Spec e46 race car for sale
BMW E46
2011.10.24 05:27 depts2416 BMW E46
For those wanting to see more of BMW's 4th generation 3 series, the beautiful and timeless E46
2011.07.13 07:45 Miklos50 /r/Miata
A subreddit for all those who have owned, driven, raced, admired, or had anything ever to do with a Mazda MX-5.
2008.10.01 22:23 BMW
This sub-reddit is dedicated to everything related to BMW vehicles, tuning, racing, and more.
2023.06.10 22:22 Mike01Hawk Just get a PS5 Mike01Hawk, it'll be cheaper than building a PC Master Race you said, $4k later! Work in progress.
| TL;DR: Went all ham and head first into VR racing. Going thru a divorce so I'm enjoying some "Retail Therapy". Grew up in the Atari days, played GT extensively on the PS1/2 in College. Turned into a PC snob in the 2000s. Current PC was long in the tooth, 980ti, so figured I'd see what they hype was around the PS5. Got one a month ago and started hearing all they hype around the PSVR2, so f it, YOLO and dropped the extra $$$. Oh my, GT7 in VR is nucking futs! I wanted MOAR! So of course I went down the rabbit hole and ended up ordering an ASR4 rig with the Logitech Pro. As for why I have a racing stand. The Logitech was on back order till July, so I thought I had some time to decide on an 8020 rig. Nope, got a notification last week that the wheel would be here Friday. I knew I'd be chomping at the bit to use it so I just punted and got the racing stand for the interim. Holy crap this is intense! I have several hours under my belt with just the controller on GT7. It's a completely different animal with the wheel. The sensation of speed is thru the roof! I could seriously feel my car rotating under me. It was a crazy feeling. Like my brain knows I'm stationary, but the feedback thru my hands paired with the VR seriously tripped up my brain and I felt like I was physically moving. I know the DualSense controller has pressure buttons but I never liked the digital on/off feeling of the controller with my play style. I always felt darty and chunky, like I only knew on/off movements. With the analog input with the wheel and pedals, completely different game easing onto the brake and gas turning into and out of a corner. I also dabbled with using a manual transmission in the game now that I have flappy paddles that make it easier to control the trans. That's gonna be a whole new learning curve to now use the engine braking for corner entrances. After each race finished I was physically tense and "on". Felt draining. Kinda like when you get finished with a rollercoaster and you come to your senses at the end when they slow you down before you have to get off. As for the temp rig, yeah, total wobbly piece. Can't wait to get the rock solid tank of an 8020 rig and have a proper bucket seat and race posture and position. Oh and yeah, my race car driving skills SUCK! I have sooooo much room for improvement. Can't wait to get more seat time and develope my skills! I started to really think of the logistics of having a sim rig in my bedroom. Like just how the f is that gonna look and work. I guess just get long ass usb cables to go from the TV stand to the other side of the room for where the rig will be and just us VR. But that's a total ghetto ass solution. Probably just gonna say f it and have the rig in the living room and buy a dedicated 2nd PS5 just for the rig It's also gonna be tempting to also have triples and a dedicated racing rig PC. Now to go put my credit card in a block of ice so I won't be tempted to order the D-Box motion actuators. Yes, I know D-Box would require going to a PC solution :\ Damn it all to hell! submitted by Mike01Hawk to PSVR [link] [comments] |
2023.06.10 22:17 Da_Cow Getting my first bike.
Looking at the Rockhopper Comp or Expert. With the sale specialized is having right now its hard to pass up.
With me being a beginner do I really need the specs of the expert? Or is it worth it to just pay the premium price now.
I live in Utah by the way so I am looking to work my way up to some more technical trails in the future.
Thanks for any advice.
submitted by
Da_Cow to
MTB [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 22:16 mrRabblerouser WTS- TRC, Shirogorov, Hinderer, Emerson, GEC, Northwoods, RGT
Ok folks, I’ve been meaning to whittle down my collection quite a bit for a while, and I just bought a new car, so no time like the present!
Timestamp + Extras TRC Mille Cuori- One of the best fixed blade makers in the game. This one is BNIB and is absolutely gorgeous. Perfect do everything camp/survival/utility knife with steel butt. This one typically sells out very quickly whenever dealers get it in stock. DLC coated Vanadis 4E (V4E) steel. Comes with box. SV: 400
TRC This Is Freedom- Awesome slicy fixed blade that cuts like a laser. I’ve used it a few times in the kitchen even on some very difficult cuts and thanks to TRCs outstanding heat treat it’s still shaving. M390 steel, and again due to the ht this thing is super tough. Check out DBK video on the much smaller classic freedom to see what I mean. Some very hard to see micro scratches on blade. Comes with box. SV: 250
Shirogorov Neon NL (black and white micarta)- I’m the second owner but neither I or the previous owner used or carried it. Gorgeous flawless Shiro quality of course. Smooth and fiery action. Comes with box, cloth and CoA. SV: 475
Hinderer XM-18 3” Slicer- This one has RC bladeworks micarta scale, Skiff bearings, and a deep carry clip. Awesome knife, great quality. Ive used it to cut a few things, but still shaving sharp. Comes with triway, original green scale, and box. SV: 375
Emerson Mini A-100- BNIB. Always hard to find this one in stock, but after a long time of waiting I finally did. Love the simplicity and aesthetics, but it just didn’t make the cut for me. SV: 200
GEC #59 Shaffer Farm Whittler (Desert Ironwood)- BNIT. Only taken out when I first got it, and just now for photos. Typical GEC quality. A little scuff on big blade. SV: 175
Northwoods Bear Lake (Blueberry burlap micarta)- Beautiful slippy. I used it to cut open a box once or twice but has basically just sat in the sheath since I got it. Comes with coin and leather sheath. SV: 275
RGT titanium scales for Spyderco Native 5. These are green anodized with blue accents. I put them on and then realized I preferred the carbon fiber scales. These will fit the fluted carbon fiber or g10 versions of the Native, but not the lightweight. Paid 180 for these, but I know they were on sale recently. I’ll say SV: 80
Not interested in trades unless you wanna trade for an Oz Roosevelt. PayPal F&F, no notes. Ships Monday with USPS and tracking will be provided.
submitted by
mrRabblerouser to
Knife_Swap [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 22:12 aitk6n New to iRacing, looking for suggestions
I started playing iRacing yesterday. I'm looking for recommendations on a couple of cars/tracks to purchase that will open up more fun races.
So far, all I've really been doing is MX5 cups just to get used to the physics and a couple of the tracks, but I'm hating the MX5 lol. Unless you're using like 10% trail braking, it just steps out and spins. And I have no interest in 'Street stock' as I've sailed boats that handle better than those things.
I bought Nordschleife and done plenty of laps in the GT86. I know it fairly well from Assetto Corsa and other games anyway so I bought the Legacy 488 GT3 and done some laps in that too.
This is the first game I've played where the difference is power is very noticeable. In Assetto Corsa you could just in a 1000hp F1 car and do just fine. But big power cars in this game really depict just how much skill it takes.
Anyway, catracks suggestions for better race options would be much appreciated ✌️
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aitk6n to
iRacing [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 22:10 JJ48now84 Flashing rear lights - seems really distracting
Noob here and for NASCAR Garage 56
Why the flashing rear lights, and why don't some have it?
Seems like they'd be useful if they are off-pace or something, but racing behind a car with flashing lights has got to be quite distracting.
++Also, cool to see a NASCAR car with real lights ;)
submitted by
JJ48now84 to
lemans [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 22:10 hninja3k just joined the club and i love my car!
| just joined the club on thursday! cavalry blue hybrid xse with advanced tech package. waited about 2 months for this car to be built, so im so excited to finally have it! so far, i’ve customized the keyfob, got new mats to replace the factory all season mats, door sill and bumper protectors, rear seat cover for my dog. also got a screen protector for the infotainment screen (forgot to take a picture) currently, waiting on a hood scoop decal, black emblem overlays, and a badge to come in from tacovinyl, as well as a chrome delete kit for the chrome strips above the window, black exhaust tips, and im also getting the windows tinted next week. i would like to also get some raptor lights for the grille, and some led lights for the trunk/cargo area. soon! i bought a trailer hitch when i picked up the car so that will be put on asap, so i can attach my bike rack. i cant wait for everything to be put on and to finally have a “finished” product! - if anybody wants to buy the all-weather mats for the front and rear seats, let me know!
- attached my spec sheet for those who are interested
submitted by hninja3k to rav4club [link] [comments] |
2023.06.10 22:08 ohdammitpacho I want to sue my abusive grandma for custody of my sister, is this even possible?
Hi guys, this is a wild ride and I have to pullout a lot of detail to make sure it wasn't too long. Please feel free to ask for more info. Anyways, here's the tea:
When I(22F) was 12 years old, my mother(50sF) lost custody of her 5 children. My father(50sM) fought for full custody, but the youngest two were not my fathers children. The youngest (11F), had a different father that had partial visitation rights and the second youngest (18F) had a deadbeat dad that only has seen her thrice in 18 years.
My father unofficially adopted the second youngest, and he was, by all definitions of the word, her father.
However, my grandmother(78F) hated it. She didn't like my father (or me because I'm "just like him") because he wasn't the religion she follows, because he drank and his race (he's not white).
When my father fought my grandmother for custody of second youngest, he was granted temporary custody and visitation rights. Once in court, my father even called my sister and asked "Am I your dad?" and she replied matter-of-fact "uh, yeah duh".
At the last minute, my grandma decided to sabotage him by accusing him of molesting his children. She convinced a good amount of the family (her children) that he did, even though she didn't have any evidence and his daughters vehemently protested such accusations.
He lost, and my grandmother was granted custody. 5 years later, our dad passed away, and our grandma officially adopted the two of them. At that time, I promised them I would come back when I was grown up to "save" them.
Well now, at 22, I moved into one of my grandmothers properties (lease and everything) in preparation for my sisters 18th birthday so we could move out together and she can get the start I wasn't given.
Since moving, my grandmother claims that I'm "evil", that I'll push my youngest sister not to believe in god, to be gay, and to be provocative. For clarification, I'm not married but I've been with my bf for 5 years and he's the only man I've ever been with. she thinks I will convince her to have premarital sex because of this.
My grandmother kicked the second youngest out at 18, claiming she was too old and tired to take care of her any longer, but then refused to consider letting my youngest sister stay with other family.
Now, she wont let me see my sister at all, and packed her schedule full of extracurriculars specifically so she couldnt see me (she would be at home less, farther away from me). She is stressed out of her mind, way too much for any 11 year old to be. She breaks down over the smallest things because her internal dam is just full of stress and sadness.
My grandmother doesnt feed her real food. Only microwave meals and all of the food in her kitchen is rotten or expired.
After my grandmother broke her leg, she became her personal maid. She doesn’t get a free moment just to be a kid. My grandma constantly puts her down, calls her ugly (and lies about it) and lets her (pedo) son(s) inside the same house that my sister lives in. i know they are pedos because I have been sexually abused by them and so has my oldest sister, my second youngest sister, and my mom.
Im not sure if this still holds true, but my grandmother has been physically violent before. When my second youngest sister was 5, our grandmother (who is 5'10 and, at that time, heavily obese) sat on top of her, with my sister laying face down on the floor and wouldnt get up. I tried to get her off of her, and she literally tossed me out of the room and locked the door. She also pushed my heavily pregnant mother down the stairs.
Her son(50s) RECENTLY came into her house drunk, and asked my sister how old she was, and WHERE she sleeps. I was there for this and all of the events I just described, and it was horrifying.
And whats worse is that my grandmother claims that my definition of ‘abuse’ is different than hers, and so therefore it was not abuse. I fear for my youngest sister’s mental, physical and emotional health.
When my sister cried to our grandmother about this stress she replied “you dont know what stress is” or “did (OP) tell you to say that?” the only way im able to talk to my sister is through snapchat, which my grandmother doesnt know she has access to. Im heartbroken for her and my grandmother will not listen to reason.
So, I'm considering suing her for custody of my sister but I don't know where to start. I believe that she is in a neglectful and harmful environment and my grandmother and her children ruined all of my siblings, including myself. We all have heavy trauma from the abuse she and her sons inflicted upon us.
My grandmother is way more financially stable than I, and even just considering suing for custody is a few months out until I can get a bigger apartment. I am 95% sure my sister would choose to live with me if given the opportunity.
The family i have made for myself, away from my grandmothers family, is a bit unconventional and im worried with the heavy religious bias in my area, that it would become an issue. It consists of my boyfriend and I and my sister and her boyfriend.
I am willing to do everything necessary to become a fit parent in the eyes of the law, like getting married, having two cars, etc but I need to know if this is even possible. At the very least, I want to get visitation rights, but i dont know where I stand in relation to rights to her, since im her half sister, and not her parent.
I would appreciate any advice, as im a bit lost on what to do and I can't stand by while my grandmother ruins another life. Thanks for reading if you made it this far!
submitted by
ohdammitpacho to
legaladvice [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 22:07 DODOTheonlybird Need some advice
Hey guys
so uhhh long story short in my country (switzerland) the price of a GT-R skyline is about 80-150k for a stock one
and now there is a R32 GT-R on sale for 40k wich i have never seen so low wich ill look at tomorrow
note: the cars mostly on sale are the ones with almost no milage ETc. the one with the low price has 150k miles and needs a fair bit of work like preclace side mirror headlight etc. but he says the engine is running just fine
so my questions are is it a fair price for the miles any special thing to look out for ? what bigger problems could he be hiding i basically need a second opinion from someone who has or had a skyline
my Standpoint:
i usual have no problem keeping a car running since my daily subaru has 300k miles at this point and is still in a fair condition for the milage.
sorry if my questions are vague
cheers and a nice evening or morning
submitted by
DODOTheonlybird to
SkyLine [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 22:02 IshiiNara LOSTFILES ROLEPLAY COME JOIN!! NEW SERIOUS RP SERVER WITH FUNCTIONAL ECONOMY, JOBS, LOOKING FOR EMS/PD, PLENTY OF CUSTOM CONTENT. REFERENCE THIS REDDIT POST FOR IN GAME BONUS CASH!!
!!NEW RP SERVER!!
Lost Files Roleplay Serious Rp 18+ Economy based active police/ems Frequent city events 1000+ cars and 950 rims Starter packs for gangs/mafia/MC (+3 members) Starter packs for ems, mechanic and police Player owned everything (Make a ticket to own something) Drug sales, trafficking, black markets, scamming, armored truck heist, house robbery, bank robberies, illegal manufacturing etc. Fully functional DOJ looking to fill every position (Mayor, judge, lawyer etc) Real life cash prizes every week 10+ custom hoods and custom guns and emotes Only high quality paid scripts and mlos Engine Swaps and transmission swaps and more Looking for rappers to do rapper rp with our producers (get paid for it) 18+ Serious Roleplay Lost Files Roleplay is a serious roleplay server with something for everyone to do. I made it my mission to make a server where all types of role-players are able to have fun in the best ways possible, from Gangs being able to have a selection of over 10 different custom made neighborhoods, to mechanics being able to swap engines, and even civ rp that just want to get a cool car and go up north to go camping with their friends. Lost files Roleplay is a server where every player can have their own unique life in the best way possible. My goal is to make a city where everyone can enjoy, we are also trying to make it so every business is player owned so we need active members! Give Lost Files Roleplay a shot if this sounds good to you, if you need anything please put in a ticket in the discord and talk to our friendly staff team to get you set up properly. Thank you and hope to see you in the city! (fly in Bonus active right now)
https://discord.gg/EBHdcvnBvq submitted by
IshiiNara to
GTAVRP [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 22:00 IshiiNara JOIN LOSTFILES RP!! SERIOUS 18+ SERVER THAT NEEDS PLAYERS. JOIN NOW AND REFERENCE THIS REDDIT POST FOR IN GAME BONUS CASH!! WE NEED POLICE/EMS!! FULLY FUNCTIONAL ECONOMY AND MORE. JOIN NOW!!
!!NEW RP SERVER!!
Lost Files Roleplay Serious Rp 18+ Economy based active police/ems Frequent city events 1000+ cars and 950 rims Starter packs for gangs/mafia/MC (+3 members) Starter packs for ems, mechanic and police Player owned everything (Make a ticket to own something) Drug sales, trafficking, black markets, scamming, armored truck heist, house robbery, bank robberies, illegal manufacturing etc. Fully functional DOJ looking to fill every position (Mayor, judge, lawyer etc) Real life cash prizes every week 10+ custom hoods and custom guns and emotes Only high quality paid scripts and mlos Engine Swaps and transmission swaps and more Looking for rappers to do rapper rp with our producers (get paid for it) 18+ Serious Roleplay Lost Files Roleplay is a serious roleplay server with something for everyone to do. I made it my mission to make a server where all types of role-players are able to have fun in the best ways possible, from Gangs being able to have a selection of over 10 different custom made neighborhoods, to mechanics being able to swap engines, and even civ rp that just want to get a cool car and go up north to go camping with their friends. Lost files Roleplay is a server where every player can have their own unique life in the best way possible. My goal is to make a city where everyone can enjoy, we are also trying to make it so every business is player owned so we need active members! Give Lost Files Roleplay a shot if this sounds good to you, if you need anything please put in a ticket in the discord and talk to our friendly staff team to get you set up properly. Thank you and hope to see you in the city! (fly in Bonus active right now)
https://discord.gg/EBHdcvnBvq submitted by
IshiiNara to
FiveMServers [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 22:00 IshiiNara JOIN LOSTFILES RP!! SERIOUS 18+ SERVER THAT NEEDS PLAYERS. JOIN NOW AND REFERENCE THIS REDDIT POST FOR IN GAME BONUS CASH!! WE NEED POLICE/EMS!! FULLY FUNCTIONAL ECONOMY AND MORE. JOIN NOW!!
!!NEW RP SERVER!!
Lost Files Roleplay Serious Rp 18+ Economy based active police/ems Frequent city events 1000+ cars and 950 rims Starter packs for gangs/mafia/MC (+3 members) Starter packs for ems, mechanic and police Player owned everything (Make a ticket to own something) Drug sales, trafficking, black markets, scamming, armored truck heist, house robbery, bank robberies, illegal manufacturing etc. Fully functional DOJ looking to fill every position (Mayor, judge, lawyer etc) Real life cash prizes every week 10+ custom hoods and custom guns and emotes Only high quality paid scripts and mlos Engine Swaps and transmission swaps and more Looking for rappers to do rapper rp with our producers (get paid for it) 18+ Serious Roleplay Lost Files Roleplay is a serious roleplay server with something for everyone to do. I made it my mission to make a server where all types of role-players are able to have fun in the best ways possible, from Gangs being able to have a selection of over 10 different custom made neighborhoods, to mechanics being able to swap engines, and even civ rp that just want to get a cool car and go up north to go camping with their friends. Lost files Roleplay is a server where every player can have their own unique life in the best way possible. My goal is to make a city where everyone can enjoy, we are also trying to make it so every business is player owned so we need active members! Give Lost Files Roleplay a shot if this sounds good to you, if you need anything please put in a ticket in the discord and talk to our friendly staff team to get you set up properly. Thank you and hope to see you in the city! (fly in Bonus active right now)
https://discord.gg/EBHdcvnBvq submitted by
IshiiNara to
FiveMRPServers [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 21:50 sifr0000mk2 [WTS] BCM/Expo Arms 14.5” AR upper
Timestamp:
https://imgur.com/a/HCE9A5i Up for sale is my 14.5” non p/w AR upper.
Assembled by a professional gunsmith and has less than 90 flawless rounds through it. Weighs just under 49 ounces (no bcg/ch).
Components are as follows:
-BCM star forge marked blem upper receiver (ejection port cover is loose/doesn’t “spring” open, closes fine)
-Expo Arms/Primary Arms 14.5" 5.56/.223 chrome-lined government profile mid-length barrel
-BCM KMR Alpha 13” Keymod handguard
-Aero Precision gas block and mid-length gas tube
-Aero Precision mil-spec A2 flash hider (not pinned/welded, no Rocksett)
** No bolt carrier group/charging handle included.**
Yours for $300.69 shipped via Paypal friends & family or Venmo. No parting out and no trades, please. First “dibs” takes the item. Please PM me with any other offers/inquiries. Thanks!
submitted by
sifr0000mk2 to
GunAccessoriesForSale [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 21:48 AustinTechie What sports qualify for extended recording??
So frustrating not getting extended recording for live programs. The last 3 Indy car races I recorded were cut off in the last few laps left in the race!!
What sports qualify for the benefit of extended recording? Why not do it for ALL live programs?
This is, by far, the biggest feature I miss with YTTV. Auto extended recordings are a great differentiator.
submitted by
AustinTechie to
DirectvStream [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 21:39 PrimaryHair9542 I know LMPD is spread thin but I don't get how cops can't get to these street race/burnouts? It's not like it's a couple of minutes or out on the country. It's several hundred people and dozens of cars blocking a major road/intersection for 20-30+ mins.
2023.06.10 21:30 Janius [H] Celeste, Grime, Luck be a Landlord, Aground, Nomad Survival, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Ghostrunner [W] Chernobylite, Bug Fables, Monster Crown, Vambrace, Offers
IGS Rep My barter.vg page Games that I want most currently: *
Bug Fables, Oaken, Chernobylite, Vanaris Tactics, Before your Eyes, Monster Crown, Miasma Chronicles * My full wishlist is below, but I will consider other games that I don't know about/aren't on the list. I really like to play Roguelites, RPGs, Strategy, Card games, and certain sims.
I also have some games on the EA Store, if you're interested just ask.
Tradeable:
Wishlist:
submitted by
Janius to
indiegameswap [link] [comments]
2023.06.10 21:29 OpinionatedIMO 'They Prefer the Dark'
We decided to go for a drive in the countryside one Saturday morning. I’m the type of person who usually plans everything, leaving nothing to chance. I’m not spontaneous at all and it gets on my wife’s nerves. This was going to be different. It was all my idea and I assured Tammy we were just going to ‘wing it’. She rolled her eyes. She knows me. She realizes even my ‘spontaneous’ excursions are planned, somehow.
The truth is, it bothers me to not have a game plan. I’m usually the one driving on these rogue adventures and I have to decide to turn left or right if there’s no predetermined path or destination. I hate doing that with a passion but I wanted to prove to her I could drive without advance research or scouting. Inside it was going to kill me, but I had to pretend to be ok with it. You know how couples can get. I had to prove her ‘wrong’.
We loaded up the car with a couple of bottles of water and snacks before steering toward the rural part of the state. In the beginning, I’d been to parts of the area, but the longer we drove, the further I left behind my comfort zone. Tammy was loving it. I’d glance over at her occasionally and she’d have this genuine glow of contentment from the random drive. I sincerely think part of the enjoyment was relishing in my discomfort, but I wasn’t about to let on. Regardless, I wasn’t much of an actor and we both knew I was a bundle of knots inside.
Every few miles we’d see an old farmhouse or weathered barn with cows in the pasture. The scenery was lush and picturesque. The weather itself was beautiful too. All in all, for a random drive in the country being officiated by an obsessive planner, it was pretty darn enjoyable. I didn’t feel the crippling apprehension which usually came over me when I was trying to find a specific location in the dark. It was easier to be ‘lost’ in the daylight, with no set agenda. You might even say I was adjacent to enjoying myself.
The deeper Tammy and I drove into ‘Nowheresville’, the more we started noticing some odd little things. There were weird symbols painted on the side of the houses and barns visible from the old county road. They weren’t anything either of us was familiar with, but clearly they meant something to the locals. The first few didn’t register as anything to take note of, but eventually it became an obvious thing which stood out, in an otherwise idyllic country drive. I found myself anticipating them with each new home we approached. All of the symbols were somewhat different in ‘character’ formation, but they were similar enough to be related.
Neither of us spoke about them at the time but those strange markings troubled us, deeply. It was definitely on our minds when we stopped at a small country store for supplies, and to use the bathroom. As is usually the case with folks in the countryside, the store owners were very friendly. We must’ve stood out like sore thumbs, because they asked where we were from. We bought food and drinks for the road, and yukked it up with them for a couple minutes.
That is, until I summoned the courage to ask what the symbols on the buildings meant. Immediately their whole demeanor changed. It was night and day. Tammy noticed it too. She looked at me with a side-eyed glance as their mood darkened. To their credit, they didn’t try to change the subject. That would’ve been too obvious; but they did look down the aisles first to make sure there were no other customers within earshot, before answering. That definitely raised our hackles. It was creepy as hell. The truth was apparently something ‘outsiders’ like us weren’t supposed to know.
Suddenly it felt like we were about to be sucked into the middle of a rural conspiracy. They leaned over and whispered: “You folks seem real nice. Please don’t ask anyone else about them. It’s for ‘protection’, and for heaven’s sake, don’t be around here once the sun goes down. There’s a full moon tonight and they prefer the dark.”
I looked at Tammy’s mortified face. Her reaction was probably the same as my own. The suspense widened. We kept waiting for them to burst out laughing about winding up the big city folks, but the grins never came. They just handed us our receipt and told us to have a safe trip back home. There was a strong emphasis on us leaving soon. Like a couple of traumatized school kids, we thanked them for their prior hospitality and walked out. It was already dusk, and we were halfway across the state. We’d been seeing those bizarre markers for fifty miles or more.
Was it some secret sect? Tammy dared to take a photo of one of the ‘protection markers’ with her phone as we drove back toward home but the internet service in the boonies was spotty, at best. Since it was some deeply held rural secret, she hoped an image search would tell us what they meant. The country store proprietors acted like it was blood painted on the door of their homes to signal for the Biblical Angel of Death to pass them by.
Night fell quickly, with us still being in the middle of ‘Nowheresville’. We were definitely spooked and needed fuel for the car. Predictably, there were no stations around and the needle was below ‘E’. My OCD nerves were kicking way in. I was tempted to lash-out about why THIS is the reason I didn’t like to be spontaneous, but I held my tongue. It wouldn’t have helped. The image lookup netted very little helpful information. The only thing she could find was that it was somehow tied to ‘a secretive society of occult Freemasons’.
What? There were too many of them for it to be an ‘inside joke on city folks exploring the backroads’. We wouldn’t have thought there would be anything other that devout religious people living in that isolated section of the county. Not only that, but what did the shop owner’s vague statement mean? ‘They prefer the dark’? They made it sound like there were bloodthirsty werewolves roaming the woods. As laughable as it sounded, they weren’t laughing when they said it, and they didn’t appear to be kidding either.
They warned us to be completely out of the area before nightfall, and yet here we were, running on fumes and hoping to find a gas station before we were stranded like sitting ducks. The wind picked up until it blew our little car around like a sailboat in a churning sea. If there was any good from our unplanned misadventure, it was that all the dust we’d picked up from the long drive would hopefully be blown off the car.
It was barely 9pm on a Saturday night but every house we passed was as dark as could be. Not a single light shone in any of their windows. Either they went to bed early in the country, or they didn’t want to invite strangers to their doors after dark. Intellectually I knew rural folk were known to sleep early, but I couldn’t help but hear the shopkeepers conspiratorial words echo again in my ears. I couldn’t see Tammy’s face well but I know her. She was dwelling on it too. Under the circumstances it would’ve been impossible to ignore.
As growing nightmares tend to do, the car began to shudder. It was choking on its last few ounces of fuel left in the line. I wanted to shake the steering wheel in terrified frustration but it’s an inanimate object. I’m the damn fool goaded into ‘proving how unprepared I could be’. This was my ‘reward’. I was going to have to walk in the dark with a gas can until I found the next house. Then I was going to have to beat on their front door and hope they would take mercy on us. It was the perfect checkbox list of ‘NO!’ for me.
Walk alone in the dark. The FULL MOON dark.
Traverse a rural two lane blacktop where I didn’t know a single soul.
Ask for help from total strangers that could have been avoided if I’d just used my damn head in the first place.
And the ‘piece de resistance’:
Be on the lookout for ‘werewolves’ or Moses’ Angel of Death sent to kill the firstborn sons.
My own anger generated a certain level of false bravado which I needed to ‘get it done’. I cursed myself for not having gas already in the fuel can in the trunk but the truth is, I would’ve been afraid it was an explosion risk. It’s hell being an over-thinker. Tammy had the audacity to ask where I was going. I just turned toward her with a disgruntled scowl. She didn’t mean it the way it came out. It was obvious I had to go for help. She just didn’t want to be alone in the car. I think she felt bad for all of her past attempts to ‘loosen me up’ about over-planning things. Perhaps on the eve of our mutual doom, I might’ve won one. Ah, the bittersweet irony.
The two of us held hands. We’d started the journey together and we’d finish it together. Whatever that meant. Like a gentleman, I placed her away from the roadway but it was mostly a symbolic gesture. There were no other cars driving by. She was the first to notice how quiet it was as we walked. There was only the sound of our shoes clacking the pavement. In a place with all manner of wild animals living in nature, it was deathly silent. She gripped my hand tightly. It seemed like we’d walked a long way but the truth is, we were relatively lucky. The nearest farmhouse was less than a mile from our stranded vehicle.
Like the rest, it had one of those arcane symbols painted right on the front door. Also like the others, there wasn’t a single light shining in their windows but the driveway had three cars. They were definitely home but I had my doubts they would answer us. We didn’t want to be shot for startling them so we tried to make some unsubtle noises on the doorstep to announce our benevolent presence. Country folks like their twelve gauge shotguns. I hoped they would realize we were harmless and in need of help.
We both heard sounds of lamentation coming from inside. If anything, they were more frightened than we were. I’d characterize it as terrified. I spoke up in my friendliest voice to reassure them.
“Hello there. We’re terribly sorry to bother you folks so late at night. We’re just passing through from out of town and our car ran out of gas. Do you happen to have some? We’d be happy to reimburse you. I’ve got a hundred dollar bill. I can slide it under your door as compensation.”
A man on the other side spoke up. There was a noticeable tremor in his voice. He appeared to be trying very hard to balance his innate sense of politeness and hospitality, with a crumbling wall of courage. It didn’t bode well to reassure either of us.
“I’m terribly sorry for your trouble mister, but there’s something very evil lurking in these parts you don’t want to encounter. They come out at night time and for that precise reason, we don’t dare open the front door, for anyone. I’d be happy to siphon some of my own gas for you; but I won’t set foot out there until daylight. I have to protect myself and my family. I hope you understand. Now, run back to your car and lock the doors. Quickly! Cover up the windows and take this and put it on the hood of your vehicle in a conspicuous place. It’ll save your lives.”
In the unnatural quietness of the night air, I heard the electronic whirl of an inkjet printer running inside their home. A piece of letter-sized paper slid under the door jamb. It contained one of those strange symbols.
“Leave your fuel can on the porch. I’ll bring some gas, first light. I promise. If they come for you, do not look them in the eye. Go!”
We did exactly as instructed. To the letter. I gotta tell ya, the missus and I would’ve been ‘husband and wife, three-legged race’ winners if we’d entered such a competition. Both of us sprinted at a pace I hardly thought possible. I could barely keep up with her. Then I scrambled to get the keys to open the door. It might’ve been comical if we weren’t racing for our lives. Inside, we located a sun-visor and blankets to block off the windows as best we could. An old paper road map and catalogs from the glove compartment served to complete the job, in record time.
We were almost in the clear when I realized the most important part of the plan wasn’t in place. The protection sign was still in the car with us! I didn’t have any masking tape so there was no way to secure it to the window or hood. Using a rock as a paperweight would’ve blocked it from being visible. In a flash of invention I had an idea. The SUV was so dusty from the county roads that I scrawled the symbol as large as I could into the dirt of the windshield, hood and trunk with my fingers. I hoped that would suffice to spare us from the fury of whatever frightening creatures roamed the hillsides during the full moon.
I jumped back inside just in time. First the smell hit us. It was positively rank and the source of the stench was very, very large. We could feel ‘them’ walking around the car inspecting it. There were tiny voids in our hasty wallpapering of the windows but I didn’t dare look through the cracks. I was too scared I’d make eye contact. We heard them pulling on the door handles to see if they were unlocked. I have absolutely no doubt anything that huge could’ve simply ripped them open but that apparently wasn’t the point. They were checking to see if we’d taken the precaution of locking them.
Tammy had to stifle a scream as the whole vehicle shook back and forth violently. I thought the intent was to flip it upside down. She looked at me in wide-eyed terror. I’d love to suggest she drew strength from my calm masculinity but that would be a bold-faced lie. It was all I could do to keep from squealing like a toddler myself. The things on the other side of the car were definitely not natural. That much was clear to us. Then one of them spoke with a ‘voice’, not of this earth.
“You drew our sacred sigil of mercy on your vehicle, incorrectly. You have parts of the character backwards but we have decided to forgive your ignorance, this time. Leave our home and never return again. Our patience is limited.”
“Thank you!”; We both cried out in unison. Without response, they finally left us, but we dared not leave the impotent ‘safety’ of the car to confirm their departure; even to use the bathroom. Leftover drink cups temporarily served that purpose.
In the morning, the farmer came just as he’d promised. He brought us fuel and something to eat. Not that either of us had an appetite. He saw the evidence of our nocturnal visitors and remarked how fortunate we were, especially with my botched depiction of the ‘sigil’, as they had referred to them. We thanked the man again and we’re on our way. Neither of us breathed a sign of relief until we reached the suburbs.
I drove through an automated car wash to blast off the layers of dirt from our terrifying ordeal, but it didn’t do anything about the savage claw marks and unnatural dents to the sheet metal. I told my coworkers it was from a grizzly bear attack. That would’ve been horrific enough story, but the truth was infinitely worse. These so-called ‘grizzly bears’ could speak, read, and took considerable umbrage to my poorly drawn protection sigils.
My insurance agent demanded to inspect the damage first. He asked me where it occurred. I told him and he adopted the same pale demeanor change as the country store owners. He knew what we faced that night. Obviously there had been other claims like ours over the years. Without acknowledging what we both knew, he said: “You two are lucky to be alive. Don’t go back there again. Your claim will be covered in full. And one more thing, that sigil should look like this.”
He pointed to the clean area of the windshield where I had drawn it. Despite it being washed, you could still see the remnants of my ‘artwork’ on the glass. He took his finger and reversed one of the vertical marks in the middle. Now I know the correct way to draw it. More importantly, Tammy doesn’t try to stop me from planning out all the details of our trips anymore. She finally sees the benefit of NOT being spontaneous. Win-win.
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2023.06.10 21:28 OpinionatedIMO 'They Prefer the Dark'
We decided to go for a drive in the countryside one Saturday morning. I’m the type of person who usually plans everything, leaving nothing to chance. I’m not spontaneous at all and it gets on my wife’s nerves. This was going to be different. It was all my idea and I assured Tammy we were just going to ‘wing it’. She rolled her eyes. She knows me. She realizes even my ‘spontaneous’ excursions are planned, somehow.
The truth is, it bothers me to not have a game plan. I’m usually the one driving on these rogue adventures and I have to decide to turn left or right if there’s no predetermined path or destination. I hate doing that with a passion but I wanted to prove to her I could drive without advance research or scouting. Inside it was going to kill me, but I had to pretend to be ok with it. You know how couples can get. I had to prove her ‘wrong’.
We loaded up the car with a couple of bottles of water and snacks before steering toward the rural part of the state. In the beginning, I’d been to parts of the area, but the longer we drove, the further I left behind my comfort zone. Tammy was loving it. I’d glance over at her occasionally and she’d have this genuine glow of contentment from the random drive. I sincerely think part of the enjoyment was relishing in my discomfort, but I wasn’t about to let on. Regardless, I wasn’t much of an actor and we both knew I was a bundle of knots inside.
Every few miles we’d see an old farmhouse or weathered barn with cows in the pasture. The scenery was lush and picturesque. The weather itself was beautiful too. All in all, for a random drive in the country being officiated by an obsessive planner, it was pretty darn enjoyable. I didn’t feel the crippling apprehension which usually came over me when I was trying to find a specific location in the dark. It was easier to be ‘lost’ in the daylight, with no set agenda. You might even say I was adjacent to enjoying myself.
The deeper Tammy and I drove into ‘Nowheresville’, the more we started noticing some odd little things. There were weird symbols painted on the side of the houses and barns visible from the old county road. They weren’t anything either of us was familiar with, but clearly they meant something to the locals. The first few didn’t register as anything to take note of, but eventually it became an obvious thing which stood out, in an otherwise idyllic country drive. I found myself anticipating them with each new home we approached. All of the symbols were somewhat different in ‘character’ formation, but they were similar enough to be related.
Neither of us spoke about them at the time but those strange markings troubled us, deeply. It was definitely on our minds when we stopped at a small country store for supplies, and to use the bathroom. As is usually the case with folks in the countryside, the store owners were very friendly. We must’ve stood out like sore thumbs, because they asked where we were from. We bought food and drinks for the road, and yukked it up with them for a couple minutes.
That is, until I summoned the courage to ask what the symbols on the buildings meant. Immediately their whole demeanor changed. It was night and day. Tammy noticed it too. She looked at me with a side-eyed glance as their mood darkened. To their credit, they didn’t try to change the subject. That would’ve been too obvious; but they did look down the aisles first to make sure there were no other customers within earshot, before answering. That definitely raised our hackles. It was creepy as hell. The truth was apparently something ‘outsiders’ like us weren’t supposed to know.
Suddenly it felt like we were about to be sucked into the middle of a rural conspiracy. They leaned over and whispered: “You folks seem real nice. Please don’t ask anyone else about them. It’s for ‘protection’, and for heaven’s sake, don’t be around here once the sun goes down. There’s a full moon tonight and they prefer the dark.”
I looked at Tammy’s mortified face. Her reaction was probably the same as my own. The suspense widened. We kept waiting for them to burst out laughing about winding up the big city folks, but the grins never came. They just handed us our receipt and told us to have a safe trip back home. There was a strong emphasis on us leaving soon. Like a couple of traumatized school kids, we thanked them for their prior hospitality and walked out. It was already dusk, and we were halfway across the state. We’d been seeing those bizarre markers for fifty miles or more.
Was it some secret sect? Tammy dared to take a photo of one of the ‘protection markers’ with her phone as we drove back toward home but the internet service in the boonies was spotty, at best. Since it was some deeply held rural secret, she hoped an image search would tell us what they meant. The country store proprietors acted like it was blood painted on the door of their homes to signal for the Biblical Angel of Death to pass them by.
Night fell quickly, with us still being in the middle of ‘Nowheresville’. We were definitely spooked and needed fuel for the car. Predictably, there were no stations around and the needle was below ‘E’. My OCD nerves were kicking way in. I was tempted to lash-out about why THIS is the reason I didn’t like to be spontaneous, but I held my tongue. It wouldn’t have helped. The image lookup netted very little helpful information. The only thing she could find was that it was somehow tied to ‘a secretive society of occult Freemasons’.
What? There were too many of them for it to be an ‘inside joke on city folks exploring the backroads’. We wouldn’t have thought there would be anything other that devout religious people living in that isolated section of the county. Not only that, but what did the shop owner’s vague statement mean? ‘They prefer the dark’? They made it sound like there were bloodthirsty werewolves roaming the woods. As laughable as it sounded, they weren’t laughing when they said it, and they didn’t appear to be kidding either.
They warned us to be completely out of the area before nightfall, and yet here we were, running on fumes and hoping to find a gas station before we were stranded like sitting ducks. The wind picked up until it blew our little car around like a sailboat in a churning sea. If there was any good from our unplanned misadventure, it was that all the dust we’d picked up from the long drive would hopefully be blown off the car.
It was barely 9pm on a Saturday night but every house we passed was as dark as could be. Not a single light shone in any of their windows. Either they went to bed early in the country, or they didn’t want to invite strangers to their doors after dark. Intellectually I knew rural folk were known to sleep early, but I couldn’t help but hear the shopkeepers conspiratorial words echo again in my ears. I couldn’t see Tammy’s face well but I know her. She was dwelling on it too. Under the circumstances it would’ve been impossible to ignore.
As growing nightmares tend to do, the car began to shudder. It was choking on its last few ounces of fuel left in the line. I wanted to shake the steering wheel in terrified frustration but it’s an inanimate object. I’m the damn fool goaded into ‘proving how unprepared I could be’. This was my ‘reward’. I was going to have to walk in the dark with a gas can until I found the next house. Then I was going to have to beat on their front door and hope they would take mercy on us. It was the perfect checkbox list of ‘NO!’ for me.
Walk alone in the dark. The FULL MOON dark.
Traverse a rural two lane blacktop where I didn’t know a single soul.
Ask for help from total strangers that could have been avoided if I’d just used my damn head in the first place.
And the ‘piece de resistance’:
Be on the lookout for ‘werewolves’ or Moses’ Angel of Death sent to kill the firstborn sons.
My own anger generated a certain level of false bravado which I needed to ‘get it done’. I cursed myself for not having gas already in the fuel can in the trunk but the truth is, I would’ve been afraid it was an explosion risk. It’s hell being an over-thinker. Tammy had the audacity to ask where I was going. I just turned toward her with a disgruntled scowl. She didn’t mean it the way it came out. It was obvious I had to go for help. She just didn’t want to be alone in the car. I think she felt bad for all of her past attempts to ‘loosen me up’ about over-planning things. Perhaps on the eve of our mutual doom, I might’ve won one. Ah, the bittersweet irony.
The two of us held hands. We’d started the journey together and we’d finish it together. Whatever that meant. Like a gentleman, I placed her away from the roadway but it was mostly a symbolic gesture. There were no other cars driving by. She was the first to notice how quiet it was as we walked. There was only the sound of our shoes clacking the pavement. In a place with all manner of wild animals living in nature, it was deathly silent. She gripped my hand tightly. It seemed like we’d walked a long way but the truth is, we were relatively lucky. The nearest farmhouse was less than a mile from our stranded vehicle.
Like the rest, it had one of those arcane symbols painted right on the front door. Also like the others, there wasn’t a single light shining in their windows but the driveway had three cars. They were definitely home but I had my doubts they would answer us. We didn’t want to be shot for startling them so we tried to make some unsubtle noises on the doorstep to announce our benevolent presence. Country folks like their twelve gauge shotguns. I hoped they would realize we were harmless and in need of help.
We both heard sounds of lamentation coming from inside. If anything, they were more frightened than we were. I’d characterize it as terrified. I spoke up in my friendliest voice to reassure them.
“Hello there. We’re terribly sorry to bother you folks so late at night. We’re just passing through from out of town and our car ran out of gas. Do you happen to have some? We’d be happy to reimburse you. I’ve got a hundred dollar bill. I can slide it under your door as compensation.”
A man on the other side spoke up. There was a noticeable tremor in his voice. He appeared to be trying very hard to balance his innate sense of politeness and hospitality, with a crumbling wall of courage. It didn’t bode well to reassure either of us.
“I’m terribly sorry for your trouble mister, but there’s something very evil lurking in these parts you don’t want to encounter. They come out at night time and for that precise reason, we don’t dare open the front door, for anyone. I’d be happy to siphon some of my own gas for you; but I won’t set foot out there until daylight. I have to protect myself and my family. I hope you understand. Now, run back to your car and lock the doors. Quickly! Cover up the windows and take this and put it on the hood of your vehicle in a conspicuous place. It’ll save your lives.”
In the unnatural quietness of the night air, I heard the electronic whirl of an inkjet printer running inside their home. A piece of letter-sized paper slid under the door jamb. It contained one of those strange symbols.
“Leave your fuel can on the porch. I’ll bring some gas, first light. I promise. If they come for you, do not look them in the eye. Go!”
We did exactly as instructed. To the letter. I gotta tell ya, the missus and I would’ve been ‘husband and wife, three-legged race’ winners if we’d entered such a competition. Both of us sprinted at a pace I hardly thought possible. I could barely keep up with her. Then I scrambled to get the keys to open the door. It might’ve been comical if we weren’t racing for our lives. Inside, we located a sun-visor and blankets to block off the windows as best we could. An old paper road map and catalogs from the glove compartment served to complete the job, in record time.
We were almost in the clear when I realized the most important part of the plan wasn’t in place. The protection sign was still in the car with us! I didn’t have any masking tape so there was no way to secure it to the window or hood. Using a rock as a paperweight would’ve blocked it from being visible. In a flash of invention I had an idea. The SUV was so dusty from the county roads that I scrawled the symbol as large as I could into the dirt of the windshield, hood and trunk with my fingers. I hoped that would suffice to spare us from the fury of whatever frightening creatures roamed the hillsides during the full moon.
I jumped back inside just in time. First the smell hit us. It was positively rank and the source of the stench was very, very large. We could feel ‘them’ walking around the car inspecting it. There were tiny voids in our hasty wallpapering of the windows but I didn’t dare look through the cracks. I was too scared I’d make eye contact. We heard them pulling on the door handles to see if they were unlocked. I have absolutely no doubt anything that huge could’ve simply ripped them open but that apparently wasn’t the point. They were checking to see if we’d taken the precaution of locking them.
Tammy had to stifle a scream as the whole vehicle shook back and forth violently. I thought the intent was to flip it upside down. She looked at me in wide-eyed terror. I’d love to suggest she drew strength from my calm masculinity but that would be a bold-faced lie. It was all I could do to keep from squealing like a toddler myself. The things on the other side of the car were definitely not natural. That much was clear to us. Then one of them spoke with a ‘voice’, not of this earth.
“You drew our sacred sigil of mercy on your vehicle, incorrectly. You have parts of the character backwards but we have decided to forgive your ignorance, this time. Leave our home and never return again. Our patience is limited.”
“Thank you!”; We both cried out in unison. Without response, they finally left us, but we dared not leave the impotent ‘safety’ of the car to confirm their departure; even to use the bathroom. Leftover drink cups temporarily served that purpose.
In the morning, the farmer came just as he’d promised. He brought us fuel and something to eat. Not that either of us had an appetite. He saw the evidence of our nocturnal visitors and remarked how fortunate we were, especially with my botched depiction of the ‘sigil’, as they had referred to them. We thanked the man again and we’re on our way. Neither of us breathed a sign of relief until we reached the suburbs.
I drove through an automated car wash to blast off the layers of dirt from our terrifying ordeal, but it didn’t do anything about the savage claw marks and unnatural dents to the sheet metal. I told my coworkers it was from a grizzly bear attack. That would’ve been horrific enough story, but the truth was infinitely worse. These so-called ‘grizzly bears’ could speak, read, and took considerable umbrage to my poorly drawn protection sigils.
My insurance agent demanded to inspect the damage first. He asked me where it occurred. I told him and he adopted the same pale demeanor change as the country store owners. He knew what we faced that night. Obviously there had been other claims like ours over the years. Without acknowledging what we both knew, he said: “You two are lucky to be alive. Don’t go back there again. Your claim will be covered in full. And one more thing, that sigil should look like this.”
He pointed to the clean area of the windshield where I had drawn it. Despite it being washed, you could still see the remnants of my ‘artwork’ on the glass. He took his finger and reversed one of the vertical marks in the middle. Now I know the correct way to draw it. More importantly, Tammy doesn’t try to stop me from planning out all the details of our trips anymore. She finally sees the benefit of NOT being spontaneous. Win-win.
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2023.06.10 21:27 OpinionatedIMO 'They prefer the dark'
We decided to go for a drive in the countryside one Saturday morning. I’m the type of person who usually plans everything, leaving nothing to chance. I’m not spontaneous at all and it gets on my wife’s nerves. This was going to be different. It was all my idea and I assured Tammy we were just going to ‘wing it’. She rolled her eyes. She knows me. She realizes even my ‘spontaneous’ excursions are planned, somehow.
The truth is, it bothers me to not have a game plan. I’m usually the one driving on these rogue adventures and I have to decide to turn left or right if there’s no predetermined path or destination. I hate doing that with a passion but I wanted to prove to her I could drive without advance research or scouting. Inside it was going to kill me, but I had to pretend to be ok with it. You know how couples can get. I had to prove her ‘wrong’.
We loaded up the car with a couple of bottles of water and snacks before steering toward the rural part of the state. In the beginning, I’d been to parts of the area, but the longer we drove, the further I left behind my comfort zone. Tammy was loving it. I’d glance over at her occasionally and she’d have this genuine glow of contentment from the random drive. I sincerely think part of the enjoyment was relishing in my discomfort, but I wasn’t about to let on. Regardless, I wasn’t much of an actor and we both knew I was a bundle of knots inside.
Every few miles we’d see an old farmhouse or weathered barn with cows in the pasture. The scenery was lush and picturesque. The weather itself was beautiful too. All in all, for a random drive in the country being officiated by an obsessive planner, it was pretty darn enjoyable. I didn’t feel the crippling apprehension which usually came over me when I was trying to find a specific location in the dark. It was easier to be ‘lost’ in the daylight, with no set agenda. You might even say I was adjacent to enjoying myself.
The deeper Tammy and I drove into ‘Nowheresville’, the more we started noticing some odd little things. There were weird symbols painted on the side of the houses and barns visible from the old county road. They weren’t anything either of us was familiar with, but clearly they meant something to the locals. The first few didn’t register as anything to take note of, but eventually it became an obvious thing which stood out, in an otherwise idyllic country drive. I found myself anticipating them with each new home we approached. All of the symbols were somewhat different in ‘character’ formation, but they were similar enough to be related.
Neither of us spoke about them at the time but those strange markings troubled us, deeply. It was definitely on our minds when we stopped at a small country store for supplies, and to use the bathroom. As is usually the case with folks in the countryside, the store owners were very friendly. We must’ve stood out like sore thumbs, because they asked where we were from. We bought food and drinks for the road, and yukked it up with them for a couple minutes.
That is, until I summoned the courage to ask what the symbols on the buildings meant. Immediately their whole demeanor changed. It was night and day. Tammy noticed it too. She looked at me with a side-eyed glance as their mood darkened. To their credit, they didn’t try to change the subject. That would’ve been too obvious; but they did look down the aisles first to make sure there were no other customers within earshot, before answering. That definitely raised our hackles. It was creepy as hell. The truth was apparently something ‘outsiders’ like us weren’t supposed to know.
Suddenly it felt like we were about to be sucked into the middle of a rural conspiracy. They leaned over and whispered: “You folks seem real nice. Please don’t ask anyone else about them. It’s for ‘protection’, and for heaven’s sake, don’t be around here once the sun goes down. There’s a full moon tonight and they prefer the dark.”
I looked at Tammy’s mortified face. Her reaction was probably the same as my own. The suspense widened. We kept waiting for them to burst out laughing about winding up the big city folks, but the grins never came. They just handed us our receipt and told us to have a safe trip back home. There was a strong emphasis on us leaving soon. Like a couple of traumatized school kids, we thanked them for their prior hospitality and walked out. It was already dusk, and we were halfway across the state. We’d been seeing those bizarre markers for fifty miles or more.
Was it some secret sect? Tammy dared to take a photo of one of the ‘protection markers’ with her phone as we drove back toward home but the internet service in the boonies was spotty, at best. Since it was some deeply held rural secret, she hoped an image search would tell us what they meant. The country store proprietors acted like it was blood painted on the door of their homes to signal for the Biblical Angel of Death to pass them by.
Night fell quickly, with us still being in the middle of ‘Nowheresville’. We were definitely spooked and needed fuel for the car. Predictably, there were no stations around and the needle was below ‘E’. My OCD nerves were kicking way in. I was tempted to lash-out about why THIS is the reason I didn’t like to be spontaneous, but I held my tongue. It wouldn’t have helped. The image lookup netted very little helpful information. The only thing she could find was that it was somehow tied to ‘a secretive society of occult Freemasons’.
What? There were too many of them for it to be an ‘inside joke on city folks exploring the backroads’. We wouldn’t have thought there would be anything other that devout religious people living in that isolated section of the county. Not only that, but what did the shop owner’s vague statement mean? ‘They prefer the dark’? They made it sound like there were bloodthirsty werewolves roaming the woods. As laughable as it sounded, they weren’t laughing when they said it, and they didn’t appear to be kidding either.
They warned us to be completely out of the area before nightfall, and yet here we were, running on fumes and hoping to find a gas station before we were stranded like sitting ducks. The wind picked up until it blew our little car around like a sailboat in a churning sea. If there was any good from our unplanned misadventure, it was that all the dust we’d picked up from the long drive would hopefully be blown off the car.
It was barely 9pm on a Saturday night but every house we passed was as dark as could be. Not a single light shone in any of their windows. Either they went to bed early in the country, or they didn’t want to invite strangers to their doors after dark. Intellectually I knew rural folk were known to sleep early, but I couldn’t help but hear the shopkeepers conspiratorial words echo again in my ears. I couldn’t see Tammy’s face well but I know her. She was dwelling on it too. Under the circumstances it would’ve been impossible to ignore.
As growing nightmares tend to do, the car began to shudder. It was choking on its last few ounces of fuel left in the line. I wanted to shake the steering wheel in terrified frustration but it’s an inanimate object. I’m the damn fool goaded into ‘proving how unprepared I could be’. This was my ‘reward’. I was going to have to walk in the dark with a gas can until I found the next house. Then I was going to have to beat on their front door and hope they would take mercy on us. It was the perfect checkbox list of ‘NO!’ for me.
Walk alone in the dark. The FULL MOON dark.
Traverse a rural two lane blacktop where I didn’t know a single soul.
Ask for help from total strangers that could have been avoided if I’d just used my damn head in the first place.
And the ‘piece de resistance’:
Be on the lookout for ‘werewolves’ or Moses’ Angel of Death sent to kill the firstborn sons.
My own anger generated a certain level of false bravado which I needed to ‘get it done’. I cursed myself for not having gas already in the fuel can in the trunk but the truth is, I would’ve been afraid it was an explosion risk. It’s hell being an over-thinker. Tammy had the audacity to ask where I was going. I just turned toward her with a disgruntled scowl. She didn’t mean it the way it came out. It was obvious I had to go for help. She just didn’t want to be alone in the car. I think she felt bad for all of her past attempts to ‘loosen me up’ about over-planning things. Perhaps on the eve of our mutual doom, I might’ve won one. Ah, the bittersweet irony.
The two of us held hands. We’d started the journey together and we’d finish it together. Whatever that meant. Like a gentleman, I placed her away from the roadway but it was mostly a symbolic gesture. There were no other cars driving by. She was the first to notice how quiet it was as we walked. There was only the sound of our shoes clacking the pavement. In a place with all manner of wild animals living in nature, it was deathly silent. She gripped my hand tightly. It seemed like we’d walked a long way but the truth is, we were relatively lucky. The nearest farmhouse was less than a mile from our stranded vehicle.
Like the rest, it had one of those arcane symbols painted right on the front door. Also like the others, there wasn’t a single light shining in their windows but the driveway had three cars. They were definitely home but I had my doubts they would answer us. We didn’t want to be shot for startling them so we tried to make some unsubtle noises on the doorstep to announce our benevolent presence. Country folks like their twelve gauge shotguns. I hoped they would realize we were harmless and in need of help.
We both heard sounds of lamentation coming from inside. If anything, they were more frightened than we were. I’d characterize it as terrified. I spoke up in my friendliest voice to reassure them.
“Hello there. We’re terribly sorry to bother you folks so late at night. We’re just passing through from out of town and our car ran out of gas. Do you happen to have some? We’d be happy to reimburse you. I’ve got a hundred dollar bill. I can slide it under your door as compensation.”
A man on the other side spoke up. There was a noticeable tremor in his voice. He appeared to be trying very hard to balance his innate sense of politeness and hospitality, with a crumbling wall of courage. It didn’t bode well to reassure either of us.
“I’m terribly sorry for your trouble mister, but there’s something very evil lurking in these parts you don’t want to encounter. They come out at night time and for that precise reason, we don’t dare open the front door, for anyone. I’d be happy to siphon some of my own gas for you; but I won’t set foot out there until daylight. I have to protect myself and my family. I hope you understand. Now, run back to your car and lock the doors. Quickly! Cover up the windows and take this and put it on the hood of your vehicle in a conspicuous place. It’ll save your lives.”
In the unnatural quietness of the night air, I heard the electronic whirl of an inkjet printer running inside their home. A piece of letter-sized paper slid under the door jamb. It contained one of those strange symbols.
“Leave your fuel can on the porch. I’ll bring some gas, first light. I promise. If they come for you, do not look them in the eye. Go!”
We did exactly as instructed. To the letter. I gotta tell ya, the missus and I would’ve been ‘husband and wife, three-legged race’ winners if we’d entered such a competition. Both of us sprinted at a pace I hardly thought possible. I could barely keep up with her. Then I scrambled to get the keys to open the door. It might’ve been comical if we weren’t racing for our lives. Inside, we located a sun-visor and blankets to block off the windows as best we could. An old paper road map and catalogs from the glove compartment served to complete the job, in record time.
We were almost in the clear when I realized the most important part of the plan wasn’t in place. The protection sign was still in the car with us! I didn’t have any masking tape so there was no way to secure it to the window or hood. Using a rock as a paperweight would’ve blocked it from being visible. In a flash of invention I had an idea. The SUV was so dusty from the county roads that I scrawled the symbol as large as I could into the dirt of the windshield, hood and trunk with my fingers. I hoped that would suffice to spare us from the fury of whatever frightening creatures roamed the hillsides during the full moon.
I jumped back inside just in time. First the smell hit us. It was positively rank and the source of the stench was very, very large. We could feel ‘them’ walking around the car inspecting it. There were tiny voids in our hasty wallpapering of the windows but I didn’t dare look through the cracks. I was too scared I’d make eye contact. We heard them pulling on the door handles to see if they were unlocked. I have absolutely no doubt anything that huge could’ve simply ripped them open but that apparently wasn’t the point. They were checking to see if we’d taken the precaution of locking them.
Tammy had to stifle a scream as the whole vehicle shook back and forth violently. I thought the intent was to flip it upside down. She looked at me in wide-eyed terror. I’d love to suggest she drew strength from my calm masculinity but that would be a bold-faced lie. It was all I could do to keep from squealing like a toddler myself. The things on the other side of the car were definitely not natural. That much was clear to us. Then one of them spoke with a ‘voice’, not of this earth.
“You drew our sacred sigil of mercy on your vehicle, incorrectly. You have parts of the character backwards but we have decided to forgive your ignorance, this time. Leave our home and never return again. Our patience is limited.”
“Thank you!”; We both cried out in unison. Without response, they finally left us, but we dared not leave the impotent ‘safety’ of the car to confirm their departure; even to use the bathroom. Leftover drink cups temporarily served that purpose.
In the morning, the farmer came just as he’d promised. He brought us fuel and something to eat. Not that either of us had an appetite. He saw the evidence of our nocturnal visitors and remarked how fortunate we were, especially with my botched depiction of the ‘sigil’, as they had referred to them. We thanked the man again and we’re on our way. Neither of us breathed a sign of relief until we reached the suburbs.
I drove through an automated car wash to blast off the layers of dirt from our terrifying ordeal, but it didn’t do anything about the savage claw marks and unnatural dents to the sheet metal. I told my coworkers it was from a grizzly bear attack. That would’ve been horrific enough story, but the truth was infinitely worse. These so-called ‘grizzly bears’ could speak, read, and took considerable umbrage to my poorly drawn protection sigils.
My insurance agent demanded to inspect the damage first. He asked me where it occurred. I told him and he adopted the same pale demeanor change as the country store owners. He knew what we faced that night. Obviously there had been other claims like ours over the years. Without acknowledging what we both knew, he said: “You two are lucky to be alive. Don’t go back there again. Your claim will be covered in full. And one more thing, that sigil should look like this.”
He pointed to the clean area of the windshield where I had drawn it. Despite it being washed, you could still see the remnants of my ‘artwork’ on the glass. He took his finger and reversed one of the vertical marks in the middle. Now I know the correct way to draw it. More importantly, Tammy doesn’t try to stop me from planning out all the details of our trips anymore. She finally sees the benefit of NOT being spontaneous. Win-win.
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2023.06.10 21:23 YearOfDaSnitch This Motortrend + Coverage is Terrible
I paid the $5 for their monthly service, because they claimed they would be covering the entire race. Well that's just simply not true
Instead they are coming the Hypercar class and that's it. In fact they only talk about the top 5 cars for basically the entire race so far.
There is quite literally absolutely no information about any class but Hypercar. Not single crumb of information.
I paid for this to keep track of the Nascar. I know I can watch the onboard, but I have no idea what position the car is in or anything.
Anyone else feel ripped off? I certainly do
Edit: oh and the coverage sucks in general. The commentator don't seem to know what's going on half the time.
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2023.06.10 21:21 Ok-Still2446 Spicy Chips
2023.06.10 21:19 Glittering_Pay_5660 [CAN-BC](H) Pokémon, Mario, Gamecube sega Dreamcast and PS1 Lot with strategy guides. (W) PayPal or Etransfer.
Hey guys! Huge list of games for sale here. Everything is in Canadian dollar and open for offers :) Also will be posting a list of boxed N64 games, boxed NES and Boxed SNES. Also have about over 100 SNES games to sell and 300+ NES games to sell. Here is a peak into my GAMEYE with prices so maybe something will catch your eyes.
https://cdn.fbsbx.com/v/t59.2708-21/349299326_254232103859663_8929733025346908515_n.csv/6_2_2023_ge_collection.csv?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=0cab14&_nc_ohc=K6bCAJXfb6AAX8F0sqL&_nc_ht=cdn.fbsbx.com&oh=03_AdT4u4W-pH7KXgtmMKf2yjXiPOJ0c7CEy0hkErvB2Kc32A&oe=64865377&dl=1 PS1:
The Legend of Dragoon (greatest hits) $56
Final Fantasy VIII $27
Final Fantasy VII $64
Final Fantasy Tactics $58
Gran Turismo $16
Looney Tunes racing $24
007 Tomorrow never dies $9
007 the world is not enough $12
Saltwater sport fishing $7
Monopoly $7
Planet of the apes $11
Cool boarders 2 (greatest hits) $7
Crash bandicoot (greatest hits) $20
Crash bandicoot Warped $18
Crash bandicoot 2 cortex strikes back $18
Riven the sequel to myst $20
Ninja shadow of darkness $30
Tomb raider collectors edition $92
Pitfall 3D beyond the jungle $12
Family card games fun pack $5
Strategy guides:
Official Riven the sequel to Myst tips and secrets $18
Official Pitfall 3D beyond the jungle strategy guide $6
PSM 1999 NO.20 $12
Official Final Fantasy VIII strategy guide $34
Primas official Final Fantasy Tactics strategy guide (small tear on the side) $29
Final Fantasy X-2 strategy guide $14
Primas Crash Bandicoot Warped official strategy guide $12
DS/3DS:
Pokémon soulsilver Big Box $350
Pokémon heartgold big box $425
Pokémon sun $30 (no manual)
Pokémon moon $30 (no manual)
Pokémon Y $55
Pokémon soul silver $200
Final fantasy IV $45
Final fantasy tactics A2 $35 (just case and manual only)
Monster racer $120
Pokémon mystery dungeon explore of time $40
Pokémon white version 2 $90 (manual and box)
Pokémon pearl $85
Pokémon Diamond $40 (manual and box)
Pokémon black $120
Pokémon black $55 (manual and box)
Pokémon ranger $25 (manual and box)
Pokémon heart gold $90 (manual and box)
Fire emblem fates birthright $80 (no manual)
Metroid Samus returns $50 (no manual)
Resident evil the mercenaries 3D $34
Fire emblem awakening $75
Lord of the rings Lego $10
Dragon quest IX $76
Super Mario 64 $30
New super Mario bros $30
Mario kart DS $25
Final fantasy IV $45
Legendary starfry $30
Harvest moon Cute $50
Super Mario 3D land $20
Mario kart 7 $15
Tom Clancy Shadow war $20
Beyblade evolution $10
Sega Dreamcast
Soul calibur $50
Shenmue limited edition $75(missing one of the special disks and some cracks on the case. All 3 disks to play the game are still there)
Resident evil code Veronica $56
Grandia II $73
Tony hawk pro skater $21
Spider-Man $104
Timestalkers $43
Skies of Arcadia $170
Sonic adventures $63
Sonic adventures 2 $148
Virtua Tennis $15
Gamecube
Mega man network transmission $50
The legend of Zelda collectors edition $95
Final fantasy Crystal chronicles $15
Mario kart double dash $105
The legend of Zelda four swords $40 (case and manual only)
Luigi’s mansion $60 (loose disk)
Super smash bros Melee $85
Resident evil 4 $45
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2023.06.10 21:16 BillyFatStax Devs PLEASE!!! (VR)
Devs need to give VR racers more time in VR view prior to the race start. 90
I got 3rd place starting position for todays championship, but due to the game only going into VR mode THE MOMENT you get control of the car on the rolling start, I started the race angled about 10° to the left which meant I had 2 choices.
1) attempt to drive all 15 laps with my body facing forward but my head turned 10° to the left.
2) try to realign my view by holding down Options, which opens the menu and causes you to lose control of your car.
Both absolutely FUCKED my best attempt at getting a good result.
I decided to hold Options, my view pinged forwards, but it took like 1⅕s for me to back out and get in control. By this point it was too late and I went off the track and went from 3rd to 12th.
There's 2 things the Devs could do to alleviate this issue.
1) let VR players go into VR a few seconds prior to giving us control, so if there IS anything wrong with our orientation, we have the time to correct it before the race starts. 3s IS ABSOLUTELY NOT ENOUGH!
2) Every VR dev with even a modicum of common sense programmes the game to know the difference between a click and a long press. If they updated the game to open the menu on the depression of a click (within, say, 300ms) and not open at all if the button is held for longer than 350ms (also known as a long press!!!) Then drivers could refocus their head alignment without being thrown out of the race into the options.
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