TW: Phasmophobia, Verbal Belittling, Eerie Imagery ____________________________ [ Dives scribbled in his brand new journal, drawing pictures of birds and clouds. He drew the cats that he saw on the street too, and now eyed a cat with a fluffy neck and amber eyes. He looked like a bear, almost. Dives laughed silently to himself, pleased with the image he’d drawn. Bright petals fell from above as he began to rise from his spot beneath a tree, dusting off his paws. He looked up… with a frown. Smoke surrounded his body, twisting around his limbs and ensnaring him. It wasn’t a comfortable feeling, but it was one he was familiar with. He gazed at the centuries-old building, stepping into the foyer. He found himself entranced, drawn to his father’s office door. It creaked as Dives slowly entered the room. Mr. Smoke’s back was turned to Dives, paying him no attention as the noises of graphite scribbles haunted Dives’s ears. His dirty blonde fur was littered with white strands, his wiry frame and slender fingers gripping the pencil steadily. Dives said nothing, stepping backward to leave as he dipped his head. “Dives,” He felt dread seep into his bones as he froze in place. “I…” his father sighed, exasperated and furious as his brows furrowed. His translucent paws gingerly placed down his pencil on his desk. It had no eraser. “What would your grandfather say?” Dives felt disoriented. He was not as tall as he once was before. He was weak and small again. He stared at the back of his father’s head. “I don’t know.” Dives said meekly, the surrounding windows reflecting emerald light onto the wooden floor. “How are you going to fool /me/ into entrusting you with my business if you can’t even fool a judge?” His father asked, demanding an answer as he slammed his paws on the desk, his voice rising with anger. “I told you what to say on that stand. We rehearsed it, over and over again!” he shouted hysterically, outraged. Dives felt as if he was suffocating, the lump of melancholy in his throat preventing him from saying a word. He shuddered, trying to breathe. His father turned around. Startled, Dives backed up against the wall. His father was but a figure of shapeless mist, his virescent eyes piercing Dives. The temperature in the room decreases drastically, sending waves of sharp chills up his spine. The spectral being whispered to Dives, its ghastly voice creeping into his ears. “I have no use for you anymore, Dives.” The child’s eyes went wide with fear as the vapor began to reach for him. Dives desperately struggled to open the door, feebly pawing at the doorknob until it creaked open. He scrambled out of the room, stumbling over his own paws as the smoke’s smell wafted into his nose. It smelled metallic and pungent, like the old coins that Dives so desperately fought for, or like the ichor that traveled through his vessel. “All you had to do was lie, Dives. Can’t you do anything R̴I̷G̸H̵T̸?̶!̴” Dives ran through the streets, ducking through alleyways and markets. Tears welled in his eyes as a mixture of harsh winds and fog battered his face. He felt paws phase through his pelt, paws clutching at his fur, attempting to trap him in their clutches. They screamed at Dives, pleading for help as Dives rushed through them. The assortment of limbs scratched at his face resentfully. The world around him morphed from the outskirts of District 1 to the bustling city of the Capitol. Closing his eyes, he continued onwards, until a bright light blinded his view. Dives skidded to a stop, his paws kicking up dust as he nearly barreled into a door. It was a shabby building with a broken sign. He banged on the doors, his paws becoming red. Dives cried for help, his voice hoarse. The two figures stared at him through the glass and slowly began to approach. His tear-filled eyes could not make out the faces of his saviors. He continued to hammer on the door frantically as they unlocked the entrance. Warmth entered Dives’s heart as his eyes widened with hope. But the cats did not open the door. Dives felt a paw on his shoulder, claws piercing his body. He shouted in pain, crumpling to the floor. He looked into the glass again. The reflection of his relatives looked upon him loathingly. “Stay focused, Dives,” “Or else you will be left behind.” ] Dives awoke with a start, coughing and shaking. He looked at his paws. He could see them. He was okay. Just another nightmare. He looked outside of his window, the city lights of the Capitol shining like stars in the middle of the night. He choked back a sob. ____________________________ anyway thought i'd expand a bit more on what he was thinking about during his interview, if you'd like to read more you can go back and check that out art by written by music is Owl Song by Cosmo Sheldrake
