If you are reading this, you’re cursed too. But also, make sure you go and read part 1 where I explain how I found this game and the intro writing I did for my character Harlow.

Content Warnings
This is a horror game. It includes supernatural horror, blood, mental health issues, death of loved ones, and more.

At the time of this writing, Don’t Play This Game is available as a demo and is currently on Kickstarter. Join me in my curse, back the game, get to playing.

Event 1: Tragedy Strikes

“Video Wizard”
I answered the phone normally. Everything is normal. I don’t have some horrific cursed journal upstairs, waiting on me.
“Hey bright eyes.”
I knew who it was immediately. Not that i recognized the voice. I might have, but its been a long couple of years and I wasn’t expecting to hear from him. Nobody calls me bright eyes but him though. Not even Jakob called me that.
“Luke. Why?” Why are you calling? Perhaps. But so many other questions beginning in why fell on my tongue, closed my throat, and knotted my stomach.
“Professor Kirby died.”
I stared at the door, the door Freddy ran through and met his end only a few weeks ago. “How?”
“Stroke. Last night. I was with him in his office, working on his book…It happened so fast.”
“I…I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Luke sighed and I could see him easily in my mind. He’d be flicking a clove cigarette in his fingers, longing to light it up but waiting until the end of the call. His eyes would be tired but his posture and everything the same – animated.
“You’re coming to the funeral, right? He’d want you there.”
I should say no. I don’t. I wasn’t ever able to say no to Luke…it’s why I stopped taking his calls.

Dear Jakob,

Saw your brother today. It’s hard to look at him. He looks just like you. I don’t need to tell you that. You’ve been told that since birth – the joys of being twins. I remember that I was the first person to tell the two of you apart. Even your mom had a hard time with it. I always knew though. I can’t say why. I could just feel it…something about the eyes maybe.

Professor Kirby died. The funeral was nice. Lots of people, lots of flowers and crying. Some minister said some stuff and his daughter (Becka looks good btw) and Doctor Klein spoke as well about his life and work. Luke got up and spoke as well. He mentioned you. I couldn’t listen after that. I’m sorry. I probably would have embarrassed the hell out of you by getting up and walking out but I just couldn’t sit there.
Later, Luke met me outside and offered me a cigarette. They smelled good but I said no.
He was with Kirby when he died – working together on his latest book. Luke said that Kirby was talking about us just before he died, about me specifically.
Does my very name curse people now?

A week later

I was working on a stack of new tapes. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Fern Gully. White Men Can’t Jump. Batman Returns.
Luke walked in. He was wearing his usual black trench coat and sunglasses which he pushed up on his head, messing up his perfect hair. He’s too cool, too chic for this town. It’s weird to see him here and makes everything around him look shabby in comparison.
He smiled at me as soon as he saw me and I felt sick. I was hoping the funeral would be the last time I saw him. We don’t have any other mutual friends. No other reason for him to reach out, I thought.
“Kirby left this for you. We went over the will and he wanted to make sure you got it. Becka said she’d mail it to you but I told her I would bring it.”
It was a large black case. I didn’t need to open it to know what was inside. “I don’t take pictures anymore,” I said, fidgeting with the tapes in my hand.
Luke wasn’t put off. “I think he was hoping having this might motivate you to get back on the horse.”

Dear Jakob,

Luke came in today.
He was bringing the camera that Kirby left for me in his will. I haven’t touched a camera since…well, in a long time. He also told me that Kirby left me some money – left some for each of us. I don’t want any of it but nothing to be done about it.
Luke said that Kirby hoped having it would get me back into the work. Motivate me.
I opened it and there was something else inside with the camera. A small photo album. A quick glance and I knew it was full of pictures of us. You and Luke and me. Some with Kirby. Some with Becka and the other faculty and students. We were a social bunch back then.
I can’t bear to look at them. I’m sorry. I know you would want me to but I can’t.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything.

Event 2: Disturbing Dream

Dear Jakob,

Had a wild dream last night. It took ages for me to shake it off. I woke sweaty and dizzy even. I’m a little old for night terrors. I’m sure my therapist would say its stress from the funeral and seeing Luke. Probably is. Right?
The journal sits on my bedside, mocking me with its game.

In the dream I was at the Railway Yard. The one we used to go and hang out at, take pictures and just be hoodlums. Not much else to do in this town.
But it wasn’t right. The landscape isn’t realistic. It was warped and pock marked like a photograph that’s been melted.
I was starting to panic when I heard a voice calling out of the darkness. It was Wade – a customer of mine here at Video Wizard. He does these movie nights over at his place: a large white sheet, projector set up, popcorn machine. It makes up for our town not having a movie theater.
But his voice was wrong. It lost all of its jovial quality…it sounded panicked.
He was calling out to me from one of the warehouses. It was dark though. So dark it felt like the darkness itself was alive. But Wade was calling to me, calling my name…telling me he found something. I could tell by the sound of his voice it was something terrible.

I stepped into the dark. I was in a long hallway. A figure stood at the other end. I thought it was Wade but it was someone else. Something else.
I woke then but all I could think about was that figure and the way it seemed to grow…lengthen and stretch. Wade is a big guy, biggest in town, but this thing…this figure would tower over him easily. I don’t think I could outrun that thing’s reach…why did I think of that?

Event 3: Sleepwalker

Dear Jakob,

I haven’t been sleeping well…thats an understatement.

Dear Jakob,

Things have gotten worse since I last wrote. I’m so tired.

Dear Jakob,

I’ve been sleepwalking.
I woke covered in blood.
was dreaming. I’ve been dreaming, horrible dreams.
I was by the old school. The one we used to break into…that Luke told us was haunted but then scared himself more than he scared us…I am scared now.

Something keeps calling to me in these dreams. That thing from the first dream. The tall thing. I suspect its the thing writing to me in that journal…and yes, I know I’m crazy.

In the dream I find a key. Its large and heavy, like something out of an old movie. Grabbing it, I feel satisfaction but I’m afraid to say…its not my own. Its like I’m feeling someone else’s emotion.
As soon as I pick it up, everything the dream starts to melt away like burning an old photograph.

I woke up at the school. It wasn’t a dream so much I guess as me sleep walking and seeing it. I would have had to walk all the way across town…barefoot in my Rob Zombie t-shirt and boxers. How did no one see me or stop me? Its the middle of the night but still. Someone, surely, saw me.
I don’t know where the blood came from. I’m so scared to look. Who did I hurt? The key had bits of flesh on it. Who did I open with it?

Oh gods I’m so scared. I was sick by the school then hurried to the gas station – that old one where Chloe Sharp OD’d a few years ago in the bathroom. They still don’t lock that thing thankfully. I was able to wash up in the sink and then walk home.
Every step of that walk I was certain someone, the cops, would pull up behind me and arrest me. I don’t even know for what…I can only guess. That much blood doesn’t come from a scratch.

What do I do? I wish you were here. I’m glad you’re not. I don’t want to scare you too.

Do You Want To Play A Game?

I hope you’re enjoying this playthrough. I am definitely enjoying my time playing it.
The photograph above of the old school is one I took when doing a paranormal investigation, probably one of my favorite cases actually. I’m glad I get to use it in this working as well.

Be sure to go check out Don’t Play This Game. If you share your playthrough, journal, art, etc from it, please comment below with a link. I would love to see it.

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