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moldynapkin · 3 months

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This is just a horror story I have been working on for a bit, feel free to add or critique

All-Purpose Excuse

I don’t know who or what she is, but I do know that whatever created her is sinister in origin. An abomination like that can’t come into being without some sort of unholy intervention. My “teacher” didn’t look through me, she looked inside me. Analyzing my organs and soul with her knowing stare. This is what a frog feels like before being dissected, knowing that in an instant that scalpel will come down and split open its gut. Aside from her unsettling demeanor, her body is horribly twisted in ways that no person’s body ever could be. Elongated limbs bent incorrect ways wind across the floor and wrap around the furniture like vines. Knotted black hair hangs in front of her face, and her visible skin is tinted blue like that of a drowning victim. The most prominent thing is the gaping hole where her heart should be. That is not a figurative statement, if I walked up to her I could reach my arm all the way through her chest. A voice that I can only assume to be hers echoes through the room, not from her, but rather, the building itself seems to speak her words.

“Why are you late to class?” She starts sitting up, jerkily, as if she had gears instead of joints. I glance around, trying to take in my surroundings and assess the situation I’m in. All the desks are empty, but standing against the left wall is a line of students. Standing straight, every single one of them wears an impossibly stretched smile on their face. Contorted by a potter’s hand, or more possibly a sadist’s. The door won’t budge no matter how hard I pull, if I can’t make it out of here at least I know my eventual fate.

“Well?” Whatever this monstrosity of a school is, I don’t want any part in it. What does she want me to do, tell her I missed the bus so she can rip my throat out? I look around some more and realize that she has a key turning on her back, like a messed-up version of a wind-up toy. Maybe I could slide it out if I walked close enough to her. Her arms wind around the floor and pose a major tripping hazard while I try to discretely make my way behind her. I actually don’t think she can see me at all. At least, I hope not. She could just be waiting for me to get close enough for her to twist and stretch my face into a gruesome grin. I reach up to touch the metal key, hesitation hindering my performance.

It creaks as it slides out of her hollow chest, dripping what I wouldn’t really call blood, but definitely it's equivalent. Although it's pitch black and a bit thicker than blood should be. Her screams echo in my ears as she violently shakes and jerks like a malfunctioning machine. Finally, after several seconds of this torment, the key drops to the floor and her body slumps onto the wooden desk in front of her. Did I just murder someone? Can I even think of her as a “someone”? Does it still count as murder if who you kill isn’t human? As I ponder the seemingly endless thoughts coursing through my head, the children disintegrate and their ashes float in the air before meeting their final resting place on the cold floor of a dark room.

Rather than staying in the building like an idiot, I run as fast as possible until I reach the door of that wretched building. Everything outside looks normal, and that just doesn’t sit right with me. What happened? Why did it happen? No explanations, no facts, no aftermath. This event will haunt me for years to come, yet it didn’t leave a single imprint on the world around me. An old school filled with dust and the misshapen body of a supposed teacher. Yet I still walk away from the school, going on with my life as if nothing occurred. Only memory remains, and maybe that is something I should be grateful for, but how can I feel anything but terror when I know abominations like that aren’t just under your bed and in your mind?

#horror #writing #psychologicalhorror #bodyhorror #writer #heartless #monster

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labyrinthoftartarus · 1 year

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Omori- The Trauma Experience.

Please play audio and video at the given stanzas for the entire experience. Each video and audio contributes heavily to the content. If viewed without them, the content can be confusing/unreadable. You must view the videos of the photo albums. TW- Discussions about mental health, depression, suicide, and death.

Please play music in the given stanzas for a better experience.

Close, your eyes, you'll be here soon.

onetwothreefourfiveminuites sometimes I really want to sleep but I can't do it.

Close your eyes. Everything is going to be okay.

How do you overcome trauma when you are constantly reminded of the experience?

Over

And over again?

How do you overcome the trauma of a situation caused by you when the mere thought of it

Absolutely breaks you?

It is simple. You forget.

You forget it ever happened. You sink into everlasting grief with no recollection of what had transpired. You are at peace. You do not fear the consequences of being reminded of what you have done.

But really, is forgetting...worth it?

Or should I remember my trauma to overcome it?

Omori is a game about remembering when you are trying to forget.

It forces you to accept your trauma and not hide from it. You don't expect anyone to forgive you for your mistakes because the greatest thing you have done is forgive yourself.

Omori aptly captures the psychological effect of trauma and depicts mental illness perfectly. In the gameplay, Omori incorporates visuals, audio, and other elements to make it seem like it was happening to us. Every mental stab at Omori feels like it is directed toward us. Omori perfectly captures how mental illness is experienced through its immersive gameplay, creating an outstanding masterpiece.

In Omori, just like in the real world, you navigate through the real world and your mind to uncover bits and bits of your trauma while going through intense repercussions. You persist along with Omori and overcome your trauma.

You overcome something.

The gameplay works in both the mind and real life of a boy named Sunny, the protagonist in the game.

The truth about his trauma is hidden by Omori, his alter ego. Omori tries to "protect" Sunny from his trauma by never allowing him to think beyond his comfort zone.

Omori is a figment of Sunny's brain, represented by a 12-year-old version of Sunny- when Sunny encountered his trauma. Omori travels in the various parts of Sunny's mind-

The Whitespace is a safe space made by Omori to escape when something triggers Sunny's trauma.

The Headspace- A place in Sunny's imagination wherein he finds the old version of his friends.

███ Space, █████ Space 1 and 2, where █████ ██ ████████ ███ ████ █████ █████ ████████ ███ ██████ █████ █████ █████ ██ ████ ███ ████ ████████ █████ ██ ████ ██████

And, without further ado, let us begin our journey.

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Welcome to White Space.

You have been living here for as long as you can remember.

Omori starts off by introducing a pixelated, intriguing figure named Omori. Omori is a young boy confined to a dull, ominous room called the White Space. This room seems like a void, except with this seemingly mundane yet disturbing setup of basic necessities- a laptop with all your entries, a sketchbook containing a few of Omori's artworks, a box of tissues to wipe away all your tears, a black lightbulb, Mewo the cat and a locked door.

The White Space is an unsettling room you are first introduced to in this game. It is an empty space wherein you simply exist. That's it. You stay alive in the white room- not live life.

An emptiness, a home without warmth. A place to survive but not to live.

To leave this infinite space of nothing but white matter, you search around and get a shiny knife. Interesting. It could be a weapon! You happily exit the locked door, which seems to have unlocked once the blade miraculously finds its way into your hands.

White Space isn't reality. It is a corner in the protagonist's mind that is restricted from other parts of his brain and reality. It is a hiding place where he is protected from his troubling past. Nothing can get him here.

White space, Omori.

As soon as you leave Whitespace, you arrive at this new fabulous world decked with neon colors and vibrant hues.

Aerial map of Headspace.

Unlike bland and boring whitespace, Headspace is happy, cheery, silly, and fun. Omori meets up with all of his friends here in Headspace. We meet Mari, Omori's older sister. She's kind, thoughtful, charming, and sweet. We meet Hero, the 'brother' figure- a good-natured, patient guy who happens to be Mari's boyfriend. We meet Kel, Hero's younger brother, a silly little goofball who is fun and energetic. We meet Aubery, a feisty, adorable little girl(Omori seems to have a soft corner for her- I wonder!). Finally, we meet Basil, a shy, sweet and sensitive guy who adores nature.

Omori and his friends. Top(from left to right)- Mari, Hero. Bottom- Kel, Basil, Omori, Aubery.

In Headspace, Sunny's dream world, everything is perfect. You and your friends go on adventures and defeat monsters with your teamwork. In a world with your multi-hued friends, even Omori, the depressing black-and-white personification of a younger Sunny, appears happy.

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Basil's photo album, headspace.

Or so, you thought.

Sunny in the real world, haunted by something.

Welcome to reality.

Mari is dead. Hero, just like Sunny, is depressed and hasn't left his home in ages. Kel tries his best to be optimistic and persuades Sunny out of his house for the first time in four years. Aubery isn't the sweet kid anymore but a bully with new friends. Basil is still shy yet depressed.

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Basil's photo album in the real world, before Mari's death.

Everything changed ever since Mari committed suicide. Everything has broken apart. Sunny truly cared about his sister, Mari, who was gone forever.

The sun shone brighter when she was here.

Sunny lost everything from the moment Mari committed suicide. He also started to get haunted...by something.

Throughout the game, Sunny(and Omori) stumble across various absurd entities labeled by something each representing one of Sunny's fears(stairs, drowning, spiders, etc.). Sunny uses tactics such as breathing, calming down and persisting, to get through his fears.

3 DAYS LEFT.

In headspace, Kel and Aubery get into a fight and accidentally knock out Basil's photo album, comprising the photos Basil took of their friends. As they group the photographs together, Basil suddenly panics, and upon taking one photo, his eyes fill with intense fear. A black shadow forms behind Basil as he screams out and disappears into the void.

Mari!

Omori and his friends search for Basil, occasionally battling villains and exploring headspace. However, as time goes on, Omori's friends slowly forget Basil.

No bandage can stifle an eternal wound... And there will be a time when its influence will bleed through.

Omori hides the truth, the truth behind this fabricated world of Headspace, and the truth behind his past. However, no bandage can stifle an eternal wound, and there will be one day when all will fall apart.

What happened to Sunny?

What happened to his friends?

Why is Omori living in a fabricated lie in Sunny's mind?

What happened? What is the truth?

███████ to Black Space.

The whole of headspace is a representation of Sunny's mind.

The Headspace forms Sunny's imagination, dreams, and wishes, built specially by Omori to hide his trauma. It includes the conscious part of Sunny's mind.

The Whitespace forms the part of Sunny's mind where he can isolate himself from any potentially disturbing thoughts.

As Omori ventures into headspace, we often stumble upon more intriguing, morbid segments of Sunny's mind. We see strange creatures, strange entities, trying, trying to tell us the truth.

We reach Blackspace, the subconscious of Sunny's mind. This is where the truth about Sunny's past lies.

However, blackspace is neither friendly nor easily navigable. It is an intangible, absurd world with zero coherencies whatsoever. It simply does not make any sense. It is a bizarre reality, composed of fragments of the truth.

Black Space.

The doors in Blackspace are non-linear and have a warped existence, interconnecting and often "seeping" into Headspace. Each room holds a personification of Omori(Sunny)'s deepest, darkest fears.

Strange, bizarre creatures are found in Blackspace.

Above are just a few examples of Blackspace rooms.

In Blackspace, we can see cryptic forms of Mari(popularly known as Hellmari), disembodied versions of Omori's friends, harmful signs and symbols, and yet, the most disturbing thing would be Omori constantly brutally stabbing a shadow Basil when he attempts to tell the truth.

But...what is the meaning of all this?

Sunny's Trauma.

As we move further into the game, we realize how there is something, something dark and horrifying trying to tell us the truth. However, no matter how close we get, we are teleported back to White Space, the supposed safe spot, wherein nothing can potentially harm us.

PTSD

Omori is Sunny's guardian from the truth regarding his trauma. It is, without question, that Sunny suffers from PTSD. Omori experiences several flashbacks throughout the game.

In most cases, people with trauma experience its repercussions not by a fully-fledged memory but by flashes or fragments of the memory. It can appear in form of reminders of the event, noises, short memories, etc.

Memories, dreams, and flashbacks – You might have distressing memories, dreams, or nightmares about the event. You might also experience the event as if it is happening again (this is known as a flashback). Sunny often has flashbacks and flashes of the event. Feeling upset when reminded of the event – You might feel particularly upset when you are near where the event happened or in an environment that reminds you of the event. Sunny has major emotional outbursts(he attacks Basil in real life) when reminded of his trauma. Avoiding feelings and situations – You might avoid memories, thoughts, feelings, things, people, and places associated with the event. Sunny avoids thoughts or events that remind him of his trauma by forgetting his memories deliberately and living out a fantasy. Loss of memory – You might be unable to remember parts of the event. Sunny has an evident loss of memory(dissociative amnesia). Difficult feelings – These can include: feeling negative about yourself, others, or the world blaming yourself or others for what happened negative emotions like fear, horror, anger, guilt, or shame being unable to feel happiness, satisfaction, or love toward others Self-explanatory. Changes in the way you act – These can include: not doing or being interested in things you used to enjoy feeling detached from other people acting in ways that are reckless or self-destructive being angry and aggressive towards people or things being hypervigilant, or ‘on guard’ This includes not spending time with friends, acting destructive(trying to hurt Basil), and not playing the violin he used to play.

Depression

Sunny undeniably suffers from Depression, as shown by his refusal to leave his house and the violently horrifying thoughts(especially in blackspace) we witness during our journey with Omori.

Anxiety

Sunny also suffers from severe anxiety, as depicted by encountering spiders, staircases, and water bodies in the gameplay. Sunny sort of seizes up, and we have to...

Persist, breathe, and overcome.

Dissociative Amnesia

Sunny seems to be suffering from Dissociative Amnesia, a condition wherein you forget certain parts of a traumatic event. Omori shields Sunny from the truth about his trauma, making him completely unaware of it.

Dissociative amnesia is a condition in which you can't remember important information about your life. This forgetting may be limited to certain specific areas (thematic) or may include much of your life history and/or identity (general).

Dissociative Identity Disorder(DID)

Sunny might also be suffering from DID, which is apparent in the "split personality" Sunny seems to have- one of the real-life 16-year-old Sunny and the other of a 12-year-old avatar of Omori.

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mental health condition. Someone with DID has multiple, distinct personalities. The various identities control a person's behavior at different times. The condition can cause memory loss, delusions, or depression. DID is usually caused by past trauma.

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Omori enters a Red room filled with arm-shaped thrones, where he sits, ruling over Sunny's consciousness. This is when the truth about Omori slowly dawns on us...

Omori is Sunny's guardian, the mastermind behind this whole world. He attempts to protect Sunny from the repressed truth about his trauma, mercilessly killing those who wish to tell the truth to Sunny, like Basil, for instance. Omori is not a friend but the final boss, and if Sunny succeeds in defeating Omori, he can finally realize...

The truth.

Headspace was built over Blackspace by Omori to seal up its influences. Sunny, who dwelled in Blackspace for a while following his traumatic event, chose to "forget" himself and create a new version of himself who'd protect him-Omori.

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The onset of war within oneself.

The final battle between Omori and Sunny heavily symbolizes something we all struggle with- a conflict within oneself.

When Sunny demands the truth, Omori refuses, as the truth could hurt Sunny. However, only with the truth can Sunny move forward, forward from his 12-year-old self and his friends from four years ago.

The fight between Sunny and Omori represents two sides of the same coin- a part of Sunny wants to know the truth, while a part of him wants to escape from it. Part of Sunny desires to grow, while the other part wants to stay 12 forever in his fantasy world.

To recover from trauma, the best way is to remember and learn how to live with it.

Acceptance – Learning to accept that though you can’t change what has happened, you can think differently about the event, the world, and your life. Remembering the event – Remembering what happened without being overwhelmed by fear and distress. You will be able to think about what happened when you want to, rather than through intrusive thoughts or flashbacks. Putting your experiences into words – Talking about what happened so that your mind can store the memories away, and move on to other things. Feeling safer – Helping you to feel more in control of your feelings. This can help you to feel safer, so you won’t need to avoid the memories as much.

Sunny uses his innocent and younger self to feel secure. His 12-year-old self, hurt excessively by his trauma, is now embodied as his protector, who still dwells in his childhood world.

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Using his tactics, Sunny defeats Omori in the end by persisting, focusing and breathing- finally overcoming his phobia and trauma. He smashes the black lightbulb in Whitespace and there, he realizes.

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The truth.

Ever since Mari started playing the piano, Sunny felt lonely and separated from his older sister. He decided to learn the violin gifted to him by his friends in order to spend more time with Mari.

Soon enough, it became tiresome. Sunny felt like a burden on Mari with the constant mistakes he made. His violin practice made him spend less time with his friends, which made him feel miserable.

Mari and Sunny were about to perform a duet together when they got into an argument at the top of the stairs. Sunny threw the violin in rage, breaking it into pieces. When Mari argued, Sunny pushed her off the stairs.

Mari broke her neck and lay at the bottom of the stairs in a huddle, dead. Sunny, in a panic, dragged Mari to his room. Basil, who arrived at the right time, on witnessing this situation, decided to help Sunny frame it as a suicide and help Sunny out, who was racked with guilt and fear.

They hanged her limp body on a tree. Sunny looked back and saw dead Mari's eye, staring into him. It quickly transfigured into the something he always feared.

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Do you want to continue? Yes.

Sunny performs his last duet with Mari. The piece starts off with a beautiful piano serenade and ends with a weeping, shivering, imperfect melody of a violin, indicating the sheer perfection Mari had, while Sunny lacked.

The final duet(Enable Audio).

Sunny forgives himself.

In the ending hospital scene, a very bruised Sunny and Basil meet each other, ready to admit the truth. How does it matter, truly, if others forgive him and Basil when they both forgive themselves?