DIGITAL DREAMERS: Surviving in a New World

introduction

ruby patrick
please credit my wattpad account if you're taking inspiration from this story.

(full disclaimer that i am british, so idk if some of the words i use may be slightly different to what you yeehaw americans are reading.. anyways, i digress!)

word count; 449

"Peace out!" Thomas smiled to the camera, posing of course. Posing and smiling for a camera had been his life for a good few years. Even when he was younger, his only goal was to be on that shiny school stage in front of everyone - even if it was just a stupid talent show. He lived for that attention. The positive murmurs, the congratulatory pats on the back from his friends as he stepped out of the school hall.

Unfortunately for Thomas, the reality of life hit him the minute he moved out. Were things always this expensive? Jesus christ, $4 for a loaf of bread. All he had at this point were the delusions. At first it was worrying. A somewhat edgier clone of himself, claimed to be formed from.. his anxiety? I'm sorry, was he supposed to believe one of the parts of a human headspace was just.. chilling around his house? Well, luckily for Thomas, this made bank online. One of his videos had gone - viral?! It was so overwhelming so fast, and the more popular he got the more 'people' showed in his living room. Of course this was absurd, but he fed into the hallucinations with spotlight and money. Because if he fed into this, he could feed himself. He could pay the bills. Thank god, the days of vine could be past him. The days of youtube were ahead of him.

But things started getting... complicated. Again.

These characters became sentient. They became real. Even his friends pitched in to help make these videos, because even they could see these people. So they were actually real? How did nobody question this before? Why weren't his friends questioning these people, either? Did they have the same problems? Why does nobody discuss this more often?! Ow, his head hurt.

But one day, things came crashing down. Because they always do. Of course, just as you get yourself comfortable and you make peace with the creatures in your head, they all disappear. What the hell, man?

Thomas is going to get to the bottom of this.

Just wait for it.

No, seriously, you're gonna have to wait. Do you know how many resources Thomas is gonna need to find these people again? They didn't even exist before, what if they just stopped existing now that he was getting better? Thomas, you're so naive. Go find them then, stop wasting time.