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— Author's note: Too tired to proofread, sorry — The best thing about family is that you know someone will always have your back! The worst thing however is that sometimes your family loves to see you suffer. This was more than likely the case with Lena Bridgemen and her younger sibling Taylor. Lena has always been what her friends would define as a "handsy", whether it be smacking them on the butt, or greedily fondling their boobs. Lena was more on the perverted side of things when it came to her friends. Though her brother would declare her a "menace" and a "bully" through her constant acts of wedgies, wet willies, headlocks, pantsing, etc the list was endless. Something in Lena's brain just made her dopamine levels SPIKE whenever she harassed her brother. Seeing her "bully" anyone else was rare, but it happened. Seemingly she uses these tactics as her love language... Now, this day occurred 4 years prior to the current story ( 'Senior Year Begin!' Plotline). When Lena was a senior at North Burrow Highschool and Taylor was a Freshmen. It was a Saturday and Lena had pleaded with her mother to let some of her girl friends from the volleyball team to stay the night, to which she caved under the circumstance Lena would clean up the next day. Taylor had been in his room since Friday after school, seems riding the bus home in shoulder wedgie really affects your ability to walk. And morale.. ＂Do your chores THEN text your friends. Not a moment before. And tell you brother to come down here and vacuum, he was supposed to yesterday when he got home.＂Julianna expressed as she grabbed her keys from the rack and made her way to the front door to put her shoes on. ＂Where are you goin'?＂Lena asked while leaning against the kitchen sink, ready to do dishes. ＂To buy you girls snacks and stuff? We can't have them thinking the Bridgemen house is lame~＂The mother said with some sass before closing the door. Lena rolled her eyes with a smile, turning to the dishes behind her and getting down to business. After about 25 minutes of doing the dishes Lena heard the familiar sound of her parents' bedroom door opening then closing, shortly after the frame of Lawrence turned around the corner and into the kitchen. ＂Hey sweetie, what's up?＂The father asked while browsing the fridge. ＂Nothin'. Mom's letting some of my friends stay the night, is that cool?＂She asked with an upbeat, rhetorical tone. But still wanting him to agree. ＂Sure that's fine just dont be too loud, and... leave your brother alone when they get here.＂He said empathetically, knowing what Lena could and WOULD do when her friends arrive. ＂Whaddya mean dad?? We're not gonna do anything to TayTay, most of them think he's a weird nerd anyway!＂The girl brushed her father's concern away in a joking manner. ＂Yeah, that's sort of the problem.＂The man pulled a soda out of the fridge then closed it. ＂He's your brother, so maybe DONT torture him for once? Please?＂The father asked as he pulled his daughter into a side hug and kissed her on the head. ＂Maaaaaybee dad. I mean, you're asking me not to do the ONE thing an older sibling is supposed to do!＂Lena replied with a cheeky grin. ＂If you don't harass him at ALL once your friends arrive, I'll do the cleanup your mom said you had to do~＂He shot back with his own cheeky grin. ＂How'd you know about that?!＂ ＂Cuz I do~ Now. Deal or no deal?＂The father shot out his hand for a handshake, waiting for it to be taken.. ＂ ... DEAL!!＂Lena yelled out as she gripped her father's hand with all her might then shook it. Which made him immediately realize she had dish soap all over her hands. He let out an "Ohh maan!!" As he shook off the soap and rubber it back on his daughter's shirt. After he walked off Lena finished the dishes then went upstairs to find her brother. — KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK — ＂TayTay!! Mom wanted you to vacuum before my friends come over, so get out here dorko, hop to it!＂The young woman talked into the door while banging on it. The muffled pattern of footsteps traversing carpet could be heard before the door opened. ＂Your friends are coming over?? Which ones?!＂He asked with wide eyes and a hint of excitement which totally freaked Lena out. ＂Uhh Serena, Chloe, and Jenny? Why??＂She asked with a contorted face. Like she was irritated and confused on why he was interested. ＂N — No reason! ... I'm gonna go vacuum!＂Taylor tried to push past his sister, but she immediately gripped onto the back of his shirt and pulled him back, turning him to face her. ＂Whoa whoa whoa— Nuh uh. You sound a little TOO excited for it to be 'no reason'. Spit it out dork, you gotta crush on one of'em?＂She asked while holding onto the scruff of his shirt. Back then Lena had about 4 inches on her brother, so he was actively staring up at her. ＂N — N — No!!! Of course not! ... ...＂His face immediately flushed red as his bullshit lie spilled out of his lips. ＂Oh my god you DO!! Which one?! Tell me! If you do I won't tell themmmm~＂She tried to coax it out of him, but he wriggled and groaned in discomfort. His eyes closed completely shut while wishing this wasn't happening right now. ＂NOPE! NUH UH!! Last time you said that the football team 'heard from a little birdie' then escorted me to the nearest stall! NOPE!!＂ ＂Oh come oonn! It's your fault for not knowing that that Holly girl had a boyfriend! But hey guess what? We're not at school so you don't have to worry about being a mop head today!~ Now tell me—＂Her voice went from cutesy and understanding to completely dead cold. Her grip tightened as she lifted him up little to scare him to divulging his intel! ＂Noooope! Not happenin' Sis!＂Lena stared at him then put him down abruptly. His shirt was stretched out on the collar and the boy stumbled as he was let go of his sister's claws. ＂Fine— I don't care anymore, go vacuum before mom gets back.＂She said calmly, prompting Taylor to turn his back to her and walk off. Fatal mistake. ＂SIKE!!＂Lena yelled out as she grabbed Taylor by the back of his head and pants before walking him into their bathroom where she dove her dish soap covered hands into the back of his sweatpants and tugged out her prize! ＂TIGHTY WHITEY TAYTAY!!!＂The older sister blurted out as the white fabric was being yanked out of his pants! Causing the boy to yelp and grunt as his feet struggled to stay in one place. ＂Ya know lil bro? It doesn't matter WHO you have a crush on as long as you wear these around you butt! I mean come on! Who's gonna wanna make out with you if they could just wedgie the hell out of THESE instead!?~＂As she said 'THESE' she took a step back and HEAVED her little brother back towards her, causing his arms to shoot forward as his butt was yanked backwards. The legholes lined with a thick white outline were well in view and creating a beautiful arch of nerdiness. ＂L — LENA LET GO!!＂He grunted out in between pulls and breathes. ＂Answer the question dorkwad!~ Who iiisss iiiit??~＂She asked again in a coy, teasing venom. Even making a cone with one of her hands against her ear as she wrapped the tighty whities into one balled fist and SHOVED some more cotton up his ass! ＂GAAH— N — NO!!＂Lena dropped her amused expression as a frown grew across her face.. Taylor's defiance was becoming annoying quite quickly.. ＂Bro, you have one more chance before your tongue is used to deep clean the toilet pipes.. NOW ANSWER!!＂Her hands wrapped around the waistband once more for another powerful STRETCH!!! This one ripped the waistband off the rest of the undies in the middle. Prompting Lena to take hold of it and JAMMING it further up his butt as she pushed him over to the toilet, struggling to get him to his knees. ＂Waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait!! I'll tell you! Just let me go!!＂He begged as his head herked every which way to avoid the porcelain throne. ＂Nope! You either say it with cotton up your butt, or toilet water in your mouth! Choose quickly~＂The tighty whities were now about shoulder height as Lena pushed his head more and more into the bowl, his nose almost touching the water before— ＂What the hell is goin' in here?＂In the doorway to the bathroom was Julianna, fresh from the store. Her arms were crossed and an unimpressed look of feigned ignorance painted her face. An eyebrow was raised as she waited for the answer. ＂I thought I told you to tell him to vacuum, not use him as a toilet brush.. Get up Taylor.＂She demanded which caused Lena to let go of him as he bucked her off and ran to his mother. ＂You okay hun?＂She asked while holding him by the shoulders and looking him over sincerely. All he could do was nod as she did. ＂Mmkay, now go switch out of those nerd panties and go vacuum. We can't have your sister's friends seeing you all loser-like at home too.＂His mother's words were cold and from the heart. ＂W — What!? She still gets her sleepover after bullying me!?! How is that fair!??!!?＂ ＂It's fair because she's going to do YOUR chores until next Sunday after you vacuum. Now lose that attitude before I finish what she started~＂She explained then kissed him on cheek before shooing him back to his room to change. ＂HIS CHORES FOR A WHOLE WE—＂Lena began. ＂Yes ma'am, and if you have a problem with that then you can go ahead and tell your little friends to stay home tonight. Matter of fact, you can go vacuum the living room instead AND put up the snacks I just bought for you. Sound good?＂Julianna stood in the doorway leaning against the frame with her arms crossed with her eyebrows raised. ＂Tch— Whatever!＂Lena tried to storm past her mother, but was stopped by a tug on wrist. ＂Whatever? Soo, you don't want them to come over?＂Juli asker sarcastically, but in a parentally authoritative manner. ＂No I do! But—＂ ＂But nothing. I'm usually fine with whatever sibling wedgies, noogies, and so on that you two do. I have a sister, I get that. But not when I ask you do something while I'm doing something for YOU for YOUR friends to come over to MY house for the night. Do you understand me?＂Lena stared at her mother for a moment then nodded subtlely.. ＂Good. Taylor come out here honey!＂Immediately Taylor came out into the hall, white undies no longer above his pants, and stood to attention. ＂Yes ma'am?＂His curtly formal response caused Juli to chuckle and take him into her free arm. ＂Give your sister a wedgie.＂ ＂WHAT!?!?!!!!＂Lena yelled out as she instantly broke out of her mother's grip and stared her in the face. Only to realize she was smiling deviously straight at her. ＂W — Wha??＂Taylor stammered while looking at his mom. ＂Well it's only fair is it not? You may be a TOTAL loser honey, but in this house you get a free shot from time to time~＂She explained with a toxic venom spilling from her grin. ＂NO WAY! THAT LITTLE GEEK IS NOT TOUCHING MY PANTIES!＂The older sibling let out as she was backing away towards the stairs, only to bump into someone else. Her father. ＂Wooah what's goin' on up here?＂He asked confused, but intrigued. ＂Well, your daughter here decided to try and use your son's face to clean their toilet instead of asking him to vacuum the living room before her friends come over like I asked. So, I'm letting Taylor give her a revenge wedgie. If she doesn't take it then no sleepover~＂Juli explained candidly with amusement. ＂Dad this isn't fair! I already have to vacuum AND put up the groceries!＂ ＂Yeeeeaaaahhhh, but how many times do you torture him in a week? Hell a day? One little wedgie shouldn't hurt.＂ ＂WHUH!? DAD!?!?!＂ ＂What? It's only fair considering your friends still get to come over..＂Lena hesitated to turn her back to Taylor, and she did she looked Juli in the eyes with contempt and sympathy. ＂Hey girl, no wedgie if you don't want the sleepover. Your choice.＂She explained one more time. Lena growled then jutted her butt out towards her brother hastily. ＂Hurry up loser! And don't be weird!＂Promptly, Taylor slowly hovered his fingers over his sister's waistband. Sliding his geeky digits into Lena's fuzzy grey pajama pants and latching onto something soft. From the other end Lena could hear her mother whispering into Taylor ear. His knuckles grazed her lower back which caused chills to run up her spine, then— ＂WEDGIEEEEEE!!!!＂Instantly Lena's hot pink boyshorts with the text 'PINK' running along the waistband rocketed up her butt and out of her fuzzy pajamas! Stretching up to her lower mid back before they were let go. Taylor could be heard stifling a laugh with his mother while Lena stared at her father irate. ＂See? Wasn't that bad!＂The late teen huffed then stomped downstairs, very noticeably digging her hand into her pants to pick the wedgie out. ＂Nice job hun! Just how I told you~＂Juli said with a smile as she ruffled his hair. ＂Thanks mom!＂Taylor replied with a wide smile, feeling like the king of the world. ＂Buutt you should know that she's going to tear you up later.. So watch out!~＂ The mother expressed before kissing him again on the head and going downstairs with her husband who just gave him a sympathetic shrug. ＂Oh man ...＂ — The End of this part —

A group of young adults were excitedly talking amongst themselves while lounging in an upscale Shibuya apartment. The empty pizza boxes and laundry thrown about made it a clear bachelor pad. The millennials had recently secured a generous amount of cash after "confiscating" it from a homeless woman they encountered a day prior. They figured the poor skank wouldn't be putting the money to good use so they might as well lavish themselves with it. The group laughed animatedly while chugging down frothy beers. One girl in particular laughed louder than anyone else. Her name was Megumi and she decorated her messy orange bun with a generous amount of accessories. She valued appearances as much as she valued life itself. Megumi only allowed those she considered beautiful to associate with her and she belittled anyone who fell beneath her standards. " Hey! We're running out of beer. Someone go out and pick up a pack." She barked her orders to her group of friends. " A please and thank you wouldn't kill you. Guess I'll be the one to do it." Takeshi sighed as he stood up from the couch to exit through the door. Sometimes he felt like his friends were just friends in name only. He was usually the one who went off to do chores for the group no matter how much he resisted. He thought he was done being an errand boy for popular kids after he graduated but some things never change. Takeshi hummed to himself while walking through the quiet city streets. The chilly air gave his cheeks a rosy pink blush. He was about to enter a convenience store when a woman walking down the street caught his eye. She was a tall woman dressed in a black and purple outfit that looked straight from a magical girl anime. The shock of seeing such a brazen outfit made him pause long enough for the woman to catch up to him. "It's been a while, Takeshi. Let's do some catching up." ******************* " What the hell is taking that idiot so long!? It's already been half an hour." Megumi grumbled as she tapped her phone furiously. None of her texts to him had been answered and her patience had long been spent. " Simmer down, Meg. Maybe he forgot his way back home." One of the boys snickered, causing the rest of the group except for Megumi to laugh. Megumi rolled her eyes and began to type another annoying text. " Even he can't be that stupid. I'm tearing him a new one when he gets back." Her text message was interrupted midway through by a video call from Takeshi. " What the hell? He better have a good excuse." She accepted the video call only to gasp in horror at the sight of Takeshi's bloodied face. His visage was littered with a bed of bruises. " Takeshi!!!" The group cried out to their friend. Takeshi sobbed through the monitor screen, his lips too bruised to emit any words. " Oh dear. Looks like poor Takeshi can't talk anymore. Not a big loss. Not like he had anything important to say anyway." The voice behind the camera snickered. " You bitch! Why the fuck are you doing this!" Screeched Megumi. " I'm just cleaning up the trash. This city is plagued by revolting men just like him. You probably don't remember, but we all went to school together. There was this sex scandal involving a classmate of yours and this pig took that as an opportunity to pounce. He and his pathetic friends blackmailed the girl so she could become their personal sex slave. You'd probably know this if you didn't turn a blind eye to anything inconvenient for you." The girl spoke as if each word was laced with poison The group racked their brains to figure out what the mysterious woman was talking about. A vague recollection of the girl known as Saki arose in their minds. " Saki? Is this you? You disappeared from school one day and everyone was worried about where you went. We all missed you and-" " Save the bullshit!" Megumi was interrupted by a shrieking yell from the phone. " You bastards only care about yourselves. You never cared what happened to me. But maybe you feel differently about Takeshi. Come to this address within the next 45 minutes if you still want him alive." The video call came to an end and a heavy silence hung over the group. " So Saki's the one doing this? How the hell did she even find us? We haven't seen her in years!" One of the girls with straight brown hair spoke up. " We don't have time to ask questions now. Let's get down to this address and see what the hell she's going on about." Megumi ordered her group to the nearest train station and rode off to their destination. It was a coin locker located on a quiet street across from an arcade center. Takeshi was found on the ground sleeping in front of the lockers. " Takeshi!" One of the guys with short blonde hair ran over to his friend and tried to help him get on his feet. The reunion was short-lived because as soon as he touched Takeshi, dark purple magic runes spawned at their feet. The two men were consumed by miasmic purple energy until it condensed and exploded into a fierce blaze. The gang cried out in horror at the sight of their friend's disfigured bodies. Blood and guts were littered on the pavement. The odorous scent of charred flesh invaded their nostrils and caused a few of them to empty their stomachs. " Nice to see that everyone is having fun. I bet you guys thought you were done with me. You probably didn't recognize me when we last met. You were too busy stealing my cash and kicking my baby to take notice." Saki walked towards the group while clutching her blood-soaked magical staff. " Wait, You're Saki? But you're that Hobo from before!" Megumi screeched. " Oh my God... We had no idea that was you! We thought you were a random thief stealing money from hard-working people. It wasn't anything personal. Anyone in our position would do the same thing!" Megumi wasn't exactly sure what she was saying; she was just doing whatever it took to calm down her future killer. " Oh, is that true? Let's hear what your heart has to say." Saki pointed her staff towards the group, causing several phantasmal butterflies to spawn from the tip. The butterflies flew into the chest of each person as if they didn't exist.   " Why couldn't that bitch just stay dead! It figures a slut like Saki would become a psycho hobo." " If Saki kills anyone, it should be Megumi! She's the one who always bosses us around." " What the hell is she wearing? Did the bitch dress like this for her clients?" The group hushed in collective shock as their inner thoughts bubbled to the surface. Their toxic words were completely laid bare for everyone else to hear. " Looks like some things never change. You people are still the sacks of shit that I know all too well. Would it kill you people to learn a bit of empathy? Any at all?" Saki just shook her head and waved her staff again. Two magic runes spawned in the air and out from it came twin black tentacles that snatched the girl with brown hair. " Asuka!" The young adults called out to their trapped comrade. One of the tentacles snaked around Asuka's arm in such a tight embrace that her bones crumbled into dust. The girl howled a desperate scream that pierced through the night. She would've pleaded for mercy had her ribcage not prodded into her organs like the fangs of a beast. The blood boiled out of her mouth as her torso was destroyed beyond recognition. Even more blood splattered on the wretched sinners. No words were sufficient to describe the sheer level of horror gripping their hearts. The two remaining lambs to the slaughter made a mad dash down the street, desperate to put any amount of distance between them and their assailant. How futile. Saki flew past them and gave her staff and little twirl before summoning a tendril of darkness that shot directly into the man's chest. The tendril lifted his bloody body into the air and slammed him to the ground with a sickening splat. " And then there was one," Saki said to a quivering Megumi. The usually boastful woman was now a sobbing wreck who could even string together a sentence. She sobbed uncontrollably and released her bladder upon herself as she tried in vain to run away. " Don't think I forgot that gleeful smile you had when you kicked my pregnant belly like you were stepping on a roach. You're a vile bitch who feeds on everyone else's misery. This world is so much better off without you," With a twirl of her staff, Saki summoned a magic circle below Megumi. Several tendrils of darkness spawned from the ground to skew the girl like a human pincushion. Bones were crushed and blood splatter stained the concrete.  It didn't take long for the souls of her hapless victims to come flying into his staff. Saki felt a strong sense of relief upon eradicating her former friends like the filth that they were. Now there were only two more degenerates left on her list.

I became one of the thousands of homeless people in Fort Worth, Texas on July 1, 2006. I was 25 yrs old and my birthday was two months away on August 31st. I was scared out of my mind and completely lost. I was lucky enough to meet many nice and helpful people who helped me learn my way around the streets. I’d dated someone back in 2004 who’d been homeless for 8 years, so I knew some things and some people but I was a straight up “fresh fish” and I could’ve been devoured by the streets like so many others but as I said, I was lucky. On May 1, 2007 with the help and love of my wonderful fiancée, who I’d been with only a couple months, we got an apartment, after living on the streets for the last 10 months for me and the previous month for him. I still go to the shelter frequently, to visit friends, pick up mail, etc. I never want to return to that life, visits are enough to remind me of my good fortune. The other day I was thinking about the contrasts between homeless people and homeless children. There is a women and children’s shelter across the street from the adult’s shelter. While having the good misfortune of staying at the Presbyterian Night Shelter I came to work on the intake staff after a few months. This gave me the job of searching bags and people when they were brought into the building. Picking up mats in the morning, laying them down in the afternoon, and cleaning the shelter and gave me a bunk. While doing this job I learned the inner workings of the shelter. A few months after getting this job I was given a paying job across the street at the Lowden-Schutts Women and Children’s Building and I learned the inner workings of that shelter as well. The contrasts are absolutely mind boggling. At the adults shelter men are woken up at 5:30 and have to leave by 6:00 in the morning. Women are woken up at 7:00 and have to leave by 7:30. Anyone called a “5 to 5er” not out by 8:00 risks getting barred for 30 days. The “5 to 5ers” are people who leave at 5 in the morning and come back at 5 in the afternoon or you can think of it the other way round, come in at 5, and leave at 5. The only times that “5 to 5ers” stay in the building are on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years when they’re also catered at mealtime. When these “5 to 5ers” leave the building they have to take all their belongings with them. This could be one big rolling bag and a couple smaller bags or even 8 small backpacks which I did for a time because I couldn’t find any bigger bags. Only exceptions to the rule are what are called “bad weather days”; if the temperature is over 103 degrees, under 43 degrees, or if it’s raining really bad people can come in. Otherwise they have to leave the building and the property. Many have tried to hang around the grounds until time to come inside but all that gets them is a visit from the cops if they don’t leave when told to. Residents are the exceptions to these rules. Residents are four types of people: 1. People who work and have proof of a job can pay for a bunk; they might also choose to pay for a locker. 2. People who work on the intake staff “volunteers” are given a bunk. People who work for the shelter in a paying job get a bunk and locker. 3. People on medical get a bed - if you bring in a doctors form stating that you can’t leave the building everyday for whatever reason then you get a bed. Sometimes these beds are only given for a few days or a week, other times they’re permanent but you have to provide the doctors form again at the beginning of each month. No one gets any breakfast or anything unless they buy it from the store inside the shelter which opens at 3:00 and closes at 8:00 AM. Most of the time, even if you’re a resident, you have to leave the building to have breakfast and lunch. Sometimes they will have goodies that have been donated, stale pastries or donuts, for breakfast, or various sandwiches that volunteers have made, for lunch. These are on rare occasions, if you’re on the intake staff and you can’t leave for either meal and they have nothing to handout then you don’t eat but once a day, at dinner time, at 5:30. At the Women & Children’s Shelter they never have to leave. They’re woken up at 6:00 and get breakfast at 6:30; which usually consists of cereal, milk, and juice which someone from the main shelter kitchen has to come over and set out because it’s locked in the kitchen. This sometimes means they don’t get fed until 8:00 because the kitchen staff hasn’t woken up yet and no one else has a key. The day care arrives at 7:00, the elementary and middle school bus arrives at 8:00, and the high school bus comes around 8:30. The mothers get to do whatever they want during the day. If they have all school age children then they’re free to do as they please all day until school is out. If they have children that are too young for school or daycare then they have to stay with those children, never leaving them alone or in someone else’s charge. The ladies have chores around the building they’re supposed to do, if they don’t, they get written up, if they break any of the rules, such as leaving their child alone, they get written up. When I worked there, not much happened to them no matter how many write ups they got. They get lunch at 12:30 served to them by the kitchen at the main shelter. From 1:00 to 3:00 everyone takes a nap. Dinner is served at 5:30 and lights out is at 9:00. These ladies almost want for nothing. They get three meals a day, and if they don’t like the shelter food they have food they’ve bought with food stamps in their lockers. The shelter provides them with clothes for themselves and their children, all baby needs- formula, diapers, wipes, bath stuff. They get toys for the kids. They’re even provided with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and all their other hygienic needs. Most from donations some from the government funding the shelter receives. If someone takes an item to the main shelter for donation they have to expressly say they want it to go to the people in the main shelter because most of the time it will get sent across the street. If they need laundry done they can take it next door to the Safe Haven building which is where the people trying to come clean of their addictions stay, Safe Haven is also a connection of the PNS, as well as the C.A.T.S. program in another building across from the main building. C.A.T.S. is an extension of the MHMR program. The women and children get visits from local “celebrities” like radio station personalities and such. Churches and other organizations come on a regular basis to give them parties sometimes for no specific reason. They don’t have to get presents for their kids birthdays or Christmas. The children get enough from donations. If the mothers want something specific for their child, the hardest work they have to do is fill out a form and hand it in to the head case manager. At the adult shelter, as previously stated, you have to go outside the PNS to eat breakfast or lunch. Residents and “5 to 5ers” alike have to go to the United Gospel Mission or the Salvation Army to eat during the day because the PNS doesn’t usually serve either of these meals only dinner at 5:00. The UGM is within walking distance from the PNS, only a couple blocks away. The Sally is further down the road. If you’re in good physical condition it can be considered walking distance but if not you’re eating choices are limited to the UGM, risking that the PNS will have sandwiches or something, or starving unless you have a bus pass. To eat breakfast at the UGM you have to be at the doors by 6:30 and in by 7:00 when they close the doors. Lunch is at 11:30 in by 12:00. Dinner is 5:30 in by 6:00. You have to have a valid and current Tuberculosis (TB) card or no admittance. When you are admitted, leave your bags in the cordoned off area where you will get a sticker with a number on it; one sticker for you, one for your bag. You enter the chapel and sit through a 45 minute church service, except at breakfast, when there’s just a blessing. For some this is not a problem, for others it’s a good naptime, which the UGM officials don’t mind as long as you’re not laying down, or snoring loudly; also men must remove their hats the whole time in the building. After service you are herded into the cafeteria, you can sit at your choice of table out of about twenty with about eight chairs each. The way the food is served to you varies from day to day. You may one day be told to go table by table through the kitchen line and get your tray then return to your table. Another day you may have the food brought to you table by table. The order of the tables served is also varied from day to day. To eat at the Sally breakfast starts at 7:30, gate closed at 8:00; lunch starts at 12:30, gate closed at 1:00; and dinner starts at 5:30, gate closed at 6:00. People enter the gate leaving their bags near the door, empty their pockets at the metal detector, step through, if you set it ff you have to be looked over by the guard. When the guard passes you, grab your bags and move them to where you want to leave them on the patio because no bags are allowed in the building. Enter the building, step up to the desk and show them one of these valid and current ID cards: the Salvation Army ID, the PNS ID, the UGM ID, the First Street Methodist Mission ID, or the TB Card. They scan it or log the number on a pad if the computer is down, which is often. If you don’t have one of the aforementioned IDs they’ll allow you to sign your name on a list, then you’re allowed to enter the cafeteria. Depending on how many people were before you, you might be at the end of a very long line or have the luck of rounding half the cafeteria to the kitchen door. They give you a tray with your food and depending on your place in line and how many people before you gorged themselves on the extras, like, yogurt, salad, fruit, or ice cream or even the drinks, milk and/or juice, and coffee for breakfast, and tea or coffee for lunch and dinner. There are also jugs of water and a basin of ice in the lunch room, as well as a microwave if you don’t think your food is hot enough. When you exit the lunch line be careful of people outside the door because the line crosses the door. There is a place called the Day Resource Center (DRC) where most people hang out during the day. The DRC opens at 7:30, trying to get into the DRC when the gate opens is like being amidst the running of the bulls because people run from the gate across the patio to the door. Most are trying to make sure they can get their laundry done before they shut down laundry intake at 8:00, some want to get in to go to the bathroom, use the phone, or the really sad ones, usually the ones who push others out of the way and start fights over their spot in line are the people who want to rush inside just to sit in front of the TV for the rest of the day. To enter the DRC you go through a metal detector, nothing ever happens if you set it off, you either sign in or show one of the previously mentioned IDs, usually the TB card, which they’ll scan. When you enter the building, if you need your laundry done follow the stream of people to the counter at your left. When it’s your turn show the person behind the counter your ID and tell them whether you need a large or small bag. They write down your name and the number on the bag they give you. The number is also written on a ticket which you must have to be able to pick up your laundry. 90% of the laundry is usually done by 2 or 3. Whether you were first or last in line doesn’t matter. You may have been first but your wash got done last and vice versa, sometimes you may have to wait til the next day to pick up your clothes. When your laundry is done show them your ticket and ID and they will hand over your clean, dry, and folded laundry in a trash bag. The DRC has caseworkers who can help with housing, finding a job, clothing, getting Social Security checks started, just tell them what you need and want and they will find a way to help you. They also have computers with internet access that you can use for 30 minutes after signing the list for a certain time slot. They have a TV area and usually have the news on in the morning and then for the rest of the day they’ll show DVDs or videos. They have two phones you can use for local calls. If you need to make long distance calls you have to speak to a caseworker who decides whether your need merits the use of the long distance phone. People can receive mail, packages, and phone messages there. To leave a message someone just calls, leaves the message, which is logged and filed, they write your name on a large dry erase board. If the message is not picked up within a week or so, it’s discarded and the name erased. Mail not picked up in time is sent back. They have restrooms where you can shower, if you don’t have shower supplies they’ll provide them - shampoo, conditioner, lotion, body wash, or slivers of bar soap. To get a towel or rag you need to hand over your ID which they will hold until you return their property. To use the restrooms you have to ask for toilet paper at the counter. They have it pre-folded and ready to use to prevent overuse and clogging of the toilets. They also have a cage on the patio area where you can store your bags for up to a week. You’re given a ticket, they count your bags, take your name, and you stuff is safely stored. They usually try to clean it out every week or two so never forget your stuff is in there. If you don’t put it in the cage you can leave it under the canopy where there is one of the four picnic tables on the property. Most of the time your belongings are safe being left there or hidden somewhere else on the patio but it’s really a “at your own risk” thing. Most people hang at the DRC while waiting to go to lunch or get back in the shelter so if you go there you’ll most likely see one if not all of your friends/acquaintances. At 3:00 the PNS lets 55 and older men and women in the building. At 5:00 everyone else comes in. The intake process can usually be described as a three ring circus on crack. You wait in two very long lines, men in one, women in another. If the temperature is scorching you’re SOL you have to wait your turn to go in, if it’s raining it’s really a sight to see about 200 or so men and women crammed onto a 20 foot by 3 foot ramp leading to the door trying to take cover under the awning. All these people holding their bags taking up even more space. When they let you in the door, if the scanner is working, you’re again asked for one of the aforementioned scan cards, minus the TB card which is not compatible with their computer system. You hand this to someone at the door, plop all your bags onto the floor or the table before you, empty all your pockets, which for some is an adventure that can take up to twenty minutes. Then pass through the metal detector, again nothing happens if you set it off. Everyone gets patted down after passing through whether they set it off or not. The pat down process is supposed to be from head to toe but some don’t do it properly for various reasons, lazy, don’t want to upset someone and start a fight, or don’t want to be accused of feeling someone up and being gay because only men can pat down men and women pat down women. During this your bags are being searched, rifled through really, by the intake staff, to remove any weapons, any food, and anything else they would classify as contraband. You just thought you had your bags neatly packed. After all this it’s kind of funny to watch people trying to juggle all their pocket belongings in their hands and put themselves back together while trying to get their bags and stuff and get out of the way all at the same time. Then you make a mad dash for the men’s or women’s sides of the building to get a good mat and good spot. Good mats are not torn up, don’t smell like bodily fluids, and look relatively clean. Good spots are the edges of the mat area, usually on the first couple rows and the first couple columns. If you don’t get a good spot then you’re stuck in the middle of the mat area trying to find a safe way in and out so that you don’t hurt yourself or others or upset someone accidentally by kicking their mat, stepping on their mat, tripping over their twenty bags, etc., etc. You should always be cautious of your neighbors unless you and your friends were lucky enough to get grouped together. After marking your mat you run like mad to the chow line hoping it hasn’t grown to the length of three semis end to end. That’s usually when you really see what a couple hundred homeless people looks like. When you’ve waited an hour to get your food and maybe you were even lucky enough to get what they started out serving instead of getting whatever they have left which is usually rice and beans, you then have the choice of eating in the dining hall or on the patio, neither is less packed than the other, so take your pick. You can pick up your mail or use the phone from 5:00 to 7:00. At 7:00 they turn on the TVs, one on the ladies side, one on the men’s. The men get the big screen TV that has to be wheeled in from the store room and then put away at 11:00 when the TVs go off, the ladies TV stays on their side on top of a wood cupboard, 12 on Fri and Sat. If you don’t want to watch TV your choices are limited to sleeping and hanging out on the patio. Most hang on the patio, to smoke cigarettes, play dominoes, yahtzee, or cards or just chat with friends and watch the circus animals play. After you’ve done all that, you can go to bed, and then get up in the morning and start all over again. June 2007