Shadow Banned on X

November 1, 2025

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Screenshot

Recently, (11/1/2025), the Twitter (X) account “Republicans Against Trump” (@RpsAgainstTrump) posted this:

Screenshot

I responded with this:

Screenshot

That resulted in the email shown above. I’ve been ‘shadow banned’ for making a comment about how Owen’s comments are simply more insults hurled at straight men, accusing them of being gay.

Twitter used to be an important and influential platform, back when it was actually Twitter. Elon Musk, after buying it and reworking it’s algorithms, has turned it into nothing more than a cesspool filled with misogynists, incels, racists, bigots, and other actual hate-mongers.

I maintain two Twitter (X) accounts. The original was my regular feed, with a wide range of accounts I followed, from science to LGBT to celebrities to local individuals I wanted to keep up with. A few years ago, I created a second account, where I followed many MAGA and other right-wing sites, Republican electeds, and other such nonsense. I, naively, thought I could keep the cesspool away from my regular feed, and only go on the second account when I wanted to see what they were saying.

Now, with Musk twisting the algorithm to its current insanity, my regular feed is frequently nothing but pushed right-wing crap that I don’t follow or interact with.

It may be time to close my Twitter (X) accounts altogether, and stick with Bluesky and Threads. They are quickly becoming what Twitter used to be.

Hate In A Small Town 4 – it’s Déjà vu all over again

March 19, 2025

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The Internet meme definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result. I’m beginning to think it might be slightly insane to expect Porterville to ever join the rest of us in the 21st century. Here we go, again.

My previous blogs about Porterville and it’s LGBTQ+ community can be found at these links:

Hate In A Small Town (1) – where a Mayoral Proclamation proclaiming June 2013 as LGBT Month in Porterville is trashed by the rest of the Council and results in the Mayor and Vice-Mayor being removed from their ceremonial offices, the proclamation rescinded (a first anywhere, as far as I could find), and a bland replacement proclamation designating June 2013 as “a month of community charity and goodwill to all in Porterville”. They also changed the rules so that a vote of the Council would be required to issue a proclamation, rather than leave it as a function of the Mayor alone.

Hate In A Small Town 2 – Does Your God Hate? – One the one year anniversary of the Pride Proclamation, the LGBTQ+ community held a rally across from City Hall. Some haters joined in proclaiming the hate of God towards gay folk.

Porterville City Council Still Snubbing LGBTQ Community – (3) the same council as above refuses a Coming Out Day proclamation request.

Fast forward to 2019, and a different City Council.

We thought Porterville was finally growing and becoming a loving place. On May 21, 2019, a proclamation was issued by the City Council (a different council than the first mentioned above, and different from the current one), recognizing Harvey Milk Day In Porterville. On Tuesday, October 15, 2019, by a three to two vote, Porterville’s City Council declared October 11, 2019 as National Coming Out Day in the city. Things were looking up.

We should have known better.

Hate In A Small Town 4 –

The current city council of Porterville, California (ironically enough, an “All American City”).

Mayor Greg Meister
Vice Mayor Ed McKervey
Raymond Beltran
Stan Green
AJ Rivas

The Mayor and Vice-Mayor have teamed up to introduce anti-trans resolutions in Porterville. One would ban trans women and girls from bathrooms, locker rooms, and team sports. The other would require schools in the city to report to parents any requests by students to use names, pronouns, restroom facilities, or play on team sports that do not match their birth sex. (This would violate California state law, but that doesn’t seem to faze this council. They know about it, but are trying to find a way around that messy problem.)

From the March 4 agenda:

24: Consideration of Proposed Establishment of Ordinance to Protect Women’s Safe Spaces

Re: Council direction on the proposed establishment of an Ordinance to Protect Women’s Safe Spaces.

From the March 18 agenda:

21: Consideration of Proposed Establishment of Ordinance Safeguarding Parental Rights in Education and Child Upbringing

Re: Council to provide direction on the proposed establishment of an Ordinance

If you want to find these documents online, go to this page, and select the appropriate date.

A lot of people spoke during “oral communications” (they really need to change that name. ‘Public Comments’ seems much more appropriate). You can see the You Tube video here, but the whole show is almost six hours long! (they love to talk, and talk, and talk. It’s important that they express how MAGA they are) Most comments by the public were against the proposed actions.

Dr. Kathryn Hall, M.D., a long-time pediatrician in the area, who has treated many from Porterville over the years, spoke.

I said a few words, too.

The MAGA runs deep in this council. The Mayor and Vice-Mayor, at least in the two meetings I attended, tried very diligently to out-MAGA each other. Go watch some of their meeting video, if you have the stomach for it.

The Vice-Mayor doesn’t like being challenged on his ignorance. He takes it personally. He views folks who oppose these hate proposals as “triggered activists”. And after I spoke, he amended it to “triggered activists, from out of town”. He said he would not “participate in their psychosis”, referring to anyone who believes differently from him. The Vice-Mayor spoke disparagingly of the local LGBT+ center, essentially blaming it for gains made by the LGBT+ community in Tulare County. He was annoyed that anyone would speak confrontationally, and not grovel or kiss his ring. He condemned speakers for (paraphrasing, I’m not going back and try to find the exact words he used) yelling at them, rather than having a ‘conversation’. He seemed to forget that during ‘oral communications’, the public can only speak, and the council can only listen. There is no ‘conversation’ allowed by the Brown Act. He chastised speakers for being condescending towards the council, when most of his remarks on the issue were truly condescending of the public. I tell ‘ya, it’s all projection with these guys.

I did invite the council to contact The Source LGBT+ Center, and educate themselves with factual information on transgender issues. I’m not holding my breath on that.

Hate in a small town. It hasn’t been rooted out yet. It’s discouraging, but like I said during my comments, “we’re here, we’re queer, and we’re not going away”.

Porterville Mayor attacks LGBT community

February 28, 2025

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Greg Meister, Mayor of Porterville, California.

Two items on the Porterville City Council agenda for Tuesday, March 4, 2025 are listed below. At the Mayor’s behest, and with the apparent support of at least the Vice-Mayor, the council will consider two items attacking the LGBTQ community in Porterville. The city council has a long history of hate directed at it’s LGBTQ community.

On the consent agenda:

17. Request for Proclamation – Women’s Rights
Re: Considering approval of a request to proclaim Women’s Rights in the City of
Porterville

On the Scheduled Matters agenda:

24. Consideration of Proposed Establishment of Ordinance to Protect Women’s
Safe Spaces
Re: Council direction on the proposed establishment of an Ordinance to Protect
Women’s Safe Spaces

These are the first two steps in an attempt by the mayor to impose an ordinance prohibiting trans women from using women’s toilets or locker rooms, and ban them from women’s sports. Despite there being no credible examples, arrests, or convictions of trans women sexually assaulting cis women in those spaces, and that this ordinance will put the city in violation of California law, Meister has decided this is a solution he can get behind.

The head of the NCAA testified before Congress recently that in the 510,000 athletes in the association, he knew of fewer than ten who were transgender. A check of the sporting records does not show a takeover of top spots by trans women. They seem to fall in a random scale among women taking medals or setting records. There is no evidence of an ‘unfair advantage’ for trans women in any sport.

Let’s look at some research. This is posted at the National Institute of Health‘s National Library of Medicine, the National Center of Biotechnology Information:

An official website of the United States government

(Musk and his minions have obviously not stumbled upon this page. Nobody tell him, OK?)

Trans Women and Public Restrooms: The Legal Discourse and Its Violence

Abstract

Safe access to public restrooms is an essential need for participation in civic life, in the workplace, in educational settings, and other public spaces. This is no different for transgender people. However, access to public restrooms according to gender identity has sparked controversy to the extent that transgender people face embarrassment and even expulsion from these spaces. The lack of access of the transgender population to public restrooms has a negative impact on the physical and mental health of this population. Thus, this article aims to address the main consequences that the ban on the use of bathrooms has for the transgender population, specifically the access of transgender women to the women’s restroom. We covered some legal aspects of “bathroom laws” and the main arguments in this discussion. We understand that the prohibition of access to the restroom constitutes a form of gender violence and discrimination, as we conclude that the arguments that express concerns about safety are not supported.

For the entire publication, check here.

Now, I know research and facts will not sway right-wing nut jobs (not that I’m accusing the Mayor of being one, but if the shoe fits…), but the council should know that the larger LGBTQ community and our allies will not stand quietly by while they attack the trans community with lies and hatred. We will be heard and seen.

A public protest will occur before the City Council meeting, at 4:30pm, across from City Hall. The address of City Hall is 291 N. Main Street. Regular council meeting starts at 6:30 pm. Because of the way Porterville handles it’s council meetings, it could be late in the evening before the matter is handled, and public comments are heard.

Cage Rattling, 2025

February 24, 2025

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Elon’s DOGE gets my email

I asked ChatGPT for an image of Elon Musk, reading emails, with a confused look on his face. It wouldn’t create one, telling me that was a violation of it’s community guidelines. I suspect you can’t use a real person’s image as the basis for a hack job, I mean a creative interpretation. Oh well. This teenaged DOGE simulation will work almost as well.

So last week, Musk sent out that now notorious email to every federal employee, where he ordered them to respond by Friday, listing five things they did last week. He then Tweeted that if they didn’t respond by the deadline, he would take that as their resignation.

Somebody really needs to explain how the government works, because he doesn’t have a clue.

Anyway, I’m on Social Security, after paying into the program since 1974, so I better respond, right? Here’s my letter to Elon:

To: Musk, Elon

DOGE

HR@opm.gov

Here are the 5 bullet items I did last week, Elon. 
(As a Social Security recipient, I figure you’d want my response, too.)
1. I attended a City Council meeting. Two of them. The work session, and the regular session.
2. I attended a local sales tax oversight committee meeting.
3. I mowed my lawn
4. I took my husband to dinner several times during the week
5. I fed, watered, and emptied our dogs. (Thanks, David Gerrold, for the “empty the dogs” line! I love it! Sorry, I digress.)

Sincerely, (well, not THAT sincerely,)
Jim Reeves

Visalia, California

Dogs are children

February 24, 2025

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In many ways, dogs are like children.

There is the obvious way many people treat them, but I’m talking about their behavior.

Today’s missive is about how they act when you tell them to come back into the house, but they want to stay outside.

Once you get them to look at you, so they can’t think “I didn’t hear you” or “I didn’t know you were calling ME”, and they start walking towards you…. they start slowing down the closer they get to the door.

They keep looking at the gate, like they need to go back there and chase away a murderous mob.

You give them “the voice”, and they take a few more steps, each one slower than the previous, as they make their way sullenly towards you.

If you stop with the “get in here!” commands they will stop, turn, and begin to move away.

Children.

Good thing both the real ones and the furry ones are so darn cute.

Most of the time.

Sunnova – our rules only apply to you, not us

February 11, 2025

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So here’s the latest on the solar panel repair fiasco. They, of course, refuse to pay ME $100 for THEIR missing an appointment, although if the missed appointment had been MY fault, they would charge ME $100. My take on the situation? Don’t deal with Sunnova if you can avoid it.

02/11/2025

Dear Jim Reeves,

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns about the appointment.

I understand your frustration regarding the missed appointment and the lack of communication surrounding it.

After reviewing your case, I would like to clarify that while we strive to adhere to our service protocols and keep our customers informed, in this instance, the situation did not meet the criteria for a $100 fee as outlined in our policy. As a company, we do not apply fees for situations where we fail to meet the scheduled appointment window, and unfortunately, the circumstances surrounding your case do not qualify for a credit.

Please know that we take your concerns seriously, and I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We will continue to review our procedures to ensure better communication and service moving forward.

If you have further questions or need assistance, please reply to this email or log in to your MySunnova portal and chat with one of our friendly agents. They are available to help you with anything from account inquiries to troubleshooting.

Here’s how to get started:

  1. Visit MySunnova: Go to https://www.sunnova.com/mysunnova.
  2. Sign in: Enter your login credentials.
  3. Start Chat: Look for the chat icon in the lower left of your screen and initiate a conversation.

Our agents are ready to assist you promptly from 7 AM to 7 PM, Monday to Saturday.

Kindly,
Jenifer C.
Customer Service Representative
Sunnova Energy Corporation
Hours of operations are (CST):
Monday – Friday 7:00 AM to 12 midnight
Saturday 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday 12:00 PM to 12 midnight

The prior email chain:

RE: System SO0024XXXX
I was scheduled for a repair appointment for 2/5/2025, with the technician scheduled to arrive between 8am and 11am. I was home and available during those hours.
No one came to my home, and I was not contacted about a delay or a cancellation.
In the text message I received confirming my appointment is the following:
“$100 missed visit fee if the tech can’t access the system OR you cancel after 5pm the day before the appt.”

Since Sunnova’s text message says “we reserve the right to charge a $100 missed visit fee…”, I expect you’ll return the favor. I expect a $100 credit on my account for your tech not showing up to the scheduled appointment in the scheduled window (indeed, not showing up or contacting me for the entire day).

Please respond with confirmation that my account has been credited $100, and schedule a repair appointment since the original problem still exists.

Jim Reeves

On Feb 7, 2025, at 6:28 PM, Customer Service customerservice@sunnova.com wrote:

 Dear Jim Reeves,

Thank you for contacting Sunnova Energy regarding your appointment.

Please accept my sincerest apologies for the inconvenience that the rescheduling of your visit has caused. Due to protocol issues, we were compelled to change the date. However, I would like to emphasize that the fee will only be applied if the client is not at home when our technician arrives. If you are not present at the time of the technician’s visit, I extend my deepest regrets for the inconvenience. Nevertheless, I would like to underscore that the visit has already occurred.

Should you have further questions or need assistance, please reply to this email or log in to your MySunnova portal and chat with one of our friendly agents. They’re available to help you with anything from account inquiries to troubleshooting.

Here’s how to get started:

  1. Visit MySunnova: Go to https://www.sunnova.com/mysunnova.
  2. Sign in and enter your login credentials.
  3. Start Chat: Look for the chat icon in the lower left of your screen and initiate a conversation.
    Our agents are ready to assist you promptly from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Thank you for choosing Sunnova!
Best regards,
Jorge H.
Sunnova Energy Corporation
Customerservice@sunnova.com

2/7/25

“Jorge”,

The problem was not the need to reschedule my appointment due to “protocol issues” (whatever that means), my complaint was/is that the text messages confirming the original appointment included notice that my missing the appointment, or cancelling after 5pm the day before, would trigger a $100 fee.
Sunnova technicians did not arrive during the originally specified window, and did not notify me that they would be unable to fulfill their appointment, and especially for not alerting me to that before 5pm the prior day.
Therefore, since it is clearly Sunnova policy that appointments that are missed without notice prior to 5pm the day before are subject to a $100 fine, I expect no less than the same treatment in return.
I expect and demand that Sunnova credit my account $100 for Sunnova’s failure to arrive during the scheduled appointment window, and for not notifying me before 5pm the day prior.

Jim Reeves
Sent from my iPhone

*********************************************

Here’s the text message I received once sending a confirmation of the appointment they set:

SUNNOVA APPT CONFIRMED for 2/05/2025 between 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
$100 missed visit fee if the tech can’t access the system OR you cancel after 5PM the day before the appt.
RESCHEDULE/CANCEL via MySunnova appt link OR agent chat.
Reply STOP to opt out of appt texts

*********************************************

So in the final analysis, if the customer screws up and misses the appointment, they’ll charge $100 fee to the customer’s account. If Sunnova screws up and misses the appointment, it’s “oh well, we don’t pay you for our failure”.

EDIT: Addition:

This is not the only problem I’ve had with them, just so you know. They charged an exorbitant amount ($8,400) to remove and then later reinstall the panels to allow a new roof to be installed. They also failed to obtain the proper city permit to do the job, and then took 6 months to “investigate” the issue, all the while charging me for estimated production that my panels did not produce while they sat in my backyard waiting to go back up on the roof. Needless to say, after all that it may be a decade before I see any real financial savings from the system.

If you decide to have solar panels installed on a lease program, or any program where you don’t pay upfront for your own privately held system, be sure you won’t need a new roof during the life of the contract. It won’t pay if you have to remove-reinstall the system. The only benefit now will be in monthly cash-flow, as my electricity bill will decrease by some.

Needless to say, I’m not a happy camper right now.

It Will Always Be LGBTQ+, and more

February 1, 2025

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Screenshot

It doesn’t matter if Orange Dimwit orders the “T”in LGBT be dropped from government websites and documents. It’s not going away from where it really matters: our communities.
It doesn’t matter if the right wing echo chamber talking heads say trans people don’t exist. They’re lying and are fools.
It doesn’t matter because we have your backs, and won’t stop fighting the bigotry and hatred.
This applies to the “Q+” as well. And every other part of the “alphabet mafia”, too.
We’ve come too far, and destroyed too many closets. We’re not going to walk quietly into new ones.
We’re here, we’re queer, and they just poked the tiger.

Did I witness fraud? Maybe yes, maybe no

January 1, 2025

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Jefferson School, circa 1917, demolished in 1967. Was there fraud involved? I think maybe.

I attended 4th grade at Jefferson School in 1966, maybe 1965. I remember a huge brick building, with cement aprons around the sides and back for basketball and four-square courts, volleyball poles, and assorted other recess activity markings. I don’t really recall much of the interior, other than the auditorium/cafeteria. That is (was) located on the ‘backside’ of the building as we’re looking at it in the above picture.

Now, Jefferson School is Jefferson Park. The cement is long gone, along with the building. This image is taken from about where the event I witnessed took place, which would be along the north side of the building. (the front of the building shown in the picture above faces east)

So, fraud? I don’t know. My memories are those of a 9 year old, seeing something odd over the course of the school day. Those memories are 58 years old, but I believe I’m recalling it pretty well, since it made an impression on me at the time.

Here’s my scenario:

It’s the mid-1960’s, and Visalia is growing. The school, a (presumably) unreinforced brick structure, might be considered unsafe in the event of an earthquake. The 7.5 Tehachapi earthquake of 1952 might have been the driving force of the demolition of the school, but if that’s so, they waited a long time to act. I don’t know if the school suffered any damage during that quake, however.

Here’s what happened, as I remember it.

I was at school, and it was time for the first recess. I went out to the north side playground, and noticed a ladder perched up against the side of the building. There was a tripod of some sort a few feet away.

Noted. Grown-up stuff, only momentarily interesting.

At lunch, the ladder was still there, this time with someone at the top, futzing with the top layer of bricks underneath the eaves of the building. The tripod now had some kind of film camera mounted to it. Adults standing around, doing grown-up things, again only momentarily interesting. There’s the bell, time to get back to class.

Afternoon recess, and the ladder is still there. So is the man at the top of it, still futzing with the bricks. This time it’s different, though. He comes down, and they set up the film camera.

Now here’s where I think the fraud comes in.

During the recess, and I think the timing was just a coincidence, they started filming. The man climbs the ladder, takes a chisel and a hammer, and begins beating on the bricks under the eaves. The brick comes out with little effort. The man removes it, holds it out so the camera can see it, then climbs down.

End of recess, the bell rings, and we go running back to class. (we’re 9 and 10 year olds. We still run to class)

So.

They took most of the day to work that brick loose, then filmed a man climbing the ladder, hitting it a few times with a hammer and chisel, and then pulling the brick out. I think someone may have wanted that building to seem much more dangerous than it might truly have been.

Anyone know where those bricks ended up? Brick fireplaces were pretty common in home construction back then, and that school would have made a lot of them.

It might have been a perfectly innocent thing. I was only 9 years old, after all, and not at all cognizant of grown-up things. But I’ve always had this memory, and there’s little chance I will ever know what really happened.

So, I wonder.

A mystery, a hunt, then success!

October 15, 2024

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On September 8, I wrote about the City of Visalia and it’s Charter. I noticed in one section it said (Deleted November 4, 1974). No mention of what that section was, or why it was “deleted”.

Under Article XVI, Section 21 said simply “(Deleted November 4, 1974)”

Well, I needed to know what that was all about.

I cogitated about it for a while. A mystery that kept bugging me, begging to be solved. Last Monday I decided to track down the truth, if possible. Looking online hadn’t turned up the missing section, and it had been 50 years since the change was made. The local newspaper doesn’t have online access for historical stuff, and while I had the date of the vote taken to approve changes to the Charter, I didn’t know when the City Council had acted to put the measure on the ballot. That could have been almost any time in 1974, to have time to get it on the mid-term election ballot in November. I really didn’t want to sit in front of the micro-fiche reader at the library, scrolling through the newspapers for every day that year! (Are micro-fiche readers and their films still a thing?)

The hunt had to be done the old-fashioned way – sleuthing in person.

I headed down to the library to see if they had a copy of the original charter, but they were closed for Indigenous People’s Day (It might be called something else, too, but never mind that…)

Next stop – The City Clerk’s office. I was surprised to find the offices open, since it was that holiday. I also expected it might take a while to find that for which I was looking. I was afraid that the relevant documents would be in that warehouse where the US Government stuck the Ark of the Covenant, as seen in one of the Indiana Jones’ movies, or in Warehouse 13. The City Clerk thought it might take some digging, too. The Assistant City Manager came by as we were discussing the Charter, and since he’s new to the city as well, he didn’t know anything about the change. The Clerk took my info, and told me she would research it. I expected I might hear something back in a week or so, if I was lucky. Surprise, surprise, they found and emailed me the original text before I even got home! Talk about service!

The original Charter contained the following:

Article XVI. Miscellaneous Provisions:

Section 21.

Neither the City Manager nor any person in the employ of the City shall take any active part in securing, or shall contribute money toward the nomination or election of any candidate for a municipal office.

Seems in 1974 the City decided to do a bit of tweaking to the Charter, and since the only way it can be changed is a vote of the people, it was on the ballot in November 1974. The above section was deleted. (I’m assuming it was due to infringing on people’s rights to support the candidate of their choice, even though they were city employees.) Some other wording was added, looks like to clarify some minor things that had changed in the previous 50 years.

It’s been 50 years since that update, and I think it’s time to do another refresh.

I noticed references to the City Manager (and other offices as well) as “he” or “his” throughout the Charter. We don’t have a “he/him” City Manager now, so time to change the masculine pronouns to gender-neutral.

(the fact that changing masculine pronouns in city documents will undoubtedly raise the blood pressure of those who see such things as “woke liberalism” is a bonus in my book!)

Thank you to the new City Clerk, Jennifer Gomez, for digging this up for me!

Mystery solved!

(even if it was a bit anti-climatic. I was hoping for some good, scandalous dirt! oh well…)

The Last (?) Goodbye

September 22, 2024

Jim Reeves fiction, Personal , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

In January, 2022, the local LGBTQ community and I lost a great friend with the passing of Gail McCarthy. I often called her “Mom”, after an amusing incident at the local Quiznoz.

Gail wrote lesbian murder mysteries, as G.L. McCarthy. The Alexandria Whitney Murder Mystery series is available on Amazon, at this link: https://www.amazon.com/stores/G.-L.-McCarthy/author/B00EGDGED4

I was invited to edit the last published book in the series, Not A Good Reason, and even make an appearance, by name and occupation, in it! Cool beans!

Gail was writing the sixth novel in the series when she passed, and her estate doesn’t seem interested in finishing it or having it published. This kind of leaves the characters hanging, so I decided to engage in a little “fan fiction”, and write a (very) short ending to the series. This story takes place about a decade after the events in Not A Good Reason, so if the McCarthy estate should ever decide to finish the book Gail was working on, it should not step on anything there.

Now, I’m a blogger, and have written a few things here and there, but I’m no novelist. I have to admit that I used ChatGTP for this, but I did set the stage, and edited the result quite a bit. So thanks for the help, ChatGTP, but I’m still taking (most of) the credit for this! 😉

Title: The Last (?) Goodbye

Alexandria Whitney, or Alex as everyone called her, stood in the kitchen of her quaint home in rural New York. The morning sun filtered through the windows, casting soft, golden beams onto the worn wooden table where she had shared countless breakfasts with her wife, Sam, a local sheriff’s deputy. It was their sanctuary, a place filled with warmth, laughter, and a sense of belonging. Alex had been reminiscing about her “adventures” over the years, particularly the one that brought Oscar into their lives. About ten years ago, a 16-year-old ghost of a Civil War soldier, who had been accused of desertion and executed, joined their family, and had been living with them ever since.

It was a crisp autumn morning, and as Alex sipped her freshly brewed coffee, she glanced out the kitchen window. Her heart caught in her throat as she caught sight of Oscar standing near the detached garage, seemingly engaged in a conversation with another figure at the edge of the forest that bordered their home. The stranger was a woman, possibly in her late sixties, with a thick head of grey hair cropped short and neatly combed. Intrigued, Alex grabbed her sweater and stepped out onto the porch.

With an unfocused sense of foreboding, she called out, “Who are you talking to, Oscar?” As her heart thumped in her chest, she walked down the steps and onto the leaf-strewn path that led to the edge of the yard.

Oscar turned to her, with a sad look on his face. “Alex,” he replied, tilting his head slightly. “Meet Gail. I call her the Storyteller.”

Alex quickened her pace as she approached the garage and the edge of the forest. The woman in question began to drift away, floating into the forest, her form graceful, but becoming more tenuous. “Wait!” Alex shouted, desperate to know what was happening.

But the woman only glanced back once, a soft smile flickering across her lips, and appearing to whisper something, before she melted into the trees, vanishing like mist in the morning sun.

“Who is she? Where did she go?” Alex asked, turning her gaze back to Oscar, who now looked pensive. “What do you mean, ‘the storyteller’?”

Oscar sighed, his voice distant. “Her name was Gail. She lived out west, in California I think. She came to say goodbye, and to apologize, although I told her that was not necessary. Something’s happened. I think she can no longer tell our stories. Not anymore.”

“California? Oscar, I don’t understand!” Alex was understandably confused. Although accepting Oscar as a ghost and letting him live with her and Sam wasn’t too much of a reach for her, since she already had experience with the ghosts of her spirit guides Anna and Ramon, the idea that was forming in her mind was upsetting.

Alex felt a growing sense of unease flow through her. The forest, which had always stood proud and vibrant, suddenly seemed to shift. The colors grew dull, the trees appearing to wither, their leaves fluttering down in a dance of decay.

“What do you mean she can’t tell our stories anymore?” Alex pressed, her heart racing. “Why are you saying goodbye?”

Oscar stared into the forest where she had vanished, his expression troubled, yet resigned. “I think… I think our time here is ending, Alex. Soon, we’ll all be together on the other side.”

Just then, Sam walked out from the house, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “Hey, Alex, what’s going on? Why does the forest look so…?” She hesitated, searching for the right word. “Faded?”

“There was a woman,” Alex explained quickly, urgency lacing her voice. “Oscar calls her the storyteller. She just — she just floated away into the forest and disappeared!”

Sam exchanged a glance with Oscar, who gave a slight nod, his brow furrowing. “Something is happening. I think I understand what’s going on. The Storyteller has left her world to go on to the next, and can no longer tell our stories. I think we’re going with her.”

“Is she… is she the reason you’re all fading?” Alex asked Oscar, panic beginning to bubble beneath the surface. As she reached to embrace Sam, she noticed her arm no longer appeared solid, but was now as ephemeral as Oscar when he didn’t concentrate on being solidly in the living world. “…everything’s fading?”

Oscar turned, his ghostly essence shimmering slightly. “Stories need to be told, Alex. They give us life. Without them, we lose our place in the world. If she can no longer tell our stories, we might disappear completely.”

As Alex looked back at the forest, a creeping fear seeped into her bones. “But we can’t just fade away! There must be something we can do!”

Sam hesitated, then said, “Sometimes, the stories we live don’t have a clear end. Heaven knows I’ve seen that in my work as a deputy. But perhaps if they share our stories — if they’re written — it might keep us alive a little longer.”

The weight of her words hung heavy in the air. Alex glanced at Sam, who nodded in determination, as if she understood the gravity of the situation before them. “The storyteller will keep telling our story, Alex,” Sam assured her, stepping closer to Alex’s side. “Her stories are out there, reaching new people all the time. As long as they’re read and enjoyed, we’ll still be alive, somewhere.”

In that moment, Alex felt a surge of hope. “The storyteller told our stories,” she realized. “People will know us, everything we’ve been through together. That’ll make sure we’re never forgotten.”

As she spoke, the forest seemed to respond, the trees gently rustling as if they had heard her vow. Oscar smiled weakly, but there was a newfound light in his eyes, a flicker of hope.

“I think that’s all we can ask for,” he said softly. “To be together, whatever happens next. I know I’m not afraid of the future, as long as I’m with the two of you.”

Alex looked into the slowly fading forest, at the place where she last saw the storyteller. “Thank you, whoever you were. Thank you for letting us be part of your world, and thank you for being part of ours, however long it might last.”

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