The Sleeping Sickness

Greta Tanner died in her sleep last night.

The doctors don’t know what to think. Sure, Greta was old, but not old enough to die without an apparent cause. She didn’t take pills, had no medical problems, and had no recent surgeries.

Winter creeps into the small town of Trenton, Alaska. The roads are blocked with snow, and the wind carries an icy dagger.

Dr. Grayson, the town’s new resident doctor, examines Greta's corpse. Some bruising. Slight burn marks on her legs – it could be frostbite. Hidden under Greta’s hair are five crescent-shaped wounds. None are severe enough to have been the cause of death, but the marks are fresh and bloody. There has to be a connection.

Was Greta murdered? Or is there something else going on in Trenton? Some people in town have been acting weird, and a strange song is singing in the wind. Or is that just madness?

Dr. Grayson must find whatever killed Greta Tanner and stop it from killing anyone else.

The Sleeping Sickness is an interactive short story that allows the player to guide the main character's actions.

Each day, the player chooses where Grayson investigates. The player’s choices will lock and unlock future locations, change dialogue, and alter the story. Choices matter in The Sleeping Sickness.

While The Sleeping Sickness includes sounds, graphics, and interactive sections, it focuses on the story.

The game is designed to play like a choose-your-own-adventure book and is an excellent choice for horror fans, avid readers, and lovers of creepy pastas. 

Each playthrough lasts 45 – 60 minutes and covers ~9,000 words.

The entire story is approximately 31,000 words (roughly the length of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck).

Each playthrough will feel like a complete short story altered by the player’s choices. However, multiple read-throughs will be required to uncover the entire mystery.

The Sleeping Sickness has six possible endings. Will you experience them all? Will you solve the mystery? Will you cure the sleeping sickness?

NO generative AI was used to create this project.