Delusional, Taylor Quinn [the dot read aloud txt] 📗

"Have you ever been so bored that your mind has drifted off to where it never has before? Of course you have. Almost everyone has experienced the everyday phenomenon of the imagination. But imagination can only go downhill from where it stands. And that's what makes you Delusional. Well, almost. The imagination's downfall is not the Delusion you feel. What makes you Delusional are the creatures from the confused, dark, and twisted part of your mind. And they are known as the Delupuse. Delupuse are dark and twisted like that small sliver of your mind. And believe me, that part of your mind is always there. Always. So don't fantasize and imagine too much. You need to do something to keep your mind off actually imagining, though, right? A hobby, or some sort of interest. If you can't seem to find something, well... just don't spend your whole life fantasizing about what could be... or you'll start twiddling your thumbs... looking around anxiously... hallucinating... no one talks to you... they'll look at you strangely. As if you're some kind of monster. But you are. You just don't know it.

The Delusion has taken you."

--

I read the rather cryptic words written on the yellowed scrap of ancient paper, sitting on the dusty floor of my attic. My family was doing our spring cleaning. I had picked up a stack of paper, when the artifact-worthy sheet slipped out. There was a word on the top, probably the title of the piece, though it was ripped off at an awkward angle, leaving only "Del". Based on the contents of the small selection itself, I'd guess it says "Delusion", or "Delupuse". I have no idea where this paper came from. I'd never heard anything of this one paragraph selection before. I've never even heard the word Delupuse. "It's most likely part of some crappy fiction story..." I mumbled to myself. Still, I couldn't put the tattered sheet down. It fascinated me, even it was just someone's ancient fiction or fantasy writing. I was honestly a sucker for some good, ancient literature. And this was perfect, even if it wasn't remotely fact, which I preferred greatly over fiction and fantasy. Oh what am I doing! I thought to myself. I have homework to do! 

I rushed down the attic's ladder, and went into my bedroom, the sheet still held firmly in my hands. I swung my office chair around, sat, and immediately swirled to face the desk. Placing the sheet on the left side of the desk, I grabbed my homework out of my backpack. Turning on the radio while I worked soothed me, so I reached out for the remote that controlled the radio. I sat it on the left of my desk. I looked down when I reached for it, and... I didn't see the scrap of paper. Where had it gone? Where could it have gone is a better question. I looked around, only to find the sheet of paper sitting on my bed. Now I know I didn't put it there! I thought. Ignoring it, I turned the radio on like I was originally planning to before I got distracted, and finished the arithmetic homework easily and quickly. I glanced at the clock. 7:06. Not bad timing, Ruby, I thought to myself once again.

I went downstairs, leaving the paper in its position on my bed, and turned on the Nintendo 64. I love the classics. The N64 also booted up quickly and you could start playing faster than with an Xbox. Though my family has an Xbox, too. Speaking of my family, where were they? I hadn't seen them at all. Nor have I heard a sound. The only sounds came from the N64 booting up The Legend of Zelda. A familiar cartridge. Ocarina of Time. I'd finished this game twice. That Princess Zora? She's so rude! I don't even remember her name now, because of it. I continued my saved game. I was in Goron City. Fairly early in the game, being the second spiritual stone you have to collect. Goron's Ruby. Goron's Ruby was always my favorite. Mainly due to the fact that my name was Ruby, and nothing else. My favorite color isn't red, though. In fact, my favorite color is a deep, royal purple. I was at the part of Goron City where you have to throw a Bomb Flower into the giant spinning pot. I usually fail this. A lot. But this time, I got it on the first try! I watched my precious rewards pop out of the pot, but when I looked away for a moment and looked back, there was nothing there. Huh? But I could've sworn... Maybe I'm just tired. I saved once again and shut off the Nintendo 64. I made sure Pitch, our female black German Shepherd, had food and water before I went back upstairs to go to bed. She tried to follow me, but I told her "no" and closed the door on her when I got to my bedroom. Upon walking into the room, I quickly noticed the paper had gone missing once again. Nothing could be blowing around. Not even a slight breeze from a cracked window was flowing through the room. It was just not possible. I looked around until I found the paper resting in my mirror. Pulling it out, I shoved it in the drawer. I didn't want to see it again, tonight.

My parents never came in to tell me they were home or anything, so until I actually fell asleep, I considered the possibility that they were also asleep, and let it slide. I slept soundly until about 2:00 AM. Then something happened. A giant snapping sound. Coming from my brothers' bedroom. It could've just been him, but still, what was it? I got to my feet at an average pace, but I almost ran into the hall and over to the door that would lead me to what horrors may await in David's room. Slowly opening the door, I was relieved to see that he was soundly asleep in his bed, and nothing seemed to have happened. But just to be sure, I slowly opened the door, hoping it wouldn't creak and wake him up. A quick scan of the room told me nothing was wrong, but I've read and watched enough mystery books and movies to know that things are not always what they seem. So I stepped into the room, and began to dig a little deeper. I actually uncovered a few belongings I had lost recently, but they are things David wouldn't have had a use for; a pair of underwear, a romance novel I had to read in class, mascara, and some other objects David didn't need for any given reason. Which is what made me think something weird was going on. David was still sleeping soundly, so I crept over to the cage where he kept his pet mouse. I looked in, expecting to see a healthy, white mouse. Instead, I saw a dead mouse. It was young, well fed. No cause of death, no sign of something killing it. Just dead. I looked over at Dave, wondering what he'd do when he woke up to poor Nibbles being dead. Then I looked back at... the dead Nibbles? Nibbles was alive. What is going on! I quickly crept out of the room with my missing items, and sat them on the bed. While I was getting my makeup pouch to put the mascara in, I remembered that ancient scrap. Later today, I was taking that thing to the library! I opened the drawer it was in. Not there. I opened every drawer. Not in any of them. Ugh! Not this crap again! I didn't even have a chance to say paper before I saw it lying on the floor by my closet. Why there? Was this note trying to lead me somewhere? First my bed, then my mirror, and now the floor by my closet? Was it trying to tell me there was something in the closet? I opened the closet, but all I saw were my clothes, some shoes, and plastic tubs of things I didn't need at this point in my life. Nothing. I though so. I climbed back into my bed, and left the paper where it was, since I figured it would just move again, anyways.

My alarm went off, as usual, at 5:30. I got about three more hours of sleep. Yay? I like the night, anyways. It's always quiet and beautiful. I found my parents downstairs. A great relief. I thought they might have abandoned David and I, or something. My mother looked up.

"Oh! Ruby! You got a letter in the mail, today, dear!" she piped cheerfully, handing me a black envelope with no return address. I opened it, unfolded the paper, and read one thing. The letter "A". Okay? Is this some kind of joke? Honestly! Who would send me the letter "A"?! Anyways, I put the letter in my bedroom, because it might mean something later, and got ready for school. The bus arrived on time, and I hopped on with David, as quickly as possible. Oddly, today was the one day of this school year so far where I learned and heard almost nothing. I kept daydreaming. I couldn't help it. I was thinking of the night before. I couldn't have just been tired. I'd gotten five hours of sleep before I woke up to the cracking noise in David's room! So what had happened? Really.

"Hey! Ruby!" a familiar voice called, snapping me out of the fantasy world I'd found myself in.

"Oh, hello Jess", I said, looking up at my best friend.

"You realize we're outside on a lesson, right? The teacher couldn't get you to snap out of it, so we just sat you here. What happened?"

"Huh?!" My eyes widened in surprise. The teacher couldn't get me to stop daydreaming?

"Oh my God, I have to go apologize! I'll be right back, Jess!" I almost yelled at her before running over to Mr. Lark to give my sincere apology. He accepted it and sent me back to Jess to work together. It was a pretty simple project. We had to look for animals, and all