itch.io

i took much much longer than i should have to read this, and i guess i was afraid i might feel something i wasn't ready to feel yet. i'm glad i finally did. im sorry if any of this is poorly worded, i dont know if i can do it justice, but i wanted to Try

this is a really incredibly raw experience and it really does feel like it exposes and touches something really raw on the inside, i'm not sure if i can even name it but it gave me this feeling right in the pit of my chest somewhere between my heart and sternum. ive been around these people (on both ends), known people with these kinds of experiences, and though i like to think i fared not too bad and mostly healed from my particular brand of Shit, some days it does come back around every now and again.

i certainly understand that feeling of being on the internet a bit too young and getting fucked up inside. i'm slightly older so, creepypastas weren't quite a big thing yet when i was sonia's age, but ive definitely seen more shit than i should have and feeling desensitized and screwed up and blaming myself and coping weirdly and feeling gross and then coming to terms with it............... was a very long process. and the way that both the characters ruminate on events and how those ruminations turn into monsters is very real - anger that makes you lash out, guilt that consumes you, these things will take on a life of their own if we don't properly come to terms with them.

the art and sound direction here was a real treat, i think the writing was spot-on and i think you really excellently/near perfectly synthesized the creepypasta/trauma elements that i think could transport anyone to that sort of time and place. i felt immersed. down to the attached zip file it really felt like tearing a piece of oneself out and laying it on the table. and as horrible as it all is, i also felt this almost melancholy sense of compassion - aesthetically the story is drenched in darkness but yet there was something hopeful about it, to me, like we can learn to be okay still. we can feel the sunshine, we can learn to survive.

thank you for making this, i hope you all continue to make great art, you have something really special here