Spider Quinn 03: Comes Great Responsibility - Part 3

 

As Amy and Daria talked, Helen talked to her mother.

 

“Do you know what happened?” Theresa Barksdale asked.

 

“Just that there was an attempted carjacking.”

 

“It seems Lawndale is not as safe as you thought it was.”

 

“Oh no! It was more likely to happen in Highland, than here. It can happen in any town. Our moving to Lawndale is not responsible,” Helen answered.

 

“According to the latest news, the crime rate is increasing.”

 

“Where are you getting that information?”

 

“I have been getting the Sun Herald delivered,” Theresa answered.

 

“I see.”

 

“Anyway, I can tell you that it does get easier, with time…”

 

 

And so, the day continued, with each survivor of the Lawndale Morgendorffers unloading in a healthy or not so healthy way.

 

Helen continued taking and making calls, reflecting on how Jake helped her not feel lonely in College and later on, in the Commune.

 

“…That sounds right,” Willow Yeager considered. “You two completed each other, and now you’re bereft. But you don’t have to be alone. You can always call Coyote and I.”

 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Helen responded.

 

 

Daria and Jane hung out together, much as they usually did. Daria told Jane of the good times, she and her father had when she was younger, although she considered them to be few and far between.

 

“I don’t think they were,” Jane said as she looked at the afternoon shadows in the backyard. “But then, my experience is atypical.”

 

Daria nodded. “Still, knowing that is all that there will be, does make me sad.”

 

Jane nodded. “Still, I’ll need to be going. Ms. Li allowed me to skip school today, but I don’t know about tomorrow.”

 

“True.”

 

 

However, Quinn was still taking it quite hard, no matter what Stacy and Sandi were saying, or not saying. As they got ready to go, they knew that Quinn was going to continue taking it hard.

 

 

The next day, Daria was back at school, but Quinn wasn’t.

 

“…And that’s why Quinn isn’t in today,” Helen said.

 

“I see, Mrs. Morgendorffer. However, I expect her to be back as soon as possible.”

 

“She’ll be back when I think she’s ready.”

 

 

Lawndale Sun-Herald

Thursday November 12, 1999

Obituaries

Jacob Elias Morgendorffer

June 23, 1952 – November 8, 1999

Husband of Helen, Father of Daria and Quinn, Daughter of Ruth.

 

 

The Funeral was held on a snowy Tuesday.

 

The Morgendorffers weren’t religious in any way, although they were New Age during their Commune days. However, there was tradition. Jake’s mother, Ruth was still a regular Episcopalian parishioner. Therefore, the funeral was held at the local Episcopalian parish, St. Andrews.

 

Helen, Daria and Quinn arrived at the church and met Ruth and Jake’s sister Deborah. Theresa, Amy, Rita and Rita’s daughter Erin arrived shortly afterwards. There were a few others who had known Jake in Lawndale and elsewhere, but that was it.

 

 

After a hymn it was time for the Eulogies.

 

Helen was first.

 

“Jake was my partner. He was the father of my daughters. He was there for me no matter how hard it got during Law School…”

 

Then it was Ruth, followed by Daria.

 

But it was Quinn’s Eulogy that was the most hard hitting, as she poured out her raw emotion.

 

“…I will not forget the last words he said. For With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.”

 

 

After the funeral, Quinn knew that she had to do something. But she wasn’t sure. Her mother and Daria were going on with their lives, but she wasn’t sure. She opened her closet and laid her eyes on the SpiderGirl costume she had used that night. “With great power comes great responsibility,” she repeated to herself. She then produced some webbing and drew it out of the closet. “I know what I have to do!”

 

 

The next day, Helen brought breakfast to Quinn. “Are you going to school today?” she asked.

 

“Not today,” Quinn answered. “But maybe on Friday.”

 

“I see,” Helen said.

 

 

With her mother gone, Quinn re-opened her sketchbook and continued redesigning the suit. She came up with a skin-tight version, with polarised lenses. She had many old sunglasses she could use for that last item. She spent the morning making it.

 

However, there was a problem, her hair came out the bottom of it, even when tied back in two low buns. The rest of the suit worked well. Nothing showed that she didn’t want to show. She took the mask off. ‘Maybe the hair could come out as a ponytail, pigtails, or a bun?’ she wondered. She spent a while making another mask, to allow the hair to come through as either a ponytail or pigtails.

 

Another problem. She was sure that there weren’t too many redheads in Lawndale. “So, what is the average hair color and length at Lawndale High?” she asked after taking the mask off again. She grabbed her yearbook and started going through it.

 

 

“A light brown,” Quinn considered, in the mid afternoon, after her mother had brought her lunch. She wrote that in her sketchbook. “And shorter. I can live with that.” If she didn’t like it, she could re-grow it, and use a temporary dye. She quickly sketched a picture of herself with light brown hair, slightly shorter than Daria’s.

“Right. I’ll see if I can get an appointment at a salon tomorrow.”

 

 

And so, she left her room and went down to the kitchen to look in the telephone directory, as she wanted to use a different salon than the one she had used since she arrived in Lawndale.

 

 

“Quinn?”  Helen asked when her younger daughter got off the phone.

 

“I want to try something new,” Quinn answered.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I just don’t want you acting rash at a difficult time.”

 

“I know.”

 

 

The next day, Quinn was nervous, but she also wanted it over with.

 

“So, you want like that?” the hairdresser asked, showing a magazine article.

 

“Yes. That shade of brown is cute, and not too similar to either of my friends’ shades,” Quinn answered. She didn’t want to be too similar to either Sandi or Stacy, given that the former would be even more of a rival and the latter would be even more panicky.”

 

“And you’re sure you want to go that short?”

 

“Yes!”

 

 

An hour later, Quinn walked out of the salon slightly refreshed. She knew the shorter hair would take some getting used to, but she had liked what she saw in the mirror. She headed straight home.

 

 

Daria was back from school by the time Quinn got home. Quinn entered and Daria thought for a brief moment that she was looking at a popular version of herself. Only the lack of glasses and their clothes really distinguished them from each other. “Oh!” she said.

 

“Is that all you can say?” Quinn asked.

 

“Not really. Just that you look more like me,” Daria said quietly.

 

“Not really, your hair is auburn,” Quinn responded. She ran her hand through her hair. “This is light brown.”

 

“There’s not much difference,” Daria shot back. She then went up the stairs with her afternoon snacks.

 

Quinn sighed. With her father gone, she wanted to at least get on better with Daria. She wasn’t sure when she first came to that realisation. She then headed up to her room.

 

 

Having put her suit on again, she put her hair up in pigtails. ‘Not too similar to Brittany,’ she thought. That was one reason why she didn’t go blonde, she supposed. She then put the mask on. ‘Perfect,’ she thought as she looked in the mirrors. The black and red of the suit, along with the barely shoulder length light brown pigtails looked very stylish. She looked outside. It was getting late and the sun was beginning to set. ‘Time to start,’ she thought. She opened the side window and then swung up on to the roof.

 

She looked out over Lawndale towards downtown and then set out to fight crime. She gave a yell as she jumped off the house from above her mother’s bedroom and swung away.

 

 

Officer Xanthe Peterson came to the scene, where a suspect was stuck in some kind of web. That was something she was unfamiliar with. She also saw a piece of paper attached. On it, in stylised writing was written; Courtesy of your Friendly Neighborhood SpiderGirl.

 

There was a sound above as of a thwip! She looked up and saw an obviously feminine figure wearing a concealing suit swinging away into the distance.

Church notes - 26th November 2023

 26th 

Luke 8:42 - 48

Cured and Healed

Context - Jarius was leading Jesus to his dying daughter amidst a time when Jesus was healing a lot of other people/

vs 45

Crowd

Unclean woman.

The woman had no access to the Temple and was cut off from society.

Why did Israel have such rigid purity laws?

Leviticus 15:25 - 33

vs 44

She needed the cover of the crowd. She would not have got any where near Jesus otherwise.

One moment mattered.

It matters

- Denied

- Dismissed.

Exposed

- Risky

- Deliberate

- Necessary

(Otherwise, what proof would there be of her healing? Or she would have thought it a coincidence.)

vs 47, 48

Confession

- She was sick

- She reached out and touched Jesus

- She was healed by faith

- She was then at peace

Similarly

- We are to reach out to Jesus and confess our sins.

- Accept His forgiveness and remember that we are forgiven and thank Him for it.

24th November 2023 Writings

 

24^th

 

Excerpt from: Beginning of Something New

“Now, enter the classroom and sit down,” she said. “In the order of the line, with those at the front sitting at the front of the class.”

 

“Really, Miss?”

 

“Yes!” she answered with exasperation. The students then filed in without much complaint.

 

 

Clarissa Violet wrote her name on the board. Miss Findlay.

 

“Now, roll call. Kane, Marissa.”

 

“Here!”

 

Words: 58

 

 

Excerpt from: Friday the 13^th

“That’s a good idea,” Johanna said. “It’s most likely at the hospital, if the person who appears to be Daniel’s brother is there.”

 

“But it might have helped him escape,” Helga responded.

 

“Probably,” Bronwyn said.

 

“We could go there now and have lunch later,” Jess suggested.

 

“A good idea,” Helga said.

 

So, they left the College and went to Johanna’s car…

 

 

They narrowly missed, Daniel, Carina and Flora arriving at the College.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to come in?” Daniel asked Carina.

 

“Quite sure,” Carina responded.

 

Words: 88

 

 

Excerpt from: Downtime

But the ship was on a long warp and she was certain that her daughter was occupied with her friends. She exited her ready room. “Everything is peaceful, Captain,” Commander Jack Ransom said.

 

“Good!” She said as she headed to the turbolift.

 

“Deck 6.”

 

Deck 6 was the largest deck on a California class starship. Therefore there were a large number of facilities on the deck, including the security section. The Captain’s destination was near the security section and shared the different look to its corridors.

 

Words: 86

 

 

Excerpt from: In the House of Tom Bombadil

“Heed no nightly noise! Fear no grey willow!” He then blew out the candle and left the room.

 

 

“They’re in bed?” Goldberry asked.

 

“Young Hobbits are sleeping. Nothing will disturb their rest. You can go about your cleaning day with no fear of disturbing them,” Tom replied.

 

Goldberry smiled. That was good news. It was rare that she, the river daughter, and Tom, the Eldest had visitors. For a long while, only Farmer Maggot (and his ancestors) had visited from the Shire.

 

Words: 82

 

 

Excerpt from: Spider Quinn

‘I guess that would do,’ Daria thought. “Right. But we are going to investigate, regardless.”

 

“Good.”

 

 

“Here they are!” Helen said.

 

“They have grown,” Linda said.

 

“Daria’s 17 and Quinn, 15.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Now,” Helen said. “What happened. You say that you faked your death?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Why?” Helen asked. “What happened.”

 

“First, how long ago did Jake pass away?” Linda asked.

 

“Nearly a month ago,” Quinn answered quietly.

 

“Oh. It’s raw.”

 

“Of course, it’s raw!” Quinn said bitterly. “I saw him die!”

 

There was shock on Linda’s face. “I didn’t now, sorry.”

 

There was an awkward moment of silence.

 

 

Daria looked to Linda. She still wasn’t sure what to make of her. “So, you faked your death?” she asked, one eye on the still crying Quinn.

 

“Yes,” Linda answered, and she started telling her story.

 

 

It was ten years ago.

 

Linda pulled up to the Morgendorffers house in Highland. She knew it would be a long time, if at all, before she would be able to see Jake and Helen again. She looked around the street as she went up the door. Most of the houses looked dilapidated.

 

 

She rang the doorbell.

 

Words: 192

 

 

Total: 526

20th November 2023 Writings

 

20^th

 

Excerpt from: Quinn and the Café

It was an ordinary night in Lawndale. Then an alarm sounded as thieves made off with equipment from a ransacked cybercafe.

 

 

The next morning, Quinn Morgendorffer looked at the paper as she grabbed milk from the fridge.

 

Words: 37

 

 

Excerpt from: Fear in the Future

“The only way to find out would be to actually go forwards and find out,” Daniel said.

 

“I suppose.”

 

“So, 400 years?”

 

“300 to start,” Jess decided.

 

“Sure.”

 

“It’s best to do it slowly.”

 

“Of course.”

 

 

After dinner, Jess went to Daniel’s room.

 

“Are you sure you want to do it tonight?” Daniel asked.

 

“You’ve had a long day?”

 

Words: 59

 

 

Excerpt from: Middleton and Bonnie Rockwaller’s Genie

“What a dream!” She did not remember many details. She did however remember the emerald and picked it up as she climbed out of bed. The emerald looked dirtier in the early morning light than it had the previous afternoon. “I need to get the dirt off,” she said. She began rubbing it.

 

What happened next was entirely unexpected. It frightened her much more than the nightmare did.

 

The Emerald lit up! Bonnie dropped it in shock and collapsed back onto her bed.

 

Words: 83

 

 

Excerpt from: Spider Quinn

“Oh. Well then, never mind. All right!” Kevin then said.

 

Brittany was about to say something in addition but apparently thought better of it.

 

“Good morning. As you know, we're here to clear up some misunderstandings and suspicions so we can all feel better about each other and ourselves. So without further ado, I present to you a work in progress, a solo performance I call ‘Nothing to Lose But His Chains: The Life of Karl Marx.’ The year is 1848.” O’Neill pressed play on a tape recorder and an exercise tape began playing. “Oh, dear, that's my exercise tape!”

 

Mr. DeMartino then appeared.

 

“Anthony! You weren't kidnapped!” O’Neill said in surprise.

 

“All right! I finally convinced those glorified dogcatchers from Immigration that I am not an illegal alien. But now I have a question. Who told them I was?”

 

Daria saw Ms. Barch murmur something under her breath.

 

“Maybe it was the mind control babes from space, Mr. D., trying to create a distraction,” Charles said.

 

“Who?” DeMartino asked.

 

“Them!” Charles said pointing at Daria and Jane.

 

“Um, I hate to wreck a perfectly good lynching, but you're the ones acting weird,” Daria responded.

 

“Us?” Kevin asked. “Mr. O'Neill said you're out to destroy football.”

 

“No! I was telling them about how communists and Martians are the same.”

 

“That'll clear things up.”

 

“So there's no communist unfiltration?” Kevin asked.

 

“And there's no alien takeover?” Charles asked.

 

“Oh, I don't know. How do you explain that?” Jane asked, as she pointed to where Quinn was joined by Stacy and Tiffany in dressing in all black.”

 

“We're dressed this way for solidarity,” Tiffany asked.

 

“To help support Quinn in her grief,” Stacy added.

 

“That makes sense,” Daria murmured as the crowded added a murmur of support.

 

“Does it?” Jane asked.

 

“Yes,” Daria said.

 

“I liked it better when they were under alien control,” Jane groused.

 

“It was more believable,” Daria said with her usual sarcasm.

 

“So you see, everyone? Mr. DeMartino's disappearance, all these communist and alien worries... simple misunderstandings, all of them. What do you say we cement our newfound unity by joining hands and singing ‘Man in the Mirror’?”

 

The teens booed and hissed and left.

 

 

Later, Ms. Li called Mr. O’Neill into her office.

 

“It has come to my attention that you organised a rally this morning.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“It was unauthorised! You should have come to me if you wanted to clear up the various misunderstandings surrounding Mr. DeMartino’s arrest.”

 

“I’m sorry. It was off the cuff.”

 

“It won’t happen again. Do I make myself clear.”

 

“No it won’t. I’ll call you first.”

 

“Good. Dismissed.”

 

She watched the Language Arts teacher leave. She then went back to the reports that SpiderGirl had been sighted on campus.

 

 

That night, SpiderGirl thought about the past two days as she patrolled Lawndale’s downtown, swinging from rooftop to rooftop. Conspiracy theories spreading through the school wasn’t a good thing. But at least none of them involved her.

 

Words: 495

 

Total: 674

Spider Quinn 03: Comes Great Responsibility - Part 2

 Jane knocked on Daria’s door.

 

“Come in,” Daria said.

 

Jane entered and saw that her friend was still in her PJs and reading a book on her bed. “Daria?”

 

Daria got up and went and hugged Jane, Jane was surprised, and then hugged back.

 

 

They then both sat on the bed. “I don’t know what to say,” Jane said.

 

“That you’re here is enough,” Daria said. “It was so sudden. Like, he wasn’t the best father in the world, but he was my father. If only I had spent more time with him. I’m going to miss his cluelessness. The time spent reading the paper together and just him being there. What I’m not going to miss is his rants about his own father.”

 

Jane shrugged. “At least he was here. Not like mine, who only comes to Lawndale very infrequently.”

 

“True,” Daria said. She paused and breathed deeply, “I’m more concerned about Quinn, than myself or my mother.”

 

“How so?” Jane asked.

 

“She blames herself. Dad had gone to pick her up from a date.”

 

“I see.”

 

Daria was then silent for a while.

 

 

“Stacy!” Stacy’s mother said as she came into the room.

 

“Mom?” Stacy asked after seeing the serious look on her mother’s face.

 

“Something terrible has happened. Quinn’s father was the victim of last nights shooting.”

 

“Oh no!” Stacy said, her eyes full of tears.

 

“That was her mother on the phone. Quinn is blaming herself. She needs her friends.”

 

“Of course,” Stacy said. “I’ll go there now!”

 

 

While Stacy headed to the Morgendorffer’s, a similar conversation was happening at the Griffin’s.

 

“I’ll go now,” Sandi said.

 

“Very good, Sandi. Help Quinn.”

 

As she left the room, Linda realised that she didn’t know what she would do if she lost Tom.

 

 

Stacy rang the doorbell, and Helen answered the door. “Oh, thank you, Stacy. I’m quite beside myself about her. As if losing Jakey wasn’t enough.”

 

“I’ll go right up.”

 

 

Quinn heard the knocking on the door. “Go away!” she said, barely lifting her head from the sheets.

 

“Quinn! It’s Stacy!” her friend’s concerned voice said.

 

Quinn rushed to the door.

 

“Oh sorry, Stacy. I thought it was Mom or Daria!”

 

“It was your Mom who called me,” Stacy said as she sat on a chair and closed the door.

 

“But it was my fault, Stacy!” Quinn said. “If I had talked to him more after that spider bite, he wouldn’t have wanted to drive me last night!”

 

“Quinn, you’re not at fault. It was that guy who is at fault!” Stacy said.

 

“That’s what Daria said,” Quinn said quietly.

 

“I’m here now. You can talk to me. I’ll try to keep it together, for you.’

 

“Thanks, Stacy,” Quinn said, as she started crying again.

 

There was another knock at the door.

 

“Who’s that?” Quinn asked.

 

“Sandi,” came the answer.

 

“Let her in,” Quinn said.

 

“Are you sure?” Stacy whispered.

 

Quinn nodded.

 

 

Stacy opened the door. She saw that Sandi didn’t have her usual haughty look about her.

 

“I’m here for Quinn,” Sandi said sincerely.

 

“Come in,” Stacy said. “I think she needs both of us.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear about what happened,” Sandi said as she entered.

 

“Thanks,” Quinn said.

 

 

They were quiet for a while. Tiffany didn’t come, because Helen had forgotten her in her own grief.

 

 

After Sandi had gone up to Quinn’s room, Helen called her older sister, Rita.

 

Rita was shocked to hear that Jake had died. “I’ll get to Lawndale as soon as possible,” she said.

 

“Just let me tell Mother,” Helen said.

 

“Of course,” Rita said.

 

“I’ll hold you to that.”

 

 

After calling Rita, Helen called her other sister, Amy.

 

“I’m afraid that I can’t get to Lawndale until later this week,” Amy said. “Otherwise I would have been there today.”

 

“That’s alright,” Helen said.

 

“It will take that long to organise replacements for my lectures.”

 

“At least Eric was understanding.”

 

“How so?” Amy asked.

 

“He offered bereavement leave right away.”

 

“He probably knows that you wouldn’t be at your best right now.”

 

“True,” Helen considered.

 

 

Jane was watching Daria write something on her computer when Helen entered and held out the cordless phone. “Aunt Amy would like to talk to you,” she said.

 

“Sure,” Daria said as she took the phone.

 

 

“How are you holding up?” Amy asked her favorite niece.

 

“I’m still shocked.”

 

“Understandable. It took until the funeral to accept it when my father passed.”

 

“But I’m sure that you were well into adulthood,” Daria said.

 

“That’s true, but I don’t think one’s age matters, a sudden death still hits hard.”

19th November 2023 Writings

 

19^th

 

Excerpt from: A Fellowship of 10

“There is food in the wild,” Strider answered. “Berry, root and herb; and I have some skill as a hunter at need. You need to be afraid of starving before winter comes. But gathering and hunting food is long and weary work and we need haste. So tighten your belts and think with hope of the tables of Elrond’s house!”

It got colder as the night deepened. Peering out from the edge of the dell, they couldn’t see anything other than but a grey land disappearing into shadow. Hanna and her companions huddled around the fire, wrapped in every garment and blanket they had; but it seemed that Strider was content with a simple cloak.

 

As the night continued he told them tales of long ago, of Elves and Men in the Elder days, of Gil-galad and then Tinuviel. He had finished telling of them of Beren and Luthien and their connection to the Kings of Numenor when Merry noticed something.

Words: 161

 

 

Excerpt from: Convergence on Lawndale

“I believe that we established that,” Kaelyn answered in a snide tone.

 

“I mean. Are you known to the government as a human or what?” Ron asked.

 

“Ah,” Kaelyn said, quietly. “Apparently, I was named after a daughter they lost. But they haven’t said much about her.”

 

“I see,” Kim said. It didn’t surprise her that much.

 

“Far from the first time I encountered such,” the Doctor commented.

 

“Both of them are engineers who work for Landon Engineering.”

 

“Haven’t heard of it,” Ron said.

 

Words: 84

 

 

Excerpt from: Spider Quinn

Stacy was quiet for a while, before they started talking about other things.

 

 

Daria soon returned home. “Are you OK?” Helen asked when she came in.

 

“I’m fine. I mean, I miss Dad, but that’s not why had gone out.”

 

Helen nodded. “Still, I am worried for both of you.”

 

“I think it’s Quinn you need to look out for more,” Daria said as she headed up the stairs.

 

“I know.”

 

 

Shortly after Daria got back, Stacy saw her mother pull up outside. “I’ll be going,” she said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

 

“Wait, Stacy,” Quinn said.

 

“Yes?” Stacy asked.

 

“You’re interested in Superheroes right?”

 

“What brought this on?” Stacy asked. “Is it SpiderGirl?”

 

“In a way,” Quinn answered enigmatically. “I have seen some of your books.”

 

“Oh right,” Stacy remembered. “When I was younger, I collected comics and bought books. But that changed after I met Sandi in middle school.” She looked outside again and saw that her mother was coming up to the front door. “But that can wait.”

 

“Of course,” Quinn said.

 

“Wait, Stacy,” Tiffany said.

 

“What now?” Stacy asked, slightly annoyed.

 

“Could you take me home?” Tiffany asked.

 

“Sure!” Stacy said.

 

 

Helen opened the door. “Hello, Elisabeth. Stacy will be down shortly.”

 

Elisabeth Rowe entered. “How are you holding up?” she asked.

 

“I’m fine. Keeping busy, mostly. My sisters are helping, funnily enough.”

 

“You’re lonely, aren’t you?”

 

“Yes,” Helen admitted.

 

“You aren’t alone,” Elisabeth said taking one of Helen’s hands.

 

“Thanks, but I don’t know you much,” Helen said.

 

Stacy and Tiffany then came down the stairs. “Mom, Tiffany would like a lift home,” the former said.

 

“Sure,” Elisabeth said to her daughter. She turned to Helen. “Would you like to come to a café tomorrow evening?”

 

“I’ll see if I can swing it with work,” Helen answered. ‘It would be a good idea,’ she thought.

 

“I’ll hold you to it.”

 

 

“How’s Quinn?” Elisabeth asked her daughter as she pulled away from the Morgendorffers.

 

“She’s still grieving, but she’s coping in her own way,” Stacy answered.

 

“That’s good.”

 

“You’re concerned for Mrs. Morgendorffer, aren’t you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

 

Lawndale Sun-Herald

Wednesday, December 2, 1999

Teacher Arrested

Anthony DeMartino, a History teacher at Lawndale High was mysteriously arrested on school grounds yesterday by Federal agents.

 

 

When Daria and Jane arrived at school, Mr. O’Neill’s rally was already underway.

 

“So that's why I say commies aren't team players, so keep them out of team sports. All right!” Kevin said.

 

“Yay, no commie team!” Brittany added.

 

“Um, thank you, Kevin. But actually, the communist is your ultimate team player. The team is all; the individual, nothing,” O’Neill said.

 

Words: 438

 

 

Total: 582

18th November 2023 Writings

 

18^th

 

Excerpt from: Mega Mall Mega Problems

“Good,” Daria said under her breath.

 

 

They soon returned to the bus. Daria hoped that the journey back would be less nausea inducing.

 

 

Quinn and the others left the Mall soon afterwards. “Maybe we’ll be back sometime,” Sam said.

 

“Maybe, but too soon,” Quinn said. “I have found what I wanted to find.”

 

“Are you sure?” Xavier asked.

 

Quinn nodded.

 

“Now, where’s the car again?”

 

“We’ll find it,” Quinn said encouragingly.

 

“It will just take a while,” Sam said.

 

Words: 79

 

 

Excerpt from: Mystery in Polonia

It didn’t take long. “Here,” the Doctor said.

 

Tegan looked. “This is later,” she said.

 

“That it is,” the Doctor said.

 

“Another incident like the other one?” Turlough asked.

 

“Yes,” the Doctor answered.

 

Words: 33

 

 

Excerpt from: Spider Quinn

“Not a thing,” Daria said.

 

There was an awkward pause.

 

“That's some song you're working on. It's different,” Daria added.

 

“Nothing different about it. Nothing at all,” Trent denied “I gotta go and, uh, practice my same music that uh... isn't any different from the other stuff I play.” He then left.

 

“What was that?” Daria asked.

 

“You're starting to get weirded out, aren't you?” Jane asked.

 

“No, absolutely not.” She jumped a little as the doorbell rang.

 

 

Jane opened the door.

 

“Pizza!” the guy there said.

 

 

Artie Walker was a little worried. He was sure that he saw SpiderGirl carrying a cheerleader when had dropped the last Pizza. He was certain that she was one of Them. At least the Lanes were good customers. “Could you hurry up? I got other pizzas to deliver, and if I don't get them there on time, they're free. I really gotta go.”

 

“On your way over here, you didn't see any, um, lights in the sky or anything?” the bespectacled friend asked.

 

“Just ‘SpiderGirl’ and she was carrying a cheerleader away!”

 

“You think she’s an alien?” Jane asked.

 

“Don’t you? No human can do what she does!”

 

 

Meanwhile, back at the Morgendorffers, Helen brought desert up to Quinn’s room. Except she didn’t see Quinn there, just Stacy looking at something on Quinn’s laptop and Tiffany looking through a magazine. “Where’s Quinn?” she asked.

 

“Um, in the bathroom!” Stacy said.

 

“That’s OK,” Helen said, noting her daughter’s friend’s usual slight panic. “I’ll leave her desert with you.”

 

 

“Sure.”

 

“I know Sandi left. Are they OK?”

 

“I don’t think so,” Stacy answered. “It’s like they’re drifting apart.”

 

“I see.”

 

Helen then went back downstairs, thinking about what Stacy had said.

 

 

SpiderGirl and Brittany arrived at the Crewe Neck gatehouse.

 

“Thanks for the trip. It was wonderful,” Brittany said.

 

“You’re welcome,” SpiderGirl said. “I’ll get back to you about what you asked.”

 

“Sure,” Brittany said.

 

SpiderGirl waited until Brittany had entered the gated estate, then started heading back to Glen Oaks Lane.

 

 

The Pizza guy was still talking, as they ate their pizza. “... and anyone who tells you aliens are taking over their body is nuts. All they want is our skin 'cause your skin remembers what it feels.”

 

“Hmm. Hey, you ever written any lyrics?” Trent wondered.

 

The guy’s pager then beeped. “Fired again? Man, this happens all the time. Ever since my encounter with those darn aliens!”

 

“Oops,” Daria murmured.

 

 

SpiderGirl arrived back at the red brick house on Glen Oaks Lane and quickly changed back to being the usual Quinn.

 

 

“I’m back,” she said to Stacy as she entered her room.

 

Stacy handed her the desert. “Your mom brought this up for us. I’ve already had mine,” she said.

 

“Thanks,” Quinn said.

 

“So, what was Daria doing?” Stacy asked.

 

“She just went to her friend’s place.”

 

“OK.”

 

“I might have run into someone else from school, though,” Quinn said.

 

“Who?”

 

“Someone who asked me something about Daddy,” Quinn answered quietly. “I don’t need to tell you who they were.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Words: 509

 

 

Total: 621

Church notes - 19th November 2023

 19th

Communion

Salvation is by faith alone.

Psalm 21

Sermon

Luke 8:40 - 56

What can we really trust

Jairus was desperate. Jesus was the only one who could help his dying daughter.

Jesus is the true source of comfort and help.

Pray every day.

1. Jairus' faith was in Jesus alone.

vs 42 - 48

The two stories are connected. Jairus' daughter was 12 years old. The woman had suffered for 12 years. Both were desparate. Jesus called the woman 'daughter'. All Jairus need to do was trust Jesus. The woman had faith that just touching Jesus' garment would be enough for healing to take place, and it was so. Jesus encouraged both of them in their faith.

He is the One who sustains our faith. He provides encouragement for our faith.

What can we learn from Jairus' faith?

2. His faith needed encouragement.

vs 51 - 56

Jairus found out that trusting Jesus as worthwhile.

Jesus doesn't lie. He will fulfill his word.

What are we trusting Jesus for?

3. His faith was worthwhile.

Jesus is worthy of all our trust!

17th November 2023 Writings

 

17^th

 

Excerpt from: Strider

It was dark, for there was no light, and the fire had burned low. Even so, they saw that Merry wasn’t there. They threw on a couple of logs and found that Strider had come with them and was sitting in a chair by the door.

 

“Hallo. Who are you and what do you want?” Pippin asked.

 

“I am called Strider, and though he may have forgotten it, your friend promised to have a quiet talk with me.”

 

“You said I might hear something to my advantage I believe. What have you to say?” Frodo said.

 

“Several things,” Strider answered. “But of course I have my price.”

 

“What do you mean?” Frodo asked in a sharp tone.

 

“Don’t be alarmed! I mean just this: I will tell you what I know, and give you some good advice – but I shall want a reward.”

 

Words: 143

 

 

Excerpt from: Spider Quinn

“I work alone,” SpiderGirl answered. She then saw the dejected look on Brittany’s face. “For now.”

 

“Oh,” Brittany said.

 

“I’ll think about it,” SpiderGirl said.

 

Brittany smiled. “Cool.”

 

“Are you heading home now?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“Yes, in Crewe Neck,” Brittany answered.

 

“I can get you to the gatehouse. I need to get somewhere, as I left a friend in a tight spot with another friend to investigate what you were up to.”

 

“Sure.”

 

 

SpiderGirl came to the ground and stood up. “You can hold onto me, but it may be more difficult for me to swing if it’s the other way around.”

 

“The former,”  Brittany said as she threw her hands around the superhero girl.

 

“Not too tight,” SpiderGirl said.

 

“Sorry.”

 

“Let’s go.”

 

 

What followed wasn’t scary for Brittany, rather exhilarating, as they headed in a southeasterly direction from Howard Drive towards Crewe Neck over rooftops and through trees.

 

 

While Brittany was talking to SpiderGirl, Daria and Jane were having their own conversation.

 

“Is that song getting happier or am I just getting more miserable?” Jane asked Daria regarding Trent’s music.

 

“It's verging on bouncy, all right. But please, continue with your delightful presentation.”

 

“You've got these government types at school telling us to watch out for weird behavior. Then the alien nut on TV says the same thing. Meanwhile, your mother is weird, your sister is weird, and all the kids at school look at us funny.”

 

“That's not new,” Daria said before Jane could say more.

 

“Yeah, but now there's respect. And that song? Maybe it's the alien signal and Trent's beckoning to the U.F.O.”

 

“Ah, but the U.F.O. went away.”

 

“Well, maybe aliens don't like sucky music and he's actually trying to save humanity,” Jane explained.

 

“When do we get to the crop circles?” Daria asked, before Trent’s music stopped.

 

“Uh-oh. The music stopped,” Jane said and hid her drawing under the bed.

 

“Hey, what’s going on?” Trent asked as he entered.

 

“Nothing,” Daria answered.

 

“Nada,” Jane added.

 

Words: 331

 

 

Total: 474

16th November 2023 Writings

 16^th

 

Excerpt from: Return to Alamos Town

“Yes!” Ash said.

 

“So, Dialga and Palkia were really there?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Are the Space-Time Towers really that impressive up close?” Goh asked.

 

“Of course! In fact, I’d like to show you.”

 

Words: 32

 

 

Excerpt from: A twisted Invitation

“Brittany!” Quinn said. “You’re here for Daria’s party?”

 

“Yes,” Brittany answered. “I’m hope I’m not too late.

 

“Oh, not at all,” Quinn said as she let Brittany in.

 

 

There were a large number of people in the living room already. Brittany saw that Jodie and Mack were already there. ‘Of course they are,’ she mused.

 

“Hi, Brittany!” Daria said.

 

Words: 59

 

 

Excerpt from: Spider Quinn

“But, Kevvy.” He continued to be amorous “Kevvy!”

 

“Huh?” Kevin asked.

 

“Didn't you say we were going to follow her and save the world and stuff?” she asked. She liked making him think some things were his idea.

 

“Oh, yeah. But I don't think we have to save the world right this second,’ he responded.

 

“Great!” she said. A few more moments of making out wouldn’t go awry, she considered.

 

Suddenly there was a purr above them. ” Que passionato!”

 

‘Oh great!’ Brittany thought. ‘Upchuck!’

 

“Hey! We're trying to save the world here!” Kevin said as he shone his flashlight at Charles.

 

“And I'm trying to find the space maidens' ship so they can take me back and make me their love slave,” Charles responded.

 

“Oh cool,” Kevin said.

 

Two more flashlights turned on. “Well, you were right. Everyone has gone crazy,” Jodie Landon said.

 

“I knew you'd try something, Kevin. I figured I owed it to the team to keep you from humiliating yourself,” Mack said.

 

Bushes rustled and Mr. O’Neill emerged.

 

“Mr. O'Neill? Don't tell me you're hunting communists, too?” Mack asked incredulously.

 

O’Neill laughed nervously. “I wouldn't call it hunting. I heard a rumor about secret police kidnapping educators and spiriting them off to the gulag. But me? No. I frequently go for walks with a, um, flashlight in case the streetlights go out.”

 

There was another rustle above and SpiderGirl emerged upside down, lowering herself halfway down by a thread. “What’s going on here? Paranormal?”

 

“Not very,” Jodie said, looking around.

 

‘Probably meant paranoia,’ Brittany thought.

 

“These reds come red-hot from the red planet itself. We're talking Mars,” Charles said.

 

“Really?” SpiderGirl asked, her voice showing incredulity.

 

“Charles, I think you mean Marx,” O’Neill said as he dropped his flashlight.

 

 

Jane answered the door. “You made it. Cool. I was starting to... whoa!”

 

Daria also looked at the flashing lights in the nearby woods.

 

 

O’Neill found his flashlight. “Found it.”

 

“But why are you all, like, sneaking around with flashlights?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“Good question,” Jodie said.

 

The others all switched off their flashlights.

 

 

“Did we just see a U.F.O.?” Jane asked.

 

“You're getting paranoid. It's probably just an informal get-together of local stalkers. You know, hang out, swap stories, try out each other's skeleton keys,” Daria responded.

 

“But only an idiot would go stalking with a flashlight, especially with that SpiderGirl about.”

 

“Come on. This is Lawndale,” Daria said as she went inside.

 

 

“Your’re right, SpiderGirl, we’ve all been acting very foolish.”

 

“Hey, man, speak for yourself,” Kevin objected.

 

“Oh! Sorry, Kevin, “ O’Neill said. “But I wonder if maybe a rally might be in order. You know, something before classes to promote understanding, remove the fear, and increase the peace.”

 

“Are you sure?” SpiderGirl asked, before Kevin could get a word in.

 

“Quite sure. It won’t get out of control,” O’Neill said.

 

“But, practice is before classes. He's trying to destroy football. He's one of them!”

 

“No he isn’t,” SpiderGirl said, trying to keep calm.

 

“Who?” Brittany asked.

 

“I thought you knew.”

 

‘Time to go, Kevin,” Mack said.

 

“I’ll stay and talk to SpiderGirl for a bit,” Brittany said.

 

“Sure,” Jodie said. She turned to Upchuck. “Come along, Charles, we’ve had enough excitement for one night.”

 

“Yes, I better go too,” O’Neill said.

 

 

SpiderGirl wasn’t sure why Brittany wanted to talk to her. “What’s up?” she asked.

 

“Um, What is it like being a hero, fighting crime?” Brittany asked, whilst twirling a pigtail.

 

“Difficult. But the thanks I get from the people rescued from muggers make it more than worth it.”

 

“What made you start?”

 

“Someone died,” SpiderGirl answered, trying not to give anything away.

 

But it seemed that Brittany made some connections. “Like that carjacking, when one of my friends’ father died two weeks ago.”

 

“Yes,” SpiderGirl said carefully. “That was the last straw. That was when I knew Lawndale is declining into a crime filled…” she paused, seeing that Brittany got what she was saying.

 

Brittany nodded. “But you have powers, right?”

 

“Yes, but why are you asking all this?” SpiderGirl asked.

 

“Like, after that death, I’ve been thinking about what’s been happening. And maybe I could help in some way.”

 

Words: 698

 

 

Total: 789

Church notes - 12th November 2023

 12th

The Authority of Jesus

Matthew 8:5 - 13

Matthew 7:26, 27

Jesus' teaching had authority whereas that of the teachers of the Law did not.

What did His authority look like?

(Look at the miracles in the rest of Chapter 8 and Chapter 9)

The Centurion had authority, but not over the servant's illness.

He had faith that Jesus had the authority to heal.

Jesus' response.

vs 7

James 5:13 - 20

Christian communities have the responsibility to pray for those who are sick.

Centurions were the face of Roman authority. They were responsibile for law and order in the communities they were stationed in. Therefore Jews saw them as the enemy.

vs 8 - 9

The Centurion got authority. That Jesus' authority was linked to the spoken word.

Genesis 1

The world was spoken into being.

John 1:1, 2

vs 10 - 13

Isaiah 25:6 - 8

Faith and humility, like the Centurion. He would be at the Feat, wheras the teachers of the Law wouldn't.

vs 17

Go! Continue living in your faith.

A call to respond.

We need to be prepared to answer.

To repent.

To take up our cross and follow Him.

To imitate him.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom rating

 

Rewatch. 8.53/10.

The Rescuers Down Under Rating

 Rewatch. 8.82/10.

Home (2015) rating

 8.75/10.

8th November 2023 Writings

 

8^th

 

Excerpt from: A Different Morgendorffer, A Different Sloane

Else attacked hers with gusto, whereas Q took slow bites. “So, what’s next?” Else asked when she had finished her fries.

 

Q took out a soggy, though still legible piece of paper from her pocket. “Run along Main Street on a cloudy Sunday afternoon,” she said.

 

“Sounds doable, if it’s still cloudy this Sunday,” Else said with a shrug.

 

“Sure.”

 

They remained in thought as Q finished her meal.

 

Words: 69

 

 

Excerpt from: SpiderQuinn

“Sorry. It has been a long day,” Daria said as apology.

 

“Tell me about it,” Jane responded.

 

“How’d you get out of jail?” Daria asked.

 

“Well, it was a little dicey with that jerk deputy,” Jane said. She turned to a girl nearby “Oops, sorry, Tina.”

 

“It's okay. When Daddy puts on the uniform, he's a whole different person,” Tina said.

 

“But lucky for me, the sheriff's a big fan of Picasso.”

 

“Not bad,” Daria said.

 

 

While Daria and Jane were talking, Quinn slipped away.

 

Words: 85

 

 

Excerpt from: Troubles of Galaxia

They were back behind the Moon a minute later.

 

 

Nita and the Spider

Nita thought more about the rescue. There was certainly more to it than that. She then checked the crystal and saw that the STIBE didn’t see anything unusual in that data. ‘I’ll look over it this evening,’ she thought.

 

Betty showed Nita the room where the archives were stored. “That is a lot,” Nina said, seeing that there was only a small amount of walking space in that room.

 

“Yes,” Betty said. “The Chronicle was was founded early in the last century, and James bought it nineteen years ago. He wants you to build the archive in reverse.”

 

“So, literally backwards?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I can do that.”

 

“Good,” Betty said in an encouraging tone.

 

She soon, got to work. Some of the information was interesting.

 

 

13^th

“So, you think something happened there?” Johanna asked once Bronwyn had filled her in.

 

“Well, something did fly over the college from that direction and an ambulance came a few minutes later. I’m sure that’s more than a coincidence.”

 

“Well, strange things are happening today, but I don’t think the two events are linked.”

 

“But will you help me investigate what happened?” Bronwyn asked.

 

Johanna thought for a moment. “I’ll come.”

 

 

A few minutes later, they were outside the building.

 

 

Britta

“Not really. I needed the break from the monotony of lesson planning.”

 

 

Stacy and Quinn

O Mally looked at his seating chart. “Oh! Sorry, you looked like someone else. What do you have to say about last night's horrible event?”

 

 

Marine

20 minutes later, she got a message. It was from another agent who wanted to meet her. ‘Of course.’

 

 

Darian’s Ranger

“There’s no need for concern. I am capable of treating any injury or disease,” she scanned a patient. “No concussion. You’ll be fine. Clean him up.”

 

Tamsin wasn’t sure what to make of the hologram.

 

 

In Engineering, they had stabilised the Core.

 

 

Baffled

On Iona Lara started her duty shift. Lara started her duty shift. As she entered the Bridge, she could see that Alpha was reading something from a tablet whilst sitting in the Command Chair and Eta was looking at something on Science Station 1. She also saw the Pilot make minor course correction. She looked at Earth’s Moon on the viewscreen. 'Quite interesting that it's tidally locked,' she thought, as those of her home weren't, although their rotations were in resonance with their orbits.

 

Words: 408

 

Total: 562