Haunted Airbnb Chicago

I am at the point in my life where I no longer want to be disturbed. Peace and quiet are more valuable than gold to me. If you don’t believe me, send a million dollars in gold and be amazed as I return it to you for some peace and quiet. I dare you to send me a million dollars worth of gold. In fact, I double dare you.

Recently, I decided to visit the Midwest. The trip was actually to Milwaukee, but I chose to go to Chicago and stay there as my home base. The main reason for the trip was to watch the Celtics play against the Milwaukee Bucks. I know the game didn’t mean much to the Celtics so I didn’t care if they won or loss; I just wanted to get away and have a new experience.

In the past, I would have reached out to others and planned a trip with friends, but I have come to the understanding that life is a lot more enjoyable and a lot simpler if one moves by themselves. I like to exist freely and go with the flow rather than worry about coming to some compromise with others. If that sounds selfish to you, you may be an idiot.

The plan was to fly to Chicago, explore the city, and drive to Milwaukee to watch the NBA game. I don’t move like most people. I was sitting at home on Tuesday, April 2nd, and while looking at the Celtic’s schedule I noticed they only had one road game remaining and it was against the Bucks. On Friday, I decided I wanted to make the trip to see the game. I do not like to fly somewhere and fly right back without at least staying a few days. I looked up some places to stay in both Chicago and Milwaukee. I settled on Chicago and booked a home in the City. I didn’t want to stay in a hotel, or an apartment building because I value my peace and Quiet, and some people are inconsiderate. I found a lovely single family home, located in a quiet neighborhood and booked a stay from Sunday to Friday. I don’t want to give out too much information on the location of the home because my intent is not to create any negative publicity which may disrupt the owners business. (For a small fee, I can share the address.)

I booked a rental, booked the flight and purchased a single ticket to the game. On Sunday morning, I flew to Chicago and landed at O’hare International Airport located in the windy City. (No bullshit…I didn’t feel a single gust of wind during my stay in Chicago! Where has their wind gone?) I took an Uber to the rental spot and arrived a few minutes before noon. A white 5 Series BMW was waiting for me. I grew up a BMW fan and I enjoy renting them, but I am not sure if I would want to live with one permanently. (If you work for BMW and would be interested in giving me a long-term loaner to try and persuade me to switch to your brand, I am too down!) The original booking for the Airbnb was scheduled for 4pm check-in, so I had a few hours of down time. I drove to the White Sox stadium and it looked pretty cool. I then went to Target to grab a couple items that I didn’t feel like packing. $99 later I returned to the car. (I don’t believe in the devil, but he owns target.)

I reached out to the owner of the home and asked if it was ok for me to check-in earlier. He agreed to allow me access at 3pm. I arrived at the house and missed the first half of the women’s college basketball national championship game. It was cool to watch Dawn Staley lead South Carolina to another title win, but I also enjoyed how Iowa fought until the end and remained competitive.

The home is a multi-level structure. The first floor consists of a foyer. (Yeah, I watch House Hunters!) The first area is a living room with a television and two couches. Through an open entrance there is a hallway. A window is on the right, and there is a small room to the left. As Beyoncé would do, I went to the left. I entered the small room, which has a bed and a closet. The closet has some empty hangers, a large floor length mirror, and some extra pillows and linens. The next room is about the same size, also with a bed and small closet. Inside there is an air conditioner unit and some empty hangers. Across the hall from the 2nd bedroom is a bathroom. It’s a decent size with a toilet, sink, and bathtub. There are extra rolls of toilet paper on a shelf and some extra towels inside of an antique looking tin bucket. A few steps down the hall leads to a kitchen and dining room combo. The kitchen is fairly modern and the dining table has four sets of plates well organized for a lavish dinner. The appliances are stainless and the cabinets are filled with various foods and kitchen necessities. I had more than I needed and I was pleased with the choice of accommodation that I chose. There is also a butler’s closet near the table. (I don’t know if that is what the closet is called…I don’t be paying attention to House Hunters like that.) Next to the closet is a set of sliding doors, which lead to a rear deck with some seats. There are a set of stairs that lead to the backdoor and basement. Down six stairs and there is a landing. To the right is the backdoor with the basement to the left. I stepped outside and walked down a paved path alongside the grass-filled backyard. At the end of the property, there is a garage which is where I parked. The garage is located in an alley towards the rear of the property.

I then returned to the home and walked down the flight of stairs leading to the basement. It was semi-finished with a washer and dryer in one corner. The main space was fairly large and empty. I walked to the other end of the room and found an open doorway. I walked into the room and was surprised to find a chair with a small doll sitting in it. The first thought that came to my mind was, why the hell would someone leave that there? I was not amused. (I think we all saw enough horror films to know that leaving a doll on a chair in an empty basement for an unsuspecting kind-hearted individual to stumble upon is cruel and unusual.) I made the executive decision that the basement was not going to be an area that I would spend any significant amount of time.

Up the basement stairs and back to the main hallway. I walked up to the 2nd level via the large stairway and found myself inside a spacious room. There are two beds inside with several windows. There is a door leading to a bathroom, and a two-door closet with empty hangers and some extra pillows and linens. The bathroom is similar to the one on the first level with the same extras. At the far end of the room is a door. I opened it and found a small utility area. It is filled with several air-mattresses and a couple air pumps. There are more extra pillows and linens. I also found an ironing board and an iron. (This may not mean much to some of you wrinkled head asses, but I enjoy freshly ironed clothing!) The room will serve as a great extra space if a large group wants to rent the house, but was a bit much for my needs. I returned to the first level and chose the 2nd bedroom as mine for the duration of my stay. That ends the tour of the home.

*** One very important piece of information is the fact that my current apartment has something that will play a significant roll in scaring the bejesus out of me. There is something in the kitchen that is baffling to my cousin and I. One random February night, we started hearing a sound. It is a robotic sounding woman’s voice and she says, “low battery.” I had no idea what it was and assumed my cousin bought something new. A few days after hearing the frequent announcements, he asked me about the voice and I explained that it didn’t have anything to do with me. We have determined that it’s either a thermostat, or a fire detector. We haven’t looked into it because it’s a minor inconvenience that has become part of our living experience. ***

Back to our original program. I left the home and found a local sushi place where I ordered some food and drinks. I returned to the house and ate my meal while watching some television. I over did it with the sushi and managed to finish half of the food. I placed the leftovers in the refrigerator and prepared to leave once again. I drove to downtown Chicago and did some exploring. After a few hours in the windless city, I drove back to the house. I was exhausted because my flight from Boston departed at 7:57am, so my day started a little before 6am. The neighborhood is great…there was the perfect amount of peace and quiet that I required. The first night was uneventful. I fell asleep and woke up Monday morning feeling completely refreshed. I went back and forth with several options on the Airbnb app and was extremely pleased with my choice.

I am a car enthusiast and my first choice was to take a drive, north of the city, to a small town named Volo. There is a great car museum/dealership with an accompanying antiques mall. I am not 75 years old. I reiterate, I am not 75 years old. I swear, I am pretty sure I am not 75 years old. THERE IS NO FUCKING WAY IN HELL THAT I AM 75 YEARS OLD! I am not going to describe the museum. For those who are interested, use your googles and you can find all the information that you desire. I did have a hot dog, which is one of my favorite foods. (I don’t care if the under-intelligent generation call them glizzies.) My favorite car at the museum is a blue Chevy Corvette C6 Z06. It do get crazy when I go to the museum and see a C6 Z06…do your homework on American muscle cars. There were also some great classic 60’s and 70’s cars. I also had the pleasure of seeing 3 Duesenbergs, which made the entire trip worth every penny. There is also a rare Packard which was once shipped to England to have a special coach built. The museum was a great choice and I enjoyed viewing all of the exhibits. I returned to Chicago, and continued to explore the city. That evening, I ordered some more sushi and made my way back to the house.

I watched the men’s national championship game, which UConn won. Sorry for the spoiler for anyone who taped it and planned on watching it at a later date. I watched some YouTube videos then went to bed around 2am. The 2nd night was not as smooth as the first. Nothing too crazy happened, but I was annoyed by people who were hanging outside of the home, speaking loudly and being disruptive. It wasn’t a big deal, but my peace and quiet regulations require absolute silence and these people were in clear violation of the by-laws which they never agreed to.

Tuesday started pretty late; I woke up around eleven. I went out to get some drinks to go with my leftover sushi from Monday night’s overindulgence. I enjoyed the meal, watched some more YouTube videos, then prepared to make the drive to Milwaukee. I prefer to avoid highways during trips, because I like to see what the locals are up to. (I used the term “highway,” which was a topic of discussion while living in Los Angeles. The Angelinos prefer to use the word “freeway,” even though their state police are called the California Highway Patrol. Stop it! No they are not dumb. Stop it!) On the way to Milwaukee, I popped into the Circa Sportsbook near the Illinois-Wisconsin border and placed some bets. I lost my NBA parlay, but was more excited about Tiger Woods winning the Masters. I will win $3500, which was looking real good after the first two days, but on Saturday Tiger decided not to be my friend and he shot a million over par. Barring a miracle on Sunday, I will not be returning to Illinois, next week, to claim my money. I ended up being bored and picking the Celtics to win it all. I only bet $20, but the prize is only $10. I can tell you right now, I will not be flying to Illinois to claim my $30. If anyone wants to make some easy money, the bet slip is yours. (Just DM your mom…she’ll know how to reach me!)

I continued on to Milwaukee, which is one of the biggest and most luxurious cities on the planet. Ferrari police cars and Lamborghini taxis. I continued on to Milwaukee, a small midwestern city which is more to my liking than dealing with the traffic filled streets and hustle-and-bustle of a large city. (What? The bible can start with two different origin stories, but you have a problem with me beginning my paragraph with two different versions of the same city? Crazy!) I drove around exploring. The Brewers stadium looked pretty cool and I stopped at a target to relieve myself of the journey’s several beverages. They say you shouldn’t drink and drive, but it was a long journey and I like Monster energy drinks. Sorry…I am going to drink and drive. I found a parking garage near the venue, which turned out to be a gem. The lots around the arena were charging an extortionate $45, which I had no choice but to accept. I was heading towards the main lot and mistakenly pulled into the garage for the Marcus Performing Arts Center. Turns out the facility only charges $21. It was only 10% filled and I was worried that maybe I would get towed, but I guess it’s just a secret that most people don’t know about. If you ever attend a Buck’s home game…you’re welcome.

We don’t need to talk about the results of the game. The Celtics got their asses kicked. That was fun…listening to a bunch or Milwaukee morons chanting “Celtics suck.” I am not claiming that the fine citizens of Milwaukee are morons. I am stating that anyone who was at Fiserv Forum chanting about how much they believed the Celtics suck, are indeed morons. Anyway, I sat next a guy from Philadelphia and his friend from Dallas. Don’t ever worry about attending events by yourself. If you are not a weirdo, you’ll be fine. I excused myself a couple minutes before the final buzzer in order to beat the crowd and made it back safely to the car; those Celtics suck people did not look friendly. Overall, I was happy to attend an away game, even though the Celtics lost. The score was meaningless but I got to see the Jays complete highlight dunks which quieted the raucous crowd.

The drive back to Chicago was relaxing and uneventful. I drove around the city for a little exploration and ended up choosing to eat at a late night Taco Bell. I miss the authentic Mexican food from LA and this was the closest I was going to get. Just kidding to all of the authentic Mexican restaurants in Chicago. I hadn’t had Taco Bell in several years and it was quick and easy. I returned to the house and enjoyed my food while watching some YouTube videos. Around 2am, I went to the room to call it a night. As the ancient prophets prophesized the coming of the hero Moses to free the Israelites from the Pharaoh’s bondage, I feel like this night was prophesized by the oracle known to us as ILoveMakonnen, who told everyone that it was going up on a Tuesday. I just didn’t know he meant the hairs on my body…more context next time, good man. PLEASE!

I was in the bed with the door closed, when I heard a sound that stood all of the hair on my body…I was frozen for a moment. In the darkness of the empty home, far away from Boston, I heard the familiar robotic sounding woman’s voice say, “low battery.” (As I wrote that line, I felt the exact fear that I felt while lying in that bed, in that empty house. I am definitely terrified right now and my PTSD is at the highest level. I was told that maybe the ghost followed me back to Boston, which I don’t know if that’s actually a thing, but right now, it feels like that is a thing. Especially with our low battery going off every now and again, in the back ground.) I am going to pause for station Identification. I need to watch something funny before continuing this story. Hope you are not reading this, alone, in a dark room. Note to self: Writing this at 1:30am is not the smartest thing. Don’t do that again.

Back from our break. Rocky III is in the DVD player, I’m all good. I promise, just because I am watching a DVD does not mean I am 75 years old. I quickly shook it off and pretended as if I didn’t hear anything. I was in that half-asleep, half-awake mode where weird things can happen so I just attributed what I heard to being in a dreamlike state. A few seconds passed and I heard it again. “Low battery.” I sat up in bed, clearly not in any dream state. I heard it once more, a third time. “Low battery.” I couldn’t believe it, this wasn’t cool. Why was this happening…I just wanted to see the Celtics. I’m sorry! I was wrong, the people who chanted Celtics suck are not morons. In fact, they are wonderful and incredible…model citizens if you will. I decided to go to the bathroom and take a piss. While in the bathroom I heard it again, “low battery!” This time there was no mistaking it, and for the first time ever, it was loud and clear. Louder than I ever heard the voice, previously…it echoed through the empty hallway. It was as if something was making sure that I was well aware that this was real and I was not going to be able to ignore it. I shook it off once more and heard it again, “low battery.” This time it was back to the normal level; I was terrified.

I returned to the room and closed the door. I climbed back into the bed and hoped for the best. The message was over. I opened up YouTube on my phone and found one of the black screen videos with rain noises and thunderstorms. The video was 10 hours long and I set the volume pretty high. I listened to the storm and hoped the morning would come as soon as possible. For some strange reason, the battery was no longer low. There were no more announcements from the robotic woman’s voice. The message was over, but the night terror was not. At a volume which was slightly louder than the YouTube video, I heard some noises. It was clear and distinct. Someone was experiencing sexual pleasure. There was a woman’s voice, attempting to keep from being heard and panting. I would hear, “yes,” and whispery moans. I raised the volume on the phone and the woman raised her volume; just slightly above the video’s. The voice was coming from the central air vent. This would have been completely normal if there were people staying in one of the other rooms, but I was in the house by myself…there were no people. At least not any that I could see. This continued for a while but there was nothing that I could do. I just had to tell myself a story to distract from what was taking place and pretend that I couldn’t hear what I definitely was hearing. That’s the benefit of having a creative mind; I can simply escape whatever situation by simply telling myself a story. Eventually, I fell asleep and the ordeal was over…it was 10am and I didn’t have to worry about the voices, any longer.

It was Wednesday. Tuesday was behind me, thankfully. For some reason, the house was fine during the daylight. There was some fear, but it was minimal, in comparison. Walking by the stairs to the 2nd level was always an uneasy feeling. Similarly, walking by the stairs to the basement was a little more uneasy. There is not enough money in the world to convince me to go down those stairs to the basement…that doll was on her own. I watched some YouTube videos then left to go visit a 2nd car museum. For some reason, when I got there, I wasn’t in the mood. I decided I would return on the following day and just take some time to relax. I got some food and returned to the house. I sat on the couch watching videos and tried my best to enjoy the day. All of a sudden, I heard four loud bangs. I sat there paralyzed for a few seconds. I thought, maybe the owner of the house is at the back door; I justified the sound. I walked through the hallway and looked out the back window, but there was no owner. I rushed back through the hallway and looked out the front window. Maybe he was at the front door. I saw a young man walking away from the house towards a Mustang. I walked outside and saw a box of pizza with a smaller box, probably containing sides. I yelled out, “this isn’t mine…I didn’t order pizza.” He walked back to the house and mentioned the address. “Yes, that is the right address, but I didn’t order anything.” I said. I looked at the receipt and noticed the mistake. This was north, and he wanted south. Honest mistake. He thanked me and left. Of all the days for that mistake to be made, why this day? I was already feeling uneasy; I didn’t need that scare. I stayed for about an hour, then went out exploring.

During my time in Chicago, I got to see a lot of the city. I wanted to go see the famous Bean called Cloud Gate. Making it to the statue was a struggle. For some reason, I was having trouble synching with the GPS. I kept taking the wrong turn, or getting into the wrong lane and I couldn’t figure it out. Eventually, I ended up driving by the statue, but I didn’t realize it until the last second and only got a quick glimpse of it. I circled around the block again and kept having the same problems. After another wrong turn, I decided that the universe was telling me to stay away from that statue. I didn’t fight it and continued on my way. I googled a couple more locations that I wanted to see then headed back to the house. I sat on the couch, in the living room, in the early evening and the uneasiness returned. It wasn’t like the morning…the home becomes a different place once the light begins to dissipate. I just had an overwhelming feeling to get out of that place. For dinner, I decided to try a Chicago deep dish pizza. I did my googles and found a place which was highly rated and fairly close. At a glance, I estimated that the pizzeria was about a 10 minute drive.

I entered the car, found the restaurant on my phone once more and follwed the directions. A half an hour later, I was close to downtown Chicago. I was so preoccupied with the house that I ended up entering the right name, but the wrong location. I had to find the correct pizzaria and reroute myself. I decided to call and place my order over the phone rather than ordering at the restaurant. I asked for a pizza with pepperoni and pineapple. The woman on the other end said, “we don’t have pineapple.” I replied, is that a your restaurant thing or a Chicago thing? She answered, “yeah, we don’t do that.” I settled on a pepperoni pizza. I then drove to the nearest supermarket and bought some fresh cut pineapples. I got my pizza without giving the establishment a piece of my mind and I returned to the house. I sat on the couch, grabbed a knife and sliced up the pineapples. I placed them on the pizza and took a few bites. The entire time, I was extremely uneasy. I was very uncomfortable being in that house. I tried to watch a movie, but I just didn’t feel like it. I put on a YouTube video and the events from the previous night commenced, once more.

I heard the voice. “Low Battery.” This time it was very low and barely audible. It was only the one time. That’s when I heard a second message. “Peter.” It was a very low whisper. I heard it again. “Peter.” I tried to ignore it; I tried to focus on the video. It was only 8:20pm and things were already getting out of hand. Everything in my body was telling me to get out of that house. I wanted to stay for a couple more hours, in order to shorten the night, but I just couldn’t. I heard it again, “Peter.” It was a little louder and a little more forceful. Again. “Peter.” I stood up from the couch and got dressed. The entire time I was petrified. I left as fast as I could, while attempting to appear like everything was normal. I wanted to make it seem as if I was leaving because I had plans; I didn’t want to anger the entity.

I didn’t have an appetite and the pizza was sitting in the box, only missing a couple bites. I placed it in the fridge and left. I drove to Wrigley field and took in the sites. The cubs were out of town, so I couldn’t attend a game. I stayed out as long as I could, but I was sleepy. A little before 3am, I started heading back to the house. I parked the car and thought about going inside. I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t bring myself to walk into that home. I made another executive decision…I was sleeping in the car. The garage is not attached to the house so it felt a little safer. Exhausted, I opened up YouTube and played the same black screen storm video from the previous night. I was close enough to the house that I still felt uneasy, but sitting in that 5 Series was better than walking into that house. I listened to the sounds of rain and thunder as I fell asleep. A few minutes before 8am, I woke up and decided to go back into the house. I went into the bedroom and fell asleep. The noises returned, but it wasn’t the horrible ones. I just had to endure the annoying people; the ones from Monday who hang out around the home’s perimeter and talk loudly. The only difference was the fact that on Monday, I actually thought they existed; I now knew better. I listened to the thunderstorm video and fell back asleep. The ordeal was over, once again.

I woke up around 1pm and got ready for the day. I made my way to the couch and turned on ESPN. The Masters was on. I watched the coverage and was able to Follow Tiger Woods for most of his round. I finished the deep dish pizza, which I thoroughly enjoyed. (If you don’t like pineapples on your pizza, I… I am older and more mature. I am not going to say what I want to say, but just understand that even though I am not going to spew any vitriol towards you, it is indeed directed at you and exists in an alternate universe. I am certain that you are not a good person.)

I sat in that house and did my best to ignore the random noises. I wasn’t in the home. I was in Augusta, Georgia; I was at the Masters. For some reason, I didn’t feel too bad being in that house, while watching the tournament. Once the coverage ended, just before 9pm, I left the home. I decided to take a trip down to the southside of Chicago. Most people would probably tell you not to visit the southside, but I didn’t have any fears or concerns. There was nothing that I was going to experience that would be as bad as being in that house; the trip was a respite. I took in the sites and got some food. I found a highly rated American restaurant and ordered a hot dog with fries. I made my way north and ended up back at the house a little after 1am.

This would be the last night. Soon it will all be over. I walked in, full of fear. I thought about what I wanted to do. Should I wait and pack in the morning, or should I pack during the night? I didn’t want to reveal that I was leaving; I didn’t want the incidents to intensify. I wanted to wait until the morning, but it just made more sense to pack my things and be ready to leave…I didn’t want to forget anything.

Luckily, I didn’t have to go upstairs. I also, didn’t have to go to the basement. I took out the garbage and placed it in the bin, which is in the alley on outside of the garage. I also brought my carry-on luggage and placed it in the trunk of the car. I walked back in and finished packing my main bag. I ignored hearing the noises while I prepared everything, but it was difficult to keep walking through that hallway and hearing my name called out repeatedly, “Peter.” About an hour went by and it was a little after 2am. There was nothing left for me to do, other than set my alarm and get some sleep. I closed the door, and got into the bed. I turned on my black screen thunderstorm video, and hoped to fall asleep, but that was never going to happen. The noises returned and they varied. First, I’d hear my name, “Peter.” Then I’d be reminded about the status of the battery. “Low battery.” I just did my best to ignore it, but they got louder. I raised the volume of the video, but I could still hear the noises. “Low battery.” I didn’t understand why the battery only got low during the night. The level seemed pretty fine during the daylight. I guess that is just how some batteries work…you know them ones.

I continued to try and fall asleep, but my mind was racing and I couldn’t ignore the noises. “Peter.” I closed my eyes and vowed to ignore the sounds. That’s when I started to hear someone press up against the door. Then someone stepped away from the door. Then someone stepped towards the door. Then someone pressed up against the door. The voices continued. “Low battery.” Then I heard the voice come from the opposite side of the room. It came through the vent, only there was no vent on that side of the room. “Peter.” It continued. “Low Battery.” Then it came from the side with the vent. “Peter.” Just get through this last night and everything will be fine, I thought. That’s when it happened, something moved me. My entire body was shifted towards the head of the bed. It was brief. It was subtle. It was unmistakable.

I was paralyzed with fear. I didn’t know what to do. I just didn’t want it to continue. The noises were one thing, but physical touch was a realm that I wasn’t prepared to continue experiencing. I thought about getting dressed and returning to the 5 series; it was my sanctuary. A place where I can escape from the bad. I then thought about how much more comfortable the bed was. I got up and went to the bathroom to urinate. “Low battery.” I returned to the room, full of fear and I said, “This isn’t cool.” I said it out loud.

I got in the bed. Turned on my black screen thunderstorm YouTube video and did my best to ignore the noises. The pressing up against the door continued. The vent noises continued. This time, it went back to the sex sounds. I did my best to ignore them. I did my best to fall asleep. I turned up the volume on the video, but had to lower it. I set my alarm and if the video was playing at a high volume, I would not be able to hear the alarm. I began telling myself a story, doing my best to ignore the noises.

I eventually fell asleep. The night was over. I woke up without the alarm going off. I was worried. What time was it? How long did I oversleep? I grabbed my phone and it was 7:08am. My alarm was set for 7:06am…I slept through the sound, but woke up anyway. I went to the bathroom and was startled by a loud sound. I was terrified. Thankfully, it was daylight and the noise was my alarm going off. 7:11am. 5 minute reminder. I turned off the phone and returned to the bathroom. I prepared for the day and was ready to leave. Bag packed, I left the house. For the last time, hopefully. Never say never, they say. I drove to drop off the rental and took an Uber to O’hare. The trip was over. I survived my stay at the Chicago Airbnb. Don’t go to Chicago they say…it’s a dangerous city. I beg to differ. I think it’s a scary city.

This story has not been embellished. If anything, I probably missed a few details. I left a five star review, because the house was actually great. I just don’t recommend staying there by oneself. The truth is, I actually don’t know how I stayed in that home for as long as I did. I am the one who watches these types of tales and I thinks the people are crazy. I thought the first sign of any type of paranormal activity, I would run far away, but I stayed. I don’t know how or why, but I stayed. I think we all have a natural curiosity about the occult, and I guess I wanted to have some sort of experience.

Thanks to the YouTube black screen thunderstorm videos. Thanks to the white 5 Series BMW. Thanks to pineapples on pizza. I survived. Would you?

“Low Battery!”

Twitter @PeteTeix617
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A Promise To Azfal – Published and Available

To purchase A Promise to Azfal click on either link:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

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I’m excited. My first novel, A Promise to Azfal, is finally published and available to the public. Completing the book was a satisfying and fulfilling accomplishment. That being said, I was overwhelmed by the support from my family and friends. Soon, most people will receive their copies and I look forward to hearing their reviews. I definitely believe it is a wonderful story and I think many readers will be pleasantly surprised. My only hope is that everyone feels like they got their money’s worth. I am grateful for those who trusted my writing abilities and purchased a copy.

The process of completing the novel took a little longer than I planned. Firstly, I required assistance to switch from a person who writes essays for History and Anthropology courses, to someone who has the technical abilities to write a story worth reading. Creating the tale came natural to me, but the actual writing was difficult, and I received a great deal of help which I am truly thankful for.

Secondly, I moved across the country from Boston to Los Angeles, (Go Red Sox!!!) which created some challenges. I love living on the west coast, but LA is an expensive city, so I made the decision to put writing on pause while I worked to ensure that I would be able to stay in the city of angels. (I still haven’t seen one angel, but they must be here, somewhere.) At the beginning of this year, my sixth on the west, I finally felt completely settled and began the long, rewarding, process of publishing the novel.

Life threw me an off-speed pitch while I was looking for a fastball, and I barely managed to foul it off and stay at the plate. To read about my biggest challenge while creating this story, click on my past post: How Writing Helped Me Escape The Halo. I didn’t cry when I wrote the post, I promise.

Recently, I had two, once in a lifetime, experiences. The first happened when I received a package from the publisher with a copy of my novel. (An amazing day to say the least.!)It’s surreal to leaf-through a book which I created. The second incident occurred when I went online and purchased a copy of my own novel. Thanks to all who helped throughout the process. I definitely include those who were enthusiastic when I revealed that I was working on a book. A kind word goes a long way!

Please purchase a copy of the novel and be sure to contact me with a review.  You’ll enjoy it…I promise.

Thank You!

Twitter                 @PeteTeix617
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What Up Blood: Last Encounter (Hopefully!)

I decided not to write about other minor uneventful incidents which have occurred involving the gang culture. These events consisted of “ice grills” from gang members with facial tattoos and such trivial chance meetings; I don’t feel the need to waste anyone’s time with these tales. This last encounter will hopefully be my last post on the subject, until I ultimately achieve my life’s goal of ending gang violence in the city of Los Angeles. I don’t know why I was chosen to be the savior, but I was so I will fulfill my duty.
In the previous post, I mentioned how it didn’t make any sense for red to be the only banned color, but I eventually gained an understanding as to why. Blue represents the infamous Crips gang. Yet, blue is a universal color and tends to blend in. Most people wear blue on a regular basis, so it would be tedious to police the color. (By policing the color, I mean harassing anyone who wears it! I’m just speaking the truth. I’m not a gang member, but I have had several run-ins with Los Angeles’ least finest, and I must say that I am not a fan. NWA has a song called Fuck Tha Police…I don’t know why I mentioned that!) Crip members wear a blue flag to show their allegiance to their gang. They may also wear blue laces to be identifiable.
Red on the other hand is a color that stands out, which makes wearing red more of a statement. The more important reason for the ban on red is the fact that the Bloods are vastly outnumbered in the city of Los Angeles. If not for Crip on Crip violence, the Bloods would have a tough time surviving in the city. People who wear red are placing their safety on the line.
Usually, I am traveling by myself or with a woman, so I think gang members tend to give me a pass. This is just a hypothesis, since I don’t know for certain why I haven’t been in more incidents. I may just be lucky.
One day, my cousin came down from the valley to hang out for the afternoon. We decided to go get some Popeye’s for lunch. (We all know that white people eat chicken too, let’s not play that game.) I had on a gray Red Sox hat and red sneakers. My cousin had a traditional Red Sox hat and some black Jordans with red laces. (They really shouldn’t sell sneakers with red laces in Los Angeles, but who am I to make such an intelligent suggestion.)
I pulled into a parking space and we stepped out of the car. I heard someone yelling from across the parking lot, but I paid him no mind, because people are always yelling. We started to walk towards the entrance and the yelling became a bit louder and seemed to be directed towards us. I turned around and saw a guy standing by a car yelling at the two of us. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, so I stopped and attempted to make out his words. There was a girl sitting in her car directly in front of me so I assumed he was attempting to get her attention, so I pointed towards her, as if to say, “are you talking to her?” He pointed at me and yelled what I thought was, “bird gang,” but I really had no idea what he was saying. I gestured with both hands up in the air to let him know that I couldn’t understand him. He yelled again, and I was certain he said “bird gang.”
I was confused because the only Bird I know, other than Larry, is Birdman so I assumed this guy was putting some respek on his name. He completely misunderstood my sign language and thought I was saying, “what up blood…I’m with it…let’s do this.” (I was saying no such thing.)
I started walking towards him and as I got closer, he started walking in my direction with the clear intention of fighting. That’s when I heard him say, “dirt gang.” (I later found out that I was in the territory of the Rolling 30s Harlem Crips, aka Dirt Gang.) Looking back on the incident, I can understand his level of aggression, because it may have appeared to him that I was a Blood, and clearly trespassing in his neighborhood; the Popeye’s is in a Crip area. He assumed that I was making some grand statement that I can go wherever I pleased and anyone who had a problem with it, can deal with my wrath. (I was not making any such statement!)
Once I understood what was happening, I stopped and said, “I’m not here for that…I’m not a Blood.” He then wondered, “why do you have on all that red?” It was a legitimate question. To which I replied, “I’m from Boston.” His energy changed, and he responded, “my bad…you should be careful with all that red, cuz.” Then he backed off and went to his car. The situation was diffused, but if he was a little younger and had a little less sense, there would have been a squabble in that parking lot. The incident would have clearly changed my life, I would have joined the Bloods and taken out revenge on the entire Crip nation. (Just kidding!)
The Gang culture is definitely the real deal in Los Angeles. The entre time, the man’s friend remained by the car with the door open. I’m not sure why he didn’t attack along with his friend, but I can only assume that he had a gun in his possession and was prepared to use it if need be. I still wear red from time to time, but I am always prepared to deal with some type of nonsense when I choose to do so. (The fact that I live in a Blood neighborhood, probably keeps me a bit safer when doing so, but one can never be too careful.)

Honestly, I think I’ve experienced enough gang banging for a life time. I would write about the shooting incident, but I don’t want to make it seem as if South Central is more violent than it really is. There are many great events, such as the Taste of Soul, in which Crenshaw Blvd is shut down for many blocks and people from all over the city enjoy different forms of entertainment including concerts. (Last year, the rapper Doug E. Fresh brought out special guest Brandy and they performed a live concert.) There are also many vendors selling all types of goodies. The food is amazing and I was able to purchase a novel, written by a local artist. There are many gang members present, but they are able to leave the violence at home and have a good time.

taste_of_soul

I often hear people say things like, “the Bloods and Crips are dumb…why would they kill someone for wearing a color.” That is a very uninformed way to look at the culture. The gang members are mortal enemies and blood has been shed on both sides. The colors are just the way of identifying which gang one belongs to. They are simply attacking the enemy…it’s a lot more complicated than just colors.

@Peteteix617

What Up Blood: 1st Encounter

When I first moved to South Central, I was aware of the gang violence but I didn’t fully understand the culture. I did have knowledge about the bloods and the crips, but there was a lot that I didn’t know. Thankfully, we live in the information age and I was able to do a lot of research; partly because I was interested in learning more about the culture, but more importantly was the necessity to stay safe.

Initially, I was told not to wear red – I didn’t heed the warning because I thought it was silly. (My stubbornness also played a large role in my decision.) Honestly, the advice didn’t make any sense. Why would I not be allowed to wear red, but blue was not off limits? Further more, I wasn’t involved in any of the gang activities so I didn’t see the need to stop wearing red. Plus, I have a lot of red sox hats and t-shirts, so I didn’t feel like not wearing red. Following this advice would have been a huge inconvenience to me.

I lived in South Central for several weeks and wore whatever I felt like wearing. I have a pair of red Adidas which I wear regularly, and many Red Sox hats, which have a lot of red. Thankfully, I was able to befriend some guys who grew up in the area, and the consensus was that I could wear whatever I wanted and I should be fine. They’re main concern was whether or not I would be riding the bus, which I learned was a hotbed for gang violence. I have a vehicle, so the bus was not an issue. Also, I was told to be careful around teenagers, because they would be more likely to be violent due to their need of proving themselves and building up their reputations in the streets.

One day, I wanted some fried fish and I found a place on Crenshaw, which was only a few blocks away. I drove to the fish spot and walked in wearing a blue Red Sox t-shirt with a large red B on it, my red Adidas, and a blue Sox cap with a red B on the front. Inside, there was a lady receiving her order and two young men in their early twenties waiting on their food. Once the lady left, I stepped to the counter and placed my order.

I stood against the wall awaiting my food. (I didn’t say what I ordered because I don’t remember, but it was probably some fried catfish, which is way better than the ones online that ruin the lives of their victims.) The two men kept staring at me and talking low enough for me not to be able to hear. Their interest in me was apparent (Not in that way…not that there is anything wrong with that.) and the tension was building. Unfortunately, I don’t own a gun, so I was at a huge disadvantage. Suddenly, the cook came from the kitchen, looked at me and said, “I like your hat.” I thanked him and he continued. “Seriously, I like that hat…I am from Boston.” He said proudly.

I let him know that I was from Roxbury and learned that he was from Dorchester. Once I revealed that I was from out of town, the tension ended and one of the guys said, “I figured you weren’t from here after I heard you talking…you should be careful wearing all that red around this hood.” It turned out that I was in the territory of the Rolling 60 Crips (shout out to Nipsey Hussle! Get Victory lap and you won’t be disappointed.), where bloods were unwelcomed, and at the moment I looked like a blood.

The cook made it known that any time I went to the shop, I should always wear my “B” hat. The guys were interested in learning more about Boston, so I answered all of their questions. After a few minutes, they received their food and started to leave. One guy stopped at the door, threw up a “W” with his fingers and said, “west side!” I laughed and he left.

Thankfully, my first encounter with gang members in their gang territory went well. While living in the valley, I ran into the rapper August Blue, who is really cool and talented, on several occasions. Interestingly, he is from the Eight Trey Gangster Crips (They don’t get along with the 60s) and in a wheelchair due to being shot. You may have heard of the Gansters from Monster Cody, who wrote the book Monster, about his life as a member of the Eight Trey Gangster Crips. (A very good read.) The fact that I survived this encounter without any incident strengthened my initial assumption that the color thing was a little overblown; I continued wearing anything I wanted.

So far, I have had a few more experiences, and I will write about them soon. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy the sun and following the snowy East Coast from a distance!Thanks for reading!

@peteteix617

The Second Coming

Part II {Read the first part in the previous post. An Overdue Conversation}

 

I’m fresh up out my coma…

I got my Momma and my Daddy and my homies in my co’na…

It’s gonna take a miracle they say…

For me to walk again and talk again but anyway…

I get, fronted some KIs…

To get, back on my feet…

And everything the homie said came to reality…

Living like a baller loc…

Having money, and blowing hella chronic smoke…

I bought my Momma a Benz, and bought my boo boo a Jag…

And now I’m rolling in a nine-trizzay L Dogg Rag…

Wait a minute. Those are the lyrics to Snoop’s ‘Murder Was The Case.’ Sorry about that…points off my grade.

Everything promised, to me, came true. Obviously, the big guy is no liar; we all know he is great and powerful. Especially after he saved that Dorothy chick and her little dog!

****** (Most people credit Paris Hilton with creating the little doggy trend, but Dorothy was the true O.G. when it comes to rolling with a miniature pup. She also started the red bottoms craze…that girl was way ahead of her time.) ******

I sat on the balcony of my beach front mansion and watched the waves crash into the unlucky bathers who are probably wishing that the Pacific Ocean was a few degrees warmer. As I sat thinking of a billion dollar invention to heat up the shark infested water, a star appeared in the sky. I was amazed at how bright it was. The star wasn’t brighter than the others; it was the only visible light through the thick Los Angeles fog. For a few seconds, it appeared that the star was getting closer, and the light grew blinding.

Little did I know; this was no star. I was being visited by an angel.

Angel: “God evening.”

Me: “Hello. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Angel: “I am angel.”

Me: “I am human.”

Angel: “No, moron. My name is Angel.”

Me: “Oh…my bad. I was wondering why god sent a slow angel.”

Angel: “Don’t you mean retarded angel?”

Me: “No. You can’t say that word; it offends people.”

Angel: “You know I can read your mind; I know you wanted to say ‘retarded.’”

[I laugh.]

Me: “So, when is Jesus coming…no homo?”

Angel: “Don’t you mean ‘when is he coming…extra homo?’ You know I can read your mind.”

[We laugh.]

Me: “Definitely not. Keep on playing and I’ll send him back an extra virgin.”

[He laughs.]

Angel: “Ok. I guess there isn’t really anything to do, other than give you his arrival date since you seem prepared.”

Me: “Great! What day?”

Angel: “He will be here tomorrow.”

[The angel disappears.]

I didn’t sleep well that night. The anticipation of Jesus returning to earth was too much excitement. It only makes sense for the big guy to choose me as The Christ Chaperone…I guess I am the second coming of the apostle Peter. Unlike the previous guy, I am not sharing the limelight with anyone else.

I was awakened by a bright light. I struggled to open my eyes, but I was finally able to make out a man standing at the foot of my bed. He appeared to be of Indian decent.

Me: “Who the hell are you?”

Figure: “It’s me, Jesus.”

Me: “Why the hell did you choose to be Indian? Do you not know that most of the billion citizens are not Catholics? You’re definitely not a big deal over there.”

Jesus: “Of course I know. I’m going to convert them once they see my new face.”

Me: “That’s actually a great idea.”

Jesus: “Yeah, dad knows what he is doing.”

Me: “I’ve been waiting for you. I hope you’re ready! I have a slut in the other room and she is ready to yell out your dad’s name.”

Jesus: “What? That’s too early…I’m not ready right now.”

ME: “WHAT? I can’t believe you’re freezing up again. You’re dad is going to be pissed.”

Jesus: “I’m not freezing up…I just want to do it with a girl I choose.”

Me: “How long is that going to take?”

Jesus: “I don’t know…maybe a couple nights.”

[I start laughing.]

Me: “I’m just messing with you.”

Jesus: “Oh…yeah; I knew that.”

Me: “Sure! I see that you didn’t get any of that ‘all knowing’ stuff from your dad. You definitely got your smarts from your uneducated mother.”

Jesus: “Who said my mother was uneducated?”

Me: “C’mon. Everyone knows women didn’t go to school back in those days.”

[I wink.]

Me: “The good O’le days!”

Jesus: “The what?”

[I laugh.]

Me: “I’m just kidding.”

Jesus: “What are you going to do when you end up in Heaven and have to face my mother.”

Me: “Not sure…depends if she is a M.I.L.F. or not!”

[He grows angry.]

Jesus: “What did you just say?”

[I can’t help but laugh.]

Me: “I’m just kidding…I didn’t know you were so sensitive.”

Jesus: “I’m not sensitive; I just didn’t hear what you said. I have had trouble hearing from my left ear, since the crucifixion.”

Me: “Oh, damn. I didn’t know. Why can’t your dad fix it?”

[He laughs.]

Jesus: “You’re an idiot. I have the power to perform miracles and you think I have a bad ear?”

[I laugh.]

Me: “I’m definitely slipping.”

Jesus: “No…you’re just dumb.”

Me: “Let’s go do something.”

Jesus: “It’s your town. You tell me what we’re going to do.”

Me: “Actually, your dad pretty much owns the entire universe so it’s really your town.”

Jesus: “Now that I think about it, I don’t know if I should trust an idiot with this decision; ths is my first night.”

[I begin to sing.]

Me: “If I could walk on water, would you believe in me.”

[He shakes his head.]

Jesus: “I hate that fucking song.”

Me: “First of all, the song is great, and secondly, who the hell said you can curse?”

Jesus: “I can do whatever the hell I want. What are you my mom?”

Me: “No, but I am your chaperone and you will respect me.”

Jesus grows larger and spreads his arms out over his head and begins to yell.

Jesus: “You shall Respect ME!”

For a second, the room goes black. Suddenly, I seem to be tiny. I look in the mirror and discover that I am now a ladybug.

Me: “Change me back or…”

Jesus: “Or what?”

Me: “Or…or I will not help you get laid. I’ll tell women that you are a virgin. Annnnd a pedophile.”

[He laughs.]

Jesus: “I’m not a fucking pedophile.”

[I laugh.]

Me: “It’s going to take some time for me to get used to you swearing.”

Jesus: “It’s not that big a deal.”

Me: “Yes it is. And yes, you are a pedophile.”

Jesus: “You’re an idiot.”

Me: “Ok, you’re not a pedophile, but your priests are.”

Jesus: “They’re not my fucking priests.”

[I laugh.]

Me: “C’mon. Just change me back.”

Jesus: “Ok. But first, you have to beg.”

Me: “Just change me back.”

He crosses his arms and bows his head quickly. I turn back into myself.

Me: “What the hell! Did you just pull a genie move from the television show?”

[He laughs.]

Jesus: “You know it.”

Me: “Seriously. We have to set rules, because I’m not dealing with that type of nonsense.”

[He laughs.]

Jesus: “Now look at who is sensitive.”

Me: “Ok, we don’t need rules, but you can’t abuse me. I’m trying to help you out.”

Jesus: “Alright, I get what you are saying.”

Me: “Cool! Let’s go, jerk.”

Jesus: “What did I do to deserve that?”

[We laugh.]

The night turned out to be a success. We got some food then hit up a few bars in Hollywood. Jesus was a big hit, and it appeared that he was ready to lose his virginity.

The following morning, I woke up early and made some breakfast.

Jesus: “That smells good. What did you make for breakfast?”

Me: “Some eggs, bacon and home fries.”

Jesus: “Sounds good…I’m starving.”

Me: “Yeah, I woke up feeling the same way.”

Jesus: “Where is my plate?”

Me: “I didn’t make any for you.”

Jesus: “What the hell?”

[I shrug my shoulders and continue to eat.]

Jesus: “Why didn’t you make some for me?”

Me: “It’s every man for himself around here.”

Jesus: “That is very selfish of you, but not a problem.”

[A plate of food appears on the table.]

Me: “Must be nice!”

Jesus: “Yup!”

Me: “Did you have fun last night?”

Jesus: “Yeah. It was great.”

Me: “Did you see anything worth a poke?”

Jesus: “On Facebook?”

[I shake my head in disapproval.]

Jesus: “Sorry, but I had to.”

Me: “I guess.”

Jesus: “I did like the girl from the pizza place.”

Me: “Oh yeah! I completely forgot about her. You stole my phone and texted her all night. You missed out on some hot chicks.”

Jesus: “Not really. I like Cece.”

Me: “So is she the one?”

Jesus: “Yeah, I think so.”

Me: “When is it going down? Or should I say, when is she going down?”

Jesus: “She’s not some random whore…I’m going to take her out on a proper date and let things happen as they will.”

Me: “Yeah, that’s exactly what I said. Let me rephrase. When are you going to bang the slut?”

[He gets annoyed and shakes his head disapprovingly.]

Jesus: “You’re a moron.”

Me: “When is the date?”

Jesus: “I’m meeting her this afternoon, and we’re going to hang out all day.”

Me: “Sounds like a lot of work. If I had the power to perform miracles, I’d be on chick number 17 by now.”

[He laughs.]

Jesus: “I don’t think we are looking for the same thing.”

Me: “You’re right about that. I have no desire to land in the friend zone.”

[He shakes his head.]

 

Jesus left the mansion to go on his date with Cece. I waited up all night, but he never returned. The following afternoon, I decided to sit by the pool until he finally arrived.

Me: “There he is. I can’t put my finger on it, but there is something different about you.”

Jesus: “No. I’m exactly the same.”

Me: “Are you serious? What the hell did you do…spend the night and read Bible versus to each other?”

Jesus: “No, I don’t want to talk about it.”

Me: “What happened? Did you freeze up?”

Jesus: “I don’t feel comfortable talking about what happens between me and Cece.”

Me: “You mean Cece and I.”

[Jesus is annoyed.]

Jesus: “Ha ha. What is that…a you banged Cece joke?”

Me: “No, I was correcting your grammar. You said me and Cece, but you are supposed to say Cece and I. You are truly your mother’s son.”

Jesus: “Who cares. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Me: “Are you fucking kidding me? You are going to tell me every single detail, or I’m calling your dad.”

Jesus: “How do you plan on doing that?”

Me: “I don’t know…pray, I guess.”

Jesus: “If you must know, I am no longer a virgin.”

Me: “Are you serious? I can’t believe it…my little boy is a man.”

[I wipe away fake tears.]

Jesus: “It was the greatest night of my life.”

Me: “Better than the crucifixion?”

[I laugh.]

Jesus: “You’re the dumbest person I know.”

Me: “What happened?”

Jesus: “I’m not going into personal details. All you need to know is that I performed and she was satisfied. P.S. I am no minute man…Lionel Richie was definitely singing All night long.”

[I laugh.]

Me: “I need some details.”

Jesus: “I can tell you that I plan on hanging around for a while.”

Me: “What? What the hell are you talking about”? Don’t tell me you fell in love.”

Jesus: “Cece is great and she has some great ideas.”

Me: “What kind of ideas?”

Jesus: “We were talking and I want to have a son; he will be the next Messiah.”

Me: “Son? Tell me you strapped up.”

Jesus: “You think I waited two thousand years to wear a condom?”

Me: “JESUS CHRIST! I hope you pulled out.”

Jesus: “Of course not. She is on the pill.”

Me: “Oh my GOD! You’re dumber than I thought. That’s what all the groupie whores say.”

Jesus: “She isn’t a whore.”

Me: “I can’t believe this chick might be pregnant.”

Jesus: “There is no might. If I want her to be pregnant she will be, but if I don’t want her to be pregnant, there will be no child.”

Me: “What the hell? I thought your church was against abortion.”

Jesus: “It’s not an abortion.”

Me: “Whatever you say buddy. Sounds like an abortion to me. Good for you.”

Jesus: “You’re a complete idiot.”

Me: “Can you please explain to me why the hell you want to have a child with this chick?”

Jesus: “If I have a son, he can help to convert the non-Christians and bring the entire world together.”

Me: “That’s a dumb idea.”

Jesus: “It’s Cece’s idea and it’s great.”

Me: “I can’t believe this. Two thousand years and you finally get some pussy and you lose your damn mind.”

Jesus: “You’re too dumb to understand the importance of me having a child.”

Me: “You don’t even know this chick and you’re ready to make her the mother of the next Messiah? What’s her real name…I need to do a little background check.”

Jesus: “For what?”

Me: “Because you were born from a virgin and we don’t need your son born from some Biblical groupie slut.”

Jesus: “You don’t even know her.”

Me: “Neither do you.”

Jesus: “Give me your phone.”

[He enters her name and loads her Facebook profile.]

Jesus: “Here.”

Me: “Good! At least you know her name. Let me see. Damn, her page is private.”

Jesus: “Check again.”

Me: “Jeez, you can really do whatever you want.”

Jesus: “Not really. You don’t see me killing you.”

Me: “Relax, I am on your side.”

Jesus: “I can’t wait to tell my dad about Cece’s plan.”

Me: “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Jesus: “Why not?”

[I hand him my phone.]

Jesus: “What the hell is this?”

Me: “That’s Cece’s ass and half of those comments are from guys who clearly have tapped it.”

Jesus: “That’s not necessarily true.”

Me: “NO? Why don’t you call her and ask?”

Jesus: “No problem.”

[He takes the phone and enters the house. He then returns after a long conversation.]

Jesus: “This sucks!”

Me: “What?”

Jesus: “She’s a fucking whore.”

Me: “She admitted it?”

Jesus: “It’s kind of hard for people to lie to me.”

Me: “Oh yeah. Wait…I’m confused. How did you not see this with all of your super powers?”

Jesus: “I don’t know. I guess my mind was clouded because of the sex.”

Me: “Yeah. That makes sense. What did she say.”

Jesus: “She planned on getting pregnant and making me grant her wishes instead of child support.”

Me: “What the hell did she think…that you were the Genie from Aladdin?”

[We both laugh.]

Jesus: “I don’t know, but some of you humans are fucked up people. I think I’m ready to go back. I don’t want to risk sleeping with some super whore who strips me of all my powers.”

[I laugh.]

Me: I don’t think you have to leave, just remember to let your dad do the planning from now on. You’re definitely your mother’s son.”

[He laughs.]

Jesus: “I can’t wait until you have to face her.”

Me: “She seems like a nice lady…I think I will be alright.”

Jesus: “I’ll sleep on it and think about staying.”

Me: “Stay a little longer and we’ll have a blast.”

Jesus: “We’ll see.”

{The End}
@PeteTeix617

 

Terrifying Brown

     I do not have a reason for my absence; I simply allowed my laziness to take over. I’m not sure how frequently I will post, but I felt the urge to write an entry, today, so here goes.

     On a recent flight to Boston, I brought along a book of short stories by Stephen King. I guess you can say he inspired this post, but the truth is I had the crap scared out of me. For those of you, who frighten easily, do not continue reading.

     The move to Burbank has been absolutely wonderful, UNTIL this morning. I’m not like the typical person; I don’t hate Mondays and I don’t look forward to Fridays. I guess you can say I don’t hate my job. I woke this morning and did what I always do; I checked the forecast, in order to prepare a proper outfit. (Just kidding! The weather in Southern California is always great!)

     My morning ritual is basically the same each day; I jog a few miles to the summit of the Verdugo Mountains. Luckily, I always seem to reach the peak just before sunrise. There is no better way to start the day! Once I receive a sufficient amount of solar energy, I head east, towards the local food bank. I’ve been blessed by my lord and savior and it is only right for me to return the favor by helping out the needy.

     I’m sorry; I definitely confused my morning ritual with someone else’s. I get ready, hop in the car, and hit the highway (I apologize to my fellow Californians; I meant to say freeway!) with my head on a swivel, watching for cops, as I speed my way down Interstate 5! (I don’t know why I thought I was a jogger!)

     The day began like any other, until I reached for a shirt. I don’t know if there are real superheroes in the world, but I definitely have superpowers. Unfortunately for me, it’s a gift and a curse. No matter where I am, I can spot any trespassing insect.

     Utilizing my hyper-sensitive peripheral vision, I noticed a creepy crawler walking up the wall. Although the lighting wasn’t optimal, I had no trouble spotting the intruder, since the closet walls are white.

     I moved in closer, in order to identify the trespasser; a brown spider. I’m not a native of Southern California, nor am I a herpetologist or one who studies arachnology, so there was no way for me to determine if this was a full-grown arachnid or an up-and-coming killer. (FYI: Herpetologists are not people who have sex with those infected with Herpes in order to understand the disease. People who have sex with those infected with Herpes in order to study the disease are sick!)

     I know I should have simply asked “god” to forgive me my trespasses as I forgive this spider who trespasses against me, but I’m an atheist, so I know there is no “god” to assist in these circumstances. Furthermore, I am a certified “spider serial killer.” I see a spider, I kill a spider. (There was one recent incident where I allowed a spider to live, but that was outdoors. Initially, I wanted to kill “god’s” eight-legged creation!)

     Once I assessed the situation, I was certain that this spider deserved to die. (To avoid any confusion, any spider located inside of my living space deserves to die a horrible death!) I grabbed my Adidas slippers and prepared to deliver the death-blow. (Ironically, all I could think was, “Just Do It!”)

     That’s when the most unimaginable thing happened. The Mother-F-ing spider jumped from his perched position, halfway up the wall, onto the carpet.

     I couldn’t freaking believe it!

     I know what you are thinking, “What’s the big deal?”

     I’ll tell you what the big deal is. The dumbass spider, a known killer, was brown. My freaking dumbass carpet, chosen by my landlord who is clearly trying to kill me since she apparently never got over the East coast West coast rap beef, is the same exact brown. Coincidence? I think not; I WAS DEAD!

     All I could do was channel my inner Nancy Kerrigan and yell out, “WHY ME! WHY ME!”

     Seriously, what the hell just happened? We’re not even in Los Angeles so why the heck did this spider decide to turn into Blake Griffin?

     I did all that I could to locate this amazing half-spider /half-chameleon, part-time dunk champion, but there was nothing I could do other than to come to grips with the fact that this trespasser was preparing to launch a nighttime attack, later that evening.

     Defeated, I prepared to leave the house, never thinking about the safety of my cousin, who was asleep in the other room. The way I saw it, “better him than me!”

     Just when I thought I was a dead man walking, the idiot spider made a fatal mistake. She (I might as well make this villain a woman!) crawled up the wall. There was no hesitation, this time. I attacked with deadly force, catching the spider on the left temple. (Yeah, I’m a spider killing ninja assassin!) The spider died on impact, and I was free to live another day.

     I was victorious on this occasion, but I am prepared to do battle once again. If I don’t survive, know that I fought with everything I had.

     My only reservation when choosing this apartment was the carpet, but I could never have imagined how much the floor-covering would negatively impact my life; I now know what lies beneath. Don’t make the same mistake I made; brown carpets are certified deathtraps! (No, the drapes do not match the carpet. We are men and we do not have drapes!) It’s definitely time for a change. Does anyone know which color best works against spider-chameleons? (While you think, I’m about to call eight-hundred, five, eight, eight, two, three, hundred, Empire, TODAY!)

     From this day forth, getting a good night sleep is completely out of the question. I’m sure most people are familiar with the UPS ads, in which potential customers are asked, “what can Brown do for you.” As of this morning, not a goddam thing!

GOVGRID SET A BROWN CARPET ROUGHBE CAREFUL!

@PeteTeix617

Just When I Thought I Was Out, They Pull Me Back In

I came out about two years ago. At first, I didn’t want to come out, but I finally gained the courage to be an example to any young child who considers himself or herself to be “different.” It’s not what you think; I’m not talking about THE “coming out!” It was scary, but I finally admitted to myself, and to the world, that I was an atheist. (I’m just kidding about being scared!)

Discovering the truth about the entire world’s many faiths is an extremely freeing experience. I especially enjoy poking fun at those who honestly believe their specific myth to be true. For example, here is my Easter-related Facebook post:

     “Congrats to everyone who made it through the entire 40 days of sacrifice! Now that Easter is here and Lent is over, I can go back to coveting all the things that I desire; especially some of these wives! (I’ll never give that up again!)”     

Unfortunately for me, I didn’t get the opportunity to choose my religious beliefs; like most people around the world, I was forced by my parents to join their faith. My forehead was doused with “holy water” and I became a Catholic. It didn’t take long for me to begin doubting many of the traditions, but I did was I was told. (Thankfully, our neighborhood wasn’t a target area for the Church’s pious-pedophiles, so I was never asked to “scrape my knees up for the lord!”)

At the age of twelve, I was given the power to either choose to attend “god’s house of boy-rape” or stay home and watch cartoons on the USA network. It’s obvious I didn’t lose any sleep over this “major dilemma!”

Missing Sunday mass turned out to be the gateway-drug to my atheism. Once I began to avoid the weekly wash and allowed my mind to get dirty, there was no turning back. I didn’t fear “god” and I wasn’t afraid to push the envelope push the expensive glass vase. (Why would anyone fear a being that doesn’t exist outside of the big picture-free comic book, called the bible!)

***If you are unfamiliar with the phrase, “pushing the expensive glass vase,” read my previous post: What Does That Even Mean!***

     It was almost as if I was a religious slave and a prophet demanded that the Pope let his people go; atheism was my liberty. For days, I ran around the Charles River, yelling, “LIBERTAD! LIBERTAD!” I was finally free!

OR SO I THOUGHT!

Recently, it was brought to my attention that I was not free. Apparently, the Church does not just allow members to leave. There are strict guidelines which must be followed, in order to leave. I heard of “Blood In Blood Out” but Water In Water Out is news to me! I’m not even sure how one goes about getting “watered out!” It looks like I’ll be a Catholic for life; don’t get me wrong, I want to leave the Church, but I’m definitely not willing to drown to death!

EXCOMMUNICATION:  an ecclesiastical censure depriving a person of the rights of church membership.

The information regarding the process is too extensive for me to include in this post, but basically, a Bishop is the lowest level Church official who can grant excommunication. At first, I thought about going through the long process, but then I realized that I don’t want to quit the Church; I want to be thrown out! It is my desire to become the Vatican’s worst offender. (This is a lofty goal, since Hitler and the infinite number of pedophilic-priests failed to lose their memberships in the “god’s organization!”)

For the time being, it appears that I’m stuck with the Church and the Church is stuck with me! Let’s hope I can make this happen!

@PeteTeix617

Writer’s Digest Story

WritersDigest-12737_218x218

     A couple months ago, I decided to submit a short story to Writer’s Digest. There was a 750 word limit and a simple premise: “A man who lives alone sees a set of footprints leading away from his house the morning after a heavy snowfall.”

Here is my submission. (I didn’t win, but that’s ok because I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and dog doggone it, people like me!)   

Rick “Gator” Truman waited for his best friend to climb into the cab of his pickup truck before jumping into the driver’s seat. Bud, the four year old bull-mastiff was given to Huron, South Dakota’s new fire chief by the men in his company.

“If the weatherman is right, we’ll get at least a foot of snow tonight.” Rick said.

“Woof!” Bud responded.

Rick purchased a modest house, on a dead-end street, barely within Huron’s city limits. He enjoys the quiet, but the serenity comes with a major disadvantage; the fire chief was left to plow his long driveway. Rick drove through the sleepy town and pulled into his garage. The warmth of his king-sized solid oak bed was calling him, but one task remained.

“C’mon Bud, let’s get the plow onto the front end so we can get an early start in the morning.” Rick said.

The morning sun invaded every corner of the small bedroom, waking Rick from his nightly hibernation. The moment he opened the room door, Bud rushed in and jumped atop the quilt.

“Get down from there!” Rick ordered.

Bud quickly complied and landed on the ground. “Maybe I’ll try jumping on your bed and see if you like it.” Rick teased.

Bud ran and pawed at the exit to the garage as if he knew what was on his owner’s mind.

“Let’s go move some powder.” Rick said.

The garage door opened and God’s baby powder covered the landscape. Rick began to turn towards his pickup when a strange sight caused him to halt.  {I didn’t include the quotation marks when writing the word “god,” because I wasn’t sure how the publication would react to my atheism!}  

Inexplicably, a set of footprints leading away from his house seemed to have appeared from nowhere.

“Where the heck did those come from?”

Rick walked closer to investigate. The first track began in the middle of the driveway and trailed off into the street. Strangely, the print was clearly made with a pair of department issued work boots. The more startling fact was the shoe size; Rick was the only fireman who wore size eighteen, and his pair remained locked in the cab of the pickup.

“I knew we had ghosts. I can’t wait for the guys at the fire house to hear that I finally found proof.”

Endless jokes about the mysterious tracks filled much of the morning hours.

“C’mon Gator, the footprints are obviously not from a ghost.” Chuck Hose said.

“Ok Mr. Know-it-all, please explain where they came from.” Rick responded.

“The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you…the Lord said.” Chuck teased.

The room erupted with laughter. Countless conspiracy theories were suggested and Rick planned on debunking all of the legitimate hypotheses.

“I’ll find even more proof. You guys can laugh, but I know there is a ghost on my property.” Rick said.

News travels through Huron faster than a tide rolls in Alabama. Two days elapsed before the fire chief earned a new appointment; Chief Paranormal Specialist. True to his word, Rick investigated every possibility for an explanation to the eerie footprints. There remained only one truth; a ghost walked from the driveway to the road. Rick couldn’t wait to reveal his findings.

“Regardless of what Chuck thinks, it sounds to me like you did some great detective work, Gator.” Kenny Manning said.

“Thanks Kenny.” Rick replied.

Chuck stood from his seat and commented. “Don’t thank him yet!”

“What are you talking about?” Rick asked.

“We have to tell you something.” Chuck continued. “Hey Mike, do you want to do the honors since it was your idea?”

Mike nodded his head and began to explain. “The footprints were just a silly prank.”

Visibly disappointed, Rick spoke. “Are you serious?”

“Sorry Gator, but we had to do it.” Mike said.

“It might be me, but that smile on your face says you might not be sorry.” Chuck quipped.

“Nonetheless, we all know how crazy you get about the supernatural, so we couldn’t turn down this opportunity. Once the snow stopped, we jumped into old Ladder 13 and made the extensive excursion to your property. I hopped into the bucket and Chuck extended the ladder out to the middle of your driveway. I’m sure you can piece together the rest of the story, Sherlock.” Mike said.

“That doesn’t explain the size of the footprints.” Rick challenged.

“Oh yeah! We ordered another pair.” Mike informed.

“You can keep them for being such a good sport.” Chuck added.

“I’ll get my revenge!” Rick threatened.

[THE END]

@PeteTeix617

“God” Is Bad, All The Time

I can’t think of a more annoying phrase than, “‘God’ is good, all the time!” I’m an atheist, so this phrase is not only irritating, but it’s impossible; “god” is imaginary. Instead of just calling people who utter this phrase, idiots, I decided to use reason to prove the hollowness of this claim.

We all know “god” doesn’t exist in the real world, but he is a character in Judeo-Christian mythology. Using the bible as my source, I will show that “god” is indeed, bad. (I refer to “god” as a male because the bible was written by misogynistic storytellers who clearly wrote about a male deity. Furthermore, if the character known as “god” was a woman, the story of Jesus’ birth becomes a lesbian love affair and according to the “god-fearing” people who protest around the world, “’god’ hates gays!” ***They use a different word.***)

I have no idea at which point in history people lost their minds, but “god” has never been good. I’ll give the character some credit for creating the universe, but we can’t assume that any being that creates a universe is automatically “good.” (Especially when we know the being to be a certified jackass!)

People always give “god” credit for their “blessings” during joyous occasions, but they fail to realize that “god” has nothing to do with anything deemed to be “good.” An example of this misdirected gratitude happens whenever a person enters a hospital and is cured of some fatal disease. What people neglect to remember is the fact that “god” has always been against the advancement of human knowledge. (His followers do a good job of continuing this tradition of contra-intelligence!) If we look to the bible, it is clear that “god” doesn’t want people to be intelligent.

When the devil, the real “good” character in Judeo-Christian mythology, enters the Garden of Eden, he shares his wisdom with Adam and Eve in order to allow for them to be more self-sufficient, but “god” becomes angry. “God” doesn’t want Adam and Eve to be intelligent; he’d prefer for them to do as he says without questioning his orders. (What an evil asshole! I think it’s clear that every case of domestic violence comes from this character flaw that has been instilled in people who believe in “god.” I’ve never heard of an atheist beating on a spouse!)

The Garden of Eden story should cause people to appreciate the knowledge given to them by the devil, but somehow, the boy-touching priests were able to paint “god” as the good guy and people agreed without questioning the facts. (Clearly, it is evident that the closer someone is to “god,” the dumber they are!)

Another example of “god” being bad is the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Granted, the people of these two cities were not living a “godly-life,” but death and destruction was probably a bit overboard. Instead of sending down a couple of angels and teaching the people how to improve their lives, “god” decided to just extinguish the cities; killing all of the inhabitants. (This guy is the king of “do as I say and not as I do!” “God” is a dick; whatever the hell happened to forgiveness? Did I misread the “good book,” because I swear I remember something about people forgiving others?)

Jewish people claim to be “the chosen people.” I can’t argue with that. First, “god” asks Abraham to kill his son. Then, right when the pious Abraham is about to obey orders, “god” says, “you’ve just been punk’d!” Are you kidding me? What kind of a psycho jokes around by torturing a child and his family? (We don’t have to get into the record of “god’s” church and the children the institution is entrusted to protect!)

This “god” guy is the worst CEO in the history of the world. First, he chooses the Israelites to be his people, and then he decides to abuse the hell out of them. The chosen people suffered through Egyptian slavery, being blamed for killing Jesus, the holocaust, and being blamed for killing Jesus by Mel Gibson! I get it; the chosen people were eventually rewarded for their faith, but at what cost? I’m not sure if they are thankful, but the gift seems pretty shitty to me. What did “god” give them as a reward? Honestly, the most inconsiderate gift ever; a country in the Middle East, surrounded by anti-Semitic rulers, one of whom said “Israel should be wiped off the map!” (Gee thanks, big guy. I’m sure all the suffering was worth it!)

As if abusing his chosen people wasn’t enough, this CEO went on to be the worst general manager ever. He continuously picks horrible men to lead his church. Hey dumbass, if the guy enjoys raping children, DON’T CALL HIM TO SERVE AS A PRIEST! It’s really simple but this all-powerful, all-knowing loser is so bad. Seriously, what the hell does he think is going to happen? (I don’t know which is worst, “god’s” choices or the people who CHOOSE to follow him!)

If a man is jealous, he’s a bad boyfriend. Same goes for a jealous “god;” he is a bad character in the bible. Let’s also remember some of “god’s” creations. People are always quick to point out the good ones, without giving any thought to the bad ones. Cancer, AIDS, famine, plague, chicken pox, Gigli, hurricanes, earthquakes, war, weapons of mass destruction, snow, cold-weather (Never mind; these don’t apply anymore!), death, crack, blowjobs with condoms, etc…  (Bad “god!” If only we had the ability to wipe his face in the metaphorical piss that he showers onto our newly-stained figurative hardwood floors!)

I think my point has been made. No one can argue that “god” is not bad. If I really wanted to, I could continue to point out an infinite amount of examples to show just how bad this character is, but that is not necessary. I don’t mind people believing in the bible, but at least get it right, THE DEVIL SHOULD BE YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR. The next time one of your family members survives cancer, thank the devil for providing the doctor with the intelligence to figure out a cure. (While you’re at it, don’t forget to say, “fuck you for creating cancer, bad ‘god!’”)

Oh yeah, how can I forget. The idiot appeared as a burning bush. Are you freaking kidding me? A BURNING BUSH! Do I even have to mention that burning bushes are bad? Seriously, this guy couldn’t think of anything else other than showing up as an STD? I thought Steve Carell was out of touch in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, but Moses risked his life and challenged the mighty Egyptian Pharaoh, Ramses, and successfully freed his people, for a burning bush. (Talk about putting the pussy on the pedestal!)

BURNING BUSH

     “GOD” IS BAD, ALL THE TIME!

@PeteTeix617

Little Caesars Is Dead To Me

I will never purchase anything from this company for the rest of my life. (Unless they repay me for my horrible experience!)

To be honest, the pizza isn’t good. (I know this may sound like the opinion of a disgruntled customer, but the only reason I went to the place is because of their “Hot-N-Ready” pizza which only costs five dollars and can be purchased with no wait. I am generally impatient so the quality of the food was less important than the quantity of time I saved.

Banning myself from this franchise may seem like an insignificant thing, but I was actually excited when I found out that Little Caesars wasn’t extinct. Once upon a time, while living in Boston, I enjoyed walking down to the local strip to purchase video games from Kmart. (I find it strange when “grown” men get excited about video games. They were a big part of my life, but like most childish things, I grew out of that phase. Maybe I’m wrong, but I just don’t have any desire to get involved in “gaming!”)

The only Little Caesars in the city (As far as I can remember) was located in the Kmart. [The Kmart is now a Target. I was also elated to discover that there are three Kmarts fairly close to where I live. I don’t have any desire to shop there, but it’s nice to know that Kmart is alive and kicking!] After a few years, the shitty Little Caesars was removed from the Kmart and replaced with something else. (I admit, that was a jab at the company!)

The Horrible Incident:

Like I stated before, I didn’t mind the shitty pizza because of my lack of patience. To the best of my knowledge, this horrible incident happened during my third visit to the establishment, located in North Hollywood; a stone’s throw from our previous apartment. (I said I didn’t mind the shitty pizza, but I prefer to eat good food, so I only went to this place as a last resort, because the quality was pretty low and my only mission was to get some crap inside my belly!)

I drove down to the Little Caesars and decided to skip the Hot-N-Ready crap and hope the regular pie (Can you tell I lived in the New Jersey!) was of a higher quality. I ordered the Hawaiian because pineapple is the world’s number one pizza topping. (If you don’t like pineapples on your pizza, you’re probably a dumbass!) The friendly pizza technician informed me that there will be a fifteen minute wait. I accepted her terms and handed over my debit card to complete the transaction.

Two minutes after placing my order, the girl who “helped me” ended her shift and left. Five minutes crawled by before I almost lost my mind. Thankfully, “god” worked in a mysterious way and sent an angel to perform a miracle. My pizza was ready, ten minutes early, and it tasted like one which was flown in from Italy and created by Anna Maria Garoscio. (Google her!)

Just kidding! “god” doesn’t exist and the story is a complete fabrication. Although, If it was written in the bible, a billion people would accept it as true!

I turned to my right and noticed a wondrous site; a Seven Eleven. (In Boston, Seven Elevens are rare, but in Los Angeles, you can’t go three blocks without driving past one!) I walked towards the convenience store and bought some drinks. I also decided to by a two dollar scratch because the person who gets paid to place products in the best location to increase sales knows me all too well and I couldn’t resist. (I don’t have a gambling problem, but I typically buy a scratch every two months or so.) I walked back to the Low-Quality-Pizza-Mart and sat down.

Now, a total of seventeen minutes had elapsed. The new counter girl asked if I was ready to order and I informed her that I was waiting for my Hawaiian pizza. She went to the back and it seemed as if no one knew about my purchase. The manager, who was in his early thirties, seemed to be more interested in the sexual lives of his high school employees than ensuring that I was a satisfied customer. (I don’t want to call this guy a pedophile, but I’m almost certain that he was working to pay tuition at the local seminary! ***With all the money that the pedophiles collect each Sunday, you would think seminarians wouldn’t have to pay tuition, but the Catholic church is a well-oiled money making machine!***)

The girl returns and informs me that my pizza would be ready shortly. I was pretty sure that they were just about to start making it. After another ten minutes of torture, I lost my cool and decided to leave before I voiced my obscenity-laced-opinions.

That’s right; I took the loss and went home, sans crappy pizza. The way I see it, it only cost me eight bucks to discover that Little Caesars is a horrible business. For the rest of my life, I will never spend another cent in any of their locations. The good news is the 20 bucks I won when I scratched the ticket. (Thanks magical lottery deity!)

I guess the real point of this post is for me to say “FUCK LITTLE CAESARS!”

@PeteTeix617