Intrusive Thoughts

Stay in my head, stay in my head, stay in my head, STAY IN MY HEAD...

— Viv-2120

  But they won't, will they? Whether she sees them as her own thoughts or not, that doesn't change the fact that the whole world knows she's thinking them. They beam outwards like a radio signal to everyone around her. The Azurians can't just hear the thoughts. They can sense them. They can feel them coursing through every fibre of their being. And they KNOW they're a part of Viv.   Because Viv's just a bad person, right? She didn't need any more proof, but she's getting it anyway. And so is everyone else.   This won't be pretty.  

The Seed

  It starts small. Her mom wakes her up and says good morning. Almost immediately she thinks, "Ugh, shut up." Is it just because she's tired and cranky? Doesn't matter. Mom Knows, and now she's looking like she's wondering why she ever bothered raising such an ungrateful child. She gets up and leaves without a word.   Then at breakfast, Viv thinks of dropping her food on the floor and stepping on it. The thought comes out of nowhere. It shocks her, and she tries her best to bury it. But it's too late. Viv's mom lectures her about wasting food. She stares at her plate. She didn't even do anything! Why is this happening?   This is just the beginning. The Cluster is forming, and Viv is not prepared.  

The Cluster

  Viv goes outside. (That's her first mistake. She should just stay in bed if she thinks she's so worthless.) She takes her guitar with her, since she has a lesson with Minnow today. Every time she passes someone, she thinks of swinging the guitar at their head. The thought of her hitting them over and over won't go away. You know what else won't go away? The way they all see her now - as a violent problem child. You better believe they're going to talk.   Speaking of which, Viv's mind is pretty chatty by the time she arrives at Minnow's. And by "pretty chatty" I mean "spewing pure nastiness". This stuff is toxic, guys. And it spreads fast. Soon everyone in Azure Town feels like they're eyes-deep in nuclear waste.   And Viv? She'll figure out what's going on in a minute. But by then it'll be too late.  

The Fallout

  Minnow opens the door and gives her a dark look. "What's wrong with you? Do you have any idea how messed up that is?"   Gold appears out of nowhere, yet it feels like she was there this whole time. "Do you think your mother will be happy about this? What you've become?"   Other Azurians begin to crowd around Viv. Their closeness suffocates her. Her thoughts have become tar, coating every part of her mind with selfishness and scorn and hatred and disgust.   They Know. Every single one of them. And they despise her for it.   Viv thought that if she just kept smiling, they'd love her forever. But she wasn't able to hide how awful she is. And as the roar of accusations grows louder, her whole world crumbles to dust.