Star Wars

Disclaimer:  There will be no spoilers of the Disney Star Wars movies that recently came out(episodes 7-8) in this post so feel free to read if you have not seen The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi.  There will however be spoilers aplenty for the first six Star Wars movies(episodes 1-6) so fair warning.

I know there is a lot of controversy over the most recent Star Wars movie The Last Jedi.  I have heard some fans loved it and others hated it and others were dissappointed with certain aspects.  I think the strong reaction to The Last Jedi speaks to how much mythology and stories speak to us.  Whatever your opinion if you have a strong one that means the characters or the story spoke to you on a deep level.  My favorite character in the Star Wars story is Anakin who encompasses not only the archetype of the person who turns his back on darkness to do an heroic act and save the day but also the archetype of the chosen one destined to restore balance to the universe.  Those are my two favorite archetypes rolled into one.  Again I am simply speaking on what happened in the first 6 movies not the most recent two. 

Here is how I always saw the Star Wars Saga: 

In Episode I the Jedi Order exists and is trusted by the Galactic Republic as peacekeepers.  This is similar to olden kings having priests on hand to help bless their rule.  The Jedi and their order help to promote peace in the Galactic Republic by settling disputes and being a sort of moral compass.  Their abilities and powers become the stuff of legends through out the galaxy even though many people have probably never met one in person as is shown throughout Episode I at people's reaction to Qui Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi upon meeting them.  Although the Jedi play a major role in the Star Wars saga most inhabitants of the galaxy within the story probably do not believes in the force fully or it's powers.  For instance there are people on Earth who have demonstrated pyrokinesis and invulnerability by using and mastering Chi just as Jedi's use and master the force and it doesn't mean everybody on Earth has changed the way they lived and embraced it.  

In Episode 1 the Jedi believe their ancient enemy the Sith to have been destroyed.  But there is a prophesy that some believe that the force is out of balance and their will be one born more powerful in the force than any other who will bring about balance.  Qui Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi find a young boy who is very naturally strong in the force.  This boy is Anakin Skywalker but he is very afraid inside and Yodi warns that even though he is strong in the force he could fall to the dark side because of the fear he holds inside of him.  Qui Gon Jinn though is convinced Anakin is the prophesied one and when he dies his friend Obi-Wan Kenobi to honor Qui Gon Jinn ignores Yoda's warnings and begins training Anakin Skywalker in the ways of the force.  

However unbeknownst to the Jedi at this time the Sith still exist in the form of Darth Sidious who was also Senator Sheev Palpatine in the Galactic Republic.  Darth Sidious was using his dual identity to manipulate a civil war in the galaxy and turn everyone against each other till they lived in a state of fear.  This plan would then bring about the destruction and death of the Jedi and instill him as supreme ruler of a dark empire.  He saw Anakin's power and potential and corrupted him to the dark side playing on the fears that Yoda sensed.  Anakin helped Darth Sidious destroy the Jedi.  All the Jedi that is but Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda.  However, once Darth Sidious and his plans became known it was too late to stop him.  Yoda fought Darth Sidious but they stalemated.  This is very important because if Yoda, the most highly trained Jedi, could have defeated Darth Sidious in that battle at the end of Episode III he would have and freed the galaxy from his control.  But Darth Sidious was too powerful and too skilled for Yoda to best.  

After the battle Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Bail meet.  They agree to hide Anakin's children from him so he doesn't realize they are still alive and corrupt them to the dark side and Yoda also reveals he has been in communication with Qui Gon Jinn in spirit form and will teach Obi-Wan Kenobi how to do this as well because they will need Qui Gon Jinn's council in this dark hour.  

What is then implied but never out-rightly stated is that Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui Gon Jinn conspire together and formulate a plan.  After Yoda's battle with Darth Sidious they know that only the prophesied chosen one is powerful enough to defeat Darth Sidious and restore balance to the galaxy.  Qui Gon Jinn was right about Anakin but they have to bring him back from the dark side so he can fulfill his destiny.  So the plan was that they keep Anakin's children away from the fighting and away from Darth Vadar and Darth Sidious until the time was right.  When Princess Leia sends that desperate message to him and it is none other than Luke himself who ends up delivering it to him he knows it's the force signaling that it is time.  As Obi- Wan tells others in Episode IV "there is no such thing as luck."

At this point in the story though the Jedi and the force and has become the stuff of ancient legends similar to how we see ancient tales of Merlin today as exemplified by this scene in episode 4.  So Luke Skywalker being a Jedi let alone the son of a former Jedi would not even register amongst the people trying to fight and/or survive  under the iron rule of the Empire.  But Yoda and Obi-Wan know that the force permeates all things and that they must restore balance to the force if freedom is ever to be won in the galaxy again.

Yoda and Obi-Wan were never hiding they were laying low and biding their time.  They knew it would be foolish for the two of them to mount an attack on Darth Sidious and Vadar.  Their combined powers would have been too great for even two highly skilled Jedi Knights.  And besides the Jedi preferred to use powers of the heart than brute force which is exactly what they were doing.

Luke was never supposed to destroy Darth Sidious and his father but he was allowed to believe that because Obi-Wan and Yoda couldn't tell him what his true mission was otherwise it wouldn't have worked.  So they trained Luke to be a Jedi to have the strength of will to resist the temptations of the dark side.  They were counting on his strength of will and big heart to win the day by turning his father back.  That's why Obi-Wan sacrificed himself he knew he would now be a better use as a spiritual mentor and guide to Luke.  If they truly wanted to use physical assault to win the day the more numbers of Jedi the better but instead he needed Luke to have the courage to resist the dark side and he was better able to do that from a spiritual guide standpoint.

Same with Yoda.  Once Yoda felt confident in Luke he let go of his physical form that he had been clinging to for years just to train Luke so he would be a Jedi capable of shining light in the darkest of places.  It was the fact that Luke was Vadar's son that made him special.  That is why Yoda said "there is another".  The scene where he says this tips the hand to the plan all along.  Obi-Wan and Yoda are trying to get Luke to stay because they fear that Vadar will turn him to the dark side because his training is not complete and then "matters are worse" because now you have Anakin, Luke and Darth Sidious all on the dark side.  The "another" is Leia because she is Anakin's daughter she could do the same thing Luke can do which is reach Anakin's heart buried deep inside the darkness of Vadar.

Fortunately for the galaxy Luke does exactly that.  As Darth Sidious goads Luke to strike down his father to take his place Luke chooses love instead and throws away his weapon and stands defenseless before Darth Sidious saying he will not kill his father and he is a Jedi.  Darth Sidious seeing that Luke will not turn proceeds to use his powers to kill him.  Luke although strong in the force can't resist Darth Sidious powers and starts dying.  As he nearly succumbs he gives one last genuine from the heart plea to his father somewhere in Darth Vadar's armor.  This is exactly what it was all about and what he was trained to do.  Anakin's heart is reached at the last moment and he turns on Darth Sidious and strikes him down. 

Some might say well he sneak attacked him.  You don't need to be the chosen one to do that.  But Darth Sidious was fighting back.  Darth Vadar was struck by his lightening bolts just as Luke was.  It kills him in the end as it would have done to anyone.  But only the chosen one was powerful enough to withstand it long enough to win the day.  Remember Anakin is doing this after losing a battle against Luke and a hand to boot.  The sheer dark force that came up from Darth Sidious' death alone would have been hard for others to withstand but Anakin was powerful enough to complete the mission.

One could also argue that Anakin was the chosen one not only because of his power but because he was the only one who could stand in both darkness and light.  Another words he could vacillate between the two and strike down Darth Sidious without losing his soul in the process.  If you want to take this even further balance by definition means equal measures on both sides.  By eliminating the Jedi and the Sith he restored balance to the force by bring darkness and light in balance.  The universe could continue on without beings trying to control it.  But I leave that last part up to you.  I feel the story can be read either way and still be affective.

When Anakin succumbed to the damage from his battle with Darth Sidious he left Luke as the last Force user.  With Luke's mission completed he had two destinies depending on your interpretation of the above.  Luke was to either begin the Jedi again or let the ways of the Force and Jedi die with him so the Universe could go on in balance.  With Darth Sidious no longer at the helm and the Death Star blown up again the people would no longer be kept in line by fear as was stated in episode IV.  The dark forces will no longer hold sway and the Empire will fracture and people will once again be able to choose their own destiny.

The Star Wars movies have many story lines.  But this main story line of the Star Wars saga is all about faith, love and hope.  The faith Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui Gon Jinn had in both Luke and his father.  The love of father and child that in the end brought light to the darkest recesses.  The hope of redemption and that with hope fear and darkness don't stand a chance.  That is what the Star Wars saga has always meant to me and I hope it always does.

Clarification on Review of The Death of Gwen Stacy

I just want to make clear that I have always and still do admire the character of Spider-man.  He is my favorite super-hero(not counting The Runaways).  He is a character I always closely identified with and felt had admirable qualities.  In my review I just was pointing out the weakness of him holding himself below the happiness of others(especially in recent years in the comics I read).  And also him holding himself to an unrealistic standard.  It was a great revelation to me when he taught me that you have to give self-love first before caring for others.  And it was also a great revelation to me that you mustn't be a perfectionist.  That you learn from mistakes and tragedies and grow from them if you allow forgiveness in. 

Review of The Death of Gwen Stacy

Stories are a part of human nature as I stated before and this is a storytelling blog after all.  So in that vain I thought I would review some comic stories that had an impact on me, while I am working on my own comic book.  Making a comic book has a lot of behind the scenes work fyi :)

So the first comic book/graphic novel I wanted to review is The Death of Gwen Stacy.  I will try to keep this spoiler free.  Albeit the title already indicates that a character named Gwen Stacy will die.  Gwen Stacy was a character in the Spider-man comics and is still a character in alternate timelines in the marvel universe.  That being said for this review's purposes I will discuss this story and the characters without the involvement of clones, alternate timelines, mutated children, ect....ect.

Spider-man was the first comic book I read and the character that got me into comics in the first place.  The Death of Gwen Stacy is a compilation in trade paperback form of a storyline in the Amazing Spider-man comics that ran long before I was even born.  But it didn't take me long as I was reading Spider-man comics and fan letters to realize how important of a storyline this was and I bought the trade paperback and read it.

It was a great story filled with emotions and pathos of helplessness, remorse, guilt, and grieving.  Again not to spoil it for any readers who have not read it but it has to do with characters reacting to circumstances beyond their control but that none the less they feel guilty for.  And how we can either rise out of the ashes of tragedy or let it consume us.

The story very much helped me understand the core of Peter Parker a.k.a Spider-man as a man who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. 

In the end I believe Peter became selfish as result of this belief that he had to hold up the world and the tragedies he felt guilt over.  His honorable mantra of "With great power, comes great responsibility" was a call to live up to ones full potential and not squander your gifts but take responsibility for them.  But in the end did he hold himself up to an unachievable high standard.

His desire to help others seemed to start to come at the expense of the very strength that made him special in the first place.  It became a controlling obsession for him and led to a lot of misery.  Again not to spoil things but the whole One More Day storyline as well as, in a more indirect way, the whole Superior Spider-man storyline were results of Peter not being able to let go of his guilt.  Perhaps the guilt he felt over the Stacy family grew all those years inside of him.  Although it might have at first seemed like he overcame it, perhaps he never did.  After his Uncle Ben, Gwen's father, and then finally Gwen did Peter let the guilt of those storylines consume him in a different way.  Where he became obsessed with fending off death.  Failing to come to terms with the fact that life is a balancing act.  That life and death are in a constant dance with one another.  That we must embrace death as a part of life to truly embrace the joy that this life has to offer us.

Had Peter instead said I have this ability and this power and I will do my best with it but I am human with the free will to make choices and there in also make mistakes.  Just like the people I am trying to help.  If he forgave himself truly and deeply could he have found happiness while helping others.  Would Spider-man not have been a burden but a calling. 

The Death of Gwen Stacy also underscores the characterization of Mary Jane, as well.  A character of true strength.  She was stronger than Peter, strong enough to catch him every time he fell under the weight of the heavy load he carried but with sacrifices to her own happiness.  If Peter had made peace with death and his own mistakes could Mary Jane and him have found happiness.   Would Mary Jane have found the joy in life as well so she could be the wind in Peter's sails as they both made this voyage we all call life.

We all struggle for connections and death seems to be the ultimate obstacle snatching the precious connections we make away from us.  And it certainly is painful.  Change is pain in any form.  But if we can cherish the connections we make and live freer and allow others to live freer; allowing some connections to ebb and flow and change maybe we can rise above the despair and guilt and come to new understandings that open our hearts even more.  If we can forgive ourselves we can forgive others and embrace life more fully.

So in summation The Death of Gwen Stacy is a must read in my humble opinion for any Spider-man fan.  It is essential to understanding the core conflict and ultimate tragedy of the character.  But even if you are not a Spider-man fan it is still a potent and enthralling story of death, tragedy and the emotional aftermath.  And how sometimes just being present can heal.  How we must overcome and let go of pain to open our hearts and reach for joy.

I hope you enjoyed this review.  If you would like to discuss it or the storyline or the character of Spider-man or anything else I am always open.  Love to hear people's thoughts and opinions.  Feel free to leave comments or email me directly at lorax928@gmail.com.  You can also reach out to me on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/people/Matthew-Basile-writer/100016331536155

As the seasons change so does life

As I watch the changing leaves of fall it reminds me that nothing stays the same.  Things change.  Old ways pass to make way for new ways just as old leaves fall to the ground to make way for new leaves.  But the old leaves biodegrade and get used up by the trees again as nutrients as fuel for the trees to continue on.  So as old ways pass I try to remember to be grateful for them, learn from them and use them to propel myself forward.

Part of the changes in the my life is entering the world of indie comics and trying to create my first comic book series called The Way of the Night.  I sometimes feel overwhelmed having to not only write and market it but also pull together the other visual pieces.

I most recently signed on with a letterer after much debate about doing it myself.  In the end I feel it was best to ask for help.  I have had trouble asking for help in the past in my life.  Somewhere along the way I think I started to believe you had to soldier on.  But more and more I seem to be realizing that asking for help is actually a sign of strength.  Knowing yourself enough to know when you can't do it alone and being brave enough to admit it.

This comic book venture is teach me a lot about myself.  It's an all new experience for me just like the new leaves that will be coming in spring.  And just like the leaves falling now I have to let go of some old ways in order to continue forward.

NY Comic Con 2017

A week ago today I was at NY Comic Con 2017.  It didn't disappoint.  As it was last year I found myself on some kind of inexplicable high of creative energy and love of stories.  I haven't been to too many Comic Cons(something I plan on changing) but the ones I have been to have all felt somehow like home to me.  The storytellers, artists and the people inspired by them bring a magic to the air almost that lifts my spirits. 

At NY Comic Con 2017 I met so many wonderful and nice people willing to take time out of their day to talk to someone just starting out on the creative comic book path.  They gave me so many great insights I will forever be grateful to them.  A special thanks to  Zig Zag Claybourne, Cerece Rennie Murphy, Oliver Mertz one of the creators of First Law of Mad Science, and the creators of Kodoja for patiently explaining how to market a creator owned-comic and get it off the ground.  I was very touched by the amount of time and information they gave a novice just starting out.  Hope to pay it forward someday.

So with this information in hand and I am sure more to follow I am setting out on a new journey.  I am going to be bringing The Way of the Night to life and introducing it to story lovers everywhere.  I am going to be taking the journey of an independent comic-book writer and finally bring one of my stories to life and tell it to whoever wants to hear it(or read it in this case).  I hope you join me in this journey!  Would love the company :)  So stay tuned changes are coming!

To Storytellers and NYC Comic Con

NYC Comic Con is this weekend.  It's one of the biggest best known comic book conventions.  Many people I am sure have their opinion of it but I wanted to share mine.

All my life I wanted to tell stories.  I from time to time gave a synopsis to people, usually family members or friends.  Most of the time they said that is a really interesting idea for a story or that is a great idea, something along those lines.  My only experiences actually putting them out there was when I submitted a couple short stories to a high school literary publication(one was awarded second place and the other honorable mention) and when I submitted a couple scripts to a production company.  The feedback on the scripts was that the dialogue was wooden and the characters were flat.  At least that's the only feedback I remember from it.  Between that, my film career not turning out how I had thought and a family tragedy that followed shortly after I stopped writing and gave up the dream of being a story teller.

Then about a year ago a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to accompany her to NYC Comic Con.  I had never been to any comic book convention.  I had read comics(mostly marvel, some DC) since I was 11 years old and bought a spider-man comic I saw in a magazine rack at a supermarket check out line.  But I stopped reading comic books several years ago for various reasons.  But I was still a fan comic books and the superheroes I followed for so long so I decided to join her since I had the day off from work anyway.

When I arrived at Comic Con in NYC I was overcome with this creative energy for lack of a better word to describe it.  Being surrounded by storytellers and the people who were so passionate about those stories had an affect on me that I wasn't fully grasping while it was happening.

We ducked into a panel at one point during the day just to sit down.  We didn't even know what it was about.  It turned out to be about the documentary Batman and Bill which I only saw the first half of but based on that highly recommend to anyone who loves Batman and/or writing.  The documentary described Bill Finger the co-creator of Batman who died penniless, alone, and never having Batman attributed to him aside from the writing credit of one episode of the Adam West Batman TV series.  As I watched the film I saw Bill Finger as a man who loved telling stories and kept creating and telling the Batman story even though he received nothing really from it but meager paychecks.  I saw the people in the crowd during the Q&A so impassioned by this because Batman had such an impact on their life.

When I left Comic Con I realized that you have to just tell the stories inside you.  That they are important.  That a story somehow helps us work through things or inspires us or touches our heart maybe opening a door that was closed even partially.  They help us to know parts of ourselves and our world.  The mythologies and tales told around campfires at the dawn of humanity all the way to the myriad of platforms to tell stories we have today have an impact on people and on our society.  And if you have stories inside you then you need to tell them no matter what fears you may have because the stories and their impact are a gift to the world.  All of them.

I also realized that the comic book platform might be Baby Bear to my Goldilocks so to speak.  Perhaps it is the hybrid between film and books that I need to tell my stories.  So I am giving it a try.  But one way or another I won't stop telling stories again and I will find a way to get them out.  And I am going back to NYC Comic Con and I hope to find the same inspiration and creative energy and love of stories that led me to where I am now.  So good luck to all storytellers out there and to all those who help them tell those stories!  Never stop.

???

So that was the initial story arc I wrote.  Thanks for reading!  Still rough I will definitely admit.  I appreciate those who read it and welcome any feedback.  I have a lot of ideas of where to go with the characters.  Many of which involving ancient monsters, robots, and tornados.  Oh and cat lovers can rest easy there will definitely be a magical cat involved ;)  I just got to write them down whenever I can find the time lol  Let me know what you think?

Oh and I hope to have some updates on my current comic book I am working on entitled The Way of the Night here within the next couple months.

Myths of Humanity - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Present day…

After telling their story to the residents of the compound the strangers bow their heads in silence remembering that day.  The residents of the compound meanwhile look at each other in confusion and bewilderment at their story.  “What was in the portal?”, Ray finally asks.  

“It is a special dimension, a sanctuary for us.  It recharges our powers and heals us”, says Alex.  “But only we can enter it.”

“Isn’t that convenient”, says Tom.

Lakota slowly says, “So your all…?”

“I’m a fairy”, says Lindsey.

“A goddess”, says Megan.  “And not in a metaphorical way.  Apparently my soul originated in the dimension of the gods and goddesses.”

“What about you?”, Tori says to Ashley.

“No clue”, says Ashley.

Alex then adds, “Dixie said whatever Ashley and I are is best discovered over time by us but that we are twin flames so we are two halves of one soul.”

“I thought you and Megan were a couple?”, asks Bridget.

“We are”, says Megan.

“Awkward”, says Ray out of the side of his mouth to Bridget.

Kristen walks up to Alex.  “But I saw a dragon come out of you?”

“Oh yea that’s Thorox”, answers Alex.  “You want to meet him?”  Suddenly the small red dragon appears next to Alex sending gasps through the crowd.  

“Cool!”, exclaims Kristen as she begins to pet Thorox.  “So dragons are real!”

“Yup”, says Alex.  “Ashley controls the elements of air and earth which are obviously always around us.  I control the elements of water and fire.  Our bodies are mostly made of water and their is a lot of water in the air so I can bring water forth pretty easily but fire is a little more challenging so Thorox here assists with his dragon breath.”

“Well I have quite a few questions but I suppose the most necessary one is why did you come to join us?”, says Brendan.  “From what I saw you do a couple days ago I reckon you can take care of yourselves.”

“It’s probably better you get that answer from Dixie directly”, says Megan.

“You want me to speak to a dog?”, Brendan asks in disbelief.

“No stranger than what we have already seen my boy”, says Jim.  

Lindsey chimes in, “As long as you believe you can hear him.”

Brendan looks at Dixie and slowly walks over to him and squats down in front of him.  “Ok Dixie, why did you come to us?  

Brendan’s jaw drops as he hears Dixie say, “It is felt that the best way to help humanity is to find humans to bear witness to the healing.”

Brendan is taken aback by Dixie but presses on.  “What do you mean?”

Dixie continues, “To simply combat the Mologs would only treat the symptoms and stall the inevitable destruction of this planet.”

“Mologs?”, interrupts Ray. 

Brendan looks back at Ray and says, “You can hear him too?  Ray and Bridget both nod.

Dixie answers Ray’s question.  “The race that brought about the zombies as you call them.  They are simply here because it is fertile ground for them.  They will try to keep it that way since that is there role in this universe.  We in turn will try to fight and reverse what has happened but we need good hearted humans to work with us so the old ways of fear can be vanquished for good.”

“And we are the good hearted humans?”, asks Jim.

“But we casted you out?”, says Brendan.

Ashley speaks up, “Others tried to do a lot worse to us than send us on our way with a couple knives and dried fruit.  They ended up being too far gone and not surviving our healing medicine.  Just like your friend Bill.”

Brendan nods and looks off in thought as others gathered begin to whisper.

Dixie continues speaking, “The only way to truly get rid of this infestation and set things right is to have the champions that were incarnated in human form work with human allies.  By doing so the hope is that the bridges which were once lost all those centuries ago will be rebuilt.  But there is always free choice so you can always refuse and we will find others.”

“The Mologs are after us.  As soon as we leave you’ll go back to the zombie encounters you are used to dealing with”, adds Megan.  

“It’s a lot I know.  We don’t have a choice but you do.  There is no shame in walking away believe me.  We would all understand”, says Alex.

Brendan looks deep in thought.  He turns to the others of the compound.  Tori, Tom, Ray, Bridget and Jim nod.  Brendan then stands up and walks over to Ashley.  “I don’t know if I am ready to accept a talking dog let alone fairies, dragons, goddesses and whatever else you got going on here.  But I do know I felt the life return to my body when you touched me.  That will stay with me for the remainder of my days here.  So if you really are here to bring good to this world…well then I and the rest of us here stand by you.”  With that Brendan extends his hand.  Ashley looks down at it and then looks back up at Brendan.  She takes his hand and shakes it as the sun begins to set behind them.

Myths of Humanity- Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Alex pulls his car up to the hospital with Lindsey and Dixie in tow.  Alex turns to Lindsey and asks, “Still couldn’t get through to her phone?” 

Lindsey hands Alex back his phone, “No, sorry.”

Alex sighs, “Ok you two stay here.  Megan may respond to this better if it’s just me and her.”

“Very well but please move quickly.  We will guard the car”, says Dixie.

“Uh…thanks”, says Alex as he gets out.  

“What are you going to say to her?”, asks Lindsey.

“Not sure yet.  I heard it from a talking dog and I am still not sure I believe it.”

Alex walks through the hospital corridors.  Cops and EMTs are everywhere.  People are running back and forth.  Stretchers are being wheeled past in a frenzy.  Alex spies Megan and rushes over to her calling out for her.  Megan turns amid the hysteria and cries, “Honey!  What are you doing here?!  Is everything alright?”

“No, not really I need to talk to you privately.”

“Baby can’t you see I am in a crisis over here!  People need my help!  It will have to wait.”

As Megan turns to go back to what she was doing Alex reaches out and grabs her arm.  “No, it really can’t.”  

Megan sees the seriousness in Alex’s eyes and concedes.  They duck into a janitor closest.  “Ok what is it that is so important?”

“Lindsey came to our apartment with a dog and it teleported and phased through walls and then started talking to me.”

Megan does not look pleased.  “You took me away from saving lives to try out one of your book ideas!  I gotta go.”  Megan starts to leave.

Alex stops her, “I am serious.  It really happened.”

“Then you’re delusional and need to be in one of these beds”, Megan snaps.  She feels Alex’s forehead.  “You don’t feel like you have a fever so hopefully that means your not turning into one of…well…zombies is what everyone is calling them.”

“That’s just it.  They are not zombies.  They are an alien race that feeds off emotions like fear and anger and hate and loneliness.  It’s like food to them.”

“You can’t feed off of emotions.”

“The dog said it’s energy just a different type than what we are used to thinking of as food.  He said they lay their eggs inside of other living organisms who have a lot of those emotions and they hatch and feed off that energy and they literally take control of the person they are inside of and feed until they are mature enough and then they emerge from the person as an adult.”

Megan stares at Alex, “Well aside from the emotions as food part, I have heard of certain insects that can do something like that.  But usually just to other insects or maybe small mammals.”

“He said these are intergalactic insects that can do it to humans.”

“The dog told you this?”, says Megan raising an eyebrow trying to process.

Alex nods, “He says he is an alien too.  Part of a different race though.  He said he was born a dog as part of a rescue mission.  He said humans cut themselves off and left themselves open to an infestation of these creatures.  He is here to help you, me and Lindsey save humanity and this planet and reconnect it to the nexus of life.”

“Ok you almost had me half considering it for a moment till the saving humanity part.  This isn’t one of your book ideas this is real life so start taking it seriously.  Now if you will excuse me I have real people who need my help.”

“He said the only way to truly help them is to come with him.  Otherwise everyone on this planet will be lost.  Please it’s real.”

Megan stares into Alex’s pleading eyes.

Megan and Alex are walking up to the car when Dixie phases through the car door.  Megan stops dead completely in shock.  

Alex says, “See told you.  He can talk to you himself.  You just got to believe.”

Dixie walks up to Megan, “Hello Megan I take it Alex explained the situation to you.”

“How…”, says Megan.

Dixie continues, “I am sure you have many questions but time is of the essence and we still need to pick up the last member of the team so I can answer any of your questions as we drive.”

“Alright let’s go”, says Alex as he gently leads Megan into the car.

“What…where?”, says Megan.

“Uh I guess to Ashley’s office”, says Alex.

“Ashley who?”, says Megan.

“This girl…I mean woman I grew up”, says Alex.

“How do you know where she works?”, asks Megan.

“I ran into her a couple weeks ago and she told me where she worked”, says Alex.

“Are you having an affair with her?”, cries Megan.

“No!”, yells Alex.  “I mean full disclosure I did sleep with her once but that was like almost an entire month before I met you.”

“Oh so you just happened to run into a women you slept with right before dating me and now we suddenly have to find her!”

Dixie chimes in, “There are no coincidences in life.  Ashley and Alex are twin flames.  Two halves of one soul.  They will always find each other when they need to.”

Megan looks between Dixie and Alex in displeasure.  Alex uncomfortably says, “He’s a dog what does he know.”

Alex, Megan, Lindsey and Dixie pull up to an office building and get out of the car.  “Sooooooo”, says Lindsey, “we just walk up to her desk and tell her intergalactic parasites that feed off fear have infested human kind and you need to come with us because a talking dog says so.”

“Sounds about right”, says Alex.  

Megan sighs, “I’ve never met this woman but I don’t see this going well.”

Suddenly the group spot half a dozen zombies running towards their car.  

“Quickly inside”, shouts Dixie.  They all run inside the office building and quickly barricade the door before the zombies can reach them.  But more show up and try to break through the glass.  

“Shit they are swarming!”, says Alex.

“Well according to Dixie, they are apparently insects”, says Megan.

“They will overrun the building soon”, says Dixie, “We must find Ashley and get out of here.”

“Ok ok third floor let’s go”, says Alex looking at the directory and heading off, “Fuck for crying out loud if this was some well orchestrated plan why didn’t you find us sooner?”

“We felt it was best for you to witness this for yourselves in human form”, says Dixie.

“Swell”, says Megan.

The group emerges onto a cubicle farm.  Alex frantically looks around as people are huddled around computers or trying to call people on their phones.  

Someone then cries, “Fuck, the land lines just went dead.”  

Alex turns to who said that and sees Ashley at her desk looking concerned.  “Ashley!”, he cries out and runs over to her with the others following.

“Alex!?!”, says Ashley shocked to see him.  “What the hell are you doing at my office!?”

“It’s a long bizarre story”, says Alex.

“I’m Megan his girlfriend.”

Lindsey shakes Ashley’s hand, “Hi, I’m Lindsey.”

“Uh hi.  Why are you all here?”

“Good question so um….let’s see….”, says Alex. 

“No time we need to get to the roof now!”, interrupts Dixie.

“We need to get to the roof.  Can you take us there?”, Alex says to Ashley.

“Why?”, asks Ashley confused and suspicious.

“Hurry”, says Dixie, “They will overrun the building any minute now.”

Alex suddenly turns to Dixie.  “What?!  Haven’t you ever seen a zombie movie.  You get stranded on roofs!”

“Um why are you talking to a dog?”, Ashley asks.

“Trust me”, says Dixie.

Alex turns back to Ashley.  “Look I know this all seems crazy and I am saying crazy fully aware that a zombie apocalypse is happening right now but it is very important we get to the roof immediately then we can explain.  For old times sake humor me, please.”

The group emerges onto the roof of the building.  “Ok we are on the roof.  Now can I get some answers?”, says Ashley.

Alex barricades the door behind them and turns to Ashley.  “Ok let’s see…how do I begin.” Before anyone can say anything else an explosion is heard.  Everyone runs to the side of the building where it came from and sees the building across the street on fire.  Zombies are climbing the building and pouring in through the windows.  

“Holy shit we are all going to die!”, yells Ashley.  She turns to run back down the stairs but stops frozen in shock and disbelief.  Alex turns around and exclaims, “What the fuck!”  The two other women also turn to see what Ashley and Alex are looking at.  They see Dixie standing beside what looks like a portal with bluish light coming from it.  

“What…what is that thing?”, asks Megan.

“Hurry we all need to get through this portal where we will be safe”, answers Dixie.

“I thought you said we are supposed to help people”, says Megan.

“Who the fuck are you talking to?  What the hell is going on here?”, asks Ashley.

“Well you see apparently this dog is really an alien and these zombies are part of another alien race consuming humanity because we are a lonely fearful people.  But the dog says all of us here are part of some inter-dimensional team assembled to save humanity and now he wants us to go through this portal where we will be safe”, says Alex.

“Are you shitting me!  That’s the craziest thing I have ever heard.  I thought you said you were a reporter, not a science fiction writer”, exclaims Ashley.

“It’s all true”, Lindsey says.  Just then a crash is heard and the building shakes.  They all run over to the edge again and see a car crashed into their office building now.  Zombies are crawling through the hole it made.  

“Fuck!”, yells Ashley.  She then turns to Alex.  “So your telling me I either get torn to shreds by these zombies or walk through some inter-dimensional portal with you three and a talking dog from outer space.”

“Something like that”, Alex says.  

Ashley sighs, “I can’t believe I am about to say this but mystery portal beats being eaten alive.”  She then turns and walks up to the portal.  She looks at Dixie and then takes a deep breath and goes through the portal.

“But what about all these people dying?!  What about our friends and families?!”, exclaims Megan starting to tear up.

“I am sorry but there is nothing you can do for them right now.  You have to see the bigger picture.  This has to happen so things can heal”, says Dixie.

“But..”, says Megan as Alex puts his arms around her to try and console her.

Dixie continues, “You have to be strong enough so you can make the right differences and the only way to do that is to go through this portal with me.  Otherwise you will be swallowed up in what is coming and won’t be able to help anyone.”

Lindsey looks down at the chaos below them.  She wipes the tears from her eyes and walks through the portal.  

“He right”, says Alex.  “It’s a war zone down there.  It’s not turning your back if we are in a better position to help by doing this.”

“But what about everyone we care about?  There must be something we can do”, says Megan.

“If he’s right there is but we gotta trust him.  Otherwise we will die on this roof and not be a help to anyone”, says Alex.

“You have to let go and allow change to happen”, says Dixie.

Megan looks Alex in the eyes and nods her head.  She pulls away from his embrace and grabs his hand tightly.  Together the two of them walk through the portal.  Dixie then jumps in after them and the portal closes behind him.  Seconds after the portal closes a jet plane crashes to the ground a few yards away.

Myths of Humanity- Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The next morning she wonders if it was a dream but later that evening when she is at work and sees Dixie he asks her, “How are you doing?”

‘So it wasn’t a dream’, she thinks.  “Well it’s a good thing I live alone otherwise someone would have taken me to the ER the way I looked last night.  It took music and alcohol to go to sleep”, she whispers so her co-workers don’t hear her.

“You don’t have to speak the words you can just think them but we can practice that at a future time.  It is understandable after last night to be disoriented and shaken but it’s all going to be ok trust me.”

“You keep saying that but I am scared.”

“We will make things right.”

Lindsey shakes her head, “I don’t have a clue what you are talking about but I guess after what I saw and heard last night I have no choice but to trust you.”

Over the next couple days Lindsey is distracted.  Her mind reeling as it tries to process everything Dixie said to her.  Every time she sees Dixie over the next week he tries saying calming and encouraging things but she feels so alone and in despair.  How could she possible explain this to anyone.  It is eating her up.  

One day while she is working she notices a bunch of her co-workers clustered around the computer and intensely looking back and forth between the monitor and their phones.  She is so curious about the odd behavior it forces all her thoughts about Dixie out of her head.  She walks over to inquire about what is going on when she sees the words ‘President expected to declare national emergency’ on the screen.  “What’s going on?”, asks Lindsey alarmed.

“I don’t know what the fuck it is”, says one of her co-workers concerned.

Another says, “All those rumors and stories of zombie attacks can’t be true!”

“God you don’t think this is really a zombie apocalypse do you?”, says still another.

“My friend just said they have video of people climbing up the white house and not dying when they shoot them”, says the one co-worker.

“Shit at least your getting messages.  My phone is jammed”, says one of the co-workers.

“Mine too”, says another.

Lindsey runs to her purse and checks her phone.  Voicemails and text messages are exploding on it.  She tries listening and reading some.  They all seem to be about chaos and zombie attacks.  ‘How could a real life zombie apocalypse really be happening’, races through her mind.  Suddenly she remembers Dixie and what he told her.  “It can’t be”, she mutters out loud.  She runs to his cage and blurts out, “Dixie there are zombies overrunning the country.”

Dixie barks and then says, “This is the event.  We need to get to your car and find the others immediately.”

“What others?”

Dixie teleports out of his cage and starts heading for the door, “The three others who volunteered for the mission.  Hurry there isn’t much time if they have made themselves known!”

“But what about the animals and people here isn’t there something we can do to help them.  And what about my family and friends.  I mean you’re an alien and I am a fairy right?”

Dixie walks over and licks Lindsey’s hand, “I know it is in your nature to help others but the only way to truly help them is to find the other three.”

Lindsey thinks for a moment and then says, “Ok.”  She opens the door and her and Dixie begin to head out of the building.  

A co-worker sees them and says, “Where are you going?”

“I am taking Dixie home with me”, says Lindsey not sure what else to say.

“That’s a good idea”, chimes in another co-worker.  “We should all take an animal home with us until this blows over.”

Still another co-worker looking at her phone says, “It might not blow over.  My husband got a text through.  It’s happening in Europe too look at this video.”  All the co-workers huddle around the phone to look at the video.  While they are glued to the video Lindsey and Dixie quietly exit the building.  

Once in the car Lindsey asks, “So how do we find the other three?”

“Two of them are your neighbors Alex and Megan.  One of them at least should hopefully be home if all is going according to plan.  Let’s try there first.”

“Whoa”, says Lindsey, “How do you know who they are?”

“The same way I knew who you were.  I was told.  This was all arranged beforehand and is being monitored.  I’ll explain later just trust me and drive quickly, please.”  Lindsey bites her lip and speeds off unsure what she is doing.

As she is driving she sees people all around her running and driving in a panic.  Everyone is going crazy being chased by others who seem inhuman.  Some people are aggressively fighting or trying to hit the zombies with their cars.  It doesn’t seem to be doing much good since the zombies seem to just shake it off and keep coming.  Lindsey screams as a man tries to break into her car.  Dixie says, “Go!  Now!  Ignore traffic laws!”  Lindsey speeds away from the man and blows through an intersection narrowly missing other cars and getting scraped.  In front of her she sees several zombies running towards her.  They look ravenous and have wild looking eyes.  

“I can’t avoid them”, cries Lindsey.  

“Then just hit them.  It’s ok”, says Dixie.  “Forget everything you think you see and have faith in me when I tell you that the one true way to help these people is to get to the others.”

Lindsey closes her eyes and steps on the gas as the car runs over the zombies.  Blood is on the car from the zombies and when Lindsey open’s her eyes and sees it she screams and then begins to cry.  “It’s ok”, says Dixie trying to soothe her.  “You are doing great.”

Alex is eating Chinese food watching the news in his apartment when he hears a knock on the door.  He leaves the TV and walks to the door and looks through the peephole and sees Lindsey and Dixie standing at the door.  Alex undoes the lock and let’s them in.  “Lindsey what are you doing here?  What’s wrong?  Nice dog I thought they didn’t allow pets here though.”  Lindsey bursts into tears.  Alex tries awkwardly consoling her.  “Oh I’m sorry.  Look it’s going to all be ok.  I’ve seen a lot of fucked up things but it always seems worse at first and then people figure things out and it gets better.”  Lindsey continues crying.  “My bosses are going to call any minute to tell me where they want me to go to cover it but did you want me to make some tea?”  Lindsey nods her head.  “Ok.”  Alex heads to the kitchen to start the tea.  “I don’t know where this sprang up from.  It was just internet rumors and then all of sudden this.  I was sitting here blogging and working on this piece about the refugee crisis for my meeting with my editor this afternoon when Megan called me, Ow!”  Alex turns downward and sees Dixie who had nipped him on the leg.  “I think your dog needs training.  It’s ok though don’t worry about it he didn’t break skin”, says Alex examining his leg.  Alex then kneels down to let Dixie sniff him and try petting him.  “What’s the matter buddy?  You want some tea too or are you just scared with everything going on?”  Dixie then turns and walks right through the wall in the kitchen.  Alex cries out in shock and falls against the wall as he springs back in surprise.  “What the fuck!”  Dixie then suddenly appears right next to Alex.  Alex screams and runs out of the kitchen, “Holy shit!  It’s a ghost dog!”

“Alien actually”, Lindsey manages to force out between sobs.  

“What!?!”

Lindsey tries to compose herself, “That’s what I came here to tell you he was a boarder at work and he did that to me and then he told me he is an alien and we are part of some important mission.”

“He spoke to you?!”

Lindsey nods, “He says he can speak to you too you just have to believe it.”

“I’m dreaming right.  This is all a bad dream, that makes sense.  Oh wait or maybe those Chinese leftovers went bad.”  Alex thinks for a moment, “No I’m going with the bad dream.”  Suddenly Dixie teleports on top of the table before their eyes and barks.  Alex screams again.  Then he slowly approaches Dixie touching him.

“I thought it was a dream too but it’s not.  I have been living this for the last week almost”, says Lindsey.  Dixie licks Alex’s face.  “He says he has the answers for why you always felt different.”

Alex freezes and after a long moment quietly says, “I never told anyone that.  Not even Megan.”

Suddenly Alex hears in his head a male voice say, “But she always knew didn’t she?  Her and the other one that is.”  Alex’s eyes grow wide. “Can you hear me now?”, says Dixie.

“A …a talking dog”, stutters Alex.

“Good.  Now let’s hurry we have to get the other two”, says Dixie.

“What…what other two”, stammers Alex.

“Your girlfriend Megan and your twin flame Ashley”, answers Dixie.

“Ashley…Ashley who?  I know a few Ashley’s”, says Alex.

Dixie hops down off the table and heads towards the door, “You know which one I am talking about and you know where to find them both don’t you?”, says Dixie.

“How did you…?”, says Alex.

Dixie answers, “I’ll explain in the car let’s go.”

Alex looks at Lindsey who shrugs her shoulders and wipes her eyes.

Myths of Humanity- Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A couple days later Brendan and the others have fixed up most of the compound.  Brendan and Tori are chopping and cutting some wood as Ray and Bridget unload it from the truck.  They have gone through a lot of wood with the repairs and need to replenish their stock.  No one in the compound had outright talked about what happened.  Perhaps they were afraid that if they did then what they had seen would be confirmed real.  Everyone seemed to want to believe it was a collective hallucination.  Brendan knew different though.  He felt the pain from those creatures.  He felt his body come back to life.  He will never forget either for as long as he lives.  

Then without warning, almost to prove the collective hallucination theory wrong, the portal of blue light that the strangers disappeared into reappears right where it had disappeared that bizarre morning.  Out of the portal steps Alex, Ashley, Lindsey and Megan followed last by Dixie.  The portal closes again behind Dixie.  Word spreads quickly throughout the compound that the strangers are back.  Soon the whole compound has come running over to see the four mysterious strangers who had performed astonishing acts.  

Brendan walks up to them without hesitation and with a somber expression on his face, “Welcome back.”

“How is everyone doing here?”, asks Alex.

Brendan responds flatly, “Physically fine, repaired most of the damage.  But mentally well that’s another story.  We all have come to accept zombies really existing but what we all saw that morning…well that was something else entirely.  Now you promised us an explanation.”

“And we will give you one”, says Alex, “but I warn you it may bring up more questions then it answers.  Either way it will turn your world upside down.”

“It already has”, Brendan retorts back.

“Well brace yourself for more then.  Sorry in advance”, says Alex.

Megan touches Alex’s arm, “Why don’t you take it easy honey and go slowly from the top.”

Alex nods, “Yea that’s probably best but I guess that means Lindsey should start off.”

They all turn to Lindsey who says, “Oh boy.  I guess you’re right.  But…um…I don’t know how to start.  I mean I haven’t explained this to this big of a group.”  

“It might do you good.  Help you process it”, says Megan to Lindsey.

Lindsey takes a deep breath, “Ok well here goes nothing I suppose.  I was a vet tech before the…well…you know zombies.  So I was working our kennels one day and the hospital was closed and we didn’t have that many animals boarding with us so it was just me there as the only…well human worker.  Anyway I was doing some cleaning when I walked by our dog runs…..

Almost a year ago…   

Lindsey is walking down a hallway at a vet clinic when she suddenly stops in her tracks.  She looks through the window of a door and sees Dixie laying on the floor outside the cages.  “Oh Dixie, you bad boy.  Did I forget to lock the door to your run”, says Lindsey to herself.  She smiles and shakes her head and goes into the runs.  She puts a lead on Dixie and gently leads him back to his run but her eyes go wide and her jaw drops when she sees that the door to his run is securely locked.  She examines the lock and sees it is in fact secure.  She drops the lead and walks into the run examining it but sees no way for a dog the size of Dixie to get out.  “Did I put you in a different run?”, she mutters to herself as she walks up and down the hallway of runs examining them but all the cages are secure.  Lindsey turns to Dixie who stares back at her calmly.  “What are you?”, she again says to herself out loud.  

Dixie then casually trots over to the door leading out to the hallway and gives a little bark.  He then passes right through the door.  Lindsey screams and jumps back.  “You’re a ghost dog!”, she screams.  Dixie then passes back through the door again.  

Lindsey stares at Dixie in disbelief and then she hears a voice that seems to be coming from Dixie himself that says, “No, I am not.  Please come with me.  It is important.”  Dixie then turns and passes through the door once more.

“Did…did you just speak to me?”, Lindsey says.  

She hears the voice once more, “Yes.  I will explain but please it will be easier out here trust me.”  Lindsey grips the cage doors as she walks herself on her wobbly jelly like legs down the runs and out into the hallway.  Dixie is standing there calmly waiting.  The voice comes again, “Thank you.  I take it you can understand me now.”

Lindsey slowly lowers herself and sits on the floor, “That’s…that’s you talking?”

“Yes”, says Dixie.  “I apologize I had to reveal myself like this to you but my more subtle attempts were going unheeded and we are running out of time.”

“What are you?  Why can I hear you?”

“I am a dog.  But my spirit did not originate on this planet.  I am really one of the members of the high council of a distant planet called Chironusope.  I was incarnated in this body as a dog here on the planet you call Earth as part of a special mission.”

“You’re an…alien?!”, stammers Lindsey.

“Yes.  You may still call me Dixie which is my dog name here on Earth.  As for how you can hear me well anyone can hear me if they are open to it.  However that being said it was decided because of who you really are that you out of all the human carnets would be best for me to make contact with first.  You did agree to it when you were in your true form.”

“My true form?”

“I apologize for my bluntness but as I said we are running short on time so I will just come right out and say it.  You are in fact a fairy incarnated in human form.”

“What!?!”, cries Lindsey.

“When you were a child didn’t you here the animals and the plants talking?”

“But that was just because I had an overactive imagination and was lonely being an only child.”

“No.  That is what humanity and their culture told you but it was not true.  In reality you are a fairy and a powerful one at that.  You like me volunteered to incarnate in the form you are currently in as part of a special mission to save this planet and heal humanity.”

Lindsey’s head is spinning as she says, “What are you talking about!?”

“I know you grew up as human so the myths of humanity made you forget your true identity.  That is why I incarnated in the form of a dog so I would be immune to the falsities humans tell themselves.  It was always known that I would have to make the rest of you remember.”

Lindsey says, “Wait you said ‘rest of you.’  Does that mean there are other fairies like me here?”

“No.  You were the only volunteer selected from your realm.  We felt less was more in this situation.”

“For what?  The mission?  I can’t believe this.”

“Allow me to try to explain.  Despite what you have been taught humans are far from alone in this universe.  Quite the opposite actually.  The universe is teeming with life.  There are a plethora of other inhabited planets in this realm or what you might call dimension as well as many other dimensions that are all connected and intersecting.  All of this forms a sort of nexus.”

“I don’t understand”, says Lindsey trying to comprehend.

“Are you familiar with how the human brain works?”

“Yea somewhat.”

“The human brain is made up of billions of neurons that transmit energy and signals to one another thus making up an individual’s complex mind”, explains Dixie.

“Ok I know that.  That’s actually the first thing you have said I fully understand.”

“Well it’s the same concept with the whole of creation.  All the dimensions, all the planets, all the life forms are connected to each other to make up what you would know as the universe.”

“Wow”, says Lindsey.  She pauses to think it over and then says, “Actually somehow that makes sense to me.  I mean I always hoped we weren’t alone in the universe.  And I always felt life was connected in a deeply profound way.”

“Yes that is because deep down inside you still retain your memories of your fairy life.  A soul is a soul regardless of form.”

“But if the universe is so teeming with life and connected, why don’t we know about it?”, asks Lindsey.

“Humanity did know about it a long time ago.  Your ancient stories and myths have many beings from these other worlds in them.  They are called by various names through various cultures.”

“So all those legendary mythical creatures really existed?”

“Yes and still do exist.  But you see humanity was intimidated and scared by them.  They fought wars over them or blamed them for any ill fortune.  To be fair not all beings from other planets and dimensions were always the nicest or gentlest with the humans.  So over time humans became very fearful of these other beings and the fear turned to distrust and even hate.  Humans turned their backs on the others.  Overtime all the other worlds and dimensions withdrew from this planet.”

“So why are you here and why then am I here?”, asks Lindsey.

“Every action has repercussions.  By isolating themselves and this planet humanity left themselves vulnerable.  Which has made what is about to happen inevitable I am sorry to say.”

Lindsey’s eyes grow wide.  “Wait, what is about to happen?”

“It is best you not know ahead of time.  Just remember it was inevitable and that is why you and I are here.  To help it come to a good outcome eventually and set things right.”

“You are scaring me!  Please tell me?”

Dixie shakes his head, “You will know it when it happens.  And when it does you must come to me so I may guide you.”

“How do I find you?  I mean I can look up your house address on my GPS but what if your not home when this thing is supposed to happen?  I mean your only here for 11 more days.”

Dixie bows his head, “Lindsey, please trust me.  I know it’s a lot but everything will be ok.  Just go about your normal affairs and you will know without any doubt where and when to find me.”

With that Dixie is gone.  Lindsey looks around but doesn’t see him anywhere.  She wonders if she imagined everything like an hallucination.  She walks over to Dixie’s cage and sees him lying on the floor.  Lindsey stares at him wondering if she really had the conversation with him she just did.  Almost to answer her doubts Dixie voice is heard in her head again, “I can teleport and phase through solid objects.  Those along with telepathy are my gifts due to my true form.  You have gifts too but we will save that for another day.”  Lindsey nods in silence and walks away.  

Lindsey sits down for a long time trying to process what just happened.  Eventually she snaps out of it enough to finish taking care of the other animals.  She feels foolish giving Dixie his food and walking him outside on a leash but he says nothing to her but ‘Thank you’.  After she finishes she goes straight home.  She is not usually a drinker but she finds a bottle of wine in her tiny one bedroom apartment and starts drinking it.  She puts on the radio.  The music and alcohol eventually calm her enough to fall asleep.