Um... hello, everyone?? As you can see, it’s been a while since I last posted, ahaha-. Studies and my mental state have just DEVOURED me, which is why I’m just... well, I don’t even have a meme to describe my current state(maybe this...?)
I decided to break the silence with an old prepared post that was originally meant for Halloween, but it ended up surviving... until Christmas, ahaha-. Gosh, I’ll need to write a post for the holidays eventually, but for now... let’s dive into something old, horror-themed, and unsettling.
Since October is approaching... it’s time for some weird horror AUs before the Halloween post.
Have you ever heard of the game Neverending Nightmares? If not, don’t worry—here’s a quick dive into my favorite childhood horror game.
Neverending Nightmares is an indie horror video game released on September 26, 2014. The plot is brief: the protagonist, Thomas, wakes up time and again in a nightmare that grows worse and worse, bloodier and bloodier. And keep in mind, the game has three endings: a false happy ending, a neutral ending, and the true ending. We... will be interested in the last one.
The AU itself revolves around Bruce’s endless nightmare, encompassing all the horrifying moments of his life.
The murder of his parents, from which he cannot escape, depicted in a grotesque style—too bloody, too loud, happening too often. In his nightmare, this event is always the starting point, regardless of subsequent events or the ending. The death of his parents will always be Wayne’s origin, from which he cannot flee. Next—the events with the Robins. One after another, with each new dream, each of them changes at an indescribable pace. Dick—almost killed by Harvey Dent (ironically, the older brothers share a similar fate—being beaten half to death by... “special” villains), Jason—by the Joker and fire, Tim—again by the Joker, and Damian—by those close to him. And it’s not like he just wakes up from each nightmare—they only get worse and worse. And, given that the game features heavily distorted versions of monsters and deaths... I think you can imagine what Bruce has to face during these nightmares and his attempts to prevent the deaths of his loved ones and family.
Only... which ending will Bruce reach? Maybe it’s the false happy ending, where he truly has the chance to save everyone, he’s happy with his family, the Robins are alive and by his side, with happy childhoods and bright futures—but... all of this is just the dreams of poor Bruce. Or perhaps it’s the neutral ending, the one we still see to this day in the comics, where everything depends... simply on Batman’s fate and luck. But instead of the true ending, we have pure horror—Bruce, who couldn’t save anyone. Who wakes up time and again after the most terrifying nightmare, where everyone is dead, where each one blames Wayne for their death. “You couldn’t save us. Why didn’t you avenge us? Were we just soldiers to you? Pieces of flesh to achieve your goal?”
A bit of a chaotic train of thought, but I really like this AU with the Batfamily, because essentially—every comic with a less-than-happy ending is just one of the dreams in an endless nightmare, only in a more grotesque form. And now... I recommend you watch a playthrough of this game or play it yourself, if, of course, you’re not as scared as I still am-.
