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I had good reasons to be concerned in light of some highly publicized Volunteer State incidents such as transwoman Forresta Bee being publicly disrespected at a Nashville radio station party at LP Field to another transwoman being arrested after a protest at a Tennessee drivers license facility to a state legislator trying to pass an unjust transphobic bathoom bill.
The reactions to the overt and covert hatred peddled by Republican politicians has been heard loud and clear in the Volunteer State, and now in the wake of the increasing transphobia I received this e-mail from an African-American transwoman living in the state.
She recounted a less than pleasant experience she and a gay friend endured recently at the A'Gaci location at the Stones River Mall in Murfreesboro, TN.
My name is Paris Pinkerton and I'm 22 year old transgender woman who lives in Middle Tennessee. Last Saturday (January 21), a friend and I went shopping at the Stones River Mall. We ended up experiencing discrimination in A'Gaci that day, which is a department store that's located inside of the mall.
Once we arrived at the Stones River Mall, we both went inside A'Gaci and started shopping. I found a few items that I wanted to buy so I walked to the cash register to pay for the items I had selected. My friend was standing right beside me while I was at the register, and I kept noticing that one of the cashier's had a look of disgust on her face. She was telling me how cute my purchases were, but she kept eying my friend who is a flamboyant gay male.
After I made my purchases, I put on the items inside of the store and walked out with my friend. We shopped in the mall for a couple of hours until we got tired and decided to leave, and proceeded to exit the mall through A'Gaci.
I saw a childhood friend while I was exiting the store and we started talking. My childhood friend was actually working at the cash register inside of A'Gaci during that time, and I noticed that her manager (Alicia) was looking at me while standing next to a security guard. After our conversation was over, her manager (Alicia) called my friend and I over to where she was standing. That's when the security guard informed me that we were banned from the store. I asked why and the manager refused to give me an answer, and just kept insisting that we leave.
Not long after that, the security guard left and I asked the manager if I could speak to her manager. She informed me that the store manager was not there, and that's when I asked her why I was being banned from her store. This time, she told me that there was a misunderstanding. I told her that I thought she was discriminating against me, because of the fact that I'm an African-American transgender woman. However, she denied that was discrimination and that I wasn't banned. I was still upset at how she approached me so disrespectfully, that I demanded to speak to the store manager (Amy). She informed me that she wouldn't be in until Monday, and that I could talk to her then. I called the manager (Alicia) back, because I forgot to ask for the store manager's (Amy) name. She told me that her name was Amy, and that she had spoken to after my friend and I had left. She also went on to tell me that they had both made the decision to go ahead and ban us from the store.
The following week, I called the A'Gaci store manager (Amy) and explained what happened to her. She pulled the report, and told me that I was banned because I caused a scene by accusing her manager of discrimination. She started being rude and getting loud whenever I told her that I did not cause a scene in the store. I let her know that her manager and the mall security singled my friend and I out by humiliating us in front of everyone, and that I was just taking up for myself. She went on to say that they have the right to ban whoever they want, and that she stands by her manager's (Alicia) decision. That's when I asked for corporates number, which she did give to me.
***Shortly after my discussion with the store manager (Amy), I called corporate and was directed to the A'Gaci district manager. I explained what had transpired, and that I was a paying customer, as well as an awards card member in her store. That's when she told me her team had handled the situation incorrectly, and that she was sorry. She went on to say that she didn't want to lose me as a customer, however I informed her that I wouldn't shop at a store that allowed their employee's to openly discriminate against while still remaining hired. She told me that she was not able to fire the manager that had discriminated against me, but she could train her employee's how to handle situations better. I told her that I didn't think that was enough, and she told me that loss prevention would be contacting me later in the week to discuss the matter.The week has already passed, and I have still have not heard from the A'Gaci district manager or loss prevention. With that being said, I know that my rights were violated in A'Gaci that day and it's sad that I still have not received a concrete reason why I was banned from the store.
I think that everyone should boycott A'Gaci, because they allow their employees to openly discriminate against customers who are part of the LGBT community!
For those of you who wonder why I go ballistic when I hear some transpeople ignorantly assert that we don't need public accommodations language in any trans human rights legislation, situations like these are the reason why.
But back to this post. Ms. Pinkerton has a point. Why is she being banned from a store for simply doing what anyone else would have done in her situation? Wouldn't you if you felt you were being disrespected and discriminated against not only be pissed about it, but demand answers as to why as a loyal customer of the store was being treated that way?
I suspect she's correct in presuming by the A'gaci management actions she is being unfairly treated, and there may be a strong undercurrent of homophobia and transphobia undergirding why this is happening to her and her shopping companion.
It's a things that make you go hmm question that Paris, the Tennessee TBLG community and all inquiring justice seeking minds deserve a straight (pardon the pun) answer to.
At the least, Ms. Pinkerton and her companion deserve an apology.


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We'll miss you, Mr. Singer!
Cherdonae Chaney, Frances Enriquez, Sharon Yu, Susana Bedolla, and Diana Cabanas
June 11, 2012
Filed under News
Jason singer, the father of not only two adorable children, but also the father figure of many students at King, is serving his final days as principal. After being principal of KIPP: Summit and KIPP: King, this mentor, friend, community adviser will be saying goodbye to us this school year.
Singer has definitely made a significant impact on the lives of the Kipp community. This absolutely outstanding principal has done many things that are not always visible, but these behind-the-scenes acts are still meaningful to King today. He has selectively handpicked teachers and planned our school's expansion (which is currently happening) by calling sponsors for donations to purchase necessities in classrooms. His accomplishments should be remembered and celebrated as he prepares to depart.
Mr. Singer built the KIPP Community of San Lorenzo from ground up. He walked around the area, knocking tirelessly at every door, asking parents to give their children an opportunity to attend to KIPP: Summit. Frances Enriquez recalls, "Mr Singer coming to my house to give my family a Powerpoint to convince my brother to attend KIPP: Summit." A few years later, he established KIPP: King so Summit students could continue their journey to attend college.
Since 2003, Mr. Singer has inspired students to "Work hard, be nice." This was the motto that pushed students to discover their abilities to succeed. He also taught every Kipp student that "demography does not define destiny" by teaching us that everyone has the capability to reach the American Dream. Mr. Singer befriended students and changed their lives with his encouragements and passion to give students of every racial background to get into college. Mr. Singer has made a momentous impact in the lives of sisters, Senior '12 Jessika Pacheco and Junior Diana Cabanas. Diana said "first, he knocked on our door and gave us an opportunity to come to a school be pushed to our limits. Then, when we attended the school, he would stay until 8 o'clock at night to make sure that we finished our homework." Carlos Gonzalez said: " He always encouraged me to do my best, and he stayed after school until ten when I finished my base camp letters."
Something students will remember about Mr. Singer's are his epic speeches. Raquel Popejoy said that she will miss "Mr Singer's compelling speeches" while Haley Lopez will remember his "everlasting speeches." Sharon Yu will miss "standing in the radiant sun sweating while Mr. Singer continues re-emphasizing his point." Even new students who just joined the King community will remember the difference Singer made in their lives. Laetitia Tiani-Vessah said: "I will miss how warm he was when I first met him and how welcoming he was when I transferring to this school." Current senior Ivy Feng said: "I'll miss his motivational speeches, he has helped me a lot since 5th grade and given me a lot of support throughout these years."
Not only a compelling speaker, but also a significant presence, Singer will be missed. Lisa Huo said that "it'll feel empty; it'll be different not seeing him at school," while Newton Kinyanjui added, "I'll miss his leadership, fatherly figure, and his personality being around." Khalid Almandeel said that "he was certainly a presence, " adding that losing Singer "will leave a hole that needs to be filled." Even alumni members remember his impact. Valerie Ma, member of the first graduating class said that "he's inspiring."
Mr. Singer was a part of every student's life. "He stays connected with his students," Shanel Singh claimed. Newton Kinyanjui said that he will always remember Mr. Singer betting him in basketball. "He would always stop by to make some hoops when he was heading towards his car. If he made it in, we would have to wear church suits the next day."
Mr. Singer also gave great advice to students that were in need. A good example of that time was when Singer gave great advice and a push that was well needed to Junior Cherdonae Chaney '13. She was in a tough situation when it came to school and had trouble figuring out how to manage it. Mr. Singer came with a few words. Chaney remembers that he said, "I know school is hard but no matter how hard school gets, you have to continue so that you can have a better life, and you want that don't you? So push through it" This advice forever remains in her head. Mr. Singer was a person to go to when you were having trouble and needed someone to talk to; he was friendly and is there to help when it was needed most. Even when students were in trouble, Mr. Singer helped make it positive. Nokono Swen '14 said, " when I got in trouble. Mr. Singer was always understanding and made me reflect on decisions that I make and how the little things affect my community." Nokono knows that Mr. Singer helped her to be able to reflect on her situation .
Since day one, Singer's passion to get every student to go to college never changed. He still believes that despite their background, every student has an opportunity to go to college, and every student should take it. Although he is saying goodbye, many students will remember him as the hard working principal that believed that they could do something with their life, even when no one else believed that they could. His dream of creating not just one, but two schools that set up each student for a successful life in college and beyond has came true.

subset: commoncrawl


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Things to do in The Philadelphia Area
From classic must-see sights to insider hot spots and local haunts, there are countless things to do in The Philadelphia Area. How do you decide? Start with our travel guide and get our favorite The Philadelphia Area attractions and activities—shops, museums, parks, nightclubs, coffee shops, tours, and more.
Our international team of editors and writers handpick the best things to do in The Philadelphia Area to help travelers discover authentic, local experiences. Whether a hidden boutique with handcrafted products, a popular local festival, a bakery with a cult following, or a picnic-worthy park, Travel + Leisure guides the way, providing information and inspiration. From beaches and bars to cultural attractions and up-and-coming neighborhoods, our list will help you make the most of your romantic getaway, family vacation, or trip with friends. Below find Travel + Leisure's top picks for what to do in The Philadelphia Area.
1 - 3 of 3 Results
Chaddsford Winery
Chaddsford Winery, which produces 30,000 cases a year of tannin-rich reds and whites, is co-owned by a husband-and-wife team, who turned a 17th-cen... More -
Nature's Castles
Climb through "Nature's Castles," three large-scale treehouses designed to bring back your childhood memories and built among (although not attache... More -
Strasburg Rail Road
Hauled by steam locomotives, this 45-minute train loops through a pastoral strip of Lancaster County, from Strasburg to Leaman Place Junction and b... More
Explore things to do in Philadelphia for more options.
1 - 3 of 3 Results


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Intriago assures us that more hams are on the way, but if you're going to blow money on a pound of the stuff, keep in mind it's the free-range ibérico and not the top-shelf "bellota," which is made from pigs that are fed on acorns for the last four months of their lives. That variety, which we taste-tested a while back, will be available in July of next year.
Update: Commenter Cla Lll points out that Bellota is actually available at Dean and DeLuca at the moment. We checked and they do have thirty USDA-approved hams, guest residents admitted to our shores by the USDA as a preview of hams to come. The price is a cool $75 per pound.
*Correction The original version of this item referred to FDA import regulations. It is instead the U.S. Department of Agriculture that oversees meat and poultry imports, as commenter caphill2320 states below.


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MOVIES As RZA and GZA might say, ''What's new, Billmurray?'' Their ''Coffee and Cigarettes'' costar will apparently join the cast of ''The Lost City'' -- the Deal Report says ''apparently'' because you can never quite get a straight answer out of this guy or his reps, which, hey, is part of why we all love him so much, right? He'd play an expat writer who pals around with Andy Garcia in 1950s Cuba -- sort of like he's the incomparable Oscar Levant to Garcia's Gene Kelly, for all you fellow ''An American in Paris'' fans out there.... Speaking of ''Ghostbusters 2,'' another Vigo -- Viggo Mortensen, so great in Sean Penn's ''The Indian Runner'' -- is in final negotiations for ''A History of Violence,'' an adaptation of John Wagner and Vince Locke's graphic novel about a small-town diner owner who, because the thing is called ''A History of Violence and Scanners'' squirm-meister David Cronenberg is directing, is a sure bet to fall on some rock-hard times.... Dave Chappelle -- who found a nifty ''Chappelle's Show'' catchphrase in ''I'm Rick James, bitch!'' -- might actually play Rick James, bitch, in a Rick James biopic based on James' upcoming ''Memoirs of a Super Freak.''
TELEVISION Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah -- uh, who? These are writer-producers from the great, gone ''Freaks and Geeks,'' and they just scored a big deal with Touchstone TV to exec-produce a family drama called ''Life as We Know It'' for ABC, and maybe a Jennifer Love Hewitt sitcom, too. Since EW likes ''Freaks'' an awful lot (see Must List item No. 40), we thought this was worth mentioning, okay?


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2013 LSG Team Preview — El Paso El Dorado Aztecs
Updated: August 10, 2013
2013 LSG Texas High School Football Team Preview — El Paso El Dorado Aztecs
Team: El Paso El Dorado Aztecs (1-5A)
First Varsity Season: 2006
Enrollment: 3,675 — (largest in the district out of 8 schools
Stadium: SAC – Socorro Student Activity Complex (Capacity: 12,000)
2013 Schedule:
at Las Cruces Mayfield, NM
vs El Paso Del Valle
vs Wolfforth Frenship
vs El Paso Eastwood
at El Paso Montwood
at El Paso Socorro
vs El Paso Coronado
at El Paso Bel Air
vs El Paso Americas
at El Paso Franklin
Coach: Jim Althoff (7 years) 43-33 at El Dorado (only coach in their history); 43-33 all-time coaching record
Coaches Comments: We look to be fast on both sides of the ball with plenty of experience to make a hard push. Lots of senior leadership will help through tough times. We are Here To Win District Outlook: El Dorado, Americas, Montwood, Franklin, Coronado
Returning Lettermen: 42
Returning Starters: Offense: 7 Defense: 7
Key Players:
* LeDerrick Wilson – Unanimous 1st Team All-District RB 2012 Fast – Team Leader
* Julian O'Hara – DB
* Trevor Rios – LB – Defensive Leader 2nd Team All-District DB
* Mike Quinonez – LB – Great Team player
* Tristen Reno – OL Gets better everyday
* Jefferey Lockey – Ol
* Daniel Andrade – DL Had a great off season
* Ray Zapata – QB
* Christian Zarate
Primary Offensive Formation: Spread
Primary Defensive Formation: 3-4
Last Year JV Record: 6-4
* Have gone 12-10 over the last 2 seasons
- Mike Says:The Aztecs returned to the playoffs last year after missing in 2011. This years team has a lot of returners and starters coming back. Look for them to win 5 to 7 games in the regular season and come in 3rd, 4th or 5th in the district.
- Chris Says: El Paso El Dorado brings a lot of experience back on both sides of the back on both sides of the ball. The Aztecs are going to have to step up on defense this season though if they want to make another playoff run. If they are still around for the postseason, a second round exit is likely again.
Last Years Record: 7-5 (4-3 in District)
2012 Games:
vs Las Cruces Mayfield, NM (W 28-23)
at El Paso Del Valle (8-3) (W 14-10)
at Wolfforth Frenship (12-2) (L 10-27)
at El Paso Eastwood (3-7)* (W 41-0)
vs El Paso Montwood (8-3)* (L 34-35)
vs El Paso Socorro (3-7)* (W 49-19)
at El Paso Coronado (4-6)* (W 33-28)
vs El Paso Bel Air (2-8)* (W 55-0)
at El Paso Americas (7-4)* (L 20-49)
vs El Paso Franklin (10-2)* (L 34-48)
Playoffs: Division I Area
vs Odessa Permian (5-6) (Lubbock's Jones Stad.) (W 34-33) Bi-District
vs Southlake Carroll (12-2) (Midland's Grande) (L 23-73) Area
* All-Time Record : 43-33-0 56.58% 76 games
* Playoffs: (4) 2008,2009,2010,2012
Championship History: No Championship Games
Last 5 year record: 34-22
Last 7 year record: 43-33
Did you play for the El Paso El Dorado Aztecs? You are eligible for The Brotherhood of Texas High School Football. <—click to be honored
El Paso El Dorado Aztecs Brotherhood Members
none yet – be the first!!
What are your thoughts?
You must be logged in to post a comment.


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Cameron, Bruce W.
Updated: November 4, 2011 8:18PM
The publication of my new novel, "Emory's Gift," gets me a meeting with a Hollywood producer who professes to be a "big fan" of my work, though in his email he confesses he hasn't yet read any of it.
He's a man in his 30s with black hair so perfectly arranged on his head it would make a Ken doll jealous. His office is adorned with movie posters and photographs of him with famous actors and other people. I ask him what it was like to meet the governor of California, and he responds, "Well, but he's back to being an actor," which is an answer I think I'll save to enjoy later.
We sit down on some couches. "Your book's for sure a movie, I totally see it," he says.
"Thanks!" I say brightly, picturing myself in a new car.
"Dog movies are really hot right now."
That stops me. "Well, OK, but it's about a bear," I say slowly.
"What?" He picks up the cover of my book and frowns at it. I get the feeling it's the first time he's seen it. "A bear?"
"A grizzly bear."
"A ... Well, OK, but I don't think very many people keep bears as pets. Maybe in Kansas or something, but it's not something anyone who lives in the city can relate to. So we'll make it a dog in the movie, trust me, it will click."
"But ..." My new car vanishes in a puff of smoke. "It's the story of a boy and his father trying to save a wild bear who lives in the woods."
"Love it! We'll have the dog live in the woods."
"But part of the story is the danger of dealing with a grizzly."
"Perfect. Alex!" he yells at his assistant in the other room. "Look up what's the most dangerous dog." He grins at me. "This will work. Trust me."
"Here's a blog that says dachshunds bite people most often," Alex reports.
The producer gives me a triumphant look.
"I don't think that's right," I say.
"Doesn't matter," he replies.
"But ... a dachshund living in the woods?" I ask cautiously.
"That's why he needs to be saved," the producer says.
"I don't think the boy's life would be endangered by a dachshund," I object.
"A really big dachshund," the producer suggests.
"It's got to be a bear," I say.
"You're sticking to your guns," the producer says.
"Yes, I guess so."
"Good. I admire that."
"Thank you."
"We can settle the breed of dog later. OK, we've got the kid, he gets this gift of special powers from Emory the dog, and then what, he can fly? He can ... Alex, what do dachshunds do?"
"They were bred to go after badgers," Alex replies after a brief pause.
"OK, love it. He can dig these huge tunnels."
"No, it's not ... The boy doesn't have any special powers."
"Sure, but that's in the book. People go to a movie, they want to see Dog Boy dig tunnels and fight the evil mole aliens in an underground city."
"I thought it was badgers."
"People hate moles. They dig up your garden. Wow! That's it, the moles are eating all the crops, you got food riots, but they don't want Dog Boy's help because ... Wait, is Emory conflicted, like, he wants to be a good dog, but his brain is being controlled by the mole people? That could be why he bit the kid in the first place. Gary Busey."
"That's who Emory the dog gives the gift to, Gary Busey. We just signed a deal with him, he's hot again."
"The boy is 13 years old," I say.
"You're right! It's Dog Man. I hate working with kids, this is perfect."
"So, the movie 'Emory's Gift' is the story of Gary Busey being bitten by a giant magic dachshund who enables him to fight the evil mole aliens who are destroying the world's food supply," I summarize despairingly.
"Right. Well, but I hate the name Emory. We'll make it something more vicious-sounding. Like, like, 'Kill-dog.' Or, or, 'Blood-hound.' "
"Bloodhound the dachshund?"
"I knew I was smart to take this meeting with you. Your ideas are brilliant!"


text:
SuperSpell Grammar 2Ages 11 to Adult Dual WIN/MAC CDSuperSpell Grammar 2 is an easy-to-use program, that teaches grammar rules and vocabulary at an interest level designed for upper primary to secondary students.It provides exercises with text and explanations that can be spoken out loud by the computer. There are explanations on parts of speech, punctuation, sentence structure and the use of grammar. This is followed by interactive lessons. Teachers can create student class file, so they can be accessed and saved as students work through the program. Results can be printed. Students are rewarded with the option to play a fun game once they have obtained 100 points within the lessons. SuperSpell Grammar 2 Features:
Because of its simple design, Australian content, words presented in context sentences and spoken text, SuperSpell Grammar 2 is ideal to use with ESL students and for remedial literacy. SuperSpell Grammar Includes: Nouns - Common, proper, collective and abstract nouns; forming nouns; the number, case and gender of nouns. Pronouns - Personal, possessive, relative, interrogative, demonstrative, reflexive, emphatic, indefinite and distributive pronouns; the number, person, gender and case of pronouns. Adjectives - Descriptive, proper, possessive, distributive, interrogative, demonstrative, numeral and indefinite adjectives, forming adjectives, degrees of comparison. Adverbs - Adverbs of time, place, manner and degree, interrogative and modal adverbs, degrees of comparisons. Verbs - Using verbs, agreement of subject and verb; verb tense; present and past participles and irregular verbs. Articles, Conjunctions & Prepositions - Articles, coordinate, subordinate and correlative conjunctions; confusing prepositions. Punctuation - Capital letters, full stops, question marks, exclamations, commas, colons, semicolons, speech marks, apostrophes. Sentences - Phrases, clauses, simple compound and complex sentences. Extra resources included with SuperSpell School Versions: The School Version, Lab Packs and Site Licences of SuperSpell Grammar
2 include an extra CD with 320 printable worksheets on parts
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English Software currently updated for 2014 ABN: 55 866 403 094 Monday - Friday 9am-5pm Adult Literacy | ESL | Reading | Spelling | Grammar | Maths | Speaking |


text:
Medgar Evers College (MEC) students have access to a wealth of research materials. MEC's Find Articles tool is the primary online portal to finding books, articles and journals housed in the MEC library and at other City University of New York (CUNY) libraries.
Films on Demand
Integrated Search - Choose Databases by Subject (EBSCO)
Serials Solutions: Alphabetized list of full-text e-journals
University-wide Trial Products


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Reflex Camera by Suzuki, also Mini Shops Series approaching 10k
Posted by glenbricker,When I started writing these reviews I wanted to showcase the breadth of project content on Cuusoo (for those crazy enough to dig around) and I decided to do it by selecting a wildly different type of project each week before revisiting a subject. Nearly 20 reviews later and I'm almost done with this task.
This week I bring to you my favorite "recreation" from Cuusoo. A project intending to recreate an everyday object in LEGO, other than architecture and vehicles, of course. In this category there is little that can hold a candle to Suzuki's Single Lens Reflex Camera.
Additionally, Cuusoo should have its next 10,000 supported project in the next few days: Mini Shop Series. It is 160 support away at the time of this publication.
Update: Mini Shops has achieved 10,000 supporters.
This build always astonishes me with its accuracy. From a few feet away it would be indistinguishable from a real camera. It has all the buttons, levers, wheels, and clips one would expect. The only things it is missing is a label and a lens cap.
I mean, check this out, the back even pops open for the film!
Here is the craziest thing about this project though. Like most of Suzuki's work, this is one of the oldest projects on Cuusoo. It was posted nearly 4.5 years ago and only has 177 support. That is about 1 support for every 10 days it has been published.
A Week of Cuusoo
This week, my favorite new project was the Grand Prix Race Cars from 1934. Vintage cars of any make are an untapped resource by LEGO, in my opinion.
There was also strong support for Zelda Skyward Sword and another Batman Tumbler (the 16th?), but my favorites included a balcony apartment and a micro-scale New England Fishing Village.
20 comments on this article
The camera model is stunning... but who would actually buy it? It's an incredibly accurate rendering but would you consider it a display piece? I wouldn't. And it's not a play set either, so I don't think there's a market for it. If it were to get to 10,000 supporters I think it's extremely unlikely to get made.
Just curious, why don't you consider this a display piece?
The SLR is lovely. It'll never make 10,000 but I'd love to make one to display with my camera collection. It makes you wonder why some people don't release their instructions for small cost or as donate ware - they'd probably make something out of their (let's face it, particularly niche) models that way.
Maybe some things are not destined to be popular or relevant to a large amount of people.
Just added my vote to the shops, only 118 away now.
Votes added for a few.
The shops are awesome. I like the camera too but I really enjoy putting together the buildings.
Added my vote for the shops! Would love for it to happen!!
Personally, I would love either Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's or 7-Eleven. Although Dunkin' Donuts would be the one that I like the most. But, if LEGO says only one can be chosen, how will it be decided on which one to make?
I put my support in for the shops and if only one of the shops makes it, hopefully it will be the Lego store. They all look good though so I'd probably buy any one of them (or all of them if they are all released).
I wish the Cuusoo team would just start taking down submissions that call for a theme or series, rather than a single set. This would add a lot of clarity to what is actually being supported and ensure that the final product, if it comes to that, would be as close to the submission as possible. Combining a series of things into a single Cuusoo listing is a blatant attempt to try to get to 10,000 what you wouldn't otherwise be able to do individually. Proposing a "theme" is more like laziness or lack of focus. Pick a set and promote that - you aren't going to get a whole theme. And people would then know they are voting for specific set A, not an entire theme. This might force submitters to actually work a bit harder to come up with concepts that are viable within the Cuusoo terms, and that would appeal to enough people.
I would say McDonald's for the shop, since they made one from the 90's (see the lego book that shows most 1950's-2008 sets and you'll know what I mean....).
Also, 26 more for the shops.
I voted and now it's 10001 -- hooray!
The status just switched to "Review" for the Mini Shops Series.
I like my Lego sets to take me away from the mundane part of life like chain stores. This will be a pass for me.
I am sorry but I miss the days when everything wasnt so commercial. I used like knock off stores or spoof stores like Octan. And to be frank and honest the sets are cute but I hate starbucks and McDoh! But with LEGO moving more to China perhaps they will sell out as well...Sad
Smash the corporations! Boo!
Just kidding. The colour scheme on that Dunkin' Donuts store is lovely and vibrant. I've already voted for them when they were previously featured, so I hope they pass.
Love the shops - voted for them ages ago
I understand what people are saying about the corporations but I would be more than happy even if they made their "own brand" alternatives instead of the real chains
That said, I do have a toys r us shop and a shell station in my city....
I'm not into the City theme, but those Mini Shops are really cute. If they released a Burger King one, I'd get it. I'd just have to add a horse to make it complete!
Hopefully we will get some pink with mcdonalds
(1 cookie for whoever gets the joke)
Mmm Pink slime it's whats for dinner!
Commenting has ended on this article.


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FIFA's numismatic programme has been attracting the interest of many national mints all over the world since 2004. Coins, medals and tokens are traditionally issued to commemorate FIFA's signature events and the FIFA World Cup™ in particular. The official international commemorative coin programme for the 2014 FIFA World Cup is aimed at globally promoting the tournament and spreading awareness of its official marks.
FIFA has re-appointed the company MDM (Münzhandelsgesellschaft Deutsche Münze) for the development, promotion and roll-out of the official international commemorative coin programme for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. With its comprehensive expertise and experience, MDM will ensure the success of FIFA's efforts to integrate the world of numismatics and football fans everywhere as part of the build-up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.
The official commemorative coin collection for the 2014 FIFA World Cup offered by MDM includes the official gold and silver commemorative coins from forty different countries around the world as well as the official silver commemorative medals featuring designs inspired by Brazilian culture and history. Please find the FIFA-approved official commemorative coin collection in the gallery in the side bar.
At the same time, Banco Central do Brazil prepared the host country coin issues for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and launched the Official Brazilian copper-nickel, silver and gold Commemorative Coins in January.
For further information on our numismatic programme, please feel free to contact our licensee MDM directly (see link in the side bar).


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Moray Eel
on ESB
on ESB
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The Moray Eel is an eel that only appears in the episode "Cephalopod Lodge." It is said to be a moray eel, but has the ability to shock whatever it touches, like an electric eel.


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Rao: 'We have become one of America's premier research universities' VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., highlighted the university's distinctive qualities during his second annual State of the University Address. Read more »
Researcher uncovers surprising cause of the demise of Easter Island indigenous population A new paper by a team of researchers including a VCU anthropology professor sheds light on what led to the downfall of the indigenous population of Easter Island prior to European contact in 1722. Read more »
Study reveals pre-ACA medical cost burdens New options offered by the Affordable Care Act provide potential benefits for Americans burdened by high medical costs prior to implementation. Read more »
VCU to produce feature film starring cast of AMC's hit show "TURN" VCUarts announced that it is producing a feature-length film adaptation of "Macbeth," starring a cast of actors drawn from the popular AMC series "TURN: Washington's Spies." Read more »
Hackett appointed VCU provost and vice president for academic affairs VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., today announced the appointment of Gail Hackett, Ph.D., to the position of provost and vice president for academic affairs. Read more »
A new article co-authored by a VCU professor suggests that pornography has become a primary source of sexual education, and has a tangible influence on the sex lives of young adults. The researchers, including Jennifer Johnson, Ph.D., a professor in Department of Sociology, surveyed 487 college men, ages 18 to 29, to compare their rate of pornography use with sexual preferences and concerns. Read more »
Research Researcher uncovers surprising cause of the demise of Easter Island indigenous population A new paper by a team of researchers including a VCU anthropology professor sheds light on what led to the downfall of the indigenous population of Easter Island prior to European contact in 1722.
Health Back in the game Former Washington Redskins' standout Tim Hightower often starts his day at 7 a.m. on a stationary bike at Virginia Commonwealth University's Sports Medicine Clinic.
Students Five to follow Travel the world via Instagram as these five students study abroad during the spring semester.
Faculty and staff Former Provost Grace E. Harris to be awarded an honorary degree from William & Mary Grace E. Harris, Ph.D., former provost and vice president for academic affairs, will be awarded an honorary degree from William & Mary during that university's 2015 Charter Day ceremony on Feb. 6.
Alumni VCU's Demitrus "Demie" Carter set to appear in this week's "American Idol" season premiere Demitrus Carter, a VCU alumnus and a receptionist in VCU's admissions office, will show off his singing chops when he appears on "American Idol" this week.
Community Black History Month to highlight diversity in research, scholarship VCU will honor the African-American experience in art, culture, history, literature and the sciences throughout February as part of the university's annual Black History Month celebration.


text: The club site is one of the most beautiful in the network and is near the conservation village of the same name. You can pitch on the western shore of Loch Lomond, across the water from the Millarochy Bay club site. the Luss site is surrounded by the incredible scenery of loch Lomond and the trossachs national park, where there are opportunities for low level w2alking, cycling, sailing, hill walking and for the more adventurous, canyoning. The attractive village has a lovely church and slate workers cottages, and boat hire and cruises to the island can be arranged from Luss Jetty. Only club members allowed.


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Scarlett Johansson wasn"t fazed by her animal costars in the new movie We Bought a Zoo – except maybe her human ones.
For the actress, the scariest moment on the film "was watching Matt Damon cry like a baby and rock back and forth when the snakes were spread all over the set."
Johansson grew up with reptiles, cats and horses, and had a degree of comfort around the working animals, but Damon wore his fear on his sleeve – and his face.
"He was pretty terrified," Johansson told us at the movie"s New York premiere Monday night.
"He was definitely sweating a bit, and maybe the sweat formed in the corner of his eye. I said, "Matt, these kids are practically juggling the snakes. Hold it together.""
"I"m afraid of snakes," Damon admitted. "And I got bullied into interacting with them by Scarlett and the kids."
There were other frightening moments for Damon, most memorably a scene where he had to sit inside a small car as a large bear pawed at the window.
"The size of the thing was so awesome and humbling," Damon said. "Something like that could just kill you by accident. They"re just so huge and strong."
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So you're going to need are a curling iron that has no clip and you're also going to need bobby pins, which are optional, and a brush to comb your hair and then any type of shine serum that you like to use in your hair. So, the first thing you wanna do is part your hair in half. So, just make sure there are no knots in the hair. Start by taking a section of hair. Just take a random section, but doesn't to be perfect and you wanna bring this over here and then wrap the hair around the rod and it's okay if the tips don't get curled because it will look too thick, just stick a little wavy and you wanna hold it for about 10 seconds and let it go. This should have a cute little wavy curl just a thick of this and then continue to do that to some worst sections. If the pieces feel like they're too thick, just split them in half. I also parted my hair down the middle just for a different look since it is now on [unknown] and I wanted to look a little bit different, but if you do like to part your hair to this side, you can definitely stick with that. So now that both sides have a little curl, I'm just gonna take some shine serum and run it through and rub it between my hands and then just put it on the curls. Now, we're gonna do the top half and just slip it down. I'm just gonna take the crown area and bring that so we can have just one last section, so in total 3 sections. Just curl the pieces. That hasn't been curled yet. Don't forget to put any of the shine serum on every layer that you do. To the last layer, if you have shoulder layers on top of your head you only wanna curl the bottom half of the piece. We just wanna make sure that the layers blend with the curl and this is how it should look. If you wanted just to give it a different look, you can take a bobby pin in your hair back, just making a little pompadour. And for more beauties and more tips, don't forget to check out seventeen.com or youtube.com/biancablovesyou.
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Site Map : http://www.seventeen.com
Index -> Daily Gossip -> Celebrities & Gossip Exclusive All-American Rejects Video! Get the scoop on The All-American Rejects new album and a first look at their single, "The Beekeeper's Daughter" in our exclusive video! Emma Roberts and Chord Overstreet Break Up! The inside story on Emma Roberts and Chord Overstreet's breakup. Q&A With Missy Modell Seventeen sits down with Missy modell. Victorious Coming to DVD! New Hunger Games Online Fashion Magazine A new online fashion magazine called Capitol Couture has launched, giving readers an inside glimpse at Panem. Awkward! Rihanna and Chris Brown End Up At The Same Club Rihanna and Chris Brown both ended up at the same LA club. David Guetta is Going on Tour! The 2012 Oscar Nominations Are In! Connor Cruise Celebrates 17th Birthday in Style! Connor Cruise celebrated is 17th birthday in style! Should Blake Lively Leave Gossip Girl? Sex and the City prequel the Carrie Diaries is coming to the CW. Would Gossip Girl star Blake Lively be a good choice to play Carrie Bradshaw on the show? What's Your Favorite American Idol Moment? American Idol returns for its 11th season and Cosmogirl looks back with a video clip of Kelly Clarkson's audition tape. Avril Lavigne and Brody Jenner Break Up Abduction Hits DVD Jan. 17! Abduction, starring Taylor Lautner and Lily Collins goes on DVD January 17. Check out Secret Life star Megan Park's Anti-Fur Ad! Megan Park teams up with Peta in anti-fur campaign. Last Season of One Tree Hill Starts Tonight! Video clip of scenes of the final season of One Tree Hill Tweet to Win Hunger Games Books! Have you noticed that Seventeen Ashley Tisdale Shows Some PDA With a New Guy! Ashley Tisdale shows some PDA with Martin Jonhson Do You Stay Off Social Media After A Breakup? Katy Perry deactivates her Twitter after divorce. Team Up With Demi And Help Homeless Teens! Demi Lovato Teams Up With Aeropostale and DoSomething.org Taylor Swift Gears Up For The Big Screen! Taylor Swift offered movie role in Les Miserables. V V Brown Spills What She Was Like at 17! V V Brown Spills What She Was Like at 17! Happy New Year From iCarly! The cast of iCarly sends out a happy new year video message to their fans for 2012. Watch Glee Sing Santa Baby! Kelly Osbourne is Spreading Holiday Cheer! Kelly Osbourne spreads holiday cheer with Bing.com Spend New Year's Eve With MTV! Go Behind-the-Scenes of Keke Palmer's New Movie! Keke Palmer spill set secrets about her new movie Joyful Noise. Check Out Degrassi: Nowhere to Run Must-Watch TV Tonight: The Premiere of CLUE! Actor Sterling Beaumon tells Seventeen about his show CLUE on Hub TV. Watch the World Premiere of Breaking Dawn LIVE! The Hunger Games Full Trailer is Here! First Look: Kristen Stewart as Snow White Kendall Jenner on Power a Bright Future Campaign Breaking Dawn Sneak Peek: Jacob Fights For Bella! Taylor Lautner photos and video clips of Breaking Dawn. Must-See Movie: Archie's Final Project Gabriel Sunday talks about his film Archie's Final Project. Join Justin Bieber's Believe Charity Drive Breaking Dawn Behind the Scenes: Edward and Bella's Wedding! Check out Breaking Dawn footage from Edward and Bella's wedding scene, plus Breaking Dawn cast interviews! Rising Star: Rachel G. Fox Breaking Dawn Sneak Peek! Sneak peek clips of Breaking Dawn, out Nov. 18! Bruno Mars and Twilight Come Together! Pretty Little Liars Halloween Prequel Premieres Tonight! Sasha Pieterse exclusive interview for the Pretty Little Liars Halloween special on ABC Family. Alexandra Chando on The Lying Game Finale Behind the Music with Jack's Mannequin Willow Shields Wants to Stomp Out Bullies Celebs like Willow Shields from The Hunger Games want to STOMP Out Bullying this October, which is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. Rihanna's New Album Cover! Rihanna's new album cover for Talk that Talk. Track by Track with The Ready Set Jersey Shore's Vinny: How to Deal with Haters! Vinny Guadagnino from Jersey Shore speaks out about online bullying. First Look at MTV's (dis)connected! New Music Alert: Young London Sara Cobo Talks Popland Soap star Sara Cobo, named one of the best juvenile actresses in Mexico, is starring in MTV Latin America's new show Popland. CosmoGirl caught up with Sara to talk about Popland, on-set antics, and her style and beauty secrets. Meet Brett Davern from Awkward The MTV hit Awkward is airing its season finale tomorrow, at 11 p.m. EST (tear!). To tide us over until then, CG has an interview with the adorable Brett Davern, who plays the lovable Jake on the show. |


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AC/DC The Razors Edge Ringtone
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"Oh no!"
"Eeek! What is it, Isaac!"
Miria nervously clung to Isaac, scared by his sudden outburst.
"This is terrible! We've forgotten something of the utmost importance!"
"Wh-what could it be?"
Isaac anxiously opened his mouth with utmost seriousness.
"We forgot to buy a gift for Ennis…"
Silence. Miria bowed her head long enough to take a breath, then looked up.
"Wh-whatever will we do? We can't just go visit Ennis empty-handed! No! That's not right! We can't!"
As tears welled in Miria's eyes, Isaac instantly tried to cheer her up.
"Don't cry, Miria. I have a plan."
"What is it, Isaac?"
"We can buy her a gift in New York! After all, they say that everyone loves New York gifts."
Cheer returned to Miria's face.
"That's perfect! You're so smart, Isaac!"
"Of course, of course! Ahahaha!"
As the duo laughed, they reached the entrance to the second of the freight cars.
They initially panicked when they came across the corpses and blood in the first of the freight holds, but when they realized that it wasn't Jacuzzi, they suddenly regained their calm.
Isaac drew a crucifix over his chest and sang a hymn with his hands over his heart.
Miria, in turn, mourned the dead through a ceremony from a different denomination.
They remained cool and collected even in the presence of a violently mutilated corpse, as if they were very much used to such sights. But they honestly wished for the dead to rest in peace.
Isaac and Miria then left the room as if nothing had happened.
And they had lost themselves in this irrelevant discussion on their way to the next car.
They were at the entrance to the second freight car. Isaac slowly opened the door, and saw that the corridor was empty.
He sighed in relief and prepared to step forward, when a single gunshot rang out across the car.
The duo curled up in terror and hurriedly shut the coupling door.
"Wh-wh-what was that?"
"I'm scared!"
When they looked into the next car through the window on the door, they saw people exiting from the freight hold door. There were three of them in total--all were dressed in white, but one of them had his suit covered in red speckles. In his hand was a smoking rifle.
Isaac anxiously tried to see what was going on, then noticed that the trio was walking right towards him and Miria.
"This is bad, Miria! We have to hide!"
"Like the secret service!"
They rushed back into the first freight car, ducked beside the door, and stilled their breaths.
Of course, even though their breaths were stilled, they continued to chatter.
"Listen up, Miria… I think those guys must be the 'dangerous people' the big guy told us about earlier."
"It's all right, Miria. They're no match for my billion guns!"
"Of course! Have I ever left you behind, Miria?"
"Nope! Never! I'm still alive, after all!"
"See? So just leave everything to me!"
"All right!"
Isaac and Miria finally stopped chattering and focused their attention on the situation outside.
They soon heard a door opening. It was probably the door of the second freight car. It was less than six feet away from the door that Isaac and Miria were hiding beside. The sound of footsteps, accompanied by voices, drew near.
"Why'd you have to kill 'im, Ladd? That was a pretty sweet deal."
"True, it was a pretty nice offer. But did you see the look in his eye? Acting like there was no way he was gonna be killed by me! He was seriously thinking that I wouldn't kill him! He was looking down on me! Ladd Russo! Well, to be perfectly honest, I just offed him 'cause he was annoying and infuriating."
"But still-"
"Did you see that annoying look on his face? Even when I blew his face off he acted like nothing was wrong! …Damn, this is annoying…"
The sounds came to a stop at the door, but the door itself did not open.
Isaac and Miria then heard the voices growing distant--going upwards.
After a short amount of time, Isaac looked outside through the window on the door, but the coupling was empty of people.
"There's no one there…"
"A locked room disappearance!"
They opened the door and found that there really was no one there. Only the freezing winter air kept them company.
The air cooled their heads, and Isaac remembered that one of the names he had just heard was familiar to them.
"He was looking down on me! Ladd Russo!"
"Ladd Russo!"
"Ladd Russo!"
He was sure they had heard the name before.
Isaac and Miria were thieves. Only that very morning, they had stolen a large amount of cash from a mafia transporter.
"Miria… about the money we stole today. Which Family did we steal from again?"
"It was the Russo Family!"
Isaac's ill premonition became a reality.
And his brain came to a completely unexpected conclusion.
"I see… Then, surprising as it may be, I deduce that the men in white suits must be after us!"
"Eek! Chasers?" Miria trembled dramatically. Isaac embraced her tightly and nodded.
"Don't worry, Miria. We'll make it out of here safely. We'll escape the clutches of the white suits and the Rail Tracer!"
"So we'd better hurry and find Jacuzzi and the conductor!"
"Yes, yes! We'll make it happen soon! After all, there shouldn't be anyone further ahead in our way-"
Isaac had a thought.
The path ahead of them should logically be empty of people.
Then who was on the receiving end of Ladd's shot just now?
"AAAAAHHHHH! Jacuzzi! Please wake up! Your injuries aren't that serious! You have to live!"
"There's nothing wrong with your injuries!"
The duo began spouting off unconfirmed information as they dashed through the corridors and arrived at the freight hold entrance.
However, a surprise awaited them.
"Huh? There's nobody here."
"It's empty!"
There was no one in the freight hold--no people, no injured, not even corpses.
"That's strange. I could have sworn I heard them talking about having shot and killed someone here."
"They said they got an offer from someone, but they turned it down and killed the person!"
Isaac and Miria voiced their questions aloud as they carefully inspected the room, but they could not find so much as a drop of blood.
Their anxiety snowballed as they continued their search.
There was something on this train, clothed in neither black nor white.
As their imaginations slowly became a reality, they quickened their pace in their search for Jacuzzi.
Meanwhile, Jacuzzi was going in the opposite direction from where Isaac and Miria were headed. He had been moving towards the front of the train, and was now nearly back at the dining car.
They stopped just short of exiting the Second Class car. Nice went out into the coupling to assess the situation.
They had discovered the corpse of one of the white suits along the way, but did not linger very long.
The corpse had been cut down with a sharp object, so they had determined that it was likely the work of one of the black suits.
The black suits and Ladd's gang were both significant threats at this point, but most terrifying of all was the Rail Tracer--the monster that lurked somewhere on this train.
"How's the dining car?"
"Not good. They're got two guys on guard, and they've both got machine guns. They're looking real serious about this." Nice reported back. Jacuzzi was at a loss.
"Is everyone from before still back in the dining car?"
Nice hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly spoke.
"I don't know about the people at the tables, but there's no one left an the counter seats."
"Wh-what? What do you mean?"
Nice told them that Isaac, Miria, Czes, and the Beriam family had all disappeared from the counter seats. Perhaps they had moved to a spot that wasn't visible from their angle, but what was for certain was the fact that they were no longer at the counter.
"Maybe they've all been taken away somewhere…"
"People you know? Maybe they're just sittin' under the tables or somethin'?" Nick asked a dark-eyed Jacuzzi.
"I admit my eyesight isn't that great, but setting aside the Beriams, I would never miss Isaac and Miria." Nice argued, her tone formal in Nick's presence. She pushed up her glasses. "I could never miss Isaac's costume or Miria's bright red dress."
Nick looked lost. Donny nodded.
"Whoa. Strange."
Suddenly, Jacuzzi and the others heard a low moan. They tensed for a moment, but then realized it was coming from the vicinity of Donny's shoulder.
It seemed that the blood on his face had dried. He slowly opened his mouth to speak, flecks of blood falling from his face.
"Donny… you idiot… we… ran into… those two…"
It seemed that his consciousness and eyesight had recovered somewhat, seeing as Jack remembered the little fiasco between Donny and Isaac.
"What do you mean? You met them, Donny?"
Donny concentrated and looked through his memories, finally calling up a vivid recollection of their earlier encounter.
"Uh. Yeah, yeah! Two good guys. You were on roof. I met gunman. Woman in red dress. Thought I was Rail Tracer."
"…! That must have been Isaac and Miria! S-so which way did they go?"
"Uh. Find friends. Save from Rail Tracer… To see conductor."
Jacuzzi could feel his face go pale.
'They're going around this scary train… to save me?'
It was unbelievable. He had boasted that he would save everyone, and fight the black suits and the monsters, but in the end Jacuzzi had ended up endangering his new friends.
And the fact that they headed for the conductor's compartment just as he was climbing onto the roof meant that they would have run straight into Ladd and his gang.
"Uh. No worry, Jacuzzi. I warn about. White suits. Calm down. I think."
"We can't just think they're okay! What do I do…? We have to go back and save 'em!"
Jacuzzi decided to again go straight through this perilous train, and gave orders to his team.
"Nice, you and Nick climb onto the roof and see how things are on the other side of the dining car. Don't bit off more than you can chew, all right? Donny, you're with me--but first we gotta do something for Jack…"
"D-don't worry 'bout me… Jus' toss me in one of the cabins… Easier for me that way."
It pained Jacuzzi, but he had no choice but to go with Jack's suggestion.
All right. Then I'll be going, Nice. I'm gonna come back, so don't overdo it, okay?"
Jacuzzi lightly kissed Nice on the lips and ran back to the rear cars with Donny in tow.
Nick decided to tease Nice a little.
"Whoa, gettin' pretty hot in here, huh?"
"That was our first kiss…"
Nice pretended not to notice Nick's confusion and stepped out into the coupling, climbing onto the roof.
Nick followed her. "That was the first time he kissed you?! You two've been an item for ten years, and you've never even kissed?! Jacuzzi's understandable, but you're almost up there with him, boss!"
Despite calling Nice 'boss', Nick spoke to Jacuzzi as an equal. Nice ignored him and stepped onto the roof.
The wind pressure made it difficult to breathe. The train had left the forest from earlier, now coming out into an empty, moonlit plain. The ground faintly reflected the moonlight, giving off a strange atmosphere.
There were no obstacles in their way, but they could not stumble and make sounds when they hit a curve in the way, lest they alert those inside the car.
Nice and Nick decided to carefully crawl across the dining car roof.
A girl whose hands had been bound behind her back was pushed into the frontmost cabin in First Class, where Mrs. Beriam was being kept.
"Mary!" Mrs. Beriam screamed. Goose grinned as if being thanked.
"There's no need to worry, ma'am. We've managed to rescue your daughter from those sickening white suits."
Mrs. Beriam glared at him with a look sharp enough to kill. Goose seemed unaffected as he began to tell her of their upcoming plans.
"If a flare goes up above the bridge we're scheduled to pass by tomorrow, the passengers of this train will live. For the time being."
"I'm talking about the negotiations. It is impossible to carry them out from here on the train, so my subordinate is currently negotiating with your husband." Goose put his hands behind his back and looked at the Beriams as if criticizing them.
"Should your husband refuse to agree to our terms, we have decided that we will force him to understand our determination by throwing your daughter's corpse onto the tracks."
"Please, no!"
"Please don't even think about asking to be killed in her stead. We're telling you this now so that we will not have to bother with making you accept this at a later time. And your daughter will also be killed if we happen to spot the police along the tracks. For your information, we will be shooting her, so prepare yourselves…"
Having finished saying his part, Goose left the cabin. Mrs. Beriam didn't try to talk back as he left--she already knew from his attitude that resistance was useless, and she knew that one wrong move on her part would endanger the other passengers.
Watching this, Chane silently looked away.
She looked into empty space with eyes filled with worry--or disdain.
Jacuzzi and Donny laid Jack down in a nearby Second Class cabin and left, heading for the cars further back.
Left alone, Jack looked up at the ceiling and sighed, his face still aching. He had said to his friends that he was all right, but in reality, he felt like his face was going to break at any moment. His eyelid was so swollen that it hurt his eyeball.
'Am I just gonna die like this?'
His life didn't quite flash by before his eyes, but his mind began to relive some of his memories.
He remembered his childhood, when he buried the bodies of his parents--dead of malnutrition--under the floorboards. The people in the slums, none of whom could afford proper graves, had always done so. The foundations under the old apartments in immigrant districts were probably filled with hundreds of thousands of corpses.
He and his fellow delinquent Nick, who lived nearby, had frequently gone around making nuisances of themselves.
'Kinda feels stupid to say this, but we were pretty bad back then. Wouldn't be strange to want to beat up kids like that. Wonder what I'd do if I could go back in time and see my old self? Would I beat him to death? Or would I just hug the kid and cry like an idiot?
'It's been half a year already since we met Jacuzzi in Chicago. Used to think he was just a stupid crybaby. Said something about making liquor and gathering friends, so I thought maybe I'd become leader and turn 'em into my very own mafia. I was an idiot.'
Jack had not yet noticed the fact that a grey shadow was stirring on the second floor of the bunk bed in the corner of the cabin.
'He said this and that, but in the end he was the smartest one of us all, and he never turned a blind eye on any of us rotten bastards. Too nice of a guy, that Jacuzzi.
'He's always crying, but in the end he always worried about other people before himself. He's gonna live a pretty hard life, from the looks of things. I guarantee it. And idiots like us who stick by that kid's side are probably in for a lifetime of this stuff.
'Am I really just gonna die here? Damn that John and Fang. They just had to bring up this stupid mission. I'd understand if it was gold, or cash, but why would they be interested in something that crazy? …I guess Nice, that bomb freak, was the one that wanted it in the first place. And Jacuzzi went on about stealing those new bombs so it wouldn't hurt any of those total strangers in New York. Tch. Everyone in this damn little gang's incurable. And that goes for me, too. Shit!'
Suddenly, the memories he had been recalling were interrupted.
Jack's line of sight had been halved by his swollen eyelids. And his narrow view of the ceiling was suddenly covered by a huge grey mass.
The mass had the form of an outlandishly dressed person who was completely covered in grey clothing, with the exception of a small part of his face.
Strangely enough, Jack was not scared at all. He did his best to move his aching jaw to speak to the man.
"Ohh… The reaper, eh? You the grim reaper? Just wait a while, okay? I'm still good. I can keep goin'. I can keep at it… Just need to rest for a while, then I'll go help Jacuzzi. Those two are an idiot-crybaby team, so they can't do a thing without me. Don't take me away, y'hear?"
Jack grinned.
The man whose pale face was covered in blood--almost like a corpse--had smiled.
Seeing this, the man he had called the reaper also smiled.
"I see. So you wish to live, young man?"
The man in grey opened the bag beside him.
"It's nothing strange for a man in his prime to want to live. To be frank, I'm quite jealous."
There was someone watching them in silence.
'It' watched them from outside the window. Its figure, illuminated by the moonlight, was red--a portentous figure covered in crimson.
The creature looked almost like red wine, contained in a human-shaped bottle.
Nice and Nick carefully crossed the dining car roof to make their way to the next car.
Though they could have easily jumped the distance between the cars, they decided to climb down to the coupling and climb back up to the next car for fear of making a commotion.
The smoke coming from the locomotive began to block out the moonlight, and soon they were covered in darkness.
Nice put a hand on the rooftop and came away with soot-covered fingers. But she nonetheless continued to move forward in the darkness.
Some time had passed. They could now see a very faint light. It was coming from the next coupling, likely from the window on the car's door.
However, Nice suddenly froze.
'No. That's not it.'
She was overwhelmed by a sense of fear. Her mind kept shouting, 'Something's wrong! There's something dangerous here!'.
She pushed up her glasses and concentrated on her left eye in order to find the source of her anxiety.
Nick, with his good eyes, was first to spot the source of this air of danger.
The wind blew sideways, momentarily blowing aside the smoke above the cars.
They could finally see.
Across the faint glow of light, at the other end of the next car, stood a woman.
A killing machine in a black dress, holding a knife and looking as though she would draw in all darkness into herself.
Chane's form, standing in the smoke, had perfectly blended into the darkness--it almost gave her a sense of ethereal beauty.
"This is bad…"
Cold sweat ran down Nice's face, but the droplets were wiped away instantly by the wind.
She could theoretically take out a bomb from her pocket, but she would likely be killed by Chane's knife before she could light the fuse. Nice could tell by Chane's silent form that she was no amateur when it came to battle.
If Nice hadn't seen her with the orchestra earlier, she would have had little trouble mistaking Chane for the Rail Tracer. She exuded just that much of a sense of power as she stood on the rooftop.
Nice almost wanted to place her hopes on the off chance that Chane would hit something as she stood there and fall off the train.
But unfortunately, there was nothing but flat plains all around them. Not a single tree or tunnel stood in their way.
'Wish she'd just show a weakness somewhere…' Nice thought. she then looked at Chane and realized that she was not looking back at herself.
'Behind me… is she looking at Nick?
'No… She's looking further ahead.'
Being careful not to raise her upper body, Nice hesitantly looked back.
The very next moment, her eye widened in shock.
The white suit reflected the moonlight, making its wearer stand out greatly.
And the hand that stuck out of the suit's white sleeve was holding a rifle.
Ladd Russo, the man in white, began shouting loudly enough to overpower the train itself.
"Hey there! Aren't you cold, standing out here in a dress like that?!"
Ladd was trying to provoke the woman in black standing in the distance, not even sparing a glance at Nice and Nick.
"The fact that you're dressed like an orchestra means that you're here to play me a song, right?! A lovely, refreshing, sad little song for little old me? Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Although it would have made sense for him to attack in the middle of his rant, Ladd's rifle, even as Ladd danced in glee, did not budge from its aim on Chane's chest.
"Just when I thought the first movement ended and things got boring, you came all the way up to the roof for me! How am I supposed to express this kinda happiness? You came all this way here to play me a song of tearful and hilarious screaming! Is this love? Is it love now?! Unfortunately for you, I'm already engaged, but I will accept your love, young lady! And that means, I'm gonna have to kill you!"
Ladd suddenly stopped, and put pressure on his trigger finger.
"I love you! Now you die!"
With a twisted whisper of love, he slowly pulled the trigger.
There was a gunshot.
It was followed by a metallic clang.
Ladd, covered in gunsmoke, found himself letting out a rather undignified "Huh?".
The image of the moment burned itself into Nice's eye. The second before the gunshot, Chane had spun around to dodge the shot. The bullet had hit her knife by pure coincidence. All of this was believable, but what shocked Nice was the aftermath.
Chane neither dropped the knife nor staggered.
The force of the impact of the bullet against the knife should have been enormous. The angle and speed of the bullet were variable factors, but Chane had merely fixed her grip on the knife as if nothing had happened.
"Seriously? Are you serious?! You blocked my shot? You blocked my shot, darlin'?!"
Ladd seemed to be under the impression that Chane had consciously deflected his shot. He began to ramble, his eyes shining like that of a child who had gone to see a talkie for the first time.
"What the hell is this, sweetheart?! How does this happen?! Not even Tarzan can do that! I thought you were just a girl, but don't tell me you're actually Popeye on spinach?!"
Ladd began stomping his feet on the floor, flatteringly comparing Chane to a comic strip character.
Chane, who had so far shown no emotion whatsoever, twitched ever so slightly.
At the same time Ladd raised one foot into the air.
The next moment, Chane launched a knife from her hand. A glint of light made its way straight towards Ladd's throat.
"HAAAAH!" Ladd yelled, as he stomped his foot down with all his might.
The silver glint disappeared into the arc of his kick as if it had been absorbed into his foot.
Chane's icy expression finally changed. Her brow furrowed slightly, and it looked like she had pursed her lips. Of course, it was impossible to tell for sure, as they were illuminated by nothing but moonlight.
Ladd excitedly took hold of the knife at his foot.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHA! We're even now, you stupid bitch! Whaddaya think? I stomped right down on your knife, just like that! You angry? You wanna die? Though I'd kill you anyway, even if you didn't want to!"
"He was planning to do that… what a monster."
Nick could feel the cold sweat running down his back. He also fought with a knife, but to be perfectly honest, he had not been able to get a good look at the way Chane threw her knife. And this lunatic called Ladd had simply ground it into the floor with a single kick.
Unlike Chane, who had blocked the bullet by accident, Ladd's action was completely deliberate.
Ladd swung the knife around in ecstasy, but Chane regained her calm and reached behind her.
Ladd's laughter trailed off. Chane's hands came forward again, this time holding a pair of even larger knives.
"You've gotta be kidding me! Right, sweetheart?! Tell me this is a joke!"
Ladd turned around suddenly, carrying the rifle at his side, and ran away as fast as he could.
He rhythmically ran over the shaking rooftops and jumped over the couplings without a moment's hesitation. He looked like he was truly enjoying his run to the back of the train.
Chane gave chase, propelling herself from the roof.
It seemed that her new knives were not for throwing, as she did not launch them at Ladd. She dashed forward, the heavy blades in her hands weighing down her arms.
Chane passed right by Nice and Nick, who were lying on their stomachs on the roof, and went straight for Ladd. Eventually, their disappearing forms were both completely obscured by the smoke and the darkness of the night.
Nice and Nick, however, did not move. They had been paralyzed by something like a sensation of impending doom as Chane passed them by. Nice tightly clenched her fist, realizing that her sweaty palms had rendered her bomb unusable.
'What kind of people were those two?
'And if those two are humans, then what in the world could the Rail Tracer be?'
Nice clenched her fists and remembered a certain tattoo-covered face.
She then looked up, preparing to move forward.
She then found herself facing down the barrel of a long sniper rifle, and the face of a villainous-looking man.
"Looks like you two've been lying here for a while now." A man in black who only had his upper body on the roof--Spike--snickered from the coupling. "Why don't ya just come on down with your hands in the air? You've had a pretty tiring trip, I'd bet."
"What in the world could have happened here, Miria?"
"It's a mystery!"
"You think this was the work of a monster?"
"It's just like a horror show!"
Isaac calmly looked around the conductor's compartment, having discovered the two bloodied corpses.
Miria was answering Isaac's questions as she usually did, but she was standing back-to-back with him, not even looking in the direction of the corpses.
"I wonder where Jacuzzi could have gone."
"What do we do? What if he was already eaten?"
Unusually for her, Miria's tone became serious. Isaac, determined to keep her spirits up, replied in as bright a voice as he could muster.
"Don't think like that, Miria! Not to worry! The fact that his body isn't here means that he must have been swallowed whole! He still lives on in the monster's belly!"
"B-b-but we don't even know where the monster is!"
"Don't worry! The Rail Tracer always goes for the entire train! That means, that as long as we're on this train, we'll run into it eventually!"
"Yeah… I hope Jacuzzi's going to be safe until then."
"Don't worry, Miria. Jacuzzi's a good guy! There's no way that someone nicer than us could die before us!"
"You're right. …Jacuzzi!" Miria yelled suddenly.
Isaac shook his head and spoke cooly. "He won't come back just because we yell out his name, Miria."
"No, no, Isaac! Look! It's Jacuzzi! Jacuzzi's coming this way!"
When Isaac turned around, he saw the giant they had run into earlier, accompanied by the tattooed young man.
"I-I'm so glad… you're both safe…"
Jacuzzi had lost his smile after seeing the corpses here in the conductor's compartment, but ironically enough, he had found his smile again in the same place.
He was in such a rush to get here that he was gasping for breath, and there were tears running down his face.
"Jacuzzi! I'm so glad you're all right!"
"You made it out of its belly!"
Miria's words confused Jacuzzi, but he let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh right! Jacuzzi? We're sorry."
"We're really sorry!"
Isaac and Miria's sudden apologies confused Jacuzzi even more.
"Huh? Uh, no! I'm the one that's sorry. I ended up worrying the two of you." Jacuzzi bowed his head.
Isaac and Miria looked at one another.
"Hey Miria. What's the score now?"
"3:3! We're tied!"
"All right, then we'll just have to apologize one more time."
"But, but, Jacuzzi's a good person, so he might end up apologizing to us again!"
"That's true. Then we'll apologize to him lots more!"
The moment they finished this conversation, Isaac and Miria began giving meaningless apologies to Jacuzzi like no tomorrow.
"Huh? Uh, um. Uh. I-I-I'm so sorry! I don't really get it, but I'm so sorry! I, I'll apologize, so pleasestopapologizingtome! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Jacuzzi's confusion reached its limit as he began to bow his head in apology over and over again.
"Uh… What. You guys do?"
The exchange of apologies continued in the eerie conductor's compartment until Donny finally managed to bring them all back to reality.
"L-let's get out of here for now and get to one of the freight holds. I'll explain everything then." Jacuzzi said, and everyone left the cabin.
A strange noise began to sound in the cabin of corpses.
The door at the rear end of the conductor's compartment--the door leading outside--began to open to the rhythm of the shaking of the train.
And when the noise stopped and the door had opened completely--
'It' emerged from the darkness--a crimson silhouette of blood.
"A red monster? Don't make me laugh." Goose said in the First Class cabin, astonished.
"I'm tellin' ya, it's true! There really is a monster on this train!" Nick yelled, trying to lunge at Goose. Of course, the fact that his hands and feet were bound and he was lying on the floor made it quite difficult for him.
"Hm. Then let me ask you another question."
Goose turned to Nice, who was bound just like Nick, and asked her about their connection to the men in white.
"You say you have nothing to do with the white suits. Then what is your purpose on this train?"
"We're on our way to see some friends in New York."
"Still trying to worm your way out of this? If what you're saying is the truth, then why did your ally here threaten the dining car?"
"You threatened the dining car?"
Nice was confused, but she could see that Nick had suddenly gone pale.
"Is this really the man?"
"Yes, Goose. I only saw him from afar, but there's no mistaking his clothes or his voice." A man in the corner of the cabin answered. His shoulder was injured--he must have been the survivor from the trio that first attacked the dining car.
"Care to explain, then?"
Nice knew that Goose's subordinate was telling the truth and understood why Nick had done such a thing from the moment she looked at Nick's face.
She realized that she was partially to blame for this predicament, as she had been the one to give out the vague order to take care of the dining car. She then desperately tried to find a way to trick Goose.
"This guy here's a marijuana addict. He must have been hallucinating when he threatened the dining car."
"Then I suppose we can assume that the red monster he saw was also a hallucination. Then there's no longer any need for this scum of society, is there?"
Goose was smiling, but his eyes made it clear that he trusted no one.
Nice could tell from her one lie that this man would not be so easy to trick. Determining that any more fabrications would worsen their situation, she decided to tell him the truth.
"Hm… So you were nothing but a bunch of train robbers. I don't know how many of your friends are aboard this train, but know that anyone who resists will be killed without mercy."
Goose left the room with a look of complete disinterest.
Nice, however, had not told Goose the whole truth. She conveniently neglected to mention Jacuzzi, and the contents of the cargo they were after. Goose seemed to think that they were merely after the entire cargo of the luxury train, and did not pry any further.
In reality, Jacuzzi's gang was only after a certain type of cargo--the things hidden in the secret compartment in the freight hold. If Goose were to find out about it, no doubt he would try to use it for his own ends. Nice had no way of knowing the black suits' goals, but if they were to take control of the cargo, they would become nigh unstoppable. She had to avoid such a situation at all costs.
Nice let out a sigh of relief and whispered to Nick.
"I'm sorry, Nick. I should have been more specific about my orders…"
"Don't worry 'bout it, boss." Nick forced a grin, trying to cheer up his friend. "'Sides, no one'd be stupid enough to think you weren't one of us, considering how you look."
"That's not much consolation, is it?"
Nice remembered her own appearance, and began to try and think of a way to escape this situation, despite her budding self-hatred.
Suddenly, the door opened again. Goose stepped in with a troubled expression.
"You two told me earlier that you saw a corpse in the freight hold on the way back from the conductor's compartment, correct?"
Nice and Nick nodded.
"What of the conductor's compartment? Did you see anything strange there?"
Something was troubling Goose. One of their members was supposed to be in the conductor's compartment, and he was to kill his fellow conductor. So why wasn't this woman also taken care of when she went to the conductor's compartment?
This reminded Nice that she hadn't yet told Goose about what she saw in the conductor's compartment.
"Yes, that was where we came to believe in the Rail Trace's existence."
"Tell me the truth. And make it quick."
"We found two corpses in a sea of blood. They were both conductors--one had been shot, and the other looked as though he had been half-eaten. That was all we saw."
The new information he received led Goose to wonder about something else.
The conductor's compartment was schedule to send an 'all clear' signal to the locomotive not long ago, but the train was still going. How could this be, when they had yet to take over the locomotive?
Goose poked his head out the window and looked towards the locomotive.
At the very front of the train was the locomotive, giving off a faint light, and the smoke coming from the front showed no signs of weakening.
"What's going on here?"
Goose quickly stepped out of the cabin and sent five men to check on the conductor's compartment.
If the woman was telling the truth, who had killed their ally in the conductor's compartment?
He then recalled the bloodbath in the freight hold that he had heard over the radio.
Nick's description of the scene came back to mind.
"One of your men was in the freight hold with his whole lower body missing! It's a monster! The red monster--the Rail Tracer's on this train!"
Goose tried to ignore the thought as best he could, but his heart slowly gave way to the fear of the Rail Tracer.
The terror slowly but surely ate away at him, moving just like the train itself.
"I see…! This train is now like the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'!"
"The biggest love triangle in the Orient!"
Jacuzzi and the others were currently going over the situation in the freight hold at the very end of the train. Isaac had suddenly made this declaration just as they were clearing up all of their respective situations.
"The Romance…?" Jacuzzi tilted his head, confused by the completely unfamiliar name.
"Yes! You see, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a famous historical record! The tale of three great samurai who divided the kingdom and battled each other! Uh, let's see. Their names were 'Cao Cao', 'Liu Bei', and 'Yuan Shao'…"
"They're often compared to the snake, the snail, and the toad!"
Isaac and Miria built up suspense as they continued to spout off their dubious information about the Orient.
"This train's like a big platter where the black suits, white suits, and the Rail Tracer are all at each other's throats, right? Jacuzzi! You have to upset the balance! Upturn the situation, platter and all!"
"Then you'll take over the entire train! You'll be a lord! A king! An emperor! A tyrant!"
"H, huh?"
The sudden turn of events turned Jacuzzi's eyes into dinner plates. He was, of course, planning to defeat the black suits and the Rail Tracer, but he never imagined that such an act could be interpreted as taking over the train.
"B-but… you really think I could do that?"
"Of course! Even in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one great man united the Orient in the end!"
"The champion!"
"Jacuzzi! That's why you have to become Yoshitsune!"
"Of Minamoto!"
"That's right! He's a great man who crossed over from Japan to China, defeated the three kingdoms, and founded a country called 'Genghis Khan'!"
"He's amazing!"
Isaac's account of the history of East Asia was wildly anachronistic and inaccurate, but his energetic voice became a glimmer of hope for Jacuzzi.
"You really think I can be that great?" He asked quietly.
Isaac silently looked into Jacuzzi's eyes and nodded.
"Of course! You're the defending champion, who's defeated us countless times!"
"Isaac's an amazing person, you know? And since you beat Isaac, you're a really amazing person, Jacuzzi!"
Despite the boundless energy headed in his direction, Jacuzzi shook his head.
'I wonder why? I feel like I can tell these two everything that I can't tell other people.'
Jacuzzi nodded and began to explain himself to Isaac and Miria--to confess about the kind of person he really was.
"I do want to save the passengers and get rid of the black suits. But I'm honestly not that good of a person. I broke the law and bootlegged liquor, and yesterday I ended up killing five people."
Donny, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up to interrupt Jacuzzi.
"Uh. No, no. We killed 'em. Jacuzzi didn't kill. And. They killed friends, too."
"What's the difference? If I hadn't bootlegged liquor, our friends and the mafia guys all could have lived."
Hearing this, Isaac grabbed Jacuzzi by the collar and pulled him up to his own face, eyes wide open.
Jacuzzi initially flinched, thinking that Isaac was going to hit him for being an idiot, but there was a confident smile on Isaac's face.
"Don't worry about things like that! If everyone around you calls you a good guy, that means you're going to become a great guy! In other words, the only thing that decides whether you're a good guy or a bad guy is the feel of the moment! That's what decides everything!"
"The feel of the moment!"
Jacuzzi's mind marvelled at the illogical line of thought Isaac and Miria had reached, but his heart had already been swept up in their cheer.
"That's why! You have to be confident, because we think you're a great guy! Don't worry if anyone says otherwise! You just have to sweep them along in this wave!"
"Stand tall with your head held high and believe in yourself! But see? If you want to start this wave, you have to make sure that at least one person around you thinks you're a good person! That's why it means that you're a good guy, Jacuzzi! We'll make these waves for you!"
Watching the optimistic duo, Jacuzzi realized that his own fingers, hands, arms, and body were trembling. Could this be fear? Or something less sinister?
"Thank you." Jacuzzi said. Perhaps there was more for him to tell them, but that was all he could work up at the moment.
Normally, Jacuzzi might have said something like 'sorry', but he felt like it would be insulting to both himself and the couple to say such a thing.
"But if you think I'm such a great person, what does that make you two?"
Isaac and Miria were somewhat taken aback by the question.
"We're not quite sure ourselves. But you know what the man who told us about the Romance of the Three Kingdoms said to us?"
"He said, 'You two have to become the southeaster'!"
"The southeaster…? But that's not a person."
"Right? But I think it's a wind that gathers a bunch of things, like happiness or despair, and blows it towards someone all at once!"
"What's why we're going to send a whole lot of happiness along with this train!"
Isaac nodded.
"That's a wonderful idea, Miria! Then shall we go and blow away the Rail Tracer and the Russo Family?"
"Faster than this train, forever and ever!"
Isaac and Miria got up and began to leave with a smile.
"W-wait! Where are you going?" Jacuzzi hurriedly tried to stop them. Isaac and Miria responded with confident looks on their faces.
"Where else but to find the Rail Tracer?"
"We're going to ask it to go home! If not, we'll fight it off! And if that doesn't work, we'll run away and hide! After all, it'll have to go home when the sun rises while it's still looking for us!"
"Whoa. Monster strong. Gonna kill you. Don't."
Even Donny looked worried by their course of action, but the duo was undeterred.
"If the Rail Tracer finds us, I'll fight it off with my hundred guns!"
"You're so cool, Isaac!"
Isaac tapped on the holsters he wore all over his body. There was not a single firearm in his possession.
"But you don't even have one gun, let alone a hundred." Jacuzzi noted, his eyes wide open.
"Hm." Isaac nodded. "You're right. To be honest, I never expected things would turn out this way." He acknowledged.
But he continued to step towards the door. Isaac looked up, his face deadly serious.
"It'll be all right. A famous old gunman once told me this."
He looked straight into Jacuzzi's eyes and nodded.
"You know where a real man keeps his guns? His heart."
"Amazing, Isaac!"
"I don't think any famous gunman said anything like that!"
"That so? Then I'll become that famous gunman!"
"Amazing, Isaac! Just like Billy the Kid!"
The duo quietly opened the freight hold door, completely ignoring the astonished Jacuzzi.
"Don't worry about us! If anything happens, we'll make a run for it! Jacuzzi, you have to rescue Mrs. Beriam while we distract the Rail Tracer!"
"We'll be just fine! Running and hiding is our specialty, you know?"
Isaac and Miria's confident smiles made Jacuzzi feel like everything really would be fine. He also realized that nothing could stop them from leaving.
So he decided to send them off with a smile.
"Please promise me you won't die."
"All right. We promise you! And if we break our promise, we'll cut off our fingers or slit our bellies!"
"You have to come back alive, too. Okay, Jacuzzi? Donny?"
With this, Isaac and Miria stepped outside and headed for the conductor's compartment in search of the Rail Tracer.
Jacuzzi watched them leave as he decided to finish what he had set out to do.
"Have you ever seen anyone that stubborn, Donny? I don't know who they are, but they're so much more like villains than people like us." He said quietly to Donny, looking upwards.
"Yeah. This train's full of bad guys and small fry. That includes us, too."
Jacuzzi stopped and once again glanced back towards Isaac and Miria's direction.
"Those two are bad guys who're so much worse than me, but I just know that they're dozens of times nicer than someone like me."
"Uh. Jacuzzi. Lonely?"
Jacuzzi did not answer. He continued walking.
"Let's go. We're gonna go do our own thing. We'll become the biggest bad guys on this entire train. Right, Donny?"
Seeing him nod confidently, Donny realized that he had never seen Jacuzzi this way before.
"Jacuzzi look like. Enjoying yourself."
Mary buried herself in her mother's arms, trembling as though she had run out of tears.
How much time had passed since she was captured? The terrifying woman had left the cabin a little while ago, but a guard armed with a gun was still watching them.
She wondered what had happened to Czes. Was he safe? Perhaps he had returned to the broom closet to find her missing, and was worrying about her. Perhaps he had already been captured and killed.
Terrified by her own imagination, Mary leaned against her mother.
Her eyes filled with tears again.
The quintet of Lemures passed through the dining car and the Second Class cars, and were running through the Third Class car. They were heading for the conductor's compartment.
"Careful. It sounds like Chane and one of the white suits were headed for the back, too." The leader of the team said, just as they heard the sound of a window breaking.
"What the?!"
"It came from the cabin!"
It sounded like it had come from one of the Third Class cabins.
"Where's the Third Class team?"
"We lost contact with 'em, just like Second Class."
The black suits took a deep breath. Two of them would search the car, and the other three would go ahead to check out the conductor's compartment.
Once the team of three had departed, the remaining two quietly approached the cabin door.
Some time passed in silence, and as one man gave a wordless signal, the two of them simultaneously kicked down the door.
"There's nothing here."
The cabin was empty. Only the sound of wind blowing in through the broken window occupied this space.
One of the men cautiously approached the window, cleared some of the debris from the frame with the butt of his gun, and poked his head out the window to get a clear look.
He stared downward for some time, then hurriedly looked around.
"What's the matter?"
"C'mere for a sec. …Look at that."
The second man followed his ally to the window and looked out and down the frame.
What they saw illuminated in the lamplight and the dim moonlight was a grotesquely twisted human body.
The body looked like it had been stuck to the metal ornaments at the base of the car. It was impossible to see all of it from their position at the window.
But the black suits were quite sure that the body was a corpse.
It was missing its right arm and both its legs. Perhaps they were torn, or even eaten off. The right arm was missing everything from the shoulder down, and the cut was very messy.
It was probably secured to the train at a place they could not see from their angle--likely by the clothing or its left arm.
The black suits were quite used to the sight of corpses, but that itself was not what shocked them.
The shock stemmed from the fact that the corpse was that of a young child.
No one could expect to see such a thing--they were not in a war-torn land, but on a train in the United States.
Chane and Goose likely would not have blinked at the sight, and perhaps Ladd would have ended up laughing. And if Jacuzzi could see this, he would have started wailing like a madman.
The corpse of the child had a rather difficult name to pronounce--Czeslaw Meyer.
"I hope Czes is all right." Mary said to herself, her tears finally gone.
"Of course he is. I'm sure Czes, Mr. Isaac, Miss Miria, Mr. Jacuzzi and Miss Nice are all just fine. So don't worry. Mama's going to make sure you don't have any bad dreams, so go to sleep, Mary." Mrs. Beriam reassured her.
Mrs. Beriam gently stroked her daughter's hair.
Tap Tap Tap Tap
The noise was coming from the window.
It was the sound of something hard hitting glass.
The lone guardsman opened the window, gun in hand.
He looked around outside, but there was nothing there.
He then leaned out of the window and sat on the frame to get a good look at the roof, when his view of the night sky was suddenly covered by darkness.
A pair of sturdy work boots landed right on his head.
The owner of the boots held on to the window frame and stomped over the man's face.
"W-wait! AHH! AAAAAAHHH!"
The man's body was dragged out the window, and finally fell out of the train. He rolled across the gravel by the tracks and was soon swallowed by the night.
The Beriam family, shocked by the sudden development, looked upon the person who entered through the window.
It was a young woman wearing fatigues.
Mrs. Beriam vaguely remembered seeing her sitting by the window seat back in the dining car. As she searched for more memories of her, the young woman spoke.
"Are you all right?" She asked stoically. She was perhaps in her early twenties. Her already messy outfit was covered in black smears, making her look even dirtier than she was back in the dining car.
"If you're not hurt, let's get out of here."


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Sun, Sep 30, 07 at 22:31
I think this is jean pierre crouteau...Ive had it since the 90's and seems like it doesnt have as many fantasy spots as it used to..any way to encourage more spots when it blooms?
Follow-Up Postings:
I think I read that the fantasy are unstable which means they change, I don't remember reading anything about how to get one to fantasy more, it's their make up and once that changes, you can't do much about it. I hope someone has a better answer. tish |
- Posted by robitaillenancy1 zone 5 (My Page) on Mon, Oct 1, 07 at 12:21
You might try growing it cooler, on the bottom shelf. Misting might also help. A change of humidity could add deeper color to some plants. Maybe it will make spots on these--and maybe you won't want water spots on your flowers! Nancy |
- Posted by seattlemarigene (My Page) on Mon, Oct 1, 07 at 21:03
I dont have a bottom shelf...I just have the one shelf.I do mist several times a day....I want a garden window in my kitchen..I have some small plants of it down in front of a basement window..I think I will leave them down there till they bloom..thanks...:0) |
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