Horror returns! The psychedelic fear known from the first part of Don't be Afraid has been contained for too long; it's time to once again face the struggle for survival in this deadly game.
And it's the story that holds the key to delving into the horrifying events awaiting the player in Don't be Afraid 2. Importantly, knowledge of the first part is not necessary to enjoy the second game, as it provides a standalone experience.
The bridge connecting both parts of the game is the main character's persona. David Szipka - a young boy in DBA1, and an adult man in DBA2. In the first part, he was kidnapped and confined in a labyrinth of fear and horror, and in the second... kidnapped and confined in a labyrinth of fear and horror.
David, at a young age, fell victim to abduction. Almost literally torn from his mother's grasp, he became a pawn in the macabre game of the psychopathic Franklin and killer clown Theodore. With the player's help, the boy managed to escape, and Franklin lost his life - this is where the first part of Don't be Afraid ends, but not David's horror. The nightmarish events from the past left their mark on his psyche, causing deep traumas. David tried to cope with his issues, but they kept resurfacing - with even greater force. Hospitalization didn't help, group therapy sessions brought him further down, and medications provided only temporary relief.
David found some respite in private sessions with psychotherapist Laura Miller. An expert in trauma, she had been guiding her patient for years, but his condition remained poor. When she suggests he finally let go and take an extended break, David reluctantly agrees. However, upon arriving at his destination, it quickly becomes apparent that his childhood nightmare is returning.
But who is the tormentor this time, and why must David go through his hell for the second time?
Don't Be Afraid II
The Child Who Escaped
The session seemed to drag on mercilessly. The air in the room felt as if it had come to a complete standstill. A small group of people had gathered for the meeting, sitting in a circle. Laura, on the sidelines, listened to their stories. She started attending since she had plans to pursue a professorship. The meetings were led by her acquaintance, a deeply socially engaged altruist.
"Laura, dear, you're a well-known therapist; maybe you can help someone. Many people come to these meetings with a wide range of problems," encouraged her friend during one of their conversations long ago.
Laura herself wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the idea. She specialized in traumas, and her dissertation on "PTSD from the family home" was one of the most quoted works in the year of its publication. For her doctorate, she needed something strong – something that would not only give her another title but also bring the right kind of publicity. Meanwhile, her friend's group struck her as mundane.
"Do you feel like it's the end? Come and give yourself one last chance!" – read the flyers inviting participation. A noble initiative, but completely missing the point for Laura. Paradoxically, the heavier someone's burden, the harder it was for them to ask for help in lifting it. Despite this, the group grew, and now a dozen or so people regularly shared their problems.
A dozen uninteresting people, thought Laura as she listened to another story.
"I was 17 when it happened... I was coming back from a party; we had been drinking earlier. My friend was escorting me... He didn't understand that I was saying 'no'... His smell... It's still present today. I can't wash it away, and so many years have passed! This nightmare continues to this day. Friends said I provoked it myself. I had to move to another city... I lost my life."
Laura sometimes wondered what force determined who suffered in the world. She didn't believe in God. Destiny? Karma? Coincidence?
"I can't stand my husband. I mean, I love him, but since our son's accident... He blames himself for what happened. Our son is in a wheelchair, and my husband has completely devoted himself to taking care of him. But not just care. Overprotection! We stopped having our own lives; everything revolves around our son! I hate myself for what happened, that we allowed the accident... But I still want to live, and I feel like my life is dead!"
Laura knew plenty of such stories. Tragedy causes a crack in the pristine diamond of shared life. The diamond began to crumble; common paths diverged, and people struggled to piece together their own lives.
"My parents' pressure destroyed my life. I'm 42, and I still can't say 'no' to them. My father was always very strict, didn't shy away from alcohol. He sometimes beat both me and my mom. She, in turn, always took his side, completely submitting to him... and I was supposed to submit to both of them. To this day, I have no family, no home, they didn't even allow me to have a dog."
Laura realized that as a therapist, she couldn't empathize with her patients' pain, but increasingly she found their stories boring. Their lives, their problems, small grains of sand that happened to find themselves in the unrelenting gears of reality. Crushed, ground, forgotten. Now, they seek help... but can you help someone when you feel completely indifferent towards them?
Maybe I should take a break from my profession, Laura wondered, trying to hide a yawn. I seem to have distanced myself too far from people's problems to effectively help them solve them. These are their real dramas, vivid emotions, and I feel nothing at all. I guess I finally have to talk to my supervisor about it. Damn, I really want to smoke...
"I don't know if my case will fit here... I've been struggling with this for years. My demons are coming back, and I can't function normally... I didn't want to come here at all, but I don't know if there's anything left for me... Yes, as it was written on the flier, this is probably my last chance... When I was a child, I was kidnapped."
Now, this could be interesting.
"It wasn't an ordinary kidnapping... I mean... I was held captive, and... oh, no point in hiding it, you must have heard about it... damn, you surely heard about it. I'm David... 'The Child Who Escaped,' as the media named me. I'm the one who escaped from the labyrinth of traps..."
Laura straightened in her chair, not believing her luck. Fate had sent her the victim of the biggest criminal case in the last fifteen years. Abductions, gruesome games with kidnapped children, dozens of victims, and only one boy who survived - sitting right in front of her, seeking help!
"To this day, I wonder how I survived... I saw bodies... I don't know, it all blurs in my memory... Were they real human remains or cut-up mannequins...? Someone tried to help me, left me information on how to escape, but... he also probably died. I know... I know it will sound ridiculous, but it seems to me that some demons were chasing me... gruesome monsters that wanted to 'play.' I don't know... I don't know how to coherently describe it."
Sarah knew this was a topic for an excellent dissertation. No, not just a dissertation – a global bestseller! PTSD of the Child who Escaped, or Trauma from Hell: The Nightmare of Kidnapped David.
"And this Franklin... the kidnapper. He designed this game, a sick game in which children were dolls... his pawns. He watched us, made us do different things, escape from traps... He repeated 'Don't be afraid,' only to bring more fear upon us. I saw him die, although... I can't explain that either. He seemed to be torn apart by... by specters, or ghosts... My brain doesn't accept it, and that's another problem..."
Trauma, created memories, and paranoia. Sarah leaned in, unable to hide her excitement. My career is one thing, but this man needs help, and it seems it will be damn difficult... If he even wants to talk to me.
"Even after escaping... my world didn't return to normal... To this day, I have nightmares and panic attacks. Today... today is the first day I can remember when I left the house for a longer time. I often have hallucinations, mannequins following me, people in masks... There's no way I'll turn off the light at night. I managed to survive, but do I really live...?"
"Welcome, David... I listened carefully to what you said."
"Oh, hey. Well... I don't know if it made any sense to show up here at all..."
"I assure you it did. My name is Laura Miller. I'm a psychotherapist. I specialize in traumas, and it seems fate has brought us together."
"I don't count on anything anymore... My world seems... seems like a dream, like a nightmare I can't wake up from."
"I understand. But I know you can be helped. I know I can help you. And don't think about the costs at all; you deserve to finally – as you might put it – wake up from this nightmare."
"Well... I..."
"Don't worry about anything. Here's my business card; call anytime. We can schedule the first session even tonight. David, trust me. It's time to start the second chapter of your story."
Wishlist the game and find out how his new chapter of life will end!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2631880/Dont_Be_Afraid_2/