Podcasts about thirteen

Book Talk for BookTok with Jac & Amy treats your favorite BookTok novels, romance and romantasy, like literature. We bring real tools of analysis (themes, imagery, symbolism, character arcs) through two lenses: Feminist (gender roles, power, agency, archetypes) and Marxist (class, labor, capital, institutions). Same rigor as a lit class, more jokes, less homework. In the final episode of our Heir of Fire season, we ask the question the whole book has been quietly building toward: do we actually believe Celaena's arc as she un-masks into Aelin Galathynius? Chapters summary: Celaena recovers from the battle for Mistward and leaves Wendlyn behind, journeying to Doranelle to face Queen Maeve. When Maeve punishes Rowan to force Celaena to reveal the location of the third Wyrdkey, Celaena answers with wildfire—and outmaneuvers the immortal queen, winning Rowan's freedom from his blood oath. But Rowan's loyalty is already decided: before Maeve and the Cadre, he swears a new blood oath—not to Celaena, but to Aelin Galathynius. In Rifthold, news of Aelin's wildfire and fight against Norrak throws the kingdom into chaos. Plans for escape unravel when the King of Adarlan intercepts them. Aedion is tricked into giving up his identity, and he is restrained while the King kills the true traitor in their midst. Dorian's magic is revealed in his attempt to save Chaol, who flees to Anielle while his prince is shackled. High in the Ferian Gap, Manon and the Thirteen win the war games, but at what cost? Two episodes weekly: Tuesday = Analysis • Thursday = Listener Thoughts on Breadcrumbs & Broomsticks. How to participate: Send your theories and spicy takes for Thursday's Breadcrumbs & Broomsticks—spoilers welcome there. Use our site form or DM us on Instagram. The Subtext Society Journal: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thesubtextsocietyjournal.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  We're thrilled to announce our newest venture: The Subtext Society Journal—the first of its kind, dedicated to Romance, Romantasy, and fandom with an academic yet accessible voice. We're publishing original essays and thought pieces, and we encourage listeners to submit their own articles for a chance to be featured. Sponsor: Vionic Use code BOOKTALK at checkout for 15% off your entire order at www.vionicshoes.com when you log into your account. 1 time use only. Share your thoughts for a chance to be featured! Submit them at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠booktalkforbooktok.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for a future mini-episode or exclusive Patreon discussion. Support the Show:  Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/booktalkforbooktok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Merch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Etsy Store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us on Social: Instagram: @BookTalkForBookTok TikTok: @BookTalkForBookTok YouTube: @BookTalkForBookTok Heir of Fire analysis, Heir of Fire Ch. 8–13, Sarah J. Maas podcast, Throne of Glass podcast, Aelin Galathynius analysis, Rowan Whitethorn training, Queen Maeve analysis, Manon Blackbeak wyvern, Aedion Ashryver, Dorian and Sorscha, Feminist literary analysis, Marxist literary analysis, romantasy podcast, imagery and symbolism, Mistward, Doranelle, wyverns. Aelin/Celaena • Rowan Whitethorn • Queen Maeve • Chaol Westfall • Dorian Havilliard • Sorscha • Aedion Ashryver • Manon Blackbeak • The Thirteen • Wyverns • Mistward • Doranelle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we welcome 2026, I want to take a moment to share from the heart what I truly wish for you this year. This isn't about setting resolutions, making lists, or creating strategies, it's simply about the hope I carry for you in the months ahead. This year doesn't need to be perfect. May you give yourself permission to make it your own, to choose yourself, and to step into the new year with gentleness and self-kindness. Here's to a year that's about you - because you deserve it!! Links mentioned in the episode:  Download the E-book, I'm A Single Mum... Now What? - HERE Click HERE to learn more about the Trauma coaching and support group program.  Join the Thrive Tribe waitlist HERE.  Click HERE to join the free Facebook Group, The Single Mother Survival Guide Support Forum.  Download the E-book – Thirteen single mothers share their struggles, top tips, and their favourite things about being a single mother – HERE. To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide. And join the email list there too. Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

What if choosing sobriety didn't mean giving something up—but gaining everything?In this powerful Dry January episode of Women Road Warriors, Shelley Johnson and Kathy Tuccaro sit down with Kim Bellas, founder of the international movement Sober Is the New Cool, to explore how sobriety can unlock joy, clarity, confidence, and deeper connection.Kim's journey began in 2013 as a mother's promise to her teenage son after he developed seizures and could no longer drink socially. Determined to show him that fun, belonging, and celebration don't require alcohol, Kim chose sobriety herself—and never looked back. Thirteen years later, she's living proof that a sober life can be vibrant, stylish, and deeply fulfilling.In this inspiring conversation, Kim shares her powerful mantra—“Never ever miss another memory”and how it became the foundation of a global movement rooted in compassion, self-love, and holistic wellness. From walking in Fashion Week at age 62 to leading the International Recovery Walk across 35+ countries, Kim is redefining what recovery and wellness look like at every stage of life.This episode is for anyone curious about Dry January, questioning their relationship with alcohol, navigating mental health challenges, or simply seeking more presence and purpose. Kim reminds us that we're all recovering from something, and every step toward wellness matters.If you're ready for hope, support, and a community that meets you where you are—this conversation will show you that saying no to one thing can open the door to absolutely everything.✨ Sobriety is empowering.✨ Wellness is a journey.✨ And joy doesn't need alcohol to shine.https://www.soberisthenewcool.cahttps://youtube.com/@soberisthenewcool?si=YFSP6SpXkY7CdL6Uhttps://www.facebook.com/share/19CKzrPT2o/?mibextid=wwXIfrwww.womenroadwarriors.com#DryJanuary #SoberIsTheNewCool #SoberCurious #SobrietyJourney #KimBellas #HolisticWellness #MentalHealthMatters #WomenRoadWarriors

In this informative and grounded talk, clinical herbalist Liane Moccia shares some of her most trusted herbal strategies for building a strong fertility foundation. Drawing from both clinical experience and current research, Liane walks through four foundational herbal allies she regularly uses in her fertility and preconception practice — herbs chosen for their antioxidant activity, stress support, sleep benefits, and overall role in supporting egg and sperm quality. This video is ideal for anyone: • Planning for pregnancy • Actively trying to conceive • Supporting fertility alongside IVF or other assisted methods • Interested in evidence-based, holistic fertility support Liane also speaks openly about her own fertility journey, her integrative approach to herbal medicine and Western care, and why foundational herbs are often overlooked in favor of trendier remedies.

The unlikely encounter between a river fisher bird and a slug of the sea inspire both to strike a bargain to explore the powers and limits of their forms. Genre: Fable   Excerpt: Halceyx cocked her head. "I've never encountered a poisonous river slug before. This is most adventurous." "I am not a river slug. I am a slug of the sea. I am called Irsid. And I have come to the river to explore."   The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them. This episode landed on PROMPTS. See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: River Fisher and Blue Dragon Find more stories and episodes featuring this theme here: Year of Prompts.   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. You can also get there from my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create)Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me)  Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork?Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: "River Fisher and Blue Dragon" Copyright © 2022 by Nila L. PatelNarration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music:"Spinning Tavern" by JONATHAN SHAW (Intro & Outro)"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro) Music by JONATHAN SHAW"Checking Inventory""Afternoon Chat""In Tranquil Spring""A Tale of Wind""Out of Time""Spinning Tavern""A Tale of Water""Cold Sanctuary""A Tale of Peace"   All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Jonathan Shaw and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev MarketSound effects from AudioJungle and GameDevMarketChanges made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Jonathan Shaw and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.netFind more music by Jonathan Shaw at jshaw.co.ukFind more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. At center, a bird in right profile, head tilted up, beak slightly parted and holding a slug-like creature. The bird is perched on a patch of earth, at bottom left corner, along the shore of a river. At top of frame, glowing balls of light float through the air. The bird appears to be a river kingfisher of the Ceyx genus. The bird bears feathers of many different colors. The front half of the slug has the shape of a garden slug, with streaks of many colors. The slug's eyes are directed toward the bird. The bottom half of the slug appears like a blue dragon sea slug with blue coloring and plume-like appendages. Both animals are speckled with sparks of light. Watermark of "Storyfeather" along the bird's chest.

Quaranteam - Dave In Dallas: Part 11 Cleanup: The Air Force arrives with a mop. Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Dave's second quandary was his position, nearly on the middle of the pad, left him seriously exposed. Applying the aggressiveness taught by Carter, he knew Liv had him protected to the right, so he closed with the occupied building, moving to the far corner. A quick look showed him there were again two doors, like the other building. And two men emerging from the far door. Turning their backs to him as they followed a third man who was just rounding the opposite corner. That put him out of Dave's sight, but into Liv's. As the men receded, Dave fired into their backs. Neither was at a sprint, so they fell forward without the dramatic tumbling of the earlier target. A simultaneous rifle crack announced the death of the lead in that trio. He paused. Dave couldn't hear any sounds coming from the building. He remained wary, uneasy. How many more will it take? He waited. An eternity later, the door on one of the smaller buildings slowly opened. Two hands held high and outward came into view, followed by the woman they were attached to. She moved slowly. She was too far away for Dave to read her facial expression but she was giving all the big outward signs of surrender. Two more women exited another of the smaller buildings. One was an average build, the other rotund. The latter's feet seemed reluctant to move. Great. Don't know if there's anyone left in the big building, and now I have unknowns coming in from the houses. Other women began issuing from what must be the dwellings. Eight in all. As they neared, most had curious, guarded expressions on their faces. The big one had a look like she rarely smiled, ever. "Alright, that's close enough! Just stop where you are. Pick a leader and send her forward." There was a brief discussion which resulted in a medium height brunette walking towards him. The third woman out glared daggers into the back of the brunette's skull. The angry one argued hard with all of them, but none seemed interested in anything she had to say. Dave waited until the brunette reached easy speaking distance. "Stop right there. What's your name?" "Sandy." "How many of you are there?" "I don't rightly know." She looked thoughtful. "All the men were in the community building. Us women and our kids were in our homes. Jeb, the man that bound me to him, came in awhile ago with a new woman. She was out, like from the shot he gave me before." That confirms they're using the QT serum . "If he bound you to him with that shot, why are you awake?" "Oh, that was a few weeks back for me. I knew him a little bit before lockdowns started. Then he just shows up and says he has this safe place to stay and we can both be safe from the virus runnin' round, but I have to take this shot and sleep with him. He's been an okay guy, and I ain't had no boyfriend in several months anyway. 'Sides, he didn't tell me that I couldn't be with anybody else after that. Which sucks, but mostly he's been okay. Only been an asshole a few times, but that's pretty fair for most guys I've met. No offense." Dave smirked. "Sandy, how many men are there in your community?" She stopped, looking off to the side, thinking. "Well, there was the ten that left saying' they's gonna raid a rich man's house for somethin', never told us what. Now we know why. They were out collectin' poon like we's just a bunch a deer and no tag limit." Sandy paused. "Is that why you're here? You come to scoop us up and make us your whores?" "No, ma'am." We killed more than ten, so that can't be all . "If you ladies were bound to these men, we'll need to take you to the people that hand out the vaccine to see what they can do for you. But ma'am, please, how many men total are there?" The far door of the community building opened slowly, and a woman stepped out. It was the one Dave had seen inject one of the women right before she got raped. "Get over with the others. Is anyone else inside?" The woman shook her head no and moved swiftly to join the pack. "Oh, right. Well, after the ten left, all six of the others took off saying' they could do just as good somewhere else. But only three of them came back, including Jeb. As soon as they's back they took the nurse, that's the woman that just came out, well they took her and the two women bound to two of the guys that didn't come back and a bit later those women are out cold again. I thought the whole shot thing was permanent, but maybe not if the guy's dead? I hope so, 'cuz we're about to be in a bad way aren't we?" Thirteen. Thirteen men here. Dave counted off in his head. He thought they'd taken out thirteen, but he wasn't going to make assumptions. Especially when one part of his brain was parodying an old farcical movie about how many bullets had been fired from a gun. An 80's flick set in the 50's. "Alright Sandy, is there anyone else left in the houses?" "Just the kids, and some unconscious women. The men said they'd gotten them; reassigned?" She looked frustrated. "Guess I still wasn't good enough to keep that asshole by m'self." Dave deliberately gave Sandy an appraising look. "I think that has more to do with his greed than your looks or personality." "Well ain't you sweet?" Sandy licked her lips and looked Dave up and down. "Easy, I meant every word I said, but I already have several partners. Those six that left attacked my house." Sandy's face dropped. "I don't know if I should hate your guts for killing Jeb, or thank you, for the same thing." After a pause she spoke again. "You should be careful of Debbie. Her husband brought her here for some kinda rebel nation shit. She's already pissed he came back with some hot blonde from a rich man's house. But not so mad at him she's just gonna let you killin' him slide." "Is she the rather large woman that looks like she sucked on an entire lemon tree?" "That's the one." "How 'bout we settle on neutrality for now? Look, let's get all of you back in your homes and warm. I'll need to call the authorities to make sure you all get taken care of before that serum starts doing ugly things." Sandy walked back to the assembled throng. Another debate broke out. Debbie leading a third of the group in angry objections. Then she turned to face Dave. "Where's our men? What gives you the right to come bargin' in here?" She headed for the far end of the building. Several others followed, more than just the ones that had agreed with her. Dave knew things would turn ugly as soon as these women saw the dead bodies. His fastest route into the open yard space was behind him. He sprinted the way he'd come, entering the yard through the gap just as the women began kneeling near selected bodies. By the women's placement, some of the men must have sprinted from the building's edge. Instead of a clump near the corner, there was a line of a few reaching towards the tree line. Dave felt a cold turn inside. Rationally, he could see the line ended well before the trees, suggesting Liv had taken all of them down before they got close. But could one have gotten through? That thought was interrupted by Debbie leaving the line of dead, beginning to search the yard and moving as quickly as her thick legs would carry her. Dave moved to get clear of the gap and the bodies just beyond it. Several of the other women left the line of dead as well. They slowly swarmed about the open space while Debbie made a beeline for the gap. Then she noticed a body in the grass. Fury returned to her face after a brief look of relief. Then she paused. Her chest was already heaving from exertion. When she faced Dave, the anguish was obvious. "You fucking coward! You shot 'em in the back! You shot my husband!" She began a slow charge at him. Dave sorted through his options. The only sure way he had of stopping this woman was his weapon, but he had no desire to shoot an unarmed woman grieving her husband. He could outrun her easily, but he needed to stay in the area. For a moment, Dave's brain played an image of him making short sprints and the woman chasing after him like some schoolyard game. Not helping dammit . Dave took a few steps backwards, bringing him near the back wall of the community building. He noticed the dryer vent again, which meant the pile of pipes wasn't far. He'd have to be careful if he backpedaled any more. Falling on his ass would not engender obedience or respect. Debbie's tirade ended in a screech as she reached into her pocket. Her hand came back out with a small revolver. Shit. Shit. Shit. Dave brought his weapon up faster than her and pulled his trigger. Click . No round fired. The weapon jammed. Shit . Dave dove sideways and backwards just as Debbie fired. He felt a smack on his shoulder as he fell. His hand landed on the pipe pile. He grabbed and rolled away from the wall as another shot spanged off the brick. As he rolled, he swung one arm, releasing one of the two rods he'd snagged. He threw one leg out and came up from his roll, facing Debbie as she recovered from the rod that hit her. Her motion and his brought them in close proximity. On instinct, Dave snapped out with the remaining rod, striking Debbie's wrist. She shrieked in pain as she dropped the pistol. Dave followed up with two strikes to her knee before stepping back into a ready stance. Debbie cried out, but still managed one step forward before the side of her head exploded. Dave turned from Debbie's corpse to scan the area. All of the other women were on the ground. Clearly, they'd done the math in their head and figured out he had a partner in the trees. "Don't make us shoot anyone else. We only came here because we were attacked. The people that attacked us and another house are now all dead. We've done what we came for. We are not leaving you hanging. We know you've been given Quaranteam doses so your lives are bound to these men. There is a way to free you from that bond." Dave decided a bit of vague spitballing could be useful here and played it fast and loose based on what he'd learned in the past 24 hours. "Well, not exactly free you, but transfer that bond to someone else. This time, you will have a choice in that bonding. But, I will not countenance any threat to myself or my partner. And as you can see, she is very protective of me as well. You can also see she is a damn good shot. I want all of you to gather over here, in the lee of this building, while I get someone here to help." The women got up, moving slowly so as not to provoke Dave or his hidden partner. Once they were all clumped together, he pulled out his cell phone. Time to call Detective Verratti. Chapter 13; Cleanup. October 29, 2020 8:20am "Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean you and Olivia are at the compound? Didn't you say you and your special forces friend; Carter? That the two of you were heading to the compound?" On another call, Dave would have switched ears by now. The burning in his left shoulder threatened to make that shift a very painful decision. "No, detective, I simply said we." "Dammit, professor, why the hell wouldn't you take the trained spec-ops guy on something; oh, fuck." "Exactly. Carter and his wife have been dead for two months now. Carter was the security expert in our prepper community. He ran us through many drills on how to protect ourselves and those around us. Olivia is an excellent long-range shot. She proved it again today. Took out half the compound with her sniping. Shot one that was coming at me with a.38, when my gun jammed." "Okay, okay. Damn. Look, I contacted the Air Force when you sent me the text saying you were there. As soon as the liaison red off the coordinates, whoever was on the other end of the phone got pissed. If I overheard correctly, they gathered a small force and headed that way by chopper. I think they lifted off about twenty minutes ago. Expect them in less than an hour. If they arrive in the same mood their boss was in, keep your head down. I know I'm already in deep shit. After getting shouted at over the phone, the Air Force liaison went into my boss' office and shouted for ten minutes straight. Professor; I'm sorry I got you into this." Dave signed off that call, then texted Liv. -Sling your rifle, come into the glade with pistol drawn. He stuffed his phone back in his pocket and waited. Half his energy was devoted to ignoring the pain in his arm. The adrenaline and other wonderful bio-chemicals the body produces during high stress situations all drained out in the past ten minutes so nothing got in the way of his arm screaming at his head for doing damn fool things. On the plus side, the bleeding had stopped. Mostly. As long as he didn't move it. The blood that had come out was enough to stain most of his sleeve, but not significantly impair his thinking from blood loss. Liv emerged from the tree line with all the charisma of a warrior queen. As Dave requested, her rifle was slung cross body, and her 10mm pistol was in her hands, held low, as her eyes scanned her surroundings. She took a bit of extra 'dwell time' when her eyes passed over the assembled women. Liv strode purposefully across the ground, halting at a position within easy talking range, yet too far to make them both a single target. Dave looked her over, examining her face and posture. Concern for the psychological impact of this on Olivia was uppermost in his mind. Great time to be worried about that, huh? After all the fighting is done. Genius . He snapped himself back to reality. There would be time later for self-recrimination. Liv's visual scanning kept lingering on Dave's left shoulder. "We need to treat that. It'll be tricky to do while maintaining security." "There's an Air Force team on their way. Detective Verratti said they may be unhappy, but I'm sure they'll have a medic. Or at least a first aid bag." "How long?" "Less than an hour. Sounds like forty minutes, most likely." "That arm shouldn't wait that long. You need stitches." "Got any in your back pocket, Liv?" Dave hadn't meant to get testy, but the pain was eroding his 'nice function' and the conversation felt like it was spiraling already. The flat look from Olivia carried a tinge of hurt, and forgiveness, and her own self-restraint. "Sorry, Olivia." She nodded in response, her eyes once again on their charges. One of them stood and moved slowly towards Dave. Livy squared her shoulders to the woman, but made no other change in her focus. When the woman was halfway to him, Dave recognized her as the lady that came out of the building as he spoke with Sandy. The one Sandy identified as a nurse. "Sir, would you let me look at your wound? I'm a nurse." Liv looked at him cautiously, then gave him one slow blink. Dave restrained himself from chuckling. From her, the slow blink meant anything from 'sure' to 'don't make me say I told you so'. Dave nodded at the woman. She approached slowly, then cautiously brought one hand up to examine his wound. She pulled back on the shirt to ascertain the extent of the injury. "I can treat it temporarily for now. You need stitches; which we don't have. And a painkiller. All they have here for that is alcohol, marijuana and meth. None of which I would recommend." Dave chuckled. With her finger so close, his shaking caused her to jab the side of the open gash. Dave flinched and gritted his teeth. "Oh, I'm so sorry." The nurse jumped back, pulling her hand back to her chest. Her other hand clasped the offending one closely, like she was putting it in time out. "It's okay, ma'am. I'm the one that moved suddenly." "Parker. My name is Parker." "Dave." "Well, Dave, you've got a decent flesh wound that will make a good reminder scar once it heals. You need to get stitches as soon as possible. Like today. Wait too long and it won't do any good. In the meantime, I can bandage it up. I'll need to go inside to get some clean cloth, though." Her eyes held the obvious question of whether he would let her. "How did you wind up here?" "I was on a transport from the vaccine center on my way to my Oracle designated partner when the bus got hijacked. Fifteen of us were diverted from someone we'd chosen to these guys that made their choices just by looking at us. They went in order, so whoever had priority got first pick, and so on." That matched what Verratti told Dave. More importantly, she didn't hesitate and there was no sign of falsehood in her eyes or face. Carter taught him to be careful who you trust, but you have to trust someone. There was a haunted look in her eyes, but no deception. "Liv, can you escort this nurse inside so she can get something to bandage me with?" The young brunette that had known him longer than anyone left alive gave him a funny look. "Or maybe you escort her, so you can sit down and put your arm on a table while she does her work. Should be easier for both of you that way." The nurse's face immediately took on a restrained, but amused look. "Don't say it, let's go," said Dave with a sigh. He followed her back around to the front of the building. She entered through the first door. It opened into the kitchen area. In short order, she scooped up the first aid kit and led Dave into the dining space. The room still smelled of the recent nonconsensual ruttings. Parker visibly flinched when the smell hit her. She came to a dead stop when she saw the body lying against the wall. The look on her face suggested her desire to not be here, and not be reminded of the events of this morning and her part in them, was warring with her professional instincts. Dave watched as she composed herself and ushered him to take a seat with just a hand gesture. Dave sat so Parker's back would be towards the body. As she tended his wound, he searched for visual clues. The man was older, at least fifty, likely over sixty, judging by the condition of his skin. Prominent wrinkles and liver spots, and a leathery look of someone that spent much of his life with a heavy tan. A distinctly aquiline nose and patrician features shouted 'man of money' even more so than his silk pajamas. Necessarily, Parker - more specifically her face - lay in Dave's line of sight as he looked about. Underneath the mien of professional concentration lay clear signs that removing the visual cue of the dead body was barely tamping down her anxiety. When she reached into the kit to find the scissors; so she could trim the excess off the bandage; her fingers first brought out the razor. The way she stared at it was unsettling. She paused to wipe away newly forming tears before finishing with Dave's gauze. As she neatly placed each piece of unused equipment in the kit, he gently took her chin in his right hand, turning her head to look directly at him. "Parker, you've had to make some tough choices here. You did the best you could with what you had. You're an ER nurse, right?" He recalled that tidbit from the detective's discussion. Parker nodded in affirmation. "Okay, so your training and experience is to do everything you can to get your patient that next heartbeat, to take the next breath, and another, and another. Just keep them going, and let someone else do the fancy work once you're sure the patient is alive right?" Her face contorted further as she nodded. "But I didn't. I didn't keep her alive. They took her outside ;” Parker's voice trailed off as she wept, her chest heaving. "An older blonde woman, probably in her mid-forties right?" She nodded, still weeping, not looking at him. "Her name is Natasha, and she's alive." Parker's head snapped up. Her eyes were wide in astonishment and hope. "But; how?" "I killed those men with a silenced pistol. She's hiding in my truck. Actually, I need to check on her. My partner had some spare clothes in there. Hopefully she found them." "Can I see her? Please? I just ;” The wild, desperate look in her eyes was impossible to deny. Dave gave his arm a few careful motions, testing out the pain level for various directions and ranges. It gave him an excuse to delay answering and drew her attention back to occupational concerns. "Yeah, we can do that. First, I need to touch base with my partner though." Gesturing he said, "Let's go." Parker quickly rose, snatching up the first aid kit. She deposited it back in its secure place in the kitchen before exiting, with Dave right behind her. She glanced over her shoulder several times to check that Dave was still with her as she walked around the building and straight towards Olivia. Over the last few steps, she veered off, giving Dave and Liv enough space to talk privately while she remained close by. Dave filled Livy in on what was happening. "Maybe you should escort her though, in case Natasha has not found your clothes. Besides, it would give you a chance to move about instead of standing here, getting cold." "Are you sure she saw me well enough to be comfortable when I approach? You, she got a good look at. And vice versa." Liv added a wink. Dave looked at her, his face flat and unimpressed. "Oh come on, David, you have nine women at home, came out here to dispense some justice on the assholes that attacked us, and picked up a groupie." "For crying out loud, Liv. She's not; Okay, fine, I'll escort the nurse. That woman's been through enough trauma without being exposed to your humor." Liv gave him an enigmatic smile as he walked away with Parker. Dave pointed to the gap in the trees he'd used for entry and exit previously. Once inside, the nurse stopped him. "David, I; I'm not sure if anything can be done for her." "What do you mean? "I mean, I; um, I'm not sure how much I can say. She needs something that I'm not sure is possible anymore." "You mean you couldn't extract any more semen from the dead guy's balls?" "How the hell did you know that?! That's confidential information! No one's supposed to know!" "Parker, these guys attacked my house. We killed three of them. The bodies were on my back deck and driveway with their balls cut off. Later, we get here and I see you jab the old guy in the balls with a syringe and the shot changes color. You're reassigning these women from the dead guy to the attackers using the dead man's cum, right?" She hung her head. "It was the only way to keep them alive." "And as long as they're alive, there's hope. There's a chance to fight another day, right?" She raised her head again, eyes watery, looking as if she really wanted to believe in the thin reed he offered her. "But, what about her? She's bound to that guy, and I couldn't get any more cum out. Depending on when she last slept with him, she's got a week or two before this stuff eats her up from the inside. It'll be like what they wanted to do to her, but in slow motion." Her voice cracked as she spoke. "Parker, I want you to consider something, and this is not a knock on you, but the conditions. You are an ER nurse, working under field conditions. If we take his body back to a hospital, or the vaccine center, do you think maybe a lab tech with precision equipment and ideal conditions could manage to eke out enough semen to let her switch partners?" She smiled again, taking a shaky breath. The suggestion relaxed her enough to acquiesce when he motioned her down the trail. "I don't know. I don't know, but it's worth a try. We have to move fast though. There's a time limit on how long we have to get it done." "Then we'll make sure when the Air Force gets here with their chopper, Natasha and the dead body are on the first bird out." Parker said no more as they walked. Dave only spoke to guide her on the path. When they got into visual range of the truck, Parker's steps took on an extra urgency, like she wanted to run, but held herself back. Dave signaled for her to fall in trail behind him and wait when they neared the truck. "Natasha? Natasha, it's David. I'm here with the nurse. The compound is secure now. The Air Force is on its way. We came to check on you. Did you find the clothes in the truck?" A blonde head slowly peeked over the dashboard, only one eye visible. That one eye held enough wariness for a dozen faces. The head scanned about carefully, never spending much time away from Dave and Parker. "All of the attackers are dead, Natasha. They can't hurt you." Her head cleared the dashboard and moved towards the passenger door, the same side Dave and Parker stood several feet away from. The door opened at a glacial pace. Then two legs clad in grey sweatpants stepped down. Natasha stepped clear of the door, wearing a thin white shirt, grey sweatpants that threatened to fall off, and a look of nervous hope and apprehension. Dave tried to ignore what the cold was doing to her nipples. Rigidly holding his eye contact on her face, he said, "Parker here is an ER nurse. How about letting her examine you? And then join the rest of the women. The ladies abducted with you are all; asleep, but there are women that were captured previously, like Parker here." Natasha glanced quickly at Parker. "They captured you too?" "Nearly two months ago. Our transport was hijacked after we'd already had our injections. We were on our way to our Oracle match partners when the attack happened." Natasha's wariness fell in the face of shared trauma; and the knowledge of traumas she'd been spared. She closed the distance and hugged Parker. The nurse initially stood shocked, unresponsive, her arms limp at her sides. Slowly, her hands rose, clasping onto Natasha's shoulder blades before she began shaking with sobs of relief. Reluctantly, Dave stepped in. When he spoke, he used the softest tone he was capable of. "Ladies, we need to get back. I'd rather not walk back into the clearing after the Air Force folks arrive, armed. That tends to make them nervous." He pitched his words softly, but firmly. Parker nodded in acknowledgement. The two shared a look that communicated; something. Then Dave noticed the older blonde still had nothing on her feet. "No socks in the bag?" he asked. Natasha shook her head no. Dave sighed, walked in front of her, turned his back to her and crouched. "Come on." He lowered his weapon to dangle from its sling. "What?" "Get on my back, I'll carry you." "Uh, are you sure about this? With your arm like it is?" Parker queried. "My back can carry the burden without straining my arm muscles." After a brief pause, he heard her moving hesitantly before her weight rested on his back. Her arms came around his neck. Then he hooked his hands under her knees and stood carefully. With Parker following behind, Dave navigated the path quickly. He maintained a slightly stooped posture that Carter had taught as the best way to carry a ruck. It worked quite well for carrying a person, too. The trio made good time through the woods and emerged from the tree line very deliberately, so as not to startle Liv, who was still on guard. The smile on the brunette's face when Dave emerged with Natasha on his back was unmistakable. Dave studiously ignored it. Once they were over soft grass, he lowered Natasha to the ground. He was uncomfortable sending these two to huddle with the rest of the women, but he wasn't sure what else to do. Until the moment he was ready to open his mouth. "Liv, take Parker and inspect the houses. Check on the women that got imprinted. Keep an eye out for kids or other adults. If it's just kids, reassure them the best you can. Keep them where they are if possible." Parker spoke up. "What if we bring; Natasha?; with us. I think my spare shoes would fit her. I can get her a jacket too." Dave looked at Liv, questioningly. She gave a short nod in response. Dave shrugged his agreement. After a long backwards look at Dave, Natasha followed the other two, leaving Dave on guard over the women huddled against the building. Most of them wore some manner of jacket and long pants. A few were in pajama pants and thick housecoats. All remained quiet, barely even talking amongst themselves. One brunette, a bit older, kept glancing at Dave. After several minutes, she rose and slowly approached him. As she got closer, Dave had a strange sense of recognition. Like he should know who she was, but couldn't place her. "Hi, um, I just wanted to say thank you. I've been stuck here for over a month. Several of us have, including the nurse that was with you earlier." Her dark eyes gleamed as she continued. "Listen, I know we'll need new partners soon. I think you should know that a few of the girls are already discussing the possibility of getting paired with you." Dave stiffened. His spine, not his cock. "Well, that's very flattering, but I didn't come here for that. Hell, I already have nine partners. My house is getting kinda full. I know the CDC guy that showed up a month and a half ago said I could wind up with twelve or more, but, uh, I could be just fine with stopping where I am. So, thank you, but no thank you. I mean, unless you specially match to me and don't have anyone else nearly as good a match." Her eyes widened. "Oh, no. No, I wasn't speaking personally. I mean, I appreciate what you've done, but not that far. The others just asked me to come over, sort of as a spokesperson. You know, use my fame in the hope that would help get your approval." It was the mild gravelly tone in her voice that finally did it. "Oh. Oh, shit. Aurora Hensley?" Dave shook his head. "Sorry, I knew I recognized you, but my brain just didn't place you until after you spoke for a bit. How the hell did a star like you wind up here?" Miss Henley tried to grin to cover up her grimace, but it didn't work. "Please, call me Rory. Lockdown stopped production on my show. You may have noticed we don't have a new season out." Dave nodded. "Yes, a few of my partners grumbled about it." "Ah, but not you, huh?" she said with a real grin this time. "Oh, I've watched some re-runs with them a few times. It's just that cop shows are only a fifty-fifty interest for me. Mostly, the ones I like get into the crime lab stuff, and yours didn't have that. No offense." Dave shrugged with the last statement. She examined him coyly. "Ah, so the fact that the two leads were women has nothing to do with it?" The words were accusatory, but something about her tone suggested she was playing with him. "Naw, not particularly. The story is well executed I think. It's just a type that only sometimes grabs my interest. I did appreciate that the show featured two female leads, without pounding the fact in the viewer's face. It stood on the writing and acting, and didn't beat some political drum." "Well, thank you. I think." She smirked at him. "Sorry for dodging, it's just; it hurts you know?" A shadow passed over her features, causing Dave to place a hand on her shoulder. He also forced himself to scan the group again, making sure no one was using his distraction to do something. He kicked himself for his obliviousness and made sure he kept his focus where it needed to be, without sacrificing the conversation. "Look, I know this is all still fresh, so if you don't want to talk about what these guys did to you here, you don't have to. I'm sure they'll have profess--" "Oh no, not that. I mean, I might, but honestly, you wiping them out is already a big help. That's why I came up to thank you." Then Rory grinned slyly again. "It's also why some of them want to thank you." "Well, with the vaccine, that's a rather permanent thing. They need to take some time to think it over first, and use the matching system, um, Oracle." "True, very true. You know, it's tempting to come at you like a rescued princess, just like the others. But in truth, I have a friend I was on my way to meet when our transport was hijacked. He's been a good friend for years, but we never dated or anything. He showed up as a reasonable match, so I was supposed to be with him. I'm going to call him as soon as I can to see if he's still interested." "More than likely, he'll be thrilled to hear you're alright." "Yes, probably. He's a good man. The girls like him." As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Rory grimaced like she'd been stabbed and the wielder was twisting the knife in her guts. Dave got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I, uh, I have to go." She turned away briefly, then turned back. "No, wait." She took a few deep breaths before continuing. "The reason I came over in the first place." She paused for a hiccupping sob. "Um, look, I can never express how much I appreciate what you've done for me here. If you need anything. Anything at all. I know people. People in entertainment, and in politics. Just call me. I'd be glad to help." With tears in her eyes, she turned back towards the wall and walked swiftly, managing not to run. Rory's rushed return and obvious emotional turmoil was greeted by consternation among the small crowd of women. Two took the time to stare at him, worry clear on their faces. Quiet conversations started up and rapidly turned internal. The women clustered around Rory, wrapping her in hugs. When they finally parted, they began speaking again, in low tones, and long periods in which all were silent. It was quite some time before Liv, Parker, and Natasha came around the right side of the building. All appeared in good spirits. Natasha now sported a denim jacket over her white T-shirt and a pair of tennis shoes on her feet. As they approached, Dave noted that Natasha was no longer grabbing at the waist band of the sweatpants to keep them up, so some solution had been found. The jacket was of sufficient length to conceal whatever that had been. Likewise, it was likely she had socks to go with the shoes, but there was no visible gap between pants and shoes to confirm that deduction. The relaxed look on her face would have to do. Parker spoke first when they came within a reasonable speaking distance. "Sixteen women are in imprinting sleep in the houses. I checked their vitals, and nothing appears amiss. Except that they're all blondes." "I told the others while we were out, Drew, the man we were paired to, only had blondes in his; team." Natasha spoke slowly, not quite reluctantly. "It was a fetish of his. Though there was variety, of a sort. Cheerleader, businesswoman, that sort of thing. I was the 'older woman' blonde. One is a teenager, just barely survived to get injected. I; I knew him before this, or at least, I thought I knew him. We went to many of the same charity dinners and such. He was so cordial in public." Parker hugged Natasha around the shoulders, a supportive measure to remind her that problem was in her past. Then Olivia spoke. "A few houses had kids. They are awake and hungry. A little worried, but not frantic. I was thinking we could get a meal going in the main cafeteria instead of separate little meals in each house." "Sure," Dave replied. "That's a good plan. First, we'll need to get the body out of there." "Body?" Liv asked. "Drew, the man all those women are partnered to. These guys were re-imprinting the women to themselves in the cafeteria space." Dave kept his voice carefully neutral. "How the hell does that work?" "We're not supposed to know, but what I saw here and at our house, I made some good guesses that Parker confirmed. You and I are probably going to spend a lot of time explaining ourselves, so the less I share the better." Liv's nodding reply carried an undertone of expectation that, once all this blew over, Dave had better spill what he knows. A small traitorous part of Dave's heart took that as a possible indication that Liv wanted to know a way out of the bonding effects of the serum. Dave's brain was pretty convinced that was B S, though he would certainly ask if she wanted out later. The idea of keeping any woman bound to him against her will made him physically nauseous. Doing that to his Livy Bean was unacceptable in the extreme. "Tell you what," Dave continued, "You stay here for a few minutes. I'll haul the body out of the cafeteria and around to this side of the building. Then, Liv, supervise getting breakfast going in the cafeteria; and I mean supervise, you maintain control and security, someone else cooks. Parker, you can escort the kids from the houses to the cafeteria." Still facing the nurse, he asked, "Who would you recommend do the cooking?" "Sandy and Rory are pretty good. Together they should be able to handle breakfast for all the kids." "OK, sounds good. Wait 'til I get the body moved around to this area before you get moving." All three women nodded. Dave immediately stalked off, eager to get things in motion before the military arrived and brought everything to a halt while they took their time coming to the same conclusions Dave had already arrived at. The kids needed to be fed. He went around the right side of the building for once, since it provided the shortest route to his destination. As soon as he stepped inside, he was greeted by the older man's corpse lying flat on the floor, up against the wall, his silk pajama pants still pulled down to his knees. That was the first thing to fix. Doing his best to avoid touching the corpse (or another man's naked body), Dave took hold of the waistband near each knee and pulled them up and over the man's hips. That done, he stopped to consider the best way to get the body moved. Rigor. Rigor mortis had set in. None of the man' joints would move. And he'd been left on the floor, jammed into the corner between wall and floor for hours. There were two options Dave could see: grab and lift by the man's shoulders and drag him with his heels on the ground. A little awkward, but doable. The downside there was the chance his pajama pants cuffs could snag on something and come all the way off. Hell, even part way was undesirable. The second option was to get this guy onto Dave's shoulder like a two by four. A one hundred and fifty pound two by four. Sure, no problem. Mentally retracting all the curses he'd flung at Carter during upper body workouts, Dave went to work. First, he knelt beside the corpse. Then he lifted the torso so it lay on his shoulder. The next part was tricky. Silk didn't give a lot of traction to grab with. Neither did flesh. It took three tries that quickly returned to the floor-kneeling position when the body began to slip before Dave managed to successfully gain his feet on the fourth attempt, the body securely balanced on his left shoulder. And every single time he used his left arm for anything, a serenade of pain accompanied the act. He'd had experience getting through doorways with lumber or pipes on his shoulder, so while it was cumbersome, Dave managed the maneuver just fine. Though he had to use his left arm to operate the door. He couldn't avoid whimpering as he forced the injured limb to comply. Once outside, it was quite easy to make the brief trek around the building and dump the body in the grass a reasonable distance from the line of dead pointing towards the trees. He also picked up the staccato sounds of a chopper, low, and building quickly. Parker was halfway to the houses and Liv had disappeared into the cafeteria building with Rory and Sandy when their heads turned, picking up the sound. Figuring it was the safest course of action, Dave walked to the middle of the open space he'd fought in, away from others, his hands away from his body and his weapons slung on his back or holstered. He knew Olivia had the presence of mind to do the same. One Blackhawk landed to Dave's left, on the other side of the unused building. A second landed beyond the community building, presumably beyond the first house and to the left of the others. The third Blackhawk landed to Dave's right, well clear of the community building. The rotor blast was strong, but not overwhelming. The moisture in the air guaranteed no dust blown around, and the cold snap was too recent to kill off any grass, so at least there was no debris kicked up by the artificial cyclone. Troops began to disgorge from the chopper the moment the wheels touched grass, running straight out, hunched over, weapons in hand. Dave slowly turned to face them, his hands clearly away from his body. "You David Belsus?" The voice was pissed, loud, and behind him. Oops. Of course the team leader was on the first chopper that landed. Hadn't Carter harped something about leading from the front? "That's me." A short, strongly muscled man stepped around into Dave's field of view. "You blew my fucking op, dammit. Hunting these boys down was my job." "Considering the number of women enslaved to these fucking animals you clearly aren't doing your fucking job!" "Don't piss me off asshole. I'm willing to consider you're one of the good guys, for now. Fuck with me and I'll throw you in a hole so deep, you'll water the rice paddies in China when you pee." Dave wisely shut the fuck up. Carter had told him there were two very important times to know in the military; when to shut up, and when to shut the fuck up . This seemed like the latter. "You got the wanna bees at your house. A few real troops here. You got lucky, Boy Scout. Stand down and let us do our jobs." Before the short, powerfully built man turned away, Dave noted the nametape on the man's uniform; Barnett. The two chevrons upside down on the top of his rank insignia meant he was a Technical Sergeant; an E-6, a middle level NCO. "Sergeant Barnett?" Dave called to get his attention. The little bantam turned, one eyebrow cocked. "The kids in this place haven't been fed breakfast yet. My partner is inside the community building with a few women who've been stuck here for over a month. They're getting something cooked up while the nurse moves the kids. You think you can let that plan roll forward? Otherwise, you'll have some cranky kids to deal with soon. "Is she armed?" "My partner?" Dave got a nod in response. "Yes, she has a slung rifle and a holstered pistol. If you go in cautious, and announce yourself, there shouldn't be a problem. Or you can send me in ahead of you." "Sure, fine. Just know if you try anything stupid, my two partners behind you will drop you in a heartbeat." "I think we understand each other." Dave stepped off deliberately, at a steady pace, getting around the corner of the building with Sgt Barnett two arm's lengths to his right. He could hear the soft footsteps in the grass of two more people behind him. Barnett wasn't bluffing. Dave reached the door of the cafeteria space. He knocked twice, then slowly opened it. "Hey, Liv? It's me, I'm coming in. There's some Air Force folks with me. Keep your weapons holstered and your hands visible. These folks seem a mite twitchy." Olivia stood in the Archway between the dining side and the kitchen side. The sounds of pans and utensils and sizzling meat were quickly joined by the aroma of bacon. Dave's stomach grumbled. Two voices behind him tittered. Seems his guards and executioners heard him. They guffawed when Barnett's stomach responded. "Should we let you two get a plate boss?" The laughing voice behind Dave almost had a Tinkerbell fairy quality to it. Great. My erstwhile executioner leaves pixie dust in her wake. Liv kept quiet. Verbally that is. Her eyes were laughing though. Laughing loud enough to make up for the silence of her lips. "No, they're cooking for a bunch of hungry kids. Leave 'em alone." Barnett paused, looking between Liv and Dave, and sizing them up. "You two, one at a time, very carefully, place your weapons on that back counter. You're closer, young lady, so you go first." Liv sighed, staying stony faced. Dave widened his eyes and nodded his head, with a slight tilt towards the counter. With an exasperated exhale, she unslung her rifle, touching only the sling, and only with her thumb, laying it on the counter. In doing so, she now had her back to the archway leading to the kitchen. She deliberately used her left hand to remove her pistol. Liv then placed it beside the rifle. Her combat knife came next. Placing it with her firearms, she stepped away from the counter and faced the others. "Boot knife." Barnett said flatly. "Excuse me?" Liv asked blankly. "Remove the knife from your boot and place it on the table." Liv pursed her lips, rolled her eyes, and then complied. Tinkerbell tittered. "Step over there." Dave waved his arm towards the opposite corner from where Liv had been, along the wall separating the kitchen space and the dining space. Olivia moved as indicated, her eyes locked on the two behind Dave. "Okay, now you." Dave walked to the counter. He unslung his SMG, again, using only his thumb, and placed it beside Liv's rifle. With open, deliberate motions, his pistol quickly followed. "Don't make me say it again." "I don't have any knives. Never been any good with 'em." Liv snorted. "You shittin me? You came in here with no knife? Better a weapon you're only mediocre with than no weapon at all." Dave just shrugged. "You're doing a great job of convincing me you merely got lucky; twice; rather than win by skill and teamwork." Dave elected not to rise to barb. "Stand over there with your girlfriend." Dave turned and walked along the wall. He took the opportunity to look at the two guards. One was a wasp waisted, svelte brunette with her hair back in a bun. The other; fucking well looked like Tinkerbelle. Pale skin, silky blonde hair in a braid that wrapped around her head like a home-grown crown. Give her a pair of wings and no one would even blink if she claimed to be the fictional character. Well, Tinkerbelle never carried an M4 with a daylight scope. Sure as shit would have given that saucy wink though. Once Dave was beside Livy, Barnett spoke to the two of them. "You will both get a full debriefing at headquarters. For now, let's start with the disposition of the corpse of one Andrew Bilk. He was a very rich man, and someone wants an accounting of his death. Starting with where his body is." "Out in the grass. The goons in this camp had his body on the floor, up against the wall there" Dave pointed, "since we had kids coming in soon, I thought it best to get him out of here, so I carried him out into the grass near the other bodies. He's the one in the silk pajamas." "Silk pajamas? That should be easy to distinguish." "Oh, uh Sergeant Barnett? There is a time critical element here. The blonde lady we rescued first, Natasha, she was bound to the rich guy; Bilk you said? Anyway, she needs to be re-partnered. I don't know the exact timeline, but he died around or just after midnight. Problem is, the nurse around here couldn't get any more semen out of the rich guy's nuts, so her only shot is if a lab geek can eke out enough for her. She and the body need to get back to Dallas fast." "Right. Okay, Silvia?" The brunette focused on Barnett. "Yes, sergeant?" "Find this Natasha woman, get her and the silk clad corpse on a chopper and send them back now." "Yes, sergeant." She slipped out the door like vanishing smoke. "Also," Dave interjected, "in the houses are several women that the nurse, Parker, was forced to re-pair from the rich guy to one of these clowns. That was this morning, so they're all in imprinting sleep at the moment. The ones that imprinted later might be able to recognize which redneck imprinted which blonde." Barnett raised an eyebrow. "Apparently, the rich guy had a fixation with blondes." Tinkerbelle ran a hand down her side, giving her body a little wriggle as she did so. "Alright, I'll let lab techs and medicos sort that mess out. We've got a convoy of trucks enroute to haul these folks back to Dallas." As Barnett spoke, the sound of rotors could be heard. As the sound built, the door opened and five kids went straight to the nearest table. Parker followed in after them. "Oh, hey Dave. Listen, some Air Force woman pulled Natasha away. I think they just left on a chopper." Dave nodded. "Are you the nurse that used the Dead Man's Switch on these women?" Barnett asked. Parker stiffened. "Yes, I am. It was either that or let them die." "Relax, I'm not your judge or your jury. I'm just trying to establish a few facts and identities. Do you think you can remember which woman paired with which man?" "Not all of them, but some. The first was the one with the enormous" she suddenly remembered there were kids in the room, "uh, assets. The boss man took her for himself." "Okay, that's fine. Uh, Jessie, think you can find a notepad for ;” "Parker." "Parker here to write down what she remembers on the pairings this morning. The ones from before should be able to tell us themselves." The short blonde exited with haste. Parker checked in with the kids before approaching the sergeant. "Can I check in with the kitchen, to see when their breakfast is ready?" "No need," said Rory, passing through the arch with a plate in each hand, "breakfast is served." Sandy was right behind her, carrying three plates, one in her left hand, and two more up her left arm. The kids cheered. Sandy also had silverware in her right hand. She set that down first. Unburdened, Rory came across the room to Dave. "Listen, Parker mentioned being paired increases a man's metabolism. We made some extra. Would you like something?" "What if the kids want seconds?" "We made enough in case the older two ask for seconds, and still serve a couple of adults." "Like me and the sergeant here?" Rory grinned, "Correct. Why don't you two sit, and I'll bring out two more plates." "I appreciate that, Rory, but Liv hasn't eaten either. Neither has Parker, or you, or ;” "I know, I know, I've got five more servings in here. Sandy and I can make more shortly." "You don't ha--" "Hush. I want to." She leaned in close. "It helps keep my mind off other things." Immediately, Rory exited to the kitchen. Sandy followed after. As they passed through the arch, Jessie, the little blonde Air Force attack pixie came back bearing a portfolio containing a yellow legal pad and a pen. She handed that off to Parker and found herself an out of the way spot along the wall. Dave watched as Parker took a seat several spaces down from the children. After staring blankly at the page for almost a minute, she began writing at a steady pace. Absorbed in watching her, Dave was surprised when Sandy brought him a plate and silverware. Bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast. A perfectly worthy American breakfast. As he ate, Dave noted his companion / captor's face. The man's fair skin was as unpale as possible without adding descriptors like 'sun-kissed'. His jet-black hair strongly suggested an eastern or southern European heritage. That presumption was supported by the darkening along his jawline. Clearly a man that had to shave twice a day to remain within military regs. Unless of course, he went undercover, in which case he could grow a partial disguise in short order. Liv caught his eye as she returned from the kitchen. She took a seat next to Dave, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before digging into the scrambled eggs on the plate of food she'd carried in. She giggled at his pro forma protest when she stole a piece of bacon off his plate. Liv, on one side of Dave, missed the small grin on Barnett's face over the exchange. Her partner saw it though. Another enlisted woman came through the door carrying a sizable hardcase, the kind that usually has thick foam padding inside. She proceeded directly to the counter and swiftly stowed the weapons in the case. Then she carried the case back outside. "We're going to cycle the civilians through here for some breakfast before we entrain for Dallas," Barnett said. "When you're through here, meet me out on the lawn space where we started. Both of you." "You got it." Barnett took his plate and silverware through the kitchen archway. Shortly after, Dave heard the outer door to the kitchen open and close. Dave took a few more minutes to finish his meal. Liv spoke as he arranged his silverware on his plate. "Before you go, you should talk with Aurora. I think you two have something to share." Dave looked at her flatly. "She'd bonded, Liv." The young woman's smile broadened. "Not quite what I meant." Then she grew serious. "Just talk to her. Really, I think it could be good for both of you." She smirked when Dave walked away, fixing her with a wary eye. He found the sink, with a dishwasher beside it. Quickly, he rinsed his plate, placing it in the dishwasher. Rory and Sandy both objected, but he waved them off. Dave went ahead and rinsed the plate and silverware in the sink as well, along with a few cooking utensils. After drying his hands, he approached Rory. "Olivia said we should talk. She didn't say what about. Is this just her idea, or something you want to discuss?" Rory looked downward and swallowed. She looked back up. The haunted look in her eyes tugged at Dave's heart. Sandy noted their faces and suggested they step outside for a private conversation. Rory took his hand and led Dave out of the kitchen's heat and into the cool damp outside. Following her example, he leaned one shoulder against the wall, facing her. He waited for her to speak. "When we were surveying the houses; checking on the women and kids; Liv was asking me how I got here, what I dealt with getting here and being here. Honestly, she was just trying to make conversation. She didn't know what that would lead to." Dave waited again as Rory screwed up her resolve. Hopefully, his eyes were communicating support and patience. He could try speaking words of comfort or support, but the moment seemed too fragile to withstand him saying anything. "One of her questions was why didn't I try to escape after we were captured, before we were imprinted. Or why didn't we try signaling for help once we were stuck here. I can't speak for the others, but; I was not in a good place mentally when I was captured." She paused again, but not as long this time. Her shoulders came inward though, like she was trying to shrink; or hide. "Casey, the man I was supposed to partner with after getting my vaccine shot, is a good friend. He; spent time, when he could, talking to me by Zoom after; after ;” Rory shook with silent sobs. In Dave's heart, he knew what was coming next. The cold hand that gripped him, sapped the joy out of moments with his new family. His brain kept trying to reject the knowledge. Finally, she looked him directly in the eyes. Her composure shattered. "I had two daughters. They were both teenagers." As her tears poured out, Dave stepped in closer, wrapping his arms around her, his own visage twisted with the shared pain. He said nothing, merely held her for several minutes. When her shaking subsided, he waited a bit more. Finally, he took a deep breath and brought his mouth near her ear. With a shaky voice, he said, "My son's name was Eddie. He was twenty-three years old." Her arms around him tightened. Neither spoke. Several minutes later, Rory pulled her head back, an empathetic look on her face. She kissed Dave on the cheek and went back inside. Dave took a few minutes to collect himself. Feeling reasonably steady, he walked around the building. Liv and Barnett were there, waiting. "Okay, so here's what's happening. Most of these people are going back by truck. The convoy is nearly here. You two have a date with Air Force Intel, DPD, and possibly the FBI. You're going back in a chopper, now." Barnett paused, giving Dave a moment to process what he'd said. "Is that white pickup about three hundred meters back along the entry road yours?" "Yes." "Keys." "Excuse me?" "Gimme your keys. I'll have one of my people drive it with the convoy. We'll have it waiting for you when the intel boys and detectives decide to loosen the thumbscrews." Dave pulled his keys out and tossed them to the sergeant. "What about our weapons?" "They'll be in your vehicle." Dave nodded in acknowledgment. Jessie, the little pixie blonde, motioned for Dave and Liv to follow her. She led them to the nearby chopper and walked them through the seat harness mechanism. Two other Air Force personnel took seats on either side of the pair. Jessie returned to Barnett as the rotors began to move. Two minutes later, Dave watched the ground recede. Air Force personnel were scattered all over the compound. As of yet none of the kids had been in the big grassy area where the bodies lay. Just as the nose dipped and turned, Dave caught sight of military trucks edging down the dirt road into the camp. To be continued in part 12, Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts, for Literotica.

On Episode Thirteen; Happy New Year- it's time to evaluate the Cat and Dog election results!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PLATO'S LETTERS AND THE WHITEWASHING OF DION Colleague Professor James Romm. The conversation examines Plato's thirteen letters, specifically the five Romm believes are genuine regarding the Syracuse affair. Platoviewed himself as a wise lawgiver capable of reforming a tyrant, though he was naive about practical politics. In the seventh letter, Plato attempts to rehabilitate the reputation of his associate Dion, spinning the narrative to portray Dion as a virtuous victim of evil rather than admitting his political failures. NUMBER 12 1245 PLATO ACADEMY

As this year comes to a close, I've been reflecting on the lessons it's brought me, and honestly, it's been a big one. A year of growth, surrender, unexpected changes, and a lot of learning. In today's episode, I'm sharing the top ten things this year has taught me - not because I've mastered them, but because there's something powerful in pausing, looking back, and acknowledging how far we've come. These reflections aren't about perfection or ticking boxes; they're about self-awareness, compassion, and recognising the woman you've become through every challenge and every small win. And I'd love for you to do this exercise too. You might be surprised by how much strength, resilience, and quiet transformation this year has held for you. Links mentioned in the episode:  Check out Episode 435 - Lessons learned in 2024 and how to apply them in 2025 To go with this episode, I've created a free Year-End Reflection Guide to help you unpack your own lessons from the past year. It's filled with gentle prompts, journaling questions, and space to explore what you're proud of, what you're releasing, and what you want to carry into the new year. Download your free guide HERE and take a moment to honour your own journey: Download the E-book, I'm A Single Mum... Now What? - HERE Click HERE to learn more about the Trauma coaching and support group program.  Join the Thrive Tribe waitlist HERE.  Click HERE to join the free Facebook Group, The Single Mother Survival Guide Support Forum.  Download the E-book – Thirteen single mothers share their struggles, top tips, and their favourite things about being a single mother – HERE. To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide. And join the email list there too. Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.    

Witchfinder General, Salem, Malleus Maleficarum. The world of witch-hunts and witch trials sounds archaic and fanciful, these terms relics of an unenlightened, brutal age. However, we often hear ‘witch-hunt' in today's media, and the misogyny that shaped witch trials is all too familiar. Three women were prosecuted under a version of the 1735 Witchcraft Act as recently as 2018. In Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials (Simon & Schuster, 2023), Professor Marion Gibson uses thirteen significant trials to tell the global history of witchcraft and witch-hunts. As well as exploring the origins of witch-hunts through some of the most famous trials from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, it takes us in new and surprising directions. It shows us how witchcraft was reimagined by lawyers and radical historians in France, how suspicions of sorcery led to murder in Jazz Age Pennsylvania, the effects of colonialism and Christian missionary zeal on ‘witches' in Africa, and how even today a witch trial can come in many guises. Professor Gibson also tells the stories of the ‘witches' – mostly women like Helena Scheuberin, Anny Sampson and Joan Wright, whose stories have too often been overshadowed by those of the powerful men, such as King James I and ‘Witchfinder General' Matthew Hopkins, who hounded them. Once a tool invented by demonologists to hurt and silence their enemies, witch trials have been twisted and transformed over the course of history and the lines between witch and witch-hunter blurred. For the fortunate, a witch-hunt is just a metaphor, but, as this book makes clear, witches are truly still on trial. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this episode of Redefining AI, we explore The New Imagination: Generative AI and Humanity's Next Artistic Revolution, inspired by the Reply AI Film Festival 2025 in Venice, an international showcase featuring over 2,500 AI-powered film submissions from 67 countries.Joining our host Lauren Hawker Zafer in the conversation are René Schulte, Expert in Physical AI, Generative AI, XR, and Digital Humans at Reply, and Philipp Schweidler, Director of Toniq Sound Agency. Together, they examine how generative AI is transforming film, music, and storytelling, not as an automated shortcut, but as a powerful creative collaborator.This episode goes deep into:How AI is reshaping creativity, authorship, and originalityWhy emotional intelligence and human intent still define great artThe tension between algorithms and authenticity in AI-made contentThe emergence of the “human-made™” label as a response to AI saturationCopyright, IP protection, and royalties in the age of AI-generated music and mediaWhat the future of entertainment, storytelling, and digital creativity looks likeFrom AI filmmaking tools like Sora and Veo to the cultural impact of AI-generated art, this conversation offers a nuanced, human-first perspective on the future of creative industries.Ideal for leaders, creators, technologists, and anyone curious about AI creativity, AI in film, future storytelling, and the evolving relationship between humans and intelligent machines.Quick Jump00:00 Epic AI Creativity Clash: Renny & Philip00:03 Replay AI Film Fest: 2500 Entries Explode04:30 Clarity Wins: AI Amplifies Human Intent06:00 AI Surprises: Genius Ideas Humans Miss 07:30 Humans Crave Humans: Emotional Connection Key09:00 Uniqueness Battle: AI vs True Originality10:30 Video AI Boom: Veo3, Sora Master Storytelling12:00 Authenticity Rules: AI Co-Creator, Not Replacer13:30 Culture Clash: AI Stretches Human Limits 15:00 AI Slop Flood: Filters for Premium Content16:30 Democratization Trap: Everyone's an Artist Now18:00 Copyright Chaos: Royalties for AI Music?19:30 Fair Pay Fight: 120 Global AI Cases Rage21:00 IP Ruling: Human Effort Makes AI Protectable22:30 Physical AI Robots: Blue-Collar Revolution Hits24:00 Brands Adapt: Cyborg Era Sound Strategies25:30 Future Premium: “Human Made” Label

Witchfinder General, Salem, Malleus Maleficarum. The world of witch-hunts and witch trials sounds archaic and fanciful, these terms relics of an unenlightened, brutal age. However, we often hear ‘witch-hunt' in today's media, and the misogyny that shaped witch trials is all too familiar. Three women were prosecuted under a version of the 1735 Witchcraft Act as recently as 2018. In Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials (Simon & Schuster, 2023), Professor Marion Gibson uses thirteen significant trials to tell the global history of witchcraft and witch-hunts. As well as exploring the origins of witch-hunts through some of the most famous trials from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, it takes us in new and surprising directions. It shows us how witchcraft was reimagined by lawyers and radical historians in France, how suspicions of sorcery led to murder in Jazz Age Pennsylvania, the effects of colonialism and Christian missionary zeal on ‘witches' in Africa, and how even today a witch trial can come in many guises. Professor Gibson also tells the stories of the ‘witches' – mostly women like Helena Scheuberin, Anny Sampson and Joan Wright, whose stories have too often been overshadowed by those of the powerful men, such as King James I and ‘Witchfinder General' Matthew Hopkins, who hounded them. Once a tool invented by demonologists to hurt and silence their enemies, witch trials have been twisted and transformed over the course of history and the lines between witch and witch-hunter blurred. For the fortunate, a witch-hunt is just a metaphor, but, as this book makes clear, witches are truly still on trial. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Witchfinder General, Salem, Malleus Maleficarum. The world of witch-hunts and witch trials sounds archaic and fanciful, these terms relics of an unenlightened, brutal age. However, we often hear ‘witch-hunt' in today's media, and the misogyny that shaped witch trials is all too familiar. Three women were prosecuted under a version of the 1735 Witchcraft Act as recently as 2018. In Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials (Simon & Schuster, 2023), Professor Marion Gibson uses thirteen significant trials to tell the global history of witchcraft and witch-hunts. As well as exploring the origins of witch-hunts through some of the most famous trials from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, it takes us in new and surprising directions. It shows us how witchcraft was reimagined by lawyers and radical historians in France, how suspicions of sorcery led to murder in Jazz Age Pennsylvania, the effects of colonialism and Christian missionary zeal on ‘witches' in Africa, and how even today a witch trial can come in many guises. Professor Gibson also tells the stories of the ‘witches' – mostly women like Helena Scheuberin, Anny Sampson and Joan Wright, whose stories have too often been overshadowed by those of the powerful men, such as King James I and ‘Witchfinder General' Matthew Hopkins, who hounded them. Once a tool invented by demonologists to hurt and silence their enemies, witch trials have been twisted and transformed over the course of history and the lines between witch and witch-hunter blurred. For the fortunate, a witch-hunt is just a metaphor, but, as this book makes clear, witches are truly still on trial. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Witchfinder General, Salem, Malleus Maleficarum. The world of witch-hunts and witch trials sounds archaic and fanciful, these terms relics of an unenlightened, brutal age. However, we often hear ‘witch-hunt' in today's media, and the misogyny that shaped witch trials is all too familiar. Three women were prosecuted under a version of the 1735 Witchcraft Act as recently as 2018. In Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials (Simon & Schuster, 2023), Professor Marion Gibson uses thirteen significant trials to tell the global history of witchcraft and witch-hunts. As well as exploring the origins of witch-hunts through some of the most famous trials from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, it takes us in new and surprising directions. It shows us how witchcraft was reimagined by lawyers and radical historians in France, how suspicions of sorcery led to murder in Jazz Age Pennsylvania, the effects of colonialism and Christian missionary zeal on ‘witches' in Africa, and how even today a witch trial can come in many guises. Professor Gibson also tells the stories of the ‘witches' – mostly women like Helena Scheuberin, Anny Sampson and Joan Wright, whose stories have too often been overshadowed by those of the powerful men, such as King James I and ‘Witchfinder General' Matthew Hopkins, who hounded them. Once a tool invented by demonologists to hurt and silence their enemies, witch trials have been twisted and transformed over the course of history and the lines between witch and witch-hunter blurred. For the fortunate, a witch-hunt is just a metaphor, but, as this book makes clear, witches are truly still on trial. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/law

Witchfinder General, Salem, Malleus Maleficarum. The world of witch-hunts and witch trials sounds archaic and fanciful, these terms relics of an unenlightened, brutal age. However, we often hear ‘witch-hunt' in today's media, and the misogyny that shaped witch trials is all too familiar. Three women were prosecuted under a version of the 1735 Witchcraft Act as recently as 2018. In Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials (Simon & Schuster, 2023), Professor Marion Gibson uses thirteen significant trials to tell the global history of witchcraft and witch-hunts. As well as exploring the origins of witch-hunts through some of the most famous trials from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, it takes us in new and surprising directions. It shows us how witchcraft was reimagined by lawyers and radical historians in France, how suspicions of sorcery led to murder in Jazz Age Pennsylvania, the effects of colonialism and Christian missionary zeal on ‘witches' in Africa, and how even today a witch trial can come in many guises. Professor Gibson also tells the stories of the ‘witches' – mostly women like Helena Scheuberin, Anny Sampson and Joan Wright, whose stories have too often been overshadowed by those of the powerful men, such as King James I and ‘Witchfinder General' Matthew Hopkins, who hounded them. Once a tool invented by demonologists to hurt and silence their enemies, witch trials have been twisted and transformed over the course of history and the lines between witch and witch-hunter blurred. For the fortunate, a witch-hunt is just a metaphor, but, as this book makes clear, witches are truly still on trial. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Witchfinder General, Salem, Malleus Maleficarum. The world of witch-hunts and witch trials sounds archaic and fanciful, these terms relics of an unenlightened, brutal age. However, we often hear ‘witch-hunt' in today's media, and the misogyny that shaped witch trials is all too familiar. Three women were prosecuted under a version of the 1735 Witchcraft Act as recently as 2018. In Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials (Simon & Schuster, 2023), Professor Marion Gibson uses thirteen significant trials to tell the global history of witchcraft and witch-hunts. As well as exploring the origins of witch-hunts through some of the most famous trials from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century, it takes us in new and surprising directions. It shows us how witchcraft was reimagined by lawyers and radical historians in France, how suspicions of sorcery led to murder in Jazz Age Pennsylvania, the effects of colonialism and Christian missionary zeal on ‘witches' in Africa, and how even today a witch trial can come in many guises. Professor Gibson also tells the stories of the ‘witches' – mostly women like Helena Scheuberin, Anny Sampson and Joan Wright, whose stories have too often been overshadowed by those of the powerful men, such as King James I and ‘Witchfinder General' Matthew Hopkins, who hounded them. Once a tool invented by demonologists to hurt and silence their enemies, witch trials have been twisted and transformed over the course of history and the lines between witch and witch-hunter blurred. For the fortunate, a witch-hunt is just a metaphor, but, as this book makes clear, witches are truly still on trial. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

Most people only see Claudia Lattner today. Top 1 percent leader. Featured in Leadership Unlocked. Over 20,000 people on her team. Clear systems. Clear duplication. Clear momentum.But that is not where she started.Claudia spent years doing the work without the results. Thirteen years of grinding. Thirteen years of effort without real momentum. Thirteen years of trying to “lead” without having a system that actually duplicated.And that is the turning point of her story.Claudia didn't need more motivation. She didn't need more inspiration. She didn't need a new script or a new trend.She needed a system.Because without a system, she couldn't duplicate. And without duplication, her leadership hit a ceiling.Once she built a simple, clear, predictable system, everything changed. Her confidence shifted. Her team understood what to do. Her new people knew where to start. And momentum finally showed up.The other big lesson she teaches is this:You can't tell people to do something you aren't doing. Leadership starts with a decision, not a quote.Claudia made the decision first. She stepped into the behaviors she wanted her team to model. And the team followed, because leadership is caught before it is taught.This episode is for anyone who feels like they've been working hard, but not breaking through. Anyone who knows they are capable of more but can't get the team moving with them. Anyone who needs a reminder that duplication is never an accident. It is always a system.Claudia's story is slow and steady. Not flashy. Not overnight. But real.And that's exactly why it's powerful.If you care about leadership that lasts, and duplication that doesn't depend on your personality, listen to this one.

On the verge of death, a penultimate god leaves behind a terrible enemy and an unexpected legacy. Genre: Mythology   Excerpt: "If the tunnels aren't dangerous, why would anyone close them on purpose?" "I didn't say they weren't dangerous."  I nodded. Of course. Knowledge was dangerous. And knowledge was what we would find at the end of this tunnel.   The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them. This episode landed on CREATURES. See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: Silent Serpent Under Sea Find more stories and episodes featuring this theme here: Year of Creatures.   SERPENT MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring the serpent?Here's the direct link:Coiled Green Sea Serpent merch on TeePublic(You'll land on the t-shirt, but you can scroll down a bit for more stuff.)  Please visit my Store page for up-to-date info on where you can buy merchandise featuring my artwork: STORYFEATHER STORE   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. You can also get there from my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create)Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me)  Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   CREDITSStory: "Silent Serpent Under Sea" Copyright © 2022 by Nila L. PatelNarration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music:"Immortals" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro)"Haven" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Outro)"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)"Secret water""Emblem""Runes" "Immortals" "The ocean takes it all""Dark lord""Scroll of the wind walker""To Falgalown""A last prayer""Dark fields""Haven"   All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev MarketSound effects from AudioJungle and GameDevMarketChanges made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. A sea serpent, facing forward, floating in water. At right, near bottom, the head is directed downward. A crown of spiny fins extend from the back of the head and around the face. The serpent's body extends up and then arcs down and loops to the left.  The end of the tail is directed up to upper left corner and ends in spiny fins. Fins also arc along the top third of the serpent's back, and one set closer to the tail. Some of the scales bear glowing marks that appear like characters or letters of an unreadable language. Vertical image is made square with borders at left and right with bubbles. Watermark of "Storyfeather" along right side of serpent's head.

Christmas can look and feel so different for each of us. You might be waking up to squeals of excitement and wrapping paper everywhere, or you might be on your own, missing your children, holding back tears (or letting them flow). You might be somewhere in between. However this season finds you, I just want you to know that you are not alone. In this short episode, I share a gentle Christmas pep talk. This is your reminder that you are seen, you are supported, and you're doing an incredibe job.  Links mentioned in the episode:  Download the E-book, I'm A Single Mum... Now What? - HERE Click HERE to learn more about the Trauma coaching and support group program.  Join the Thrive Tribe waitlist HERE.  Click HERE to join the free Facebook Group, The Single Mother Survival Guide Support Forum.  Download the E-book – Thirteen single mothers share their struggles, top tips, and their favourite things about being a single mother – HERE. To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide. And join the email list there too. Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Every day until Christmas, Philip and Andrew open a window, revealing an object that speaks to the geopolitical year that was.

Charity Powell-Beallis spent nine months trying to survive. She reported abuse to police. She filed for divorce. She obtained a protective order. She contacted a state senator and told him directly that she feared for her life. She posted publicly on Facebook, naming her case number and begging anyone to listen. The system heard her. Then the system gave her estranged husband joint custody of their six-year-old twins. Twenty-four hours later, Charity and both children were found shot to death in their Bonanza, Arkansas home. Dr. Randall Beallis had been arrested in February 2025 for allegedly strangling Charity in front of their children. He was initially charged with aggravated assault, domestic battery, and child endangerment. By October, those charges were reduced to a single misdemeanor. He received a suspended sentence and fines. On December second, a family court judge awarded him joint custody. On December third, his wife and children were dead. On December fourth, his attorney filed to dismiss the pending divorce. No arrests have been made. Dr. Beallis denies involvement and says he is cooperating with investigators. Federal agencies are now involved. But Charity was not the first wife to die during her marriage to Randall Beallis. His second wife, Shawna, died from a gunshot wound in 2012 at age thirty-four. Her death was ruled a suicide. Her family reportedly never accepted that conclusion and now wants the case reopened. Two of his three wives are dead. Both were mothers. Both died from gunshots. Thirteen years apart. Charity saw what was coming. She documented everything. She screamed it from the rooftops. Every system designed to protect her failed. This video breaks down the full timeline, the legal battles, and the pattern that emerges when you follow the facts she desperately tried to make everyone see. #CharityBeallis #ArkansasMurder #TrueCrime #DomesticViolence #SystemFailed #DrRandallBeallis #BonanzaArkansas #TrueCrimeCommunity #JusticeForCharity #ColdCase #RandallBeallis #ShawnaBeallis #ArkansasCrime #CustodyBattle #DomesticAbuse #FamilyCourt #SurvivorStories #TrueCrimeYouTube #JusticeSystem #ProtectSurvivors Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Charity Powell-Beallis spent nine months trying to survive. She reported abuse to police. She filed for divorce. She obtained a protective order. She contacted a state senator and told him directly that she feared for her life. She posted publicly on Facebook, naming her case number and begging anyone to listen. The system heard her. Then the system gave her estranged husband joint custody of their six-year-old twins. Twenty-four hours later, Charity and both children were found shot to death in their Bonanza, Arkansas home. Dr. Randall Beallis had been arrested in February 2025 for allegedly strangling Charity in front of their children. He was initially charged with aggravated assault, domestic battery, and child endangerment. By October, those charges were reduced to a single misdemeanor. He received a suspended sentence and fines. On December second, a family court judge awarded him joint custody. On December third, his wife and children were dead. On December fourth, his attorney filed to dismiss the pending divorce. No arrests have been made. Dr. Beallis denies involvement and says he is cooperating with investigators. Federal agencies are now involved. But Charity was not the first wife to die during her marriage to Randall Beallis. His second wife, Shawna, died from a gunshot wound in 2012 at age thirty-four. Her death was ruled a suicide. Her family reportedly never accepted that conclusion and now wants the case reopened. Two of his three wives are dead. Both were mothers. Both died from gunshots. Thirteen years apart. Charity saw what was coming. She documented everything. She screamed it from the rooftops. Every system designed to protect her failed. This video breaks down the full timeline, the legal battles, and the pattern that emerges when you follow the facts she desperately tried to make everyone see. #CharityBeallis #ArkansasMurder #TrueCrime #DomesticViolence #SystemFailed #DrRandallBeallis #BonanzaArkansas #TrueCrimeCommunity #JusticeForCharity #ColdCase #RandallBeallis #ShawnaBeallis #ArkansasCrime #CustodyBattle #DomesticAbuse #FamilyCourt #SurvivorStories #TrueCrimeYouTube #JusticeSystem #ProtectSurvivors Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Years before Charity Beallis and her six-year-old twins were found shot to death in their Arkansas home, her own father told police she confessed to murder. According to a police report, Randy Powell said his daughter admitted she "is the one who shot Shawna" — Shawna Beallis, the previous wife of Dr. Randall Beallis. Charity allegedly told her father she was relieved detectives never fingerprinted a wine glass she'd been drinking from at the scene. That wine glass was documented. It was never tested. Shawna's death was ruled a suicide in 2012. The evidence was destroyed. And the woman who allegedly confessed went on to marry the widower. Now she's dead too — found December 3rd, 2025, alongside her children, one day after a court awarded her convicted abuser joint custody. In this episode, we break down the 2012 death scene, the alleged confession captured on body-cam in 2021, and why Fort Smith police reviewed the case and changed nothing. We examine Randall Beallis' own statements to investigators — including his request, hours after his wife's death, to call his lawyer about stopping divorce papers. We look at Charity's nine months of documented warnings, her pleas to prosecutors and lawmakers, and the custody ruling that came one day before she and her children were found dead. Two women connected to this man are now dead by gunshot. Thirteen years apart. A father's story keeps changing. The evidence is gone. And the only person who could have answered the questions that matter is silent forever. The investigation is ongoing. No suspect has been named. The questions don't stop. #CharityBeallis #RandallBeallis #ShawnaBeallis #ArkansasCrime #TrueCrime #DomesticViolence #ColdCase #SebastianCounty #FortSmith #JusticeForCharity Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Years before Charity Beallis and her six-year-old twins were found shot to death in their Arkansas home, her own father told police she confessed to murder. According to a police report, Randy Powell said his daughter admitted she "is the one who shot Shawna" — Shawna Beallis, the previous wife of Dr. Randall Beallis. Charity allegedly told her father she was relieved detectives never fingerprinted a wine glass she'd been drinking from at the scene. That wine glass was documented. It was never tested. Shawna's death was ruled a suicide in 2012. The evidence was destroyed. And the woman who allegedly confessed went on to marry the widower. Now she's dead too — found December 3rd, 2025, alongside her children, one day after a court awarded her convicted abuser joint custody. In this episode, we break down the 2012 death scene, the alleged confession captured on body-cam in 2021, and why Fort Smith police reviewed the case and changed nothing. We examine Randall Beallis' own statements to investigators — including his request, hours after his wife's death, to call his lawyer about stopping divorce papers. We look at Charity's nine months of documented warnings, her pleas to prosecutors and lawmakers, and the custody ruling that came one day before she and her children were found dead. Two women connected to this man are now dead by gunshot. Thirteen years apart. A father's story keeps changing. The evidence is gone. And the only person who could have answered the questions that matter is silent forever. The investigation is ongoing. No suspect has been named. The questions don't stop. #CharityBeallis #RandallBeallis #ShawnaBeallis #ArkansasCrime #TrueCrime #DomesticViolence #ColdCase #SebastianCounty #FortSmith #JusticeForCharity Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

In this special Winter Solstice edition of The Herbalist Hour, Mason sits down in person with one of his closest friends and longtime herbal ally, Nick Moya. Nick and Mason first met over a decade ago while studying together at the Columbine School of Botanical Studies, and this conversation feels like two old friends weaving together stories, science, herbal wisdom, and deep curiosity. Nick shares his personal path into herbalism, his love of medicinal mushrooms, and how herbal knowledge shows up in his daily life — not as a clinical practitioner, but as a deeply engaged human, forager, maker, teacher, and lifelong learner. Together, they explore mushroom double extractions, Turkey Tail, Oregon Grape (Mahonia/Berberis), the importance of play, sustainable wildcrafting, writing herbal monographs, teaching plant walks, and what it means to live a truly holistic life. This episode was recorded in person during Nick and his partner Steph's cross-country road trip, making for a warm, wide-ranging, and heartfelt conversation. ~Mason PS - You can watch this episode on the HerbRally YouTube channel. LINKS & RESOURCES OsoMoya | OsoMoya.com OsoMoya on Etsy | OsoMoya.Etsy.com Wildcrafting Checklist | LEARN MORE BOOK: Play it Away by Charlie Hoehn | BUY THE BOOK Columbines School of Botanical Studies | BotanicalStudies.net Hawthorn elixir recipe | READ THE POST Rooted Remedies Apothecary | RootedRemedies.co The Herbalist Hour Episode Playlist on YouTube | WATCH ALL EPISODES The Mushroom Hour Podcast | LEARN MORE Thomas Easley's Medicine Making | LEARN MORE

On April 20th, 1999, two seniors walked into Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado and committed what was then the deadliest school shooting in American history. Thirteen innocent people lost their lives that day, and the images of terrified students fleeing with their hands raised became seared into America's collective memory. The mainstream narrative has been told countless times, dissected in documentaries, and dramatized in films.But that narrative, the one carefully curated and presented to the public for over twenty five years, is incomplete. In some cases, it's outright false.In this episode of The Redacted Report, we pull back the curtain on one of the most scrutinized yet poorly understood tragedies in modern American history.This isn't speculation or conspiracy theory. This is documented fact drawn from official reports released years after the shooting, from lawsuits that forced the disclosure of buried evidence, from investigative journalists who spent years digging through the wreckage of a botched investigation, and from the families of victims who refused to accept the official story.We begin more than a year before the shooting, when a mother in Littleton discovered a website that chilled her to the bone. Eric Harris wasn't just posting the typical angst of a disaffected teenager. He was posting detailed bomb-making instructions, writing about his desire to kill, and making specific death threats against named individuals. When that mother and her husband went to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office with printouts and documentation, a deputy took the complaint seriously enough to draft a search warrant for the Harris residence. Had that warrant been executed, investigators would have found pipe bombs and detailed journals planning a massacre. But the warrant was never executed. It was drafted, reviewed, and then it disappeared into the bureaucratic void.For years after the shooting, officials denied it ever existed. They were lying. We examine the catastrophic failures of law enforcement on the day of the shooting, focusing on the tragic death of teacher Dave Sanders. Shot at approximately 11:26 in the morning, Sanders was dragged into a science classroom where students put a sign in the window reading "1 bleeding to death" and called 911. They were told help was coming. But SWAT teams didn't reach that classroom until approximately 3:00 in the afternoon.For three and a half hours, a wounded man lay bleeding while hundreds of law enforcement officers stood outside the building following protocols designed for situations completely unlike what they were facing. Sanders died from wounds that might have been survivable with prompt medical attention. We delve into the infamous basement tapes, the recordings Harris and Klebold made in the weeks before the shooting that were viewed by select officials but hidden from the public for over a decade before being destroyed in 2011. Those tapes reportedly contained statements about who knew about the killers' plans, where they obtained their weapons, and admissions that would have raised serious questions about whether others should have faced charges. Whatever was on those recordings is gone forever, destroyed by officials who claimed they were acting on mental health advice but who had already demonstrated a pattern of concealing their own failures. We dismantle the myths that the media created in the aftermath of the tragedy. The Trench Coat Mafia narrative that led to a nationwide crackdown on goth fashion and industrial music. The bullying explanation that provided a comforting but largely inaccurate cause for the violence. The story of Cassie Bernall, the alleged Christian martyr who said yes when asked if she believed in God, a powerful story that became a rallying cry for evangelical Christians but that the evidence suggests probably didn't happen the way it was told.These myths served various agendas, but they were largely wrong, and they prevented a more accurate understanding of what actually occurred.We explore the fact that the shooting was supposed to be the sideshow. Harris and Klebold built ninety nine improvised explosive devices, including two twenty pound propane bombs placed in the cafeteria and timed to detonate during the busiest lunch period. If those bombs had worked, the death toll wouldn't have been thirteen. It would have been in the hundreds.The massacre we remember was their backup plan, what they did when their primary plan failed. This level of premeditation demolishes the narrative of bullied kids who snapped and raises serious questions about how two teenagers could build a small arsenal without anyone noticing.We document the systematic cover up that followed the shooting. The draft search warrant that officials claimed didn't exist until it was discovered years later. The files that were sealed. The deputies who were instructed not to discuss their prior investigations. The sheriff who called grieving parents liars when they tried to tell the truth. The district attorney who never convened a grand jury. The evidence that was destroyed. The officials who retired with their pensions intact while no one was ever held accountable.We examine the controversial question of Eric Harris's psychiatric medication and what role, if any, it may have played in his violence. We explore what this case reveals about the limitations of mental health treatment and the ability of skilled manipulators to fool therapists, counselors, and parents alike. And we consider the legacy of Columbine more than twenty five years later. The lessons that were learned and the lessons that weren't. The reforms that were implemented and the reforms that should have been.The patterns of institutional failure and cover up that we've seen repeated in tragedy after tragedy since that April morning in 1999. Thirteen people died at Columbine High School. They were Cassie Bernall, Steven Curnow, Corey DePooter, Kelly Fleming, Matthew Kechter, Daniel Mauser, Daniel Rohrbough, Rachel Scott, Isaiah Shoels, John Tomlin, Lauren Townsend, Kyle Velasquez, and Dave Sanders. They deserved better from the people who were supposed to protect them.They deserved the truth. And they deserved to be remembered not as symbols or martyrs or victims of a myth, but as real people whose lives were cut short by violence that might have been prevented.This is The Redacted Report. The truth is out there, even when they don't want you to find it.

The Ace of Pumpkins is invited as the guest of honor to a peculiar dinner at the High House of Clovers. Genre: Fairy Tale   Excerpt: The Pumpkin Ace did not know whether to expect favor and praise or horrific humiliations. She only knew that any who left the table may not return. She only knew that the price for leaving the table before her host might be a terrible one. Might be. Her triumph or her doom depended upon the whims and fancies of her esteemed host, the King of the House of Clovers…   The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them. This episode landed on WILD CARD. See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: The Ace of Pumpkins   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. You can also get there from my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE   The Store page also has sign-up forms for my two email newsletters: Storyfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create)Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me)  Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork?Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   CREDITSStory: "The Ace of Pumpkins" Copyright © 2022 by Nila L. PatelNarration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music:"Jesters dance" by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro & Outro)"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by JONATHAN SHAW"Midnight Creeping""Cold Sanctuary""Lingering Evil""Encounter of Misdeeds"   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)"Seasons""Jesters dance""Unsolved""Whispers" "Inspector""Of sun and sand""The bard" All these tracks are part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market. Music by Nicholas Jeudy, Jonathan Shaw, and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev MarketSound effects from AudioJungle, GameDevMarket, and Soundly (through Hindenburg) Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.   Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy, Jonathan Shaw, and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more music by Jonathan Shaw at jshaw.co.ukFind more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. At center, a woman facing forward, seen from waist up, sitting at a table. Her face is in three-quarters profile facing right. She looks forward with right brow and the right corner of her mouth raised. Her bent right arm rests on the table in front of her. Her left hand is raised beside her, holding a fork with a piece of food on the tines. On the table in front of her is a plate full of food. In front of the food is a name card with partially visible letters that read "Ace of Pumpkins." At left is a small hourglass and two wine glasses. At right is a folded napkin wrapped in a band and a bowl filled with liquid, and with flowers, flower petals, and a bundle of herbs floating within. Watermark of "Storyfeather" along outside of the woman's upper right arm.

The Reply AI Film Festival 2025 in Venice spotlighted a creative shift with 2,500 submissions from 67 countries, it revealed how AI is reshaping film and storytelling. Not as a passive tool, but as a co-creator challenging long-held ideas of authorship and originality.Returning guest René Schulte, Expert in Physical AI, GenAI, XR & Digital Humans and Leader of Communities of Practice at Reply, joins Philipp Schweidler, Director of Toniq Sound Agency, to unpack AI and Humanity's Next Artistic Revolution. Together, they explore how AI amplifies human vision, pushes creative boundaries, and redefine what it means to create and they leave listeners with a resonant dose of food for thought about the future of entertainment and human expression.   We examine the rise of the “human-made™” label, the balance between emotion and algorithms, and how AI is redefining the future of entertainment and creativity.#AIandHumanity #AICreativity #GenerativeAI #AICulture#AIFuture #TechInnovation #ReplyAIFilmFestival #Venice2025 #AIinFilm #FutureOfStorytelling #CreativeAI #AIMadeArt #HumanMade #DigitalCreatives #ArtTech

The Reply AI Film Festival 2025 in Venice spotlighted a creative shift with 2,500 submissions from 67 countries, it revealed how AI is reshaping film and storytelling. Not as a passive tool, but as a co-creator challenging long-held ideas of authorship and originality.Returning guest René Schulte, Expert in Physical AI, GenAI, XR & Digital Humans and Leader of Communities of Practice at Reply, joins Philipp Schweidler, Director of Toniq Sound Agency, to unpack AI and Humanity's Next Artistic Revolution. Together, they explore how AI amplifies human vision, pushes creative boundaries, and redefine what it means to create and they leave listeners with a resonant dose of food for thought about the future of entertainment and human expression.   We examine the rise of the “human-made™” label, the balance between emotion and algorithms, and how AI is redefining the future of entertainment and creativity.#AIandHumanity #AICreativity #GenerativeAI #AICulture#AIFuture #TechInnovation #ReplyAIFilmFestival #Venice2025 #AIinFilm #FutureOfStorytelling #CreativeAI #AIMadeArt #HumanMade #DigitalCreatives #ArtTech

After a devastating house fire killed Mollie and Bubba McClaren, the family and investigators were shocked to find that their 9-year-old granddaughter, Chloie, and their 7-year-old grandson, Gage, were missing.  They weren't found in the rubble of the house, and could not be located anywhere near the home.  Thirteen years later, there is still no sign of the missing children, but their mother, Cherlyl, holds onto the hope that she will someday be reunited with her children.  Want access to our first 45 episodes? Grab em here! We've made them available for free to anyone who signs up! Remember, these episodes were recorded when we had no idea what we were doing, so just keep that in mind. The audio isn't the quality we would want to put out now, but the cases are on point! Visit killerqueens.link/og to download and binge all the archived episodes today! Hang with us: Follow Us on Instagram Like Us on Facebook Join our Case Discussion Group on Facebook Get Killer Queens Merch Bonus Episodes Support Our AMAZING Sponsors: Soul THC: Go to GetSoul.com and use promo code KQ for 30% off! Veracity: For up to 45% off your order, head to VeracitySelfCare.com and use code QUEENS. Chewy: Go to chewpanions.chewy.com/killerqueenspod to get $20 off your first order. © 2025 Killer Queens Podcast. All Rights ReservedAudio Production by Wayfare Recording Music provided by Steven Tobi Logo designed by Sloane Williams of The Sophisticated Crayon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome back to The Plant Healer's Path — Episode 22. In this powerful and wide-ranging episode, Jesse Wolf Hardin speaks directly to the moment we're living in — a time of immense challenge, ecological strain, cultural pressure, and profound possibility. Wolf reflects on the crossroads facing herbalists, healers, and culture-shifters of all kinds, exploring how fear, grief, and uncertainty can become sources of clarity, motivation, and purposeful action. Rather than retreating into resignation or victimhood, we're invited to deepen our awareness, sharpen our senses, and remember our place within the living world. This episode weaves together themes of herbal access, plant protection, self-worth, intuition, responsibility, and celebration — reminding us that even in difficult times, it remains possible to cultivate meaning, connection, and joy. Herbalism is framed not only as medicine, but as a vital skill for self-care, community resilience, and cultural renewal. A stirring reflection on empowered folk herbalism, embodied awareness, and the wild responsibility of living fully — even when the stakes are high. This audio was extracted from the beautiful video version available on the HerbRally YouTube channel. This episode is brought to you by The Good Medicine Confluence October 12–15, 2026 Ghost Ranch, New Mexico Join herbalists, healers, wildcrafters, visionaries, misfits, and medicine makers for four unforgettable days of learning, celebration, connection, ritual, and more than 100 classes from over 40 teachers. You're warmly invited to gather, study, celebrate, and dance under the stars in the Land of Enchantment.

In 1930, the World Cup didn't feel inevitable. It felt impossible. Thirteen teams. Weeks-long sea voyages. Political tension. Skepticism from Europe. And a small South American nation determined to prove football belonged to the world. In this episode of Atlanta Soccer Flashback, we travel back to Uruguay 1930 — the first World Cup — and explore how Jules Rimet's dream became reality, how Uruguay rose to the moment as a nation, how teams crossed oceans to compete, and how the United States quietly became one of the best teams in the world. From chaotic group stages and unforgettable travel stories to the volcanic rivalry of Uruguay vs Argentina in the final, this is the story of the moment the world truly met the World Cup — and why its legacy still shapes the game today.

The holidays can feel complicated when Christmas is split between two homes. Whether it's your first year sharing custody or your fifth, it's normal for big emotions, tricky logistics, and even guilt to creep in. You might feel torn when you can't be with your children on certain days, and they might feel the same pull between two households. In this episode, I remind you that your best is enough, and share six practical strategies to help your children not just survive, but thrive, through a two-household Christmas.  Links mentioned in the episode:  I've created a free resource guide to accompany this episode, filled with strategies to help you feel more grounded and confident during the festive season. Inside, you'll find gentle reminders, practical tips, and ways to make Christmas a meaningful time for your children, even when it's shared between two homes. Click HERE to get your free copy today. Resources shared in the episode:  Episode 327 - Developing new holiday traditions Episode 242 - Three common co-parenting styles Episode 353 - Four common co-parenting issues and effective strategies to set you up for success! Episode 356 - Ten practical tools for setting boundaries with your ex to nurture a healthy co-parenting relationship Episode 373 - How to handle co-parenting with a narcissistic ex Episode 375 - Five co-parenting challenges to work on for your child's well-being Episode 462 - The top 5 things co-parents argue about and how to manage them Episode 467 - Seeking professional help when dealing with a high-conflict ex Episode 484 - When Christmas Doesn't Feel Merry - Grief, Loss & Letting Go Blog Post: Ten strategies for single mums to navigate Christmas season sadness Download the E-book, I'm A Single Mum... Now What? - HERE Click HERE to learn more about the Trauma coaching and support group program.  Join the Thrive Tribe waitlist HERE.  Click HERE to join the free Facebook Group, The Single Mother Survival Guide Support Forum.  Download the E-book – Thirteen single mothers share their struggles, top tips, and their favourite things about being a single mother – HERE. To contact Julia, email: julia@singlemothersurvivalguide.com. Visit us at Single Mother Survival Guide. And join the email list there too. Or connect with Single Mother Survival Guide on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Matthew Klein now knows the truth. The advent calendar was not some random antique that found its way to his doorstep by chance. It was built with purpose. Built with intent. Constructed from the charred remains of his childhood home — and from the cursed spirit board that destroyed his family thirty years ago.Wilbur Ward, the neighbor who ran toward the flames that Christmas Eve, saw something in that fire. Something that changed him. Something that compelled him to salvage the blackened wood, retreat to his shed, and craft an object of precise and deliberate malevolence before vanishing without a trace.But knowing the calendar's origin answers only part of the question. The greater mystery remains: What does it want? Why Matt? And what happens when the final door is opened on Christmas Eve — the anniversary of the night his family burned alive?Thirteen doors have been opened. Thirteen horrors have been unleashed. A man drowned. A woman crushed. Snakes coiled in a child's bed. Blood erupted from impossible spaces. And now, scattered across an icy driveway in upstate New York, dozens of human teeth lie in the snow — each one a grim promise that the calendar is far from finished.Eleven doors remain.The smoky odor that haunts Marshport. The hooded figure glimpsed at crime scenes. The apparition of Steven, smelling of ash and demanding obedience. These pieces orbit the calendar like satellites around a dark star, and Matt is only beginning to understand how they connect.He came to Bayville seeking closure. Instead, he found confirmation that the evil which took his family never truly died. It waited. It planned. And through Wilbur Ward's hands, it built itself a new vessel — one designed specifically for Matthew Klein.The calendar has rules. Matt has learned what happens when they're broken. But as the days count down toward Christmas, a more terrifying question emerges: What happens when they're followed? What awaits at the end of this twisted game?December 14th arrives with Matt still standing in Nicole Ward's driveway, bloody teeth at his feet, the calendar clutched in his trembling hands. The car crash smolders nearby. The shed full of Wilbur's creations stands open behind him.And somewhere, in the shadows between what is known and what is coming, a beast watches.Get the print version of the novel: https://weirddarkness.com/AdventOfEvil#WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #HolidayHorror #SupernaturalThriller #HauntedCalendar #DarkChristmas #HorrorStory #DemonicEvil #CreepyTales #YuletideTerror

Sometimes the scariest part of a near-death experience isn't what happens… but what stops it from happening. Thirteen-year-old Amy was just riding along with her mom on an ordinary grocery run. No storm, no bad feeling, no obvious danger—just a red light, a quiet car, and a conversation that never actually happened. When her mom suddenly asked, “Did you say something?” Amy hadn't spoken a word. But her mother's face changed. Something was wrong. As the light turned green, Amy's mom did something completely against instinct in moving traffic: she refused to move. She told her daughter to start praying. Seconds later, a car barreled through the intersection, slamming into the vehicle that would have been right in front of them and sending it into a ditch. Only then did her mom reveal what she'd heard: a voice, urgent and insistent, telling her, “Stop the car.” Was it a guardian angel, a spirit guide, or something even stranger that intervened?  #RealGhostStoriesOnline #GuardianAngel #ParanormalProtection #SpiritGuides #NearDeathExperience #SupernaturalIntervention #IntuitionOrSpirit #TrueGhostStories #CreepyPodcast #UnseenForces #SavedByAVoice #HauntedLife  Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

THE PILOT TO PILOT MAGAZINE HAS LANDED!!!!!Thirteen articles + thirteen companion podcasts.Read. Listen. Share.Thinking about making the jump from fractional to the airlines—or wondering which path is right for you? In this episode, I break down my personal experience going from flying the Citation Latitude at a fractional operation to flying a 737 as a major airline pilot.We cover the real pros and cons of each career path: the seven-day work weeks and FBO life of fractional flying versus the "turn left and you're done" simplicity of airline operations. From quality of life changes after becoming a parent to the grind of short-call reserve, I try to give an honest, no-holds-barred comparison of both worlds.Whether you're chasing Garmin avionics and owner interactions or looking for longer overnights and schedule predictability, this episode will help you understand what to expect from each side of the professional pilot world.Topics covered:Quality of life: 7 on 7 off vs. airline schedulingCustomer service and crew dynamicsThe reality of short-call reserveMaking the decision that's right for your family

A single football tackle left Holden Jorgensen paralyzed from the waist down, trapped in a body that refused to obey him. Doctors said walking again was impossible; but, through relentless determination, faith, and years of grueling therapy, Holden began to reclaim control of his body in ways no one thought possible. This is the story of courage, hope, and a miracle that challenges everything we think we know about limits.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you're a fan of true crime but crave a dose of inspiration instead of tales of darkness, The Miracle Files is your perfect alternative. With the same storytelling intensity as true crime podcasts, The Miracle Files delves into the details of each miraculous story, exploring the people and circumstances that turned these moments into something unforgettable. Whether you believe in divine intervention or human perseverance, this podcast will leave you feeling uplifted and amazed.Website: www.themiraclefiles.comPodcast/RSS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-miracle-files/id1714203488Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_miracle_files_podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.phpid=100093613416005&mibextid=LQQJ4dTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.miracle.files?_t=8rB5ooQd482&_r=1

The sequence has been revealed. YES. L. M. 2. 3. What Matthew and his brother Steven unleashed with a spirit board thirty years ago left its fingerprints on the calendar's tenth door — a message hidden in plain sight, waiting for him to finally understand.Now the calendar has made its intentions unmistakable. A small cloth flag bearing the colors of Bayville, New York emerged from door eleven. Maroon. White. Mustard-yellow. A sun rising over hills. The emblem of a town Matthew fled as a ten-year-old boy, his family's screams still echoing in his ears as flames devoured everything he knew.He hasn't been back since. Hasn't spoken the name aloud in decades. The Kleins — his foster parents — gave him a new identity, a new life, a chance to bury the nightmare beneath thirty years of carefully constructed normalcy. But the calendar has been methodically excavating that grave since December first, and now it demands he return to where the bones are buried.Pastor Hart won't answer his calls. Detective Davenport watches him like a hawk circling wounded prey. His badge and gun sit in Lieutenant Sears' office, stripped away along with any authority he once had. The only person left standing beside him is Anika, and even she cannot follow where the calendar is pointing.Bayville awaits. The charred remains of his childhood home. The memories of a brother whose spirit now walks through Marshport, trailing ash and ember, whispering secrets to anyone who will listen. The truth about what crawled out of that spirit board on Christmas Eve, 1995.Thirteen doors remain sealed. Thirteen days until Christmas.Matthew Klein is going home. But the boy who ran from those flames died in them too — and whatever emerges from Bayville may not be the same man who entered.Get the print version of the novel: https://weirddarkness.com/AdventOfEvil#WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #HolidayHorror #SupernaturalThriller #HauntedCalendar #DarkChristmas #HorrorStory #DemonicEvil #CreepyTales #YuletideTerror

Charity Beallis did everything right. She reported the abuse. She filed for divorce. She got a protective order. She went to a state senator and told him her husband was going to kill her. She reportedly pleaded with local police. She posted publicly on social media, naming the case number, begging someone to listen. The system heard her. And then the system gave her husband joint custody of their six-year-old twins. Twenty-four hours later, Charity and both children were found shot to death in their Bonanza, Arkansas home. Dr. Randall Beallis was arrested in February 2025 for allegedly choking Charity in front of their kids. He was charged with aggravated assault and child endangerment. By October, those charges were reduced to misdemeanor battery. He got a suspended sentence and walked free. On December 2nd, a judge awarded him joint custody. On December 3rd, his wife and children were dead. On December 4th, his attorney filed to dismiss the divorce. No one has been arrested. No charges have been filed. Dr. Beallis denies any involvement and says he is cooperating with investigators. But this isn't the first time questions have surrounded a death in Dr. Beallis's life. His previous wife, Shawna, died from a reported gunshot wound in 2012 at age 34. It was ruled a suicide. According to accounts now surfacing, her family never believed that ruling. Two wives. Both mothers. Both reportedly dead from gunshots. Thirteen years apart. Charity saw what was coming. She screamed it from the rooftops. The system failed her at every turn. This is her story. #CharityBeallis #RandallBeallis #BonanzaArkansas #TrueCrime #DomesticViolence #SystemFailed #JusticeForCharity #ShawnaBeallis #ArkansasCrime #CustodyBattle Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Charity Beallis did everything right. She reported the abuse. She filed for divorce. She got a protective order. She went to a state senator and told him her husband was going to kill her. She reportedly pleaded with local police. She posted publicly on social media, naming the case number, begging someone to listen. The system heard her. And then the system gave her husband joint custody of their six-year-old twins. Twenty-four hours later, Charity and both children were found shot to death in their Bonanza, Arkansas home. Dr. Randall Beallis was arrested in February 2025 for allegedly choking Charity in front of their kids. He was charged with aggravated assault and child endangerment. By October, those charges were reduced to misdemeanor battery. He got a suspended sentence and walked free. On December 2nd, a judge awarded him joint custody. On December 3rd, his wife and children were dead. On December 4th, his attorney filed to dismiss the divorce. No one has been arrested. No charges have been filed. Dr. Beallis denies any involvement and says he is cooperating with investigators. But this isn't the first time questions have surrounded a death in Dr. Beallis's life. His previous wife, Shawna, died from a reported gunshot wound in 2012 at age 34. It was ruled a suicide. According to accounts now surfacing, her family never believed that ruling. Two wives. Both mothers. Both reportedly dead from gunshots. Thirteen years apart. Charity saw what was coming. She screamed it from the rooftops. The system failed her at every turn. This is her story. #CharityBeallis #RandallBeallis #BonanzaArkansas #TrueCrime #DomesticViolence #SystemFailed #JusticeForCharity #ShawnaBeallis #ArkansasCrime #CustodyBattle Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

ALL NEW CHRISTMAS SONG OUT NOW!!!SPOTIFY:https://wawdpod.com/lights-spotifyAPPLE MUSIC:https://wawdpod.com/lights-appleYOUTUBE MUSIC: https://wawdpod.com/lights-yt--Episode 216 is here. I am back. Holiday chaos is fading and the volume is up. Thirteen days until Christmas and somehow Alex Jones from 2017 sounds like he saw the group chat early. AI, hive minds, Epstein, tech elites. I play the clip. I react. I ask the only question that matters. What are we doing?Then I pivot. Hard. This turns into a full 2026 lock in speech. No fluff. No excuses. Post every day. Sell the junk. Cut the noise. Block the distractions. Break the habits that failed you. If this year was a mess, flip it. If this year was fine, push harder. Blinders on. Build something. Feed your family. Keep moving.After that, the news spiral hits. Netflix drops an $83 billion move on Warner Brothers. Paramount fires back with $108 billion. Breakup fees. HBO futures. Game of Thrones season nine bait. Streaming price hikes. Movie theaters on life support. Golden Globes add podcasts and somehow I get nominated before Joe Rogan. Jelly Roll cries on Rogan. Billy McFarland runs Phoenix Festival on an island with no power. Candace Owens and Erica Kirk go to war. Trump launches a gold card for rich people. Cruises keep proving my point. Then I end the show with my new Christmas song.Topics I hit. • Alex Jones predicting AI years early. • Why 2026 needs discipline and output. • Netflix vs Warner Brothers vs Paramount. • Streaming killing theaters. • Golden Globes podcast drama. • Joe Rogan and Jelly Roll moment. • Billy McFarland and Phoenix Festival chaos. • Candace Owens vs Turning Point fallout. • Trump gold and platinum cards. • Why cruises are a hard no. • My new holiday single.My 2025 Christmas song “Under the Christmas Lights” is out now on every platform. Stream it. Share it. Play it loud. Merry Christmas. What are we doing?

Charity Beallis did everything right. She reported the abuse. She filed for divorce. She got a protective order. She went to a state senator and told him her husband was going to kill her. She reportedly pleaded with local police. She posted publicly on social media, naming the case number, begging someone to listen. The system heard her. And then the system gave her husband joint custody of their six-year-old twins. Twenty-four hours later, Charity and both children were found shot to death in their Bonanza, Arkansas home. Dr. Randall Beallis was arrested in February 2025 for allegedly choking Charity in front of their kids. He was charged with aggravated assault and child endangerment. By October, those charges were reduced to misdemeanor battery. He got a suspended sentence and walked free. On December 2nd, a judge awarded him joint custody. On December 3rd, his wife and children were dead. On December 4th, his attorney filed to dismiss the divorce. No one has been arrested. No charges have been filed. Dr. Beallis denies any involvement and says he is cooperating with investigators. But this isn't the first time questions have surrounded a death in Dr. Beallis's life. His previous wife, Shawna, died from a reported gunshot wound in 2012 at age 34. It was ruled a suicide. According to accounts now surfacing, her family never believed that ruling. Two wives. Both mothers. Both reportedly dead from gunshots. Thirteen years apart. Charity saw what was coming. She screamed it from the rooftops. The system failed her at every turn. This is her story. #CharityBeallis #RandallBeallis #BonanzaArkansas #TrueCrime #DomesticViolence #SystemFailed #JusticeForCharity #ShawnaBeallis #ArkansasCrime #CustodyBattle Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

Charity Beallis did everything right. She reported the abuse. She filed for divorce. She got a protective order. She went to a state senator and told him her husband was going to kill her. She reportedly pleaded with local police. She posted publicly on social media, naming the case number, begging someone to listen. The system heard her. And then the system gave her husband joint custody of their six-year-old twins. Twenty-four hours later, Charity and both children were found shot to death in their Bonanza, Arkansas home. Dr. Randall Beallis was arrested in February 2025 for allegedly choking Charity in front of their kids. He was charged with aggravated assault and child endangerment. By October, those charges were reduced to misdemeanor battery. He got a suspended sentence and walked free. On December 2nd, a judge awarded him joint custody. On December 3rd, his wife and children were dead. On December 4th, his attorney filed to dismiss the divorce. No one has been arrested. No charges have been filed. Dr. Beallis denies any involvement and says he is cooperating with investigators. But this isn't the first time questions have surrounded a death in Dr. Beallis's life. His previous wife, Shawna, died from a reported gunshot wound in 2012 at age 34. It was ruled a suicide. According to accounts now surfacing, her family never believed that ruling. Two wives. Both mothers. Both reportedly dead from gunshots. Thirteen years apart. Charity saw what was coming. She screamed it from the rooftops. The system failed her at every turn. This is her story. #CharityBeallis #RandallBeallis #BonanzaArkansas #TrueCrime #DomesticViolence #SystemFailed #JusticeForCharity #ShawnaBeallis #ArkansasCrime #CustodyBattle Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

In this short episode, we listen to Denise Cusack as she walks us through the U.S. donation and distribution space for Herbalists Without Borders. This audio is extracted directly from a YouTube video tour filmed at her sanctuary, where she explains how HWB inventories donations, batches herbal products, distributes seed grants, and supports clinics, community projects, and mutual aid efforts nationwide. You'll hear how HWB:

Welcome back to The Plant Healer's Path — Episode 21. In this reflective episode, Jesse Wolf Hardin explores the idea that among all the plants we cherish, there may be one green ally whose presence, timing, symbolism, or healing effect plays a uniquely meaningful role in our lives. Wolf shares how a personal plant may appear during transition, heartbreak, celebration, or illness — offering medicine, emotional clarity, inspiration, or companionship. A plant ally might be one we've known for years but only now truly hear, or an unexpected species that arrives precisely when needed. We're invited to slow down, notice the plants around us, feel their resonance, and recognize the qualities, stories, and teachings they bring. Once we identify our plant, we can turn to it for grounding, guidance, and everyday support. A beautiful meditation on intuition, plant relationship, and the lifelong path of learning from nature. This audio was extracted from the beautiful video version available on the HerbRally YouTube channel. This episode is brought to you by The Good Medicine Confluence October 12–15, 2026 Ghost Ranch, New Mexico Join herbalists, healers, wildcrafters, visionaries, misfits, and medicine makers for four unforgettable days of learning, celebration, connection, ritual, and more than 100 classes from over 40 teachers. You're warmly invited to gather, study, celebrate, and dance under the stars in the Land of Enchantment.

Some days, family life feels more like chaos than connection, doesn’t it? There are dishes in the sink, sharp words we wish we could take back, kids who don’t always get along, and moments where we wonder, Is this really what a 'strong family' is supposed to look like? If you’ve ever felt that tension, this week’s episode of The Love Offering Podcast is especially for you. I’m talking with Jessica Smartt about her new book, Come On Home, and her message is such a relief: your family doesn’t have to be perfect to be strong. A strong family isn’t built on flawless behavior, matching outfits, or a constantly peaceful home. It’s formed in the ordinary, imperfect moments—apologies after arguments, prayers whispered in the hallway, small traditions that make your people feel seen and safe, and a steady love that says, “You belong here, no matter what.” If you’ve ever: Wished your home felt more like a haven than a battleground Wondered if it’s “too late” to change the culture of your family Carried guilt over what hasn’t gone the way you hoped Jessica’s words will encourage you. In our conversation, she shares: Thirteen foundational traits that help families grow strong in real life, not ideal life Honest stories from her own family and from other families with all kinds of backgrounds Practical ideas for building a connection between siblings and creating a home your kids want to come back to Hope for breaking unhealthy family patterns and offering your children a new legacy of faith and grace What I love most is Jessica’s reminder that God is at work in the middle of the mess. The disappointments, the conflicts, the things you wish you could redo—He can use all of it. Your faithfulness today, even in small ways, can ripple into future generations. Friend, it’s not too late.Not too late to start praying more intentionally for your family.Not too late to repair a strained relationship.Not too late to create rhythms that make your home gentle, welcoming, and full of grace. Your family doesn’t need you to be perfect—just present, prayerful, and willing to keep loving. I hope this episode feels like a warm, “me too,” and a gentle nudge to keep going. Cheering you on as you build a strong, grace-filled home, Rachael Connect with Jessica: https://jessicasmartt.com/ Read the Show Notes: https://rachaelkadams.com/writing/ Download Your Free Advent Devotional: https://rachaelkadams.com/free/ Support the Show: https://rachaelkadams.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Sailing to Rhode Island and the Storms of Politics — Nathaniel Philbrick — Washington sailed to Newport, Rhode Island in August 1790 to embrace the state after it finally ratified the Constitution, completing the original union of thirteen states. Philbrick recounts his own terrifying contemporary experience with a tornado while retracing this historical route by boat, using the meteorological storm as a metaphor for the political turbulence and factional conflicts Washington confronted. Philbrick highlights the complex historical paradox of Rhode Island: a place of genuine religious freedom that simultaneously served as the center of the American slave trade. Philbrick personifies this contradiction through the Brown brothers: John, a slave trader, and Moses, an abolitionist who profoundly influenced Washington to sign anti-slavery legislation and humanitarian reforms. 1889

Lindsay was raised in an offshoot of the Way International, then handed over at 12 to cult leader Victor Barnard as one of his “maidens.” For 10 years, she endured grooming, sexual abuse, and spiritual torment — all justified by a twisted interpretation of scripture. At 23, she fled. Thirteen years later, the true gospel broke through. Allie hosts this gut-wrenching, hope-filled story of escaping a cult, confronting evil, and discovering the real Jesus who heals the deepest wounds. Buy Allie's book "Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion": ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.toxicempathy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Timecodes: (00:00) Intro (01:40) Raised in the Way International (11:40) Moving to Minnesota (18:20) The Summer of Love (29:30) Life as a "Maiden" (36:30) The Cult Beliefs (40:40) Moving to Brazil (47:20) Returning to Pennsylvania (51:20) Finding God (55:15) Learning Christian Theology --- Today's Sponsors: A'del — Visit ⁠adelnaturalcosmetics.com⁠ and enter the promo code ALLIE for 25% off your first time purchase.   Good Ranchers — Give a reason to gather. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠goodranchers.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to start gifting, and while you're there, treat yourself with your own subscription to America's best meat. And when you use the code ALLIE, you'll get $40 off your first order. NetSuite — Every business is asking the same question: how do we make AI work for us? Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at ⁠netsuite.com/allie⁠. Seven Weeks Coffee — This is the pro-life coffee you'll want on Christmas morning. So go to ⁠sevenweekscoffee.com⁠ and save 15% forever when you subscribe, and this holiday season, you can claim up to four free gifts with your order!  Plus, use code ALLIE for an extra 10% off your first order.  Hillsdale College — Hillsdale College's new Colonial America miniseries takes you back to that beginning, exploring how faith, liberty, and virtue built the groundwork for a nation unlike any other. Go right now to⁠ hillsdale.edu/relatable⁠ to enroll for free.  Every Life — Visit ⁠everylife.com⁠ and use promo code ALLIE10 to get 10% off your first order today!  --- Episodes you might like:⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ep 1186 | From Crunchy to Cultish: The Deconstruction of 'Rose Uncharted' ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1186-from-crunchy-to-cultish-the-deconstruction/id1359249098?i=1000706883726⁠ Ep 1166 | Ex-Cultist Gives Harrowing Insight into Mysterious '2x2' Cult | Guest: Elizabeth Coleman ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1166-ex-cultist-gives-harrowing-insight-into-mysterious/id1359249098?i=1000702102417⁠ Ep 1154 | Ex-New Ager Reveals Cults' Secret Invasion of the Church | Guest: Melissa Dougherty ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1154-ex-new-ager-reveals-cults-secret-invasion-of/id1359249098?i=1000698790509⁠ --- Buy Allie's book "You're Not Enough (& That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love": ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alliebethstuckey.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Relatable merchandise: Use promo code ALLIE10 for a discount: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices