The NoSleep Podcast - NoSleep Podcast S12E01

Episode Date: December 9, 2018

It's episode 01 of Season 12. On this week's show we have tales about the games we play and the cost of losing. "Never Use Cheat Codes on a Ouija Board"† written by Christopher Maxim and performed by David Ault. (Story starts around 00:03:20) "Unknown Horror "‡ written by T. Takeda Wise and performed by Jessica McEvoy & Addison Peacock & Atticus Jackson & Kyle Akers & Jeff Clement & Nikolle Doolin. (Story starts around 00:22:30) "A Walkthrough of Sonic the Hedgehog 2"† written by RetroSlugger1318 and performed by Atticus Jackson. (Story starts around 00:53:10) "‘Til The Very End"† written by C.K. Walker and performed by Matthew Bradford & Kyle Akers & Mike DelGaudio & Peter Lewis. (Story starts around 01:30:00) "The Cabinet of Dr. Micro"¤ written by C.M. Scandreth and performed by Nikolle Doolin & Kyle Akers & Matthew Bradford & Jesse Cornett. (Story starts around 01:59:00) Click here to learn more about the voice actors on The NoSleep Podcast   Click here for Gemma Amor's "Cruel Works of Nature"   Click here to learn more about Christopher Maxim   Click here to learn more about T. Takeda Wise   Click here to learn more about C.K. Walker   Click here to learn more about C.M. Scandreth   Executive Producer & Host: David Cummings Musical score composed by: Brandon Boone Audio adaptations produced by: Phil Michalski† & Jeff Clement‡ & Jesse Cornett¤ Immersive Gameplay illustration courtesy of Abby Howard Audio program ©2018 - Creative Reason Media Inc. - All Rights Reserved - No reproduction or use of this content is permitted without the express written consent of Creative Reason Media Inc. The copyrights for each story are held by the respective authors.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our sleepless sanctuary. You enter at your own risk and choose to be entertained with dark and disturbing horror stories. You have been warned for the dark hours when you dare not clueled. Tales of horror to frighten and disturb as the sleepless hours tick. Brace yourself. for the no sleep podcast. Welcome to the No Sleep Podcast Sanctuary. I'm David Cummings.

Our service this week features tales about the games we play and the cost of losing. We welcome you to season 12 of our show. And since the number 12 carries religious, mythological, and magical symbolism, we felt it appropriate to present this season from our no sleep. sanctuary. It's a dark little chapel with enough room for our modest choir of not so angelic

singers. A big thank you to our choir director, Brandon Boone, for gathering a real choir to perform this season's theme, and our senior producer, Phil Mikulski, for capturing the sinister nuances of the sanctuary. We pray you enjoy our liturgical deliverance this season. And since all good Sanctuaries need a good book or two, I am happy to recommend a new one to you. Author Gemma Amour has recently released her new book titled Cruel Works of Nature. It's an anthology of 11 of her excellent tales, some of which you've heard on this show. And Gemma is not just a great writer, but also a talented artist, and she has illustrated each story with her hand-drawn art. Check the show notes for how you can own or gift a copy

of this book. It's one you'll definitely want to add to your library. And of course a new season means a new season pass now on sale. It's available along with some new bundles, so make sure you check them out at the no sleeppodcast.com. And with Christmas right around the corner, we'll have some fun bundles available during our festive Christmas sale coming up soon. Stay tuned for more about that one. So thank you for joining you for joining you. us for our new season, which doesn't require any creed or prayer, just the usual weekly attendance every Sunday. And now, it's time for our service to begin. Bow your heads and hear our words. In our first tale, we meet a man who enjoys browsing in his local curio shop.

As author Christopher Maxim explains, when the man discovers a woman. one-of-a-kind spirit board, he soon buys it. He discovers the board is active and rather visionary. Performing this tale is David Alt. So take the man's advice to heart. Never use cheat codes on a Ouija board. In my hometown, there is a unique shop of oddities called Hexworks that I frequent. It's an old world boutique that specializes in Needsia. products that I'd describe as being vintage style with a modern spin. Their items include cloaks, pocket watches, lapels, bizarre art prints, lavish jewelry, and Victorian home decor among other curiosities. Let's just say it's a great place to visit if you're ever putting

together a steampunk cosplay. Hexworks is, without a doubt, my favorite place to window shop, but I rarely leave with anything. The prices are high, rightfully so, and though I love the selection, I can't really say I need anything they have to offer. It would be different if I were a convention goer or financially stable enough to justify such luxury purchases, but, alas, I am neither.

Instead, I relax in the shop's tranquil atmosphere and drum up business for them whenever I get the chance to talk about the place. It's a mutually beneficial relationship. One day, however, a new product arrived at Hex, one that I couldn't help but gush over. There, sitting on an easel behind the store's front window, was a large, handmade, one-of-a-kind, Ouija bought. The woodwork was beautiful, and the text was striking. It was crafted so elegantly that I couldn't help but be captivated by it. I had to know where it came from and how much it was going for. Curious as ever, I made my way into the shop, walked right up to the owner, and inquired about the board's origins.

He told me it was a new piece sent to the shop by a friend of a friend who had inherited it from a relative. It was an heirloom that had been in this person's family for many years, passed down from generation to generation. Too spooked by the board to continue the tradition, the man donated it to Hexworks. The more the owner and I talked about it, the more I wanted the board for myself. I was never big on the occult or the paranormal, but it was too beautiful a piece to pass up. It was something I wanted for no other reason than to say, I owned it. It would be a conversation piece, and an item I would proudly show off to my friends and family. The downside? The owner wanted £500 for it.

After a few rounds of haggling with the owner, we came to an agreement. He would put the Ouija board aside for me, and I would make weekly payments until it was paid off. He even offered me a slight friends and family discount for being a regular at the shop. After all was said and done, I would be paying £432. That was still a hefty £1.00.000. price tag, but I was grateful for the compromise and gladly agreed to the conditions. A grueling nine weeks later, I was the proud owner of my very own spirit board.

It came in an equally well-crafted wooden chest, upon which the word Ouija was etched, along with what was presumably the year it was made, 1913. Upon opening it up at home, I noticed a few extras that came with it. Inside the chest, alongside the board, was an ivory planchette, an empty picture frame, and a small faded pamphlet titled User Manual. The pamphlets contents consisted of diagrams and instructions over-explaining the use of the board. It more or less boiled down to place your hands on the planchette and wait for it to move. What I found peculiar was a section towards the back of the manual with a heading that read,

cheat sheet. It went like this. Want a simpler way to see your loved ones in the afterlife. Fear not, we have just the solution. Introducing the Ouija board cheat sheet. With this easy to follow guide, you'll be able to see those bereaved from you and know that they're okay.

Simply follow these instructions. One, place the frame included in your kit directly in front of the board in an upright position. 2. Choose one of the following 29 character sequences and place your planchette over the letters and numbers accordingly. The year in which your chosen loved one was born is represented by the four question marks at the start of the sequence. The year in which they passed is represented by the four question marks at the end. Four question marks. E. N, Y, four, Y, O, E, four question marks.

Four question marks. Z-E-O-L-8-T-E for question marks. For question marks, H-P-T-N-E-2-6 for question marks. These were a few of the various seven-digit codes, completely random characters, all of which appeared on the board. Three, be sure to visualize the person in your mind as you move the planchette across the board. if done correctly, a still image of your loved one should appear within the frame, however briefly. Disclaimer. This is not a precise science and results may vary. Each string of characters works

differently depending on the person, the time of day, and the area in which you are located relative to the spirit realm. If one sequence doesn't work, fret not. You can always try another. And please bear in mind this is a one-way window. your loved one will not be able to communicate with you when their image surfaces. Any attempt to speak with them will be met with silence. Enjoy. I chuckled at what was clearly an attempted humor by the maker of the board. Distasteful, perhaps, but it was certainly comical. Imagine that, entering a code into a Ouija board and receiving a snapshot from the other side.

How ridiculous. Still, something about the Ouija board. board cheat sheet, irked me, was the picture frame's only purpose to accompany the joke? Shouldn't the manual have clarified this a little further? And who exactly was the joke meant for anyway? This board was a one of a kind, more than likely commissioned by its original owner. Was such a beautifully crafted piece really meant to be nothing more than a gag gift? Having a gag myself, I set the thing up, frame and all. Whether it was out of boredom or a desire to prove to myself that the cheat sheet really was a load of malarkey,

I decided to follow the instructions to a tea. I grabbed a beer, chose a character sequence, and recalled the birth and death dates of my favorite family pet, scratches. All dogs go to heaven, right? After placing the planchette over the corresponding characters, I looked up at the frame. I swear I saw a milky white fog, man of fain. confessed behind the glass, no image, just cloudy particles dancing about like dust brushed off an old book. To make sure I wasn't seeing things, I repeated the process, and to my surprise it happened again and again. With each subsequent use, the smoky substance grew invisibility. It was still faint,

but entirely noticeable. Several theories swam around my brain, many of which sunk into the abyss of my collective thoughts. One, however, kept coming up for air. It was silly, but I kept considering the possibility that maybe, just maybe, the cheat sheet was legitimate. Crazy, I know, but the prospects of having a truly supernatural artifact were exciting. Even if there was a rational explanation for what I'd seen, I was at least going to have some fun playing around with the thing. And so I took off. I called up my parents and collected the dates of various relatives who had passed away. I told them I was doing that ancestry.com thing to learn more about my heritage. Deceptive, yes, but they wouldn't have been so understanding if I told them I was dabbling in the dark arts.

After gathering the information I needed, I reclaimed my seat in front of the board. I'd had a few more beers by this point, so my motor skills were not exactly in perfect working order. Because of this, I fucked up the first sequence. Using my great-a-unt-Linda's birth and death years, I entered the code correctly, save for the O. I accidentally placed the planchette over the O in the Ouija logo at the top of the board. What happened next was surprising. I noticed my mistake and expected the frame to remain dormant, but this was not the case. To my astonishment, a clear image came into focus behind the glass. What I saw was the outline of a structure sewn into a white, foggy backtron.

As quickly as it came, the image faded out of view, leaving me baffled. What was I seeing, exactly? A building in the afterlife? Is that where buildings went upon being demolished? Or was the next world industrialized, much like Earth? Enthralled by the idea of having a peek into heaven's inner workings, I fudged up some more sequences. I plugged in random years, past, present and future, and made up my own codes. There was no rhyme or reason to my methods.

I was basically punching in random combinations just to see what would happen. I was rewarded with little, results. Only a couple of my codes worked, and the images that came about were too blurry to make out any discernible features. Despite mostly failing in my endeavors, I kept at it. Sequence after sequence, I continued to move the planchette across the wood. I grew tired, but my curiosity far outweighed my eyelids. Towards the wee hours of the early morning, I struck gold. One of the first of the One of my made-up codes worked, giving me a proper glimpse into what comes after. As clear as day, I saw a bustling street, filled with what I assume were souls of the departed.

In addition to people, there were cars, buildings, and traffic signs, the like of which I'd never seen. It was similar to earth scenery, but significantly different. Surrounded by a flood of light and white fog, the landscape, felt altogether more peaceful, for lack of a better description. Honestly, it's something I look forward to being a part of, in the distant future, of course. I was satisfied with my find, but I couldn't stop there, using different variations of the same sequence I pressed on. To my delight, I was greeted with more and more images of the afterlife, all of which bore great clarity, allowing me to see even the finest of the afterlife. I was greeted.

of details. Here are some of the things I saw. Skisgraper's far taller than their earthly counterparts. Transparent bridges connecting various parts of the heavenly community. Bioluminescent trees and wildlife, mostly scattered about, but I did find one large forest. Glimbering pools of water around every corner. Strange weather patterns. Every now and again I'd see clouds, but they changed colour from image to image. With every sequence, I found something new and unusual on the other side. I was an explorer of sorts, discovering vast sections of land in uncharted territory. This was now my hobby of choice. Unfortunately for me, it was one that wouldn't last. In an attempt to take things a bit further, I grabbed a camera, a pencil and paper. I would record my

findings and write-down points of interest. I was more or less setting out to make a map of heaven. It would be a tough project, but one I would most certainly enjoy. Now, by this point, it was around 8 o'clock in the morning. I'd been at it for about 9 hours straight, and I was more than ready to take a break and catch some shutter. I decided it would be best to start my cartography project after a quick nap, but I wanted to try one more sequence before going to bed. I made up another variation of the jackpot code and entered it into the Ouija board. I then watched with baited breath as familiar white particles came together like puzzle pieces to form another heavenly landscape. The anticipation was torture. I felt like an addict,

biding my time as I waited for the heroin to take effect. I may have been a little obsessed, but at least the way I got my kicks was harmless, or so I thought. Just as I was about to receive my fix, something strange happened. The pieces of the image swirled around at high speed before revealing a blank, dark background. White letters then faded into view, creating a very clear message. Stop. Perplexed, I tried another sequence.

then another and another, each time I was greeted with the same word. I even tried older codes that I knew worked, but to no avail. For an entire hour, I tried and I tried begging the board to work again to restore its supernatural properties. Eventually, I got one code to work, but not in the way that I'd hoped. Upon using the code, old images resurfaced, cycling backward like slides on a projector. In every one of them, something was amiss. It was distant at first, but as the frame cycled through the images, it came closer to the foreground. It appeared to be some sort of shadowy figure, pitch black and faceless, like a black cloak suspended in the shape of a person. Within a few moments, things took a turn for the worse. The darkness stayed, but the

scenery changed from the afterlife to this life. I saw still frames of my family and friends here on earth the shadowy figure looming behind them. I helplessly watched as it crept up on them, inching closer and closer to contacts. I was horrified. Before the figure could reach out and touch my loved ones, the slideshow ceased. For a moment, the frame was empty, void of the horrors that once danced behind its glass. I was granted a breather, but not for long. After another moment or two, one last image filled the frame. It was me. Sitting in front of the Ouija board, just as I was then, I might as well have been staring at a reflection. Standing directly behind me, however, was the cloaked figure. It reached down and touched

the back of my neck. I felt its cold fingers slide across my skin. Breaking free of my initial shock, I jumped up and ran for the door. I left my house tired and terrified. I didn't return until the following day. After everything that's happened, I can only guess that I pissed off some angelic being upstairs by poking around its home. I saw things I never should have been able to see and overstayed my welcome, breaking some sort of divine law in the process. I've since disposed of the board, but my experience has stayed with me. I'm always looking over my shoulder and constantly checking on my family and friends to make sure they're okay, so far so good. Though I'm alive, I can't help but feel I'm closer to death than I've ever been. Yesterday I almost walked into

oncoming traffic. A passerby had to pull me back. This morning I felt the elevator at my work wobble a bit and I swear it was about to fall. Maybe it's paranoia. Maybe I'm just shaken by what I saw and felt. No matter what's going on, I'm going to play it safe from here on out. Moral of the story, don't screw around with Ouija boards. In the medium of video games, horror. is a very popular genre. In this tale by author T. Takeda Wise, we meet an aspiring game developer who gets in over her head

when she agrees to go scouting at an abandoned asylum for an online stranger. Performing this tale are Jessica McAvoy, Addison Peacock, Atticus Jackson, Kyle Acres, Jeff Clement, and Nicole Doolin.

So make sure you know what you're getting into, lest you end up playing unknown horror. A couple years ago, when I was 17 and my sister was still around, I was fully immersed in the world of video game making. I wanted to create explorable worlds, live my dream, and, most importantly, get rich. I'd heard all these success stories of people my age striking gold by starting young and thought I could too.

I figured it would at the very least be a good way of getting my foot in the door and setting myself up for a future in working with big-name developers. I had this fledgling hope that if I made my own game, one people wanted to play that was new and exciting, I'd be successful somehow. Hell, I even thought that the fact that I wasn't a dude would give me some sort of a leg up, since there weren't too many girls out there making games or even coding.

At least, none that I knew of at the same. time. It took me two days to figure out what I wanted to do. There were so many of these old timey bit pixel rehashes, ones full of synth music and swords and lighthearted humor, that I wanted to try something completely different, something in an entirely different market. Viral horror. Later that night, full of inspiration and the passion a new project brings, I was browsing an internet forum for like-minded creators, when I happened upon a thread asking other developers for help, flushing out a game that sounded eerily similar to the one I'd been concocting in my mind for the past couple hours. Curious, I clicked the link, and was met with a three-page post

on an entirely different website, outlining the details of what the developer, who went by the username Spectre in you, was looking for. The game they were making revolved around local, American ghost hunting and urban exploration. You'd create a username, input your city and state, then explore either on foot or virtually. Spector Innu insisted that the on-foot method was spookier and encouraged people to get out of the house and get to know their local haunts. The game was called unknown horror, local lore, and was free to play. As such, it relied heavily on its users. usually other game makers or wannabe game makers, inputting their own footage. The footage mainly consisted of photos, silent videos, and text descriptions of places said to be haunted around the country.

Because of this, the game was constantly being updated with new ghosts. Spectre and you had listed off a couple of cities that still needed data, and, by chance or good luck, one of them was my own. Holyoke, Colorado. I signed up at once under the name, Ghosts aren't real, dork, then typed out an instant message to Spectre and you, asking if I could maybe help or learn from their development process. I almost immediately got a response back.

Hey, so glad you're interested. I'm absolutely honored you want to help out. You said you live in Holyoke, right? Would you possibly be able to check out that abandoned asylum out? the city? Also, it'd be best if you went at night. Makes the footage spookier. Love the username, by the way. Abandoned asylum? I looked out my window towards the darkening sky. It looked cold out there. I wondered when Annie would get back. I shook my head, bringing myself back into the moment and realized that never in all my 17 years living in Holyoke had I ever heard of any

abandoned asylum. I began typing a reply. Would it be possible if I could start somewhere in town and work up to that? I'm afraid my work won't be up to par for a project that large. Also, forgive the ignorance, but could you tell me the name of this asylum? Hate to say it, but I've never heard anything about this abandoned asylum. Spectre and you didn't respond immediately. Instead, ellipses appeared and stayed there for about ten minutes.

minutes until finally a message popped up. God damn it. More ellipses, then, quicker this time, a much longer message appeared. Don't be so hard on yourself. I'm sure you'll do fine. In fact, I'm really impressed by the passion I see in you already. Here's the problem with starting in town. I've gathered some data and people really like those old abandoned places. Unfortunately, a lot of those places have already been explored and added to the game's database. They want something new. It's interesting you say you've never heard of the asylum because a lot of other people haven't either.

Which is why I think it's pretty imperative to get it up on my... our game. I paused. Staring at that particular word, I felt my pulse quicken at it. Maybe this would be my big break into the world of game-making. I kept reading. The asylum is called Holy Oak Mental Hospital and is about a half an hour outside of Holy Oak in Phillips County. I can give you exact directions.

Not much is known about the place, except that it burned down in 1942, and then three more times when they tried to rebuild it. It was abandoned in the 70s and left the rot. Sounds like the perfect place to gather some footage and make some spooks. Elypses. Think about it. More ellipses.

I'll pay you. Before I could type a message back, I heard the front door open and shut sharply. My sister. Back from her job at the burger joint near the high school. She'd surely help me out. She always had my back, ever since we were kids. I stood up too fast from my computer desk, swaying slightly from the momentary rush of blood, then ran downstairs. Annie!

What? She set down her backpack and ran a hand through her wind-blown, slightly damp hair. Is it snowing outside? Sleading. What do you want? Um, will you help me out with something? She eyed me skeptically. Depends.

What is it? A project. It's this online game. You know how I've always wanted to make games. Well, I found something that'll pay. It's like a foot in the door for me. It's... It's an urban exploration and ghost hunting game.

It's all fake. You can use your phone to explore around in real life or just explore virtually using your computer. It's really cool. Basically, I'm supposed to get video and picture footage of places around town. I thought you could help me. My sister raised an eyebrow. Really?

Come on, it looks fun. It'll be something to do over Thanksgiving break. Besides, you're always working now. It would be good for you to take some time off. Come on. Hang out with me. We never hang out anymore. But a ghost hunting game?

I mean, ghosts aren't real. What are you scared of? Nothing bad is going to happen. You, the girl who would come crying to my room, room in the middle of the night because of the monsters under her bed are saying ghosts aren't real. I felt my skin prickle. That was a long time ago. I'm not dumb anymore. Ghosts, monsters, all that, they're not real. This is just something to put in my portfolio. Please. I don't know. Ghosts aren't real, but buildings are, people are. What if we get shanked or fall through a floor or something?

We'll bring lights. We'll be careful. We're not stupid. I crossed my fingers together like I was praying and put on a puppy dog face. Please. All right. Really? Yeah, sure, fine. Will you make an account now? If it'll make you leave me alone, yeah, okay.

I ran up the stairs giggling like a maniac, while Annie followed slowly behind. Hang on. Let me log out of my account so you just. can create a new one. Annie leaned over my chair and scoffed lightly at my username, but said nothing. Okay, here. You can sit down. How about this? She typed out a username. Ghosts are fucking real, and looked up at me. I mean, I guess that's fine. She clicked create. Now what? So, here's the thing. Oh no. What is it? The creator, Spectre and You, wants us to get footage of this abandoned building for the game. But it has to be at nighttime.

They said they'll pay us. What? I know. I know what it sounds like, but it'll be okay, I promise. No, I mean Spector in you? Really? It's just a dumb username. A really dumb username? Like, does it mean there's a Spectre in you or that they're spectating you? Also, did you say an abandoned building?

and at night? I don't know what it means. And yeah. Which abandoned building? I told her. Never heard of it. I don't know. This sounds kind of sketchy, even if it is paid.

And how is this person paying you exactly? Before or after? I assume after. Come on, Annie. It's a good opportunity for me. And I hadn't heard of this place either, but it sounds really cool. And I was thinking... What?

Well, maybe we can get a couple more people to go with us. You know, it'll be safer, less sketchy. Kind of like a local ghost hunting exploration group or something. Annie didn't respond right away. You mean strangers? Yeah, but they'll be on the game too. And I'll ask them to meet us at a public place. I guess.

Awesome. I posted on the game's website forum, asking if there were any other users who lived in or around Holyoke and would be willing to go to this asylum with us. A couple minutes later, we had two replies. Two guys under the usernames XXX, Demon XXX, and Gore Happens 83, said they'd be willing to drive out from Denver and go with us. You think they'll be creepy?

I don't know, probably. Who cares? At least we won't have to go alone now. since you're so scared. You're scared too. Don't even try to say you're not. Admit it. Whatever.

I quickly sent back a message of acknowledgement to the two other users, telling them to meet us at the local diner on Interocean Avenue. There, it's set. Tomorrow night at 7.30, we'll all meet at the diner, and then from there, we'll go to the asylum. Annie opened her mouth, but I cut her off, knowing what she was about to say. And if they're creepy or weird or whatever, we won't go.

Okay? That's why we're meeting in public first. Annie thought about this for a moment. Okay, but we should at least tell Mom where we're going. I looked at Annie incredulously. No. Why not? Because she's not going to let us if we do.

You know, Mom? But it'll be safer that way. If something happens, she'll be. She'll know where we are. Or were. I ran a hand over my face. Ugh. Okay.

I'll leave a note. That way, if we don't come back or whatever, which isn't going to happen, mom will know where we went. Placaded by that idea, Annie nodded. Okay, sounds good. Now I'm going to go eat. You work at a burger joint.

Those burgers are gross. I sat back down at my computer and quickly typed out another message to Spectre in you. Okay, I'll do it. Found some others, including my sister. That said they'll go too. You just need some videos and pictures of the place, right? Oh, also, can I put this work in my portfolio, you think? There was no response.

I waited for another hour or so to no avail. I went to bed that night hoping that I'd get a message from Spector and you before we left tomorrow. The next day, I woke up at noon and immediately hopped onto my computer. I had three messages. Two were from the guys we'd be going with, asking if we were all still on for tonight. The third was from Spector and you. Hey, that's awesome. And yeah, as long as the game stays up, I think you can add it to any portfolio you want.

So I'll need some videos and pictures from inside of the place, preferably. as much as you can gather if possible. Happy footage gathering and ghost hunting. You'll do great. P.S. We'll discuss payment after the footage is uploaded. Cheers. Hours later, at 7.15 p.m. exactly. Annie and I left the house to walk down to the diner.

It was cold out, about to snow. So I pulled on some boots. But Annie wore her red high-top chucks like she always did. We got to the diner about 10 minutes later. It was pretty dead inside, so he grabbed a booth and waited. At 7.47 p.m., two guys walked in. One of them had a beard and looked 20-something. The other one was bald and had to be in his late 40s, maybe older.

They spotted us, waved awkwardly, and walked over. Both were dressed like they just got off work or something. Hey, you guys? are and aren't? Annie and I looked at each other, then laughed. Yeah, I'm ghosts aren't real dork, and this is my sister. Ghosts are fucking real. Sweet, I'm demon. And this is Gore happens. So, did you want to get something to eat first and then head out? Annie looked over at me pointedly, but didn't say anything. Yeah, sure. Sounds good. Over the course of the meal, we learned earned a fair bit about the two guys, and they seemed nice enough, normal, and, most importantly,

safe. Both of them had been interested in the paranormal and supernatural for a while, and had met through the game. Neither of them had ever heard of the asylum either, but both had been in contact with Spectre and you at one point, and said he was a cool guy. How do you know they're a guy? Gore shrugged. Rights like a guy, I guess. That's sexist. I laughed uncomfortably. Gore didn't even respond.

He just kept eating. Demon, though, he looked between the three of us. So you guys still want to go or what? We paid, piled into Demon's car, then started driving. The sun had completely set by now, and it was very, very dark out since the sky was overcast. The asylum was located off an old frontage road that had remained unpaved for so long that it was basically dirt.

It was this hulking husk of a building, and I wondered why I'd never heard of it before. Even if it wasn't really haunted, it looked scary as hell. Looks like there's three floors. Demon parked the car in front of the building. There's probably a basement. There's always a basement, actually, especially in places like this. So, how do you guys want to do this?

Stick together or split up. Beside me, rigid and silent, Annie sat staring up at the building, her eyes big and bright with fear. We figured we would finish faster if we split up. No one wanted to cover the basement, so we drew straws by breaking a bunch of sticks and positioning them in demon's hand in a way that made them all appear the same length. Whoever pulled the shortest stick would have to do the basement. Next shortest would be the third floor, then the second floor, and whoever drew the longest straw would get the best and most easily escapable floor, the ground floor.

Gore got the ground floor, demon got the second floor, I got the third floor, and Annie got the basement. Annie pulled the short stick. Best two out of three? Demon laughed. No, I don't think so. Come on. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can leave.

He pulled out his flashlight, and we did the same. Now that it was full night, now that we were actually there, everyone was more spooked than they were at the diner. Can we go home? No, come on, don't chicken out now. These guys drove up all the way from Denver. It'll be fine. Then switch with me.

You do the basement. No, fair's fair. Besides, the third floor is farther away from the exit than the basement. Annie swallowed, then nodded, and I watched her light disappear down the long hallway we figured the entrance to the basement would be, before making my way precariously up towards the third floor. To say the building was scary would be a gross understatement. It was terrifying.

Damp and dark and broken in too many places. I noticed that there wasn't any graffiti on the walls and wondered if it was too scary for even drug addicts and vagrants. The first 20 minutes were heart-pounding enough. I could hear the wind whistling softly outside and occasionally the slight creak of the building. 30 minutes in, I heard something faintly. It sounded strange.

I hesitated, wondering if what I was hearing was real. When I heard it again, louder this time, it was definitely a scream. I ran out of the room I was in and jogged back down to the entrance. Both Demon and Gore were already there. They looked upset and confused. Did you hear that? Gore shone his flashlight down the dark, long hallway that led to the basement stairs. Yeah, what was it?

It sounded like a scream. Can we go? I mean, I got a decent amount of footage, I think. Yeah, me too. Let's go. Wait, where's Annie? I don't know. Maybe she went outside already? But she wasn't outside. She wasn't near the entrance either, or around the car. She has to be inside.

She might be hurt. Come on, let's go back and look. Gore simply shook his head, but Demon hesitated and then spoke up. I'm sorry, but I'm not going in there again. If you want to look for your sister, we'll wait. Are you serious? Please? Demon sighed. Okay. I'll wait by the front door for you while you look around.

I thanked him and walked down the hallway towards the direction I'd last seen Annie go. There was indeed a staircase near the back of the hallway, and I peered down it, trying to will Annie into sight. The darkness down there was so thick at sea. seemed to swallow the beam of the flashlight. Annie? Annie, are you down there? Are you okay? You've scared me, okay?

Come on, let's go. It didn't sound like Annie. What the fuck was that? Before I could answer, the stomping up the stairs grew louder, faster, and I swear I saw something big running up towards me. I gasped, too frightened to even scream, and ran back towards the entrance.

Behind me, I heard whatever it was that came up from the basement following me, its footsteps loud and quick. Demon was still by the entrance. He saw me running, and his eyes grew wide, and he yelled something I don't remember. We booked it out of the building and back to the car, then jumped inside. Whatever was following me, whatever demon saw, it didn't come outside. What the hell?

Happened. Gore watched Demon as he locked doors and started the car. The keys jangling like bells in Demon's shaking hand. I don't know. I don't want to know. Demon looked at me in the rearview mirror. This is your idea of a joke? Did you see it? No, it's not a joke.

What was it? What happened to Annie? I don't know. I don't want to know. Maybe. Maybe we're not. We should call the cops. Uh, I don't think that's such a good idea.

Why? Instead of replying, he pointed at a sign I'd seen, but hadn't really read before. Private property. Trustpastors will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Oh, who the fuck cares? I'm not leaving Annie. Well, that's too bad. I'm leaving now.

Is that okay or what? He started pulling out before. I had a chance to reply. Ten minutes into the drive, Gore spoke up. Why would your sister hide in that place anyway? It seems stupid. She probably got your mom or someone to pick her up or something. I swore I heard another car drive by while I was in there.

I bet you anything, she's back at your house. Yeah, I felt the anger boiling up inside me at the very thought. Annie would never ditch me, and I couldn't believe she would now, especially with these two strangers. It was embarrassing. Then another emotion flashed bright inside of me as I remembered that noise and the look on Demon's face

when he saw me running towards him. Fear. Gore and Demon dropped me off at the diner, said they had a good time and were up for more ghost hunting trips in the future. Demon asked me to tell him when I found Annie and asked her if she saw anything super spooky down in the basement that caused her to leave like that.

I said I would and thanked them for coming up. As soon as they left, I pulled out my phone and shot a few texts to Annie, then walked home thinking of all the things I would say to her face when I got there. Mom called out to me as soon as she heard me walk in the front door. It sounded like she was in the living room watching some dumb game show. You guys have fun? I stopped dead in my tracks. Did Annie not come home?

No. Why? What's wrong? I heard her begin to get up from the couch. No, nothing. I was just wondering. She's probably at work or a friend's house or something. I thought she was with you.

Mom turned the TV off and appeared in the front hallway. Yeah, she was. But she left early. I thought she came back home. Mom shot me a worried look, then walked back into the living room. I heard the ticking noises her phone made when she was texting someone. Annie didn't come home the next day, or the next, or the day after that. By then, Mom and I had already gone to the police to report her missing.

I admitted to trespassing, and the cops went to check out the asylum, phoning us soon after to tell us there was no basement in the building. and that, in fact, the building was more of a shell than anything else, that it didn't even have a roof, let alone walls. They asked me if I was mistaken, if we actually went somewhere else. They said they spoke with both Gore and Demon over the phone, and they corroborated my story, but insisted they heard another car drive by and suspected Annie had left that way.

I screamed at them that I wasn't wrong. That's where we went, that I was the one who gave directions to the driver. Mom grabbed the phone and walked into the kitchen. I heard her apologizing to the cops, thanking them for checking out my story. Upset and angry, I did the only thing I could think to do. I walked up to my room and sat down at my desktop. I hadn't been on the unknown horror, local lore website since that night. I had six notifications.

Most were messages from demon asking about Annie. I ignored them and checked the last notification. It was a new entry to the city I listed as my hometown, Holyoke. I stared at it, feeling my blood run cold and my gut sink. I clicked on the link that would take me to an explanation of the entry. Explanation unknown was the message. that came back. I clicked on the written by link,

which would show the user who entered the data. Untraceable request. User deleted. A new instant message popped up on a screen with a shrill beep that startled me. I read it swiftly. This is Spectre and You, the game's creator. I'm sorry to announce that due to unforeseen circumstances,

I have decided to shut down unknown horror local lore immediately. It was good while it lasted, and I couldn't have done it without you. It's being real. I watched as the message garnered a dozen or so replies within seconds. Most of them were asking why the game was being shut down. Still others said they'd donate money to keep it up and running, and the rest lamented their loss. I recognized two of the usernames as great.

gore and demons. I closed the message and reread the newest entry page again and again until my eyes were blinded by tears and my brain clouded with questions. Did I take a screenshot of any of this? No. Am I an idiot? Yes, absolutely. I'll never deny it. But despite not having intangible evidence, I do remember the new entry in its entirety. A single looping gif of gene-clad legs and red high-topped chucks walking down into what looked like a darkened basement. Then five lines of description. Anna May Myers, age 18, female, mysteriously disappeared at Holyoke Mental Hospital.

mysteriously disappeared at Holyoke Mental Hospital in Phillips County, Colorado, presumed dead. One of the hottest trends in video games these days is retro games. Games from the past, which bring back fond memories from our youth. And what better way to experience that than by doing a walkthrough of an iconic series from a gamer with the handle Retro Slugger 13, Let's let Atticus Jackson share the gameplay with us as we take a walkthrough of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. This is a walkthrough for the video game Sonic the Hedgehog 2, released by Sega in 1992 for the Genesis.

My buddy Elliot Breen's parents bought him a Sega Genesis when the console first dropped in 89. All my family had was a battered old Atari 2,600 that we'd inherited the same year from Uncle head. So we spent most of our time at Elliot's. Elliot got a new game just about every month, and we played through them all to death. Sonic the Hedgehog was a favorite, though, one we'd return to time and time again. We must have beaten that damn thing about 30 times before finally moving on. When we played Sonic, we'd pass the pad when one of us beat a level. We talked a whole bunch about how fun it would be to play together, though. Did the whole geek kid thing of filling notebooks with sketches and plans for our own dream Sonic game, where two

characters appeared together on the same screen. We even invented a sidekick for Sonic. Jamrow the raccoon, a green raccoon who wore a backwards baseball cap and liked skateboarding. Yeah, it was the 90s all right. When Sonic the Hedgehog 2 first started getting shown off in the computer game magazine's Elliot's dad bought for him, we were both hyped. When Game informed, we were both hyped. When Game informer revealed that Sonic would be accompanied by a sidekick, a fox called Tails, and that a second player could take control of him at any time, we'd lost our collective shits. And this was it, the game we dreamed of.

It was exciting, it was hype. And on Tuesday, November 24, 1992, when we were both nine years old, Elliot rushed to the local blockbuster video after school to pick up his long-awaited copy of Sonic 2. I was going to go with him. We planned it all out, but in the end I couldn't because I had an appointment with the guidance counselor. So Elliot went with Sam, the high school girl who babysat his younger sister, Chloe. Sam was there when I arrived, baking cookies with Chloe in the kitchen. She waved a greeting to me, and I scampered into the den, which Elliot had commandeered as the games room.

Inside, I was greeted by a sight that caused my heart to leap in my chest. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 emblazoned on the screen of Elliot's huge television The blue hedgehog and his orange fox sidekick Leaning casually on either side of the game's logo Elliot had waited for me before playing Even though he'd been home for an hour Warmth filled my chest

And I loved my friend even more in that moment But there was no time to dwell on that We had animals to save We'd lock the din door as we usually did before a serious gaming session. Then we both popped cans of Coke and settled onto the couch, pads in hand. So, that's the backstory. What followed was a complete playthrough of Sonic the Hedgehog 2,

which I will now translate into walkthrough form for anyone who wants to recreate the legendary Bill and Elliot's Sonic 2 playthrough of November 24, 1992. The first level of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is Emerald Hill Zone. It split up into two acts, as is the case for most levels in this game. Elliot was Sonic and I was Tails. Tails is essentially invincible. He can die, but always responds and it doesn't cost you a life. So he's good for taking out enemies and collecting rings.

Elliot ran through the first act, often leaving me behind, and we found ourselves laughing as I tried and failed to keep up. The first act is very straightforward. Multiple routes, but you won't get lost. bright hypnotic colors, monkeys and hornets and jumping piranhas to avoid or kill. We collected a hidden extra life and high-fived. Act two started. Elliot ran on ahead and I found myself getting distracted by the front door opening and closing.

I heard Elliot's mom, Sharon, calling out to Sam, the babysitter. Elliot charged headfirst into a robot monkey and lost all our rings, but managed to grab some back. I respond on the screen as tails. In the other room, it sounded like Elliot's mom was bidding farewell to Sam. Silence for a moment, save for the energetic music of Sonic 2 and the chime as we both collected rings. A glass smashed in the kitchen, followed by Elliot's mom yelling at Chloe. Chloe started crying and stormed off upstairs. We reached the boss fight at the end of Emerald Hill Zone, Act 2.

It's a good, easy boss. Dr. Robotnik comes in on a little flying car thing, which merges with a vehicle with a drill on the front. Then he just drives left and right while Sonic and Tails have to jump on him. Tails really comes into his own in boss fights. He can damage the boss but die without losing a life. Elliot spent the fight dodging Robotnik's slow attacks and let me do the dirty work. I bounced off that mother lover's head enough time to turn his death vehicle into a fiery wreck. Boss beaten, we passed onto the next screen,

and Elliot let me jump on the button to free all the little animals who robotic had kidnapped. The next stage is called Chemical Plant Zone, and it's nothing like anything in the series before. As the name suggests, it's a factory that handles dangerous chemicals, and it's up to Sonic and Tails to sprint through in order to rescue their pals. The first act went, okay. Elliot lost our rings a few times by getting hit by these robot enemies that spit yellow balls, But we managed to get through without losing a life.

There are these spiders that grab you, and we soon realize that I could trigger them as tails, letting Sonic pass by unscathed. It's a good tactic. About two-thirds of the way through the level, I heard another glass break in the kitchen. I glanced at Elliot, but he just shook his head quickly and nodded back at the screen.

Act two of chemical plant zone is a lot harder than the first. There are bits where you go underwater, and if you don't surface for air in time, then Sonic drowns. This happened to us. We died in the pink water of the chemical plant, and Elliot couldn't stop laughing at Sonic's gasping death animation. It unsettled me, though. And I particularly didn't like the urgent music that plays as the timer kicks in

to warn of Sonic's impending drowning. Still, I laughed along with Elliot, even though we'd lost a life. It doesn't matter if tails drowns. There's some precision platforming in this level, and that's when we discovered another awesome thing about playing in two-player. Tails can pick Sonic up and fly him over short distances, which allowed us to avoid a particularly tricky jump across moving platforms. I felt a swell of pride as Elliot raised his hand to high-five me. For the first time, I'd been useful. The boss was coming up and I'd dine off screen while Elliot went fast through the latter half of the level.

My friend was concentrating hard, frowning with focus as he jumped up moving blocks underwater. I was glad I wasn't the one who had to do this section. Besides, I kept getting distracted by more noises from the kitchen. It sounded like Elliot's mom was walking over the broken glass. Shards crunched underfoot, and I wondered why she wasn't just sweeping it up. The boss of Chemical Plant Zone is one of the trickiest in the game. It's Robotnik again, of course, and he flies in on this machine that sucks up the blue goo and tries to drop it on you. You have to bounce off him while avoiding his goo, but also being careful not to fall down into the water.

The platforms below Robotnik disappear and reappear, and the water kills you instantly. We died once in that way and before Elliot realized he could just focus on avoiding Robotnik's attacks while I jumped on him as tails. A good strategy. The third level of Sonic 2 is the aquatic ruin zone. It's a forest level with ruins and more water. I excused myself to go to the bathroom, assuming Elliot would wait for me. I unlocked the door and darted up the stairs. I could hear Chloe in her bedroom, still crying.

I thought about knocking and asking her if she wanted to come watch Sonic 2, but figured Elliot would be mad at having his six-year-old sister there. Instead, I quickly peed and hurried back downstairs. Elliot's mom was still in the kitchen. I could hear her making a lot of noise in there. She was still crunching over the glass, which I found strange because it sounded like she was cooking. I quickly hurried into the den. I always felt awkward around Elliot's parents if Elliot wasn't there and locked the door.

Elliot had been playing without me, which made me feel a little sad. But it was his game, so I didn't say anything. Instead, I sat down and pressed a button so control of tails returned to me. Moments later, we crossed the spinning sign that signifies the end of the act. So I don't really know how aquatic ruin zone Act 1 plays out. I've never seen the level in its entirety. Judging from the second act, though, I didn't mind having missed some of it. There are a lot of underwater sections in this zone, and again we drowned with the

death counter music once again unsettling me. Elliot still found Sonic's gasping for breath to be side-splittingly hilarious. It made me shiver. It was dark out now, which didn't help. The large bay window that overlooked the front garden was an ocean of shadow. As Act 2 began, car headlights cut across the yard, shining into the room and momentarily blinding me so I ran into an enemy and had to wait for tails to respond. Elliot's dad was home.

We were on an underwater section when the front door opened, and I was concentrating hard despite it being Elliot who was tasked with keeping Sonic alive. Elliot's dad was a jolly man, the kind of guy who these days he'd say made dad jokes, and I'm sure Elliot would have been mortifyingly embarrassed by him during his teenage years. But I loved Mr. Breen. I called Elliot's mom Sharon, but I called his dad Mr. Breen. It just seemed right.

I loved him. He taught us how to play baseball, how to throw football, even though he wasn't sporty himself. And sometimes he'd play games with us or take us to Sears. I looked to Elliot, unsure of what we should do. Again, he just shook his head at me and this time reached for the TV remote and turned the volume of the game up. Within seconds, we'd hit a checkpoint and dashed into the boss arena. In this boss fight, Robotnik appears in his flying car again, but this time he has a huge mallet attached to the front. He raises two stone pillars from the ground and hammers them to send arrows flying out.

To hit him, you need to jump off the arrows. I wanted to stop here, pause the game, and go see what was happening in the kitchen with Elliot's parents. But Elliot pleaded for me to continue. We could beat the boss quicker if we both went at it, he said. and tales could reach Robotnik from the lowest arrow, whereas Sonic couldn't. So, instead of going to investigate, I sat there helping Elliot take down the rotund mad scientist yet again, while from the kitchen could be heard crashing and the shattering of more glass. We dealt with Robotnik, and there was a momentary lull as we stood together on the contraption holding the animals captive.

The level complete jingle played. Elliot was staring at the screen, eyes fixed straight ahead. His knuckles were white as he gripped the controller. I knew what it was like to have parents who fought. I'd fought all the time until they got divorced when I was 12. At the time of the legendary Sonic 2 play-through, my parents were still very much unhappily married and arguing. Even the breaking of crockery was the regular soundtrack to my evening.

It's why I liked being at Elliot's house. Elliot's house was different. His parents didn't fight. Or even if they did, it was jovial and forgotten in minutes. So while this was uncomfortably familiar to me, it was also something new and I didn't like it. What unsettled me, though, wasn't the sound of the fight, but what it was lacking compared to my own parents' scuffles. Not once during the commotion had either of Elliot's parents said, a word. No raised voices. Nothing. Only the odd yelp. I wondered if they were having one of those

under-your-breath arguments, trying to keep it down for the sake of the kids, something my parents had tried in the early days of their marital downfall. It didn't seem likely, though. Surely Elliot's folks must realize how much noise they were making, smashing glasses and plates. It's not like we could have mistaken it for anything else. I strained, trying to listen in case they were having a conversation I couldn't hear. But then the next level of Sonic 2 loaded, and the music kicked in, and it was so jaunty, the color's so bright, and my attention snapped back to the screen. Casino Night Zone, Robotnik's fiendish pleasure park filled with traps and tricks designed to kill Sonic and Tales. This level has these fruit machine-type things that award you with rings if the three symbols match up.

But if you're unlucky, you get three Robotniks and all your rings are gone. Every time Elliot and I found one of these fruit machines, we keep trying it until momentum pushed us into the next section. This part of the game sounded like a real casino, with coins dropping and arcade machines worrying. Below all that, from the kitchen, I could hear a long and destructive sounding scraping, like someone was digging gouges out of the floor with strong talents.

As we hit Act 2, I finally heard voices, or at least vocal sounds. No words. A low, guttural howling, unmistakably belonging to Elliot's mom. It wasn't sad, not exactly. Angry, maybe? Then a strangled cry. And more smashing. Much, much more.

Like someone was being stungly. slammed against the walls over and over. I heard cupboard doors banging, the grating sound of the kitchen table being dragged across the flagstones. I took my eye off the screen and looked over my shoulder towards the door, but Elliot called to me. He needed my help. Needed me to fly him over a gap. Don't worry about it, he said. Just focus on the game. Focus on the game. The boss was like a penball machine. We beat it. Robotnik in his flying car.

Footsteps thundered down the hall outside the den. Something hit the front door. A full body slam that made the house shake. I looked over at Elliot. He was shaking too. Trimbling and biting his lip in the way he did when he was concentrating. Or nervous. Suddenly, Elliot's house felt forward.

into me, like I'd never been here before, even though I'd spent almost every day at his place in second grade. The pictures on the walls, the bookshelf in the corner, even the couch felt lumpy and uncomfortable. I didn't belong here. For the first time in my life, I felt like a stranger in Elliot's place. I wanted to go home. Hilltop Zone. Sonic entails traversing a volcanic mountain as lava rose beneath.

them. This level needed me, Elliot said. Tails could fly Sonic over the lava. I had to stay because this was the level we'd seen in the magazine, where Tails had been helicoptering Sonic over the head of a robot dinosaur. Something slammed against the front door again. China shattered. The vase by the coat stand, I figured. Elliot's mom's grandma's vase. When I'd come in, the vase had flowers in it. Room shook. Something heavy and fleshy hit the adjoining wall with so much force that a picture in the den dislodged and shattered. I made to jump up, but Elliot gripped my arm, gesturing wordlessly with his head to the screen.

We were on Act 2 of Hilltop Zone now. I hadn't even noticed. I wasn't much use for the Hilltop Zone boss. I kept fumbling the controls and falling in the lava, but it didn't matter because Tails doesn't lose lives. I didn't feel too bad for not paying attention. I was too busy listening to the gurgling, rasping crunches coming from just outside the room,

to the sound of skittering, tapping feet. The lights were on in the den, but it felt dark. Outside was impenetrable, gloomy like a cavern, like Mystic Cave Zone, the next level. Sonic entail. sprinting through a murky forest cave, grabbing bones that hang from vines and avoiding fireflies. There was a tapping from the dining room wall now, like someone drumming long, hard fingers against the plaster.

I noticed that Elliot had a thin film of sweat on his forehead, and he was chewing his lip again, still never taking his eyes off the television. I started to ask him something, but a huge thunderous crash from next door made us both just, And Elliot gestured frantically to the screen, asking me to lift Sonic up to a platform so we could hit a checkpoint. I tried. I did it. My fingers seizing on the controls, so it took a bunch of attempts. I thought the crash might have been from the China cabinet, the one the brains only drew from on special occasions. Elliot's mom would have been mad if that got broken, I thought.

And realized, it must have been her that had broken it, so she'd know already. She'd know already. More. Tapping. Zone 2. Sonic runs. Tails runs. This level is good because there are a lot of roots, a lot of secrets.

You can hang from vines to make platforms lower, opening new paths. Something was punching the wall over and over and over like they were trying to break through. That couldn't be Mrs. Breen, could it? My dad had punched a wall once, close to my head. head, and he'd had to go to the hospital for a ruptured knuckle. By the sound of the punches coming from the dining room, whoever was assaulting the wall was doing so a lot harder than my dad had. The boss of Mystic Cave Zone is good too. You're trapped by vines while robotic comes at you with double drills, occasionally causing detritus to fall down from above.

Another picture fell to my right, making me jump again. Elliot hissed at me to focus. We were so close to beating the boss. Just one more hit. Don't get distracted. Oil ocean zone. Oil. Everywhere. An ocean of oil.

A shrieking, gleeful hoot from the dining room. It's splintering. Elliot trimmeling, hammering the button so Sonic jumped over and over. Bouncing off enemies, losing rings, grabbing rings. Tails flying in. I can barely keep up. Heck. Heck.

I didn't say swear words, even in my head. Something I taught myself so I wouldn't accidentally let one slip in front of Dad and get a hiding again. I didn't swear, not even when I was scared. Not even when I was terrified. Oil Ocean Zone is creepy, at least if you're a kid, and I don't work him in playing it in the dark. I can say this with authority because as we moved onto Act 2, the overhead lights went out. We were lit only by the glow of the TV. I wasn't sure what had happened.

It couldn't be the electricity because the TV and the Genesis were still working. I wondered if perhaps the person, the thing, which still repeatedly punched the dining room wall, had torn some wire out or otherwise damaged the light circuit. I looked at the large bay window, at the impossibly dark night outside. How easy would it be to break? And was I thinking about breaking it from the inside to get out? Or something else breaking it from outside to get in. Elliot, I wanted to say, Elliot, we should stop playing now.

But he'd just beaten the Oil Ocean Zone boss. And we were on Metropolis Zone now. Another factory. This one filled with giant nuts and bolts and praying mantises that hurled their claws at you. And crabs and exploding starfish. The music is funky in this level. Cheerful, despite the grim tongue. Elliot turned it up, so the TV was almost at max volume.

Normally, if we had the TV that loud, his mom would come in and tell us cheerfully to take it down a few notches. That's what she'd say. Take it down a few notches, boys. Elliot let out a little whimper. The first audible reaction he'd given. His eyes darted to. me and he caught me watching. Immediately his gaze returned to the screen, his jaw tightening, head nodding towards Sonic the Hedgehog too as if to say, come on Bill, come on. We powered

through Metropolis Zone. It's good to have two players for this level too, because there are blocks you need to jump across from which spears pop out, and if someone's playing his tails, he can airlift Sonic across to safety. It was silent all through Metropolis Zone until we reached the middle of Act 2. From out in the hallway came a dragging, slopping sound. It reminded me of when I'd visited Uncle Ted at the abattoir, and he dragged a pig corpse to the sluice to gross me and my cousins out. The dragging soon became stumbling, then footsteps, then thundering great stumps headed up the stairs. Upstairs. Chloe was upstairs. I let go of the control pad and checked my digital watch. It was 8 p.m. We'd been playing for a long time.

Usually, Elliot's parents didn't let us play this long without a break. Usually we would have stopped for dinner by now. I wondered if Elliot was hungry. I wasn't hungry. Instead, gnawing fear pulsed in my stomach. We were on Act 3. Metropolis Zone is the only level in Sonic 2 with three acts. Elliot looked as scared as I felt. In the jade glow from the TV screen, I could see a single tear escape from his eye and drip down his cheek. Crashing, thumping vibrations from overhead. Which room was above us? I tried to think. Tried mapping out Elliot's house in my mind. My spatial awareness was never the best as a kid. Isn't as an adult either. It's why I don't write many video game walkthroughs.

But this one's different. I'll never forget Sonic 2. Elliot's room. It was Elliot's room above us. It was Elliot's room being smashed up as we fought the boss of Metropolis Zone, Robotnik in his flying car with eggs circling him. I was surprised Elliot didn't stop. But he didn't. The next level is something of a surprise. Tails is flying a plane and Sonic rides on the wings. It's a short fun level, colorful, totally at odds with the harrowing, thundering chaos above us. Sky Chase Zone, it's called. You don't really need a walk through for it. You can't get lost, and there's no boss. After that, it's Robotnik's Big Wing Fortress Zone. A sprawling level set on an airship where you can frequently plummet to your death. But here, you can't play his tails.

His plane gets shot down at the end of Skychase. I wondered if this reprieve meant I should go and investigate. I didn't want to. Not without Elliot. I was relieved then when the sounds above us stopped, save for a quick burst of hurried footsteps leading out of Elliot's room. It let me concentrate on the game. Concentrate on helping my friend.

There are a lot of hidden passages and tunnels in Wing Fortress Zone, but you have to be careful because sometimes you can be propelled into empty space and die easily. If you fall off the ship, you don't just lose rings. You lose a line. I was on lookout duty, paying attention to our surroundings, warning Elliot of any upcoming jumps. Somehow, Elliot managed to stay on the disappearing platforms he encountered, even as the sound of a door being smashed in came from upstairs. Both of us, I think, braced ourselves for a scream. We knew which door had been broken.

Chloe's. The scream didn't come, though. There was only silence. Elliot had even beaten the boss, a giant laser attached to the ceiling when it finally came. It was unlike anything I'd ever heard. Inhuman doesn't begin to describe it. I wasn't even sure if it was Chloe, but it was loud enough to sound like it had come from right beside me, despite the blaring music from the game.

Elliot could no longer keep his poker face. His head snapped around and he stared at it. He stared at me, his bottom-lipped trembling. Now it was my turn for stoicism. We'd done it. We'd reached the final level. We had to continue. Didn't we?

Mellie had agreed. Together, best friends. We raised our pads and watched in awe as Sonic grabbed hold of robotic space rocket and rode it into the heavens. To the Death Egg. Death Egg zone consists of two bosses, metal sonic and giant robot robotnik. You don't have any rings for either of these fights,

so there's no margin for error. At this stage in the game, we had seven lives and a few continues, so there wasn't much chance of failure. But nonetheless, Elliot was concentrating really, really hard. And there was nothing to distract him either. Not at first. The sounds from upstairs had faded away. Somehow, to me, the silence felt.

felt even more eerie, punctured by the boss battle music from the game. After a couple of deaths, Elliot beat metal Sonic, and Robotnik appeared in his giant mech. From the corridor came a squelching, dragging sound, accompanied by the strange and sceptile footsteps from earlier. Elliot began breathing hard. His eyes focused on the lumbering form of Robotnik on screen. Something scraped along the wall. Fingernails rasping the long plaster until they reached the wooden door itself.

Something rattled the handle. Elliot dropped the pad and on screen Sonic was impaled by Robotnik's flying claw. Back to the Metal Sonic fight. Elliot cursed under his breath, but his eyes darted towards me, as if to reassure himself I was still there. I sat, Mies pressed together on the couch, staring at the screen as behind us, something rattled on the door, then began pounding on the wood. A wet throaty gargles sounded from outside.

Elliot landed the final hit on Metal Sonic. Something shoulder barged the door, a fleshy, splatting sound that made his boat jump. As Mech Robotnik appeared a second time, the humming began. It was Chloe's voice, I thought, but somehow not. Elliot narrowly avoided being crushed by Robotnik's feet The room began to shake Rumbling impossibly so it became difficult to even focus on the TV Elliot died again

Sit back to Metal Sonic I remember suggesting that maybe we should stop I remember Elliot's vehement denial We were close, so close We had to beat it Couldn't turn around Couldn't leave The rumbling stop.

Elliot beat Metal Sonic for a third time. Third time, lucky. Three voices in unison. Wah, wah, wah. Howling, calling us. Elliot began to cry. Small, pitiful sobs. I winced.

Suddenly, I didn't want him to beat the boss. If he did, then it was over. We'd have to deal with, why wouldn't we stay here forever? Just two kids playing video games without a care in the world. Never growing old. Never having to come face to face with the horrors outside. Sonic crashed into Robotnik again and again and again. Even through his tears, Elliot deftly avoided the boss's attacks.

And then he did it. Elliot landed the final blow. Robotniks mecorrupting in a billow of flame. Sonic chased the mad scientist out of the airlock, being sucked into space before tails. Precious tails showed up in his biplane, saving his friends. A montage of black and white animals looking up into the sky as the death egg explodes. The end credits. Elliot and I sat watching, transfixed.

Neither of us said a word. We didn't high file. like we normally would when we beat the game. Didn't cheer. Didn't move. The wood of the door splintered more, and finally I couldn't take it. I jumped up, knocking my control pad to the ground. Grabbing Elliot's wrist, I dragged him to the bay window.

You could climb out here into the garden. We knew full well since we'd taken that route on plenty of occasions, too eager to go out and play to even walk through the house. I flipped the latch and swung the window open into the dance. night. I was half out when I felt a shove against my back. Elliot had pushed me. I stumbled over the ledge and fell into the bushes beneath. Dragging myself up and around, I moved to stand up to pull Elliot through after me. The window slammed shut. I saw Elliot staring out, filled with regret, and watched as he yanked the curtains shut. The last thing I saw was my friend's face, framed in the gap

between the fabric. That and the towering horror behind him. It was hard to tell, but I was sure it had been Elliot's mom once. I saw her eyes, almost apologetic, looking over Elliot's head. But the resemblance to any human being ended there. Raw skin, churned flesh, pulsing sores. A monster. They had become monsters.

I ran home, ignoring the outraged yells from my mom that I'd missed curfew and went straight to bed. The Breen family were never seen again. Speculation and rumors were rife. The interior of the house had been virtually destroyed. Everything smashed up save for one room. And there had been so much blood. Blood belonging to the Breen family, according to forensics. Nobody held out any hope of them being found alive.

In the end, it was chalked up to a home invasion gone wrong. Of course, I know different. But at the same time, I didn't know anything. What had happened that night? The police spoke to me, of course. I wanted to tell them what I'd heard. I really did, but I couldn't. I just couldn't.

In the end, all I was able to do was recount our playthrough of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, over and over. Until in the end, they stopped asking. Years later, I heard from a buddy whose dad had been on the forest that when they'd eventually broken into the greenhouse a few days later, following reports of their disappearance, it found the TV on in the den with the menu screen of Sonic 2 still idling there. I hope my walkthrough will come in handy. I've never been able to forget the legendary Bill and Elliot's Sonic 2 playthrough

of November 24, 1992. I wonder if my friend, if he's even still out there, remembers it as well as I do. My hope is that by creating this walkthrough, I'll finally be able to understand. Christ, that was a hard video to get through. Elliot, buddy, if you're still out there, somehow. I'm sorry.

I wish I knew what happened to you. I wonder if, yeah, I should keep playing. Put my demons to rest. Keep looking forward. Keep playing. Don't turn around. Aim over, buddy! As our service concludes,

we send you away with our blessings. If you would like to find out how you can hear the full-length versions of our audio program, please visit the no-sleeppodcast.com to learn about our season balance. program. Over 60 hours of content for only 1999. On behalf of everyone at the No Sleep Podcast, we thank you for listening. Join us again next week in our sleepless sanctuary. This audio production is copyright 2018-2020 by Creative Reason Media, Inc. All blessed rights reserved. The copyrights for each story are held by the respective authors. No duplication or reproduction of this audio program is permitted without the written consent of Creative Reason Media, E.