Friday Night Frights 10

                                                                          Chapter 10

   The hot water beat down on Heather's back. Last night was incredible. Dinner was delicious. The conversation was flowing. Billie was hers. 

   She turned the tap off and wrapped herself in a large white towel. In the bedroom, she dropped the towel and walked closer to Billie's figure. 

   "Are you comfortable?"

   "Untie me right now!"

   "No."

   She gagged him with one of his socks. From her wardrobe, she dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt. Her bare feet slapped against the wooden floorboards. Grabbing a pair of scissors, she approached him with glee. 

   He muffled through his gag while trying to break off the chain between the leather cuffs. 

   She pulled out the gag.

   "Any last words?"

   "You're dead!"

   "I doubt it."

   His phone rang from the inside of his pocket trousers, which were lying on the bedroom floor. Heather dropped the sock and answered the phone.

   "Hello?"

   "Where's Billie?"

   "And you are?"

   "Marc. Put him on the phone Heather."

   "How do you know who I am?"

   "He texted me last night to make sure that he's OK."

   "Not anymore..." 

4 Podcasts I'm Loving Right Now

Hi! Here are the 4 podcasts that I'm loving right now. I hope you love them too. If you are already listening to them, please let me know of other podcasts you think I might enjoy.

1. My Favourite Murder
Karen and Georgia are the hosts of this popular true crime podcast. They are funny, respectful when it comes to the victims and I can't stop listening to them. I don't know if they're best friends, but they sound like it. It's a weekly podcast and you can read the show notes, as well as the sources of the crime stories on their beautiful website.
Here is a link to the website:
https://myfavoritemurder.com/222-that-s-how-water-works/
You can listen to My Favourite Murder on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and Player FM.

2. The Double Cleanse
I started listening to this podcast after watching way too many videos of James and Robert Welsh. James Welsh does skincare on YouTube and Robert Welsh does makeup on YouTube. Robert does Ghost Stories and Make Up on Mondays. I love watching him do his make up while telling us about ghost stories.They are twin brothers that are adorable and I love their content. You will love them too. The episodes are released on a weekly basis. They make me laugh so much. Here's a link to their podcast:
https://podtail.com/en/podcast/the-double-cleanse-podcast/
You can find them on iTunes, Podtail, Podbean, Spotify and Player FM.

3. The Micah Hanks Program
This program is a weekly podcast hosted by Micah Hanks. He discusses with his guests subjects like UFOs, ancient mysteries, cryptozoology, science fiction and much more. There's so much to ponder about on each episode that it's hard to stop listening to it. Whether you believe in aliens or big foot, this is a podcast I keep going back to.
Here's a link to his podcast:
https://micahhanks.com/podcast/
You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Podbean, Stitcher and Tune In.

4. The Big Séance
This podcast is bi-monthly and hosted by the wonderful Patrick Keller. He has some interesting guests that talk about the paranormal, mediums, ghost stories and hauntings. There are many more topics he discusses that fascinate me. He has a funny laugh. The podcast is atmospheric and will pull you in immediately.
Here's a link to the podcast:
http://bigseancepodcast.com/
You can listen to it on Stitcher, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

Unorthodox

Deborah Feldman's Unorthodox is an honest journey of a little girl trying to fit in a Hasidic community with all its rules and laws. As she grew up, and got married, she continued to question herself on her life and where it's taking her. 

With a young son, she took a poetry class at a college that accepted her in their adult learning program. She met new and interesting people that opened her eyes to a different world with all the freedoms she could ever want. I won't spoil it for you. She has had an interesting life that only a few people know of the ins and outs of the Hasidic community. 

I've related to her so much. I came from a Muslim background with its own rules and restrictions. I too craved that freedom that she talked about in the book. The freedom to choose my own husband, my own career, my own wardrobe and to wear it in public. To go out anytime I want. 

I think we would have been friends, hiding books under our beds and dreaming of an authentic life.

Friday Night Frights 9

Chapter 9

   

   The left tap sputtered and trickled small drops of water into the sink. Bracing himself for the cold water, Billie turned the cold tap clockwise. He rinsed the soap off his hands and dried them on his jeans. Looking up, he opened the medicine cabinet. There was a basic first aid kit, paracetamol, cold medicine, a small box of tampons, anti-septic cream, a bottle of Listerine and a box of plastic gloves. He closed it and walked out of the bathroom.

   
   In the kitchen, Heather was boiling spaghetti and frying veggies with minced meat. A bottle of Chianti was opened an hour earlier and was chilling in the fridge. Billie wrapped his arms around her and kissed the nape of her neck.

   
   “Mmm, you smell so good.”

   
   “I always smell so good.”

   
   He smiled and opened the fridge door. She removed the spaghetti and frying pan off the heat.

   
   “Dinner is ready.”

   
   “I’m ravished.”

   
   She forked out a small amount of spaghetti and spread minced meat and veg on top. Billie poured the wine and they ate on her bedroom balcony. The only room in the flat with a view. When they were done eating, she placed the plates in the sink. Billie searched her bedroom for clues of anything strange or suspicious, but found nothing. He did notice something unusual compared to a normal lived in home. It was super clean. All the surfaces gleamed and shined. There wasn’t a speck of dust. When he heard her footsteps, he turned around and found her in a blue lace lingerie set.

   
   “You’re so sexy, Heather.”

  
    She moved closer to him and started unbuttoning his shirt.

  
    “You thrill me, Billie. Stay tonight, and you won’t regret it.”

   
   “I’m right here.”

   
   He kissed her deeply. Her fingers dung painfully into his crouch. He liked it. With one hand, he unhooked her bra. He was in deep. That night, he lost himself completely in her.

Toxic Positivity

Feeling good, positive and having good vibes is perfectly fine. What does toxic positivity have to do with seeing a glass as half full?

What does toxic positivity actually mean? 

From the Urban Dictionary, toxic positivity is the belief that, "if you just stay positive, you will overcome any obstacle," to such a degree that you invalidate natural emotional responses and the person having those feelings.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Toxic%20Positivity
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Toxic%20Positivity

I've had my dose of toxic positivity in my almost 39 years of life. At home it was, "just smile everything is going to be OK," at school it was, "you have nothing to be sad about, you have everything you need," at uni it was, "just have fun you're young," at work it was, "you have nothing to complain about, be happy, at least this that or other." 

None of the above made me feel better, grieve faster, heal quicker  or feel better about my life while drowning myself in gratitude.

Acknowledging my feelings, sitting with them and being OK with not being OK made me feel a lot better. I know I'm not the only one who has experienced toxic positivity, whether it was with good intentions or maliciously. 

I'm sure you've experienced this during lockdown. Please don't invalidate what you're going through just because you're doing your bit by being at home.

The sticky sweet even sickly positivity can on the surface seem harmless, but once you're flailing on the fly trap, unable to move due to pushing down all your feelings, all the time and wondering why filling yourself with, "good vibes only", didn't work, you succumb to depression or what you were going through. 

Looking after your mental health is really important. Whether you spend a day filled with self-care or self-love or sit with yourself for a few minutes everyday, your emotions are valid. You are valid. You are worth it. All your emotions are valid.

I'm not an expert on mental health. I hope you're well and are staying safe.

Wonder Woman XXX 💜