Dear Bugaboo

Dive In

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   Snap.

   No one heard it, though the room went completely still and silent for just a moment. The air grew uneasily thick, the smell of sanitary products and medicine leaving an uncomfortable bitter feeling.

   Two families were processing the news until the weight of reality finally crushed them. Wails echoed off the walls, anyone within earshot feeling remorse.

   It's pretty ironic.

   The two families are inside a hospital...but their souls can't be healed by any sort of medicine or bandages. Not a million stitches could mend their broken and scared hearts.

   "No need to worry!" echoes of encouraging words from the past spoke, "I'll see you all on the other side!"

   The devastation of the loss is loud...but no one heard the thundering snap of a singular soul.

   He stood paralyzed, the only movement is his trembling body while watching his whole world crumble beneath his feet. The sounds of crying and sniffling around him are all drowned out as if he was underwater. The irises in his striking bluebell eyes shrunk. Many feelings, emotions and turmoil raced throughout his veins.

   Snap!

   Then, it all fell apart.

   His brain felt rewired and broken like a virus corrupted him. All the warnings and errors went unseen as anger took over. His sanity torn piece by piece as if it were merely paper and slipping through his fingers like sand.

   "Slade!"

   The voice sounded far away and muffled, unable to fully get through his ears. Someone grabbed a handful of his shirt, shaking him.

   "This is all your fault!" It yelled, furiously and voice cracking, "This is all your fault! You knew the consequences! N-Now...she-she's gone...forever."

   His vision blurred into a crimson color. New voices, different voices that weren't muffled and clear as day, whispering, "No, it's not your fault. It's someone else's fault."

   "Yes," he agreed, giving in to the idea, "but...who?"

   He already knew the answer.

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   "Are you sure you know where we're going?" Tikki asked for the nth time.

   "Yes," Marinette simply replied, getting irritated by the repeated question and continued to look down at her feet. The two managed to board a train without much difficulty and heading towards the station closest to the prison.

   The bluenette is still having a hard accepting everything happening, never thinking in a million years she would be this reckless.

   Running off to Italy with her younger relative just to see their father, who is currently in jail for many past crimes. What really baffled Marinette the most, he was working as Hawkmoth's partner, Akuma.

   She assumes Sabine never thought the teen would look up "Slade Cheng" on the internet. A big mistake on her aunt's part but useful information. Of course, the internet doesn't have all the answers to her remaining questions and that's why Marinette is here.

   She needs to know the whole truth, no more lies.

   She hated lies to her very core. Look at where one big lie has brought her now, she's riding a bus in Italy to see her criminal father. Marinette should be in Paris, planing for the next time to meet with her pen pal and recalling everything at the dance.