Day-Brayker

OD-DOG'S NUMBER ONE FAN He/Him They/Them I also love Liana Flores and Conan Gray And I also really love The Backwards House

[day-brayker]

Catie and Oakland at unc status :3 (they’re both 36 years old here btw) It’s kinda weird seeing them so lanky like this

Catie is supposed to be wearing bell bottoms by the way, just thought I should say cuz it looks a little weird (they’re also wearing those same crusty shoes the cult gave them because they’re too poor to afford anything else)

I’ll do Elliot and Pheonix soon as well, probably expect those tomorrow or the day after

[day-brayker]

Is This a Cult? Chapter 10 (FINALE)

The train went in for miles and miles, and upon reaching a city they all got off, running as quick as they could.

Just like those couple of minutes back at The Backwards House, the next couple of days were a blur to Catie. They went by so quick, yet they felt like it would never end. Brother Empathetic decided that they would hide away in the entrance to the city's sewage. Catie wasn't even sure where this city was, some signs around said it was a place called "Denver Colorado", though of course Catie wasn't familiar with the place.

It was almost like another dimension, every building was large, and loomed over them. There was not a single hint of nature anywhere, other than the couple of parks strewn about, and the mountains were much farther away than they were back in Hoaxville. It was intimidating, and Catie somehow felt worse… Looking around at all the people, they wondered how anybody could be happy in a place like this? Everybody here smiled, talked to others, it was the complete opposite of Hoaxville.

They would spend time skipping rocks, telling stories, amd doing any other miscellaneous things to pass the time with Brother Empathetic and Brother Od-Dog. On the second day of them arriving in this place called Denver, they sat in the sewer entrance, looking out towards the setting sun. Silence was the only thing that filled the air, that and the passing of cars above them. Brother Od-Dog spoke.

"…Brother Empathetic? What are we gonna do? We're here now… who do we ask for help?" He asked, his voice was uneasy. Brother Empathetic looked down at the ground.

"I… I don't know. I've been wandering around the streets, but… I haven't seen anybody who really looks like they could help us. I need to hurry… what could that woman be doing to the other kids…" Brother Empathetic looked extremely distraught. Catie leaned back, closing their eyes and listening to the two boys talk.

"Well how do you know somebody won't help us just like that? We can't just sit out here hiding away forever!" Brother Od-Dog said.

"Its… it's just… what if they want to hurt us too? The only adults in our lives have all hurt us bad… what if they try to do the same? What if they bring us back? What if they don't believe us…" Brother Empathetic was tapping his foot anxiously.

"Well, yeah but… what if they don't?" Brother Od-Dog responded. Brother Empathetic and Brofher Od-Dog began bickering back and fourth, Catie kept their eyes closed and simply listened, too tired to butt in. It slowly grew darker and darker, and soon they found themselves asleep…

"Hey… Catie… are you okay?" They heard somebody say. Upon opening their eyes, they saw someone looming over them.

"…Oakland? What are you doing? Go back to sleep…" they said, turning to their side. They took a sigh of relief as they realized what was going on.

They weren't back in that sewer again, they were safe and sound at home, with their spouse, twenty three years into the future.

"Catie? You're making some pretty weird noises…" Said Oakland, touching their shoulder gently. They groaned softly.

"I'm fine… just… a rough dream… go back to bed, Oaks…" they said. He wrapped his arm around them amd pulled them closer to him, they slowly smiled as they felt him leaning up to gently kiss the crown of their head.

"What did you dream about?" He whispered to them. Catie sighed softly.

"…I dreamed we were back at the sewers… just before we were found and taken into custody…" replied Catie. Oakland held them tighter.

"Mmm… right… we've gotta talk about that in the morning… this is getting a little too frequent…" Oakland said worriedly. Catie let out another sigh, before falling right back asleep…

When they woke up again, it was much brighter outside, and Oakland was no longer in bed. The smell of coffee wafted upstairs, so they assumed he was downstairs. They got up, cracked their back, and went to the bathroom the freshen up and get dressed.

As they removed their shirt, they looked at the two symmetrical scars just under their chest area. They smiled, feeling a sense of euphoria wash over them. After getting dressed, they made their was downstairs, where Oakland was sweeping the floors, upon seeing them he dropped the broom and walked excitedly over to them.

"Good morning!" He said happily, pulling Catie into an embrace before kissing them gently. They kissed him back.

"Morning, Oaks…" they replied, still a little drowsy.

"You hungry?" He asked, picking the broom back up and continuing to sweep. The shook their head.

"Nah, I just want coffee…" they replied while rubbing their eyes. They'd almost completely forgotten about their dream last night.

They went out to the back porch and sat down on one of the chairs that faced the flat plains that surrounded the house. Catie and Oakland lived in a very remote area, almost no houses around, and only one road that lead to a large city. It felt familiar, comforting, though Catie didn't remember exactly why…

Soon, Oakland came from out the door holding two mugs. He handed one of them to Catie.

"Thanks, Oaks…" they said as they took a sip, burning the roof of their mouth. Oakland sat next to them and sipped his coffee as well. For a moment the two of them sat in silence watching the sunrise, for a moment all was calm.

"Sooo… Catie… wanna talk about that dream you had last night?" Oakland asked. Catie suddenly remembered their dream… if they were to be honest, they really didn't want to talk about it. But they found it difficult to be honest.

"…Well… Like I said last night, I had a dream where we were back in the sewers… before we got taken into custody" Catie replied, unsure. Oakland took another sip of coffee.

"You know… this is becoming quite frequent, Catie… dreaming about those events, I mean…" He replied. He put a paw on their shoulder, and they knew what he was going to say next. "Catie… we've made it past that, I swear we're okay now, things were bad… but we survived, didn't we?" He said reassuringly. Though to them it was all too familiar.

"If things are really better… then why can't I stop dreaming about that time? But see, there's this thing about it… Every event is so crystal clear, and yet everyone's faces and names are so… blurred. They all look like wax states who's faces melted away, leaving a blank canvas" Catie explained. Oakland thought for a moment.

"…Now that you mention it… I feel the same way. I mean, I remember those events clearly, but everyone involved seems to have… just been erased. The only person I see in those memories is you, but, you're my spouse, of course I'd remember you" He said while smiling. Catie couldn't help but smile back.

"That kid who helped us escape… Ell… Elliot! I can't even remember his face either…" Catie said while scratching their chin. They took a deep breath of the country air before standing up.

"Where are you going?" Oakland asked.

"I need to find out where he is, maybe… maybe that'll somehow stop the nightmares" Catie said, already halfway through the door.

"Find him? Well… how would you do that?" Oakland asked.

"…I don't know… But I will" Catie replied, grabbing their keys and leaving out the front door.

"Wait! Aren't you gonna finish your coffee?!" Oakland called out as they were about to get into their car. They quickly ran back up to the door and grabbed the mug from him.

"Yes, yes I will actually" they said, quickly kissing him before running back to their car, holding their coffee in one paw.

"I- Ugh… well, I guess… I'll fix lunch when you get home…" Oakland said, but they'd already pulled out and were driving down the road. He slumped and walked back inside.

"They… didn't even ask if I wanted to come…" He said before closing the door.

It was a nearly fourty minute drive from the countryside to the city, and Catie felt their nerves going all over the place during the whole drive.

If I do find him… what would I even say? Does he still remember everything? …Come to think of it… What even happened to… her. Just like always, their thoughts rushed and rushed. They eventually found it laboring to breathe, and their head pounded to the same rate as their increasing heart rate. Soon, their vision started to blur, and they had to pull over. They tried breathing in and out slowly, counting to four on each breath, but that helped almost none. They glanced over at the glove compartment, opening it, there was a box of ciggeretes that they haven't touched in ages. They pulled it out and just… looked at it.

"No… Don't… Oakland wouldn't be happy about it…" they tried telling themselves. But they saw no other choice. They grabbed a box of matches that were also in the glove compartment and struck one, holding it up to the ciggerete. The moment the end started to glow, they put it in their mouth and took a big puff. In an instant, all their worries and anxiety went away. Another puff, relief…

They continued their drive, taking slow puffs of their ciggerete to calm them. And eventually, the area began to look much more urban.

They tossed their ciggerete out the window before taking in the new scenery. They parked in a random lot and were about to step out of their car before taking one more ciggerete.

"Just one more… Just to calm my nerves…" they said to themselves, lighting the end. They waited in the lot to finish their ciggerete before finally walking out into the city. They looked around at all the tall buildings, thinking.

How am I ever going to find him? Why did I even drive out here? What if he isn't even here? They asked themselves. But it was worth a shot. They looked to the nearest person and walked right up to them.

"Hey, excuse me? Do you know a man by the name of Elliot… Engel?" They asked. They had almost forgotten his last name just then… The person looked at them for a moment before responding.

"Yes… Do you have an appointment with Mr.Engel?" Asked the person.

"What?" Catie replied.

"Yeah, he's the founder and CEO of the 'For All The Children Foundation', you need to get an appointment with him before speaking to him directly…" they stopped and pointed to a tall skyscraper. "Thats his office building, you planning a fundraiser for children's sake?" Asked the person.

"…Yes, thank you for telling me, what's his phone number?" Catie asked.

"800-588-2300, that's the phone to his office" the person replied (don't actually try to call that number).

"Alright…! Thanks!" Catie said before awkwardly shuffling away from the person and returning to their car.

They began driving home, repeating the number in their head as they went. Once again, they felt their nerves getting to them. Just one more cigarette… they thought. They tried to fight back the urges, but it was no use. They finished smoking it by the time they'd arrived back home.

The sun had finally risen all the way, and lunch began soon, no time to miss that. Oakland immediately greeted them at the front door.

"Catie! Welcome back! I missed you!" He said as he hugged them tight.

"Oaks, it was only a couple minutes!" Said Catie. He was about to go in to kiss them, but suddenly he stopped. He sniffed around them for a second before looking at them with a look that they couldn't quite read, something between disappointmentment and concern.

"…Catie. I thought you quit smoking" He said before letting go of them and walking to the kitchen. They sighed.

"I can quit whenever I want to, Oaks" Catie replied.

"You said that last time" He replied. Catie let out a loud sigh.

"Look, the point being I found a way to reach Elliot. I'm gonna go make the call, alright?" They said as they walked over to the phone. Oakland stared at them from the kitchen.

The house was quite old, and they didn't have a ton of money, so they had to rely on an old home phone to call the number. They punched in the number that that stranger had told them to call. The phone rang only once before someone picked up.

"Hello! You have reached the office of For All The Children Foundation, are you looking to fund a project?" Somebody with a fairly annoying voice said into the phone. Catie needed to speak with Elliot now, now now. And they had an idea on how to do so.

"…Yes. I need to speak with Elliot Engel directly. I need an appointment immediately, tell him that Catie Christensen is the one who's calling" Catie said into the phone. They could hear the person on the other end typing something on a computer before replying.

"Alright! Please hold while I speak with Mr.Engel" the operator said before the phone went on hold. During the time that they were on hold, they looked back at the kitchen and saw Oakland standing at the stove making food. He looked sad, and they felt terrible for breaking their promise to not smoke anymore. But they didn't get time to dwell on it as the phone went off of hold.

"Alright! Mr.Engel can see you at 2:30 PM today! Is that a good time?" Asked the operator.

"Yes, yes it's a great time!" Catie replied.

"Okay then! Well, we hope to see you soon" the operator said before hanging up. Catie couldn't help but smile, that was so much easier than they'd expected! They were over the moon! They went over to tell Oakland.

"Oaks! I got an appointment woth Elliot today! At 2:30! Isn't it great? Do you wanna come with me? It'll be fun to meet up with him again!" Catie said with their paws in Oaklands shoulders. He nodded.

"Yeah… it'd be fun…" He sounded upset. "Just… on the way there, please, promise not to smoke?" He asked, looking at them with hope in his eyes. They looked down at the stove for a moment before nodding, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

"Alright, I will" they said. And with that, it was only a matter of time until they'd see Elliot again, for the first time in 23 years.

Arriving at the office building, Catie felt their nerves building up, and they would've reached for a ciggerete had it not been for Oakland sitting right beside them. They had to resort to just trying to breathe slowly to calm themselves down. After confirming their identity to the person at the front desk, they were allowed to the 20th floor, where Elliots office was.

Standing in front of his office door, Catie didn't know what to feel anymore. Why where they nervous to see him? They knew him well, they shouldn't feel this way. Oaklamd knocked three times, and the door almost immediately opened. In that moment Catie realized what they were afraid of. Remembering.

Seeing his face, they were taken back 23 years ago, the interrogation room.

White walls, bright florescent light, metal door. It all came rushing back to them like a flah flood. Befote being taken into the room, they looked over at Elliot, who gave them the same look he had at the office door now. Surprise, amd concern.

Sitting at the table, Catie waited for ages, the buzzing of the light making their head spin. But finally, somebody opened the heavy metal door and sat across the table from them. He was an axolotl looking creature, who was a deep shade if blue. Catie really couldn't tell what he was, but all they knew was that they were in no mood to talk to him. Despite that, he smiled right at them.

"Hello, Catie is it? We've met already, but I'll introduce myself again. My name is Skylar Nixon, I'm a lawyer, I just want you to know that I'm here to help you, not to hurt you, got that?" He asked. Catie simply nodded.

"Great! Okay… I'm going to ask you some questions, and you are going to answer them the best you can" said Skylar. Catie didn't like the way he spoke. He spoke as if they were an injured animal that was shaking in fear. Which, to tell the truth, they were.

"Firstly… what happened in that house? Tell me the truth. Were you ever hurt physically?" Skylar asked.

"…Not physically…" Catie answered. They tried reminding themselves that this was for the best.

"Okay… we're you forced to do anything in the house? Did anybody force you into doing somrthing?" Skylar asked again, his voice getting softer and softer with every question.

"…Yes" they replied, their voice was barely audible, and just remembering what went down made their voice shake.

"Alright… Now Catie, I'm going to ask you one thing, but I need you to know that it doesn't mean you're in trouble, okay?" Skylar said. Catie had an idea of what Skylar would ask next, but they didn't want him to.

"Catie, we're you ever forced to kill somebody?" He asked. They heard their name be called, and they snapped back to the present.

"Catie! Are you okay? What happened?" Oaklamd asked. But Catie didn't reply, instead looking at Elliot, who immediatly went in for a hug. Catie gladly returned it.

"I don't know what happened there, but I'm just happy to see you… here, come in!" Elliot said, waving towards his office.

Elliot was no where near how Catie remembered him, he was always smiling, he was also much taller than Catie or Oakland, and his voice was deep and booming. He poured a cup of water for the both of them, as well as one for himself before going to sit at his desk.

"So… why'd you call? It's gotta be important, I mean it's been… 23 years since we've talked? What's going on? I see you two came here together…" Elliot said while smirking. Who was this? This couldn't be the quiet, serious kid that Catie met back at the house.

"Er… yeah I'll explain all of that later… we can catch up soon, but it is important… I've been dreaming, the same dream every single night" Catie explained. Oaklamd looked a little nervous, not saying a word and politely sipping his water.

"Really? What dream?" Elliot asked. Catie took a deep breath before speaking.

"…It's always before we were found and taken into custody. Before that lawyer from New Zealand got involved. When I zoned out earlier, it's because… I was remembering the interrogation room… the way you looked at me while standing by the door, it reminded me of right before that…" Catie explained. Elliots smile slowly faded from his face, and was replaced with his expression that was much more familiar to Catie, ine where he looked deep in thought.

"Have you ever considered therapy?" Elliot asked. Catie almost laughed at the request.

"Too expensive, we're struggling to even pay for groceries every week" Catie joked, Oakland tried to laugh with them. Elliot began thinking once again.

"Maybe you don't need to pay for it… why not… exposure therapy?" Elliot suggested. Catie furrowed their brow at him for a second.

"Exposure therapy? How would you go about that?" Catie asked. Elliot stood up.

"I mean we take a drive back home. Back to Hoaxville, maybe being exposed to it will let you heal, let you know that the nightmare is over" Elliot said. Oakland began to sweat, tugging at his shirt while also tapping his foot anxiously. Catie looked down at Elliots desk for a moment, thinking… pondering… finally, they stood up and nodded.

"…Maybe you're right. Maybe seeing the town that caused us so much suffering will somehow help me accept that… that things are over now" Catie said. Oakland kept quiet and looked down at the ground. Elliot looked up at the clock.

"I've got time, we should go now" Elliot said before walking towards the door, Catie followed closely while Oakland fell behind.

The drive to Hoaxville was even longer than the one Catie took to get to the city. It was hard for Catie to even remember where Hoaxville was. Catie and Elliot caught up with eachother during the drive. Catie, once so confidant in returning to Hoaxville to treat their trauma was now feeling much more terrified. While they drove, Elliot sat in the passenger seat while Oakland stared out the window in the back. Catie would occasionally glance back at him, making sure he was okay. He'd been awful quiet this whole time.

"So… you guys got married?" Elliot asked, grinning again. The question made Catie feel red in the face.

"No… too expensive to actually do the whole wedding thing" Catie explained. Elliot nodded.

"Hmm, right right… makes sense" Elliot replied. Catie knew there was another reason, one that hurt them deeply… but they didn't want to say it. If the spirits in here went any amount of low, then they wouldn't know how to handle arriving in Hoaxville. Speaking of which, Oakland finally spoke up once houses began to appear.

"Um… Catie Cat? Did we take a wrong direction? This doesn't look like Hoaxville…" Oakland said concerned. Catie had to agree, though they were sure they took all the right turns, this place looked nothing like the town they knew growing up.

There were several buildings now, establishments that Catie had never heard of before. Not the mention the houses, it was a full neighborhood of lavish, modern looking homes. There were children playing outside, and even the lot where Caties old house used to be was completely replaced by a nice, two story home.

"What is this place?" Elliot asked.

"Look, it says we're in the right place…" Oakland replied, pointing to a sign that read 'Welcome to Hoaxville'. Catie squinted at the sign, there was smaller text at the bottom. The text made Catie feel… strange. They couldn't comprehend how it made them feel, but it wasn't good. 'Home of The Backwards House Cult', that's what the sign read. It seemed Elliot and Oakland had noticed it too.

"Home of The Backwards House Cult? What does that mean?!" Oakland asked, sounding much more anxious. Catie decided there was only one place that was truly worth checking. Connell Street.

Parking the car, the three got out and began walking down to Connell Street. The whole time, Catie couldn't even believe they were in the same place. There were cars, actual cars! The roads were paved, no more gravel. All the buildings looked structerly sound, no more caving buildings. Arriving at Connell Street, it was somehow even more unrecognizable than the rest of the town.

Once known as 'poor avenue' by the street kids, it now looked like a gated community. Huge houses with gardens, swimming pools, and tall metal fences covered the street. The three began making their way up, and soon, they could see what they had come here for upon the horizon.

The house.

Only, it looked different. Like everything else, it had been tempered with. It still looked mostly the same, though there was now a huge parking lot out in the front, and a sign that read 'The Backwards House Museum' stood proudly outside the front door. Catie jogged up to the house, it looked tiny compared to the other houses on Connell Street now. They looked back at Elliot and Oakland, who shared the same expression of concern. This couldn't be what they thought… right? They walked right up to the front door, there was someone standing in it that had a robe and that same symbol poorly drawn on their forehead. Catie glared at her for a second before trying to enter.

"Hey, you need to pay to enter" the woman in the booth said. Catie gave her another glare before sighing loudly.

"How much for three people?" Catie asked, feeling irritated.

"For three adults, $90" the lady said. Catie almost audibly gasped. They reached into their bag and counted 90 dollars before slipping it under the booth. "Alright! Enjoy the museum!" The lady said.

"Whatever" Catie said, walking straight in. Elliot followed closely behind them while Oakland shuffled behind Elliot, hunched and keeps his hands tucked in his pockets.

"Asshole…" the lady whispered.

The moment Catie stepped in, they felt like the wanted to vomit. The house was all fixed up on the inside, there was rope blocking off certain hallways, noticeably the one that led to the basement door…

On top of that, all the furniture was gone, replaced by pedestals that had objects on them, enclosed in a glass case. Catie went up to one of them, it was in the very center of the foyer.

A knife, their knife. The knife they'd used years ago to attack Mother, and the one used to attack Sister Foxtrot. Oakland stood right next to them, looking at it. He grabbed his stomach, his eyes watering.

"I-I'm sorry I need to leave-" He said before running out the door. Catie could hear him throwing his guts up outside. Elliot took his place and stood by Catie.

"No fucking way…" He whispered under his breath. There was a small metal plate on a stand next to the case that had words written on it.

"Knife: this knife was used by Chaitali Christensen and Oakland Dawkins used to escape the grasps of The Backwards House Cult on May 29th, 2001" Catie read outloud. This couldn't be real. Just like all those years ago, they felt like a ghost. Simply looking into someone else's life. The people they described in this tablet wasn't them, or the Oakland they knew. It was somebody else, somebody Catie had never met.

"What's going on?" Elliot whispered, walking over to the living room. Catie followed him. There were even more cases with objects in them. One held a book, the tablet next to it read 'Hymn Book: This book was used by Harper Harrison (Known within the Cult as Sister Harmony) to sing chants out of'. Catie felt their stomach drop further. There was another case, inside it was broken shackles. Catie didn't even want to read the tablet, one glance, they saw Elliots name, look away. Elliot had obviously noticed it, as he was no breathing much heavier.

Up on the wall where the couch used to be were dozens of objects. A spoon that was separated from the other caught Caties attention. The tablet next to it read, "Spoon: This spoon was used by the Cult, specifically Fiona Tyson and Marilyn McCormick to blind one of the members, Freddie Martinez (known in the community as Brother Funky). Catie shivered. That name… it brought back memories that should have been kept away.

They haven't even noticed the objects that were clearly front and center, even having individual spotlights for each. Robes. The exact robes that Marilyn had forced them all to wear. Next to them.eas each of the names. Catie stared at the robe that was at the center of them all, that familiar cream colored robe…

"The robe of Chaitali Christensen" it read. Catie wasn't paying attention to what Elliot, or the other people in this room were doing, they'd been completely tunnel visioned.

There was a small TV that sat where the old radio used to be, and Catie didn't like what it showed. A news broadcast, the main headline reading in obnoxious bold letters 'CULT LEADER ARRESTED, NOW IN COURT'. Catie didn't want to see what they knew was coming, but something wouldn't let them look away.

There was a cut from the main reporter and to a courtroom. There, they saw themselves, 23 years younger, and looking strangely calm given the situation. This was it, the final thing Catie had remembered.

Staring at the camera, internally they wanted to run to it and smash it to bits. How could they film such a moment? Catie looked up at the pedestal where Mother- no, Marilyn stood. Gone was her white dress and hat, replaced by a standard orange jumpsuit. At the witness stand was Elliot, giving away all the information he could.

"And she… that woman locked us up in the basement for three days, had me breaking my wrists to get out…" Elliot said, trying to hold back his anger. Elliot stepped down from the pedestal and went back to sit with Skylar, who stood up the moment Elliot had sat down.

"Your honor, as you can see it is very clear that this woman has traumatized, used, and abused these children." Said Skylar. Skylar took his briefcase and took out a folder. "This is some of the photos we took inside the house. As you can see, this one depicts all the children shackled to their beds, it was clear they had not been fed in days, perhaps weeks!" Skylar said. The judge flipped through the photos, getting a grim look on his face, looking like he was about to gag.

"My lord…" the judge whispered while flipping through the photos. The other people in the room spoke amongst themselves for a moment before the judge slammed his hammer. "Order! Order! We still have one more person to hear from, one of the three who came to Marilyn McCormicks defense. Fiona Tyson? Step up to the witness stand." The judge said. Fiona awkwardly stood up and made her was over to the pedestal, Catie noted that she had a bandage wrapped around her torso. She stood quietly at the microphone for a moment, almost as if she was rethinking what she was about to say.

"I…I was going to defend Moth- Marilyn… But… But that wouldn't be right" Fiona said. Harper furrowed her brow, her eyes going wide as she looked at Fiona in shock. Freddie covered his mouth as to cover his gasp. "Somebody… somebody told me that I can't give lectures on what right or wrong when I'm going against the very lectures I give… I am guilty of this as well" Fiona said, her voice growing with more confidence. She looked at Catie as she spoke, Catie could almost make out a smile on her face… a real smile.

"You've all seen the evidence, you've all seen the horrors of that house. I, and Marilyn did partake in such horrible acts against these poor children… and… and all I ask is that we be punished for it. Really. I don't mind…" Fiona said, biting her lip to hold back a sob before stepping down from the stand herself. Everybody began speaking amongst themselves again. Marilyn began speaking loudly above everybody.

"Foxtrot… dear… you can't be doing this. To your own Mother?!" She raised her voice. Fiona didn't look at her, giving her a simple reply.

"My name is Fiona, and you are not my Mother." She replied simply. Marilyn began shouting, attempting to get up and run at Fiona, though she was handcuffed to her stand. The cameras filmed everything.

"Order! Order!" The judge yelled, slamming the hammer down, suddenly, the room went quiet. The judge stood up and walked into a room behind the podium. Now the room was filled with whispers. Catie felt overwhelmed, they didn't want this anymore… they wanted this all to he done already… Oakland somehow saw how uncomfortable they were, grabbing their paw from beneath the table, gently caressing the back on it with his thumb. That made them feel a little bit better, though they felt their face get warm. The judge came back out and stood at the pedestal. He clearned his throat before speaking.

"Mariyln Catherine McCormick… You are being charged with first and second degree murder, ritualistic abuse, as well as the abuse of children. The evidence speaks for itself. Marilyn McCormick, I nearby sentence you to die via electricity" the judge said, slamming his hammer down one-stop time. Marilyn simply looked down at the ground, this entire time her eyes weren't visible behind her long black hair, but Catie assumed that if they were able to see her eyes, there would be only hatred.

Skylar simply nodded and stood up, brushing off his suit before packing up his things. Catie couldn't comprehend what was going on. Somebody was going to die and it was all their fault. Not like they weren't used to that feeling… But this time, other people agreed that she had to die. That somehow made Catie feel guilty…

Catie flashed back to the present, the video looped right back to the start, and Catie decided they had had enough of this place. Finding Elliot, who was standing in a corner of the room, they dragged him outside and back to the car. Oakland was already there, sobbing his eyes out.

Nobody spoke, the only sound was Oaklands crying. Catie didn't start to car, or say a word.

"That's just… just not right! I hate it! I hate it so much!" Oakland yelled. "All our trauma, on display like some kind of circus act? Who thought of that?!" Oakland yelled again, covering his eyes with his arm. Catie turned around, taking his paw into theirs and caressing the back of it gently with their thumb. His sobs slowly stopped, and he looked at them before smiling.

"T-thank, Catie…" He said softly. They leaned over to kiss him gently, Elliot pretended not to notice.

The drive home was just as quiet, Catie felt the same way. Anger boiled I'm their veins, how could someone do this? Put all their trauma on display like that? Yet, it all made sense. How else was Hoaxville so love and lavish now? Where else would they had gotten the funds to fix the place?

Back at Catie and Oaklands home, the three sat on the back porch, none of them had said a word in nearly an hour, there was nothing to say, everything wasayed out right in front of them. Oakland had brought them all some lemonade. Catie took a sip while looking off at the setting sun. Finally, Elliot broke the silence.

"That… that wasn't what I expected to find" He said. Oakland nodded.

"I just… can't believe they'd do that… what kind of person does that?!" Oakland sounded like he was gonna get fired up againz but Catie quickly wrapped their arm around his shoulder.

"Shhhhh, we know… we know… I'm upset as well, we all are" Catie reassured Oakland. Elliot looked at Catie.

"Catie, did you find what you were looking for?" Elliot asked.

"…Found what?" Catie asked.

"An answer, because I think you did" Elliot said. Catie gently ran their paw up and down Oaklands back as they spoke.

"What do you mean by that?" Asked Catie.

"I saw you looking at the TV… you saw how it ended. Those kids on TV? That isn't us anymore, that was years ago. The truth was right there, Catie. Marilyn McCormick is dead, and she's never going to hurt us again" Elliot explained. Catie looked up at the sky, slowly turning purple from the setting sun. He was right. They'd seen how it ended right in front of them, they'd almost completely forgotten what they'd been looking for.

Closure. That was what they wanted. Closure that all of this really was over. And there was, right in front of their eyes.

"Catie, we loved long enough to not only live through it, but to be able to look back on it. Maybe not in the best way… but still. We survived" Elliot explained. Oaklands ears perked up as well. It didn't take long for it to settle in to Caties mind. They closed their eyes, and visualized it.

It was like the moment Sister Foxtrot had thrown them down the basement, only they were at the top this time, and Marilyn was the one at the bottom. They slammed the door shut, and no matter how hard Marilyn rattled the handle, she couldn't open the door to reach them. They slowly backed away from the door, Marilyn was not only locked in a casket six feet under, but she was now locked away deep within Caties mind, woth no way out.

Catie opened their eyes once again, it was like the world had a while new light to it. For as long as they cluld remember, the world always felt like it had a vignette around it, bur for the first time in their life their vision was clear. They looked at Oakland, he wasn't that loyal, yet terrified child anymore. He'd grown up (and looked REALLY good). They turned to Elliot, he'd grown up as well.

Looking down, they saw themselves. They'd grown as well. That time was gone, this was now. They smiled, there was nothing else to do but smile. The nightmare was really over.

"Hm… what happened to the other kids?" Asked Catie. Elliot sighed.

"Well… I don't know about the others, but I surly know what's up with Brother Posh, or, better known as Pheonix Paladan" Elliot said while smiling. Catie tilted their head.

"Really? What happened to him?" They asked.

"He's the one who's gonna whoop my ass if I don't come home on time tonight" Elliot said while standing up. Only then did Catie noticed Elliot was wearing a necklace with a ring attached to it. Oakland noticed it as well.

"Ooooooh! Lucky guy, huh?" Oakland remarked while chuckling.

"Be quiet!" Elliot said while laughing. The three of them laughed together.

Deep down Catie knew they'd never forget it, how could they? Although they would never fully heal from this, they could at least heal back to becoming a person again.

THE END.

I want to give a huge thanks to the community for all the support you’ve shown me through these past couple months while I was making this story. Special thanks to @luckiihare once again for being the beta reader to all these chapter.

I genuinely could not have hoped for a better community to be a part of, out of all the fandoms I’ve been in in the past, you all are 100% the most kind I’ve met, and I can’t thank everyone enough for reading <3

I’ll probably do something with ITAC in the future, though I’m unsure of what, I know it’ll be something. One more time, thank you all so so much for the love and support you’ve shown me over these past few months ❤️

-Bray <3

[day-brayker]

Caities moms design?

She lowkey looks like mi abuela 💔 (she’s also a little less charred in this depiction)

[day-brayker]

You should turn your pfp into a TBH character :D (maybe a lion? They kinda look like a lion)

Here he is! As his name suggests his trait is he’s real lucky always :3

ALSO just a little heads up but I’m sorry for not releasing chapter 10 or the fandom fic sooner, I’m sorry to disappoint but I promise I’m still working on them

[luckiihare]

little guy based on @day-brayker ‘s pfp!!

Idk this is how they look in my head

[day-brayker]

face reveal!

[luckiihare]

little guy based on @day-brayker ‘s pfp!!

Idk this is how they look in my head

[luckiihare]

All alone now

Here’s a thought I keep having; Harmony going down to the basement after seeing the open door. Seeing everything they’ve done.

[day-brayker]

I figured out what was up with chapter 2! It was there and it still is but for some reason it didn't have "is this a cult?" tag and it was titled "Is this a cult? chapter two" instead of the number 2

girl…. Why did I do that 😭 holy unprofessional my bad guys

[day-brayker]

Did brother od-dog stab sister foxtrot on chapter 9? It probably went over my head but I was a little confused

yup! That’s what happened, I wanted it to be a sort of moment where it shows how much he truly cares for them, going as far as to hurt someone else just to protect them :D

[day-brayker]

WARNING: GAY PEOPLE/j

[day-brayker]

WAIT just a theory but… Catie asked Mother how she got all that food… and all those bodies in the basement……..

IS SHE FEEDING THE KIDS PEOPLE

👀 maybe

[day-brayker]

Hey, I am trying to show my friend your fic but for some reason, I can't find chapter 2. Ive tried searching it but it says it's not there. (Along with version 1 of chapter one)

I know you said disregard this ask but I do think I should mention that I DID in fact delete version one of chapter one. Just so that it was nicer and more organized. Maybe after chapter 10 is posted I’ll see if y’all want me to reupload version one again

[day-brayker]

Is This a Cult? Chapter 9 (TW: VIOLENCE)

As they walked upstairs, Catie could feel dread flooding their mind. They tried to think of their friends downstairs… though that helped very little, considering they weren't actually here with them. They were all alone now, nobody could help them anymore. It had to be perfect.

"We hope you have learned your lesson, Sister Curious, you may continue to live amongst the community" said Mother. Sister Foxtrot kept glaring at Catie, a glare that pierced right through their skull. Sister Foxtrot suddenly grabbed their shoulder.

"Matter of fact… we've got another surprise layed out for you tonight… you'll have to re-test your devotion… But it shouldn't be too difficult…" Said Sister Foxtrot. Mother amd Sister Foxtrot led Catie back to the bedroom, they made sure to take a good look at their surroundings, mapping out mentally how they could reach the basement when the time was right…

Once Catie arrived to the bedroom, Sister Foxtrot stayed while Mother left. The others were there, and this time it felt as though everyone where stating at them… Even Brother Funky, poor Brother Funky… they thought. Sister Harmomy had that same glare, and they knew why. She was probably upset at them too for what they'd done… more upset than everyone else, but nowhere near as upset as Sister Foxtrot was….

They curled up on their bed, hating the feeling of eye constantly watching them. They wanted to go home… their real home. They somehow missed the familiar smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke, the yellowed walls and the refrigerator that would wake them up at night, the sound of the Television cracking to life, the broken wire fence the surrounded their home… at least there they had freedom, they cpuld stay out as long as they want, and of they got home when their parents were asleep, then it would be as if nothing had happened in the morning.

But there would be no home to arrive to.

Catie couldn't stop worrying about Brother Empathetic and Beother Od-Dog… Brother Empathetic slipped out of his chains as they were leaving, he'd promised to get Brother Od-Dog out of his restraints as they were gone. But just the thought of Brother Od-Dog being in any more pain… the thought of either of them being in pain made their heart bleed.

They hardly ate at lunch, same went for dinner, despite the fact that they had not eaten a thing in three days they suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore. Once again they felt like a ghost. As if everything they where experiencing were on the inside of this house, and they were merely peeking through the window.

It almost comforted them, thinking about all of this as just one bad dream made them feel some sort of bliss… nothing mattered. If they were to die, nothing would happen to them. They'd wake up again and be right where they started, they'd get right back to their mundane life. They were only spectating, only looking in, and they could leave whenever they wanted to.

Catie began humming one of the old hyms that Sister Harmony had sang. It was about what would happen to those who didn't have faith. Rotting bodies in trenches… mass illness spread across lands. It made them think of the bodies downstairs. That wasn't real, it couldn't have been.

Maybe that hym wasn't real, maybe Sister Harmony wasn't even real.

Maybe this whole house, the people inside, the history behind it, the torture that was bottled up in it wasn't real. Maybe if Catie closed their eyes and opened them again everything would be gone, they'd be laying in an empty lot on Connell Street… safe and sound back in the Inferno of Hoaxville.

That fantasy was quickly shut down as they heard a knock on the wall. It was Sister Harmony, who was I'm fact very real.

"Sister Curious, come down to the main foyer…" she said in a hushed voice. They looked around, everyone was gone, but unfortunately they were still here in this damn house… Sister Harmony left the room, and Catie remembered the plan.

This is my chance… it's now or never Catie thought. As they walked to the main foyer, they felt thay same anxiety start creeping in once again. They tried calming their nerves by thinking once again of themselves as merely a spirit witnessing these events from afar. That helped a little.

I'm the main foyer, there was the prominent smell of candles burning. In the middle of the room there was a table, on Sister Missy layed across it completely still. Everyone stood around chanting prayers.

"We must protect ourselves from the incoming nightmare attacks…" Said Mother. Sister Harmony took her place and took the lead in the chanting. Catie decided to join in, trying to blend in woth the others while trying to squint in the dark to see the hallway they had come through to reach the basement. The darkness was perfect to hide away in.

But before they could keep routing their way to the basement, they felt somebody tap their shoulder. Turning around they saw Soster Foxtrot smiling at them.

"It's time, Sister Curious, you're loyalty will he re-tested" she held out her paw and handed them something. A long, sharp knife. They took it cautiously, she wasn't implying that… was she? Mother nodded to them slowly.

"We will guide you through it… walk up to the table, quick!" Said Mother. With no other option, Catie walked up to the table where Sister Missy lay. Up close, they could tell that she was much younger than the rest of the children here, she must have been around nine or ten years old… they felt bad for saying that she deserved to be sacrificed. Sister Harmomy Shouted out suddenly.

"Oh dear Waking Gods! Take our sacrifice! Our Sister Missy has already given a vow of silence, and we promise she will keep that promise forever! Protect us from the nightmares!" Sister Harmony shouted, soon the children began singing another hymn. Mother walked right up to Catie and began instructing them.

"Point the tip at her throat, and bring it down… it is that simple. Just make sure to not go through all the way, we only want to damage her larynx, thus making sure she stays silent" said Mother. The children sang.

"Oh our sacrifice, Ver, Escuchar, and Hablar! Please take our offering and guide us to the light! Dont allow the nightmares to come around! Keep us safe and let us live in your light for the rest of our days!" Everybody sang at the top of their lungs.

This was bad, the plan wouldn't work eith everyone watching them. Yet somehow they knew this would happen… They felt tears start pouring out of their eyes, they couldn't hurt anybody else… they wouldn't… Killing their own mom was one thing, but hurting an innocent little girl who was defenseless against everybody? They wouldn't allow it. They remembered something said in the basment… and suddenly they had a new plan.

The chanting got louder amd louder, everybody was waiting for them to bring the knife down. They pointed ot right at Sister Missys throat.

"Yes… just like that, Sister Curious. Now bring it down, quick… the nightmares are nearing!" Mother said panicked. Catie wasn't even sure what she was talking about, there was no sign of anything anywhere… Their tears had stopped, amd now they were sweating. Where they really about to do this? Could they do this?

Yes. They had to.

The chanting reached a climax, and the knife cut deep. But not into Sister Missy's neck.

Everybody stared in horror at Catie stood there with a knife plunged deep into Mother's stomach, she gasped for air while looking down. They suddenly retracted the knife, and suddenly there was silence. Mother fell to her knees, looking up at Catie for once. Before anybody could say anything, they turned and ran, ran like their life depended on it. Because it did.

"Heretic! Heretic! After her! Kill her!" Sister Foxtrot screamed as Catie ran to the hall that led to the basement door. The darkness of the house allowed them to quickly loose track of the other chasing them, but they could still hear all of them.

"Kill them! We must kill them!" Sister Harmomy screamed. The shuffling footsteps went down a different hall.

Feeling their way around in the dark, they eventually found the basement door. The yanked it open and whisper-shouted down the stairs.

"Od-Dog! Empathetic! Come up! We can escape! Come on!" Catie yelled. Soon, out of the darkness came the two boys. Brother Od-Dog's robe looked more torn up than ever, presumably from the barbed wire removal.

"Great! They didn't see you, right?" Asked Brother Empathetic.

"Well… about that… They… they wanted me to sacrifice Sister Missy myself to prove my loyalty, so I took the opportunity and… well…" Catie trailed off. Beother Od-Dog's eyes went wide.

"Y-you… you did didn't you?" He said.

"…Yes…" Catie replied.

"Well, can't say she didn't deserve it! Nice one Catie! Come on! Let's get out of here!" Brother Od-Dog said.

"Catie. What. The fuck?! They're not on your tail right?!" Brother Empathetic asked as the three began running deeper into the hall, trying to find where the moonlight outside would shine in.

"It was my only choice! I don't think they know we are here though…" Catie replied. Though it seemed theyd jinxed it.

"Here! Down this hall! I smell the blood!" Yelled Sister Shy. Catie felt their air catch in their throat.

"Shit…" they whispered as they ran faster, Brother Od-Dog and Brother Empathetic close behind them. But this time, more footsteps followed behind them. They ran faster, gripping the knife tightly.

"Are there even any windows down here?!" Brother Od-Dog asked as they all ran.

"I… I don't know" Brother Empathetic huffed. Catie felt all their hope of escaping fade away.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" They asked.

"I've never been down this was before! Plus, you were supposed to have escaped without anyone seeing you so we could sneak to where there are definitively windows!" Brother Empathetic yelled. Soon, they ran into a wall, no windows had passed them by, and the rest of the children were right behind them.

"No no no no no!" Brother Od-Dog Shouted, his voice began shaking in tears.

"Damnit! What do we do?!" Catie asked Nrother Empathetic. The footsteps grew closer.

"…I don't know" He replied. They were cornered.

"Gotcha!" Yelled Sister Foxtrot. Catie suddenly felt a hard preassure on their throat, it took them a second to realize she was choking them.

"I knew it! I knew I was right! Once a heretic always a heretic!" Sister Foxtrot Yelled. Catie dropped the knife.

"Sister Harmony, Brother Mighty, grab those two!" She commanded. Catie could barely make out Sister Foxtrots face in the dark, contorted in anger. Though their world was quickly going black as they struggled for air… slowly… they felt themselves passing out… and they truly felt like a ghost.

This was it, they were gone. But that didn't matter. Like they'd thought before, they'd simply wake up back in bed. Their parents would be fighting, the house would smell of smoke, and everything would be back to normal.

"No!" They heard someone yell. Suddenly, the preassure was relieved from their throat.

"URK-" Sister Foxtrot shouted in pain before falling beside Catie. They couldn't see what was going on, but they felt somebody lifting them up, dragging them back down the hall.

The next minute was like a blur… they heard yelling, shouting, footsteps, glass breaking… They could feel gravel beneath their feet now, it was like walking on another planet after all the time they'd spent in the house. They faded in and out of consciousness, still not being able to tell what was happening. But pretty soon, they were laying on some sort of hard floor… and finally, they fell completely out.

When they woke up, it was morning, and Brother Od-Dog was looking down at them, he gasped before wrapping his arms around them.

"You're awake! Oh thank God you're awake!" He gushed, kissing their cheek passionately. "I thought you'd never wake up…" He said while shaking.

"Whoa, calm down there… they've only just now woken up" said Brother Empathetic. Catie noted that he'd also referred to them as "they".

"…Where am I? What happened?" They asked. It took a second for their vision to adjust, but soon they could make out Brother Od-Dog and Brother Empathetic sitting right in front of them. Brother Od-Dog had blood on his face and robe, and the knife from yesterday was right beside him, also covered in blood.

"You outta thank Brother Od-Dog… I couldn't see it, but I knew he did it. He picked up that very knife and… well…" Brother Empathetic trailed off. No way… had Brother Od-Dog really done that? No way… right? They felt their heart swell as they looked at him, he really did care about them so much…

"…Well… Yeah… and after that we grabbed you and dragged you past everyone, they were all to shocked from the moment to catch up with us. We jumped out a window and ran all the way up Connell Street… and now? We're in the backroom of the library" Brother Od-Dog explained. They didn't know how to react, had that all really happened while they were out? It felt like a dream… yet here they were.

They leaned forward amd embraced the both of them. The boys embraced Catie back, and for a moment they all could finally rest, but Catie knew that this wasn't over yet…

"So… what now?" They asked, finding that they were on the verge of tears, though they felt better upon seeing that both Brother Empathetic and Brother Od-Dog were as well.

"W-well… while you were out, I went outside and saw that there's a t-train coming at around four o'clock in the afternoon, it leads r-right into the city. W-we'll get on and escape to the city, we need to fund outside help. Lord knows t-the deputy here can't do shit about t-this" Brother Empathetic said through a quivering lip. The thought of finally leaving Hoaxville made Catie wanna puke.

"It's only seven AM right now… we've got time to kill" Brother Od-Dog said, wiping away his tears.

"Yup, we've just gotta stay in this backroom… we can't let anybody see us…" Said Brother Empathetic. Catie simply nodded, understanding the task at hand. It was possibly the most simple thing they'd ever had to do in their life, yet it'd have to biggest impact as well.

To leave Hoaxville? That was like leaving the atmosphere! It was hard to believe there was even any more world beyond the mountains of Hoaxville… and the thought of asking someone out there for help. Who? And how? What if they didn't even believe them? Those were all things Catie didn't want to think about, instead they layed back down and decided to rest up some more, they still felt quiet tired…

The sunlight shined in from the window of the backroom of the library, lighting up the otherwise completely pitch black room. Catie hadn't really been outside in… weeks? Days? Months? They couldn't tell, but anything was better than being inside that house. All there was to do was wait… there were books scattered everywhere, but reading never really interested them.

They thought about trying to go look through the files to maybe find Brother Od-Dog and Brother Empathetic's real names, but looking around the room, there wasn't any sign of the files that would contain such information… Despite the reputation of Hoaxville, it at least did a good job hiding peoples personal information…

And with that, there was nothing left to do but wait for 4 PM to arrive. It was hours of mere silence, the occasional cough or sneeze from the three, or sometimes Catie would try to strike up a small conversation with either of the boys, but that would quickly fall out… Catie felt something new once again, they were no longer in pain, though the nightmare was far from over.

I'd The Backwards House was hell, this Hoaxville must have been purgatory. That made them wonder… would wherever they ended up next be heaven? Or was purgatory forever?

At around 3:20 PM, Brother Empathetic suggested they leave, just to be early, they couldn't miss that train for anything… And so they did. Sneaking out of the library they walked farther down the main street, past Connell Street. Catie saw the house off in the distance, it loomed over everything and looked more ominous than ever. Looking back, Catie saw everything they had ever known slowly get smaller and smaller until it was no longer visible. They waited by the train tracks, the sun burned bright and hot, Catie and the others had to often cover themselves with their paws to block out the light. The sunlight felt strange against their skin, it'd be so long since they'd felt the direct sunlight… it was healing, but still painful because of the heat.

Soon, chuffing could be heard getting closer and closer to the three, and Brother Empathetic signaled them to hide.

"We can't let them know we're here… they'll kick us out" He said in a hushed voice. The train stopped right I'm front of them, amd there was an open boxcar, seemingly waiting for them. Brother Od-Dog went in first, followed by Catie, and finally Brother Empathetic went in. The three hugged into the corner, hiding under some sand bags that were in the car, thus the inspector saw nothing upon his inspection.

There was a jolt, and the train started moving again. Catie got up to look out the still open car, seeing as Hoaxville went further and further away.

That old life was gone, and they now knew that a new one had just begun.

(just one more chapter to go!)

[day-brayker]

human Foxtrot! :3 tbh I don’t really know if I like this one…. Her mouth is a lil too small (I love her hair though :b)

[day-brayker]

made one for Catie too :3 ignore how absolutely crap this drawing is, just something a little more wholesome after everything that’s been going down :)

Once again I hate how this drawing came out tho, but hey the trans bow is cute at least, inspired by a post by @cloverkittyxd

[day-brayker]

Mother knows Caties name and knows that they know their name soooo what is she gonna DO. Also od-dog just LIED straight up to Catie brooo

wait he did? 😭 am I dumb or something why don’t I remember him doing that

ALSO it’s quite concerning that Mother knows Caties name AND that they know their name

My literacy comprehension must be below zero bcs why don’t I remember him lying to them?

[day-brayker]

DAYBRAYKERDAYBRAYKER OH MY GOODDDDD. Have you read the newest chapter yet???

I DIIIIID and I have SO many questions…. WHO tf is Tommy and Percy and WHO was that other black cat being kept upstairs?