[Video]

[exploring_game]

[A sharp crackle of a static and grainy video- a harsh, offensive buzz. A view from the forest floor, looking upwards at a looming canopy of trees.

But then there's.a yellow rain boot, coming down dangerously close to the screen, the sound of crunching leaves, snapping twigs.

A hand bends down, and there's a brief flash of a familiar blue bob.]

He-

Comments

[thisisherson]

Coraline! Are you all right? ...Are you out in the woods?

[exploring_game]

Back now. I'm sorry I missed the glee rehearsal.

[thisisherson]

It's fine; don't worry about it. You really didn't miss much.

Where were you anyway? You were gone for a while.

[exploring_game]

Weeks, they said...uh...

I don't remember.

I think...I got lost in the forest, and then... and then I don't-

I'm afraid of what happened, that I can't remember it. I...remember trees? A mask and a guy, and then....

[thisisherson]

That sounds like something right out of a stranger danger PSA.

[Oh wait, that might scare her too much LET'S BACKTRACK REALLY REALLY FAST.] But I'm glad you're safe, and that you made it back. We were just getting ready to go look for you, but then we were slammed with another stupid event.

[exploring_game]

Another event? What kind of event?

[thisisherson]

The mansion became a hospital. No one had any of their own clothes, just hospital gowns and pajamas. That alone was awful, but unfortunately no one could sleep either. Every time we tried we would hear something like explosions that would wake us up. I felt like I could have slept for a week by the time it ended. My skin has probably aged a few years from the stress of it all.

[exploring_game]

Gee, that...sounds really weird. I don't remember anything like that.

[thisisherson]

That's because it was really weird.

...Maybe it's because you were outside when it started? I'm not sure how that works exactly. We were indoors, in a hospital, after all.

[exploring_game]

Hey, Kurt?

...have you ever died here before?

[thisisherson]

What? Died?

...No. No, I haven't. Have you?

[exploring_game]

One time, my heart got stolen by a creepy shadow-thing in the rose bushes.

[thisisherson]

Your heart was stolen? Literally? Well. It would be weird even figuratively but...what kind of thing just goes around ripping out people's hearts?

[Silly rhetorical question is silly because she like, just said what it was a second ago.] ...It's not still there, right? The shadow-thing, I mean. I'd like to keep my heart in my chest where it belongs, thank you.

[exploring_game]

A shadowy- ...no, it was...it was one of the mirror-people, I think.