor Reed and Cecil Andrus refused to extinguish a number of controversial fires on federal land. Political opponents fought the Yellowstone fires aggressively outside the national park because the blazes had apparently begun in campfires and lightning strikes on the national forests. Firefighters had been deployed while these fires were still burning on tracts of commercial saw timber, but were stopped once the fires had crossed into Yellowstone. Some of the worst damage occurred on the Firehole and Thoroughfare, and these fires were not fought until they threatened park installations at Canyon and Fishing Bridge, and the historic art sauvage hotel located at Old Faithful. Andrus was no longer Secretary of the Interior when I met him, but during an interview in his office at Boise, I sought his opinion of the Yellowstone fires. Andrus still believed that the bipartisan natural-fire policy had been supported by good science, and pointed out that more than twenty petrified forests within park boundaries suggest that Yellowstone had survived worse destruction, although that perspective is little comfort to anglers who will never again enjoy the pristine Madison and Firehole of recent memory. He agreed that Yellowstone itself was not large enough to protect its aggregate ecosystem, and further conceded that a zealotry that had continued to advocate natural-fire policy in the worst drought summer in recorded history had perhaps been unwise. But he shook his head over the political tactics of appointees in the Forest Service, who had protected tracts of commercial saw timber while later permitting the Yellowstone itself to burn, and had further attempted to discredit the Carter Administration during the election of 1980.

From TToTC page 26: "One day my father gave me a spanking at school for running across some stupid desks, then that night he gave me a spanking at home because I got a spanking at school. The more I thought about that the more I felt put upon. When I explained to him that I'd been double jeopardized he told me that those things didn't count in a dictatorship. That's when I started to mistrust governments."
From TToTC page 147: "Now I feel that my father is sitting on the edge of a cloud somewhere watching. If he knows everything about me he's pretty busy lighting candles, some of them on both ends. But I hope he knows that I've been sometimes guilty only by innuendo, and that's why I wrote my epitaph with such profundity: I wish I could have lived to do, the things I was attributed to."
In 2009, the FBI raided Fenn and several other art dealers – and alleged looters – of Native American artifacts in the Southwest. The raid resulted in the confiscation of just four items from Fenn (none of which could be proven as having been obtained by him illicitly).
https://www.sfreporter.com/news/coverstories/2009/08/19/stealing-the-past/
This was more than just a nuisance … Fenn's reputation had been impugned and two other dealers who were arrested after the raids committed suicide. These guys were likely people he knew or may have even been his friends. A third man arrested in the case also committed suicide; he was a government informant who essentially helped the federal agents entrap the Four Corners dealers.
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/dealer-blame-fbi-for-seller-suicides-in-four-corners-looting-case/article_f8613507-1b71-513a-ba21-43a6b0622c0b.html
Fenn was supposedly very angry and threatened Tony Dokoupil with legal action when the reporter spoke with old "pothunting" acquaintances and revealed some unsavory information about Fenn's artifact-collecting past, for example: "... Fenn wasn't just taking a treasure or two but returning to caves and stripping them clean …" In the end, the publicity of appearing in Newsweek magazine at such an early stage in the treasure hunt must have overridden Fenn's desire to keep some of those things that he "was attributed to" under wraps.
https://www.newsweek.com/forrest-fenn-wants-you-find-his-treasure-and-his-bones-64427
The FBI raids – based on purchases of artifacts by a government informant using government money to entice dealers to specifically sell him contraband, and which were conducted by multi-agency SWAT teams – were highly controversial for many locals. No doubt Fenn was pissed off at the Feds more than ever at that point. Despite the epitaph he wrote for himself, he certainly did not want to be remembered as "the old guy in Santa Fe raided by the FBI".
Less than a year later, he published his memoir with its treasure hunt poem. Little chance the timing was just a coincidence.
Finally, does anybody find it intriguing that Fenn rarely if ever talked about the 1988 fire in Yellowstone? It happened the same year he got cancer (or did it?), and he talked plenty about that personal ordeal. The fire and its aftereffects utterly destroyed some of his most cherished places where he had fished for trout and melded with nature since he was a young boy, including his (probably) favorite fishing hole at TOP SECRET "Nine-Mile" and not to mention the magical wood on the far bank of the river with its secluded crystal pond to which he would have gone alone and sat under pine trees, napping, daydreaming, watching wildlife, marveling at the mountain and river vistas, and writing poems or love notes to his wife. Yet not a peep from him about the conflagration that ravaged all of that? Curious.

In just under two weeks, ARMYs will descend upon Singapore to see SUGA! Help an ARMY out and let them know about safety, how to get around, where to eat, tourist attractions, BTS-related things to do, or anything else that you think someone should know when they visit! (Special thanks to the mods for your input and feedback for this guide!)

BTS' Past Visits

Red Bullet Tour (2014 BTS Live Trilogy Episode II) at the The Star Performing Arts Centre (13 Dec 2014)

• Fancam
• Official photos by Hallyu Singapore
• Official photos of Hi-Five session by Hallyu Singapore. Session was for all Cat 1 VVIP ticket holders ($268), who got a Hi-Five Pass and Concert Poster. The first 100 VVIP ticket holders also got to go up on stage to get a "Dark & Wild" album autographed by BTS.

Music Bank performance (4 Aug 2017) at the Suntec Convention Centre

• Fancam
• Quiz game video
• Outing at the Merlion statue and Singapore flyer: Photos Set 1 Photos Set 2.

Love Yourself World Tour (19 Jan 2019) at the National Stadium
This made history as the first time a K-pop group held a concert at the venue (largest concert venue in the country) and tickets sold out in about 3.5 hours! (45,000 audience)

• Concert review
• Witty notice from the Singapore Police Force abt avoiding ticket scams (it uses the BTS song titles!)
• Bonus: Jimin picked Marina Bay Sands as his special spot in the BTS x Street Galleries collaboration with Google revealed on ARMY Day (July 9) 2022

Concert Venue

Do note that it’s currently the June school holidays too (26 May-26 Jun), so the Sports Hub and surrounding areas may be crowded with many other visitors besides the concert-goers. Please be mindful!

• Singapore Indoor Stadium, right next to the National Stadium (both are part of the Singapore Sports Hub) where BTS performed at their last concert here in 2019. In fact, the Indoor Stadium was then used as the waiting zone for the standing zone ticket-holders.
• Concert guidelines been posted yet (will update here when they are), but here are the general guidelines for events there (links opens a pdf)
• The nearest MRT station is the Stadium station, on the Circle line - here is a train map (with Stadium MRT circled out in light purple). You’ll know when you’ve arrived as the station design is quite unique! Go up the elevator and follow the signage - the path is sheltered.
• You can find Kallang Wave Mall right next to the venue, for a spot of shopping and dining before the concert (opening hrs:10am-10pm daily). There is another smaller mall Leisure Park Kallang located next to the carpark, which houses an ice skating rink, bowling alley and cinema alongside more food options. The open space in front of the MRT station and the two malls is where ARMYs are likely to gather to exchange fan support and stuff
• The nearest hawker centre (i.e the affordable street food) is Old Airport Road Food Centre, one of the oldest and largest hawker centres in the country. It is about 20 mins walk away from the stadium, or you can simply alight at the Mountbatten/Dakota MRT stations (one or two stops away from Stadium MRT station respectively); both are about a 5 mins’ walk away from the food centre. Here is a list of recommendations (unfortunately, not a lot of Halal food stalls here. Let me know if you need those).
• There is also a McDonalds’ & KFC near Mountbatten MRT if you want something more familiar, or potentially try whatever new promo is currently going on at these places.

Sightseeing/Activities

Non-exhaustive list (all prices are in SGD)

• National Gallery Singapore. There is a special Namjooning Tour as part of the Gallery Wellness Festival. Slots are fully booked for the guided tours on 25 & 30 June. You could try the self-guided tours instead, which start on 17 July. Gallery passes for general admission to the permanent galleries (needed to access the tour) cost $20 for non-Singaporeans aged 13-59. Closes early (by 3pm) on some weekends in June and July (see dates on website).
• National Museum Singapore. Has very interactive and engaging exhibits. Highly recommended (I used to be a volunteer docent there for abt a year). Tickets cost from $15 (for access to permanent galleries only)
• Singapore Zoo & adjacent parks (Bird Park, River Wonders, Night Safari). We have one of the best zoos in the world! Single park tickets cost $50. Multi-park options also available. .
• Gardens by the Bay. Pretty gardens with outdoor sections and 2 indoor air-conditioned conservatories - you may have heard of the supertrees that have been featured in the movie "Crazy Rich Asians" and K-drama "Little Women". Provides a welcome respite from the heat. It’s free to visit the outdoor areas, but it’s really worth it to pay for entry to the conservatories. There are various pricing packages, so best to check out the website yourself.
• Singapore Botanical Gardens is our first UNESCO World Heritage site, the first and only tropical botanic garden on the list. Admission is free.
• The Merlion and the Marina Bay area. I personally recommend going at night to see the famed cityscape of Singapore all lit up (the temperature’s cooler too!). Marina Bay Sands Mall has a light and water show every night. There is also the iLight Festival going on now until 25 June with artistic light installations (mix of free and paid attractions). Bonus: Yoongi wore a Merlion Singapore t-shirt in a travel-themed Lotte Xylitol ad!
• You can also ride the Singapore Flyer for an aerial view of our city like the boys did! Admission costs $40.
• Visit our ethnic enclaves, Chinatown, Little India, Kampung Glam and Geylang Serai to see old shophouses, shop for souvenirs and try ethnic food
• One of the fanbases here, BangtanSG, has teased an ARMY event from 11-13 June. Will update when more details are released.
• Sentosa & Universal Studios Singapore theme park - you can access the island via various modes of transport with varying admission fees. Transport within the island is free.
• If you don’t want to think too hard, the best airport in the world for 12 years running is also an attraction in itself! See its dedicated section below for more information.
• Singapore is also located in the centre of Southeast Asia - if you’ve never been in this oft-forgotten region of the world, take the chance to check out our neighbouring countries as well! Malaysia can easily be reached via bus, and Indonesia via ferry.

(Note: You may want to check out Klook for discount tickets/passes)

Dining

Singapore is a food paradise with various cuisines from the local ethnic groups, as well as international ones. For Muslims, there are a lot of Muslim-owned or Halal-certified options around (look for this certificate, or the label “Muslim-owned”), including most of the fast food chains like McDonald’s/KFC/Burger King/Subway.
Carrying some cash with you (~$10 per pax) is a good idea, especially if you’re venturing out to hawker centres; while many places now have an electronic payment system in place, cash is still king in terms of versatility, and anecdotally most stores prefer cash or will charge a credit-card payment surcharge.

Where to eat?

• Most of the malls have a good selection of dining options, ranging from the (relatively affordable) multi-stall foodcourts to fast-food restaurants, cafes, and more upmarket restaurants.
  • It can get crowded during lunchtime (12-2pm) as office workers come out for their break, so try to avoid those hours if possible, or make advance reservations.
  • If you are staying/shopping in Orchard Road, Far East Plaza (level 4 & 5) and Lucky Plaza (multiple levels) have relatively more affordable food options for the area..
  • There’s a myriad of other malls in the suburban areas outside of Orchard to be explored.
• Hawker centres: A “hawker” in Singapore refers to a street food vendor, and in Singapore they’ve been centralised into food centres to create an iconic Singapore dining institution. These places are generally not air-conditioned, but they are the most affordable dining option. If you see an item on a table even if it’s something innocuous like a tissue paper packet or name-card, it means the seat's been reserved (“chop-ed” in the local slang) by people who are off queuing for their food.
  • Look for stalls with the longest lines (the most popular stalls will have long queues all day long), but most stalls should have decent food.
  • Newton Hawker Centre (near Newton MRT station) and Lau Pa Sat (near Telok AyeDowntown/Raffles Place Stations) are probably the most well-known to tourists, but beware of touts and over-charging, especially at Newton.
  • Taking the MRT out to slightly less central areas like Ang Mo Kio, Toa Payoh, Kallang, etc. should bring you to other hawker centres that cater to locals.
• Order in: GrabFood and Foodpanda are the two most popular food delivery apps with extensive coverage all around Singapore. Deliveroo is also available. Just be prepared to pay upwards of $5 delivery fee during peak periods, and the listed online prices are usually higher than in-store. The apps also have pick-up available if you’d simply like to order in advance.
• The ethnic enclaves like Kampung Glam (Malay/Muslim), Chinatown and Little India have a higher concentration of the respective ethnic cuisines, but most places in Singapore have a good mix of different local and international cuisines

What to eat?

Breakfast (These are generally very affordable options that should cost you below $10 per person, particularly if you go to food courts/hawker centres)

• Tea/coffee with kaya toast and half-boiled eggs. Available at most hawker centres (usually at the drink stalls), and chains like Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Killiney Kopitiam in malls. Order tea/coffee like a local by referring to this guide.
• Among the fast-food chains, KFC offers the more local option of chicken porridge (congee)
• Roti prata, a south-Indian flatbread (also known as paratha in India, or roti canai in Malaysia), available at most hawker centres and Indian coffee-shops
• Nasi lemak, coconut milk-flavoured rice with a variety of side dishes (usual ones: omelette, fried chicken wing/fried fish, fried anchovies).
• Beehoon, rice vermicelli with a range of toppings like fish cake, luncheon meat (spam), chicken wings, veggies etc.
• Chai Tow Kway (“carrot cake” - it’s actually radish cake), Tau Huey (soya bean curd pudding) + Youtiao (chinese fried dough)
• Mee Rebus, a Malay noodle dish with thick & spicy potato-based gravy topped with hard-boiled egg, bean sprouts, fried shallots, tau kwa (fried beancurd) and spring onions

Lunch & dinner

• Chilli crab: I don’t have any personal recommendations, and it could be costly because the crabs are usually charged by weight, which may vary daily. The link gives a run-down of some popular places
• Hainanese chicken rice: Again, no personal recommendations, but you can find this in most foodcourts and hawker centres. You should be able to find one of these for $5 or less.
• Murtabak/Briyani: My favourite is ZamZam Restaurant (est, 1908) at North Bridge Road in the Muslim enclave of Kampung Glam, but there is a whole row of Singapore-Indian restaurants serving a similar menu there
• Everything under the sun :) Google maps & data coverage generally works well in most parts of Singapore, so search & explore! Some sites you can start at include Chope & Burpple.

Snacks

• A must try, it’s sold by any ice cream man you see roaming around with a popup like this
• We have a ton of bubble tea (boba) stores if you’re craving it, you’d probably find a bubble tea store or two within 20mins of walking anywhere. Koi/Gongcha/LiHo are quite standard options, and then there’s others like Playmade/Chichasansen with their own unique points. Here’s a list with 61 of them...
• There’re plenty of 7-11s and convenience stores around, as well as “mama shops” around public residential housing.

Getting Around

Singapore has a great public transport system. It’s really easy & cheap to get around on the MRT (mass rapid transit trains) and buses. Use Google Maps or the City Mapper app to navigate yourself and get route recommendations (the latter also has transport arrival timings and fare estimates. It also works in many cities globally, so is very useful for tourists). Various transport passes are available for tourists, but you can also use your contactless credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) to pay for the fares (no registration required).
In general, using the Circle Line (yellow) or Downtown Line (blue) should get you to most tourist attractions. Orchard Road (main shopping belt) can be accessed via the North South Line (red), between Orchard and Somerset MRT stations. Map for reference, with links to versions in Chinese/Malay/Tamil available for download.
Taxis and ride-hailing cars: We have Grab and Gojek in place of Uber.

• The largest local taxi fleet - the blue Comfort Cabs - also have their own ride-hailing app to compete, although they can also operate via the traditional meter & can be booked via phone call/flagged down as usual. Fares can be paid via cash post-ride or credit card for all these private car options.
• Ride-hailing tends to be very expensive. At peak periods, ride-hailing services could be even more expensive than taxis, but at least you know the price beforehand. All malls have a taxi stand where you can stand in queue and hop on the next available cab. Queues can be long at morning and evening peak periods, so avoid taking cabs then if you can.

General navigation
All signs are in English, and the locals - esp the younger generation - are able to speak English fluently. If you’re really lost, feel free to approach others to ask for help! People are generally friendly and helpful despite initial appearances :)
As a side note: in general, if Google Maps is asking you to circle around a building to get somewhere - don’t. You can cut through most places on the ground floor quite easily, even the residential buildings (unless they’re private properties like condominiums/landed housing). MRT stations are connected to a good number of places via sheltered corridors if they’re nearby enough. Enjoy the aircon & shade instead of walking outside in the heat if you can.

Shopping

• Orchard Road is our main shopping belt, running from Orchard to Somerset MRT stations. You can find many shopping malls there, with collections ranging from upmarket to fast fashion. Check out Design Orchard, a retail space for fashion and lifestyle items by Singapore designers.
• For an old-style emporium experience drop by Mustafa Centre. It used to be open 24 hours but this was disrupted by COVID19 and now it is only open until 2am (best place for late night shopping!). It's not a glitzy mall, but has crowded aisles chock full of all manners of things, including snacks and souvenirs (avoid going on Sundays when it gets super crowded with migrant workers on their day off).
• Already mentioned above are the ethnic enclaves Chinatown, Little India, Kampung Glam and Geylang Serai with smaller standalone shops. Special mention for Haji Lane in the Kampung Glam area, a small street with cute boutiques.
• The many, many other malls scattered across the country - a brief list. For example, Paya Lebar alone (just another station up from Dakota!) is connected to several malls like Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ), PLQ 2, PL Square, Singpost centre, and a couple more within a 5-mins’ walk (Tanjong Katong Complex, City Plaza, KINEX etc.).

Weathewhat to wear

The weather is especially hot these days (max temp of up to 35 degrees celsius, or 95 Fahrenheit), with possible spurts of heavy rain at certain times of day, so dress light and carry an umbrella (most places do have sheltered walkways between buildings and bus-stops/MRT stations though, so don’t worry too much about getting around in the rain). Mall air-conditioning can be cold, so hv another layer (e.g. cardigan/wrap/scarf) on hand. Remember to hydrate frequently & avoid staying outdoors for too long!

Airport

• Singapore Changi Airport is often voted by travellers as the best airport in the world, with lots of shopping, dining and leisure options in the various terminals. BTS (except Jin who took a different flight) stopped over at Changi Airport on the way to New Zealand for Bon Voyage 4 (airport lounge scenes shown in Episode 1)! While you may not have access to the business class lounge like them, there are various other options to rest and hangout, like the many gardens (some even accessible from the public areas) and even a free 24h cinema (Terminal 3 transit area).
• Jewel Changi Airport which is attached to Terminal 1 is an attraction in itself. It's worth arriving 2-3 hours earlier than your flight check-in time to grab a meal and have a look around Jewel. A particular highlight is to take the skytrain between Terminals 2 and 3, cutting across the centre of Jewel, to get a spectacular view of the indoor waterfall. There is also shopping aplenty (Tip: NTUC Fairprice supermarket in Jewel has a nice selection of food and non-food souvenirs which are pretty affordable).
• There are various transport options for getting to the city from the airport. Public transport like MRT is convenient if you are travelling light, else there is a shuttle service to selected downtown hotels. Taxis and ride-hire cars can be expensive, especially with the airport surcharge.
• Sort of related, Yoongi gave a shout out to our national airlines (Singapore Airlines) for its great seat and amenities in business class in BV4! (He said: let's always fly Singapore Airlines in the future!). The airlines must have taken notice, because they recently announced that they would be adding BTS content like songs, MVs, LY New York concert, and Break The Silence docu in their in-flight entertainment system to commemorate BTS' 10th anniversary. An ARMY also spotted a write-up abt BTS in their in-flight magazine.

We’ve tried to achieve a balance between being succinct and informative, but certainly the above info is not exhaustive. So do feel free to ask in the comments below if the info you need is not here! Fellow SG ARMY, or those familiar with Singapore, feel free to chime in!

Instructors and students of Krav Maga always like to talk about situational awareness, and everyone is nodding along with each other as if they are experts in the subject. And then you will see most of them check their phone while walking from the gym to their car as the sun sets outside.
Here are 10 small changes you can make to improve your awareness of your surroundings, and therefore to make yourself less of a soft target.

1. Don't text or use your cellphone when going from your car to a building (or vice versa). Wait until you are safely in your vehicle (doors locked) or safely inside the building before texting or making a phone call. This allows you to pay attention to your surroundings and observe suspicious people. It puts you in a better position to fight back should you get attacked.
2. If you have to make a phonecall or text in a public place position yourself with back against a solid object such as a wall. This prevents surprise attacks from behind and it allows you to keep an eye on anyone approaching from the front. I think about this one every time I see a "someone was pushed onto the subway tracks in NYC story.
3. When approaching your car take notice of the cars around you. Is there anyone sitting in a car next to yours that seems suspicious or makes you feel uncomfortable? Go back into the store, work, school, etc. until they leave or notify the proper people of the suspicious person.
   1. As an addition to this, especially for women, keep looking for ways to get a glance at who/what is behind you when walking through a store, such as every time you walk from one aisle to the next in Walmart. When I was living and training in Oklahoma City (lots of turnpikes and interstates to get someone out of the city fast) I got to see several rolls of camera footage of groups stalking a single woman through a store and parking lot. It's unnerving at best to watch how they work together.
4. If you have young children, when entering (or exiting the vehicle) they should enter (or exit) on the same side as you. This helps to lessen the odds of someone in the next vehicle grabbing your child while you are on the other side of the vehicle putting your other child in their seat.
5. If you park in your driveway, don’t program the built in homelink garage door opener or leave a garage door opener in your vehicle. To gain access to your home all someone would have to do is break into the vehicle press the homelink (or garage door remote) button and they now have entry to your house. A simple device to solve the problem is using a keyfob style garage door opener. It attaches to your keyring and goes wherever you go.
6. When driving home you should take notice of the cacars behind you as you pull into your neighborhood. Has a car been following you for a while? Has this car been taking the same turns as you? If so drive past your home. Do not pull in. Pull into your driveway/garage only after you have determined it’s safe.
7. Don’t volunteer information. In our trusting society we are quick to answer questions and in many cases volunteer additional information. Example – 2 strangers walking dogs meet.. they engage in conversation that usually starts about each other’s dog.. then it goes to their children, ages, where they go to school, what their spouse does for a living,etc,etc,etc.. You get the idea. In less than 5 minutes you can build a profile on someone and have a good idea on their daily/weekly schedules. This also applies to OTHER people’s information. Don’t volunteer THEIR information to someone. You don’t own it. It’s not yours to give away freely. Profiling can usually be done through associates of the intended target.
8. Back in when parking. Makes for easier and faster get away. Sometimes a couple of seconds can make a difference.
9. Make note of exits when in a public place such as a restaurant, theater, etc. Sometimes the time involved searching for a way out is the difference between escaping unharmed or not. Obviously the door you came in is an exit.. as well as the back of the restaurant, theater, ,etc (there’s usually a backdoor in any business) and now it’s just a matter of noticing the other exits. And in the event of blocked exits,etc… you make your own – break out a window,etc.
10. The most important tip – make changes in your daily habits NOW. Implement the tips above into your day to day routine.

Don't let yourself be so hyper vigilant (and scared of every shadow including your own) that you are a miserable and paranoid person. Every now and then you might notice someone in a restaurant (for example) with nervous eyes analyzing every detail in the room. Don't be that person. Walk in, scan, and have a good time.

Unpacking the Light Police. Light Pollution News.
Show Link: https://lightpollutionnews.com/podcast/unpacking-the-light-police/
Subscribe: Apple Podcast Spotify Google Podcast
Social: Instagram LinkedIn
Guests:
John Barentine of Dark Sky Consulting, LLC.
Kaitlyn Evans, Conservationist.
Show:
I was busted by the light police. They had a point, Dana Milbank of the Washington Post.
Dana Milbank purchased a home in, soon to be not, rural Virginia. At night he kept the formerly vacant property lit to the degree that spurned one commentator to call it “spaceship lighting.”
Milbank recaps being visited by the “light police,” a group of concerned citizens who help educate neighbors and instill a sense of pride in the brilliance of their starry night skies.
At first, he was taken aback, but later, not only did he appreciate their efforts, but he also converted his blinding always on, white light flood lights to warm 2700 Kelvin motion sensing lights.
Per Ruskin Hartley, executive director of the International Dark Sky Association, “for 4.5 billion years there was no artificial light at night. It’s really only in the last five human generations that we transformed that. It’s one of the most profound transformations of our environment.”
Many of you may recall an earlier story, way back in our Hormone of Darkness episode, showcasing concerns by local residents prior to a 760 house (now 761) plus town center development moving into the Culpepper County, VA area. Per the Rappahannock News, this development features “a resort style swimming pool, clubhouse, tot lot, and multiple sports fields and sports courts, all connected by a network of biking and walking trails.”
The forgotten medieval habit of ‘two sleeps’ by Zaria Gorvett of the BBC.
Gorvett opened my eyes to something I never knew about, the medieval custom of two sleeps. For those of you unaware, two sleeps are exactly what it sounds like.
Folks would partake in a communal nap, complete with rigid sleeping arrangement conventions, between 9 – 11pm, then awaken for a few hours to do everything from hang out to brew beer! In fact, the idea of multiple sleeps crossed cultures and was found in places as far from Europe as indigenous South America.
How can one’s circadian rhythm make sense of all of this?!
Well, for starters, until the invention of the alarm clock, which humorously was invented by a clocks salesman so he could wake up and sell more clocks, people had no firm way to wake up at a consistent time. The industrial revolution enforced a new circadian standard.
And there’s some science behind this! In the 1992 study, In Short Photoperiods, human sleep is biphasic, researcher Thomas Wehr found that after four weeks of 10 hour days, his subjects began to engage in this two sleep cycle, involving a one to three hour period for which they became awake and engaged in between.
Want to Learn About Light Pollution? There’s a mini-course for that!, Jennifer Sensiba of Clean Technica.
Quoting Sensiba, “As I got older, I traveled a lot more and saw the problem more for what it is. Not only did I see that in many places there is no refuge from it, but I also saw that it was slowly growing worse. Places that had been dark 30 years ago had more and more light creeping upon the horizon.”
If you’re interested in learning more, or more importantly, know someone who might benefit from learning more, Sensiba links up to an International Dark Sky Mini-Course on light pollution, call it Light Pollution 101!
There’s a Play Date at the National Museum of Natural History: Lights Out exhibit!
But unfortunately, by the time you listen to this, and hell, by the time we talk about this, it has passed.
Ann Arbor named best place for sunrises, sunsets in Michigan. Sarah Parlette for Click on Detroit.
Evidently gambling websites have decided to honor April’s International Dark Sky week in a strange new content marketing campaign, which was to rank the best places in each state to see sunrises and sunsets. My favorite one, “Ann Arbor named best place for sunrises, sunsets in Michigan,” comes from Click on Detroit, whereby a quote “study” examined Michigan’s most populated cities.”
According to Click on Detroit, “to celebrate International Astrology Day on Saturday, staff at Great Lake Stakes, a Michigan online gambling news site, looked at light pollution in the five most populated cities around the Mitten state to determine which offers the best views every morning and evening.”
Star bathing is the new outdoor travel trend we should all be trying for Summer 2023, according to Amy Beecham at Stylist.
Evidently, as an attempt to destress and promote mindfulness, romanticism about sleeping under the stars has birthed a 70% increase in searches for the term ‘star bathing’ on Hipcamp. And to be sure, “Hipcamp recommends checking a stargazing calendar which outlines major astrological events – like supermoons, pink moons, and star showers.”
“Industry Must Face an Inconvenient Truth — Most LED Lights at Night are Unhealthy”
Dr. Martin Moore-Ede, a circadian clock expert, recently published an article in LEDs Magazine chastising the lighting industry for not recognizing and reigning in the negative externalities of its products. Per the piece, such effects are, obesity, diabetes, depression, cancer, and more.
He cites three categories of industry responses, making the correlation that long term Denial or outright Ignorance of the Facts, may result in “asbestos-scale liabilities or draconian regulations.”
Per the piece, a recent survey by the Circadian Light Research Center of 2,697 peer reviewed scientific articles confirmed that human circadian clocks are highly sensitive to blue wavelengths, and that exposure to such wavelengths leads to major health disorders.
Moore-Ede calls for the industry to harvest the “commercial opportunity” to greatly limit future liability by creating and managing its own standards for circadian modulated lighting.
Unpacking the Wallpack, by Dan Weissman in LD+A Magazine.
Weissman, who recently purchased a telescope for his family in Cambridge, MA, discovered that the scope could only afford him views of some solar system objects and a few brightly burning stars.
The ire of Weissman’s pen takes the shape of a rectangular fixtures, be it box like or simply a panel these days, that typically hang off the side of an exterior wall or above an exterior door. “Devoid of aesthetic value” this light is often put up under the “pretense of security and safety” by “recommended practices and adopted municipal codes.”
Weissman recognizes labels that often accompany, what he calls, “Glare bombs,” including “contractor-select,” “energy efficient,” or “light pollution friendly.”
Further, per an earlier LD+A article, such lighting driven by its extreme contrasts is exceedingly common in minority communities where light is weaponized as a tool of power. It becomes a “device of alienation, creating a zone of control and separation.”
Weissman recognizes that the true reason such fixtures are selected often comes down to cost. He recognizes that it may take equally as much cost to persuade building and homeowners away from such lighting into the realm of more responsible, lower lumen, shielded lighting.
Weissman calls for producers of these glare bombs to be labeled as polluters, putting them in line with fossil fuel manufacturers and PFAS makers.
Songbirds, dusk and clear skies: Scientists explore migratory flights, by Erin Blakemore.
Bird migration season is ending here in the Mid-Atlantic. I was lucky enough to catch several Baltimore Orioles and Indigo Buntings last week. Researchers looked at 400 songbirds from 9 major species, “including the yellow-rump warbler, American redstart and Bicknell’s thrush.”
The question they hoped to answer was how are these birds so darn precise in identifying the best time to take off for their nightly migration? Scientists found that 90% of the migrating birds in the study took off within 69 minutes of dusk. A “much narrower takeoff window,” that even shocked the research team!
Per the study, taking off at night is all about maximum flight time. In addition to being able to precisely schedule their take offs, a feat that every airline I’ve flown with over the past few years has proven inept at, birds also are apparently good meteorologists! They often depart when the atmospheric pressure rises over a day’s span. Other factors also trigger migration, including sex, age, and celestial cues.
‘Lights Out’ initiative appears to be saving birds from crashing into Philly buildings by Sophia Schmidt.
Preliminary results indicate that bird death counts are down 70% at one Market Street tower, since it began its participation in Lights Out. As we spoke about on a previous show, birds utilize the stars to navigate, but city lights can disorient the birds. Combine the lights with reflective or transparent glass, and that spells fatal trouble for our migrating warblers!
Per Keith Russell, a program manager for urban conservation with Audubon Mid-Atlantic, “We’ve lost almost a third of our birds – and [collisions] contributing to that. If we’re going to want to preserve the bird populations here in North America, we have to look at these types of problems. And this is a preventable one.”
The Knoxville, TN Zoo is offering up what they call “Twilight Tours” per WVLT 8. Each event will feature a guide to showcase nocturnal critters.
I did something similar in Singapore years ago. The zoo had very dim lights in the exhibits – and they kept those lights dim as you walked so that you didn’t lose your night vision. It was a very different and, might I say, peaceful experience than the typically chaotic daytime zoo.
Flashlights posing major threat to nesting sea turtles. Fox35 Orlando
Apparently, a single flashlight can deter female sea turtles from coming onto a beach and nesting. Florida, as I did not know, is home to 90% of the sea turtle nests across the world, so losing sea turtles can affect the global ecosystem.
One visitor to Cocoa Beach stated, “Just leave them alone. Stand back and look. You don’t need a flashlight.”
Another, “It’s not super surprising because more buildings go up, more technology. As it increases, nature and stuff like that decreases,” said Zoe Jovaag, whose grandfather used to take her on walks to see sea turtles.
Capture the Dark 2023 officially is under way!
The International Dark Sky Association opens up its annual photo contest complete with prizes across eight categories and an additional People’s Choice category. Voting begins on July 3rd, entries must be received by June 30th.
City Tests Traffic Light That Only Turns Green for Drivers Who Obey the Speed Limit. Erin Marquis for Jalopnik.
And hey, you better not speed in Brossard, Quebec….otherwise you may be waiting around for a while. Brossard is testing out a new traffic light that will stay red until it senses oncoming traffic. However, it will only change to green if the car is going the speed limit. Per the Jalopnik article, “FRED [the French acronym for “educational traffic calming light] forces fast drivers to stop and gives them a chance to reconsider their life choices.” Such lights are already used in Europe, but this will be the first for the Great White North.
Why the Greatest Threat to Star-Gazing Isn’t Light Pollution, and this comes to us from Dorin Elin Urrutia at Inverse.
Elin Urrutia writes, in her compelling piece, that the greatest threat to star-gazing is actually the weather. Citing notable examples of the Mount Stromlo Observatory in Australia (which burnt down due to bushfires) and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico (which sustained structural damage following the winds of Hurricane Maria).
While the threat of human-caused climate change has presented new challenges, Elin Urrutia references proactive burns that saved Los Angeles’ Mount Wilson Observatory from flames in 2020.
On a similar note, ABC News (the Australian Broadcasting Company, not to be confused with the American Broadcasting Company), brings us “A World Without Darkness Could Be a Reality within a Few Years.”
Per Carol Redford of Astrotourism Western Australia, “There are some people in the world now who don’t actually experience darkness anymore. They’re in a city like Beijing, Toyoko, or London. In all those big cities, it’s never dark, it’s always light. During the day of course with the sun, but then during the night with all of the artificial light. They’re not experiencing darkness, and definitely not seeing those beautiful stars…”
In the 66 years since the implementation of the UN Convention on the Peaceful Use of Outerspace, around 11,000 satellites orbit the Earth. But it’s about to get wayyy busier. Driven by innovations that have led to dramatic reductions in costs, over the next ten years, Per attorney Steven Freeland, it’s anticipated that somewhere between 100,000 to 500,000 objects will be sent up. Let me pause on that for a second.
On the travel front, we stay in the land down under, “Aussie region determined to keep its darkness is a stargazer’s dream” by Chantelle Francis of News.com.AU.
The town of Swam Reach, population 270, resides in a 3200sq km region of Southern Australia that received its International Dark Sky Reserve status over three years ago. On a scale of darkness between 0 – 22, the River Murray Dark Sky Reserve at Swam Reach, measures in at a whopping 21.9!
Tourism has become a growing business. The reserve hosts numerous telescope pads and offers tours of the night sky. There’s hope that an observatory and/or planetarium may also arrive in due course.
Best smart lights for outdoors in 2023, Brittney Vincent of CBS Essentials.
Oh there’s a lot not to love here, but it does fall in line with last month’s ‘Lumens are Coming’ article.
For those of you who feel the need to light your trees, because for some reason they need light at night I guess…I’ll try and pretend it’s not solely for ostentatious and narcissistic reasons. By the way, does anyone remember when those were negative characteristics?
The article features spotlights that can be programmed to over 16 MILLION colors including…lucky for us, ALL shades of white….which you can also do for a 500 lumen flood light set.
And hey, Ring now has solar path lighting. Don’t worry though, the fixtures themselves put out up to 80 lumens of sideways light.
You know, it’s astounding when you look at some of these pictures. The amount of redundant lighting. It honestly makes no sense to me. You have a porch light, which lights up the path. Path lighting, which lights up the path. And, in the one picture, god awful frontward facing flood lights, which also light up the path. How bright do you need these paths!? I digress. But the lumens are indeed coming.
LDS Church will get to light up its Heber Valley Temple after all, but the faith didn’t get everything it wanted, Blake Apgar of the Salt Lake Tribune.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fought hard to rid itself of any nighttime lighting responsibility by pressuring Wasatch County, Utah officials to approve new lighting rules that would enable the church to light a proposed new temple the same way it does for every other temple.
The Church received permission to uplight the temple, enabling an exception to be made in Wasatch’s rather stringent nighttime lighting rulebook. However, the temple will be restricted by the level of lumens it can use, and it must have exterior lighting turned off an hour after sunset or an hour after normal business hours.
Smart Street Lights Market is Expected to Hit USD 14,751.1 million at a 23.4% CAGR by 2030, Market Research Future Press Release
The pandemic is officially over, smart street lighting is about to boom. Combine the rush to LED fixtures with the Internet of Things, and expect to see street lights moonlighting as traffic and parking monitors, air quality meters, and more. Not to mention, “it is anticipated that camera-connected smart street lighting will increase road safety by lowering the likelihood of accidents and criminality.”
Texas now has 7 dark sky communities for spectacular star gazing, Sana Ameer, MRT.
Let’s cheer on the city of Bee Cave, everyone! Bee Cave joins a growing list of dark sky places already in the Lone Star State, including 2 Dark Sky Sanctuaries, 5 Dark Sky Parks, and 1 Dark Sky Reserve. Nighttime is alive and well in some parts of Texas!
Our Afraid of the Dark article is a bit scary! Hilton Head’s dark roads and pedestrians are deadly combo. What the town is doing about it, Blake Douglas at The Island Packet.
Per the article, 9 pedestrian and cyclist fatalities occurred since 2018, with five occurring after dark. Prior to that period, there were 28 recorded deaths from 2000 – 2016, with 20 of them taking place after dark.
In 2018, an 11 year old resident was struck and killed while walking her dog across an intersection one night. Lighting advocates began taking shape in what otherwise is a very conservation focused island. Hilton Head, SC has a limited number of street lights, priding itself on “avoiding light pollution and blending nature with construction.”
Lighting advocates appear to be, at the very least, asking for flashing crosswalk lights on the island to indicate when an individual is crossing.
It should be noted that the article shows a chart of 9 after-dark-deaths since 2014, only two of them occurred at crosswalks. In fact, during the same time frame, 6 additional deaths occurred at crosswalks during the daytime.
As a whole, the National Safety Council reports that 74.5% of pedestrian deaths occurred at night, whereby 39.1% took place in lit areas and 35.38% took place in unlit areas.
Bryan Bloch, an auto safety expert, surmises that car companies bear some of the blame – producing cheap or ineffectual headlight fixtures, and drivers themselves, who don’t realize that they need to regularly clean their headlight lenses.
Despite opposition from residents, it appears that Hilton Head will be receiving lights at two new intersections and possibly more depending on engineering studies currently in progress.
Is lighting the key variable here? Is more light going to solve pedestrian deaths?
Our featured research article of the month comes to us from Animal Conservation, “Manipulating spectra of artificial light affects movement patterns of bats along ecological corridors.”
Bats are already known to have a wide range of responses to artificial light at night (also known as ALAN). Fast flying species tend to be more opportunistic in the presence of ALAN while slower ones tend to be more light averse. We know that “long wavelengths and reduced intensity” can minimize their environmental effects on bats. It’s not unheard of for bats to travel upwards of “tens of km per night.” Furthermore, bats are very dependent on the landscape and the structures within those landscapes.
Despite the nuances between species, the consensus is that ALAN, especially high intensity ALAN, negatively affects bats. This study attempted to answer what exactly bats do when they encounter ALAN – how do they react depending on different types of ALAN.
The study used three different light fixtures – one green, one red, and one white. The control was devoid of light fixtures. The researchers attempted to ascertain the behavior of bats as they encountered lights adjacent to woody areas. The researchers looked at three different bat groupings based on their foraging-echo location behavior, that being one of open field foraging, forest edge foraging, and narrow space – or more aptly forest foragers.
Researchers found that open and edge foraging bats increased their activity close to white and green lights, and to a lesser extent red lights. However, narrow space bats were more likely to veer away from all colors of lighting. Edge foragers were also less likely to cross a white light.
The positive effects of white and green light on open and edge foraging bats appear to be attributed to the accumulation of insects around light sources containing more blue light.
The nighttime sky over Oahu will be lit up with green lasers in the coming days. Here’s why. Hawaii News Now
Before we close up today, do you live in Hawaii? I know I wish I did!
If so, do you recall seeing green lasers streak across the night sky? Well, the Army Corps of Engineers was using lidar at night to complete a coastal mapping survey.
Why did they survey at night? Specifically, why did they do this between midnight to 5am? Simply b/c the airspace is so busy, that time was the only chance they had to complete the survey. The remaining survey was completed during daytime hours.

Part 2:
St. James Park, Newcastle - Elland Road, Leeds - Etihad Stadium, Manchester - Old Trafford, Manchester - Goodison Park, Liverpool - Anfield Road, Liverpool - Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton - Villa Park, Birmingham - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
-----
Alfa Romeo Montreal! M3, 2016
https://goo.gl/maps/u1tSz3hUYfLXapFp9
Alpina D3 Touring E91 A31, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/tgAaXccgJnekrYt66
Alpina XB7 M42, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/nSeE4WkgeG6mzZR39
Alpine A110 & Lotus Elise S1 M42, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/H1kHoht7XSspVuFk6
Alpine A110 Winchester, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/S46bC7iF2rACsWvo9
First Ascari Ecosse on Street View!! M6, 2015
https://goo.gl/maps/TRywTdLY3cbp1hSE6
Aston Martin DB9 A34, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/BQQRbHo5FW54Sq4P8
Aston Martin DB9 GT M6, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/gKgLGVKr1wwkGv3u5
Aston Martin DB11 A1 (M), 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/9L4NiBtd2dyQvfUPA
Aston Martin Vantage Roadster 2005 A338, 2015
https://goo.gl/maps/GA2Lh1CrXzGWm82L7
Aston Martin Vantage S M40, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/Lif4qxq7RU3GKCMw6
Aston Martin V12 Vantage & Bentley Mulsanne! A34, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/VYQ6WwK8xfzDiG9H8
Aston Martin V12 Vanquish 2001! A34, 2009
https://goo.gl/maps/mRrkq1uivZBdoBMF8
Aston Martin DBS 6.0 Volante M40, 2015
https://goo.gl/maps/Fx3rb6z8qdAxKprq5
Aston Martin Rapide S A34, 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/r9mdcUZXFXYE2Z927
Aston Martin Rapide S M3, 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/evEP3qS5utDbQXXq6
Aston Martin DBX 707 M3, 2023
https://goo.gl/maps/123m4H932MkyovgG6
Audi R8 Typ 42 A1 (M), 2015
https://goo.gl/maps/uBDPQyZhDk3zHGEYA
Audi R8 Typ 42 A1 (M), 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/b95pt7T38HLLDK1PA
Audi R8 V10 5.2 Typ 42 M62, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/ohySkNW2vGmgdcBo6
Audi R8 V10 Spyder Typ 4S M42, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/vfLCbbz7czvwYGS79
Audi R8 V10 Plus Typ 4S Bournemouth, 2017
https://goo.gl/maps/FNS1pWmY5RDEwpnL9
Audi R8 V10 Plus Spyder Typ 4S M62, 2020
https://goo.gl/maps/sPYDGxcA6wDh2rSv8
Audi R8 V10 Performance Spyder 2019 M62, 2020
https://goo.gl/maps/U2D7BvEonc9ezF1S7
Audi RS3 8Y Leeds, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/rre7RZGco9ojWpv16
Bentley Continental GT I M62, 2009
https://goo.gl/maps/m4JRq7SAYmKxrpnV7
Bentley Continental GT I Wolverhampton, 2012
https://goo.gl/maps/z7vVadMQ81r6YyCj8
Bentley Continental GT I M62, 2014
https://goo.gl/maps/74Sr1kSRmPjsXkhu9
Bentley Continental GTC I M6, 2016
https://goo.gl/maps/3djHeC2TkJ8YQyFQA
Bentley Continental GTC I A1 (M), 2019
https://goo.gl/maps/WgjQhAuZQFFPbEZCA
Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible 2010 Bournemouth, 2012
https://goo.gl/maps/1rgWaRP2BdwQCNrj6
Bentley Continental GTC II & Signal Green 991.2 Cabrio A34, 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/WBahwWW2hkjLAdWT7
Bentley Continental GTC II Wolverhampton, 2023
https://goo.gl/maps/haVhtYwiwRszWJYcA
Bentley Continental GTC Speed 2015 M62, 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/cbCxiuiJgS9aT7te9
Bentley Continental GT III M62, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/xz7Jsk5AyG4p2FFg9
Bentley Continental GT III 1st Edition A34, 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/qAGQBZY2crvBtzQG6
Bentley Arnage A1 (M), 2009
https://goo.gl/maps/zridyFTwX3S864oQ7
BMW i8 Bournemouth, 2016
https://goo.gl/maps/NFNhTPrRvW6twruM8
BMW i8 M40, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/7euGeLugQzpMjxpR9
BMW i8 M40, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/zRz5tZt5qyWvkVzx5
BMW M3 G80 Liverpool, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/HZSdpo6eaVhmnMxB7
BMW M3 G80 Wolverhampton, 2023
https://goo.gl/maps/m7f8KwXKPQ27CdMJA
BMW M3 E30! A34, 2019
https://goo.gl/maps/MSYYfeWrLhRSBow88
Caterham Seven A34, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/oGnkugFnFL2AspEW8
Awesome Datsun 240Z & VW Caddy Harlekin style! A34, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/NSYcxNeeEJY83ivm9
Ferrari F355 Berlinetta & Lotus Elise S2 Bournemouth, 2010
https://goo.gl/maps/ngbKousvQddYydfdA
Ferrari 360 Spider M40, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/zqFFPMgaTRW94ZSt9
Ferrari F8 Tributo! A34, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/izDkkkZMAN9PSaL39
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta! M6, 2016
https://goo.gl/maps/VXVhnni9ML6sxPg29
Damaged Ferrari California M62, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/nneqQZbV2q1JJqBv8
Ferrari California M6, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/okX8rTmaYtPEzXmq6
Ferrari California T M42, 2015
https://goo.gl/maps/b94TLRQhvUg9sSbj7
Ferrari California T A34, 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/DLpRFQrUpDvF8LPj6
Ferrari Portofino M62, 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/1BhR8H4RwZgoTLUW6
Ferrari Portofino A338, 2023
https://goo.gl/maps/JWMjqmRdnLQctB8LA
Lovely British group! Winchester, 2021
Jaguar XK150 OTS, Jaguar E-Type S1 x2, Jaguar MK2, Morgan Plus Four 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/3ncJTFkTfrTTSzwX6
Jaguar E-Type Convertible M27, 2017
https://goo.gl/maps/ZyYKeDrYV9LSSYfK8
Jaguar XKR & Jaguar XKR8! M40, 2015
https://goo.gl/maps/JXsjejNKDcC3RQoA9
Cool Jaguar F-Type R A34, 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/XmrH69vqisGRCy489
Jaguar F-Type SVR! M40, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/z4h9MS91GB11dMPr8
Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4 M40, 2023
https://goo.gl/maps/EKvEeAfCoRjdJk8V6
Lamborghini Espada!! M40, 2019
https://goo.gl/maps/pf4Ju6gknmMgbrPi7
Lamborghini Urus M40, 2023
https://goo.gl/maps/tVVRnT9p3szJEJLB6
Land Rover SVautobiography & Range Rover Sport SVR M62, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/sGX74389ycJV6AWx8
Range Rover Sport SVR 2018 M62, 2020
https://goo.gl/maps/7JmE6U56JJ7DN2MB8
Lotus Elan S1 M42, 2012
https://goo.gl/maps/HGUtPmAj8QomAFwp7
Lotus Elise S1 M62, 2011
https://goo.gl/maps/u3fruB9GciuTuWob8
Lotus Elise S2 M42, 2014
https://goo.gl/maps/u8pBSGo4jbVQfdRU9
Lotus Elise Clark Type 25 1 of 25! A34, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/4rCu6PGqNpsk7utx8
Lotus Evora A34, 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/voNGwq7cPGkPLjyLA
Lotus Seven Kit Car A31, 2019
https://goo.gl/maps/xHAPTaiSErhCtM2u8
Tuned Maserati GranTurismo A34, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/Q3aKY562pVVXPZx96
Maserati Gran Turismo M42, 2019
https://goo.gl/maps/iGfAoRjbStX3ehVw7
McLaren 12C & McLaren 650S Spider combo! M3, 2015
https://goo.gl/maps/Yc18rpw88kCCYq3a7
McLaren 650S Spider! M6, 2016
https://goo.gl/maps/quEWthLb8RP517xf8
Mercedes AMG GT C190 M40, 2016
https://goo.gl/maps/rnvXsdQVMsj1rACx9
Mercedes AMG GT C190 M6, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/5ACVjVEmc4nC7nXK9
Mercedes AMG GT C190 M6, 2023
https://goo.gl/maps/f6MjDDAy35b1jTbd7
Mercedes AMG GTS C190 St. Leonards, 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/LqBNC6AfSpWWkAen6
Mercedes C63 AMG C205 Manchester, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/q5JghofSEuTLU4LF6
Rear-ended Mercedes C63 AMG Edition 1 W205 M6, 2023
https://goo.gl/maps/4KvWYmUrhy4CUCUJ8
Mercedes C63 AMG Edition 1 C205 M6, 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/2Y9pmXHn9ikE4SBK7
Mercedes S65 AMG A217 A1(M), 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/Vh5bLTGrjnd3rT9SA
Nissan 350Z Drift Car M62, 2020
https://goo.gl/maps/uUktd93tSA1TPGqm9
Nissan GT-R R35 & Porsche 911 GT3 997.1! M42, 2011
https://goo.gl/maps/q1Ag5zMSNaKhXECMA
Nissan GT-R R35 2017 Birmingham, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/JNUHip3vxesWReJg7
Porsche 911 Carrera 4 964 with the engine out! M40, 2020
https://goo.gl/maps/TAQ6fqDsDLsDNtdf7
Porsche 911 GT3 996.1 with a flat tyre A34, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/GxH4yPV7BawPztew9
Porsche 911 Turbo 996.2 M42, 2009
https://goo.gl/maps/m2Q6Byq24HwYXq9c8
Porsche 911 Turbo 996.2 M3, 2012
https://goo.gl/maps/Uv8j2yiRnhwBwA677
Porsche 911 Turbo Cabrio 997.2 M6, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/qL11mipPXfyWgmF28
Clean Porsche 911 GT3 Clubsport 997.2! Manchester, 2019
https://goo.gl/maps/2dxnPK8X8yLAGtPeA
Porsche 911 Turbo 991.1 M42, 2015
https://goo.gl/maps/L47sy81yJX1V9ht17
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS 991.2 Wolverhampton, 2023
https://goo.gl/maps/T96z2aVt1VTHe4GT8
PTS Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS 992.1 Manchester, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/XrbfFCykpEeKBU489
Porsche 718 RSK (replica?) Bournemouth, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/bxXfLQCKWY1ktnqWA
Porsche Cayman R M40, 2015
https://goo.gl/maps/e5WbhaYDs6R9uxB49
Porsche Cayman GT4 981 M40, 2016
https://goo.gl/maps/RiLXgBj79CHLQUAi8
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Manthey Racing 982! M6, 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/BfYp4JZH3VZpirVE9
Porsche 968 Cabrio A34, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/C354A1SjoqPEnVJ66
Porsche 918 Spyder Chassis!! Probably my weirdest Street View spot yet A1(M), 2019
https://goo.gl/maps/xJXXQE828gsAyhwR8
Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII! M62, 2021
https://goo.gl/maps/TkBBGhLZvs8VkyB17
Rolls-Royce Ghost II M40, 2016
https://goo.gl/maps/f7yy5AdPQbJUwpHDA
Rolls-Royce Ghost II M40, 2023
https://goo.gl/maps/2RFgAPG23cxGwCsf6
Rolls-Royce Silver Spur M42, 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/mUg1dX6W7gzPjsJf8
Toyota GR Supra A90 A1(M), 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/ne1jkq4cwXzhHK7P8
Toyota GR Supra A90 M6, 2023
https://goo.gl/maps/QHMPeCTuGZ5qkJWf7
TVR T350! A1(M), 2019
https://goo.gl/maps/ZFZdv9djv8jGq2MN7
-----
The Stadiums:
Elland Road - Leeds United
https://goo.gl/maps/Jgxhws1fS11xxkFu9
Etihad Stadium - Manchester City
https://goo.gl/maps/7CmfEdHr3aoPYnmx6
Old Trafford - Manchester United
https://goo.gl/maps/4t6Su9gAusBekcjY7
Goodison Park - FC Everton
https://goo.gl/maps/QAEDg2qtCYxj4UpZA
Anfield Road - Liverpool FC
https://goo.gl/maps/FAkJmrrysrYNPgwG8
Molineux Stadium - Wolverhampton Wanderers
https://goo.gl/maps/FBS51xeoe243ME8K6
Villa Park - Aston Villa FC
https://goo.gl/maps/9g6oxEca1yv3ZjyB8
Vitality Stadium - AFC Bournemouth
https://goo.gl/maps/kJxezbeeoS9vRURb9
-----
The route I'm taking:
Fulham - Liverpool
Liverpool - West Ham
West Ham - Fulham
-----
Part 1

Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/usethepopheads/playlist/46KW71EiSxRufiJktnowT8) // #1s Spotify Playlist // Every Song to Ever Chart (Credit to FLLH for this amazing playlist!)

Popheads Weekly Hot 50: Week of June 5, 2023

For this chart issue, we tracked everyone's top 10s from Thursday May 25, 12:00 PM GMT to the next Thursday June 1, 11:59 AM GMT.

#	Artist - Song	Prev. Position	Peak	Weeks	Points	# of Listeners and #1
1	Taylor Swift - Hits Different	NEW	#1	1 wk	4729.0	111 of 429 listeners had the song as their #1.
2	Dua Lipa - Dance The Night	NEW	#2	1 wk	3945.0	73 of 405 listeners had the song as their #1.
3	Taylor Swift - Karma (feat. Ice Spice)	NEW	#3	1 wk	3657.5	59 of 395 listeners had the song as their #1.
4	Kylie Minogue - Padam Padam	#1 (-3)	#1	2 wks	3605.0	76 of 341 listeners had the song as their #1.
5	Taylor Swift - Snow on The Beach (feat. more Lana Del Rey)	NEW	#5	1 wk	3356.0	45 of 363 listeners had the song as their #1.
6	Beyoncé - AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM (feat. Kendrick Lamar)	#2 (-4)	#2	2 wks	1024.0	8 of 132 listeners had the song as their #1.
7	Taylor Swift - Karma	#17 (+10)	#3	29 wks	985.0	10 of 129 listeners had the song as their #1.
8	Taylor Swift - Lavender Haze	#47 (+39)	#2	32 wks	815.5	0 of 122 listeners had the song as their #1.
9	Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero	#31 (+22)	#1	32 wks	799.0	1 of 112 listeners had the song as their #1.
10	Lana Del Rey - Say Yes To Heaven	#3 (-7)	#3	2 wks	734.0	4 of 107 listeners had the song as their #1.

The Popheads Chart Video from a guest editor u/rickikardashian : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bKtk7rCX4s

If you want to see the points and number of listeners for each song in the top 50 chart, click here

• Highest Debut: #1. Taylor Swift - Hits Different
• Highest Re-Entry: #14. Taylor Swift - Maroon
• Biggest Gain: #8. Taylor Swift - Lavender Haze (+39)
• Biggest Decrease: #43. Kesha - Peace & Quiet (-35)

Popheads Top 5 Bubbling Under Chart June 5, 2023

Artist	Song	Genre
Arlo Parks	Pegasus (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)	Happy Pride Month
Hozier	Francesca	Happy Pride Month (to the lesbians)
KARD	ICKY	K-Pop
ENHYPEN	Bite Me	K-Pop
Arlo Parks	Dog Rose	R&B

Personal Chart of the Week

One of the joys some people have on the chart is seeing their own impact on the chart. Whether its seeing your #1 song at #1, or seeing it bubbling under, people like seeing songs they like being adored by other users. In this section, one lucky chart participant will see their own chart and the impact it had on the full chart this week. NOTE: In the case of charts exceeding 15 songs, I will trim down the lowest tie to fit the chart by using the songs that charted the highest (or are funniest). This week, we have the chart of Queen_Of_The_Castle!

Rank	Song	Their Points	Actual Rank	Total Points
1	Taylor Swift - Hits Different	15.0	#1	4729.0
2	Taylor Swift - Glitch	14.0	#130	126.0
3	Taylor Swift - Would've, Could've, Should've	13.0	#36	314.5
4	Taylor Swift - You're on Your Own, Kid	12.0	#22	382.5
5	Taylor Swift - Sweet Nothing	11.0	#116	138.0
6	Taylor Swift - willow	10.0	#269	68.5
7	Taylor Swift - seven	9.0	#341	58.5
8	Taylor Swift - august	8.0	#95	156.5
9	Taylor Swift - All Of The Girls You Loved Before	7.0	#129	126.5
10	Isaiah Rashad - Claymore (feat. Smino)	6.0	#8136	7.0

If you’d like to have your top 10 shown in a future installment, PLEASE USE THIS GOOGLE FORM! Also, if you sign up for this PLEASE also sign up for the actual charts, with the form found below.
Here's the current list of people signed up for the charts!

If you'd like to sign up, you can sign up here!

The tracking dates for the next weekly chart is June 1, 11:00 PM GMT - June 8, 10:59 AM GMT and results may come out the next Monday, June 12?

How The Chart Works:

These charts are created based on how frequently each song appears in the top 10 songs/albums for all of the users signed up for the chart. If the song or album occupies that user's #1 spot in their individual chart, it receives 15 points, then 14 points for #2, so on and so forth until 6 points for #10. If there is a tie, which is a common occurrence, then the number of points is averaged across those positions, e.g. if two songs are tied for #1, both will receive 14.5 points. Oftentimes there will be multiple songs tied for the last place, in which case the number of points each song receives decreases until it bottoms out at 1 point each.

Credits

• Reddit Post Author / Chart Runner: ImADudeDuh
• Spotify Playlist Cover Art Designer / Wiki Editor: kyrgyzzephyr
• Crownnote Author : Tedyonce
• Video Editor: DriftFromReddit

Chart Wiki
Last Week’s Chart
Link to an archive of all charts [Credit to u/bright_baby_blue for the website!]

Source from KTLA 5
YT Video From KCal News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHOE1djabAA
Didn't see much update on this case or anything else posted on the internet or reddit. So I decided to post here for outreach as a SoCal Resident.
Best wishes to all loved ones affected by this. R.I.P Nitesh, Thank you for your service.
TLDR
A San Bernardino man who was a reservist for the U.S. Army was found shot to death outside an apartment. 24 yr old Nitesh Kumar was shot to death after dropping off a co-worker in San Bernardino CA near Sierra Way near 46th Street apartment complex. Click the hyperlink to see the street view of the apartment complex in google maps
It does look like this was a case of mistaken identity according to Kumar's cousin. Its been almost over 4 years with no trace or update. This is Kind of sad considering this case is newer and with today's tech, hopefully some security camera or some kind of location service tracking could have cracked this case or gave some kind of insight.
What do you think could have happened? Discuss below!
Full Story:
Police are searching for whoever fatally shot a man found in front of an apartment building in San Bernardino Monday night. [August 2019]
Witnesses reported hearing about three to five gunshots in the 4500 block of North Sierra Way around 10:50 p.m.
Arriving officers found a man suffering from at least one gunshot wound, the San Bernardino Police Department stated in a news release.
The victim, identified by police as 24-year-old Nitesh Kumar, was pronounced dead at the scene.
San Manuel Casino said Nitesh worked at the Highland gambling destination.
Witnesses said the gunman pulled up alongside Kumar’s parked vehicle and fired through his driver’s side window before driving away.
Investigators have not confirmed any details about the shooting.
No vehicle or suspect descriptions were immediately available and there was no word on what may have prompted the shooting.
Anyone with information was asked to call the San Bernardino Police Department at 909-384-5724.

Reposting due to scheduling changes/flier updates 🙂

Hi!!
have 3 VIP tickets and an RV spot to Sonic Bloom in Colorado that I need to sell asap.
** VIP Pass includes VIP Entry, VIP Car Camping OR VIP Walk-In Tent Camping w/ VIP Parking, VIP Lounge Access, Showers, Meals, Drinks, Secret Sets, Gear Shuttle and Merch Package
We also have an RV Spot w electric we need to sell as well
HMU ASAP if you are interested!

Howdy Everyone! Hope you are having a good Monday and Go Nuggets!
For our next ride, we will be discussing the History of the Denver Nuggets, going back to the Pre-NBA team of the 1940's all the way to today. Learn about the Denver Rockets Era, various venues they have played at, and the recent historical reasons why the team has made it to the finals this season!
If you are on Instagram, follow us at coloradohistoryrides.
Who: Redditors and friends of redditors who somehow aren't on Reddit Yet.
Where: We meet at the Circle of Death in Civic Center Park. Route here. Pacing will be roughly 10-12 MPH with 3-4 stops. For those interested after the ride, we will end up at Cap City Tavern for lunch before heading back to Civic Center
When: Saturday, June 10th at 10:00 AM, Wheels down by 10:30 PM. This will roughly be a hour to hour and fifteen minute ride.
Why: Meet new people, learn the history of the Nuggets, and get some good food afterward!
How: Check this post for an update of where we are at.

• VIP perks were pretty cool, this was my first time ever getting VIP for a concert. The early entry was super clutch and made it really easy to get good spots. The Q&A was really cool (even though I didn't get picked to ask a question), it was really intimate and he seemed genuinely excited to answer people's questions
• Castro's set was fucking lit, that man is a great performer. One of his songs really moved me, i just found out it's called "Don't Play With My Peace", super dope.
• Juicy J was ok, honestly i feel like Logic's fanbase was not well suited for his kinda music haha. Dope guy though
• Logic's setlist had me pretty disappointed tbh. The energy was great and we were all going crazy, but as this was the College Park tour, I was hoping to hear a lot more College Park, but he only did a few joints off it though, not really sure why. The rest of the songs were just the hits that I've heard at every other Logic show i've been to, so was kinda confused by that
• The curfew thing also really confused me. If time was an issue, then why didn't the show just start a half hour earlier or something? I saw the planned setlist and we missed out on a few big songs I really wanted to hear
• Tried waiting for Logic outside his tour bus after the show but it was a massive L. The show ended at 11pm, he ended up coming out the back around 12:30am but went straight to his tour bus. A group of 20 of us waited outside his tour bus patiently, but he came out after 5 minutes and said he was exhausted and wouldn't be doing any pics/signatures tonight. I was disappointed, but I'll be honest, the man looked fucking dead, so I don't blame him 1 bit, he's gotta prioritize himself. It just sucked bc unlike before, I actually live in NYC now and i was down to wait however long to get a pic with him, but it just didn't work out. Oh well, here's hoping to next time

Original prompt: [WP]You awake from cryo-freeze to find the world hasn't changed a bit, but you have. You are the first live subject to survive the revival process. Only, you're not the person they say you are. You remember your death. This isn't your original body. Now you must survive. (link)
As I opened my eyes, it felt like the harsh light of day was digging straight into my brain. Around me was a grassy field with a few scattered trees. Familiar trees... Eerily so, as if they hadn't grown or changed at all since the last time I'd seen them. I wasn't sure how long it had been since I'd last seen them, but I was confident it had been a while. I could feel my memories flowing back, but it was not a comfortable process.
A few buildings stood in the distance, and I began walking toward them. It became immediately obvious that the ground was entirely artificial. The soil felt like it was made of rubber, and my bare feet were already sore from being abraded by the rough edges from where the soft plastic grass blades had been ripped out of a mold. The trees didn't seem much better, being made of hollow metal with plastic leaves, then smeared with latex to vaguely resemble an actual tree.
The buildings were part of a small hamlet, and were the only interesting thing in the field. Any other direction would've led to a reinforced concrete wall buried behind plastic foliage, so I had no qualms with getting straight to the point this time. I entered the hamlet cautiously, and found that it was just as artificial as its surroundings. The buildings looked like they were made of clay with thatch rooves, but on closer inspection were made of painted concrete. As I peered inside one of the buildings, it was obvious that the thatch roof was for show, as the concrete building didn't have an opening at the top.
The inhabitants were hardly any better. A mixture of holograms, animatronics, and cardboard cutouts, the ones that moved did so predictably and mechanically, and none of them even made a plausible facsimile of humanity. I recognized every one of the "people" in the hamlet, down to their names. It wasn't my first time in this town, and I felt like there was good chance it wouldn't be my last.
"Welcome traveler! Feel free to enjoy our quaint little town, and sample our hospitality, but be careful of the monster that lives in the mountains!" said Jeremy, the cardboard cutout standing outside the front of the hamlet said. He wore a suit of armor that seemed asynchronous with the impoverished vibe of the place he was guarding, but since he was made of cardboard I doubted it would alter his combat efficacy at all.
I didn't bother responding to Jeremy, since he would just repeat one of three lines that I already knew by heart. Instead, I headed down to the market in the center of town. The first stall was the fish merchant. He only sold salmon, cod, tuna, and herring, despite the fact that none of those fish could possibly live in the tiny fishing hole next to the hamlet and there was no ocean anywhere in the entire region. Also, the fish he sold came in cans, which seemed like a bit more of a red flag in hindsight.
"Howdy, stranger! Come check out my catch of the day! And don't forget, if you catch anything interesting, bring it here and I'll prep it up for ya!" The animatronic fishmonger said. His name was Finley, but I only knew that because of the nametag on his shirt, none of his lines involved giving that information.
I looked out at the fishing hole outside of town. I knew from experience that the pool of liquid was not water, but a highly corrosive acid that had been dyed blue, and would kill a person if they fell in. The fish-shaped bath toys floating on and just under the surface were corroded from the chemical, and were far slipperier than they had any right to be. Suffice to say I would not be partaking in the fishing minigame this time around.
Instead of engaging with the merchant, I followed the mechanical track he was mounted on back to the hut that was designated as his house, and walked inside. I remembered stowing something here... yes, there it was, a jar of gunpowder. It had been a pain in the backside to make, given that almost everything in this place seemed to be made of plastic and metal, and most things seemed to reset whenever I... "respawned", so I was glad to see it was still there.
My plan was going to be risky, so I needed to get it exactly right, and I needed to make sure I knew that it had been done, so I quickly went to the house that had my name on it. Well, the name of the character I was meant to represent, nobody in this region called me by my actual name. A hologram of a woman stood in the entry hall.
"Good morning Donnie! Won't you lie down and tell your dear mother all about your adventure?" she asked. Dolores was obviously not my real mother, but she did sort of "anchor" my memories, so it was good to visit her every so often. I lay down on the couch next to the hologram, which shifted to the sitting position. There were no in-between frames, so Dolores just seemed to snap into being seated, but I was familiar enough with that by now.
I felt a hum under my back, then got back up and headed for the door.
"Have fun on your adventure, sweetie!" Dolores said as I left.
Before leaving the hamlet, I walked back over to Jeremy, and tore the halberd off him, along with a segment of his arm (it was all part of the same piece, I couldn't really detach it without doing that). Then I strolled over to the inn, where the only fireplace in the region was roaring. I lit the tip of the cardboard halberd on fire and began jogging out of town and down the road.
I passed the valley of trials without trouble, having finished the area several times previous lives. The forest of wonders was no more problematic, though it did take a bit of time just due to the confusing layout. Getting past the monster cavern was slightly trickier due to carrying a lit torch, but I'd died enough times to know how to get through without trouble. Hell, none of the holographic monsters or mechanical boobytraps even went off this time.
Finally, I reached the segment I was looking for. A segment of actual solid stone wall among all the artificial material in the region. Knocking on the wall with my knuckles, I tracked down the spot I needed, a metal plate with open space behind it that had been decorated to look like the rest of the wall. I carefully sprinkled some black powder on the ground around the base of the metal plate and dumped out the jar on one side of it, then stepped back and tossed the burning halberd at the pile of explosive dust and ducked behind a rock as it went off.
As I had hoped, the metal plate was actually a metal door, and had been knocked off its hinges by the blast. I quickly ran up and pried it the rest of the way open, then sprinted into the tiled halls behind it. There was a room labelled "maintenance" just past the door, full of animatronic parts and cardboard cutouts. Some of them were in good repair, some were damaged (often in familiar ways, since I was probably the one that damaged them). I simply passed through the room and passed into a different hallway.
I ran into a young man wearing a lab coat as I ran down the hall. His name was Paul, but he had been an intern last I'd seen him and he now seemed to be a full-fledged employee. A look of recognition struck his face when he saw me.
"Dr. Corbin? Where on earth have you been?" he asked.
"Let's just say that we may need to take that whole 'clone adventure theme park' idea back to the drawing board," I said. "And if I ever see that rat-fink Franklin again, I'm going to wring his skinny neck."

Race Information

• Name: Green Park Reading 10k
• Date: 4th June 2023
• Distance: 10 Kilometers
• Location: Reading, Berkshire, UK
• Website: https://www.greenparkreading10k.co.uk/
• Time: 52:01

Goals

Goal	Description	Completed?
A	Sub-52	No
B	Sub-50	No
C	PB (49:19)	No

Splits

Kilometer	Time
1	4:49
2	4:57
3	4:55
4	5:05
5	5:09
6	5:10
7	5:16
8	5:34
9	5:36
10	5:22

Training

After I stopped running during the pandemic, I effectively started from zero again. I've spent the past year or so losing weight and getting back to the fitness I once had. Thanks to a good effort with dieting last autumn and winter I ended up losing nearly 20kg, which has been rewarded with new overall PBs for the 5k, 10k and Half Marathon distances so far in 2023.
For this event I had no specific training, my free time has been limited recently due to the arrival of my first child about a month ago. The 10k has always been my favourite distance, so just taking part in parkrun every Saturday morning and one or two HZ2 5k runs in the evening during the week has been enough for me to keep my fitness stable.

Pre-race

This was a last-minute entry for me, I signed up a week before race day after seeing an advert online, my son now seems to be settled in so I had no worries about going out for the morning. I had previously signed up for this event in 2017, but had to drop out as I fell ill over that weekend. The same almost happened again as I came down with a small stomach bug on Friday and had to miss parkrun on Saturday morning. Thankfully 6:30am on Sunday morning came around and I was feeling a lot better.
This was forcasted to be the hottest day of the year so far in the UK, so I opted for a vest for the race with my thin waterproof running coat to give me a little warmth during the colder early morning. For nutrition I took my two-bottle belt, one bottle containing 300ml water and the other holding Lucozade Sport. Turns out I had to give myself an early warm-up anyway as my bus was running too late for my train, so a medium-paced 4k run from my home to the train station was required!
I managed to grab my usual pre-race coffee and pastry at Basingstoke station while waiting for my connecting train, just under 2 hours before the start time. Getting to the event this year is also a lot easier thanks to a new train station (Reading Green Park) opening last week, about a mile from the start line.
Lightly jogging from the station to the race village, I could feel the temperature starting to rise. Some participants in the 3k fun run were running along the home stretch. The race village itself seemed fairly well organised, the queues for the late entrant bibs and bag drop moved very quickly. The toilet queues weren't too bad when I went, but started to stretch back closer to the start time. Still by no means chaotic.

Race

I was aiming for 50 minutes, so I spent a few minutes trying to judge whereabouts in the starting pen to place myself. The rear was fairly cramped but the further forward I moved the more spacious it became - the opposite to usual! The race started at 10:30am exact, the first 2km following an out-and-partial-back through the business park. 2 kilometers gone in 9:46, so far so good.
After 2km we left the business park via an access road for a lap of the Berkshire countryside. To be honest if you've run a rural road race recently (try saying that a few times!), there's not much different here. Trees, hedges, fields, farms, slightly under-maintained roads. It's a "nice" course, relatively flat as well with only a couple of small hills near the bridges over the M4 motorway.
The big difference here was the heat, "only" 15ºc at the start but being the first hot day of the year nobody was used to it. By 4km I was starting to struggle to stick to my intended pace. Being mainly an East-West route there was very little shade offered by the trees and hedges. By 6k it was becoming more important just to finish without stopping rather than trying to get a faster time. A sub-50 target became sub-52, and the drink I picked up at 6k went half down my throat and half over my head.
I kept on going, sticking with a small group who also seemed to be struggling with the heat. The next couple of rural kilometers ticked by gently until we were back onto the business park for the final 1.5km. I was up to a 5:30/km pace but wasn't really concerned about a quick time by this point. I picked up a bit of speed in the home stretch but it wasn't quite enough to get me under 52 minutes.

Post-race

I shambled over to the end of the funnel to pick up my medal, goodie bag, and most importantly, a bottle of water. Then to the nearest tree to finally get in the shade. That was definitely one of the tougher 10k races I've ran in, I've run in warmer conditions but those races made allowances for the summer heat with more water stations and mist showers. This is a spring race that got caught out by an early summer day, and had the weather been a bit cooler I suspect this would be a very fast course.
Despite the slower time I was still happy with my finishing position. In the top 33% of all finishers, top 50% of all men and just outside the top 50% for age category.
I have no regrets about signing up for this race. It seemed well organised and friendly, which is especially welcome since this was their post-pandemic comeback. The course itself is a bit generic but there's nothing particularly wrong with it. If I've not got any other more local races this time next year, I'll probably be back for 2024.
Made with a new race report generator created by herumph.

*ETA: I might be using the wrong term as well. I think it's an easement? A right of way is municipal land, but an easement is part of your private property that is used for access to other private property.
\* There are four types of Property Easements:*
Behind townhomes, on private property When a new block of townhomes is built, the developer usually has the buyer sign a purchase agreement stating that owners of end units will leave access at rear of property for residents in the middle units, to access their rear yard from the outside (to bring their lawnmowers, etc.). The agreement will state that if end unit owners build a fence, they must leave a gate for residents of middle units to go through.\**
Last year a person who lives down the street in the next block of towns down came to let me know he was bringing an excavator down the right of way to his back yard and that it might have to come on to our property as it was wider than the access point. We have a shed on our property line that we were worried it wouldn’t fit by and asked if he could see if the right of way that is for his block of towns was any wider.
This is when he informed me that one of the neighbors in the middle of his block cut off access from the rear part of his yard with a fence, so that is why he was always using our side. (he had been by with a mower for the years leading up to this).
He got pretty huffy about it and said that all right of ways were ‘right of ways’ and were public and he could use whichever one he wished and that he was only letting me know as a courtesy. I finally just let it go. Project went off ok and that was that.
Today I come out to see a work trailer that was off it’s hitch on the side of the street in front of my place and men unloading gravel back and forth through the right away. At this point I didn’t even know who this was for. The tongue of the trailer was over my driveway. I went out to see how long they were there for and they said just for the day. I pointed out that they were blocking my driveway, but it was okay since they were leaving today. They then proceeded to leave a massive pile of loose gravel behind where the trailer was sitting and were preparing to leave. I went out to ask if they were leaving it there as someone was then going to come and park over my driveway. I asked if they could at least push it towards my entry to force people who parked there to go behind and they refused. They said they would push it back even further so that people were able to park clearly and that was agreed upon. I took some pictures of the pile and the truck and plates (the truck had no signage so I couldn’t tell what company they were from that way) and then that was that.
Then excavator dude is ringing my bell. Asking me what the problem is. (because of course these were his contractors). I explained. I also explained the workers and I had come to an agreement and that it was a non issue. He then states he needed to come over to talk to me because ‘he can’t have me threatening his contractors like this’. After a bit more back and forth, I told him to GTF off my property and he retorted “fine then I will just move onto the right of way”. And hopped onto it like a child.
I never would have had an issue with this or even ever looked into this, but given he’s been such a jerk on both occasions, I’m done. And I just want to have some concrete knowledge of my rights going forward.
So far from what I can find is that the city isn’t responsible for right of ways, so it’s not a bylaw issue. So I really don’t know who is responsible for the ‘rules’.
I didn’t think it was legal for his neighbour to block a right away without it having a gate that all can access?
I didn’t think it was legal to leave a pile of gravel on the side of the road without an encroachment permit?
And is a right of way for everyone and anyone to use or is access restricted to my neighbors only?
I’m having a lot of trouble digging up this info on the 311 site.
Thanks for any info.

​
*ETA: I might be using the wrong term as well. I think it's an easement? A right of way is municipal land, but an easement is part of your private property that is used for access to other private property.
** There are four types of Property Easements:
Behind townhomes, on private property When a new block of townhomes is built, the developer usually has the buyer sign a purchase agreement stating that owners of end units will leave access at rear of property for residents in the middle units, to access their rear yard from the outside (to bring their lawnmowers, etc.). The agreement will state that if end unit owners build a fence, they must leave a gate for residents of middle units to go through.**
Last year a person who lives down the street in the next block of towns down came to let me know he was bringing an excavator down the right of way to his back yard and that it might have to come on to our property as it was wider than the access point. We have a shed on our property line that we were worried it wouldn’t fit by and asked if he could see if the right of way that is for his block of towns was any wider.
This is when he informed me that one of the neighbors in the middle of his block cut off access from the rear part of his yard with a fence, so that is why he was always using our side. (he had been by with a mower for the years leading up to this).
He got pretty huffy about it and said that all right of ways were ‘right of ways’ and were public and he could use whichever one he wished and that he was only letting me know as a courtesy. I finally just let it go. Project went off ok and that was that.
Today I come out to see a work trailer that was off it’s hitch on the side of the street in front of my place and men unloading gravel back and forth through the right away. At this point I didn’t even know who this was for. The tongue of the trailer was over my driveway. I went out to see how long they were there for and they said just for the day. I pointed out that they were blocking my driveway, but it was okay since they were leaving today. They then proceeded to leave a massive pile of loose gravel behind where the trailer was sitting and were preparing to leave. I went out to ask if they were leaving it there as someone was then going to come and park over my driveway. I asked if they could at least push it towards my entry to force people who parked there to go behind and they refused. They said they would push it back even further so that people were able to park clearly and that was agreed upon. I took some pictures of the pile and the truck and plates (the truck had no signage so I couldn’t tell what company they were from that way) and then that was that.
Then excavator dude is ringing my bell. Asking me what the problem is. (because of course these were his contractors). I explained. I also explained the workers and I had come to an agreement and that it was a non issue. He then states he needed to come over to talk to me because ‘he can’t have me threatening his contractors like this’. After a bit more back and forth, I told him to GTF off my property and he retorted “fine then I will just move onto the right of way”. And hopped onto it like a child.
I never would have had an issue with this or even ever looked into this, but given he’s been such a jerk on both occasions, I’m done. And I just want to have some concrete knowledge of my rights going forward.
So far from what I can find is that the city isn’t responsible for right of ways, so it’s not a bylaw issue. So I really don’t know who is responsible for the ‘rules’.
I didn’t think it was legal for his neighbour to block a right away without it having a gate that all can access?
I didn’t think it was legal to leave a pile of gravel on the side of the road without an encroachment permit?
And is a right of way for everyone and anyone to use or is access restricted to my neighbors only?
I’m having a lot of trouble digging up this info on the 311 site.
Thanks for any info.

I won the chance to meet with my favorite Author. By no means was he an equal in comparison to the popularity of Stephen King or Dean Koontz but there was something special about his works. If you happened to stumble across one of his stories they had a habit of sticking around and festering like little rotten delicacies within your mind.
For years as a growing adult I sat down and studied every word of his. I tried to mimic the way he wrote and every time I’d fall short. There was something inside of me that just couldn’t match the integrity of his tales. Every story he wove sounded drastic, real, as if the main characters were screaming out for their stories to be heard in hopes they didn’t fade away into eternity.
He didn’t just make the characters come alive, he made them tangible. The reader felt as though the characters themselves were only a pages flip away.
Maybe that’s what made his horror so powerful. It wasn’t just the people you felt you could turn too, but also the creatures, the villains, the things that couldn’t be described by anyone else except by Vincent Valentine himself.
I ended up writing a brief paper and submitting it to a contest wrapped around the idea of ‘who inspired you to write?’ I can’t say I won by any means but every paper was openly displayed on the internet for anyone to read and comment.
Imagine my surprise when I received a comment from one 'Vincent Valentine' exclaiming only a few words;
‘You’ve warmed my heart. Keep a lookout in your inbox.
With much appreciation,
Vincent Valentine.’
I remember the sinking feeling in my heart as I read his comment. I felt blessed by a man so above my stature that it made me feel spotlighted in oddest, best and worst type of way. Nearly every hour on the hour I’d do a quick log in and hope to see the little message icon highlighted in the upper right hand corner of my screen.
This went on for a week. Precisely 7 days later on the hour of his comment I got a notification that someone had sent me a message.
‘109 Woodcrest Rd. Portland, ME? I feel confident in my sources. Expect a package soon.
With elation,
Vincent Valentine. ’
He had found my address.
To say I was surprised wouldn’t sum up my feelings in the least. I felt no hostility or fear however, it was almost Wonka-esque. I felt like I was getting a golden ticket and that feeling wasn’t misplaced. Another 7 days later I woke up to find a package waiting at my door.
I stared down at it for a minute, a black fabric shroud was tightly wound around a wooden box. My address was stamped in red lettering over the thick velvety veil. Next to it lay the words ‘From: Vincent Valentine.’
I reached down letting my hands grasp around the extravagant box. With a gentle tug I raised it off of the ground. The concrete seemed so boring and mundane compared to the package. I almost felt ashamed that I had let it sit there even for just a moment.
With a quick spin I turned around, slammed my door shut and proceeded over to my kitchen table. I tried to find the seams of the dark fabric, tugging along the edges but to my surprise found none.
From here it took me a moment to comprehend how I was going to open it without damaging the pristine void like cover. With some trepidation I wandered over to my storage closet and pulled out a box cutter. I hated the fact I had to ruin such an interesting presentation but I knew there was no other way.
I pressed the tip of the blade to the fabric and slowly slid it down. As the fabric retreated it split open revealing a red swirly underside clearly influenced by the colors of flowing blood.
My lips twitched upward before a small laugh left my lips. I stared at the display in front of me. I had cut the fabric from one corner to the other and it had perfectly spread and curled back like a body under autopsy. The wooden box itself lay under the skin ready to dissected from its body.
I set my box cutters aside and pulled out the wooden chest. Intricate designs were carved into the paneling and I instantly recognized them from how Vincent described them in his books. I was looking at Avestan text. They were so beautifully drastic from our modern characters and alphabets.
A chill ran up my spine as I thought back to the horrors Vincent had described in his tales. His greatest theme was studying the dangers of the oldest knowledge available in the world. The spreading of unnatural knowledge was ever present in his works. Granted I couldn’t read the carvings I still appreciated the showmanship.
I had never in my life thought I’d ever be brought a gift like this from someone I admired as much as Mr. Valentine.
I felt the indents of the box as my fingers trailed up to the lid. The wood seemed cold as if it had been left in some winters cavern overnight yet it was a midsummer's day and the sun was blazing outside of my front door. With a quick flick upwards I removed the casing and peered at the contents inside.
The innards of the box contained a black leather bound journal and next to it an envelope stamped with the symbol that appeared in every one of Valentines stories, the mark of Aka Manah. The forgotten God of magic and suffering.
I pulled the envelope out first, letting it rest in one hand while my other hand blindly felt around the table for the box cutters. With a quick nudge I felt a light sting. My eyes tore away from the folded letter and to the razor on my table. With blind stupidity I had skimmed my skin across the blade slicing my fingertip open. I let out a huff of disappointment in myself before gripping the handle and pulling it upwards towards the stamp.
Very gingerly I rocked the razors edge around the bottom of the wax seal, hoping to keep it in one piece. Oddly enough the wax seemed incredibly durable. Even after a couple of flawed jabs it held up nicely. The lip of the envelope separated exposing parchment inside.
I could feel the shivers creep up my spine and crossing over to my neck. Something was so foreboding about this whole situation and I loved every second of it. At the time I felt like I was in the definition of a horror novel.
I carefully pulled the parchment out from its resting place and began reading the handwritten note.
‘I hope you’ve enjoyed the extravagant show I’ve so far prepared for you. There is so much more to come. Inside this very special case that I’ve provided you resides a bound journal. I couldn’t help but notice the limitations to your short stories. Though I loved every single one, I must say, I found something missing. I wouldn’t worry though. I want to help.
Further in this envelope are plane tickets. I want you to visit my home for seven simple nights. By the time you leave I can promise you that little black book will be filled with your first ever living, breathing tale.
All you have to do is make the plane journey and I’ll take care of the rest. Make sure to sign the front cover of your new book. It’s special after all and it’s all yours.
With respects,
Vincent Valentine.’
I slowly lowered the letter on the table, careful to avoid spilling any droplets of blood onto the page. I could feel the indent of the tickets still in the envelope. I couldn’t believe my luck. I’d say my heart sang but once again something crept its way in me, something dark. It felt like I was being invited to a gala that I didn’t belong at.
I was simply a dwarf standing amongst giants.
I shook the feeling off and reached into the box to retrieve my new journal.
Each page was blank and crisp, hundreds of pages ready to be filled. When the flickering of pages reached the front cover I noticed something. A simple black line. A perfect place for my signature.
With a tepid sense of giddiness I raced back to my storage area and retrieved a pen. I quickly returned to my book and spread it open wide. With one hand I held the pages spread and with the other I held the pen. I swept my signature boldly across the line, and just as my pen tip left the page, a single droplet of blood pierced down on top of the paper.
A final period at the end of my name.
The irony of this wasn’t lost to me. I laughed trying to offset the feeling of unease. Signing that book shifted something in my life that I wouldn't be prepared for. I no longer felt like I didn’t just belong near the giants. I felt like they now were aware of me. They were watching me, judging me.
The tickets that lay inside the newly opened envelope were scheduled for 7 months out. I knew these dates weren’t by coincidence. Vincent wanted these sevens to appear, for what reason? I couldn’t say. I figured more of his showmanship would explain it to me in due time.
So I cleared my schedule for a while and prepped for my departure.
When the date came I took a taxi from my home towards the airport. The sky was darkened and cloudy. I watched as lightning flashed in the distance within the heavy gray clouds.
The sky seemed so high up that day. A true monolith of creations might. I could almost feel something immensely powerful looking down upon me from within that storm. It's eyes were assuredly turned down upon me and the journey that lay ahead.
In contrast, the airport itself felt as clinical as always. The typical smell of coffee mixed in with the incoming rain blended together into a mesmerizing fragrance. I grabbed a cup for myself and pressed it against my lips. I let the aroma fill my nostrils as I took in the sights of the planes docking and departing.
When the time came for me to board, lightning struck the tarmac. A mix of asphalt and gravel exploded near our plane. Several passengers screamed out in fear. The explosion sent pellets of rocks into the metallic frame of our sanctuary.
Of course the plane was decommissioned for the day. All planes in the area were tarmacked until further notice. I felt my shoulders give way to disappointment. Vincent said all I had to do was board the plane and he’d take care of the rest. Due to the fates I couldn’t even manage that much.
I took a seat over at the departure area and began my wait. It took the storm 7 hours to depart the area and free up the skies for travel. I had nearly given up on the trip when I heard the intercom sound from overhead.
“All flights are now boarding.”
I looked around me and noticed only a handful of us had survived the stay. The rest had all left. No doubt distraught over their failed plans. Us few who remained had boarded with ease. Almost like a miracle, the rest of the journey went smoothly. We traveled hours before the sun began setting and we arrived at our destination briskly at dusk.
Upon exiting the plane we all headed towards the luggage area. Much to my surprise I was intercepted just meters away by a handsome clean cut man dressed up in an all black suit and wearing a chauffeur’s cap.
“Excuse me Madam, I believe I’m here for you.” The Gentleman said, his dark brown eyes squinting at me with remarkable elegance.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” I politely questioned. I couldn’t have imagined that my ride would have waited for me after a seven hour delay. I was already prepared to gouge my own pockets to hire a taxi service to Mr. Valentine’s home.
“I’m in service to Mr. Vincent Valentine. I believe that I’m to take you to his residence.” His voice was so soothing and smooth. He seemed like more of an actor playing in a role than a real services employee.
“In that case, I’m sorry I made you wait.” I turned my eyes to the bags next to him. He had already procured my luggage.
“Oh, don't worry about that Madam. I haven’t been waiting long. This is the precise time I was told to arrive and so I did. Now if you wouldn’t mind, Mr. Valentine would like to see you as soon as possible.” He flashed me a smile, his pearly teeth were perfectly aligned and accentuated his chiseled jaw.
Without much more conversing he led me to the back of the small parking garage. With a slight nod he guided me over to a black 1964 Dodge 330. It looked ravishingly untouched despite its old age.
My personable Valet walked over to the passenger’s side door and opened it for me. I went to collect my belongings from him but he stopped me. He let me know he’d take care of my bags. I thanked him and took my seat. The interior of the vehicle reflected much of the same feel that it had projected on the exterior. That this was somehow a brand new classic.
When my Chauffeur returned to his side of the vehicle and shut his door I felt myself jump. I was once more jostled into feeling out of place. I had wished that I could have brought some company with me. Someone to be within my same social class. Instead I was resorted to simply just being a fish out of water in the lap of dark luxury.
Without another word and only a glimpse of a quick smile from my companion, we headed off.
I was surprised by the terrain we had found ourselves in just minutes after leaving the airport. The businesses and shopping centers had given away to grasslands and forests. The trees at first came one by one, then by clusters and then finally they tunneled us in. There was merely a thin road with a wall of lumber on either end of us.
Yet still, I was immersed in the landscape. My eyes jumped from one thing to another. The hoot of an owl, the chirping of crickets, it all amazed me. It was as if I was a new born baby entering the world for the first time. The face of my traveling partner remained nonetheless unimpressed. His demeanor made it clear that this journey was nothing special to him. And I suppose it wasn't.
As the darkness outside had peaked, refraining me from any sort of sightseeing, the man next to me spoke up.
“We’re here, Madam.” He spun the wheel of the car instinctively and circled into a large rounded driveway. I looked out my window and saw a large stone manor cropped up in chiseled Gothic architecture. Gray brickwork textured and meshed brilliantly with darkened oaken doors and rich window frames.
“I’ll get your bags. Please, head up to the door. Mr. Valentine is waiting for you.”
I nodded and thanked my driver who waved away my thanks in a polite manner.
“Oh, don’t thank me. I’m just doing what my contract outlines.” With one final charming smile he exited the vehicle. I soon followed
The size of the manor astounded me. Vincent was an amazingly talented author but I knew most readers had no idea who he was. How he could afford to live in a Victorian palace like this was unexplainable to me.
With heavy lead lining my heels I made my ascent up the stone patio steps towards the large wooden door. Hidden amongst the frame of the giant gate was a wicket door. As my feet reached the final step I felt myself freeze up. The way the manor had towered over me made me feel inexplicably small and meaningless. It had left me intimidated beyond movement.
“Well, go on Madam. You've made it this far.” The driver called out to me in a gingerly tone. He was preparing my luggage for travel. With trembling hands I knocked on the thick oaken door. A muffled impact sounded with every strike. A few moments passed by before the wicket creaked open. Inside was a beautiful young woman dressed in a black service outfit, much like the driver wore behind me.
With nothing more than a glance from her piercing eyes she spoke up.
“Welcome to the Wordsmith Manor Ms. Williams. Please come in.” The fair skinned lady reflected the same charm all of Vincent’s employees seemed to have. Though her tone was much sharper and direct. I admired her long black hair that had been pulled back into a tight bun. The dark color resonated brilliantly with her freckles and icy blue eyes.
“Thank you.” I quietly muttered. I kept my eyes low to the ground. I was scared of further intimidation from this home or its perfect occupants. I felt a finger lightly tap the underside of my chin and I looked up to see the Maid smiling at me with an unexpectedly soft smile.
“Don’t be scared to look around. Mr. Valentine specifically asked us to allow you to get a grasp of all you could on your way up to him.” After a quick meeting of our eyes I finally let my gaze roam. Inside was just as immaculate as the outside. Stone lined the walls with finely finished wooden flooring.
The dim lighting that flickered around us seemed to emanate on its own. I saw no signs of lights or cords connecting to any outlet, nor any outlets in general. I felt as though I had stepped back in time. Endlessly long hallways stretched out in every direction from the foyer. It struck my imagination immediately as it quite literally looked like an intricate spiders web.
As I was taking in the sights of the Wordsmith Manor, the male servant scooted past my back in a hurry. He was carrying my luggage up a nearby staircase.
“Your room will be located just upstairs in the main guest room. Your bags will be there for you to unpack. Though you'll find everything you need already located in the room should you search for it. For now Mr. Valentine would like to meet with you.” With a light footed twirl she began walking in front of me. I toed just behind her.
We went through a nicely ornamented hallway of different paintings. Each art piece seemed to be of different creatures and characters that could only be found in the multitude of books Vincent had written. They were painted just as vividly as the author had described them as. They felt like windows into another world rather than paint on parchment.
As I gawked upwards at the portraits of all of the characters that had enraptured my mind over the years, I had scarcely noticed the change in lighting. A rose coloring had begun filling the hallway spilling outwards from a nearby threshold. It lent the way to warmth and a calming sensation. With a few more steps towards the wave of soothing light we entered Mr. Valentine’s Den.
Many books and tomes lined the walls of this area in a neat fashion. Not a singly speck of dust prevented the shimmering of polished wood from glowing in the light. A large red rug swirled with golds and blacks. It lay at the center of the room. Sitting right next to a large stone fireplace
was the man I had only seen on the back covers of my favorite books, Mr. Vincent Valentine. Above him a large portrait of a hellish landscape. The placard read 'The Face of Aka Manah.'
“She’s ready for you Sir.” The woman chirped up. Vincent’s eyes fluttered to life as he looked to her than over to me.
“Thank you my dear. And also, of course, thank you Ms. Williams for coming.” His eyes shined unnaturally well with an endless depth of knowledge and experience. The red tint of the room had darkened his irises to a near pitch black coloring.
“Mr. Valentine, thank you so much for doing all of this.” I nearly stumbled over my words but managed to choke them out. Vincent merely gave me a half smile and shook his head dismissively.
“Nonsense. I saw that article you wrote about how my stories. About how they had inspired you to take up the pen and try your hand at crafting your own tales. I was beyond flattered.” He motioned his slender finger over to a blood red leather wingback chair that sat next to him. With a nod I followed his directions. With a short walk closer to the Author I had taken my seat in the form fitted throne next to my life long hero.
“It really is a shame how many people don’t know about you.” I offered as a sincere sentiment. His half smile spread slightly more across his aged and wizened face.
“My work finds precisely the people I want it too. You can’t share true horror with just anyone you know. I think some Authors found that out the hard way.” With a soft chuckle he resumed, “but this isn’t just a pleasant trip, as you must’ve gathered from my letter. This is a gift. I want to tutor you for for however long it takes until you can find your voice. I can promise, no matter how heavy and large that black book you hold feels, it’ll fill as easily as any ink to paper with the right motivation.”
With one of his ancient hands he pointed over to my jacket pocket, exactly where I had kept my little black book. How he knew where it was still remains a mystery to me.
“I would love to learn from you if I could get the chance.” I held back a yearning look. I didn’t want to make this man think lowly of me.
With a quick check of his watch his face had grown long and disappointed.
“The nights fading well past dawn and I fear our time tonight must be cut short. That being said I want you to understand one thing before bed. Each and every story you tell is as real as flesh and blood. Maybe not to you but to someone, something, somewhere. The cosmos is large and beyond that even larger. Science is just starting to scratch into what philosophers have known from the beginning of time. Sadly humanity's science will never catch up to their freedom of thought. The human understanding will always be a blip of the whole until it’s wiped out completely.”
The way he was staring into my eyes told me so much about who this man was. Whether or not he was sane may have been up to a debate to everyone but himself. He knew he lived in a reality so much more vivid than our own.
“Excuse me sir, the guest bedroom has been prepared. We have seven minutes.” A feminine voice behind me had broken me from my trance. Mr. Valentine's gaze left my own and looked towards his servant.
“And so ends my lesson for the night. Dream about what I taught you and I can promise by the morning you’ll already be one step closer to a new well of horror. Possibly by tomorrow night you'll be completely submerged.”
Before I could respond, the Maid had ushered me out of the den. We had arrived back in the hallway of portraits. The faces amongst them had seemingly changed their gazes to match my mood. Their eyes now were cast down upon me, judging me for who I was and who I wanted to be. Once again I felt that feeling of foreboding darkness. This time however I looked the Demons back in their countless eyes. I was trying to see them as real entities just as Mr. Valentine had requested that I do. Their terrible gazes seemed to soften with every step I took. Their lips seemingly upturning at the edges of their mouths in just the slightest of manners.
Once we hit the staircase in the main foyer I chanced a glance down an adjacent hallway to see the elegant servant carrying thick iron chains from one room to the next. After quickly shutting the doors behind him he used the irons to bar them from the outside. He glanced over towards me and our eyes met. He nodded at me in acknowledgment. His face seemed paled and worn.
My guide nudged my arm to grab my attention away from the man. "Hurry now, we need to get you in bed soon." With a hurried but dignified saunter she had led me up the wooden staircase and into the abyss above. Just as the den had tinted the air red, the second floor cast shadows of darkness around every corner. I felt a cold breath of wind run through me that seemed to emanate from the Manor's stone brick walls themselves.
“My apologies for any drafts up here. It’s been a very long time since anyone has been a guest in the Wordsmith.” Her voice reflected an apologetic tone but also that of stoicism, as if she was repeating an archaic sentiment from her memories but still a sentiment nonetheless.
“It’s fine, I enjoy cold air as long as there's a nice warm blanket to accompany it.” I forced a smile and looked at the side of the servants face. She seemed to have a coy expression on her lips at my fleeting justification for a drafty home.
“And here it is, right at the top of the staircase. I hope you find everything to your liking. If not we’ll do our best to please you in the morning.” She turned to face me. Her eyes emanated light in the darkened corridor. They were submissive but penetrative, an odd combination but one gained from countless years of servitude.
“I’m sure I will. Thank you.” With a nod she stepped beside the door, allowing me entry past her. I walked in front of the Maid and pressed my small hand on the brass handle of the guestroom door. A quick tug and a push allowed me entry.
I gaped at my room.
A large queen sized bed lay mid-way between the doorway and the far wall. A veiled rose colored canopy adorned the edges of the bed mimicking Victorian royalty. The posh blankets seemed soft enough to resemble that of ruby red a cloud. I had never seen anything like it with my own eyes before.
An expansive window lay on the farthest wall, moonlight pooled into the room and coated my resting place with a beam of heavenly light. Just below the window resided a writing desk and a chair, neatly tucked in. No signs of dust or unkempt follies showed any sort of face in this pristine room.
With hushed footsteps I approached my bed. The door latching shut behind me. I allowed my hands to slowly draw back the drapes, the silk nearly slipping through my fingertips. I took a deep breath and laid down. The bed gave way underneath my body and devoured me into its encasing folds. I let out an exhausted breath as I smiled and stared up at the ceiling. I couldn’t possibly have felt more excitement and desire for the future. My heart had swelled up inside of my chest at that moment.
With little more notice my eyes pushed themselves shut and filled my mind with an empty darkness. Neither dream nor thought seemed to come to me that night. My weary brain needed a rest perhaps more than I knew.
I woke up hours later to the brilliant shine of the morning’s sun. Even through my wispy half taut curtains the sunlight had managed to breach into my room. The large window had fully replaced the moonlight from the night prior. I looked down at myself and sighed. I had fallen asleep with all my clothes on including my shoes. I felt as though I had somehow once again proven that I didn’t belong within the halls of the manor.
I pushed that negative thought out of my mind. Quickly followed by physically pushing myself out of my resting place. With all the clarity of an early bird, I let my eyes travel around the naturally well-lit room. I saw a small door on the wall nearest the foot of my bed.
Shortly after I saw my luggage neatly placed near a hardy looking writing desk. After a quick post slumber stretch I allowed myself to start the process of unpacking my belongings. I quickly discovered that the door nearest to the bed led to a bathroom. With travel pack in hand I entered.
Marble countertops and glistening silver accessories lined the bathroom. A smile broke through my face as I saw how disheveled I looked in the mirror in comparison to the pristine nature of the room I was in. I walked to the counter and unzipped my baggie.
To my surprise everything I could need was already placed neatly in a row. Toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant and even other more personal items. Strangely enough they were all my favorite brands.
I shook it off and convinced myself that I just had good tastes in products.
I took some extra time with getting myself cleaned up and presentable. I was fully prepared to make a good impression on my host. Hell, at that point in time, I just wanted to keep pace with his Servants.
Once I was freshened up I put my used clothes into a linen hamper and headed out towards the bedroom door. With a quick flick of my wrist I felt unexpected resistance. I tried again to meet the same result.
It was latched shut.
I kept trying but sure enough the door was locked up tight from the outside of the room. A slight panic began to fill my chest. A panic set in by the fast realization I had allowed myself to enter a strangers home without proper precautions.
I felt my heartbeat begin to race.
With a heavy fist I pounded on the thick wooden frame of the door. Not too long after I heard heavy footsteps glide up the staircase to the other side of my room. With the sound of a lock turning the door opened. Standing on the other side was the Butler, my former Chauffeur.
"My apologies Madam. It's been so long since we've had a guest I suppose it slipped our mind that this door would need unlocking." He tried to give me a charming smile but I wasn't going for it this time. I quickly spat a retort back towards him.
"Why was my door locked in the first place?" I questioned, my eyes shooting directly into the brown depths of his.
"It's mostly to keep the night staff out. They don't like to be bothered much and can be a bit of a handful if they bump into anyone they don't know." In retaliation to my stare his eyes had softened and melted down some of my guard.
"Well I don't care about that. I don't want my door locked. Don't do that in the future." The man grimaced and nodded.
"As you wish." He stated flatly. "Now If you wouldn’t mind breakfast is about to be prepared. If you head to the dining room I’m sure Mr. Valentine will meet you there.” With that the man headed back down the steps towards the foyer. I stood still. I was at a loss as to where to venture. I decided to follow him and venture down the steps. By the time I reached the bottom the man was gone.
"You can head straight down towards the Den but make the first right in the hallway." I jumped as the female voice spoke up right behind my back. I turned around to see the maid behind me. She gave a calm nod and waved out her hand, pointing down the direction of the hall.
“I’m sorry, thank you.” I whispered. It was slowly becoming clear to me that there was something lurking just below the surface of this manor, like it was all a part of some type of show.
With that in the back of my mind I headed off down the hallway. The stone began to lighten up towards the back as a large windowpane took over an entire wall. I entered the windowed room and saw a rather extravagant dining set. Two chairs presented themselves at the foot of either end of the table.
I chose the chair that seemed reserved for a guest, the one less commanding of the dining room. Before long a sensual smell filled the room. Freshly baked bread, bacon and eggs were all seemingly being made from scratch. I stared outside the window as I waited and saw a large clearing in the woods. A bench lay outside facing the yard while several rocky outcroppings lay at the far end, just out of my sight.
“It’s a beautiful day isn’t it?” A smooth voice trailed off. I had glanced at the doorway to see the tall slender figure of Mr. Vincent Valentine. A new blazer was draped over his body accentuating his strong but thin shoulders.
“Very beautiful Sir.” I said, smiling at him. He put out his hand and waved my pleasantries away.
“No need for that. I need you independent for teaching, otherwise you’ll just end up like me.” His tone was like silk. He knew how to speak. Without another word he took his seat at the other end of the table. Fresh plates of food were brought out by the servants and placed in front of us. Just as I had imagined they had prepared fresh biscuits, bacon and eggs along with finely toasted bread.
I raised some food to my mouth and took a bite, nothing but purity of flavor could explain the taste. It was so very refined. It was prepared in such a way that I had to believe that the chauffeur didn’t just have a knack for driving under his belt but was a perfected chef as well.
Mr. Valentine gazed out of the window as I ate, not touching a bite of the spread that lay in front of him.
“Are you willing to go beyond your personal comfort to write?” He asked out loud. The surprising nature of his question made me put my food back down on my plate.
“As long as I’m being taught by you, I don’t think we could go wrong.” I offered while I eyed up the strange teacher.
At my words his sharp gaze shifted to my eyes, penetrating my very soul.
“I want you to leave here a creator, an author of the highest ability. That takes a great deal of sacrifice. Would you be willing to do that?”
I felt stunned at his question. I didn’t understand his meaning nor his goal.
“I believe I am.” I replied. I looked on his face for any type of signal that I had said the right thing. To my surprise a smile came across the old man’s face.
“Good to hear. Tonight will be a fine night for horror.” With that Mr. Valentine stood up from his chair and walked out of the dining room, leaving myself and the feast before me, to our own devices.
I took my time to fill my stomach and then excused myself silently from the table. I wandered the halls of the Wordsmith endlessly. The layout seemingly to continuously shift with every loop. I couldn't explain it but my thought's seemed to refuse to be collected.
I had based by two equivalent foyers, three libraries and countless halls. Eventually becoming lost in the maze of the manor. I felt a cold sweat begin to hit me as I was quickly realizing I wouldn't be able to get back to where I started.
Somehow every long hour only lasted a short minute. The windows began to shift from morning light, to brilliant afternoon beams to a rose colored sunset in just moments.
I spent all day lost and didn't speak with Mr. Valentine a single time after breakfast. No doubt frustrating the man that I was wasting his time.
I quickened my pace down the stone hallways. Left, Right, Left, Forward. Somehow I looped around. I began to jog. Night was approaching. The layout was impossible. Where were the servants?
I heard whispers coming from doors that had long since been chained shut. The same chains I had seen the Butler the night prior carrying. Could this be some ploy just to scare me? If so how were they commanding these stone spaces to loop and twirl so easily around me.
It didn't matter eventually. Night had fully fallen by the time I found myself at the Foyer near my bedroom. Even though hours supposedly had past my stomach was still full from breakfast.
I felt like crying. I wasted an entire day of my trip running around a manor by myself. Not a single page written in the journal Mr. Valentine had bought for me. And to make it worse a quick glance around the hallways showed no signs of life. Just cold drafts of dry air. I had no option but to go back up to my room and try to start anew tomorrow.
I traced my steps back up from the night prior and making it back up to my room. Inside was dark, clouds had covered the moonlight letting nothing break through the thick ink that had pooled inside. I kicked off my shoes and fell back onto the bed. Tears in my eyes.
With every huff of air I took I could hear an echo coming from the blackened corner of the room.
I turned my head and stared into the void.
I couldn't make out anything at first. I wiped the water from my eyes and kept focusing. Eventually a figure formed in my mind. Something just taller than myself. Masculine, dapper.
The Male Servant.
I sat up and called out to the shadow. "What are you doing in my room? How long have you been there?"
The mans outline just continued to watch me. My senses suddenly kicked in. Some sort of instinct was telling me to get as far away from this man as possible. I slowly stood up to my feet, my eyes not leaving his shape.
I slowly began to step towards the door. His frame just stood in the darkness like a drape, his face watching me as I walked further away.
Once I was near the door I felt my shoulder bump into something. I turned and stared at the Maid. Or rather the Maid that was not a maid.
Her outfit clung to her like loose fitting rags. Her face gaunt and mouth opened exposing a pit of darkness outlined by a row of pearly white teeth. Her lower jaw jiggled with my shoulders light touch.
I heard a voice in the back of my head call out to me. 'Run.' And so I did.
I immediately ran down the stairs towards the front foyer. The skittering of feet following closely behind me. I reached the front door and pulled. It tugged but refused to budge. It was locked. I turned to face my pursuers but through my squinted gaze I was met with nothing more than an empty room.
I started to breath heavily trying to control myself. Off down a distant hallway I heard a door open and close. It sounded like it came from Mr. Valentine's Den. I turned back to the front door and tried opening it again, looking for the latch.
Footsteps began to walk down the hallway towards me.
I pulled and pulled, tears welling up in my eyes again. I made a mistake. Coming to here, meeting a stranger, I was being dumb. I never should have taken the offer.
Eventually I screamed out at the front door and heard a soothing voice come from behind me.
"What a terrible night you seem to be having." It was Mr. Valentine. I turned to face him. His back was turned towards me and face obscured.
"Mr. Valentine, please, I don't want to do this anymore. Something's wrong with this place. I'm sorry, I just-" I froze as Mr. Valentine walked closer to me. His knees protruded backwards, facing the wrong way underneath his fine silk slacks.
"My dear, you have 5 days left here." With that all the light faded in the Foyer. I was cast in darkness.
It wasn't until sunlight hit my face the next morning that I felt some sort of relief. I looked around me, I was in the guest bedroom. Precisely where I was the night before. I shot back up and looked around. Nothing was out of place. I heard a knocking at the door. It was the Maid.
"Madam, we've prepared breakfast for you. You wont want to miss your first lesson with Mr. Valentine. He's waiting for you.
I didn't know if I could make it much longer there. Nothing made any sense.
When I came to think of it, I couldn't even remember a single title Mr. Valentine had ever wrote.