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Old Prey - Chapter Eight: Allusion

Beau

“Oh, you poor, poor, thing.”

Leo looks at the beeping thermometer with worry, silently signaling that my fever has not gone down.

This morning I fell with a fever, and it has only gotten worse. My head throbbed every time I moved, my muscles ached as if my bones were shattered. So I’m bound to my bed.

“Oh, dear, oh, dear,” Leo rambles about, looking at me as if I’m about to die. “It’s only getting worse, you might faint from overheating! We can’t have that, oh, no, we can’t…”

Leo hasn’t been any help. He’s been giving me home remedies and soup. While I do enjoy his cooking, it isn’t going to do a thing to help me. He seems too busy worrying like I’m bleeding out. I hope I faint soon, so I can finally rest from all of this…

“Can’t you just bring me to a doctor?” I ask, trying to keep my voice as soft and sweet as I can.

“My dear, outside is scary and dangerous, those evil beasts might brainwash you again. Then we’d be separated… You don’t want that.”

“I don’t,” let’s try to make my voice a bit more soft. “But I’m sick, and I need help… don’t you want to help me?”

He looks deeply into my eyes, looking like he’s considering it. Yes, bring me to the doctor, then I’ll get saved, finally…

“Some… Some more soup my help. I should just try to keep you company while I try to find some sort of medicine.”

Damn it.

He gets into bed with me. He wraps his arms around me so tight like he had the intent of crushing me to death. He gently lapped my forehead, purring as he rubbed his scent all over me. I’m getting sick of being handled like this…

“I promise you’ll get better, my sweet Soleda… it won’t get worse with my help.”

I give him a smile, not knowing how long I can keep up this act before someone saves me.

***

Duko

I have a good feeling about finding Beau.

Mr. Spera and I agreed to meet up in two hours and go around the neighborhood knocking on doors and asking questions. We both think she was taken, so this is a chance to find her captor or get clues.

I step into my house, locking and closing the door behind me.

“I heard what happened to that female bear you’re friends with,” My father says once I notice him. He stands up and walks towards me. “Do not go looking for her.”

“What? I’m not going to let her stay missing; I’m going to look for her.”

“You’re going to get desperate and get new, worse ideas,” he stared intently. “First you’re searching for her, then you find where she is. You think she can be her knight, so you go to save her yourself. Then you get your arm mauled off. Each new idea seems genius, but it’s more idiotic and dangerous than the last. I know from experience.”

“You’re just being paranoid again!” I clenched my fists. “You think everyone is a danger to the family, you’ve always been like this!”

“I’m not being paranoid, I’m being cautious. I can’t trust anyone!” I’ve always noticed how similar Beau sounded to him. That’s why I hate and pity her paranoia with a passion.

“No, you aren’t, not every beast is going after you! Searching for her isn’t going to put me in danger. I’m going to look for her, I don’t know what could happen if we just sit around!”

“Female teenagers run away all the time!”

“Why would she?”

“Maybe she had a fight with her father, or perhaps with you,” because it’s always his dumb son’s fault…

I glare at him. He’s always treated me like I’m just a dumb dog. That someone is always after him, but we’ve never been ‘attacked’ before. I’m sick of my life being controlled by another beast’s paranoia!

He just sighs.

“Did you act like this when you were my age?”

“No. I wasn’t afraid of anything. I wanted to be feared because that’s how I thought a male wolf should be. It caused me to get with bad beasts, hurting other beasts, getting myself hurt… I watched beasts die and got my life spared by the beast I mauled to near death. I don’t want my son to go through something like that.”

“Why would something like that happen to me?”

“It may seem impossible, but it’s not. It started with me going to a bar, I met a beast, then I was getting shot at. Every idea is more dangerous than the last. Please listen to me, Duko. I love you.”

My father doesn’t say he loves me all that much. He says he only wants to say it when he really means it.

“I know how afraid you are about this, but I’m terrified. Beau is someone I care so much about, I hold her so dear to my heart. I need to find her. She’s probably praying for it right now.”

***

I walked on the sidewalk, shivering as the snow began to fall. I’ve asked questions to every resident in my and Beau’s neighborhood. It’s been mostly ‘I don’t know who she is,’ or ' I didn’t see her that day.’ But those who did have something useful to say saw the same beast talking to her: the superintendent, Mr. Santifelon. He might not know much, but it’s worth trying…

I arrive at his house. It’s… depressing. All the blinds are closed, and the grass is uncut.

I knock on the door, the sound of numerous locks unlocking before I look up at his tall, intimidating figure. He looks at me with a deep glare.

“Hello, Mr. Santifelon,” I try to tread away from that harsh gaze of his. “A small female bear that’s a senior at Claws Academy went missing Friday night and I’ve been questioning people to help find her. Most beasts saw you talking to her first period. You came into the classroom and asked her to talk with you in an abrupt change. When she came back, she looked tired, even bothered…”

I read from my notes, trying not to sound accusing. This probably explains why she was so quiet when we met on the bus that afternoon. She’s always tired from school, but not quiet like that. It could’ve been about her coming to celebrate from me, but she would probably forget about it until it was brought up.

“I was talking to her about grades.”

“…Why? Isn’t your job to check if the school is in check, if the principal is doing his job, or something like that?”

“Mind your business.”

His harsh tone catches me off guard. He’s very defensive. He isn’t known to be bubbly or anything but it’s unusual.

I lower my ears in submission. “…I’m sorry. Did you at least see her after that..?—”

“I never saw her, I didn’t talk to her again, I just went home, that’s that.”

I have a bad feeling about him, but I don’t know what it is besides the harsh yelling. I just smell something so familiar…

I begin to walk away since this isn’t going anywhere talking to a hermit. “Thank you for talking to me.”

“Wait.”

I look back at him.

“Never return to my house again, or I’ll kill you.”

[dinkflocculent]

reblog if you're completely okay with me asking stuff about your wip in your inbox! <3

[dinkflocculent]

Old Prey - Chapter Seven: Stray

Duko

♧ 12 / 21 / 1980 ♧

Beau didn’t call me Friday night.

Every Friday night, it has become a tradition to call and talk with each other. We’ve done it since we were freshmen, and it isn’t like her to not do it.

Her father never let me over because he ‘didn’t want a male alone with his daughter.’ That may be true, but he just doesn’t trust me because I’m a wolf. The origin of her worries isn’t that unclear.

I’m worried about her. I need to check on her, face-to-face. Did she feel so guilty that she broke our routine? Or, worse, is she afraid to call me?

I said she was okay to feel like this, and it is, but it makes me feel like a monster. I try not to smile too big at herbivores. I try to hide my claws. But just existing makes a beast afraid.

I wish I were born a bear.

“Oh, hey, Duko,” Arion, a bearded collie that I talk with during lunch, greeted me. He seems… nervous. “I’m sorry for what happened.”

“For what… happened?”

“You didn’t hear? Know that tiny bear you’re always following?”

“She isn’t tiny,” I glare at him. Beasts always treat Beau like she’s a cub. She isn’t. She’s one of the greatest beasts I know.

“Yeah. She… uh… she’s been missing since Friday night.”

What?

I break off into a sprint, missing what else Arion said. She’s been missing? She would never just leave, she goes on about how beasts are going to murder her if she takes a step outside. This is now more about how she’s feeling, it’s about where she is.

I arrive at her house, banging on the door. He opens the door with a look of anticipation but looks disappointed when it’s just me.

“What do you want?” Mr. Spera asks, his tone indicating he wants nothing to do with me.

“I heard what happened; what do you know about her?!”

He sighs, a sad look in his eyes. “Friday night I went out for groceries, but it took me longer because of the snowstorm. When I came home, I couldn’t find her. Someone sprayed the kitchen floor with water. Because of the storm, there weren’t any footprints to track her down.”

“She wouldn’t just… run away.”

“Of course, she wouldn’t! She’s scared to death being outside alone.”

“Do you think someone took her?” I shiver at the thought. She can’t defend herself, so she couldn’t do anything if some sick beast wanted to kill her. I feel like a jerk for everything I said, always saying no beast would ever do a thing.

“That was my first thought. She probably didn’t lock the window. I wasn’t there to remind her, as I do every night…” He shudders. “She could be raped, devoured, sold to the black market, or some other sick thing I always told her would happen!”

I don’t say it, but I doubt someone would devour her. She’s a bear, it’s rare for predators to be victims. He’s just jumping to conclusions, as he always does.

“I’m going to help find her, we should go to the police and ask for help!” We need to. I’m sick to death about her. I don’t know what I would do if she never came back.

“They couldn’t do anything, her scent was drowned out because of the water. There aren’t any suspects.”

“I don’t care. I’m going to do anything I can to help find her.”

***

They’re supposed to protect and serve, but they’re doing a horrible job at it.

The police station had three officers in the office. Two dogs were busy smoking cigars, and the chief was a pig. They talk about her disappearance so casually, as if it’s nothing to worry about.

“All we can do is put her on a missing beasts’ list. With no scents, footprints, or suspects, we’re a bit stuck,” Chief Paunchy replied to our concerns. They’re apathetic to him.

“You could search the forest or question her neighborhood!” I argued. I don’t care how long that’d take.

“We did. There was a crowd when we arrived. no one saw her the night before, since no one went out because of the storm.”

The snowstorm carried on until ten at night. She was gone when Mr. Spera came home. She wouldn’t go outside in a storm like that. What beast would have such diligence in taking her in such weather?

And why?

“Despite that, you should do everything possible to find my daughter!” Mr. Spera raises his voice, slamming his fists on the table. “I’m not going sit here and accept that she’s gone until I’m granted some kind of miracle! You don’t have the fear of having your cub missing and not knowing if they’re alive or not…”

The intensity of the situation is hitting her father hard. He immediately jumps to conclusions, quickly falling apart. It’s beginning to rub on me too. What if she did run away, not wanting to see me again? What if she’s in some horrible life-or-death situation? What if she is dead?

…panicking isn’t going to do anything. I need to focus and calm myself. I can never accept that.

“Sorry. We’ll work on it, we don’t know if she ran away or got taken.”

“She wouldn’t run away!” It would be more helpful to explain why, but Beau would be embarrassed out of her mind.

“Alright, alright!” he says in an annoyed tone, sick of this discussion. “We’ll question beasts who knew her, the last ones she spoke to before she disappeared, you can help too if you want.”

I smile, my tail slightly swaying. We finally got through to them.

“We have a case with a gang full of cats that’s been going on for months so we’re occupied. We have more serious things to worry about.”

“More serious things?” My ears pin to my head. They’re acting like we’re looking for a missing teddy bear, not a missing beast. “This is the most serious thing in my life right now, and I’m going to do everything I can to find her.”

[dinkflocculent]

Here's to the people who can't get the words on the page. The people who are too tired after all life throws at them to write. The people who are blocked. The people who are burnt out. The people who can't write because of physical or mental illnesses. The people who don't know why they can't write. And the people struggling with all those other things that get in the way of writing and make it seem or be impossible.

You're still a writer, you're still an artist. And you matter. This world is better since you're in it. Thank you for wanting to write, even if you can't right now. I hope you and your words find each other soon.

[dinkflocculent]

Old Prey - Chapter Six: Raven

Beau

“Get in the bath.”

He closes the door, leaving me alone in the bathroom. The tub is filled with warm water, and he left new clothes on the toilet. Despite his mood, he added bubbles as if I was a cub. Maybe Soleda liked bubbles.

I put a paw in the water, feeling it dampen my fur and warm my freezing paw. Baths always calmed me down. The feeling of the water on my skin, my body warming up… it was just so relaxing. But it’s hard to relax when you’re in the same house with a lion that’s furious with you.

I undress and step into the bath, wincing at my frostnip. My pads have reddened and are painful when applied pressure. It hasn’t worsened to frostbite but is hell to deal with.

I stare at the ceiling, going deeper into the water. I failed. My one chance to free myself is gone. I don’t know what he will do to me, I fear he’ll hurt me.

The longer I stay here, the more my chance of freedom decreases. Leo will never change his mind about me. He wants to shape me ‘back’ into his beloved, molding me into a completely different identity. Making me forget who I am, who I was.

I can’t sit here and let that happen.

I jump out of the water, quickly drying and dressing myself. I open the door, getting out when seeing he isn’t there. I hurry to the window opening it and feeling the cruel cold. I don’t care if my frostbite turns permanent this time, I just need to get out here.

The sound of an aggravated growl fills my ears. The next thing I knew I was being roughly grabbed by my shoulders and turned around, faced with Leo’s seething expression, teeth bared.

He’s furious.

“You’re trying to escape again,” I try to run off, but he has a tightening hold on my wrist. “You could’ve froze to death, or suffocated yourself in that snow!”

“I’ve been so lonely without you, it’s been so hard living my life like this. You make me feel complete,” he lets out a shaky breath. “Yet this horrible thing has happened to you, making you forget all of your memories, every memory of us.”

“No, that isn’t—”

“Your father isn’t a rhino. You aren’t friends with a wolf. You don’t even go to Claws Academy. You went to Deer Valley,” his voice cracks. “I don’t know why this happened. Why did you leave me? Was I too clingy? Did you not like lions? Did you lose interest in me? Did you ever have interest in me?”

I’m the one being held by a violent, mentally unstable lion. But he is the one with tears wetting the fur on his face. He won’t break eye contact with me, looking deeply.

“I-I don’t know,” I try to reason. “I’m not her. I’m Beau Barrese, and I was never in a relationship with you. We’re nine years apart, it can’t be possible that we were in high school together…”

“We’re only two years apart…”

“No.”

“You’re Soleda Anstead, you could’ve been Soleda Santifelon…”

“No.”

“But you look so identical to her, you have to be her!”

“No! I am Beau Barrese, I never loved you nor knew you!”

He grabs my shoulders, his claws almost digging into my flesh as they protrude.

“I kidnapped a young, defenseless beast… my life is over, I’ll be seen as a pedophile. Oh, God.”

“It-It’ll be okay,” I lie, trying to calm him down. “I’m sure you won’t be accused of—”

“I need to get rid of you, I need to get rid of you. Every trace of you.”

My body freezes. My mind went into a complete state of panic, but I couldn’t move. All I see are his pupils constricting, his fangs baring and salivating. All he has to do is devour me, clean the blood, and bury my bones. Then I’ll just be another unsolved missing beast case. My father would never stop blaming himself.

He just looks at me with those wide, predatory eyes. Hesitating. Not lunging and biting my throat, killing me. He doesn’t want to do this. He thinks this is the only thing he can do to reverse his dreadful mistake, by committing a horrific act.

I spent every day of my life worrying about a fate like this. Always being told that it’s rare for someone to devour a bear and that all of my anxieties will leave me once I grow big. But they were wrong. I was right. I was right the whole time.

I don’t want to be right. I don’t want to die like this, I need to escape my fate. With everything that’s happened to me, I realize that my father’s words weren’t just worried ramblings.

“I pray this will never happen,” he began. “But to stop a sick beast from devouring you, you must calm them down. Look within. The largest beast always has the softest place inside their heart.”

I dread that I have to do this…

“I remember when we used to share tongues!”

He stops, his face going blank.

“Isn’t that what cats do with their loved ones..?”

“You… You were the only one who appreciated my felidae body. Not like my father who only liked my fangs, claws, and deep voice.”

I try to have the softest voice I can muster, to act like Soleda. “You’re deeply soft and sensitive, you only need love.”

“Oh… Oh, yes! I’m just a small kitten, like you used to call me…”

I want to rip my fur off. I have to act like this so I’m not eaten alive? God.

He lets go of my shoulders, handling my wrist like glass as he guides me to his bedroom. His room has clothes and other random objects scattered across the floor and bed. It looks nothing compared to the nicely cleaned room that I was kept in. It was like he made it just for me. How long has he been planning to keep me like this?

“I’m so glad you finally came to your senses, Soleda. We can finally be together again. You’ll be a Santifelon!”

I give him a smile, internally screaming.

He brings me into bed, bringing the covers over us. He brings his arms around my body, holding me so very tight, not any possible chance of letting go. He begins to lick my forehead. It isn’t as disgusting as I thought—it makes me feel like a cub again. It makes me feel as defenseless as a cub. Trapped in a house with someone who would kill you if you tried to leave.

The gentle lap of his tongue makes my eyes droop. I allow them to close, hoping to wake up to this all being a dream. But it’s something I can only fantasize about.

I am his, and I can’t do anything about it.

[dinkflocculent]

Ciel is a traumatized little boy who went through horrific abuse. He is not in love with the butler who acts as his guardian now that his parents are dead. 

[dinkflocculent]

If you want to write a dumb little story with a dumb little plot and ridiculously silly characters. No one's stopping you. Genuinely, no one should be allowed to stop you. Write that dumb story with your whole heart and don't hold back.

[dinkflocculent]

Old Prey - Chapter Five: Hope

Beau

The sound of Leo’s deep snoring wakes me from my drowsiness. The wind roared outside, shaking the house each time it passed. The snow kept building up, meaning the night was dreadfully cold.

That won’t stop me from trying.

I look through the wardrobe, it contains nothing that can protect me from what awaits me outside. I don’t know where I am exactly or I don’t how far I am from a police station. But I have to try. Even if it means walking in a snowstorm barefoot.

I push the door open with the smallest ounce of strength, trying not to make a sound. The window is across the hall, just steps away from getting my freedom back.

I take a step, attempting to make my forepaw as light as a mouse’s. No sound. Step after step, I watch my forepaws closely, making sure each step is silent. No creaking floorboards or objects kicked to the ground. No obstacles.

Until I get to his room.

A small nightlight dimly lights the dark room. He lays curled on the large bed, clinging to the covers. His loud snoring is as deep as a growl. He seems completely harmless, needing a nightlight to sleep alone.

His position makes him completely distracted from what I’m doing. By the way he’s purring, he’s probably dreaming about Soleda in his arms. Clueless to the fact I’m so close to freeing myself from him. I do have a chance. I do feel hope.

I could close the door. Then all the sounds I’m making could become even more silenced. But these doors are old, they creak every millimeter they’re pushed. I can imagine waking him up—thinking that I had a nightmare or something like that—bringing me back to the room. Or worse, making me sleep in his bed with him. I should leave it.

I clamp my paws over my snout as I slowly pass his room. My heart nearly stops every time he twitches. But he stays in his slumber. Finally, I’m at the end of the hall.

Fog engulfed the whole window. Wind hitting it with such force. It’s freezing cold to the touch.

I know what I’m facing, yet I don’t know how terrible it’s going to feel. I am not physically prepared the face the devastating weather. But I need to do this. I can do this. I can get my life back.

I struggle to open the window. I get hit by the rough, cold air, almost knocking me down. It pierces my ears, and it might pierce his too.

I jump out of the window, falling into the snow. My body shivered in the cruel cold as I looked up, trying to see anything in the storm. Anything. But the falling snow is blinding me.

I walked through the snow, using all my energy with every step. The snow burned my lungs with every breath I took. I don’t know where I’m heading. I can’t see anything. But there has to be something here. A beast that could help me. It has to be somewhere.

My feetpaws feel like thousands of pins and needles are stabbing it. A warm sensation coursing through me, as if I’m being lit on fire. I can’t do this. I’m going to freeze to death. What am I going to do?

I squint my eyes, seeing something. It’s faint. Small. Yet fills me with hope. A light. Its something. It could be someone. Someone to save me. Someone to free me from this nightmare.

“I’m over here!” I yell, rapidly waving my arms in the air. “I need help!”

Crunch.

The sound of deep breathing looms over me. A shiver goes down my spine as I slowly turn behind me.

He found me.

[dinkflocculent]

<3

[dinkflocculent]

When a writing meme you made gets more recognition than something you actually wrote.

[dinkflocculent]

[I.D. an edited pyramid graph of maslow's hierarchy of needs where large text covering every section of basic, psychological and self-fulfillment needs read "people online telling me they like the thing i made". end I.D.] (image description by @lemondoddle )

[dinkflocculent]

[dinkflocculent]

please please please please reblog if you’re a writer and have at some point felt like your writing is getting worse. I need to know if I’m the only one who’s struggling with these thoughts

[dinkflocculent]

Old Prey - Chapter Four: Insanity

Beau

“Get away from me!”

I don’t take my eyes off of him, glaring. I won’t hesitate to bite this bastard for what he revealed he’d do.

“Soleda, please! I need to do whatever I can to protect you! How can I do that if some other male-”

“I’m not letting you hurt him!”

“I wasn’t going to; a warning might work. If that doesn’t work, then—”

My body takes control of my mind. The next thing I know I’m sprinting out of the room, the door to freedom only a few feet away. His frantic yelling and footsteps make the fur on my neck rise.

I need to get out of here. I need to get out of —

The door is littered with locks.

“I did this to shield you from the horrors of the outside world,” I hear him behind me. “I lost you once, I’m not losing you again.”

“Open the door.”

“Soleda…”

“Open it!”

“No.”

I frantically fiddle with locks. Pulling them with all the strength I had. I am not a full-sized bear, but there’s a twinge of irrational hope that I’ll break the locks.

“Soleda, stop it! You’re going to hurt yourself,” he grabs my wrists, but I immediately snatch them away from his hold.

“Get away!” I step away, my heart feeling like it’ll jump out from my chest.

“Soleda…”

“I said get away!”

I close my eyes and senselessly throw my arm at him. A sound of pain. Then silence. I open my eyes, seeing a small splatter of blood on my paw.

I scratched him.

I provoked a giant, delusional lion.

My body shakes like a leaf in the wind. I lock my eyes on the ground. He hasn’t yelled or grabbed me. Yet the silence and his swift breathing make it feel like I’m running out of air.

He lets a frustrated sigh, standing up. He towers over me.

“I’m going to give a moment to yourself.”

I watch as he walks into his room, his head low. The feeling of fear leaves my body, and guilt returns. He doesn’t look like he’s trying to hurt me. He’s trying to calm me down. Be helpful.

I’m not going to believe that facade.

I ran to the room he kept me, going under the bed in a spot where he couldn’t reach. I hope I’m right.

I am angry at him. For what he said he’d do, for his lies, for his sick mindset. Does he see me as property? Is this how carnivores see small beasts? Possession?

My father was right.

I was never paranoid.

That’s how carnivores see herbivores. Food. A toy. Even if they aren’t herbivores. Anything weaker than them is just something to step on. Me. That’s how they see me. That’s how they all are.

Well… one dorky wolf might not count.

***

“Soleda?”

His soft call bolts me awake, the delectable smell of his cooking filling my nostrils. The door faintly opens, and he stands there.

“Under the bed? You aren’t a cub,” he chuckled, peeking under the bed. My ears automatically flatten.

“I know you’re hungry. Some food will make you feel better, hm? See this as an apology.”

I hold in a scoff. That’ll solve everything. Some toast will really bring up my mood about him kidnapping me. Unfortunately for him, I value my dignity over hunger.

My body doesn’t seem to agree. I need to eat any chance I get. Besides, I lost my dignity ever since I was born into this miniature body.

I crawl out and onto the bed, taking a bite. He’s still there, just watching me.

“Go away,” I glare up at him, trying not to tread my eyes at the small band-aid he placed on the scar I caused.

“I insist. I don’t want you to be alone.”

“I don’t want to be in the same room with someone who wants to hurt someone I care about!” I spat, tears welling up in my eyes. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to Duko.

“Like I said, I don’t want to hurt him, but I need to protect you.”

“I don’t need you to protect me. I don’t want to be with you. I am not Soleda!”

I don’t like being mean. I don’t like saying mean things. To anyone. Yet all this built-up anger just came out here. It makes me forget where I am. How much my words affected them.

And what the person I’m hurting is capable of.

He looks at me wide-eyed, like fear but filled with sadness.

“I was with you for three years. Three short wonderful years. Then you just left with barely any explanation. Why did this happen? What happened to you? What did this?”

“Mr. Santifelon, I’m not—”

“Why did this happen to you?!”

I flinched, my mind screaming to move away. But I can’t. My body freezes. He is unstable. I have no way of calming him down. Give up and lie that I’m his beloved? Then he’d never let go of me.

Yet I remember.

“When your life is on the line, you have nothing to lose,” my father told me. “Submit. Do whatever they want. Act like an angel until you escape the nightmare.”

Arguing with him is not going to get me anywhere. I’m only going to get myself killed rather than convince him to set me free.

Besides, fear is beginning to take hold of me.

“I-I’m sorry,” I manage to squeak out, trying to sound genuinely apologetic. “I didn’t mean…”

“Oh, shh,” his gentle demeanor returns. “You need to regain your memories. I will stay with you to help.”

I don’t respond. I don’t have any ‘memories’ to regain. I don’t have any with him. The more I’m with him, the more scared and hopeless I get.

“Unfortunately, I must go. I need to research.”

Thank God.

“The door will be locked.”

What?

“No! Why?! Don’t you need to… uh… regain my memories? How is keeping me locked in a room going to help?!”

“I have to make sure you don’t leave,” he says calmly.

“I won’t, I promise! Please.”

Ever since I was a cub, I would stay in my room for hours, entertaining myself with my toys and imagination. But once I know that I can’t leave the room, the walls seem to close in to crush me.

The feeling never left, and I’ve done everything I can to escape it. it’s one of my thousands of fears that came back to haunt me.

He looks into my eyes and then lets out a sigh. “Fine. But if you leave this room I’ll change my mind.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much!”

He looks at me with confusion, then with deep pity.

“Heavens… whoever brainwashed you made you as courageous as a mouse.”

***

Claws dig deep into my neck, holding me in place. I can’t scream for help or cry out in pain. I can’t move. I can’t save myself. I can’t escape.

Rows of sharp teeth cloud my vision. I anticipate when they close. For me to be devoured alive. Consumed by a sick beast. This fate was always to come ever since I was born. But I never thought so soon.

Knock, knock.

I bolt awake, my body covered in sweat. My heart feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest. My breathing is rapid. It felt so real. Was it real?

“Soleda?~” I hear his gentle call, the soft creaking of the door sends shivers down my spine.

I drape the sheets over my whole body, I hold my breath and close my eyes. My dream has to mean something. They don’t always do, but it has come true several times. I’m not taking a chance.

“I know you’re under the sheets,” he coos, a soft whimper escaping from me when I hear him walk close. “Please come out.”

I don’t respond, keeping my eyes shut. I pray that everything that happened isn’t real. He never got obsessed with me and kidnapped me. I never even talked to him. I’m still sleeping through a horrifying nightmare on Friday night.

I pray that I convince myself of this lie.

He removes the sheets, revealing my shivering body. I stare at him with wide eyes. He sets down the food he’s brought in front of me. It was carrot stew with a mango on the side.

My guard goes slightly down at the sight of food. I don’t know how long I’ve slept, but it has made my hunger rise.

“I’m sorry for being so hard on you,” I eat a spoonful of the stew, not looking or acknowledging him. “I just want you safe.”

I don’t respond and focus on eating. He ruined my life. He doesn’t deserve to be acknowledged.

“You should be getting ready for bed now, it’s almost ten.”

Ten? The lack of windows in this room has made the time go slow. I don’t know if he put me in here for that exact reason.

“There are clothes in the wardrobe. Good night, my beloved.”

Then he’s gone. Leaving me alone with dinner and clothes. Just like that. He’ll be going to sleep.

I have a chance to set myself free.

I can’t sit here helpless. I can’t stay here forever. I would never go to college, and never see my father or Duko again. I’ll grow big in here; it’ll give me a chance to defend myself but that’ll be years from now.

I won’t grow big outside, being able to finally explore the big scary world. I’ll finally feel safe. I’ll finally lose my anxiety. I’ll be free.

I need to escape tonight.

[dinkflocculent]

୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧

I yearn for a tall tall yan, lurking above me at all times <3

୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧

[dinkflocculent]

The 3 important B’s

[dinkflocculent]

Whumpee lives in a world where cruel beasts have taken everything they loved, devoting their life to kill every last one of the species.

One night they get caught in a snowstorm, on the brink of suffocating under the snow. They wake up in a warm, soothing cabin in bed, all of their wounds patched up. The one that saved them is one of the beasts whumpee swore to kill.