(F4A) horror: concerning imaginary friend

Her tiny yet chubby right hand held the pencil with a stern and concentrated firmness, nearly gouging the paper beneath. Baby teeth clamped down on the side of her tongue, focused on the precise effort of emulating the dark mane of curls she saw oh so clearly in her minds eye. Her mouth swelled with the taste of iron, her room infiltrated with the stench of rotten eggs. And yet the child continued her ferocious efforts to bring her imaginings to life; blue eyes set below a heavy grow flicked up, as though she were studying a living breathing form.

"I'm tryiiiing," she protested in a high pitched whine to the otherwise empty room, growing more frustrated by the moment. It was an exasperating struggle to concentrate with the heavy metal blaring from the wall she shared with her teen sister.

Teeth gritted together, she finished her work with a concentrated flick of the wrist. As if she were finally able to breathe after a long period of holding her breath, Emmeline took in a greedy gulp of air before admiring her work. It was impressive for an elementary school child. More than mere stick figures, her effort yielded a piece depicting a child holding hands and locking fingers with a gaunt, pale woman. Long, ebony strands of hair shrouded the strangers face, the woman's posture hunched as if her back had been broken at some point. The woman looked over the child, like a well trained hound ready to pounce.

Proud of her piece, Emmeline ripped the pages from the sketch pad and darted down the hall giddy with excitement and dimples on full display. Her body collided with a larger form - her sister, who regarded her with a harsh glare and a flip of black dyed hair before retreating into the gloominess of her bedroom. The tiny creature scoffed, aware that such misery could not ever appreciate true artistry. Alice with anticipation, she stormed down the steps, half tripping a handful of times and almost wiping out as her unicorn socks met the tiled floor of the kitchen.

"Daddy!! Daddy!" She squealed, eager for his admiration. Emma danced in place long enough for the graying man to turn his head away from the pot boiling on the stove.

"I drew a picture!" She exclaimed, holding out the pockmarked portrait to him.

Emmeline felt tears prickle in her eyes as her father frowned, deeply enough that hefty creases formed on his brow. That impending fear of doom lodged itself in her guts, feeling as though she had done something oh so horribly wrong. She was just about to ask him if he liked it when he sighed heavily. His mouth opened, quick to scold or chastise yet with measurable effort, her father forced a weary smile. Despite the sweat breaking out on his brow, he gulped audibly, lips quivering.

"I.... I love it."

Emmeline knew effortlessly when he was lying. Her own lips quivered and her eyes burned like they did when she swam in the neighbor's over-chlorined pool. As if she were seeking support, she turned her gaze to the rocking chair in the living room. It swayed with gentle rhythm, the shrouded woman willing herself into motion with the balls of her feet. Skeletal fingers and nails tipped and tapped at the wooden armrest, ever impatient. A dry and rotting tongue clicked from the depths of her dark mouth like a grandfather clock.

Emma's tears remained in her eyes, confident that she had at least had a friend who understood

Hello all! I have been looking for a good horror plot for a while and was inspired by reading through Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak. As the prompt suggests, this is your classic "little kid has literally the worst imaginary friend ever" scenario.

What I have to offer: * 18 years of role play experience * Dynamic characters with flaws that fail or succeed as the story progresses * Plenty of inspiration through art and songs! * Patience and understanding - I am chill and respectful. I am a retired therapist so I respect boundaries and only ask for basic communication if life circumstances come up. * OOC chatter! I am a pretty darn funny person if I do say so myself and I thoroughly enjoy sharing memes and just chatting with my partners * Flight of ideas - potentially one of the things I love most about role play! The "oh but what if-!" Moments of banter that help a story grow and give it life.

What I request: * 21+ - I'm a dinosaur, I get it. I have no business or interest playing with minors * Have some experience and be willing to send a writing sample ((writing sample is not a hard requirement)) * Have ideas to contribute to the story; I don't enjoy role plays where all of the ideas are my own. PLEASE be throw me a good twist that shocks me * Third person past tense only. First person gives me the ick * Ideally willing to play one main character and a few NPCs as necessary * Most importantly: be passionate, kind, and as excited as I am!

If you've made it this far, thank you sincerely! My chats are always open and I promise I don't bite!