[28108] in linux-announce channel archive
You'll never be without the charger you need again
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Lloyd Bowman)
Thu Aug 12 14:24:48 2021
Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2021 14:16:14 -0400
From: "Lloyd Bowman" <lloyd.bowman@superiorfundingss4.gb.net>
To: <linuxch-announce.discuss@charon.mit.edu>
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** Tired of having the wrong cables when you leave the house? **
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Wright & King Computing Services
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<td style=3D"color: grey;" align=3D"center"> <p>Wright & King =
Computing Services</p> <p>612 E 89th St</p> <p>Brooklyn NY 11236-3440</p> <=
p><a href=3D"http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/6a14G2395d8uO610l483em84ax40Shbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47AQ3onRR7o1HnZ0n5SMlsv/Biscayne-empowering"> Change Email Preferences </a></p> <p> </p> <=
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<p> </p>=20
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<p> </p>=20
<p> </p>=20
<p> </p>=20
<p> </p>=20
<p> </p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"><em>All the fish were going to die</em=
> because my brother had just released a baby nuclear bomb into the oc=
ean after my dad said whoever brought back the most fish didn't have to do =
the dishes tonight. Then, he drove away. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I was pretty sure my brother would be =
doing the dishes until he died though, because he stole my dad's priceless =
bomb in the first place. He took it from the spot my dad had left it this m=
orning. The spot ? don't ask why ? was next to the microwave. </=
span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"You know, someone had to do it,&=
quot; my brother said. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"It was meant to be a <em>ho=
w many fish can you catch challenge</em>, not a <em>how many fish you =
can kill challenge</em>," I reminded him. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"Yeah? Think how much I've made a=
difference. To this world, to humanity. Think how much I've helped all the=
friendly fishermen prosper by killing every fish in the sea."&nb=
sp;</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"Wilbur. You do realize that all =
these fish have nuclear radiation, right?" </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"So?" </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"You can't eat them." <=
/span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I witnessed him slowly and sheepishly =
melt from a grin to panic. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"Oh," he said quietly. =
</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Then he let me snatch his fishing rod =
from him. Probably wanted to decide if it was worth it to bring extinction =
upon every living thing in the ocean just for him to be excused from washin=
g the dishes this one night. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?You're really screwed,? I said, rubbi=
ng it in. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">When we got back home, Wilbur was thin=
king hard. I could tell because he crushed a seashell on the window side wi=
th his butt and he didn't even seem bothered. I put away the fishing rods w=
here my dad ? from day one ? said to put them. The location was kind of wei=
rd: between the largest vacancy of his underground aquarium.</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I shuffled into the kitchen while Wilb=
ur was in the other room, cradling his old ?<em>Pirateology</em>? book that=
cost five dollars. He was thinking so hard I could hear it. </s=
pan></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Suddenly he was right there in my face=
His eyes were bulging wide. His nostrils were flared. He was smiling stif=
fly like a rock-hard eraser. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?What?? I said in monotone.  =
;</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">That was his great idea face. That was=
also the face he gave me before he went and fetched dad's nuclear bomb.&nb=
sp;</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"I don't have time to explain,? h=
e said, doing nothing and <em>explaining it</em>. ?Long story short, I=
read a book a long time ago that came with a map and the book is about pir=
ates, right? And the map says on the top <em>Wish Granter Of X-tr=
aordinary Treasures</em>. I think the Wish Granter would be able to help us=
anti-extinct the extinct fish. And everything else in the ocean."&nbs=
p;</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"Sounds like fantasy to me,"=
I said flatly. "Show me the map." </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">He did. It was made out of cheap print=
ed paper and finished with some glossy lamination. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"<em>Where even is the x on the m=
ap</em>?" </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"There's the x on the map." =
He pointed patiently for me. "It's perfectly logical." </spa=
n></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I slapped the map away. "That's t=
he X for X-traordinary." </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"If there's an X then it means th=
ere's treasure," he said firmly. "I've watched my movies. Pl=
us, it's a capital X. That means it's good, huh? Huh?" </spa=
n></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">In the end, I decided to go along with=
the adventure anyways because I just preferred to stay away from=
my dad when he would find out his nuclear bomb had grown legs and scuttled=
away. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"Hey Wilbur." I nudged him i=
n the arm. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">We were picking our way through the th=
in little jungle and my hands rubbed my arms and shoulders every couple of =
seconds like I was spreading out sunscreen. The truth was I could feel ever=
y mosquito coming out to eat us. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Wilbur was concentrating silently on t=
he map. "Yeah?" </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"What's that?" I asked him, =
pointing to a few houses on the map. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"It seems to be a village,? he re=
plied expertly. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"Let's stop by. I'm hungry."=
</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"It's not my fault you didn't eat=
anything even though you spent all that time in the kitchen," he rema=
rked annoyedly. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"It's not my fault somebody infec=
ted the all the fish of the sea with nuclear radiation and now we have to f=
ind a capital X somewhere on a map," I retaliated. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Wilbur glued his lips together. <=
/span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">We approached the village. It smelled =
like cows. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">We set up our place at the centre of t=
he village and began to puppy eye everybody we came across. </sp=
an></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Sure enough, we ended up with a burrit=
o, a half-eaten mars bar, a quatre-of-the-way-full bottle of Gatorade, some=
dumb-looking energy bars and a weird rhombus sandwich. </span><=
/p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Then we ate it all. <=
/span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Wilbur wandered around, me at his heel=
s, asking all the people we could find if they knew the Wish Granter. =
</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">They not only said no. They said it wa=
s stupid to look for an X in a word on a map. Wilbur said they were al=
l dumb. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">They said <em>oh yeah?</em> =
and kicked us out of the village. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">We trudged through a thick dark forest=
</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Isn't it too dark to see the map?? I =
asked. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?No.? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Are we even getting close?? </sp=
an></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?I don't know.? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I was about to yell at Wilbur until we=
turned back home but the shimmer up ahead was undeniable. </spa=
n></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?That looks like a Wish Granter relate=
d thing,? I admitted. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">We panted towards it and we saw a well=
And a tripod. And a big makeup brush. And a dry eager hand shaking the br=
ush clean in front of the camera. Fine, fine glitter came off in weak =
little flurries. It all peppered down into the well. Attached to the dry ea=
ger hand was a wrist and a sleeve of a robe. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">It was a small man in a bathrobe and a=
birthday hat. He had a beard that looked like a rain cloud. </s=
pan></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"Are you the Wish Granter?" =
Wilbur called out and I stood there absorbing the oddness.  =
;</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">That seemed to get his attention. Wilb=
ur calling out, I mean. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"Yes, I am." he said. "=
How did you find me?" </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Wilbur was about to say something.&nbs=
p; </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I wasn't about to get fooled. </s=
pan></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"If you are the Wish Granter=
, and it was kind of easy to find you, how come the world's problems haven'=
t been solved yet?" I waited.</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?I am the Wish Granter, yes. But. Uh. =
Why should I be solving problems?? he looked genuinely confused.  =
;</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?...? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Do you two want autographs or what? A=
picture? Two pictures?? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Why would we want pictures?? Wilbur a=
sked hesitantly. ?We want a wish.? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Phhhtttt,? the Wish Granter dismissed=
our wish like a slap. ?I'm a tiktoker. So. If you want a picture with me, =
I can get you that.? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?WHAT?? Wilbur hefted the word from th=
e pit of his stomach. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I opened my mouth and let it hang ther=
e theatrically. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Whuh-what do you do?? I asked careful=
ly. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">He displayed his big makeup brush and =
violently dabbed it into a container of thin blue glitter. Then he went up =
to the tripod and the camera, and he shook all of it off into the well. He =
smiled at us calmly. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Are you famous for that?? I said=
flatly. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Yes sir. Would you like to see it on =
camera?? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Nope-? Wilbur grabbed my arm and drag=
ged me back into the darkness. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Hey - wait!? the man panted up to us.=
?How'd you find me??</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Stupidity,? Wilbur replied without he=
sitation. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Wait! I was kidding. Kind of. I =
<em>am </em>a tiktoker,? said the man. ?But I'm not that famous. But I=
<em>am</em> the Wish Granter-? he snapped his fingers and pointe=
d at the both of us - ?so if you want a wish each, I'll help you with pleas=
ure.? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Wilbur thought silently. </=
span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I waited. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?We're good,? he concluded and began t=
o drag me away. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?What?? I shrieked. ?Didn't we just co=
me all the way here?? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?He's a fraud ? look at him!? </s=
pan></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">The Wish Granter was picking his nose.=
</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?I bet he wants our money or something=
? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?I'm totally legit!? the Wish Granter =
assured us excitedly. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Wilbur proceeded to drag me away. =
; </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?I'll give you two complimentary wishe=
s!? hollered the Wish Granter. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">There was a block of quiet.  =
;</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">And a <em>fine </em>from Wil=
bur. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">We walked over boredly. &nbs=
p;</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Ah! You found me with a map,? the Wis=
h Granter nodded sagely. ?I made a lot of them a long time back and put the=
m in weird places. Business hasn't been booming in over a century.?&nb=
sp;</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Maybe if you didn't laminate them and=
make them look dumb, you'd be booming again,? I suggested. </sp=
an></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">He shrugged. "I suppose it w=
as because no one was stupid enough to think that a capital X on a map mean=
t treasure even if it was just a word." </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"Hey," protested Wilbur.&nbs=
p;</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"Since I am the Wish Granter and =
you have come a long way, why don't you make a wish," he said throwing=
a bucket down the to bring up some water. As he hoisted, he expl=
ained how it worked. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"Take four sips of the water ? ma=
ybe two each for the both of you - and after each sip make a wish. And then=
your wishes will be fulfilled." </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">He handed the bucket to Wilbur first a=
nd Wilbur held it up to his face dumbly, silently. And he did not drink.&nb=
sp; </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?You have to drink, sir-? the Wish Gra=
nter stiffly mimed bringing the bucket up to his lips and swallowing. =
</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Ummm,? said Wilbur. ?You put glitter =
in here.? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Right.? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">The Wish Granter went behind the well =
and came back with store-bought bottled water. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?It works!? he hollered when we blinke=
d slowly. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">This time, Wilbur drank. I didn't know=
what he was wishing for and it was stupid not to discuss it first, but soo=
n, he already had his two sips. And it was my turn. </span>=
</p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I did as instructed. I took a sip=
and thought hard about how the ocean should be restored to how it was befo=
re the nuclear bomb. I took another sip and thought hard about how good it =
would be to have my father's nuclear bomb still sitting next to the microwa=
ve like a big fat model plane. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I held the water back out to the Wish =
Granter. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">He wrinkled his nose. ?Ew, you keep it=
? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?So, it just works?? I asked.&nbs=
p; </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Thirty seconds,? he replied. &nb=
sp;</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Um. What did you wish for?? I asked W=
ilbur. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?For us to get back home straight away=
and for the well to clean itself up.? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?WILBUR!? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?What?? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?WE CAME HERE BECAUSE YOU PUT DAD'S NU=
CLEAR BOMB IN THE-? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">And it didn't matter because we were b=
ack home. The fish were alive and swimming in the water like they were supp=
osed to be.</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">That meant the bomb was back where it =
should be. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">My dad was back home, taking a packet =
out of the fridge. To my relief, the bomb was sitting snug next to the micr=
owave where he had left it. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?So, who caught more fish?? he asked, =
back turned to us. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?We didn't catch any...? Wilbur said t=
ruthfully. And even more truthfully, he explained everything.&nbs=
p; </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I was going to have to pull him aside =
later and yell how the whole point of finding the Wish Granter was so we co=
uld act like nothing happened. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">When Wilbur was done talking, dad look=
ed at us strangely while he put something in the microwave and set it to a =
minute.</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">"I was joking when you were five.=
It's not a bomb. And. We own an aquarium with fish of every kind so we cou=
ld just bring them all back from extinction, I guess." </span></p=
>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">It was then that I realized that thing=
I had wished for to be sitting next to the microwave was a little differen=
t than I'd remembered. A little different. It was similar, no doubt, but it=
was not my dad's familiar ?bomb?. It looked meaner.</span></p>=
=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"><em>I took another sip and thought har=
d about how good it would be to have my father's nuclear bomb still sitting=
next to the microwave like a big fat model plane.</em> </span></=
p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">My dad chuckled as he took his pizza r=
olls out of the microwave, balanced on a plate nobody would be washing toni=
ght. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">The microwave (he just <em>used</=
em>). </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">And the nuclear bomb.</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">The Real Deal Nuclear Bomb.</span></p>=
=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Next to each other. </span>=
</p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?I think we should go outside and sit =
in the water for a second,? I s</span></p>=20
<p> </p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">It is just after 5 o'clock on an early=
Friday evening and Felix walks out of his office building. He is greeted b=
y the usual traffic of the Friday commute, but nothing can break his mood. =
He is looking forward to reading a book, having a beer, and hanging out wit=
h his dog. Oh, wait, he may have forgotten about this part. Either way it i=
s warm out, but not too warm to his delight. He sticks the two flexible pla=
stic bits into each of his ears and turns on the current audiobook, ?People=
of the Underground?. There have been times that this book is narrating exa=
ctly what he thinks occurs in the underground tram system. He turns left an=
d walks down the piss stained sidewalk to the corner before the pedestrian =
light turns to the forbidding hand. Twelve, eleven, ten, nine?. Yes, he has=
time to make it across. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"> As he is just nearl=
y across the street, a spidering flash of parrot blue and pansy violet burs=
ts in front of him on the street corner he needs to step onto. Shielding hi=
s eyes from the light he continues forward, having walked these streets eve=
ryday for the last five years he knows exactly where to land his foot and n=
ot to place the other. Once firmly on the sidewalk, the aurora borealis of =
lights fades from view and what has manifested in its place is a woman. He =
notices her eyes are wide, sky blue, staring around her, looking at everyth=
ing but resting on nothing. Her arms are covered in bracelets of clay and m=
etal beads, her hair cascaded down her back in waves of blues and muted bla=
cks, and her clothing looked as if she shopped at Fortune-Tellers-R-Us. He =
was suddenly distracted by a routine headache that was developing in the mi=
ddle of his skull. These headaches always felt as if someone had dug their =
way silently in and then was trying to burst free. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">The woman stood in the middle of the p=
edestrian traffic glancing at the newness of the place she found herself. S=
he had waited for this moment for the last decade. She only wanted a glimps=
e of him. She didn't need to speak with him. After moments of looking=
, she found him in the crowd with her heart and her eyes followed toward wh=
ere he stood. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?My Son!? she blurted out. </span=
></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Felix stared at her, something about h=
er made the area above his eyes throb, but also made him angry. His mother =
died years ago before he had the brain space to create memories. To be sure=
, he looked around him to see if maybe she had meant her statement for some=
one else. Nobody but him had been naive enough to stand there and wait for =
her to figure out what she's doing. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?I am terribly sorry Ma'am,? he said c=
almly, ?but my mother is dead. Is it money you need? I think I have a coupl=
e dollars that I didn't spend on my lunch?.</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">She grabbed his wrists with a rabid fi=
erceness and looked directly into his eyes with the fire lighting up hers. =
Upon her grasp his headache exploded from within. He tumbled to his knees, =
throwing his hands up to his head and breaking her grasp on his wrists. She=
gave him a numbing look, a mixture of anger, flames, and sorrow. Taken aba=
ck, Felix realized her eyes really did have a fire burning in them. He stoo=
d, pushing through the piercing, gnawing head pain. Once on his feet, he to=
ok a few steps away from her with his hands resting on his head. There was =
a strong breeze behind him, a flash of mist, and when he looked back she wa=
s gone. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Once she had made it back to the safet=
y of her home she scolded herself. She had scared him, startled him permane=
ntly with her entrance into this realm. This was not how the meeting was pl=
anned to go. Admonishing herself for speaking to him, she made her way back=
up into the forest and to her hut. Yet again she would have to find the re=
sources to Glimpse her way back to him. She didn't have enough time with th=
e small resources she had for this failed effort, but quadrupling her list =
of ingredients should give her the time she needed to speak with him. Only =
next time, she wouldn't scare him and she would add a little less flair to =
the enchantment.</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Perplexed, Felix turned around and con=
tinued his commute home. The headache died down the further away he walked.=
The headaches generally only occur when he thinks about his biological fam=
ily. He hadn't been thinking of either when that strange woman appeared amo=
ngst her light tricks, but maybe subconsciously he had. For whatever reason=
it occured, he has decided he is going to stay in tonight and not go out w=
ith his friends. He quickly sent a ping to his friend group to let them kno=
w, for the fourth time today, he fully intended to stay in tonight despite =
their pressure to go out. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">These headaches generally lasted for a=
few hours, though this one was dying down more quickly than past headaches=
It didn't matter to him though, he had found a quirky magic book titled ?=
Green Tea and Magic? at the corner bookshop during his hour lunch bre=
ak. Nothing sounded better after the kerfuffle on the street than a pint of=
beer, comfy couch, and his new book. The middle aged clerk at the shop had=
asked Felix some questions about himself and thought would find the book e=
njoyable. Felix thought this bald, toned man stood out like a flamingo in t=
he penguin exhibit at the zoo in the bookstore, but the man seemed to love =
his job. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Try that trick on page 42 next time y=
ou are with your friends?, the salesman told him as he slid the book along =
with a free deck of cards into the bland paper bag , ?Don't worry, those ca=
rds are on the house specifically for you.? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">He was so lost in thought about his ne=
w book that he forgot to turn on his audiobook again on the commute home. T=
oday, he didn't even do his favorite people observing while he stood in the=
back. When Felix got off at his stop, he made his way through the safety o=
f the alleyways to his way home. Stepping up onto the steps and down the li=
ttle stone path to his door he unlocked the rusty lock and stepped into the=
familiar, welcoming smells of home. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?I'm home!? he called out before remem=
bering his dog, Sneak, passed away just last month. He looked at the leash =
and collar still hanging from the coat rack and felt a discomfort in his ch=
est and heaviness in his tear ducts. With a heavy sigh, he took his shoes o=
ff and slowly shuffled to the kitchen. Plopping the backpack onto the kitch=
en table he pulled out the book and started to flip through it. He had just=
opened up and started shuffling the cards when he heard a high pitched noi=
se coming from his mobile, still abandoned in the backpack. Rifling through=
, he found the device and looked at the bright screen. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Come out with us?, his group of frien=
ds had texted him. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?...? was his reply. </span></p>=
=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Oh come on! Have a drink with us and =
then you'll feel better?, another one chimed in.</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">He stared at the screen tapping, erasi=
ng, tapping again, until eventually he set the phone onto the table. He hea=
rd a few raps on his door, nobody had sent him a message saying they were o=
n their way, but he walked to the door to check. Not surprisingly, his best=
friend since he developed memories stood there with a big, lopsided grin o=
n his face with the nose that Felix broke when they were eleven and fought =
over who got to be Luke Skywalker this time. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?You gotta get out of the house, bring=
whatever it is you are reading now and just come along with us?, Alex comm=
anded in his most friendly but still bossy manner. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Felix did not put up a fight, he grabb=
ed a jacket, put the book and cards in his inner pocket, put the keys that =
dangled with his dog's tags in his other pocket, and headed out with Alex t=
o the usual Irish pub. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Once at the pub, the group of 13 of th=
em were nestled in around a few of the tables pushed together in the back c=
orner. This was their normal spot, perfectly tucked in the back. Further ar=
ound the corner there were more cozy 2 people booths. Oftentimes he would s=
ee young couples kissing after one too many drinks or the odd single person=
reading a book, watching the TV, or on their phones. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I sat with my notebook, some knitting,=
and my second dark beer. He made eye contact with me a couple of times, bu=
t I did not get the impression he knew what I was. I took diligent notes on=
this Runed boy. I could see from the way he sat up taller, these quick lit=
tle looks gave him an extra boost of encouragement to try the trick for his=
friends, did he think I was flirting? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Ok! Since you guys forced me out I am=
going to do this trick that the book store guy told me I needed to do firs=
t. He said it would be a lot of fun?, I heard him finally tell them. They h=
ad ordered a third round of drinks, and the empty plates of food had been c=
leared, replaced with a few bowls of mixed nuts.</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Page 42, page 42, page 42?, he mutter=
ed as he flipped through the book with thin, vellum-like pages in some area=
s, ?Ah hah! Here it is. So the name of this trick is called ?Where's the Go=
ose?' and looks like it needs a large group of players for the trick to wor=
k?, he instructed his less than attentive friends. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?HEY!? the noisy, obnoxious friend of =
his called out, ?A deal is a deal. Felix came out and we said we would do o=
ne of his games!?</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I watched as Felix pulled out the deck=
of cards and started to deal one card, face down for each member of the gr=
oup. One by one they would pick up the card and call out ?Quack? if they di=
d not have the ?Goose? card, then be dealt another. I was growing anxious, =
this boy seemed to be moving forward with the game and had no hint of hesit=
ation. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?How do we know what the goose is?? I =
hear a female friend ask. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I watch as he examines the cards more =
closely then says, ?The cards are all decorated with birds, seems fairly st=
raight forward?.</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">They did this in a few rounds, a few m=
ore cards were dealt, and finally that noisy friend named Alex yelled out ?=
SQUIRREL!!? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Everyone gave a raucous laugh, and Fel=
ix scolded him playfully, ?You are supposed to shout ?Goose' you dope!?&nbs=
p;</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">I place down my knitting, finish my be=
er, and sit attentive. The daft male called out ?Squirrel?, he was supposed=
to call out ?Goose?. When Osirus informed me what he did at the bookstore,=
I knew this trick wouldn't be fool-proof. Continuing to watch the trick un=
fold, knowing I can't intervene, I just prepare myself to have to annihilat=
e Felix immediately. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Give all the cards to me?, Felix said=
, ?Then I will shuffle them, deal them into three piles, and the one on top=
of the middle pile will be the ?Goose' card that Alex found?. </span>=
</p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">They did this, Felix shuffled and deal=
t them into the three piles, everyone took a final drink of their beverages=
, and Felix held up the ?Goose Card?. On the edge of my seat, I watch as he=
lifts that first card on the middle pile, he gives a confused look and the=
n suddenly places the card down with a pout. I let out a relieved sigh, he =
must have done the trick incorrectly. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Sitting back into my chair, I am start=
led when he bellows out, ?SQUIRREL!? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">He said the wrong animal, just like hi=
s friend. I watch as Felix laughs heartily, unaware that his friends are gl=
owing with bright blue and pale purple light. Suddenly the laughing all sto=
pped, Felix noticed that sitting before him were twelve very confused squir=
rels. Truly, this wasn't even the part that concerned him to begin with. Th=
e biggest issue was that as humans they had been barely skirting tipsy, as =
squirrels they were drunken sailors. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Panicking, he quickly ran towards the =
front of the building to the bar, swinging his hands up to get the bartende=
r's attention. The bartender turned, saw him, winked, and sauntered his way=
</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Do you have a box? Big box? one that =
held fries? Chicken nuggets? Can hold 12 squi? wine bottles?? Felix asked f=
rantically. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">The bartender looked familiar to Felix=
, but he was not sure how. The bald man simply reached down under the back =
and gave him a box immediately, no questions, and moved onto the next patro=
n. This gave Felix pause, but he realized that the bartender had probably s=
een and heard a lot of odd requests. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">On the way, he realized he just left a=
mob of drunk squirrels alone and sprinted back to the table where he had l=
eft his friends. He panicked when he rounded the corner and<a style=3D"colo=
r: #ffffff;" href=3D"http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/quarts-incubating/4a44y2395z8Q6C10e483fK84a_40Shbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47QQ3onRR6q1osu05sWjsv"> saw no evidence of the squirrels. Taking =
a few strides closer to the table he saw a tail twitch from around the corn=
er by the smaller booths. He looked around and found the squirrels all sitt=
ing next to me. </a></span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"><a style=3D"color: #ffffff;" href=3D"=
http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/quarts-incubating/4a44y2395z8Q6C10e483fK84a_40Shbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47QQ3onRR6q1osu05sWjsv">I noticed dismay in his eyes, the shimmer of teal light tendrils=
coming from his jacket pocket off an item I had not seen in centuries, and=
the glimmer of the Whisper he just completed around his person. There is a=
lot here, I need to take notes, but first I must clean up his mess. He is =
my target, which</a> is a shame for such a handsome, naive young man. Work =
is work though, I can't get emotional. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?These are not the<a style=3D"color: #=
ffffff;" href=3D"http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/42b4y2395IG8D612dx4J840l84aJ40khbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47aQ3onRR6v1Rx0J6bMs@1v/holiness-boar"> squirrels you are looking for?, I said, hopin=
g to break him from his frozen stare.</a></span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"><a style=3D"color: #ffffff;" href=3D"=
http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/42b4y2395IG8D612dx4J840l84aJ40khbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47aQ3onRR6v1Rx0J6bMs@1v/holiness-boar">It took Felix a few seconds too long to reply. </a></span><=
/p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"><a style=3D"color: #ffffff;" href=3D"=
http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/42b4y2395IG8D612dx4J840l84aJ40khbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47aQ3onRR6v1Rx0J6bMs@1v/holiness-boar">?Come here often??he r</a>eplied back and I gave him a cold star=
e that the comment deserved.</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?I don't know who you are, but you can=
't go around glimpsing your friends into squirrels at pubs with your tricks=
It will draw unwanted attention!? I told him<a style=3D"color: #ffffff;" =
href=3D"http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/reviled-archaically/9725d2G395oY8N611t48z41Y84ap40Ahbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47lQ3onRR7tH1L0Wm6VPj3sv"> hastily. Pointing to the box in his hands I tell him, =
?Put some holes in the box, lure them with the nuts and pretzels, and close=
the box?. </a></span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"><a style=3D"color: #ffffff;" href=3D"=
http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/reviled-archaically/9725d2G395oY8N611t48z41Y84ap40Ahbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47lQ3onRR7tH1L0Wm6VPj3sv">Once all the squirrels were boxed up, I signaled for him to foll=
ow me, hoisted the box up on my hip, grabbed my bag and marched out o=
f the pub calling to the bartender, ?Catch ya later Osirus!? </a></spa=
n></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"><a style=3D"color: #ffffff;" href=3D"=
http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/quarts-incubating/c246mJ2Z395XI86j11A4Y842P84ar40Fhbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47eQ3onRR7u1R0uVO5fOAsv">Getting him and the squirrels into my car was quick, he gave me =
his address, and after five minutes of silence he spoke, ?My name is Felix.=
Those are my friends...were my friends?. are they still people? Did I hurt=
them? How am I going to tell their families? How did that happen? I didn't=
mean to do that. Do you know what happened? Did you see anything? Was that=
a trick? Are my friends actually back at the pub laugh</a>ing because they=
quickly swapped their places with squirrels?? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;"><a style=3D"color: #ffffff;" href=3D"=
http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/impermeable-metaphorical/d504u2395Q86Vr12J484V3ih84as40bhbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47cQ3onRR6V1Q0RJ6GWTsv3">He fidgeted and I remained quiet. I couldn't give him any inform=
ation. He clearly has no idea of what he is. I pulled up to the house the n=
av directed me to. In silence we exited the car, I retrieved the box of squ=
irrels out from the trunk, we walked up to his door, Felix unlocked the doo=
r then and we stepped inside. I placed the box on the table in the living r=
oom and glanced back to find the key I saw earlier dangling temptingly next=
to a dog co</a>llar. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Thank you for helping?, he mustered, =
? What is your name?? </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Ria?, I state with a slight pause and=
eyeing him over once, ?You will be alright. Your friends need to sleep off=
the enchantment, give it... well I would say twelve hours. Remove them fro=
m the box, lay them around on things they can fit into or onto for when the=
y turn back, and they will be humans once more. Oh, and they will crave ora=
nge juice and sardines which I happen to have in this bag.? </span></p=
>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Setting the bag on the ground, she<a s=
tyle=3D"color: #ffffff;" href=3D"http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/holiness-boar/31e6W239Gz5IJ_8610W4844o84ay40Nhbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47tQ3onRR7NTR10mV5cW2sv"> turned and le</a>ft. Felix st=
ared after her frozen in place, looked at the box in his living room, and q=
uickly ran after her. By the time he made it out the door and down the path=
she was already driving away. He was only able to see she had a cobalt blu=
e SUV and as she turned a corner he walked himself inside to look after his=
rodent friends. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?How did she know what to do?<a style=
=3D"color: #ffffff;" href=3D"http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/impermeable-metaphorical/d324I2395D86TB11qI4845l84aK40Khbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47KQ3onRR6K1yN0H6NBWsvN">?, he thought to hi</a>mself repea=
tedly until he drifted off to sleep.. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Back in the car, Ria called the Overse=
er, ?I found him and left him alive for now?, Ria informed and hoped what s=
he said next would help her keep the young man alive at least for now, ?He =
didn't know what he was doing?. </span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?Understood. Monitor for now?, a ras<a=
style=3D"color: #ffffff;" href=3D"http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/holiness-boar/b525G23H95KzD8611s48X46T84aP40bhbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47SQ3onRR6D1DJ0F5RNsNv">py, bassy voi</a>ce replied =
after a long, painful pause then the connection broke.</span></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">Ria pulled her car over into the small=
park. She placed her hand in her pocket and pulled out the key she had see=
n on his keyring. This was one of the oldest, most ancient keys. </spa=
n></p>=20
<p><span style=3D"color: #ffffff;">?How did he get<a style=3D"color: #fff=
fff;" href=3D"http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/da95iQ2395B86iW11W4P847o84aS40ihbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47UQ3onRR6Osv1P06Nkysvl/Biscayne-empowering"> this?? she wondered. Placing it back in her own=
pocket, she pulled back onto the road and headed to her favorite place to =
think.</a></span></p>=20
<p> </p>=20
<img src=3D"http://www.superiorfundingss4.gb.net/reviled-archaically/4685N2V395f8LS512c484Jkck84aL40Phbr47Ga-Drrs4rGIEHbwG4wwfGaDvsrEibxEIH47rQ3onRR7F10PAoS5iksv2" alt=3D""/></body>
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