#creepy campfire tales

[raewritestales]

The Forest Guardians

TW for body horror and light gore. please enjoy. Continue reading Untitled

[zip-sketchbook]

New Colors!

[cultofodd]

The follow up to My Bigfoot has a premiere date....October 22nd 2022 at 6pm EST

Join me in the live chat for this premiere. There is a lot of blood sweat and tears in this one. I am genuinely proud of the final product here.

Head to the link, click to be notified of the premiere. It helps with the numbers and algorithm

https://youtu.be/iJMcycs7JpE

[if-whats-new]

What's New In IF? Issue 17 (2024)

By Erika, Marjorie, Axelle, and Noi

Now Available!

Itch.io. - Keep Reading below

Note: Due to the links limit per post (100), some links included in the zine won't appear in this version. It is, however, on both the PDF and .txt versions on itch.

~ EDITORIAL ~

Another Milestone!

This week, we were surprised to see we passed a few milestones! Our reader base grew quite drastically, ever since we started this zine four months ago. It is being shared in places we didn't even know discussed IF!

We are very grateful for your unwavering support! It means so much to see people cheering for us, and most remarkably helping us!

Without you all, this zine wouldn't exist!

On to the zine!!

We had a wonderful discussion with Barbara Truelove this week, who let us bombard her inbox with many many questions!

In our exchanges we learned some really neat stuff about her work and her trajectory as a creator. And if you want to know what we learned... check out our interview with Barbara Truelove on Small Talk...

We hope you enjoy this extra long issue!

ERIKA, MARJORIE, AXELLE, AND NOI

~ BE PART OF THE ZINE ~

WHAT'S NEW IN IF? HAS EXPANDED!

Since the release of issue #14, we've enacted some changes with the zine. It is now expanded with interviews of creators from all around the IF world, as well as direct contributions from you, our readers!

THIS ZINE ONLY HAPPENS WITH YOU!

Want to write 1-2 pages about a neat topic, or deep-dive into a game and review it in details? Share personal experiences or get all academic?

WRITE FOR THE COLUMN!

Prefer to be more low-key but still have something to share? Send us a Zine Letter or share a game title for Highlight on…!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Excited as we are about next week's interview and have questions for our guest? Or want to see a certain author answer questions next? Message us!

SMALL TALK... IS WAITING!

Came across something interesting? Know a release or an update announced? Saw an event happening? Whether it's a game, an article, a podcast… Add any IF-related content to our mini-database!

EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS!

Contact us through Tumblr asks, Forum DMs, or even by email! And thank you for your help!!

~ EVENT SPOTLIGHT : Bitsy Jam ~

Tiny bites of games, with a retro feel…

The Bitsy Jam is a series of short unranked game jams, focusing on the use of the bitsy program and its forks (e.g. mosi, bipsi, ...). The jam is organized by Adam Le Doux, the creator of bitsy.

Happening monthly, based on a previously voted theme (follow Ledoux!), the Bitsy Jam brings together creators from all corners of the game development world for two weeks, to create itsy bitsy games.

Bitsy is a program to create interactive and visual short games, with a retro-pixel feel on a 2D format. Allowing for short and linear stories, as well as lengthy puzzly branching games, bitsy is a great starting point for tiny interactive fiction and pixel art.

Bisty was used in many prominent creators like cecile richard, dreamingamaris, christine mi and @cerberus-writes. A fork was used in the 2023 ECTOCOMP winning game InGirum.

The current edition (#82) is ending in two days, with the theme INTENTIONALLY BAD!

~ ENDED ~

If you like “murderboys”, the 72h Murderboys Mayhem Jam ended last weekend, with 15 entries. Check them out!

Currently in closed voting, the Ukrainian Visual Novel Jam saw 49 entries submitted last weekend. Come show your support before the results!

~ ONGOING (VOTING) ~

You can now check out the entries submitted to the IntroComp and vote for your favorite demo!

~ ONGOING (SUBMITTING) ~

If you are looking for a challenge, the yearly Velox Fabula just started! For the next ten days, this ranked jam is looking for visual novel submissions around a theme: “You Shouldn't Be Here”.

If you still want thrills but in a chiller way, the Tales to Thrill Jam also just started. Take your pick from the three themes and try your best at emulating the creepy campfire vibes!

For those who created an intent to participate at the IFComp, you have until the end of the month to submit a full game… or wait for next year! (Or you can look our for beta-openings, create an account to vote when the games are released, or offer prizes!) @ifcomp

Less than a week left to create a short game with only One Choice, for the Single Choice Jam!

For the francophones, the French IF community is organizing a summer-long camp to create parsers. Join the Confiture de Parser if you're interested!

Ending at the end of August, is the summer-long unranked SuNoFes Jam (Summer Novel Festival), where you can only submit one IF/VN game!

On the CoG Forum, Halloween is already there! Until Oct 31st, submit to the Halloween Jam - it has funky themes!

Looking for motivation to try your hands at Visual Novels? The Phantasia Jam just started, and will run until Halloween! Three months to create a fantasy VN, with the theme of “Hidden Magic”.

Do you understand or write Ukrainian? Until the end of the year, the Ukrainian IF Festival is happening on itch.io!

~ OTHER ~

Over on the IntFiction Forum, the Review-a-thon is continuing its initiative to get more reviews for games. Check out this post by Tabitha if you want to participate! It ends on the 30th. This is also a sponsored event, aiming to raise funds for one of the Forum members.

The Interactive Fiction Showcase is still running! If you have completed an IF piece this year, consider submitting it! It is happening only on itch!

SMALL TALK…

WITH BARBARA TRUELOE (@barbwritesstuff - Web)

Joining us today is werewolf enthusiast, IF creator and author: Barbara Truelove - Author of the “Blood Moon”, “Thicker Than” and more!

Links included in this interview were not included due to the Tumblr links limits. Please download the itch.io version!

⟶ Welcome Barbara on Small Talk…!

Happy to be here!

⟶ Let’s jump right in! Who are you and how did you find IF?

The line I usually use is: I'm an Australian writer, game developer, and a werewolf enthusiast. I think that sums me up pretty well. I've been writing since I was little (my mum has the scrappy, incomprehensible notebooks to prove it) and have always had a particular soft spot for stories about monsters.

My journey to IF was a bit meandering. Compressing things as much as I can: In 2018 I wrote a book [Crying Wolf]. It was about werewolves in prison and I ended up selling it in 2019 to a small, independent publisher. I was editing it throughout the later half of 2019. Unfortunately, in hindsight, I don't think the editor and I were very well suited for each other. The process left me feeling really insecure about my writing. So insecure that I actually stopped writing for a while.

In 2020, I moved to South Korea. Covid arrived in the country only a couple of weeks before I did. The pandemic made it much harder for me to make friends, so I ended up playing more games and stumbled across IF. I've always liked interactive stories (I had an unhealthy love for Dragon Age: Origins back in the day) and in October 2020 I decided to try and write my own. I used ChoiceScript, because it seemed like the easiest coding language to learn, and almost gave up half a dozen times that first night. But, I was having fun writing again which was amazing.

A month later, I posted the first couple of chapters of Blood Moon which is my first Interactive Fiction project. About half a dozen people messaged me telling me they loved it and encouraging me to continue, and so I did. It might seem corny and cliche, but I'll be forever grateful for this community. IF made me enjoy writing again. Writing interactive stories is so stupidly fun, and it was wonderful having a creative outlet and a little online community during the pandemic.

⟶ Anything about IF you’d like to nerd about to start?

IF is in such a weird, odd space in the market. Is it a book? Is it a game? Is it both? Is it neither? When I'm talking about it in person I always find myself saying stuff along the lines of: “It's like those old choose-your-own-adventure books from the 90s but on your phone”. This hazy definition makes it hard in some ways. For example, the Hugo awards are happening very soon [tomorrow]. There is an interactive fiction/game category, which is awesome, but the nominations are things like Baldur's Gate 3. Obviously, that's a game. A very gamey game. IFs like the kind made in ChoiceScript or Twine aren't going to compete.

I hope IF grows in popularity and we start to see a distinct niche for it in mainstream pop culture and media. I think that would be nice. Not saying we have to get our own Hugo Award... but I'm not not saying that either. Shoot for the moon and all that.

⟶ Could you tell us a bit more about your interactive work?

My IF projects are:

Blood Moon - A ChoiceScript game about dating werewolves and fighting vampires.

Thicker Than - Another ChoiceScript game and sequel to Blood Moon. It's about surviving vampire politics as a young fledgling. Currently in development.

Something A Little Super - A game I made in Ren'py, free on itch.io. It's about raising a super powered child. A love letter to my favourite superhero: Martha Kent.

A Fairy Tale - A Visual Novel made in Ren'py, also free on itch.io. You play as a young fairy noble seeking an advantageous marriage. It's very silly. Murder is optional.

Drown With Me - A dark mermaid tale made with Ren'py. Development on his game is currently on hold.

⟶ Your ChoiceScript games are pretty chunky and inter-connected. How do you manage creating such intricate stories and keep track of everything?

I'm a VERY bad planner. I write in Choicescript and use CSIDE. I have a thousand little notebooks filled with badly scribbled ideas. I usually have a rough idea about where a story is going but I won't know 100% how it'll happen until I'm writing it. Editing is my best friend. I also just use a lot of variables and (when in doubt) go back and look at my variable list to remember what I was doing and what different choices players may have made.

Variables are still a tricky thing to keep track of! I don't have a good system for it, honestly. I just use my brain which sometimes makes mistakes or forgets about certain choices, and the variable list. But that's what editing is for. I try not to be too hard on myself if my first draft isn't perfect. I'm really grateful for readers who send me discrepancies or things they've encountered that don't make sense in my demos and WIPs.

⟶ When you started Blood Moon, did you ever think it would end up being published under Hosted Games?

When I started Blood Moon, I didn't know what I was doing. I had no idea if I'd be able to finish it, let alone get it published. The whole thing was a learning process. Hosted Games is very upfront about the requirements of publication. I followed those and submitted the game when it was finished. They reviewed my submission, asked for a few minor edits, and then gave me a publication date. Overall, I think the whole process went very smoothly.

⟶ What about Thicker Than? When did you know you wanted to write a sequel?

I didn't think there would be a sequel, just because I didn't think I would be able to do that much writing again. But then the idea of flipping the script and telling a story from a vampire's perspective happened and I just couldn't hold myself back. 😅 This happened after I'd finished writing Blood Moon, but before Blood Moon came out. I wrote a short demo for Thicker Than, but didn't start work in earnest until after Blood Moon's release.

⟶ Blood Moon is told from the perspective of werewolves, while Thicker Than is from the vampire's. How was changing that perspective between the different titles?

It was so fun!

The werewolves are very modern and have a strong rough 'n tumble found family vibe. They'd go to hell and back for each other, that they're not afraid to have distinct and loud personalities, and that they're low-key epic. They don't realise how scary they are because they're used to being the biggest, meanest thing around.

The vampires are shady, sneaky, and old fashioned, both in the way they talk and the way they do business. The most powerful vampires are really powerful, but the average vampire is much more humble and blending in is how they survive. They've also hilariously bad at team work.

The fact that these two monsters are so different makes them so fun to write. They really are the opposite sides of the same coin. Two types of paranormal monster living in the same city, but with very different struggles, cultures, and experiences. I really wanted to show that difference and give the vampires (who were very unsympathetic in Blood Moon) their due... without taking away their darkness.

⟶ You are really passionate about werewolves. What's so cool about them?

Werewolves are fun! They're my go-to monster. But I like all kinds of monsters. Vampires, fairies, evil robots. I'm a fan of stories that explore humanity through the inhuman.

I think inhuman characters are fun because they can reflect us (our thoughts, our feelings, our experiences) in unique and sometimes fantastical ways. So, for example, in Blood Moon, a major theme was family. But, rather than write about humans with families, I'm writing about werewolves with packs. It makes those themes pop. But also, monsters are fun! It's fun to imagine the world as seen through the eyes of a werewolf, or a vampire, or a robot, or an alien, or a god.

⟶ Are there other themes you'd like to explore in future projects?

I never know what I'm writing about until I'm writing it, and sometimes not even then. I process my life through my writing, so the themes often reflect what I'm thinking about and feeling at the time. I can't really predict exactly what it is I'm going to zero in on and explore until I'm already doing it.

⟶ Then, what inspires and influences your creative process?

Inspiration can come from anywhere. From books I've read, to places I've been, to people I've met. I can never predict what will spark the next idea.

Blood Moon has some obvious inspirations. The city setting is inspired by Seoul. When I wrote Blood Moon I was trying to make the city setting feel generic enough that it could be any city. I wanted players to be able to imagine it was taking place in their hometown, which is why I never named the city the characters were in. But, in my mind, the inspiration for the city is Seoul. Seoul is both a remarkably beautiful and remarkably ugly place. It's polluted, built up, and bathed in neon lights with tiny traditional alleyways twisting through the modern buildings. Magical and sinister and wonderful all at once. The perfect city for vampires and werewolves.

The various characters are all pieces of myself and/or people I've met. The vampires and werewolves have been informed by all the vampires and werewolves I read and watched growing up. I drew inspiration from: Underworld, Interview with the Vampire, Twilight, Vampire the Masquerade, and (of course) Dracula. These things are what helped shape my idea of what werewolves and vampires could be throughout my teen years.

⟶ Is there anything you wished you’d known before starting creating IF or using ChoiceScript?

I chronically underestimate how much work writing IF is. When I first started Blood Moon I naively thought I would be able to finish it in 8ish months (ha! It took about 2 years.). IFs are big. Much bigger than novels. They take a lot of work and a lot of time to write. It's also hard sometimes just holding all the different narrative threads in my brain and weaving them together in fun and satisfying ways. I want the different routes to feel unique and dynamic while also not overwhelming myself with too many variations and options. That balancing act is a skill I'm still learning and developing to this day. I think I often bite off more than I can chew and have to slow things down for a while as I try to untangle and work through it all.

⟶ Are there things you wish you’d done differently with Blood Moon?

Blood Moon is not a perfect game, but I did the best I could at the time, so I'm not going to be too harsh on myself when it comes to things I could've done better.

⟶ Then, let’s focus on the positive. Do you have a favorite scene from all your games?

I don't think I could choose a favourite scene. 😅 There's a few oddballs I'm very fond of. Marco's 'octopuses' rant in Blood Moon is so weird and wonderful, I can't help but think of it. The flashback scene in Something A Little Super is exactly my brand of corny. I'm also thinking of some more epic things I've written that I really enjoyed bringing to life. There's some moments like that in my book Of Monsters and Mainframes that'll be coming out next year.

⟶ What about a scene that was particularly challenging to put together, but satisfying to complete?

The scene I worked the hardest on was probably the final showdown in Blood Moon. I really wanted it to feel satisfying, challenging, and impactful. There's this moment (spoilers!) where the player's character gets to go toe-to-toe with the BBEG [Big Bad Evil Guy/Gal], who just so happens to be a vampire. Werewolves vs Vampires! It's an iconic match up. I wanted to write something worthy of it. I couldn't really figure out a way to make it special. Originally, it was going to be outside, in the snow. That way I'd get the dramatic visual of red blood splattering on white snow. But it also felt a little cliche. Then I saw a Say Yes To The Dress clip somewhere online and suddenly I'm writing this scene not in a snowy street but in a bridal boutique. Blood splattering on white lace felt brutal and messy and visceral in all the right ways. It really made that final showdown work. I think that flash of inspiration really rescued that scene. The early drafts of it aren't half as good.

⟶ Having branches can be hard to balance. Have you ever struggled with choices for which you can’t write a path? How do you handle it?

Some stories want to branch a lot. Some stories don't. I write the stories that don't want to branch as novels. However, sometimes I'll stumble across a section of an IF that I'm struggling to give interesting branches/stories to. In those moments, I do a faux pas and don't give the player a choice. I think it's better to have a few good/exciting choices than a lot of boring choices. And, if my brain doesn't want to write a certain choice outcome, that means that outcome probably won't be fun or rewarding for the reader either. I really hope that makes sense.

⟶ Last year, you branched out, and created 3 Visual Novels in Ren’Py. What was the driver behind this switch up?

I just wanted to challenge myself and see if I could figure out a different coding style. I'm really proud of my Ren’Py games. They're short, silly, and strange, but I learnt so much doing them. Also it allowed me to experiment with shorter interactive stories.

And I might do it again! It was a lot of fun. I'm just so overloaded with writing projects right now that I can't promise anything. 😅

⟶ Since two of these are text-only, why the choice of Ren'Py over other more traditional choice-based programs like Twine?

I don’t know why, but my brain doesn't like Twine. Totally subjective opinion! I've seen other writers do amazing things with it. I just have never been able to make it go.

Ren’Py is a really powerful tool and works in a way that is easy for me to understand. I love the built in features like the menu and save functions.

⟶ Unlike your other works, Something A Little Super is more of a slice-of-life first and foremost. What inspired you to write this story?

My mum! I wanted to tell a superhero story with a twist. Something A Little Super is inspired by Superman and Martha Kent, but the main focus of the story isn't flying around, saving the world. It's about the choices that parents make while raising their kids.

I've never been a parent, so I used my mum as my main inspiration. My mum was (and still is) a superhero.

I also really wanted to explore how different parenting choices can have a big impact on who a child grows up to be. I tried to write the game in such a way that there weren't any ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ choices. All the choices are reasonable and make sense. But they do shape who the super powered kid grows up to become. I'm so proud of Something A Little Super. It's such a personal wee story in so many ways. It makes me so happy knowing people enjoyed it.

⟶ Your other releases are more anchored in fantasy: one focusing on fairies, the other having a more nautical approach. Was there something specific that inspired you?

A Fairy Tale was my first Ren'Py game. I wanted to write something small while I figured it out... and fairies are very small.

Which is a joke, but also very true. The whole premise of the game is these tiny little creatures with very short life spans that meet and find love in one night. I used Tinkerbell and Peter Pan as inspirations but the motive behind the fairies was the ability to compress everything down into a very short, but also very high stakes story.

Drown With Me is a project I wish I had time to work on. Dark mermaids are always a ton of fun. As for inspirations... that'd be pirate music.

⟶ Did you notice differences when working on those VNs compared to more traditional text-only IF?

Writing a visual novel is much more like writing and directing a stage play than writing a book. It was fun experimenting with the script style.

⟶ You don’t just create IF games, but also write novels. How do you manage to balance all these different projects?

I don't. I'm very bad at balancing my time between projects. I often overcommit and underestimate how much work a project is going to need. I need to get better at balancing my writing in general. I just always want to do so much.

⟶ Still, you are pretty consistent with your updates (1/month). How do you manage this?

I update every full moon! It's a silly thing that I started when I was writing Blood Moon. It's a fun gimmick that I've kept up with. Some months I don't write very much, and that's okay. Some months I write heaps and that's awesome! I try to be kind to myself, no matter how much or little I get done. That's the only advice I can give. Have fun and be nice to yourself.

⟶ How do you assess whether your work is enjoyed by people?

I don't know how many people enjoy my work. That's a really hard thing to know! I know there's some very lovely people who message me sometimes. I think I'm very lucky to have found people who mesh with my style of writing. The internet is a big, tangly place and it's always wonderful when you find people who are on your wavelength. It's really humbling to know there are other humans out there who think about my characters and stories.

⟶ As an outsider, it is undeniable you are pretty popular on Tumblr, where parasociality is pretty common. Have you experienced this phenomenon yourself?

There are boundaries I set when I talk to people online. I think that's important. I'm kinda private, actually, and a wee bit shy in my day-to-day life. I don't always seem that way, but when I'm online I'm usually just talking about my writing. That's what I really enjoy doing.

⟶ Have you gotten messages, like feedback or reviews, that weren’t as nice? How do you handle criticism and negative comments?

Oh, all the time. I get some very harsh feedback in my inbox. I try to take it in my stride, but some days that's easier said than done.

I divide all feedback I receive into two groups: Actionable feedback and Unactionable feedback, i.e., something I can fix, or something that I can't. Examples of unactionable feedback would be stuff like ‘I don't like werewolves’. Obviously, my story isn't the right fit for that person, and there's nothing I can do about that. I ignore unactionable feedback. If someone sends me actionable feedback, I try to do my best to fix it.

The good thing is, I get a lot more positive messages than negative.

An author I met last year said something very wise that's stuck with me. She said, no matter what, there are some people who won't like what you write. And that's fine. In fact, that's good. You want people to love or hate your work. That means they're reading it!

There is no such thing as a game/book that everyone likes. Keeping that in mind, it's much easier to read the negative feedback, find the actionable feedback in it, then get back to work.

⟶ On days that are difficult to take the feedback in, do you take breaks or get right back to work?

I let myself feel my feelings and (if I need to) I complain to my friends. 😅 But it honestly doesn't happen often. I'm pretty good at taking negative feedback, bad news, rejections, etc... in my stride. It sucks, but it's also just part of being a writer.

⟶ Do you think your traditional writing background helped you process this negative feedback this productively?

I don't think so. I think being able to take negative feedback is just a skill writers learn over time, no matter the medium. When I was in university, I did a couple of units in scriptwriting, and some of the feedback I got then was very critical. Before that, when I was in school, I did a creative writing class which was also pretty brutal. I used to write fanfiction, and people didn't pull their punches there either. It sucks, but I think it's normal to get a lot of various responses to your writing. Like I said, I ignore any feedback which is unactionable.

That said, there are times when it gets to me. Like I said before, I was very insecure about my writing after editing my first novel. It's hard some days. But writing is my art. It's how I process the world. When I stop, I feel like I'm missing something in my life. I focus on the good because I want to feel good about what I do. It's not always easy, but it's important to me.

⟶ You started your writing journey publishing a book, with another one on the way. How does writing a novel compare to creating interactive fiction?

I'm really not sure how to compare writing a novel and writing IF. In some ways, they're not that different. The main focus of both is to tell a good story. There are some nitty gritty differences, but overall I think stories are stories. I will say, some stories need to be IFs and some need to be novels. Blood Moon wouldn't work as a novel. That story wanted to branch from the moment I started writing it. Similarly, my most recent novel, Of Monsters and Mainframes wouldn't have ever worked as an IF. That story felt more direct, contained, and character focused from the first word typed.

I guess it's just whichever medium suits the story.

⟶ What advice would you give to an aspiring IF creator, based on your experiences?

Write something you're passionate about! For me, it was werewolves. It doesn't matter what the subject is, just make it something you could stay up until 4am talking about. I worry a lot of new writers feel they have to chase trends, but the only thing that does is ensure you'll be behind the curve. Write what makes you happy, and that love will shine through.

⟶ Many people rave about your work, but are there any games you rave about? Anything you would recommend to our readers?

Recommendations are so hard! I feel like I'm just going to gush about the games everyone already loves. VTM: Night Roads, Fields of Asphodel (@chrysanthemumgames), The Northern Passage (@northern-passage), Choice of the Vampire, etc.

There are so many fantastic games out there and so many WIPs!

⟶ After Thicker Than, what is on the horizon for Barbara Truelove? And where will we be able to follow your progress?

Thicker Than still needs a lot of work. It's a very big, complex game and I think I'll probably be working on it in some capacity for at least another year. IFs aren't quick and easy but they're a ton of fun! I've also got a (non-interactive) novel coming out next year with Jaysen Headley at Bindery Books titled Of Monsters and Mainframes and I've got a couple more projects I'm working away on behind the scenes. You can find me on my website, Tumblr (@barbwritesstuff), and KoFi.

HUGE THANKS TO BARBARA TRUELOVE FOR ANSWERING OUR MANY BRUNING QUESTIONS!

~ NEW RELEASE ~

The Ghost and the Golem (CScript) is the latest release from Choice of Games @choiceofgames

Oh, Vagabond (Ink) is an atmospheric short text horror adventure about what remains. @an-excess-of-eyes

Nusantara: Bermuda Triangle (Ren’Py) is an eight-year-long in the making adventure otome visual novel.

Can't Buy Me Love (Ren’Py) is a visual novel based and all about the Beatles. @brummelliana

passenger9027 (Twine) is a short sci-fi game, where you wake up in a spaceship.

The Robot (Twine) is a short sci-fi game, where you have a conversation with a robot.

TECH // LOOP (Twine) is a cyberpunk game where you play a looper.

As always, don't forget to check out the submitted entries to the events mentioned in the previous pages. They deserve some love too!

~ NEW RELEASE (WIP) ~

Small Charms (Ren’Py) is Visual Novel project about daily use magic, a coffee date and a terrible decision. @viscereye

We Troubled Souls (CScript) is a high fantasy project involving godly and mystical beings, and survival.

to the place where death rests (Twine) is a sapphic project where a woman falls in love with the lady of/in her dreams. @bntarwarn

Intensions (CScript) is a high fantasy project where you play as a fae, with the weight of your people on your shoulders.

Vessel of Harkahn (CScript) is a fantasy project where the survival of the world resides in your locked memories. @vatiiagames

That Distant Shore (Twine) is a supernatural fantasy project where your curse will be your undoing, unless… . @exkowrites

Aphni's Quartet (Twine) is a cyber-punk fantasy project where you play a loath prophet. @marblesstorystudio

Press Play (CScript) is a slice-of-life project where you are part of a mysterious band. @pressplay-if

Tale of the Dragoons (CScript) is a fantasy project where you are a dragoon.

Carrion (Twine) is a mermen adventure game where you must defeat an ocean cult. @kinglyoverlord

~ GAMES UPDATES ~

Social Democracy (DendryNexus) has received multiple updates.

Dice & Dungeon Masters (CScript) added extra content to the demo.

Echoes of Kingdom: The Last Stand (CScript) updated with dozens of new words.

Honor Among Thieves (CScript) added extra content to the demo. @leoneliterary

The Judgement of Tarkar (CScript) came back with 2 new chapters.

Summer of Love (Twine) added a new chapter to the demo. @summeroflove-if

Dance of the Night (CScript)'s demo now includes Chapter 2.

Remnants of the Past (Twine) started its second act in this update. @remnantsofthepast-if

The Abyssal Song (Twine) added Chapter 4 to the demo. @ri-writes-if

The Bureau (CScript) added extra content to the demo. @morbethgames

The Game of War (CScript) updated with extra content.

The Night Market (Twine) added Chapter 6 to the Patreon demo. @night-market-if

Path of Martial Arts (CScript) added new paths to the demo. @nicky-if

Love in a Time of Earthquakes (CScript) completed Chapter 6.

Vendetta (CScript) updated the Patreon demo. @vendetta-if

The Bastard Crown (CScript) updated with major re-writes. @eddyiewriting

The Ultimate Magic Student (CScript) updated the Patreon demo.

Abnormal (CScript) updated the demo with major re-writes. @abnormal-aninteractivezombiegame

The Six That Thrives (Twine) added Chapter 3 to the Patreon demo. @the-six-that-thrive-if

Dragon of Steelhorn (CScript) has put out the demo for bonus chapters for beta.

~ OTHER ~

The last HG release, Halls of Sorcery has been withdrawn from sale due to AI-generated content. If you have bought the game, and have not received a refund yet, you should contact HG support.

Magehunter: Phoenix Flame's demo (CScript) will be soon removed from viewing, as it is expected to go into beta testing. This might be your last chance to play it.

Heavens’ Revolution (CScript) is looking for official beta-testers.

Drew Cook started a new series of articles: Let's Write IF. @golmac

If you are fan of podcasts about IF, Adam Cadre uploaded the latest episode of Radio K, discussing Lost Pig, Child's Play, and An Act of Murder. @adamcadre

The 55th issue of the Indipocalypse was released recently, including multiple IF games.

On IntFiction, mathbursh completed the Brief History of the SpringThing, ahead of the release of his IF History Textbook.

~

As always, we apologize in advance for missing any update or release from the past week. We are only volunteers using their limited free time to find as much as we can - but sometimes things pass through the cracks.

If you think something should have been included in this week's zine but did not appear, please shoot us a message! We'll do our best to add it next week! And if you know oncoming news, add it here!

~ A CYOA Poem ~

1 Catered with abundance, the player peruses the IF wares, meticulously thinking about what to take next. Go to 2.

6 There isn't a single choice. You are bombarded with options. Your commands push the story seamlessly. It only returns failed actions. Your fingers go numb from clicking, pressing, typing... Go to 7.

4 The world is simple but immersive. The world is large and neverending. You only stand in your room. You travel wide distances. It is a peaceful journey. You get hurt at every turn. Go to 5.

3 The adventure doesn't start before a character is selected. Or maybe it has already. There is so much to choose from. There is nothing to choose from. Go to 4.

7 And it's already the ending. You won't get there for another dozens of hours. You wait patiently for the next update. The experience is complete. You lurk. You ask for details. You rate. You comment. Go to 8.

END You played an IF game. Return to 1 to restart.

8 You spam everyone with links so they play it too. You never speak of that experience ever again. You make fanart and daydream about everything. Go to END.

5 You meet a bunch of characters. You are utterly alone. You romance one, or maybe six. You only find peace with yourself. You love them. You hurt them. Go to 6.

2 Yesterday was slice-of-life, tomorrow surely sci-fi. But for today, a simple fantasy will do. Go to 3.

IFLover2495

~ HIGHLIGHT ON ~

A couple of games that we thought were cool.

(Don't) Save Me by Coral Nulla @nullamirrors (Decker - itch.io - IFDB)

What happens to the ‘manic pixie girl’ at the end of the story? This is what the game tries to find out, giving a voice to the trope we love but never wonder what is under the surface. A wacky adventure filled with choices, with a funky UI.

//recommended by anonymous//

Swooning over Stans by sovonight @gfdatingsim (Ren'Py - itch.io - VNDB)

“Recent memes reminded me of the insanity that is this game. You barely need to know any lore of Gravity Fall to reach the endings and feel fulfilled by this weird fan-game. And it's not just SO GOOD story-wise, it's so freaking well made too! Fans are the best, they make the coolest shit.”

//submitted by (peace sign emoji)//

The Dying of the Light by Amanda Walker (Inform7 - itch.io - IFDB)

A heartbreaking text-adventure told from the perspective of an older woman with dementia, as she struggles to communicate her needs, wants, and fears.

Though fighting the engine may be frustrating, it displays an effective manner to convey the difficulties of dementia.

Linear progression. Input HINT for help.

//recommended by C.//

Your favourite game here?

Do you have a favourite game that deserve some highlighting?

A old or recent game that wowed you so much you spam it to everyone?

Tell us about it! And it might appear here!

WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL! WETHER IT'S GOOD OR BAD, OR EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN...

Hi What's New in IF team! This is a tiny zine letter for you, to thank you a whole lot for including my game in your zine. It was really nice of you! and I got a whole lot of new people checking it out thanks to you. Keep up the good work! - anonymous

I hope @catskets sees this, because I really enjoyed their interview. It was so fun and insightful, and honestly, pretty inspiring. And now I have 30+ new games to play, and links to link between all the stories! - a new fan

Hi ThereIsMoreButICantFindIt, Thank you for the links, it was pretty enlightening. Please keep me in mind if you do find other sources about Modern IF! -Rich

is this section limited to authors only? because i wanted to give a shout-out to @elfroot-and-laurels, my favourite artist, who's done imo the best (fan)art of IF projects i've ever seen. -aureuslaureus

Have something to say? Send us a message entitled: Zine Letter!

As we end this issue, we would like to thank:

a new fan, aureuslaureus, C., ghostlykittenshark, Rich, (peace sign emoji), and a bunch of you anonymous users!

For sending news, interview questions, helpful tips, cool links, filled form, written Sheet line, even emails... all these help us so much to make this Zine possible!

And as always, huge thanks to all you readers to liked, shared, and commented on last week's issue! What might be tiny actions are huge support and motivators to us! Thank you for cheering us on this journey!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We also hope you join us again next week, for we have a very special guest on the zine:

Award-winning creator, retro-IF enthusiast, parser craft writer, Drew Cook @golmac sits down with us next week!

Want to know more about his work? How he found IF? Or learn more about his non-dev projects? Send us all your burning questions!

And see you again next week!

ERIKA, MARJORIE, AXELLE, AND NOI

WHAT'S NEW IN IF? 2024-ISSUE 17

[g0blintears]

[Yandere! Dead By Daylight x Reader]

Summary: You are a mystery to both the survivors and killers within the fog. A servant of darkness, a creature created by the entity itself, you are the shadow behind the scenes that provides the survivors with the necessities they need to survive, while also assisting killers with the weapons they need to sacrifice. You are a servant void of humanity, but not one that seeks out despair. An empty slate that perhaps just needs to be taught a little bit of hope and empathy to help the survivors escape once and for all.

Eight. Thrilling Tremors

Danny has always loved the horror genre.

Ever since he was a child, his father would tell him real life horror stories. Those stories of a cat chasing a mouse. A predator hunting down prey. It was all the same stories that ended with a field of bloodshed and a victor that would rise above it all…and Danny was absolutely fascinated with each thrilling tale.

Mutilated bodies would engrave itself into his mind. Haunting scenes with vivid details would replay in his head like a broken flickering filmstrip. From the creepy music to the dramatic pauses, Danny would find his heart pounding in his chest with a wide smile curving on his lips as he became enamored with each piece of horror media he consumed.

However, the exhilaration of facing the unknown, the details from the unsettling sounds to the tense atmosphere— none of those things were his favorite part. And for a while, Danny actually wasn’t sure what he loved so much about the genre. He knew he loved true horror. The real stories of monsters that lurk in the night. The real boogeyman that blends into society. He was captivated by true, raw horror. 

So, that begged the question, was he simply just entertained by the reality of human nature? Did he just enjoy seeing how ‘civilized’ people would react to the real demons that ran around with the same blood that they bled? 

Or, did he simply love horror because it fed into his own bloodlust?

When Danny brought his first horror story to life, he knew he had found the answer. Although his first design was sloppy, it was still created with passion that was driven by instinct, and that was when Danny had come to a realization. 

Humans are animals. They are destructive by nature. As intelligent and ‘evolved’ as they may be, Danny knew that all humans have primal instincts, and those instincts were bloody and chaotic. Some may deny it, but Danny knew the truth. And if he was going to accept his human nature as a whole, he may as well be creative with it.

So, Danny went on with his life, loving every second of it. He loved existing as a human. He loved having the ability to create. And most of all, he loved creating real life horror stories. Obviously, his passion is looked down upon. But that doesn’t stop him. If anything, Danny was glad that the playing field was so small. It made it easier for his work to stick out, and it made his stories even scarier.

However, as much as Danny adored bringing terror to the public, he always had to be cautious of his work. His designs needed to be perfect. Any flaw could wind him up in the electric chair. So, even if he loved sharing his stories, Danny would often feel dread when he would have to lay low under the radar. After completing each design, Danny would have to stop his work for a while, and that often gave him an uncomfortable itch that would sometimes leave him wishing he could freely create his stories without feeling the burden of the consequences.

It was simply just wishful thinking during those impatient times, but unknown to Danny, his wishes would be heard.

So, one could only imagine the delight he felt the moment he was wrapped around in a fog, a darkness consuming him until his eyes met the flickering red and orange flame of a campfire where an other-worldly being had suddenly emerged. Stepping in front of him from beyond a black fog, you had gazed down at Danny with empty, soulless [eye color] eyes as you introduced him to a realm of nightmares. 

And Danny was absolutely ecstatic to be there.

Like an artist given his own studio with an endless supply of paints and canvas, Danny was given the opportunity to perfect as many designs as he desired. And so, he would carry on like that in the realm. Danny would create different horror stories for all the survivors on every single map. He even learned to adapt his designs so they would come out flawless! 

It was fun for a while, but then…Danny got bored.

Don’t get him mistaken though. He still loved creating his designs, but he craved for something more. He needed a bigger project. Something that would give him a challenge. Something that would be his Mona Lisa. 

And then, there was you. 

The very first being that Danny had met in the realm. The very first being that Danny knew was on a completely different scale from him. You were something that looked human, but you weren’t. You were something extraordinary. And you were the first being that would become Danny’s new passion project— his muse, if you will.

Thus, leaving Danny to where he is now. 

One of his arms wrapped around your torso, fingers clenched around the fabric of your blazer as he dug into your waist. His other hand was wrapped around your arm and chest, leveling his blade up to your eyes. A smile curved on his lips from behind his mask as he gazed at your reflection in the knife. You were completely unfazed, just as he expected.

“Did I get you this time?” He asked in a hush, observing every feature of your face.

You stared into your own reflection, your eyes moving from your own empty stare before flickering over to the killer behind you. Although you couldn’t see him, Danny could practically feel your eyes bore into him as if he weren’t even wearing a mask to begin with.

“No. I knew you were approaching three minutes ago.” You responded, monotone as ever as you kept your expression stoic.

Danny wasn’t surprised by this, but your response did intrigue him. He had been stalking you earlier, and his interest was piqued when he saw you very subtly reaching out for the flames, so he knew that something was going on in your mind. Just what exactly was it?

Raising a brow, the male tilted his head, “That’s two minutes off from usual.” His voice rasped out. Gripping your torso tighter, Danny brought the blade to your neck and traced the sharp edge over your skin. His eyes focused on your reaction. “What’s on your mind?”

“Is this your question for our game?” You instead inquired, causing Danny to pause in thought.

Right.

Ever since Danny has made you his muse, he took it upon himself to learn everything about you so he could create the perfect design. After all, his first attempt didn’t go exactly as planned… so, he tried a new method— he made it a game between the two of you. He will be merciless in trials, and in exchange, he gets to ask you questions about yourself. 

Obviously, you accepted those terms. And so, he began with the obvious. 

“What is your name?”

“I don’t have one.”

“Where did you come from?”

“My creator.”

“Who is your creator?”

“The entity.”

“Why did she create you?”

“To serve.”

You were honest, but dry. He wasn’t sure if you were just clever to be wary of him, or if you truly couldn’t comprehend anything other than to follow orders. Regardless, Danny didn’t like that you gave him the obvious answers. You weren’t playing fair. Why should he be merciless in trials for you if you were just going to give him the copy and paste answers that you gave to every other killer and survivor?

So, he had to try something else.

He needed to dig deeper. More personal. He needed just a sliver of space that he could crawl his way into so he could witness just a glimpse into your mind. So far he had been asking all of the practical stuff, and up till now that’s gotten him nowhere since the start of his passion project. Not as if he was in any rush to start his design, of course. Danny is quite a patient man by nature, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t getting annoyed by how bland you were being with him. 

Looking over your empty stare, Danny took a moment to study you. 

Danny is a people person. So he knew how to read people no matter the poker face, and you were no exception. Memorizing every detail of your features, the man could say with confidence that he could probably draw your face from memory. From the patterns in your irises, to any subtle wrinkle on your face. Danny had learned how to read your face. It was just getting you to change just the smallest detail that was the issue.

He needed you to open up. But how?

With his knife held tightly in his hand, Danny let out low, quiet breaths until finally he made a decision.

“Yeah,” he finally chuckled out, “This is my question for our game. What is on your mind right now?”

You still hadn’t moved, but your eyes did briefly glance over the masked killer once more before setting your stare to the fire in front of you where the flames highlighted your [skin tone] skin in a golden hue. 

“I’ve come to realize that I’ve long forgotten what ‘warmth’ feels like.” You spoke, a sort of interest lined within your words. 

This caught Danny’s attention. 

For as long as he’s studied you, he has not once heard or seen you show any kind of interest other than your assigned tasks. So having witnessed your fingers brushing over the campfire, and hearing the very subtle change in your tone, it hooked him in.

“I didn’t even realize you knew what that felt like.” He spoke, keeping a steady grip on his knife. “I thought you said you couldn’t feel anything.”

You took note of his slight change of demeanor, but you remained impassive as you hummed in response.

“Yes, well, I have felt cold before and I have felt warmth before, but it was a long while back.” You paused for a moment, “perhaps a few eons ago.”

“Oh?” Danny perked up, his blade ever so slightly pressing against your skin. His heart was beating quickly with excitement now that he seemed to finally be getting somewhere with you.

“And what might’ve made you lose your senses?” He asked, and for once in a very long time, Danny’s pupils dilated the moment he saw the faintest flicker of emotion appear in your eyes. 

Those usually vacant pools of [eye color]— they widened a bit. The colors brightened and he could see the crinkle at the very corner of your eyes shift from a misty void to a clear display of loss.

“I’m..unsure.”

Your voice, usually crisp and clear, seemed to have wavered a bit, leaving Danny with his heart pounding against his chest.

There. There it was.

He wasn’t sure if he was imagining the whole thing, but he swore for the first time that he saw a moment of weakness.

Danny hadn’t meant to do it. But he couldn’t help it. He pressed his knife hard against your skin. He felt a rush of adrenaline as he pressed the blade into your neck and pierce into your flesh.

He could see the blood trickle down your skin. That deep maroon color dribbling down your clear [skin tone] collarbone and staining your white dress shirt. He could practically smell the iron that stained his blade as he continued to press his knife deeper and deeper before twisting the handle and tearing it across your neck, practically decapitating your head from the rest of your body. 

Holding onto your torso tighter, Danny closed his eyes and savored the sounds of the quiet forest air that was filled with music from your choked gurgles.

Except… that wasn’t what happened.

For the moment his knife pressed into your neck, the blade instantly shattered.

Just like his first attempt on your life, any weapon that would try and penetrate your skin would instantly break like glass. 

Danny watched in stupor as shards of his blade fell into little bits and pieces onto the foggy ground. He was still in a daze, but much like his fallen knife, his illusion was shattered and left him standing behind you with his heart racing and mind numb from exhilaration. 

A long and heavy pause would ring in the forest air. Nothing but the sound of fire crackling would be heard as the two of you stood in silence.

While the killer was coming down from his high, you, on the other hand, stood there unconcerned. If anything, you had foreseen this coming from the moment The Ghostface tried to kill you the first time he brought a blade to your chest. You just figured he would try a different strategy since he wasn’t as bloodthirsty and adamant as The Shape. 

With your vision still fixated on the fire, you briefly moved your attention to the shattered blade on the ground before quickly looking back at the fire. Your body was still in the hands of Ghostface, granted his hold on you had loosened up, but you still kept yourself still as you looked over your shoulder to meet the masked killer’s eyes.

“It seems that you’ve accidentally shattered your knife again.” You commented, finally snapping Danny back to reality. 

Letting his arms fall to his side, Danny took a step back. He was pissed. He was so fucking angry that he didn’t get to actually tear into your throat. He didn’t actually get to experience seeing you bleed and die in his arms. 

However, as Danny stood silently behind you, from behind his mask, the man was practically glowing with joy. A smile was on his face as a breathless chuckle left his lips.

He was also very relieved. 

This is why you were his Mona Lisa. This is why he picked you to begin with. He was so glad you were going to be a challenge. If he had actually killed you, Danny was sure he’d make sure your body would rot from where you stood. But no. Danny was smart. There was a reason he chose you instead of one of the other survivors or killers in the realm. 

Letting out an airy laugh, Danny brought a hand to his head and ruffled his black hair from under his hood. 

He knew he made the right decision in choosing you.

While Danny laughed to himself, you simply stood there and observed. 

Humans, they were so odd. 

You know the sound he was making was that of laughter. You may not understand human nature, but you knew enough to realize that he was showing signs of amusement. You just couldn’t understand from what.

Once Danny settled down, the male finally looked over at you with a tilt of his head.

“This is why you’re my muse.” He commented with a sigh, and walked over to your side.

You couldn’t quite wrap your head around his interesting choice of words, but you didn’t get to dwell on it when he brought a hand to your shoulder. With his attention on his knife, Danny tilted his head in your direction.

“Do you mind?”

You blinked, “Mind?”

He smiled, “Fixing my knife. Can you work your magic again, sweetheart?”

“Oh.” Your eyes then flickered back to the blade broken into pieces on the ground at your feet. “Of course.”

Crouching down, you grabbed the handle of the knife and the biggest part of the blade. With your eyes glowing a [eye color] hue, a fog of black with golden particles floated into your hands and covered the broken pieces.

Danny watched in awe as his once shattered blade came back brand new. 

Again, he was practically grinning from ear to ear as he found that he was going to create the perfect design all for you. He was already buzzing with excitement just to see more of you. Whether you had or hadn’t actually expressed something earlier, Danny knew that either way you were already destined to be killed by his hands, and he was going to make sure that your death was going to be flawless.

Standing back up, you presented the knife to the killer, “Here you go.”

Carefully, Danny took the knife and twirled it in his hand. 

“Good as new,” he breathed out while practicing his jabs into the open air. With a smile, Danny pocketed the knife before turning his attention to you. “Thank you. Hope that didn’t take a lot out of you.”

You shook your head, “Not at all. If you need any more repairs to any of your weapons, I am here to assist.”

“Right, right. I’ll remember that,” Danny expressed lamely, before bringing a hand to his pocket. Still having his blood pumping vigorously through his veins, the male was nearly itching to start his trial. So digging into his pocket, Danny brought out three items: a chewed up pen, his old driver’s license, and originally he planned on taking out a shiny broken coin, but after the illusion of killing you, the killer was just driven by his murderous instincts to kill by his own hands.

So instead, the male brought out a bag. Opening up the small coin bag, Danny took a quick peek at the glowing red triangles and brought it over to you. 

“Do you think I can buy an offering?”

Your eyes not once wavered from his mask as you took his bag. With your eyes briefly flickering down to scan the bag, you kept your voice firm upon returning your attention to him, “What would you like?”

Danny’s eyes were feral and bloodshot. His smile was hurting his cheeks as he already began plotting his next few designs. He may not have been able to kill you today, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be able to create a horror story at all.

So with his head tilting playfully, Danny let out a raspy, shuddered breath. 

“I want a memento mori.”

You nodded. And again, the crawling mist all around the two of you swirled with life. It was comical to Danny. Because while a human skull was formed within your hands, the air around reeked of rotting death.

Breathing in the fog, Danny closed his eyes and relished in the silence of the blowing wind that moved the black mist. If he listened closely, Danny swore that he could hear ghastly whispers move with the rustling forest leaves.

Then, it was silent once more.

Opening his eyes, Danny turned his attention to you. He watched as you stared back into the campfire. With the glow of the fire highlighting your features, Danny took note of your expression.

He couldn’t read you again. You were as emotionless as a doll. Simply standing there with a pretty, flawless mask.

Flickering his attention from your side profile and back down to the skull in your open palms, Danny silently took the skull from your hands and tossed his pen, license, and skull into the campfire where the flames burst with life and shrilled a loud shrieks before returning to crackles. 

As Danny stood next to you at the campfire, the male kept his attention straight at the dancing fire. He wanted to get the trial started as soon as possible, while he was still in a pleasant mood.

[bigboobyhalo]

I know in my heart q!BBH has been responsible for like at least 100 separate urban legends around the QSMP’s globe all throughout history . he’s the unseen beast that’s been devastating the local population of farm animals and leaving nothing but their ravaged remains behind . he’s the ominous, too-tall, shadowed figure with glowing white eyes that you spot in a forest and shakily recount in your story for the latest edition of the town’s newspaper . he’s the ink-black man with the sharp, creepy grin that you encounter alone in the dead of night, who offers you a shady deal that’s rumored to leave people cursed . he’s the silhouette that you swear you see standing beside your dying loved one for just a moment that disappears before you can even fully process that he was there . he’s clawed footprints and hundred-year old campfire stories and mangled deer corpses and grainy photos and omens of death and exaggerated tales of encountering satan himself …. and no one knows that all of these stories are actually about just one guy !

[la-fumettista]

New month, new sticker designs for my Patreon members to vote on!

The theme this month for my monthly sticker club is “Campfire Tales,” inspired by the nostalgia I have around swapping spooky stories, urban legends, or creepy things that happened to a friend of a friend of a friend during sleepovers or around a campfire making s’mores during the summer.

October is obviously THE spooky month, but summertime presents a lot of opportunities for spookiness as well.

Which option do you like the best? Which one do you think will win?

[petersprincesss]

Security Measures

It’s been a long time since I wrote anything… but I decided IM BACK BABY!

It felt like it was time for some good old fashioned smut. I really went back to my roots with this one. I still personally prefer to refer to this character as Peter Ballard, and that’s gonna be his name in the fic. I apologize if that’s not your thing, but you don’t have to read it 🫶🏻

Genre: Porn with minimal plot

Rating: so crazy explicit lmao. Minors please leave 💞

Tags: dom!Peter, sub!female!, bdsm kinda?, edging, fingering, orgasm delay, orgasm denial, dubcon? kinda?, choking, hitting, hair pulling… all that good stuff

As always, I appreciate any and all feedback. You know I love to hear you, baby 🙏🏻

Hawkins National Laboratory was going to be the biggest story in my journalism career. Like many children in this area of Indiana, I had grown up hearing all kinds of rumors, stories and conspiracies surrounding the mythic brick building in the woods.

Being a casual column writer for the Indianapolis Recorder gave me access to plenty of information, but most of it felt so mundane compared to what I might be able to uncover in the source of all my childhood nightmares. Through my boss, I was able to secure an interview with one Dr. Martin Brenner, the supposed mastermind behind the madness. The only question now was whether or not I would learn the truth.

Parked outside of the structure, it felt no different than those creepy campfire tales my friends and I had swapped in our youth. This time, however, I knew I was going to go inside. I was going to settle fact and fiction.

I smoothed out my smart pencil skirt and clutched my notepad and two pens close to my chest (I had to have two, just in case one ran out in the middle of the interview, but I had tested them both twice before leaving the house). My modest high heels clicked against the pavement before stopping at the tall glass front door. I took one final deep breath before pulling it open.

The lobby was beyond what I was expecting. Panels of sleek, dark wood lined the walls, and a kind-eyed brunette woman sat behind a mahogany desk with a warmly lit lamp set atop it.

“How can I help you?” She spoke, folding her fingers together and resting them on her appointment book.

“I have a two o’clock with Dr. Brenner,” I replied. I could feel my knuckles turning white around my notepad.

The young lady glanced down at her calendar before tapping twice on my name.

“You’re right on time. I’ll buzz you through the main doors. Go down the hallway and go through security. They’ll guide you from there.”

“Thank you so much,” I responded, already making my way around her desk towards a set of hospital-like doors. She pressed a button behind her desk, sending a buzzing ring throughout the lobby, followed by the click of the door’s lock. I swung it open and entered a lengthy hallway lined with sterile white tile.

Scents of various disinfectants stung my nose as I rushed down the corridor. My watch read twelve minutes before two, and I prayed whatever security measures I had to clear wouldn’t take long.

Around the hallway’s corner stood a second pair of doors with a metal detector and X-ray machine before them. A slender, blonde-haired man dressed in all white stood patiently with his hands clasped in front of his belt next to the machinery.

“Hi, I have an appointment with Dr. Brenner,” I sputtered, paying no mind to the orderly as I set my belongings on the conveyor belt into the X-ray.

“Just remove your shoes, jacket and anything in your pockets,” his gentle voice instructed me.

I followed his orders, sending each of my items into the machine before I stood tall in front of the metal detector. The spotlessly clean man mirrored my stance on the opposite side. Our eyes met for a second before he silently raised two fingers and motioned me towards him with them. I felt a sting of intimidation rush through me as he locked his eyes on me while I stepped forward. My heart skipped a beat when the metal detector beeped.

“It’s okay. Step out and try again,” he commanded, his eyes still motionless.

I did as I was told, stepping backwards and then forwards. The metallic chime rang out once more.

“Are you wearing any jewelry?” He questioned, tilting his head slightly.

“None at all…” I trailed off, touching my earlobes, fingers and neck.

“…Any I can’t see?” He spoke softly.

My eyes shot up to his, half offended by the question, “No.”

“One last time, then. Raise your hands above your head this time.”

I repeated my action, raising my hands as instructed. As predicted, the machine buzzed again.

“I’m going to have to pat you down. We’ll step into the security office for some privacy, okay?”

“Excuse me?” I spat, feeling my eyebrows raise with my temper.

“You don’t have to,” he smiled kindly, “you can always leave.”

I wished in my heart that he was joking, but I could tell he was deathly serious.

“Fine,” I spat, shaking my head in disbelief.

“You can put your shoes back on,” the orderly spoke gently. He picked up my blazer and notepad for me as I slipped my feet back into my heels impatiently.

“Let’s get this over with,” I sighed.

“Right this way,” he gestured into an open door. I walked in before him, nervously kneading my knuckles.

He set my items on a sterile steel table and turned to face me as I glanced around the office. The walls were the same bland tile, nothing on them except for a clock, which read ten minutes before two.

“Please hurry, I don’t want to be late for my meeting,” I pleaded, feeling the rising urge to tap my heels.

“You won’t be, I promise,” a cheeky smile spoke, “I’m Peter by the way.”

“Great, nice to meet you Peter. Let’s go,” I hurried him, not bothering to introduce myself to the security guard orderly that I would never see again.

“Arms out, feet shoulder-width apart,” he instructed. I obeyed yet again.

His palms clasped around the top of my right thigh and began to slowly pat inches at a time down my leg.

“You don’t have a female security guard to do this?” I huffed.

“I’m afraid not. The only women here are the nurse and the secretary,” Peter sighed. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the response.

Once down to my ankle, he raised his hands to check left leg, but the tip of his thumb grazed me where I was most sensitive, causing my breath to hitch. I prayed he hadn’t noticed as he worked his way further down.

“Nothing yet…” he reported once down to my foot.

A lightbulb went off in my head. My IUD. I had a copper birth control device in my cervix. Could that have set off the metal detector? Surely copper couldn’t trigger it. But what else could it possibly be? I knew that I genuinely had nothing, but how could I tell Peter that without proving it?

Peter began to pat down my right arm, from shoulder to wrist, before moving to my left.

“Listen, I swear I have nothing. I’m just a journalist…” I began to bargain.

“I actually do believe you, but it’s just laboratory protocol,” Peter grinned. His eyes shone a bright blue even in the dingy fluorescent lighting, and I felt a twinge of happiness that at least he was a gentleman.

“The metal detector indicated something at waist level, so I’ll need to examine there further. Again, you may leave at any time.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly through my nose.

“Okay. Let’s get it over with.”

“I’m just going to slide two fingers into the waist band of your skirt, okay?” Peter informed more than he asked.

“Okay,” I nodded with a deep breath.

As he had narrated, his slender index and middle fingers from each hand slipped into the top of my skirt next to my hip bones, resting atop the hem. As I exhaled, the pressure on his knuckles decreased, the warmth of them abandoning the crisp caress of my blouse.

“Just going to slide them around to the back now,” he gently described his action. As promised, those slim fingers slithered around my hips towards my spine.

With his arms around my waist, I paused to glance at his sapphire eyes, preciously surveying his work. A breath left his lips and cascaded down my chest just as he lifted his touch from my body.

“All looks well, but I’m afraid that means I still have searching to do,” Peter sighed, clasping his hands in front of his belt buckle.

“This is ridiculous,” I fumed, “look, it must have been a fluke. I promise I just want to go to my interview and then leave.”

Peter’s doe-like eyes blinked innocently as I ranted.

“I believe you, miss, I really do. Unfortunately, it’s not my decision. You may either continue, or leave the facility,” his honeyed, overly calm voice stated.

“Fine. What next?” I asked, placing my hands on my hips.

Peter cleared his throat as his eyes darted to the floor between us before responding, “I’ll need you to remove your skirt so I may assess what’s underneath.”

“Assess what’s underneath? What are you, a fucking cop?” I protested, my voice growing in volume with each syllable. Peter didn’t bat an eye.

“You’re welcome to leave at any time, but this is protocol,” he assured me, “I’ll turn away while you undress.”

I thought back to all the time I had spent dreaming about being able to interview Dr. Brenner. The countless nights of sleep I lost staring at my ceiling dreaming about what I would write and what questions I would ask. Was I really going to back out now? Could I just chalk this up to one of the things a girl has to do to fulfill a dream?

I silently nodded and Peter turned on his heels to face the door.

The parting of the zipper was the only noise in the uncomfortable silence. I shimmied my skirt off my hips, allowing it to pool around my ankles before picking it up and grasping it timidly at my waist. The cool, sterile air brushed across my bare backside, sending a wave of goosebumps up to my neck.

“Okay,” I spoke shakily.

The orderly turned back to me and immediately placed his hand on my skirt. I allowed him to take it, kneading my fingers anxiously with nothing left to protect my modesty.

Peter crouched curiously at eye-level with my panties. I felt like a common whore standing before the stranger in nothing but my undergarments and high heels. Of course, today was the day I had decided to wear garters instead of regular pantyhose, which only amplified my bashfulness.

“Could have been these,” he noted, slipping his index finger beneath one of the nude garter straps holding up my stocking, snapping one of the metallic clasps against my thigh.

I felt my heart rate increase dramatically beneath his touch. Blood rushed to my core, causing a noticeable temperature increase between my legs. The visual alone of golden blonde locks kneeling before me was enough to create a knot in my abdomen that grew harder and harder to ignore.

The orderly tsked and shook his head, “I think that’s too small of an amount of metal. It must be something else.”

My palms began to grow clammy as I debated telling him about my contraceptive. 


“Could there be something… inside you? A medical device, perhaps?” Peter asked, his eyes shooting up to mine from between my legs. I had to tell him now.

“Yes,” I spat out, feeling my stomach turn, “I have a copper birth control device.”

“I see…” he trailed off, shifting his gaze to the floor.

“That’s it. I know that’s all. I was just scared to tell you, I had this crazy idea that you would have to confirm it or something.” I blurted, vomiting my words all over him.

A silence grew between us, and Peter’s choice not to disprove my absurd theory became increasingly worrisome. Finally, he rose to his feet, returning to his polite stance with his hands held above his belt.

“I”m afraid that actually is the case,” Peter finally confessed.

My head fell back as I took a deep breath. I closed my eyes imagining what exactly this process might look like. I glanced back at the clock on the wall. I had seven minutes left.

“You better be fucking fast,” I voiced sternly, turning back to those blue eyes.

“Not a problem. Remember, you may leave at any time,” he reassured me.

I nodded as he gestured towards a padded table lined with parchment-like paper, beckoning me to lay back across it. I relaxed back against it, closing my eyes as the orderly shuffled over and stood patiently next to the table.

“Would you like to remove your undergarments, or would you prefer I work around them?” He asked cordially, as if any of this process was anything less than crass.

“I’m in a hurry, just do what you have to do,” I instructed, closing my eyes and clasping my hands above my stomach.

His fingertips wasted no time snaking under my panties and pushing them aside. I exhaled slowly as his warm touch glided over my pussy.

“Breathe for me,” he guided. On my next inhale, he slipped a finger inside me.

Something between a pornographic moan and a wince escaped me, and I found myself biting my lip to prevent more from following it.

“You’re doing such a good job,” that silvery voice cooed.

A twinge of shame crawled from my stomach to my chest as I realized that I was already dripping wet from the interaction. Something about his maintained innocence -everything from his crisp white uniform to his “this is strictly protocol” attitude”- ignited a craving I didn’t know I had. Whatever it was, I knew it was going to make me miss my interview.

“Okay, I think I feel the string,” Peter remarked, shifting his body to give his arm a better angle.

I felt his finger begin to slide out of me when I jolted my eyes open and gripped his wrist assertively.

“Are you sure?” Was all I could managed to spit out.

I lessened my grasp on his wrist and relaxed slightly, “I mean. Are you positive? You don’t need more time?”

“I’m fairly certain, I mean…” he trailed off, clearly missing the memo.

“Peter,” I finally spoke his name, “I think you need to check more thoroughly.”

“Are you sure? You’re going to miss your interview…” those blue eyes batted at me, and suddenly I wasn’t the one feeling so bashful.

“Fuck my interview,” I moaned, guiding his middle finger up to join his index inside me.

“Oh my,” Peter’s voice dropped an octave and those precious blue eyes shifted infernal.

“Please?” I urged, shifting to allow him better access.

“I don’t know,” he falsely contemplated, sinking two fingers into my pussy as he spoke, “are you going to be good for me?”

I choked on a moan rising in my throat before closing my eyes and nodding rapidly. Peter clicked his tongue, uncertain of my answer. I squeezed my eyes tightly and allowed my chest to relax. The grim, florescent light suddenly felt warmer as his slender fingers thrust into me.

“Jesus,” he remarked, slowing his pace, “tightening up on me already, hmm?”

I whined a vague response, bucking my hips against him. Wordlessly, Peter grabbed my leg nearest to him and swung kit over his head so it rested atop his shoulder and stepped forward, forcing my back to arch to accommodate him. Whimpers flowed freely from me as he quickened his pace, and I couldn’t help but open my eyes to look down and take in the sight of his fingers sinking into me.

With his free hand, he reached up and snatched a fistful of hair at the crown of my head and jerked forward, “That’s right, watch my fingers fuck you.”

Whimpers fell into wanton moans, and Peter switched to using his middle and ring finger, curling devilishly where I needed him most.

“Shit, Peter, I’m going to c-“

Before I could even speak the words, the orderly removed his touch entirely from my pussy and released his grip on my hair. My leg slid off of his shoulder, hung carelessly off the edge of the table. Dumbfounded, my misty eyes searched for his. Peter stood motionless, watching me with no readable expression on his face.

Once I had managed to find my breath a little, he spoke, “Are you done?”

“What? No, I was about to and you-“

The back of Peter’s hand landed a heavy smack across my cheek as he leaned in close to whisper, “Are you done being a needy bitch?”

Holding my stinging cheek, I gazed up at him in erotic trepidation.

“Y-yes,” I whispered, not even convincing myself of my answer.

“Good,” he praised, creeping his hand back to my pussy, “let’s continue.”

My panties were pushed to the side once more, and my body lurched forward onto Peter’s fingers as they writhed back into me. He leaned over me, placing his free hand at the base of my neck and whispered in my ear, “I knew you were fucking dirty the second you walked around that corner.”

I felt myself grip him tighter as he accused me, enthralled with his whorish perception of me.

“Fuck, I’m so glad you had to search me, Peter,” I panted, squirming beneath him as his grip on my neck grew stronger.

A sinister chuckle crept from his throat, “I know, baby. Almost like it was meant to be, hmm?”

His question would have felt more ominous if the orgasm that I was fighting against wasn’t growing stronger by the second. I writhed beneath him harshly, now with the intention of staving myself off until Peter was ready. I spread my legs further for him, wrapping my right calf around his waist to give him direct access. My toes curled against the inside of my shoes as I struggled to pull him closer to me.

“Please, Peter, I can’t hold it back much longer,” I squealed, my vision blurring as I starred up at the bleak white ceiling tiles.

“What’s that? Are you begging me to let you cum?” Peter mocked, slowing his pace ever so slightly.

I nodded intently, feeling my chin brush against his knuckles.

“Almost. I know you can hold out just a little longer. Can you do that for me?” He positioned his face just inches from mine, tilting his chin up so he still looked down upon me. Appearing pathetic no longer mattered to me, I just wanted him to grant me release.

“Yes,” I told a half-truth. If he quickened his pace in the slightest, there would be no more waiting.

The stern grip on my throat vanished, his hand now working its way to the collar of my blouse. Without breaking eye contact, Peter effortlessly undid two of my buttons, leaving my sternum and the center of my bra exposed. Nimble fingers pushed the cup of my bra to the side, leaving half of my chest fully exposed. He traced around my nipple slowly at first, sending a shockwave sensation through my abdomen. As my pleasure peaked higher and higher, Peter’s lips swapped with his fingers, sucking teasingly at my flesh.

“Christ, I can’t- I have to-“ I stuttered between breaths.

“Go ahead. Let me hear you cum,” Peter permitted.

My leg’s grip on his waist doubled, and in my senseless passion, my hands clawed at his shoulders and across his back, finally releasing myself upon him. A stream of curses and lustful whimpers echoed through the overly-hygienic office, mixing flawlessly with Peter’s determined grunts as he pushed himself. Peter lifted his head from my chest as my climax began to fade, a bead of sweat falling from his furrowed brow to my sternum. His sapphire eyes bore into mine as the two of us panted back and forth.

“Taste yourself,” Peter commanded, sliding his fingers out of me and up to my tongue. I obliged, pleased at how his scent mingled with my taste. Pearly white teeth smiled approvingly at how eager I was to fill his request.

“I have a confession to make,” the orderly informed, bracing his weight on his palm, now resting next to my head.

“Yes?” I replied, slipping his fingers out of my mouth and holding them delicately between my own.

“I always set off the metal detector when pretty girls come through.”

[choicesholidays]

Choices Holiday’s Festival of Fears Halloween Prompt Event

It's almost October and that means Halloween/Samhain time! In the spirit of Creepy Campfire Tales (Special thanks to the creator of Creepy Campfire Tales, @annabellewynter for her gracious support of this endeavor), Choices Holidays is hosting a creepy prompt event!

Welcome to a month filled with Murderous Mondays, Terrifying Tuesdays, Witchy Wednesdays, Threatening Thursdays, Fiendish Fridays, Sinister Saturdays, and Spine-Chilling Sundays!

Below are a series of quotes, prompts, and memes meant for inspiration, but you are not required to use them. Any scary story will get reblogged and added to the master list. This is open to all choices fandoms.

All creative endeavors are welcomed: Fics, art, edits, mood boards, whatever you’re inspired to create!

The deadline is All Hallows Eve: October 31st, 2023, 11:59 p.m. CST.

Be sure you tag @choicesholidays #choicesholidays, and #festivaloffears for reblogging and inclusion on the master list at the end of the event.

Please feel free to reach out to this blog or @angelasscribbles with any questions, concerns, or suggestions.

Prompts are under the cut.

Quotes for Inspiration:

“The night is dark and full of terrors.” ~Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin

“Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?” ~ Tim Burton’s Batman (The line belongs to The Joker)

“Quoth the Raven nevermore!” ~The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe

“We all go a little mad sometimes.” ~Psycho (1960)

“Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep.” ~A Nightmare on Elm Street

“I see dead people.” ~The Sixth Sense

Writing Prompts:

The following prompts came from The Write Practice.

Creepy Story Writing Prompts

1. It's late at night, and you hear footsteps in the cellar but you're definitely home alone…or so you thought.

2. You've put that doll in the cabinet, in the closet, in the attic, but no matter where you tuck it, it always shows back up on the sofa. On Halloween night, you find it watching you…

3. A bad-tempered businessman is driving home after a long day of work. He thinks he sees his kids trick-or-treating and stops to pick them up but those aren't costumes.

4. It's Halloween night and you and your friends think it would be fun to visit the local town's annual corn maze. But when you're inside it, someone inside the maze doesn't look like an actor in a costume. And shortly after, your friends start to disappear one by one.

5. You don't believe in the rumors that say a certain scary book is cursed—and that anyone who reads it will meet their maker by the end of the week. So naturally, you read it. And then things start going wrong…

Monster/Ghost Story Writing Prompts

6. A young woman goes to her grandmother's house for tea on Halloween night. They have a wonderful time together, sharing stories, joy, and the best times of family. The next day, the woman learns her grandmother has been dead for a week and no one could get ahold of her to tell her.

7. A little boy is lost in the woods, but at least his faithful dog is with him. As they look for the way out, the dog defends his master against terrifying monsters and animals. But the closer they get to escaping the dark forest, the more apparent it is that they'll need to face the person, or thing, releasing these monsters in the first place.

8. A farmer who dreams of being a scientist experiments on this year's pumpkins, hoping to enlarge them. He has a lot of success, until one of his potions is tampered with, and the cute pumpkin in his patch morphs into a monster that eats anyone who stumbles over its vines.

9. Your girlfriend/boyfriend brings over your favorite treat on Halloween, but when you eat it, you transform into a giant, poisonous snake that kills anyone who touches you. What do you do next?

10. You wake up on Halloween night, look outside your window, and see your sister sleepwalking away from the house. You chase after her but can't catch her until she plunges into a dark lake, where there's a mysterious song that starts to pull you deep below the surface.

Not-So-Spooky Story Writing Prompts

Not all people love scary stories. If this is you but you'd like to try to write a scary story—and have a fun time writing it—try tackling a (not-so) scary story prompt that could turn a potentially scary tale into something that is fun (even funny):

11. You hate clowns, which makes it even worse when your husband secretly decides to hire a clown for you son's birthday party—which just happens to be on Halloween.

12. Aliens have just landed on Earth and boy, did they pick a weird day to come. How do they respond to Halloween, supernatural or otherwise? Do they decide this place is just too bizarre and get the heck out, or do they stick around and join in the fun?

13. On Halloween night, lovers get to come back and spend the evening together one more time. One couple from the Roaring Twenties decides to come back from the grave to help their extreme nerd great-grandchild or the kid will never get married.

14. You decide that this year you're going to crash the ten top costume parties in town—and prank each one while you're at it.

15. A mad scientist determined to destroy the world falls hopelessly in love with a not-so-wicked witch. As hard as he tries, he can't impress her.

Meme Prompts:

[haveyoureadthispoll]

An illustrated compendium that reveals the true stories behind the most infamous, creepy, and bizarre real-life cursed objects throughout history. Spanning decades and continents, subjects range from the opulent Hope Diamond to the humble Busby Stoop chair. They're lurking in museums, graveyards, and private homes around the world. Their stories have inspired countless horror movies, reality TV shows, campfire tales, books, and even chain emails. They're cursed objects, and in order to unleash a wave of misfortune, all they need...is you. As a culture, we can't seem to get enough of cursed objects. But never before have the true stories of these infamous real-life items been compiled into a fascinating and chilling volume. Entries include: • Annabelle the Doll, a Raggedy Ann doll which inspired the acclaimed horror franchise The Conjuring • The Tomb of Tutankhamen, the discovery of which kicked-started media hysteria over a rumored "Curse of the Pharaohs" • The Ring of Silvianus, a Roman artifact believed to have inspired J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit • The Hope Diamond, which was owned by kings and inspired the Heart of the Ocean in James Cameron's Titanic • The Dybbuk Box, which was sold on eBay and inspired the horror film The Possession Whether you believe in curses or not, the often tragic and always bizarre stories behind these objects will fascinate you. Many of them have intersected with some of the most notable events and people in history. But beyond Hollywood and beyond the hysteria, author J. W. Ocker suggests that cursed objects are simply objects which have been witness to great human tragedy, and thereafter operate as mechanisms for remembering and retelling those stories. Cursed Objects will be equally appealing to true believers as well as history buffs, horror fans, and anyone who loves a good spine-tingling tale.

[the-unexplained-orb]

The Haunting Lore of Yokai: Unraveling the Terrifying Myths and Legends of Japan’s Supernatural Beings

“How did Japan’s terrifying urban legends come about? What are the myths behind yokai ? ”

Japan is a country steeped in ancient myths and legends. For centuries, the Japanese have been captivated by Yokai a mysterious supernatural creatures that inhabit forests and mountains, lurk in shadows and cause mischief to unsuspecting humans. From kappa to mischievous fox-spirits, Yokai have long been the stuff of nightmares and campfire tales.

In some tales, the Yokai are benevolent spirits who help humans in times of need, while in others, the Yokai are said to be malicious and dangerous. Many believe that the Yokai are signposts of the spiritual realm, and their appearance can be seen as a warning or a sign of spiritual danger. The fear of Yokai is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, and the tales of their encounters are still told to this day. The stories of Yokai are a part of the culture and history of Japan, and they continue to be a source of fascination and terror. The mysterious nature of Yokai makes them all the more intriguing, and their place in Japanese folklore is one that is sure to remain for centuries to come.

Below are 5 such powerful and evil Japanese Yokai. No matter where, no matter the year you’re in, pray that you never encounter any of these frightening Yokai from Japanese folklore.

1. Gashadokuro

Gashadokuro is a yokai that is said to be a giant skeleton made up of the bones of people who died of starvation or in battle without a proper burial. It is believed that these vengeful spirits come together to form a single being that stands over 30 feet tall. 

According to legend, Gashadokuro roams the streets at night and preys on lone travelers. It is said to sneak up on its victims and bite off their heads with its massive jaws, or it may crush them in its bony embrace. It is also said to emit a loud ringing sound, which can cause a victim’s eardrums to rupture. One of the most well-known stories about Gashadokuro involves a lone samurai who encounters the monster while traveling through the countryside. Despite his bravery and martial skill, the samurai is unable to defeat Gashadokuro, and he is eventually devoured by the yokai.

 Gashadokuro is considered one of the scariest and most powerful yokai in Japanese folklore. Its size and strength, as well as its ability to move silently and attack unexpectedly, make it a formidable opponent. The fact that Gashadokuro is made up of the bones of many dead people adds to its creepy and unsettling nature.

2. Aka Manto 

Aka Manto is a yokai that is said to haunt public restrooms, particularly in schools. It is often depicted as a man wearing a red cloak or cape, and a mask that covers its face, leaving only its eyes visible. 

It is said that Aka Manto will appear to someone using a public restroom and ask them if they want a red or blue cloak. If the person chooses red, Aka Manto will attack them and cloak them in their own blood until they die. If the person chooses blue, Aka Manto will strangle them until their face turns blue and they die. In some versions of the legend, Aka Manto may also offer other colors, such as yellow or green, and each color represents a different gruesome fate. For example, choosing yellow may result in the person’s skin being torn off, while choosing green may lead to them being dragged into the toilet.

 Aka Manto is said to prey on people in a place where they are typically vulnerable and alone. The fact that it wears a mask that hides its true identity also adds to its mystery and fear factor. The vivid and gruesome descriptions of the fates that await those who choose the wrong color make Aka Manto a particularly unsettling and memorable yokai.

3. Kappa

A Kappa is a water-dwelling yokai that is usually depicted as a humanoid with the shell of a turtle and the beak of a bird. They are known for their love of cucumbers, their mischievous nature, and their fondness for pulling pranks on people.

According to legend, Kappas can be both helpful and harmful to humans. They are said to be able to help farmers irrigate their fields by controlling water flow, but they can also drown people who swim in their territory or attempt to steal their prized cucumber offerings.

Kappas are known to scare off people in a variety of ways. They are said to drag unsuspecting victims into the water by luring them with promises of a game or a wrestling match. They are also known for attacking people by pulling them under the water and attempting to steal their souls through a dish-like depression on the top of their heads.

People have reported sightings of strange creatures in bodies of water, which they believe to be Kappas. There have also been reports of Kappa-like creatures attacking and drowning people in various regions of Japan. However, it is important to note that these sightings and reports are likely the result of folklore and urban legends, rather than actual encounters with Kappas.

4. Shuten Dōji

Shuten Dōji is a legendary demon or oni from Japanese folklore. It is said to have lived in the mountains near Kyoto during the Heian period (794–1185). Shuten Dōji is often depicted as a massive, horned creature with red skin, sharp teeth, and claws.

 Shuten Dōji and his band of demons would raid villages, kidnap women, and drink their blood. They were said to be so powerful that they could easily overpower entire armies. It was also said to have a magical ability to transform himself into a handsome young man in order to seduce women and lure them to his lair.

One of the most famous stories associated with Shuten Dōji involves a young samurai named Minamoto no Raiko. Raiko and his four companions were tasked with defeating Shuten Dōji and his demons. They infiltrated Shuten Dōji’s lair disguised as monks and were offered sake by the demon. The sake was poisoned, but Raiko and his companions managed to resist its effects and killed Shuten Dōji and his minions.

Shuten Dōji is considered one of the scariest creatures in Japanese folklore because of its immense strength and bloodthirsty nature. The legend of Shuten Dōji and his band of demons has inspired numerous works of art and literature, and his legacy as a terrifying monster lives on in Japanese popular culture today.

5. Yuki Onna

Yuki Onna is a yokai or supernatural creature from Japanese folklore. The name “Yuki Onna” translates to “snow woman” in English, and she is often depicted as a beautiful woman dressed in white, with long black hair and pale skin.

According to legend, Yuki Onna appears on snowy nights in remote areas, and she has been known to help or harm travelers who cross her path. One of the most well-known and terrifying incidents associated with Yuki Onna involves a young man named Minokichi.

Minokichi was traveling with his friend during a heavy snowstorm when they sought shelter in a deserted cabin. During the night, Minokichi woke up to find a beautiful woman standing over him. The woman was Yuki Onna, and she had come to kill him for having seen her. However, when she looked into his eyes, she was struck by his youth and innocence and decided to spare his life on the condition that he never tell anyone about the incident.

Years later, Minokichi had married and had children. One night, while telling ghost stories, he recounted the incident with Yuki Onna. Suddenly, a cold gust of wind blew open the door, and Yuki Onna appeared before him once again. She reproached him for breaking his promise and was about to kill him when she noticed the children sleeping next to him. Moved by their innocence, she spared his life once again and disappeared into the night.

The story of Yuki Onna is considered one of the most frightening in Japanese folklore because of her eerie beauty, her supernatural abilities, and the fact that she can appear in the middle of a snowstorm without warning. Her legend has inspired numerous works of art and literature, and she remains a popular figure in Japanese popular culture today.

Are these still myths or just a mere tales passed down the generation ? It maybe it may not be but it has now become an important part of the Japanese culture and has been an enduring part of the Japanese cultural heritage and will likely continue to be passed down from generation to generation.

[angelasreblogs]

Fandom Events

I didn't want to spam everyone's tags so I'm doing one post!

Smutember

Deadline extended by one week.

Hayden Young Appreciation

Through the 29th plus a bonus week to get your submissions in! @haydenyoungappreciationweek

Choices Monthly Challenge

There's still time to join @choicesseptemberchallenge2023

Hispanic Heritage Month and Bisexual Awareness Week

by @choicesficwriterscreations

Coming in October:

If I left anything out, please let me know so I can add it!!! And always check out @choicesmonthlychallenge because they are so good at keeping up to date with all of the events!!

Tagging my permas in case anyone is interested in any of these:

@karahalloway, @harleybeaumont @nestledonthaveone @alj4890 @aussiegurl1234

@walkerdrakewalker @kingliam2019 @twinkleallnight @lovingchoices14  @tinkie1973 @secretaryunpaid 

@queen-arabella-of-cordonia @kristinamae093 @tessa-liam

@differenttyphoonwerewolf @queenmiarys @emersyn-in-cordonia

 @bascmve01 @twinkle-320 @mattiematt1234 @jared2612

@dcbbw  @amandablink @indiacater @bebepac

@lunaseasblog @belencha77  @gabesmommie1130

@hollygirl1269 @mainstreetreader

@ladyangel70 @ohmyeightpastlives  @gardeningourmet

@sillydg @phoenixrising0308

@3pawandme @21-wishes @73geenalove @jennieausten

@princessleac1 @kachrisberry @tornbetween2loves

@fangirling12566  @pinklipsandmasonjars @savannahdix

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

my 3 fav cozy fun halloween watches that you can also watch

Winnie the Pooh, Boo to you too! also on archive .org!

- No stress - Heartwarming <3 - Tiger's song "I wanna scare myself" always a banger Probably the first halloween movie kid me ever saw, and still honestly my main go-to one. Visuals? Spoopy. Music? On point. Story? Friends wanting to spend halloween with their bestie no matter what. Piglet? Brave. Tiger? Relatable. Pooh? Wise and full of love. Goffer? Slaying. Eeyore? Zero energy and still trucking. Rabbit? A nervous wreck sobbing over his pumpkin patch. Perfect. We stan.

Hansel and Gretel (1987) also on archive .org!

- Family drama (is resolved) - catchy music! - i know some ppl can't stand child actors - THE DUCK LIVES - obviously food and eating are big plot points so yeah Is it a halloween movie? No. Do I care? Not with treats this good looking, music this catchy, vibes this cozy, or a witch this awesome. We've got haunted woods and kids eating sweets and then playing the best trick of all on the witch who wanted to eat THEM- that sounds halloween-y enough to me! Plus the witch's reveal is legit creepy. Make sure you have snacks for this one. Also, if realistic family drama due to the trauma of poverty isn't your thing, skip to after the kids run into the woods.

Shelly Dvuall’s America’s Tall Tales And Legends: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow also on archive .org!

- Low stress - Comedy as heck - literally feels like someone telling you a ghost story - AAAAAAAACTING!!!!! - there is a spider during the picnic scene THE CLASSIC! THE OG! MY FAV!!!! This was THE hallween movie to me as a kid- and now i completely get why! It's like watching a stage play where everyone LOVED every scene they were in- the vibes are spoooooky sometimes in an adorably camp way, and then charming and cozy the next! It has so much fun- there are so many lines that are memes to me- like ichabod THROWING himself into bed with "And if I......DIE... before I wake.... BRINGMEBACKTOLIFE!" and Katerina's eyerolling "....assuming I know the horse-" (it makes sense in context i swear) and and and the FUN of seeing Brom Bones 'crushing' a tankered angrily, acting out the strain of it, when you can clearly tell the prop is like, maybe the strength of a soda pop can XD.... But the best part is the stinger ending. How this whole story is ended with the sudden reveal of the REAL headless horseman (maybe?) and how THAT terrifying image is the last thing it leaves the watching kids with- it feels like that last jump scare at the end of a campfire ghost story, the hand reaching out to grab you for one final scream, and I love it. I love this whole thing so much.

Now.

If you DO want something spookier, but only in the atmospheric sense....

Whistle and I'll Come to You, also on archive .org - Slow building stress - Paranoia fuel - There is no way the main character is neurotypical (relatable) - a bedsheet ghost!!!!! YAY! - a few audio startlements but otherwise all gradual scares So this is based off a short story by an old not cool dead guy. It's about finding something in a grave and not heeding the warning label. I read the story years ago and was very pleased by the bedsheet ghost, the idea of feeling like Something Is Coming, and I can say that this adaption is... different, but does very good on setting up the vibes up until the ending. I'm bit let down by how the final bedsheet ghost turned out, and abrupt cut off to the story, but the vibes up till then is really fun to sink into. Some of the cinematography does a good job of making me aware of empty space, the feeling that Something I Can't See might also be in the frame. Spoooky.

[peanut-tyrug]

DS Fanfic: Hallowed Tales

Come one, come all! For Hallowed Nights is finally upon us! Listen loud and clear as our dear old Nightmare King shares his chilling collection of Hallowed Tales…

—

TRIGGER WARNING: This fic contains death, suffocation, voices, electrocution/electricity, caps, and creepy depictions. If you aren’t comfortable with this things, please don’t read this.

It’s dark. It’s cold. You seem to have wandered into a deep and eerie forest within the Constant. Only a torch sits in your quivering hand.

Although afraid, you continue to press on. Maybe you’ll find enough wood and grass to make a campfire, but your axe is about broken and there is barely any grass to be found.

All hope for a light source dwindles as your torch’s light quickly begins to dim.

However, just as your torch begins to die out and you enter a small clearing, shadows suddenly appear and begin to swirl around you.

'What’s this?' You ask yourself. The shadows then hover over a decent distance from your front view.

A shadowy and swirly circle appears on the ground below the circling shadows. Ribbons of darkness hover around small area.

From the ground, a figure begins to emerge.

The figure appears to be red in color, although still having a human silhouette. There are horns, on the figure’s head, horns similar to Krampus’, oddly enough. As the figure becomes clearer and clearer, the figure appears to be a man dressed up as Krampus.

…What in the world…?

“MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

A loud and booming cackle comes from the figure. Your eyes widen in fear at the sound. It’s so loud that it practically makes the trees around the area tremble and birds flock out of their settlements.

The figure hovers in the air and looks down upon you with a pompous look in their eyes. You quickly make another torch with the spare twigs and grass you have to get a closer look at the person.

They look awfully familiar.

Big nose and chin. A familiar gaze. The only difference seems to be the fact that this person is just dressed up as Krampus.

Then it hits you.

Maxwell the Nightmare King. The man who trapped you here.

Your brows furrow in anger. You desire revenge. Before you can do anything however, Maxwell speaks.

“Hello again, pal.” He says smugly. “I see you’re having trouble keeping a night light there.”

Your anger continues to bubble as you hear him call your torch a 'night light'. You then look at your torch. It’s light is slowly dwindling.

“Let me lend you a hand, pal.” Says Maxwell.

Shadows encompass your torch. It’s form changes into a very recently lit lantern. Your eyes widen in awe.

“That should last us awhile.” Says Maxwell.

Us? Does he plan on staying? You don’t really want him around, but he’s probably not leaving anytime soon. What could he possibly want now? You stay in place and wait until he breaks the silence between the two of you.

“Now, it’s just the two of us… don’t you know that Hallowed Nights is almost upon us?” Says Maxwell is a pompous tone.

The name doesn’t exactly ring a bell. What in the world is Hallowed Nights? It sounds like another name for Halloween… is that what it is? Your brows furrow in confusion.

“Ah, I forgot.” Says Maxwell in a slight apologetic but still smug tone. “You’re new here… Hallowed Nights is what I call my world’s Halloween, see?”

You were right. It is like Halloween… is Maxwell here to play some kind of trick on you, or treat you to some kind of sarcastic praise?

Knowing Maxwell, possibly both.

“I’m not here to play a trick on you. I only wish to provide an extra bit of chill to your night.” Says Maxwell slightly maliciously.

You don’t think that was really worded in the best way. You automatically think it’s some sort of trap. Your brows furrow.

Maxwell notices your reaction. His eyes widen a bit. “Listen pal. I’m not playing around.” He says. “I have some stories to tell.”

You would be all good for some Halloween tales, but when they’re coming from the man who has been torturing you, you can’t exactly trust it. You step back a bit.

Maxwell looks at you, brows still furrowed. “Say pal…” He begins. “You don’t want Charlie on your tail, do you? I’d suggest you stay, or I’ll strip you of your light and leave you to die in darkness.”

Before you react, you think about Maxwell’s words. You would rather die to Charlie than be with Maxwell, but you’ve already got a good base set up. And you don’t want to have to restart for the beginning either. Maxwell has been making it harder and harder to find resources every time you come to in a new area.

A part of you also thinks he’s telling the truth too. Maybe he does just have some stories to tell.

You sigh and reluctantly decide to stay with Maxwell. Although you hate the fact that you’ve committed to his deal, it’s better than having to start over. You sit down and look up at Maxwell.

“Good.” Says Maxwell. “Now…”

Maxwell hovers down to the ground and sits down in front of you. Maxwell lifts up his right hand and shadows appear from it. From the shadows, the Codex Umbra appears.

“…Let us begin.” Says Maxwell.

The Codex Umbra opens…

~~~

“Higgsbury’s Monster”

A large castle-like structure sits in a large plot of land, all owned by one man: Wilson Percival Higgsbury. Or as he called himself, Dr. Higgsbury. Within the large Victorian structure he called home, he always toiled away, working on whatever mad science project he was making. On most of his experiments, he gave up. Nothing really seemed to come out how he wanted it to.

Whilst working on his most recent project however, something incredible occurs.

Something Dr. Higgsbury would consider a scientific breakthrough.

—

Dr. Higgsbury sits alone in his lab on his special red chair. His hair as crazy as ever, with a large white bolt running through it’s center. His goggles are up on his forehead. He’s dressed in beige lab coat and black gloves.

He looks as if he’s pondering, deep in thought, with a touch of 'I’m so aggravated right now.'.

Dr. Higgsbury dramatically lifts his hands into the air and shouts. His wail scaring the birds out their trees. “AAAGGHHH!! Why must it be so hard to succeed!? Time and time again, I never seem to achieve SCIENTIFIC GREATNESS!!”

Dr. Higgsbury plops back into his chair and leans his head back. He breathes steadily. He lifts his head back up and looks out the window in front of him. He gets up and walks to the window. He looks out into world outside.

Dark grey clouds cover the night sky. A storm is brewing by the looks of it. Down below on the ground, multiple grave stones have been placed down. That cemetery has been there for as long as Dr. Higgsbury has been there, possibly longer.

“Oh, being above.” Dr. Higgsbury pleas. “Please, I beg of thee! Give me a sign!”

Suddenly, rumbling is heard. Heard from outside.

A large lightning bolt strikes the ground. Dr. Higgsbury yelps and moves away from the window. Once the bolt disappears and the rumbling stops, he runs back to the window and pans his eyes across the plot of land. Once his eyes go down to the cemetery, a trail of smoke can be seen from the spot the bolt has hit. The bolt had hit a particular grave. Directly in front of the grave stone.

Dr. Higgsbury looks at the spot.

Realization suddenly hits him.

His eyes widen and a large grin appears on his face.

—

Dr. Higgsbury rummages through his small shed to find himself a shovel. It takes a lot of digging around and coughing due to the amount of dust laying about, but Dr. Higgsbury eventually finds one.

Dr. Higgsbury heads outside to see dark clouds hovering over his home. He feels a few drops of rain fall on his face. A storm is brewing.

Perfect conditions for what he needs.

He heads into the cemetery and speed walks directly to where the smoke trail was. He stops once he approaches the gravestone. He reads it.

Here lies Winona Rosemary

The name doesn’t ring a bell at all. Dr. Higgsbury wonders what this person was like.

He sticks his shovel into the ground and begins to dig into the grave.

—

It takes awhile, but the grave has been dug into. Dr. Higgsbury takes a look at the casket. It looks fairly expensive. How much money did this person’s family spend on this casket?

Dr. Higgsbury shoves his fingers into the side of the casket to open it up. It takes a lot of force, but he manages to open the casket up.

The body has been revealed.

It didn’t look like it had been buried for long. The body resembled a young woman.

Dr. Higgsbury looks at the body and smirks.

Thunder is suddenly heard.

Perfect.

—

Dr. Higgsbury has dragged the body out of it’s casket and into his home. Since he lives so far from society, no one would ever suspect he had dug up someone’s grave.

Unless maybe someone were to look and see a dug up grave and know that a mad scientist lived near the cemetery where said grave was dug up.

He prays no one ever notices.

He enters his lab and places the body on a large table and straps it down. He rummages through the room to find some bolts and wires. He attaches the bolts to the body’s chin and and adds the wires to the bolts.

Now he had to head to his roof.

He heads up higher into his home to his attic where he opens up a hatch leading to his roof. He climbs up and peeks his head out from the opening to feel the wind that has picked up.

He takes in a deep breath before climbing up onto his roof. He stands up tall, arm in the air.

One of his stupidest ideas yet.

What? He doesn’t have anything else to prop the wire on. If only he had some machine to do that, but this decision of his was made last minute.

He waits.

And waits.

For awhile, nothing happens.

Dr. Higgsbury feels it’s a lost cause.

Until…

RUMBLE! BOOM!! CRACK!

Directly onto Dr. Higgsbury, a large lightning bolt hits his head. Electricity flows through his body. His skeleton can be seen.

Down in his lab, the corpse shakes as lightning courses through it.

Eventually, the lightning dissipates. Following it is the sound of loud and booming thunder.

Dr. Higgsbury falls to ground, knocked out.

Until he suddenly gasps for air.

He continuously inhales and exhales.

Then he feels himself slipping from the roof.

Dr. Higgsbury falls directly into his attic. After a bit of a struggle, he quickly gets up and rushes to his lab.

He bursts into his lab and straight to the table the corpse laid on. He stares at the body.

It doesn’t move.

He continues to stare.

Once more, it doesn’t move.

Hope fades from Dr. Higgsbury’s eyes. He sighs and and puts a hand to his face. “…Ugh… now look at what I’ve done…” He says, looking at the corpse. “…Not only am I a failure of a scientist… I’m a disrespectful one…”

After a bit, anger builds up in his body. He angrily inhales and exhales.

He then slams the table with his fist, wallowing in his despair.

Then…

A small jolt of electricity travels through the corpse again.

Dr. Higgsbury notices, and looks at the body.

He stares.

Then he sees it’s fingers fiddling a bit.

Hope returns to Dr. Higgsbury as the arm of the body slowly rises…

Dr. Higgsbury stares in astonishment. “…It’s alive… it’s alive…! …IT’S ALIVE!!! IT’S ALIIIIIIIIIVE!!!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!”

As the body slowly regains it’s life force, Dr. Higgsbury gushes about his achievement, maniacally laughing and giggling like a witch.

The body slowly picks itself up. Dr. Higgsbury eventually stops gushing and watches as the body returns to life.

The body then open it’s eyes.

It slowly turns to face Dr. Higgsbury.

She stares. Dr. Higgsbury stares back. Until the doctor suddenly speaks. “Welcome back, Winona Rosemary!” He says, a large smile sitting on his lips.

“…C-Charlie…?” The body, or really Winona Rosemary, asks. She speaks slowly and drearily.

Dr. Higgsbury’s smile fades a bit. “…W-what?”

“…Charlie…?” Winona asks again.

“…Who is Charlie?” Dr. Higgsbury asks. “Are they a friend?”

“…Charlie…” Winona says again.

Winona then rises from the table. She stumbles.

“Ms. Rosemary! Wait!” Says Dr. Higgsbury.

Winona hastily stumbles over to the lab’s door. She sloppily places her hand on the doorknob. Dr. Higgsbury grabs onto her arm of the hand that’s grasping the doorknob. He looks at Winona. “Where do you think you’re going?” He asks.

Winona stares at the doctor. She furrows her brows a little. He slowly takes Dr. Higgsbury’s hand off of her arm and stares at him. “…Work… to be done…” She says.

“…What work!? You were just reanimated!” Says Dr. Higgsbury.

Winona then smacks open the door. She runs.

Dr. Higgsbury stares in disbelief. He immediately runs after Winona. “Hey! Get back here!”

Winona charges foward while Dr. Higgsbury trails behind. She’s oddly fast for being one of the undead. Maybe it was the shock? He couldn’t believe that the corpse seems to still have a good amount of intelligence either. Whoever Ms. Rosemary was when she was alive must’ve been very intelligent. Or her brain had yet to rot, considering her body’s condition.

In the distance, Dr. Higgsbury can hear his front door slam open.

She’s escaping.

“No! Wait!” Dr. Higgsbury shouts. “I’ve yet to introduce you to my enemies from University!”

He eventually comes upon his front door, wide open. In the distance he sees Winona blazing off. He’s unable to catch up with her. He stares as she runs off.

Dr. Higgsbury sighs. “…Like usual… all my experiments go up in smoke…” He says. He shuts the door and goes back into his home.

~~~

The Codex Umbra shuts. “How was that?” Maxwell asks you.

You look upset. You feel bad for Dr. Higgsbury. You wish that he could’ve had his great scientific breakthrough, but maybe without the grave digging.

“Hm. I find it understandable that you react in that way.” Says Maxwell. “You don’t seem like the kind of person to be fond of a story such as that.”

You shake your head. You aren’t. You wish there was more to it. You wonder why Maxwell ended the story like that.

Then you remember. This is Maxwell. He would write a story about someone not being able to achieve greatness.

“How about another tale?” Asks Maxwell. “This one’ll send some chills. I understand the previous story wasn’t exactly bone chilling.” Maxwell says, surprisingly genuinely, yet slightly pompously. You’re surprised that he’s being this genuine to you. You smile a bit and nod.

Maxwell smirks. “Prepare yourself.” He says as the Codex opens again.

~~~

“Tale of the Mandrake Woods”

Three Survivors tread through a small field toward a forest, desiring to retrieve firewood. The three Survivors being a mechanic named Winona, an automaton named WX-78, and a muscle man named Wolfgang. They stop just in front of the thick forest.

“Brain-lady tell us we need to find perfect spot, yes?” Asks Wolfgang.

“Yep. Not too many trees, but not too little.” Says Winona. “Let me take us to that sweet spot.”

“NO.” Says WX. “YOU ARE TERRIBLE AT DIRECTIONS.”

“Hey!” Says Winona. “I know my stuff!”

“NO YOU DON’T.” Says WX. “THE LAST TIME WE TRUSTED YOU TO LEAD, WE ALMOST GOT KILLED BY HOUNDS.”

Winona pauses before speaking again. “That was one time!” Says Winona. “I know better now!”

“OH, REALLY?” WX takes out a compass. It’s pointing North. “WHICH DIRECTION IS THE NEEDLE POINTING, MEATSACK?”

“Uh… South?” Winona asks.

“NO. IT’S NORTH, INFERIOR FLESH PILE. I KNEW YOU’D FORGET THE LIBRARIAN’S TEACHINGS.” Says WX. “YOUR COMPLETE MISUNDERSTANDING OF DIRECTIONS IS WHY I SHOULD LEAD.”

“You can’t lead because you’d try to get us killed.” Says Winona. “And what did Wickerbottom say about trying to kill us?”

WX’s eyeholes widen. That had actually been why they tagged along. “…UGH.” WX grumbles. “IF I TRY TO KILL YOU, I LOSE MY HUNTING PRIVILEGES…”

“Exactly.” Says Winona. “But, if neither of us can lead…”

“…OH, NO…” Says WX.

The two look over to Wolfgang.

Wolfgang’s eyes widen a bit. “Me?” He says, pointing to himself.

“Yes sir, big guy.” Says Winona. “You’re the only one that can lead us without getting us lost or killed.”

Wolfgang looks into the forest ahead. He trembles a bit.

“Hey! Don’t be scared!” Says Winona. “You’ll be fine. Get some confidence in ya! You’re mighty!”

Wolfgang looks down to face Winona. A confident smile then appears on his face. “Yes! I am mighty!” He flexes.

“Then lead us to that good 'ol sweet spot!” Says Winona confidently.

“Wolfgang lead friends to sweet spot!” Wolfgang says confidently.

“That’s the spirit!” Says Winona. “Now, lead the way, big guy!”

“Yes!” Wolfgang takes out his pre-packed map. “Follow Wolfgang, friends!”

The three enter the dense forest.

—

“Here! Is sweet spot!” Says Wolfgang.

Trees are scattered around the spot. Not too many, not too little, as Wickerbottom had suggested.

“Welp, let’s get choppin'!” Says Winona. “And you, keep that axe away from our heads.” She says, referring to WX.

“…AFFIRMATIVE.” Says WX, a tad reluctantly.

The three separate. Each of them chopping down a few trees one by one.

Chop, chop, chop!

BANG!!

Each tree falls, yet amongst the silence In between the chopping of trees, rustling can be heard from a nearby bush. Only Wolfgang hears the sound.

The strongman stares at the bush, slight fear completely coating his face.

The feeling only builds up as the rustling becomes more and more prominent.

Wolfgang begins to quiver while the others take a break from their chopping. The strongman braces for the worst…

“Meep! Meep!” Says a small squeaky voice.

Wolfgang peers down.

It’s a mandrake.

Wolfgang looks down at the small plant creature. A worried smile covers his face. “Hehe. Is just little plant…” He says.

As Wolfgang begins to walk away from the little live crop with his collected wood, it follows his trail. As it follows, little meeping can be heard.

“Meep! Meep! Meep!” The little mandrake says.

As Wolfgang continues to head back toward his fellow wood choppers, he turns back to the plant. Wolfgang’s brows furrow. “Go away, little plant!” Wolfgang grumbles.

“EW. ANOTHER ORGANIC.” A robotic voice says.

Wolfgang looks forward to see WX and Winona have appeared, likely trying to look for the strongman.

“Yep. Grams said they’re called 'mandrakes' I think.” Says Winona.

“Wolfgang know that.” Says Wolfgang. “I want plant to stop following Wolfgang.”

“I don’t think it’ll leave, unfortunately. I think it thinks you’re it’s leader.” Says Winona. “Did you pick it?”

“No. It appear from bush.” Says Wolfgang.

“…Weird.” Says Winona. “I thought Wickerbottom said they only follow you if you pick 'em…”

“CAN WE KILL IT?” Asks WX.

“Later.” Says Winona. “We can use it for food.”

The area around them then begins to darken. Dusk has arrived.

“Speaking of later, it’s getting later.” Says Winona. “We should find a way outta here. We got enough wood. Lead the way, Wolfgang.”

Wolfgang nods. The three turn back to the direction they had entered the 'sweet spot' from. The mandrake follows behind.

From the trees, various pairs watch their decent into the land of bark and bite…

—

The trio continue to tread through the forest. Their path feels aimless. Fear slowly builds up in Wolfgang. Worry builds up in Winona. WX, however, feels excited. What if night comes and the 'disgusting fleshsacks' died? Although through their excitement shines the idea of them dying, which isn’t necessarily pleasant.

And that same little plant from before still following them…

The Survivors try to ignore it’s constant meeping.

“Weird.” Says Winona. “We should’ve been out by now…”

“MAYBE THE STRONGMAN LEAD US DOWN THE WRONG WAY.” Says WX.

“No, we’re walking down the same path. There’re footprints here. We’ve walked here.” Says Winona. “We should be getting close.”

“Wolfgang could check map.” Wolfgang suggests. “Just in case.”

“Yeah, sure.” Says Winona. “I wouldn’t imagine you wouldn’t need to, but go on ahead.”

Wolfgang checks his map.

Worry quickly covers his face.

The entire map is coated with trees.

Not a single exit in sight.

“…Is not what map looked like…” Says Wolfgang worriedly.

WX and Winona peek at the map. “…What in the world…?” She says.

The area begins to darken even more.

The trio quickly begin making torches as night begins to settle. Wickerbottom had packed them just in case. She wanted the group to be prepared just in case they got lost and couldn’t get back before night, as she had instructed.

“…Oh, no…” Says Wolfgang. “…Wolfgang no like this!”

“Hey, hey, calm down!” Says Winona. “We’ll get outta here, I’m sure of it!”

The mandrake then walks in front of the strongman. It looks back to Wolfgang and motions it’s stubby hand, gesturing the trio to follow it.

“…Plant know way?” Wolfgang asks.

The mandrake motions it’s arm again.

Wolfgang looks back over to Winona.

Winona’s brows furrow in suspicion. “…We may not have a choice…”

Wolfgang nods and walks foward. The others follow. The mandrake leads.

From the trees, various pairs of eyes watch the quartet…

…Along with a pair of eyes from a shadowed figure…

—

The mandrake leads the trio deeper and deeper into the forest. Each of their sanities steadily drop, all while the mandrake hops around like a happy child.

No one amongst the trio knows if they’re being taken the correct way. Wolfgang especially.

“I KNEW IT.” Says WX. “WE ARE GETTING ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE. LET’S BLAME THE INSIGNIFICANT LITTLE PLANT CREATURE.”

“No, WX” Says Winona. “The lil guy might know what they’re doing. They probably know this place better than any of us.”

“…Wolfgang hope so…” Says Wolfgang, trying his hardest not to tremble.

The trio then enters a decently sized clearing.

“Why’d we stop little guy?” Winona asks the mandrake.

“…SOMETHING IS COMING…” says WX.

Out from the bushes, more mandrakes begin popping in.

“…MORE ORGANICS. UNFORTUNATELY.” Says WX.

“Little plant monsters creepy…” Says Wolfgang.

“…What in God’s name…?” Winona asks herself.

The mandrakes begin to quickly approach the trio. They circle around them and stay in their places. The trio moves back.

Suddenly, mandrake vines pop out from the ground. Some vines holding torches lit with a green flame. As for the free vines…

Each Survivor is suddenly entangled. Their torches fall to the ground and extinguish.

“I WILL NOT FALL TO PUNY VINES.” Says WX, squirming in the vine’s grip.

“Let Wolfgang go!” Says Wolfgang, also struggling.

All three of them continue to squirm as the vines slowly creep up the automaton and strongman’s bodies. The exceed their shoulders and up to their necks.

Winona’s coils have yet to rise.

The other two Survivor’s voices, mainly grunts, become more and more muffled as the vines coil around their heads. The vine’s grip tightens. Pushing against their skills and lungs.

…Then silence.

Neither of them are no longer making sound.

Winona continues to struggle as the vines begin to slowly coil up her body.

Then, from the darkness within the trees…

A new face appears.

Winona can’t make out who it is. She squints her eyes.

The figure then steps out from the darkness.

The figure appears to have green, short, and leafy hair. The body of the figure appears to be covered in mandrake skin. A horrified face sits at the center of skin suit. As for the face, it had painted cheeks that resembled those of a mime’s rosy cheeks, but rectangular and green.

The figure stared into Winona’s soul. She looks on at the figure, afraid, yet trying to keep herself together. “Y-you don’t scare me!” She says.

Then the figure slowly approaches.

Winona then begins to struggle even more. Trying her hardest to break free from the vines, but to no avail.

The strange figure continues to slowly approach.

Winona’s struggle continues. The vines slowly creeping up her shoulders…

Then her neck…

The figure finally stops in front of the mechanic. He stares into Winona’s soul.

She stares back.

As the vines slowly coil around Winona’s head and appear in her peripheral vision, the strange man stares at her with piercing eyes. He puts his index finger to his mouth.

…Hush…

The vines coil around Winona’s eyes, completely obscuring her vision.

It’s dark.

It becomes harder and harder to breathe…

…Then off to sleep she goes…

~~~

The Codex Umbra shuts. Maxwell looks at you with a smug smirk on his face. An expression that screams 'What did you think?'

You’re a bit stunned. It was creepy… how in the world did he go from a scientist not being able to achieve his dreams to a group of people getting suffocated to death by vines!?

A small yet fearful smile appears on your face. You nod, Indicating you liked the story.

Maxwell notices how worried you are. He shrugs. “Understandable. Not everyone is fond of tales such as those.” He says. “I’m glad you like it however.”

You smile a bit and nod in agreement with the Nightmare King.

“Hm. We still have some time on our hands.” Says Maxwell. “Why don’t we start up another tale?”

The Codex Umbra opens once more.

~~~

“The Haunted Home of San Francisco”

Two passersby’s, Wilson and Willow, stand in front of an old abandoned house near the edge of a lake in San Francisco. Willow had insisted on checking it out. And although Wilson is a man of science and prefers not to believe in the supernatural, he decides to join Willow. If he decided not to, she’d constantly bug him about being 'chicken', as she put it.

Willow looks upon the house smugly while Wilson appears to be suppressing trembling.

C'mon Wilson!” Says Willow, looking over to Wilson. “You’re a grown man, and your acting all scared over an old house?”

“S-scared?” Says Wilson. “What are you talking about? I’m not scared!”

“Oh, really?” Willow pauses. Wilson waits for her to speak again.

“BOO!” Willow shouts as she quickly faces Wilson. She lifts her arms into the air dramatically.

“AHH!” Wilson yelps. He walks back and almost trips. Willow laughs at him.

“Ha! You really ARE a chicken! BA-GAWK! BA-GAWK!” Says Willow, moving her arms around as if she’s a chicken.

“I AM NOT!” Says Wilson. “Act your age, Willow!”

“ACT YOUR AGE!!” Says Willow.

“You know what? No. Let’s just… get this over with.” Says Wilson. “I refuse to believe anything we see in here. I’m just coming with you to PROVE TO YOU, that I’m not a 'chicken', as you call me.”

“Sure, fine.” Says Willow. “As long as I get to hear you scream like a girl.”

Wilson’s eyes dart over to Willow’s. ��I won’t.” He says as calmly, yet firmly, as he can.

“What ever you say, Willy.” Says Willow.

“Don’t call me that.” Says Wilson.

“Fine, I’ll shut up.” Says Willow.

The two open the door to the abandoned home to see a long hallway at the entrance, a long carpet on the floor. It’s absurdly dusty. The house’s interior smothered in a dusty odor. Cobwebs are scattered around the area. Spiders are likely hiding somewhere within the walls.

“a-A-ACHOO!” Wilson sneezes. “This place is flooded with dust!” He says.

“It looks filthy too.” Says Willow. “Come on.” She begins to step inside.

“In THERE!?” Asks Wilson. “It’s filthy!”

“We’re both already filthy, Wilson.” Says Willow. “You’ve been living in a nasty shack for months now and your bathroom isn’t even clean!”

Wilson grumbles. He couldn’t argue with her if he tried. They likely weren’t going to get cleaner anytime soon. Neither of them really had a lot of money.

“…Fine.” Says Wilson.

“There ya go.” Says Willow. “Come on.”

Willow enters. Wilson reluctantly follows behind her.

The door suddenly shuts closed.

The duo look back to the shut door.

“Haha. Sick.” Says Willow.

Wilson shudders a little.

'…That’s not real. Ghosts aren’t real…' Wilson tells himself.

Above the duo, the seemingly broken lightbulbs on the roof turn on. They aren’t the most bright, but they still work and light up the hall to a decent degree.

Wilson’s expression reads a feeling of suppressed terror. He also appears to be suppressing trembling once again.

Willow looks over to the scientist. “Stop being such a baby!” She says. “And I thought you said you wouldn’t believe anything you saw in here!”

Wilson quickly stops shuddering and looks over to Willow. “I-I don’t!” He says. “Nothing in this disgusting place holds any value to me, for it is not scientific in the slightest.”

Willow smirks. “Okayyy.” She says. “Say what you will.”

“Hold your tongue!” Says Wilson. Willow chuckles a little.

The two walk deeper into the house. The only sounds being their breathing and and creaking of the old wooden floors below the carpet. The two eventually stop inside a large living room like area. There isn’t much in it, other than a couch that’s slightly torn sitting in the middle of the room. There are a few hallways leading upstairs and to different hallways. But at the sides of the area are two pathways, both leading to their own seemingly short hallway.

A smirk grows on Willow’s face. She looks over to Wilson. “Hey. Why don’t we split up?”

“What!?” Says Wilson, darting his eyes and head over to Willow. “We don’t know the layout of this place. What if one of us gets lost?”

“Those hallways look stupid short anyway, Wilson.” Says Willow. “Tell you what, we can go upstairs together, IF you can prove to me that you aren’t chicken, and you’ll go alone.”

Wilson’s cheeks go a bit red. “I’m not-! …I think I’ve already proved to you I’m not a chicken by coming in here.”

“No, that ain’t enough for me, boy.” Says Willow. “You aren’t gonna lie to me either. I know what you like when you’re scared! I could tell you were trying not to shiver earlier.”

Wilson averts his gaze and grumbles. “…Ugh, fine.” He says. “I’ll play your little game.”

“That’s the spirit!” Says Willow. “Now, I go left, you go right.”

Wilson nods.

The two head toward their designated hallways. Willow takes out her lighter, as the lights don’t seem to want to come on. Wilson doesn’t have a light on him, so he touches the wall to help see where he’s going. He doesn’t like that fact that he can’t see where he’s going. What if something jumps out at him? He tries to suppress his fears.

Willow was right, the hallways were short.

At their ends were just old wooden doors. The doors were chipped and pale, as the paint on them had likely grown old.

Wilson turns back to Willow’s hallway. “There isn’t anything here, just a door!” He yells.

“Same here!” Willow yells from her hallway.

Suddenly, ectoplasmic hands pop out of the floor and entrap the Willow and Wilson. Completely. They can barely breathe as their entire bodies are being held up by strange hands.

They both get pulled underneath the floor.

—

Wilson slowly wakes up, groggy as hell. He blinks a bit and groans before slowly picking himself up.

“…Where…?” Wilson asks himself.

He was in a different hallway, a long one. And one that was actually well lit. The walls had wallpaper on them. The wallpaper adorning a floral pattern. Doors line the wooden walls. Each one looking exactly the same. Wilson is put in a place of unease as he takes a gander at the eerie hall.

The scientist slowly rises and looks forward. He takes a deep breath and walks.

“Willow?” Wilson calls out. “Stop playing around! I know you are!”

No response.

He thought she ended up in the same strange hallway as him.

Wilson walks down the long hallway. It’s eerily quiet. Not much else can be heard other than the sound of Wilson’s breathing and footsteps.

Fear crawls up Wilson’s back.

“…Willow…?” Wilson desperately calls again. “…Anyone at all…? …Hello…?”

'Hello?' A young voice calls out.

Wilson turns around.

No is there.

Wilson’s brows furrow. He continues to walk down the hallway.

'Hello?' The voice calls again.

Wilson tries to ignore the odd voice. He keeps walking.

'Hello?'

'Hello?'

'Hello?'

The strange voice loops. The same voice. The same phrase. Over and over. It echoes in Wilson’s ears. Some calls are louder than others. Wilson begins to pick up the pace. First speed walking. To jogging. To running.

'This isn’t real! This is not real!' Wilson tells himself.

The voice continues to echo.

Until it suddenly stops.

Wilson sees that he’s reached the end of the hallway. He turns his head to the left.

Shock immediately blankets his face.

This hallway is also fairly long, but at its end stands a small blonde girl in tattered blue clothing with a small red flower in her hair. Next to girl is, to Wilson’s disbelief, a specter with a similar red flower on it’s head.

“…Come play with us, Wilson…” Says the girl.

Wilson’s face quickly transitions from shock to complete and utter horror. “…No… no… no, no, no, NO, NO!” Wilson cries. “This isn’t real! My scientific brain refuses to perceive it! YOU. ARE. NOT. REAL!” He says, dramatically pointing at the specter in particular.

The air becomes thick. The hallway becomes quiet…

The girl points at the man. “Get him, Abby.” She says.

The specter immediately charges toward Wilson.

“…AAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!” Wilson screams. He dashes away and runs back down the same hallway from before, the specter hot on his tail.

In the midst of the chase, Wilson looks back. He sees multiple apparitions and ghouls phase through the doors and join the specter’s side.

Wilson goes pale. He looks forward.

The hallway suddenly appears endless.

Wilson can’t help but run for his life.

Until he sees a wall. Which he phases through.

He then suddenly runs into something in front of him…

—

Willow wakes up, very groggy. She slowly rises.

“Ugh… Wilson…?” She calls.

No response.

Willow takes a look around.

She appears to be a slightly dense forest of some kind. It’s incredibly dark too. She discovers her lighter next to her. She picks it up.

Willow slowly picks herself up. She takes a gander at the setting she’s been placed in.

“…Creepy.” Says Willow.

Willow begins to walk forward aimlessly, not really certain of where to go.

Until the rusting of paper is heard. Willow looks down.

A note. Under her feet.

Willow picks up the note and reads it.

Find the notes. Find the shed. Then you’ll be free.

Willow looks at the note a bit confused. She then shrugs and decides to accept the challenge. Be it a tad reluctantly. She stuffs the note in her pocket and holds her lighter high as she walks deeper into the forest…

—

Willow continues down her path, bored out of her mind. She looks upon the various trees.

Or what she’d like to call: Kindling.

A smirk appears on her face.

She walks up to a nearby tree and touches her lighter’s flame to it. The tree quickly begins to burn.

“Hehehehe.” Willow giggles. “BURN!!”

As Willow gazed upon the slowly burning tree, she spots a note. She picks it off the tree.

The note has an arrow drawn on it. It points right. There’s also a little message on it.

Do not burn the trees.

“Psh. I burn what I want!” Willow scoffs. “…Stupid note… stupid fetch quest…”

Willow grumbles to herself as she walks away from the burning tree.

—

Willow follows the direction of the arrow on the note.

It’s eerily quiet.

Willow is lowly begins to become more and more on edge.

Suddenly, a low snarling sound is heard.

Willow turns around. Nothing is there.

“…You don’t scare me!” Says Willow.

The snarling then becomes louder. Willow moves back.

The snarling becomes louder.

And louder…

…Closer…

Willow continues to move back.

Until a faint silhouette of a dog-like creature quickly approaches.

Willow’s eyes widen. She runs off. The creature hot on her tail.

As Willow runs, the creature sounds as if it’s getting closer and closer…

Suddenly, Willow smacks into a tree.

And the sounds from the creature seem to have suddenly stopped.

Willow rubs her nose and slowly rises. She looks at the tree she bumped into to see another note. She takes the note. It has an arrow on it. It’s pointing left. It also has a message.

Beware of Dog.

Willow’s brows furrow at the statement. “Couldn’t have told me that earlier!?” She exclaims. She groans and heads in the direction the arrow says.

—

Willow heads in the arrow’s direction, hoping nothing sudden or weird happens. As she scours the trees for a note, she suddenly spots one. She hurries over to the tree and picks off the note. Its arrow points forward. It also has a message.

Freedom awaits you.

Willow smirks. She shines her lighter forward. A large shed sits just behind the tree. She walks up to the shed and discovers the door is unlocked. She enters, but leaves the shed’s door cracked open, just in case.

She gazes upon the mostly empty shed, which mostly consists of old gardening tools.

“Hello?” Willow calls. “I’ve found your stupid notes and shed! Now, let me out of here!”

It becomes eerily quiet.

Until Willow feels something is watching her…

She turns back.

Shock covers her face.

A small blonde girl stands. A small red flower in her hair. Next to her is a specter with a similar flower on it’s head.

“…Come play with us, Willow…” Says the girl.

“…Who the hell are you!?” Willow exclaims.

The girl points at Willow. “Get her, Abby.” She says.

The specter charges toward Willow.

“AAAAHH!” Willow shouts. She quickly dodges the specter’s charge and bolts to the shed’s exit. She runs aimlessly through the forest, the specter hot on her tail.

As Willow runs, she sees multiple other ghosts and apparitions appear from the trees. Willow begins to pick up the pace.

While she isn’t paying attention, she phases through a large tree.

Then suddenly bumps into something in front of her…

—

Wilson and Willow look up each other. They’re back in the living room.

They had bumped into each other.

The two quickly recollect themselves and stare into each other’s souls. Fear coating their eyes and faces.

They both grasp each other’s shoulders. “…WE’VE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE!!” They exclaim in unison.

They let go of each other and dash to the door.

Only to slam directly into a wall.

They both begin to feel the wall in front of them.

Dread quickly builds in both of them.

The door was no longer there.

“What’re we gonna do!?” Willow exclaims.

Suddenly grotesque snarling can be heard.

The two look back.

The same spirits and ghouls from before have appeared. In the center of the eerie ensemble, the same girl and specter look at the duo.

“…Come play with us…” Says the girl.

The group of ghosts then quickly head toward the fearful scientist and arsonist, who are holding onto each other.

And from outside the home…

“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!”

Anguished screams.

Then silence…

…Never to be seen again…

~~~

The Codex Umbra once again shuts. Maxwell looks at you with this same expression as before.

You liked the story, although the tonal shift between it and the one about mandrakes was odd. It was still creepy, yet more humorous.

Maxwell’s smile grows. “I’m glad you appear to be liking my work.” He then chuckles a bit. “Oh, how fun it is to mess with that little scientist.” He says more so to himself with glee in his voice.

You still hear what he says though. Your brows furrow in confusion. Until it hits you.

Wilson.

And when you think about it… the name sounds oddly familiar… maybe you knew a Wilson from somewhere? …University?

“I see you know Higgsbury.” Says Maxwell. “Or Wilson, as he’s called. He’s an… acquaintance of mine.”

You don’t like the way Maxwell said ‘acquaintance'. The cogs in your head begin turning…

…Could this Wilson be stuck here too…?

“I suppose I’ve got time for one more tale.” Says Maxwell. “Shall I begin?”

You’re suddenly knocked out of your world of thought. You decide not to press on what you were thinking about and nod.

Maxwell chuckles. “Alright then…” He says.

The Codex Umbra opens for one final time…

~~~

“The Axe Murderer… Beaver?”

Ms. Wickerbottom always had a fascination for learning of the world around her. Preferably through the written word. Settling in bed and reading a good book. Any knowledge committed to paper becomes impervious to the brain fogs of age, you know!

And although she liked to discover through others, she also had an interest in documenting things herself. Not only was she an avid reader, she was an author. She had self published many a book in her lifetime. The books she wrote mainly focused on various creatures or animals, or just nature itself.

And once again, during a trip to Canada, something amongst nature has piqued her interest.

—

Wickerbottom and a friend of hers, a mysterious clockmaker by the name of Wanda, sit near a small café, chatting about their days.

Until Wanda brought something new.

“Did you know that there’s an axe wielding beaver man in the woods?” Asks Wanda.

“That’s absurd.” Says Wickerbottom. “That cannot possibly be real.”

Wickerbottom was more interested in facts, really. Anything that sounded absurd to her, no matter who or where it came from, just felt fabricated to her.

“It is!” Says Wanda. “I’ve got pictures!”

Wanda rummages through her skirt’s pocket and takes out a few colorless photos of a silhouetted and large creature holding an axe. Wickerbottom looks at the photos with furrowed brows.

“There’s been plenty of sightings of it, too!” Says Wanda.

“Are you for certain that this creature is real?” Wickerbottom asks, extremely skeptical of the information Wanda has provided. “And I thought you weren’t into superstitions.”

“That’s not important.” Wanda says quickly. “And, oh, botheration, you’re stubborn. Why would I lie to you?”

Wickerbottom goes silent. She knows Wanda wouldn’t lie.

…At least she thinks she wouldn’t.

Wickerbottom decides to trust her friend. She had always acted as if she could be trusted.

“…Alright, I believe you, but it feels so… otherworldly…” Says Wickerbottom, her skepticism still circling in her mind.

“There are many things that feel otherworldly, Wicker.” Says Wanda.

“What do you mean by that?” Wickerbottom asks.

Wanda hesitates a bit before speaking. “…I’d rather not talk about it, I’m sorry.” She says.

“Oh, my sincerest apologies Wanda.” Says Wickerbottom.

Wanda always had an air to her. One Wickerbottom couldn’t really pin point…

“You’re fine, it’s alright.” Says Wanda. “But about the beaver creature, they say he kills. Not just with his teeth. Also with his axe.”

“…Intriguing, yet odd.” Says Wickerbottom. Then, a question pops into her mind. “Why are you telling me all of this exactly?”

“Oh, I wanted to see if you could document it.” Says Wanda. “I’m aware you aren’t too interested in creatures like this, but I believe you could figure out if it’s real or not?”

“Hm… I suppose I could try to find this being myself.” Says Wickerbottom. “You do have solid pictures. It could put an end to my skepticism.”

Wanda smiles. “Good.” Says Wanda. “Show me what you found next time we meet.”

Wickerbottom smiles back. “I will.” She says. “I’ll be paying as well.”

Wanda nods in response to Wickerbottom.

The two eventually separate from the café and head to continue with their days. Wickerbottom in particular heads home.

She’s got some preparing to do.

—

It’s the middle of the night. It’s so late that the full moon has risen.

Wickerbottom treads quietly toward a small forest, a small notepad and pencil in her hand in her skirt pocket. She stands in front of the large collection of trees just nearby a quiet road.

Wickerbottom sighs. “Oh, I pray I am not doing this for nothing.” She says.

She enters the forest sneakily. Although it looks as if nothing is around, you never know when you’re treading through darkness.

—

Wickerbottom quietly treads through the trees, fear slowly creeping up her back. It’s extremely desolate and quiet. Occasional animal sounds are heard, from owls to cawing birds. It only sets a dark mood.

“Tread lightly, watch where you walk…” Says Wickerbottom, trying to be as cautious as possible.

Then, out in the distance fairly far from where Wickerbottom was…

CRASH!!

Wickerbottom’s head darts toward the source of the sound, her eyes wide open.

Nothing…

Then again.

CRASH!!

Wickerbottom looks on, puzzled. A part of her wants to find the source of the sound. But she knows better. She tries to get further away from the unknown sound. As she walks, she ponders on the sound.

It was likely the sound of falling tree slamming onto the ground.

…Intriguing…

—

It’s been lord knows how long. Wickerbottom’s legs are tired. She may be tough, but that doesn’t mean she’s impervious to the disadvantages of having been alive for quite some time.

Although she is tired, she continues to press on.

As she walks, she notices the amount of trees beginning to slim.

A possible clearing?

And she was right.

Wickerbottom stops in a small clearing. Within the clearing is… a wooden cabin. There aren’t any windows. A horseshoe has been placed on the top of the cabin. At the cabin’s side is what looks to be a wood storage of some kind, or so Wickerbottom speculates. In front of the cabin is a lone tree stump.

“…Peculiar…” Says Wickerbottom. She steps out of the clearing to take a closer look.

Until loud, quick, and stomping footsteps can be heard.

Wickerbottom looks back. “What in the world?” She says.

Her eyes widen.

The large beaver-like creature is charging toward the librarian, axe in hand. Strangely enough, the creature is… dressed in black suspenders?

Wickerbottom quickly jumps to the side as the creature dashes toward her. It stops with a screech. It turns to look at the librarian.

Wickerbottom looks at the creature with shock in her eyes. “…Oh, dear… do my eyes deceive me?”

The beast then charges again, axe ready to be swung. Wickerbottom quickly, but barely, charges again.

“…My eyes, they do not deceive me!” Wickerbottom cries. “…It’s real! The axe murderer beaver is real!!”

The creature then charges again. As Wickerbottom attempts to dodge, the beast catches her by the leg.

“Let me go, beast!” Wickerbottom cries again. The beast refuses as it turns Wickerbottom over. The beast wraps it’s clawed hands around the librarian and holds her up. The axe is still in the beast’s hands, barely, the side of it’s blade almost touching her side. Wickerbottom begins to try and wriggle out of the beast’s grasp.

“You’re chopped wood, sister.” Says a jovial feminine voice seemingly coming from nowhere.

Wickerbottom suddenly stops squirming. “W-who said that?” Wickerbottom asks in a concerned tone. She darts her head around. Unfortunately, she gets no answer.

The beast then snarls the librarian. It’s buck teeth showing right in her face.

Wickerbottom gives up on escaping, and awaits the worst…

Suddenly, the area brightens.

Wickerbottom and the creature look to the sky.

The sun is rising.

The sky quickly begins to turn a dark blue as the sun starts rising. The moon has also already set.

Suddenly, the creature’s body begins to contort and change. Both Wickerbottom and the turning beast fall to the ground. So does the axe.

Wickerbottom slowly recovers. She blinks and slowly rises. She rubs her head. She looks in front of her.

The beast is gone.

And has been replaced by…

…A ginger man with a long orange beard?

The strange man is also wearing the same black suspenders as the creature. He’s also wearing plaid. Along with white gloves and boots. He seems to be completely out cold, but still alive, as his chest can be seen rising and falling.

Wickerbottom looks at the strange man in utter confusion and shock.

…This whole time… the axe murderer beaver was a human man?

“You keep away from him, you home invader!” Says the same jovial voice from before.

Wickerbottom looks back. Directly to the axe. She stares at it.

“Keep away from him, or else! Off with your head!” Says the voice.

The axe moves a bit each time the voice is heard.

…And his axe can talk!?

Then, groaning is heard.

Wickerbottom looks back to mysterious man. He’s waking up.

“Ugh…” He rubs his head, then looks up to Wickerbottom.

The man’s face suddenly goes pale. He quickly gets up and picks up his axe. He moves back. Wickerbottom stays in place.

“Woodie!” Says the axe. “I was worried I’d never see you again.”

“Heh, I’m alright, Luce.” Says the man. “Nothin' to worry aboot.”

“…Ahem. Excuse me.” Wickerbottom begins. “I don’t mean to be rude, but… what is going on here?”

The man looks over to Wickerbottom. “I don’t mean to be rude either, ma'am,” The man begins. “But what were you doin' near my cabin?”

“Yeah!” Says the axe. “What? Were you gonna steal!?”

“Oh! I had no intent to break and enter.” Says Wickerbottom. “I came across it while I was searching for… oh, dear…”

The man begins to wonder about what Wickerbottom wanted to speak of. Then, it hits him. “Ah, I get it.” He says. “The axe murderin' beaver?”

Wickerbottom hesitates. “…Yes.” She says. “I didn’t know you were the beaver. My sincerest apologies, sir.”

“Oh, It’s fine. I’m used to it.” Says the man. “People come here all the time looking for me.”

“Oh, I’m glad.” Says Wickerbottom. “I am curious about a few things, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh, I don’t.” Says the man. “Just keep it between you and me, eh?”

“I will.” Says Wickerbottom. Maybe she can find a different way to explain the creature to Wanda? She had originally wanted to spread the word of the creature around too. Although she doesn’t want to lie, she does want to respect the man’s boundaries.

“How aboot we chat in my cabin, eh?” Asks the man. “Not a single soul will hear us.”

“That’s alright by me.” Says Wickerbottom.

“Alright, come with me.” Says the man. He guides Wickerbottom to his cabin. He opens the door. Wickerbottom looks around.

The cabin itself appears very desolate and dark. There aren’t really any light sources. On the floor is a bear skin rug. On the wall is a pair of snowshoes. Around the cabin is a few chairs, one blue and one red, and a ladder leaning against the wall. A little fire place also sits in the corner. And next to one of the chairs is a small table with a little radio on it.

“It ain’t much, but it’s home.” Says the man, shutting the door behind him. “By the way, ma’am. I forgot to ask, what’s your name?”

“Oh! I am Ms. Wickerbottom, but you can call me Wickerbottom.” Says Wickerbottom. “What is your name, sir?”

“I’m Woodie. Nice to meet you, Wickerbottom!” Says Woodie. He lifts his axe up. “And this is here is Lucy.”

“Howdy!” Says Lucy, wiggling as she sits speaks.

Wickerbottom smiles. She’s intrigued, yet a bit preturbed, by Woodie’s talking axe still. “Nice to meet you both.” She says. She looks over to the blue chair in the left corner of the cabin.

“I don’t mind you sitting in that.” Says Woodie, referring to the chair Wickerbottom is eyeing. “Make yourself at home!”

“Thank you, dear.” Says Wickerbottom. She takes a seat in the blue chair. Woodie then sits in the red chair beside it. He sets Lucy down, having her lean against the chair.

“So, what’d you want to ask me, eh?” Woodie asks Wickerbottom.

Wickerbottom takes her notepad and pencil out of her pocket. She opens up the notepad. “I just want to ask a few things.” She says. “How long have you been able to turn into a beaver?”

Woodie sighs and sits back. “Hoo buddy, for as long as I can remember.” He says. “I don’t remember a single night under a full moon where I haven’t been able to turn into a beaver.”

“Interesting.” Says Wickerbottom. “And what about Lucy? If you don’t mind answering. How can she talk?”

“Oh, uh…” Woodie ponders for a bit. “…I ain’t certain.”

“I don’t know either.” Says Lucy. “…I can’t remember.”

Wickerbottom nods.

In the midst of the silence among the three though…

BANG!!

The cabin’s door is suddenly slammed open. Everyone looks over to the doorway.

It’s Wanda.

“…Hi, Wicker.” Says Wanda.

“…Greetings, Wanda.” Says Wickerbottom. “What brings you here?”

“I wanted to make sure you were alright.” Says Wanda.

“Whose this hoser?” Woodie asks, looking over to Wickerbottom.

“Who’re you calling a hoser!?” Wanda asks angrily.

“Settle down! Settle down!” Says Wickerbottom. “Woodie, Lucy. This is Wanda. She’s a friend of mine.”

“…Pleasure to be your acquaintance, miss.” Says Woodie.

“Hello.” Says Lucy.

“Nice to meet you too.” Says Wanda. She looks over to Wickerbottom. “Did you see the beaver?” She asks.

Wickerbottom goes quiet. She looks over to Woodie.

“Ah, you can tell her.” Says Woodie.

“What do you mean?” Wanda asks.

“He’s right there, dear.” Says Wickerbottom. “In the red chair.”

Wanda looks over to Woodie. He waves at the clockmaker.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” Says Wanda. She looks back over to Wickerbottom. “What happened?”

“Oh, my.” Wickerbottom begins. “A lot happened. If Woodie doesn’t mind.”

“I don’t.” Says Woodie.

“I don’t mind either.” Says Lucy.

“Alright then! Let us begin…” Says Wickerbottom.

She then goes on to explain what had happened overnight.

Whatever they talked about in the cabin, stayed in the cabin.

~~~

The Codex Umbra closes one final time. “A sweet treat of an ending, wasn’t it?” He asks.

You nod. You’re a bit surprised. All of the pervious tales ended off on a low note. You’re glad that Maxwell had saved a sweet ending for last.

“Well, pal, it seems I need to get going. I appreciate your participation and audience etiquette.” Says Maxwell. You nod.

“I wish you well. Have fun, pal.” Says Maxwell…

Who appears to be smirking a little too gleefully…

Maxwell then snaps his fingers. He disappears in puff of shadow.

…And so does your only light source.

The world around quickly becomes are dark void. You can’t see a thing.

Then, from the darkness…

HISSSSSSSSSSS…

You feel something bite you.

…Charlie…

You quickly scurry through your pockets.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing to make a light source with.

Not only did Maxwell’s snap rid you of your lantern, it also took your inventory.

…Damned Maxwell… you knew you shouldn’t have trusted him. Ending off his time with you not with a treat, but a trick. Of course! Why wouldn’t he do that!?

Before you can scream into the darkness about how much you hate the slimy king…

HISSSSSSSSSSSS…

Another attack from Charlie.

You try to recover…

…But you don’t have time to.

HISSSSSSSSSSSS…

Another bite.

You can feel your consciousness quickly slip away. The life draining from your body.

…Then complete and utter darkness and silence…

- END -

[if-whats-new]

What's New In IF? Issue 18 (2024)

By Erika, Marjorie, Axelle, and Noi

Now Available!

Itch.io. - Keep Reading below

If you read the zine, consider liking the post: it helps us see how many people sees it! And sharing is caring! <3

~ EDITORIAL ~

Another weekend, another zine!

Unfortunately, the end of summer is approaching. For many of us, it will mean a slow down in the time spent in the IF spaces, playing or creating.

But the IF machine never sleeps! No matter the time or season, there's still something happening!

Whether it is events or releases, we'll continue to do our best to report on it!

On to the zine!!

This week, we “sat down” with Drew Cook, author of the award-winning Repeat the Ending and retro-IF enthusiast at the head of the Gold Machine.

We had a lot of questions for Drew, and learned a lot about IF and meanings in the process!

So don't forget to check out our interview with Drew Cook on Small Talk…

We hope you enjoy this extra long issue!

ERIKA, MARJORIE, AXELLE, AND NOI

~ BE PART OF THE ZINE ~

WHAT'S NEW IN IF? HAS EXPANDED!

Since the release of issue #14, we've enacted some changes with the zine. It is now expanded with interviews of creators from all around the IF world, as well as direct contributions from you, our readers!

THIS ZINE ONLY HAPPENS WITH YOU!

Want to write 1-2 pages about a neat topic, or deep-dive into a game and review it in details? Share personal experiences or get all academic?

WRITE FOR THE COLUMN!

Prefer to be more low-key but still have something to share? Send us a Zine Letter or share a game title for Highlight on…!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Excited as we are about next week's interview and have questions for our guest? Or want to see a certain author answer questions next? Message us!

SMALL TALK... IS WAITING!

Came across something interesting? Know a release or an update announced? Saw an event happening? Whether it's a game, an article, a podcast… Add any IF-related content to our mini-database!

EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS!

Contact us through Tumblr asks, Forum DMs, or even by email! And thank you for your help!!

~ EVENT SPOTLIGHT : SuNoFes Jam ~

Have yourself a project during the summer…

Hosted every summer since 2015 on itch, the Summer Novel Festival is an unranked narrative game jam with a focus on visual novels and story-based games.

From July 1st to August 31st, participants are welcome to submit a single narrative entry. From a simple demo to completing previously unfinished project, the goal of SuNoFes is to create a game during the summer.

Hosted every summer since 2015 on itch, the Summer Novel Festival is an unranked narrative game jam with a focus on visual novels and story-based games.

As for restrictions, there aren't really any. You do not have to wait for the start of the jam to start working on something, and there aren't any restrictions or themes to abide to. Only depictions of sex and gore are prohibited.

With over two weeks left to go, there is still a bit of time left to whip up a short game and be part of the biggest SunNoFes cohort yet!

~ ENDED ~

Over 30 entries were submitted to the Single Choice Jam! If you are looking for a quick read or despair over (the lack of) choices, check them out!

About a dozen bitsy entries can be found at the last bitsy Jam #82. It's intentionally bad... or is it?

~ ONGOING (VOTING) ~

You can now check out the entries submitted to the IntroComp and vote for your favorite demo!

~ ONGOING (SUBMITTING) ~

Just this weekend is left to submit for the Velox Fabula. If you are looking for a challenge, join this ranked VN jam, with a theme.

If you still want thrills but in a chiller way, the Tales to Thrill Jam also just started. Take your pick from the three themes and try your best at emulating the creepy campfire vibes!

For those who created an intent to participate at the IFComp, you have until the end of the month to submit a full game… or wait for next year! (Or you can look our for beta-openings, create an account to vote when the games are released, or offer prizes!) @ifcomp

For the francophones, the French IF community is organizing a summer-long camp to create parsers. Join the Confiture de Parser if you're interested!

Do you have WIPs on indefinite hiatus? Projects you've started forced to be set aside? Bring Out Your Ghost is a jam to show off your ghosts (and maybe even spruce them up and finish them)! @neointeractives

On the CoG Forum, Halloween is already there! Until Oct 31st, submit to the Halloween Jam - it has funky themes!

Looking for motivation to try your hands at Visual Novels? The Phantasia Jam just started, and will run until Halloween! Three months to create a fantasy VN, with the theme of “Hidden Magic”.

Do you understand or write Ukrainian? Until the end of the year, the Ukrainian IF Festival is happening on itch.io!

~ OTHER ~

Over on the IntFiction Forum, the Review-a-thon is continuing its initiative to get more reviews for games. Check out this post by Tabitha if you want to participate! It ends on the 30th. This is also a sponsored event, aiming to raise funds for one of the Forum members.

The Interactive Fiction Showcase is still running! If you have completed an IF piece this year, consider submitting it! It is happening only on itch!

~ SMALL TALK… ~

WITH DREW COOK (@golmac)

Joining us today is award-winning author, retro IF enthusiast: Drew Cook ~ Author of Repeat the Ending and creator of Gold Machine

This interview contains links that were not included due to the Tumblr links limits. Please download the itch.io version!

⟶ Hi Drew! Thank you for joining us this week!

Thanks for having me! I love the positive vibe of What’s New in IF and was glad to hear from you.

⟶ Please tell us a bit more about yourself and how you got into IF.

I first got into interactive fiction as an 80s kid, and my most treasured possession was a Commodore 64 microcomputer. The “C64” was one of the more popular and affordable home computers in America at the time. Text adventure games (today we say “parser”) were very popular. I was a nerdy, lonely child who spent a lot of time playing games like that. Adventure games were a huge part of my childhood and were a good way for me to get lost for a few hours. I was also into sci-fi, fantasy, and collecting tabletop RPG rulebooks.

My childhood was not great, and imagination was what sustained me. Adventure games helped to sustain me.

There was a whole, non-IF life after that. I went to college and got a grown-up job. Unfortunately, I had a very serious and escalatory diagnosis of Bipolar I with psychotic features. There were some other problems as well. That complex of issues changed the course of my life drastically. When it became clear that I couldn't continue working in my career, I tried to find something else to do. I earned an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) degree in creative writing. I enjoyed that work, but I could not complete further study because teaching was too difficult for me. I had hoped to find a new career after becoming disabled, but I hit a wall. I was devastated at the time.

My partner and I agreed that I had to find something challenging and fulfilling to do, and I tried a few things without any luck. Out of nowhere, I thought: “What if I wrote some literary-style criticism of those old 80s games?” That turned out to be the answer. I've been writing about games and making games ever since! I feel very lucky to have found my way into this scene. I have two blogs, a podcast, and three works in progress all churning, so I stay busy with IF content.

⟶ And this is how Gold Machine started, then? Could you tell us about this project?

I had the initial idea of writing literary criticism for games by a company called Infocom in 2020, but it wasn't fully baked. Initially, I started a forum thread where I planned to narrate a playthrough of the entire company's catalogue, but that didn't really take off. It was the wrong venue, and I didn't have my voice yet. I tried again with a blogging site, but I hated the way everything looked and engagement was very poor. Nobody was reading any of it!

This was all during COVID, late 2020 into mid 2021. Somewhere in there, my mother died, and my father was in another state, taking things very poorly. I was driving a lot, missing my own little family, and just trying to do whatever it is that good sons do. It's a recurring thing in my story: interaction fiction was a part of getting through that. I was playing old games in hotel rooms and making notes, and the time went by. Things settled down.

I thought: I should spend a little money on this, get the look I want. I took a few months to plan things out. I put myself in the frame: there are several posts about my childhood relationship with classic adventure games. While those pieces aren't confessional, I am honest about my memories of childhood. I've realized that I can't see those games outside of those memories. I can't transcend them or get beyond them. Anytime I look at something, I'm there. What would my experience of art be without me? I can't imagine it.

That was a new and growing focus for what became Gold Machine. I wanted to talk about these games as art, yes, but also as experiences that real people have. That I have. Perspective was the piece missing from earlier efforts, and I've put it this way in the past: authors have intent, while audiences find meaning. The blog is about me finding meaning in interactive fiction. The mix has been good; the blog has done pretty well for a niche subject like 1980s parser games.

My goal with Gold Machine is to write about every single Infocom game. My general approach is to make three posts: a critical introduction, a plot analysis, and a game-specific craft topic. Most games have more posts, though. I'm proud of the work there, and I especially enjoy bringing in philosophical concepts or talking about mental illness.

I'm halfway through the catalog, though writing games has been making a lot of demands for my time. Things were moving more quickly before I started learning Inform 7! I always have more than one Inform 7 thing going.

⟶ So you are halfway through that catalogue now. How does it feel being in the middle point of your journey?

It feels really good! I've gotten past halfway, now that I think of it. Trinity is 21 out of 36, I believe. I'm proud of the work. Several pieces that I've written have been mentioned at Critical Distance, and I've

always loved their weekly roundup posts. Very few essays about classic interactive fiction get mentioned in those spaces, so those acknowledgements made me feel like I'd really accomplished something as a critic. I wasn't sure, early on, if Gold Machine would find an audience, but it seems to have caught on with people. Every once in a while, I'll see somebody mention something I've written and it feels great. I never take that for granted.

I'm most proud of my series on A Mind Forever Voyaging. It is more special to me than it might be to other notable critics, so I wanted to lift it up and explore that: why was it so special? I took my time getting there, and I think it was worth it. I hope it was.

Other things along the way have been very satisfying to write about. To name a few examples: gender in The Witness, Mental Illness in Deadline, modular narrative design in parser IF generally, and the failed database system Cornerstone (“Adults Are Not to Be Trusted”). It's been a great ride!

I have to admit, though, that things have slowed down. Trinity, along with Spellbreaker, Plundered Hearts, and A Mind Forever Voyaging, is probably one of the biggest Infocom games in terms of critical reception. To many players, it is Infocom's best work, their peak. I'm midway through it right now, and I feel I need to be thorough and careful in a way that is unique when compared with Infocom's other games. Its author, Brian Moriarty, writes thoughtful and textured prose, so that deserves a more deliberate pace. Because of this, I've often found myself tempted by other activities with Top Expert and game development. I will finish, though. I've played all of the other games recently, so once I get through this slow patch I should be able to make progress.

By the time this is over, I may have written more about Infocom than anyone else. If not, I think I'll be a close second. I'd be proud of that, as I think those works deserve that kind of treatment.

With that said, it is and has been a big project and a long road. I'd love to write about other games someday, as I have a lot of post-Infocom interests! I wonder what Gold Machine will do next? I haven't decided.

⟶ What has been your favorite game to play so far for Gold Machine?

My favorite game to play for GM was A Mind Forever Voyaging [review], and I hope I raised awareness about its important place in the history of narrative games. I got mentioned at Critical Distance for “The Year In Video Game Blogging” for this specific one, and I am very proud of it.

⟶ Out of the Infocom games left, which game are you most looking forward to?

As for what lies ahead, my answer is easy to come by: Amy Briggs's Plundered Hearts, which I feel was overlooked for many years. That tide has shifted, and it is listed on the most recent “Top 50 of All Time” list! It's an unusually narrative-focused Infocom game, and it feels ahead of its time for that reason. I'm very excited about it.

⟶ Next to Gold Machine, you also have the Gold Microphone podcast, which came back this year with Trinity. What was your goal with the podcast, running along your blog and also discussing the Infocom-era games?

People had been asking for more podcast episodes. By some measurements, the podcast was probably more successful than the blog. It had fallen off because a) my partner/collaborator Callie got busy with her doctoral dissertation and b) she started doing art for my game projects! We are still working together a lot, but we're doing something else now. Still, as I've said, I don't take it for granted when people talk about my work. It's very motivating, in fact. I wondered: how can I keep this going? If there was interest, I wanted to do it.

People like getting information in different ways, because we experience life differently. I just said this over at Top Expert, I think! Some listeners told me they enjoyed the less formal nature of the podcast. I like it too. I can unwind a bit and talk about Graham Nelson. Or I can say, “I want to think about challenges differently” and try to map that out. Gold Machine is a little too rigid for that kind of conversation. I like being able to loosen up a little, and some listeners seem to prefer me that way, too.

Thinking about Trinity specifically, the podcast is a way to bring in more outside content and zoom out the camera a bit. What about this or that kind of critical writing? What about modern adventure games? What do I consider “good” and “bad” types of friction? I like it because it enables different kinds of analysis and observation. I'm really looking forward to talking about VTM: Swansong. That's something Gold Machine can't do right now, but it's interesting, right? My basic idea is that some design challenges are constant: there are similar problems confronted by Trinity and VTM, two games released nearly forty years apart. I like being able to show that, despite changes in tech and presentation, those old games engage with fundamental elements of narrative game design.

⟶ If you could have any guest on Gold Microphone, who would you like to talk to for an episode?

Wow! That's very hard to answer. I want to pick someone actively making content right now. Possibly Brian Rushton (mathbrush)? Brian is the Spring Thing organizer, a successful author, knows a ton of IF history, and a prolific reviewer. I interviewed him once about a single game, but he has a lot more to say, I'm sure. My other answer might be Mike Russo because he knows a ton of not-IF stuff that informs his reviews, so they're very textually rich and insightful. Other thoughts: Manonamora, Kastel. There are so many smart people doing IF these days, so this is not an exhaustive list!

⟶ Moving on to Top Expert, your other side project focusing more on making IF rather than playing IF, started about 2 years after your first Gold Machine post. What prompted the creation of this website?

I've talked about the difficulties of being a beginner. We all come to IF with different skill sets and capabilities. I was not a programmer when I began Repeat the Ending. Sometimes, when asking for help, I felt a little... incapable. Like, there are beginners and then there are beginners. Sometimes I might have been a little embarrassed, as in “Why am I not getting this?” After I got a ‘Best in Show’ ribbon at Spring Thing, I wanted to tell people new to Inform 7 that you don't have to be a brilliant programmer to do well. Sort of, “If I can make stuff, you can too”.

My first step was making a new tag on Tumblr and just making posts with code tips and tutorials. People responded well to these, and I was glad! That's when I started using the status messages “let's make IF” and “IF is for everyone”. I really believe that; it isn't just marketing. I started Top Expert maybe five months later, as a place to move that forward. My intent was to write mostly about making IF. The initial goal was to live-blog making a game for Spring Thing, but life got in the way. I am hoping to get after that again, maybe after if/when I wrap up my IF Comp entry.

In the meantime, I've done a soft reboot there to get new readers up to speed with the basics. I've also written my first essay about the writing, less technical side of my process. People really seemed to enjoy that, so I plan to do more in the future.

“Top Expert” is meant to be ironic, which.. maybe I never explain? I don't see myself as an expert, and my whole message there is that you don't have to be an expert to be a part of this scene. It's for everyone.

⟶ Let's Make IF is your main series in the Top Expert blog. Before starting it, did you have a plan on what you would cover? Or you just shared what you thought was interesting?

The earliest plan was very general, but there was a specific goal and format: write a small game based on a story for young people about a boy and a cat having an adventure. I'd make posts as I made progress. I had some topics that I wanted to learn about, so I thought I'd write as I learned. I paused that effort because I had to pause work on the game.

A challenge I haven't completely solved is that difficulty climbs as a project goes on. I want to manage that curve so that the blog remains approachable. For the foreseeable future, I want to combine writing and coding advice, which will slow things down and hopefully make the advice more practical. What do I do when I make a room, for instance, or write object descriptions? And so forth.

If/when I return to Marbles, D, and the Sinister Spotlight (the live blog game), things will get more challenging, tech-wise. Still, the nice thing about that one is that I'm sharing new source code as I write it. People can read the code in progress. I'm not sure anyone has done that before? Perhaps not to that extent. I do want to complete that effort, since it could be a good reference for people.

My vague answer about planning is that I have things I want to accomplish, but there is never a step-by-step plan. I like finding my way. I like doing this, so my own fulfillment guides a lot of my decisions. I think: maybe if I'm having a good time, my readers will, too.

⟶ Which post for Top Expert did you particularly enjoy writing, and why? Was there a hurdle you wish you had known before starting with Inform?

The recent post about “Let's WRITE IF” was very well-received! Text hasn't been a huge focus for me,

but I think I should integrate more discussion of it. In terms of tech, I discovered a ton of cool stuff in the Marbles and D series. I made my first ‘relation’, which is a subject that feels intimidating to people. When you relate things in Inform 7, you are able to make custom sentences in your code. It's very powerful because it allows you to make really readable code.

For instance, in that project it's possible to write code like “the stage is visible from the audience” because of a relation. This was a huge ‘ah-ha’ moment for me!

I've enjoyed all of it, though. The more I write about Inform 7, the more I learn. I really see myself and readers learning together. “Let's Make IF” is more than a name. It's how I feel about the blog.

⟶ For our readers who don't know the project yet, can you tell us a bit more about Marbles, D, and the Sinister Spotlight?

Marbles, D, and the Sinister Spotlight is part of the RTEverse: a much more gentle and lighthearted corner of that universe. The main character is a young boy, D, on an adventure with his best friend, a cat named Marbles. They find out they are trapped in a mysterious theater and must discover the secrets of the space, hopefully escaping in time for lunch with the Guildmaster of the local Enchanter's guild and his pet lemur, Loretta (I'm serious!). From a tech point of view, it is a way for me to explore “scenes”, a powerful feature of Inform 7 that can be used to create a sense of dramatic movement.

I discussed my plan for the project with Brian Rushton, the organizer of Spring Thing. He agreed that I could enter the project as a Back Garden entry (i.e., not compete for Best in Show) while sharing source code, as long as I didn't distribute a compiled game. That's what I've done! There is no binary out there, but anyone can compile the source

themselves. There are fifteen posts so far. The latest version – from the last post in the series – compiles if you delete the last two lines about filename and date. Anybody can look at it right now! Here are all the posts with the ‘marbles and d’ tag.

It's an exciting game for me. Callie and I are big time into cats, so we've enjoyed talking about the story and characters. I'll continue to publish new source code when the project resumes.

⟶ Repeat the Ending is your actual debut in IF authorship, which was pretty successful, winning both the SpringThing and a bunch of Awards (which is pretty rare!). How did you (and Callie) get to work on it?

Things just kind of happen, sometimes. Gold Machine was linked on the IntFiction Forum, so I wandered over there and joined. People discuss Inform 7 over there a lot, and I would sometimes lurk. After a while, I realized: I could understand some of it! That's all thanks to Inform 7's unusual syntax, which just clicked in my brain somehow. I recall that Amanda Walker, who has made some good games, was very open about not being a super technical person, which I thought was very cool. Maybe I could try, too. Before long, I had downloaded the Inform 7 IDE and tinkered in secret.

What everybody knows as Repeat the Ending didn't exist yet. I had pictured a kind of light adventure with a depressive young man and a quippy demon. Pretty light fare. I built the magic system for that. A scene with the demon, the orange-eyed woman, followed. I discovered shortly thereafter that I couldn't write what I wanted, a kind of magic buddy movie. Emotionally, I just wasn't in the right place for that, and I needed to do something darker. It was a healthy dark, as I had been through a lot during COVID and was trying to make sense of it all. Perhaps I wanted to explain myself to myself, if that makes sense, or maybe I just wanted everything to mean something. I wasn't being a shrewd artist. Everything was intuitive.

Early testing was kind of rough. My code was messy. I guess a lot of it was messy. Eventually, things stabilized, and I found some solid, committed testers.

There was a long way to go. After those first tests, I think I had the opening scene with the orange-eyed woman and part of the trailer. That was a lot! I could really start thinking about things like narrative voice, tone, and all the writerly things that interest me. More important than that: a couple of people told me that they thought my project was worthwhile. They encouraged me. Without them, and I'm not exaggerating, I might not have continued. I wasn't sure at all about the project or my skill level.

I learned a lot while making RTE. Design, yes. Code, yes. I also came away from that experience wanting to be nicer to people about their work. I don't write negative reviews anymore. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking people who do, but it all hits differently for me now.

At that stage, Callie was my confidant, editor, advisor. I showed her everything. She doesn't want that kind of credit, but it's the truth. When she showed up with a drawing of the orange-eyed-woman just out of nowhere, I was floored. I never told her what to draw. All of the art is hers and hers alone. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

⟶ Can you tell us a bit more about the premise of the game?

The basic idea of Repeat the Ending is that a young man wrote a game for the 1996 IF Competition. It was very buggy and came in second to last. Years later, some new media types are looking for an IF game to revive as a “lost classic”, so they hunt down the author, “Drew Cook”, and ask him to work with them on a new “critical edition” of that game. He agrees.

The playable game is that critical edition. There is also a PDF “transcript” of the buggy 1990s version. In both versions, a mentally ill young man named “D” must travel to the hospital because his mother is dying. On the way, he uses magical powers to help people and a cat. This new “edition” contains footnotes, essays, archival reviews about the game.

It features a “story mode”, which allows people to experience the game even if they're not really into parser gameplay.

It took maybe 18 months, and I put out revisions for months after release. It's big for an Inform 7 game: 150k words of text and code, I think. I didn't target a specific competition for releasing it, so I had an “it's done when it's done” mindset. The story was written from the center out. That is, there were core concepts and themes: mental illness, entropy, grief. I had the characters of D and the Orange-Eyed-Woman. From there, writing happened along multiple arcs. There was the basic story, which came first, and the critical stuff, which followed behind. I wrote the story in episodes, perhaps like issues of a comic book. Each is self-contained, but builds on what came before. As I recently said over at Top Expert, I sincerely didn't know the ending before I got there. I wrote my way to it, if that makes sense.

A note about process: testers were always bouncing ideas off of me, and I really took their experiences to heart. I'm glad I was able to be open in that way, because the game is better because of it.

⟶ Mental illness and emotional distress is a pretty major aspect of the story in Repeat the Ending. Was it something you've drawn from your own experience? What inspired you to include this in the game?

It was never my original intent to include mental illness in Repeat the Ending, but mental illness had other ideas. People have told me specifically that the portrayal of mental illness holds a lot of meaning for them, so I want to just let them have that without saying too much as the author.

Taking RTE out of it: mental illness is a huge presence in my life. I spend a lot of time and money managing it. Energy. And that's just the logistical side of it. The symptoms, the feelings, that's more, that's on top of everything else. My diagnosis is never far from my mind.

⟶ Was there a particular scene of Repeat the Ending that you found challenging?

I think that there were some challenges for me, tech-wise, with getting D and Brad from the trailer park to the house on Lakeshore Drive. There were some narrative challenges, too. Brad went through a lot of versions. He was a victim of violence, but I didn't want that to be all that he was. I didn't want him to be just a sad moment in D's journey. So far as combining programming and writing challenges, I think it's Brad's scene. I'm happy with it, too! That's another one people have commented on, so it must have come across for them.

Emotionally, the scene in the drug store is rough for me. Which is good, I think.

⟶ What was your favorite moment of Repeat the Ending?

My favorite is either the ending or the beginning. I love the Orange-Eyed Woman as a character, and she turns up in both places! In terms of my own fulfillment, though, it has to be the ending. Even now, I have an emotional response to it. In terms of the art, I think Callie's portrayal of the scene outside the hospital might be my favorite, though it's hard to pick just one.

⟶ Let's focus on the “story mode”. What brought on this feature, and was it difficult to implement?

A general concept of built-in walkthrough for parser games was bubbling up in a few places last year, but I first encountered the idea in John Ziegler's How Prince Quisborne the Feckless Shook His Title. He wanted to give his friends and family who weren't into parser games a way to experience the work. That was very relatable to me! I was impressed with the concept, but didn't have any time to think about it with Spring Thing coming up.

A couple of months later, during Disability Pride month, I was talking to author Wade Clarke about accessibility in IF. We were both interested in some research that the Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation had done on accessibility, and we both explored ways to build walkthroughs into games. I think we finished around the same time. Wade wound up giving me some tips about saving game data, so my tool [Story Mode Extension for i7] is much better thanks to him. Writing it was challenging for me technically, so I'm proud of it.

It's my hope that people can use it for different things. An author could use it to make their parser game into a kinetic experience. It could be used as a training or tutorial tool. One thing that I hear again and again is that new players worry about messing things up or making the wrong decision, so it has a sandbox mode that lets people experiment without consequences. Ultimately, it's an accessibility tool that can make parser games more approachable. It's portable and can scale to accommodate very large games.

I'm not sure how widely used it is, because people who don't like parser games probably aren't expecting a feature like that! But I know some people who wouldn't have played RTE otherwise, so that alone makes it worthwhile for me.

⟶ Having created a whole system yourself, do you have any advice for someone looking to make their parser accessible to players?

I think considering screen reader experience is important, and a little work can have a big payoff for players. For instance, there are two extensions for menus in Inform 7. I use Wade Clarke's because it supports screen readers. One thing I've realized while writing my current WIP is that my image descriptions in Repeat the Ending aren't good enough, so I need to go back. I'm still finding things to improve there!

Going back to IFTF's accessibility report, I think having a strategy for presenting and recalling in-game information can make a huge difference to players. What information does the player need to know to succeed? How easily can they get to it? What if they need to access it later? I probably went overboard in RTE, as there are many commands for reviewing footnotes, discovered sources, and even “deaths”, but I'm really convinced that information management can be an accessibility problem. Is the player performing multiple steps to see information they've already discovered? What for? And so on.

My best advice is to talk to the community! In my games, words that players can type verbatim as commands are bracketed with asterisks, as in *READ NOTE*. I do this because a screen reader user told me that it would help them. Almost everything I've done to make my work accessible has come from research and conversation. I'm not an expert, so I try to understand what people with experience are saying.

⟶ Another form of accessibility with parsers is the inclusion of Tutorials at the start of the game, which is also included in RTE through C.A. Smythe notes. To you, what should be the goal of a tutorial, and how do you achieve that?

Tutorials are really hard to write. I think at a basic level, the goal of the tutorial is to teach the player something, but there are the questions of “what?” and “how much?” Repeat the Ending isn't meant to be an introduction to parser games, so its tutorial started as a way to introduce unique commands for the magic system and various bits of paratext (guide, footnotes, etc). From a design point of view, my earliest priority was walking the player through completing the basic gameplay loop: find magic, get magic, use magic. If a work has a unique mechanic, players have to know about it.

People writing tutorials for players brand new to parser games have a much bigger challenge to take on: what does a person who has never played a parser game need to know? That's something that comes up in discussion a lot. I don't think there's a perfect answer yet, but it probably involves not just command entry but presentation and information management.

The other aspect of the tutorial is narrative voice. Who is giving these instructions? Does that work with or against the in-game narrator? My initial tutorial involved a generic, omniscient persona, but a tester suggested making it a distinct speaker instead. Things really took off from there! Smythe also teaches the player about the "meta" aspect of the game, since the player sees a lot of her comments early on.

In everything I'm working on now, having a solid answer for the question “who is explaining the game to the player” is a priority.

For a new player, I think I'd recommend Lonely Troll by Amanda Walker. That's got a lot of strong tutorial content.

⟶ With the heavy meta aspect of the game, we couldn't help but notice a link to your other project Gold Machine and how people find meaning in IF. Was this done on purpose, or were you simply influenced by your player-first-perspective on the medium?

I'm always careful about discussing my intent, since I don't want to influence the player's experience. However, I have discussed my writing process: I discovered Repeat the Ending while writing it, beginning with only a small idea. In that sense, I was its first player. I experienced its loops, saw its text as it went from head to screen. In other words: I had my own experience with it, too.

That experience involved finding meaning. It definitely led me to ask if players could have that same sense of discovering and interpreting. I also wondered: is this what people want out of IF? Out of my work? Ultimately, I had to put it in front of people and find out.

I'll be honest. I was completely unprepared for the reaction to RTE. I thought it would have fans, but it would ultimately wind up an obscure curiosity. I'm very grateful that people engaged with all of the text and discussed it. That meant a lot to me.

⟶ And a great reaction it got! You not only won Best in Show at the SpringThing, you also received a handful of IFDB Awards, and was ranked in the TOP 50 IF of All Time... all as your debut game. This is pretty unusual. How did it feel getting this reaction? And does it put any pressure on you, for any future project you are thinking of releasing?

It's strange, I entered Spring Thing feeling very competitive. I wanted to prove myself, and that was always on my mind. I felt vulnerable because I was putting myself out there with a game that felt personal, and I didn't want to fail. That was a lot of pressure that I was putting on myself. I think that I'll be able to go easier on myself next time I enter Spring Thing. I'll also do a Back Garden entry next time whether it's Marbles and D or something else.

That will remove concerns about winning altogether!

There's another kind of pressure, though, which is what you're asking about. People liked Repeat the Ending so much, and I really want to give them a good experience. I think that one way around or past the pressure is to do something completely different! My IF Comp game has nearly nothing to do with RTE, though I think my writing style might come across. It will hopefully be a good palate cleanser before the other RTEverse games hit next year.

⟶ After a large competition, we've seen some authors blow off steam by entering small game jams (especially more recently). Is that kind of event something you'd participate in the future as well?

I've always seen myself as a “big game” person, mainly because my writing style leads me down side roads and discursions. I like to tinker, and that takes time, code, and text. I'm not very efficient!

I've wanted to challenge that, though. Marbles, D, and the Sinister Spotlight began as an ECTOCOMP game. First as La Petite Mort, and later, when things got out of hand, Le Grand Guignol. I still couldn't keep it under control, so it became the Let's Make IF idea. That's what it will stay, sharing code and tutorials will be its final form.

⟶ With the IFComp upon us, can you give us some details about your entry?

It is another answer to your jam question. I hang out on the Neo Interactives (@neointeractives) discord and I'm always curious about their events. Single Choice Jam in particular sounds like an interesting challenge from a narrative POV, and I've wanted to write something single choice for a while. But! My attempt for this year's jam turned out to have more choices, so I'm hurrying to finish it up in time for IF Comp. Callie is making art, too. I don't want to spoil any surprises. It describes itself as a “fun fortune telling game with a gimmick”! The title, emoticons included, is “Portrait With Wolf ^_^”

So, single choice-inspired, fortune telling. It's very choice friendly, for people who prefer that to parser gameplay. I hope your readers will try it out!

⟶ So you have Top Expert, Gold Machine and Gold Microphone, and working on your own lengthy parser projects, how do you manage balancing all that?

Honestly, I don't balance it very well. These are all things I got into out of love, so they are each pulling at me all of the time. Right now, hitting the IF Comp deadline is the priority, so everything has to get out of the way for that. I have this feeling that Top Expert should update weekly. Honestly, Gold Machine and the podcast have much bigger audiences, but if somebody can use my stuff to meet a jam or comp deadline, I want it to be there.

I don't know if that ever happens, but I'm listening to that impulse for now.

I need to get serious about Gold Machine once the game is done, though. I've let Trinity go on too long and it's starting to feel weird.

However, I've learned to be nice to myself about this stuff. I lost three months to depression earlier in the year. I just couldn't make anything for three months. That's why I didn't hit the Spring Thing deadline for the Marbles, D, and the Sinister Spotlight project. It's possible to get stuck there, thinking “I can't believe all that work is down the drain”. I wanted to write those posts, and be part of that event. People were following along and taking part. It's disappointing, but I can't beat myself up whenever that happens.

My core philosophy is that I want to do what I love when I can. Some good things have come out of that!

⟶ You've reviewed quite a few games since you joined the IF scene. Do you have any recommendations for our readers?

I have reviewed a lot of games, though there are a ton more that I hope to talk about someday. A lot of my favorites are outliers, usually because I'm attracted to certain themes or mechanics.

Thinking of parser games: my favorite Andrew Plotkin game is Shade, and I've never seen anyone say that before. My favorite Amanda Walker game is The Spectators. I love Brian Rushton's The Impossible Stairs! Something by Chandler Groover: Eat Me, probably. I think A Mind Forever Voyaging is Infocom's best game, though my sentimental favorites are Enchanter and Zork III. Gestures Toward Divinity by Charm Cochran. One more: Sting by Mike Russo.

I seem to be drawn to choice-based works these days, mostly because choice games are often better at driving their narratives forward. I enjoy that sort of storytelling momentum and also want to learn from it as a writer. I don't think many would agree, but my favorite Emily Short game is Bee, and it's not very close! I love Brendan Patrick Hennessy's stuff (@brendanpatrickhennessy). Spy Intrigue by Furkle. Computerfriend by Kit Riemer (@adz). My opinion on this varies, but, for today's interview, my favorite Autumn Chen game is A Paradox Between Worlds [Drew interviewed Autumn]. Vampire: The Masquerade - Night Road by Kyle Marquis is my favorite Choice of Games title.

There's so much great IF out there. I could probably spend days making a comprehensive list of favorites!

⟶ What is on the horizon for Drew Cook, and where can we follow it all?

Currently, I have three Inform 7 works in progress. The IF Comp game is going to some testers this week. I'd love to get Marbles, D, and the Sinister Spotlight in next year's Spring Thing! As I've mentioned, I'd like to make some headway with Trinity. I've wanted to write an essay about Victor Gijsbers's The Game Formerly Known as Hidden N*zi Mode for quite a while. We'll see! I always have a bunch of stuff bouncing around in my head.

I always announce new content on mastodon and tumblr (@golmac). It's ok to contact me at either of those places. I'm always happy to hear from nice people!

Less formally, I follow Neo Interactives (@neointeractives). They have cool jams and a nice discord. That's a good place to just run into me. You can check out their tumblr for more info.

I'm very open to questions about Inform 7 or anything else. Don't be afraid to get in touch!

WARMEST THANKS TO DREW COOK FOR BEING SO CANDID WITH US ABOUT HIS INTERACTIVE FICTION PROJECTS!

~ NEW RELEASE ~

~ We didn't find new complete releases outside of events ~

As always, don't forget to check out the submitted entries to the events mentioned in the previous pages. They deserve some love too!

~ NEW RELEASE (WIP) ~

To Taste Sweet Silver (Twine) is a dark gaslamp fantasy, where survival is not really your end goal. @sweetsilver-if

The Sun Coven (CScript) is a fantasy project where you play a fleeing witch trying to survive and maybe rebuild the old coven. @the-sunhold-coven

Knight of Greenhaven (CScript) is a high-fantasy project, where you play a newly-made knight looking to compete in a royal tourney.

Weeping Gods (CScript) is a historical fantasy set in Ancient Egypt, where you goal is to recover powerful artifacts, or risk death. @jcollinswrites

Freak: Falling Awake (CScript) is a reimagining of the Freak story, following your journey as a nigh indestructible superhuman.

At the mercy of hatred (CScript) is a superhero story, where you play a vigilante seeking revenge. @darkrose-thewriter

Heart of the Mountain (CScript) is a fantasy romance project, set 5 years after Heart of Battle, with a completely new cast.

Orphic Love (CScript) is romance fantasy project inspired by Greek Mythology, where you play as the goddess of nightmares.

~ GAMES UPDATES ~

The Wayhaven Chronicles (CScript) released the second chapter of Book 4 to the public. @seraphinitegames

Incubus (Twine) released its fourth chapter. @sonnet009games

The Bastard of Camelot (Twine) added Chapter 5 to the demo. @llamagirl28

Link Rot (Custom) released a new transmission. @qrowscant

The Lonely Shore (CScript) updated the demo with Chapter 2. @thelonelyshore-if

The In-Between (CScript) added Chapters 7 and 8 to the Patreon demo. @dalekowrites

Zombie Exodus: Stronghold (CScript)'s demo updated with Chapter 4.

Peninsula Campaign (CScript)'s demo is now available to the public.

Dawn of Heroes (CScript) added Chapter 26, its final chapter, to the demo.

A Shriek of Ash and Fire (CScript) updated both the Patreon and public demo with extra content. @krogpile

Before the Incident (CScript) added Chapters 3 and 4 to the demo. @remnant-verse-if

The Bar on the Abyss (CScript) updated the demo with a lot of extra content and improvements. @thebarontheabyss

The Ballad of Devil's Creek (Twine) complete its move from Harlowe to SugarCube. @devilscreekballad

The One Chosen (CScript) updated the public beta with Chapter 31. @parrotwatcher

~ OTHER ~

After a few quiet months, The Rosebush returned with a new essay, “Game Design Lessons Learned Trying to Write a Cento” by Hugo Labrande. @the-rosebush-mag

The new issue of the Amare Fortnightly Bulletin just released! Check out issue 22. @amaregames

Communistsister released a new fork of her engine Videotome, for lightweight stat raising datingsims called VIDEOTOME HEARTBREAK. @communistsister

Honor Bound (CScript) is officially in its Beta Testing Period, and is looking for official testers. @hpowellsmith

~

As always, we apologize in advance for missing any update or release from the past week. We are only volunteers using their limited free time to find as much as we can - but sometimes things pass through the cracks.

If you think something should have been included in this week's zine but did not appear, please shoot us a message! We'll do our best to add it next week! And if you know oncoming news, add it here!

~ MAYBE YOU NEXT? ~

We did not get a submission this week. But if you have an idea for a short essay, or would like a special space to share your thoughts about IF and the community...

Shoot us an email!

~ HIGHLIGHT ON ~

A couple of games that we thought were cool.

Shepherds of Haven by Lena Nguyen @shepherds-of-haven (CScript - dashingdon)

“An absolute masterpiece, one of the best IFs out there. The world building is so detailed, interesting, the writing style is gorgeous and lush, and the characters are honestly TO DIE FOR. Impeccable found family who have their own personalities and lives and who feel like real people!! Insane branching and freedom of choice!!”

//submitted by anonymous//

Pokemon by Anna Anthropy (Bitsy - itch.io)

“Just play it.”

(ok sorry, here's the real rec:)

Cowgirl Boots by fellerooni (Bitsy - itch.io)

“The coziest and cutest lesbian western piece I've ever played. It's only good vibes all the way down. Cried like 500 times.”

//submitted by hehehehe//

Sobre lo inevitable by paravaariar (Custom - itch.io - IFDB)

A symbolic and surreal escape adventure inside a sandcastle, where one wrong move sends you back to the start (but your progress doesn't completely reset). It is beautfifully retro, and charmingly atmospheric.

While the puzzles are not too complex, one or two does need a bit of remembering info.

Also available in French.

//recommended by Axelle [Team]//

Your favourite game here?

Do you have a favourite game that deserve some highlighting?

A old or recent game that wowed you so much you spam it to everyone?

Tell us about it! And it might appear here!

WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL! WETHER IT'S GOOD OR BAD, OR EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN...

Dang! yall are doing amazing interviews here! I don't know who asks the questions there, but they are really so good and bring such interesting answers from the interviewees! Barbara's interview was fantastic!!! - catsobabel

I don't want to be a huge bummer but I learned that the author of Magium passed away. His game was what got me into IF... this week really sucked... - a sad reader

i'm giving my shoutout to @nothingherebutthefog this week, because i know she's been having some hard time lately. so i hope this will cheer her up a bit! you got this Anna!!!! - anonymous

Have something to say? Send us a message titled: Zine Letter!

As we end this issue, we would like to thank:

a sad reader, catsobabel, hehehehe, and so many helpful anonymous users!

For sending news, interview questions, helpful tips, cool links, filled form, written Sheet line, even emails... all these help us so much to make this Zine possible!

And as always, huge thanks to all you readers to liked, shared, and commented on last week's issue! What might be tiny actions are huge support and motivators to us! Thank you for cheering us on this journey!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We also hope you join us again next week, for we have a very special guest on the zine:

Creator of the beloved Stay?, independent author, and podcaster, fanfic writer (@dirgewithoutmusic @ink-splotch) We're talking to E. Jade Lomax next week!

Want to know more about her work? How she found IF? Or learn more about her non-dev projects? Send us all your burning questions!

And see you again next week!

ERIKA, MARJORIE, AXELLE, AND NOI

WHAT'S NEW IN IF? 2024-ISSUE 18

[redsavant]

(CW: Canon-typical discussions of violence, police brutality, blood, death) So this kind of extends from u/Wrigglebuggo’s post on Reddit about TMA as a melancholic walk “amongst ruins”, where most of the people Jon has been reading about and most of the supernatural “community” is dead and gone by the time Jon is Archivist. That, combined with the statement we got in TMA 200, made me realize something about the Fears: they’ve also deteriorated. What the Archivist describes in TMA 200 sounds like a golden age for the Fears. They’re less distinct, less focused, but more in a way that’s hard to describe. Everyone knew them and knew nothing about them. There were no words to explain the fear. Then, people started speaking, they invented language and words, and they started breaking the Fears apart. But we humans have told stories since we had the words to do so, and I can’t imagine how the Fears must have spread over campfires, along long and lonely roads, during watches atop castle walls. The examples the Archivist gives - the Hermit who brings darkness, the Chieftain who breathes decay, the Traveler whose face is a blank - those sound like legends, the kinds of tales that embed themselves in a cultural consciousness and never really go away. "We caught a guy and his creepy cult putting a boy in black water in a warehouse, shot four of them, and arrested the rest" on a police report, as a news story... like, sure, that's disturbing, but 99.99% of people are going to glaze over that in the morning paper while they're busy getting ready for work. But 2500 years ago? A traveling caravan stops by for the night, you trade goods and some stories, and they tell you about the town further to the south that just vanished under a night that didn't end? And then in contrast, we have modern-day society. Like user thevoidcannotbefilled noted, TMA’s heavily shaped by modern capitalist society, from the obvious (Kulbir Shakya “drowning in debt” in TMA 129) to the more subtle (the "Sleep No More” billboard that tormented Lydia Halligan in TMA 79).  But even with elements like debt, the rise of the Flesh as the poster fear for commodification and processing, and so on... The Dark used to be one of the core Fears, and it still informs so many of the others - the unknown, and what could be out there. But the modern-day Dark cultists have to willingly hold their hands over their ears, close their eyes, and go "la la la" to avoid all the things we know. We know so much that they have to try to be ignorant. The Hunt used to be, as the Archivist said, teeth and eyes and fear and blood, an incoherent mess of adrenaline, the chase and being chased, whether that’s for something abstract like El Dorado or for something specific like vampires. But I don’t think it’s coincidence that the most prominent manifestation of the Hunt in TMA is cops - the casual, banal brutality of abusing people who can’t fight back, with interrogation that never ends or with more direct violence. (And I feel like there’s something to be said about the Hunt specifically as a power imbalance Fear, with the direct invocation of conquistadors and the colonizing pillaging of the hunt for El Dorado, but that’s a post for someone else to make). The Slaughter is still around, definitely, with things like drone strikes and improvised explosives - the fear of sudden and terrible violence will never go away. But our perceptions are changing. There are no fifes and drums in war anymore, and the glory has rubbed away, leaving just the capitalist pocketing the soldier’s heart and thanking him for his service. There are plenty of scopophobia-related statements in TMA as well, but how well do those translate to reality? People joke about the FBI agents behind our webcams (thanks Aryashi!), we upload ourselves to Youtube for millions of people to look at, and the Eye itself doesn’t do anything with what it sees - it just stares blankly at the feed, scrolling endlessly, taking momentary pleasure from one tidbit before it’s forgotten and it moves on to the next. Overall, I don’t really know what to draw from this. I won’t go so far as to say the world was better in the past; that’s all kinds of problematic for a whole bunch of reasons.  But there’s also an element of loss to it somehow. The Fears, despite their awful manifestations, despite their (insensate, unknowing) victory, are weakened. There’s less to discover - and while TMA generally lands firmly on the side that it’s better not to get involved in what’s out there, there’s still that feeling that the world is mapped, the mysteries are explained, things are all documented.The monsters started to exist, and then they got named, and then they got shown, and we all know what happens when you show the monster.