I am a massive fan of the Sonic franchise. I knew the whole story and I had all the games, merch and I’ve seen all the TV shows and movies. But something happened to me that changed the way I see that blue hedgehog and his friends forever.

One day, my friends and girlfriend were at my place because they wanted to play Sonic Frontiers. While my girlfriend was playing, I heard a knock at my door and opened it to find a disk labelled “Sonic.exe”. I thought it was very weird. I was very confused since I didn’t buy a Sonic game recently. (Not counting Frontiers) But since I was bored, I decided to give it a try. I plugged my laptop into my TV as everyone gathered around to see what would happen as I plugged in my controller.

I put the disk in my laptop as I heard the iconic “SEGA” harmonies as the game started. It seemed normal until I realised it had to be a ROM Hack since it was a copy of Sonic 1 but instead of Sonic, Tails and Knuckles as an option, I had Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Rouge, Silver and Blaze. I was very surprised that a ROM Hack like this exists!

I selected Sonic as the game brought me to Green Hill Zone as I heard the iconic overworld theme play in the background. I dashed through the level finding all the secrets I could and everything was normal until I came across the end sign.

Usually, a level in Sonic ends with a sign of Dr Eggman which switches to Sonic once the player passes the sign. But, when I ran past the sign, Dr Eggman was still on the sign. I then saw a cutscene of Sonic running back to check the sign and spin it again just to reveal Dr Eggman’s face on both sides of the sign.

Sonic then had a bored face and looked at me like I had something to do with this before Sonic ran away as the level completed screen played. I felt weirded out but it wasn’t enough to stop me from playing.

I moved on to the next act but as the level loaded, I could’ve sworn I saw another Sonic fly away as the second level started. I started to run through the plain terrain which almost looked like the level never loaded. I ran into the ending sign not long after but as Sonic ran past the sign, Sonic did have his side but it was different. It had a sonic with black eyes, blood red pupils and a darker shade of blue on his quills.

Sonic looked at the sign and then me with a shocked look as the same version of Sonic on the sign appeared behind Sonic. It then played a cutscene of Sonic running but the other Sonic was there and held him high by the neck.

It then played the animation of Sonic losing his rings but instead of Sonic looking normal, he looked beaten up. He had cuts, blood and bruises all over him with a purple eye and a bandage around his right leg. Everyone was shocked at this since this wasn’t in the Sonic we remembered.

It then showed the other Sonic running towards Sonic as the screen went black as we heard a 8 bit scream followed by a creepy chuckle. It then took us to the title screen but this time, it was very different. The other Sonic was taking Sonic’s place on the title screen, the water was a blood red and the title changed from “Sonic the Hedgehog” to “Sonic.exe”.

It was creepy. The other Sonic clearly had a name but the game didn’t tell us so, me, my girlfriend and my friends started calling him Sonic.exe since we couldn’t think of another name for him. I then moved on to the character select screen but it changed as well. The characters available changed to Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Rouge, Silver, Blaze and Dr Eggman.

“Why is Dr Eggman a playable character?” I thought. I remembered this was a ROM Hack and thought there might be a stronger enemy which causes Sonic and Dr Eggman to team up for this fight. (It has happened before in some Sonic games) But what made this all the weirder was that Sonic was no longer an option and wasn’t a playable character. Since Tails was the only option, (The other characters I mentioned were locked for some reason) I selected Tails as the same chuckle was heard.

The game took me to a level simply named Hill. It then loaded Tails into a plain environment with nothing but flowers and trees. I started running as Tails but what was weird is that I couldn’t make Tails fly no matter how many times I tried.

I kept running as I ran into Sonic.exe. (I recognized that it was Sonic.exe due to the darker quills) I tried to fly again and I started flying towards Sonic.exe until the screen went black displaying the words “Hello, wanna play a game?”.

The game loaded me into the next level titled “Hide & Seek”. It looked like Green Hill but the grass was dead and everything was on fire. I started walking as Sonic.exe started to chase Tails. Sonic.exe caught up to Tails as Tails fell to the ground and cried. Sonic.exe appeared next to Tails. The screen went black as a childish scream could be heard. I assumed it was Tails who screamed but what did Sonic.exe do to him?

I was then brought back to the character select screen, all of my friends were in shock while my girlfriend grabbed me very tight showing signs of fear. I’ll admit, I was feeling scared as well but knew I had to carry on. I chose Knuckles since that was my only option at the time and I loaded into the level. (The characters seem to unlock one at a time)

The level was named “You can’t run”. And it was a metal-like zone covered in blood as the screen kept turning into static. It kept going until Sonic.exe appeared in front of Knuckles as the screen changed to static as I heard a deep voice (Which I assume to be Sonic.exe’s voice) say “Found you…” in a sing-song like way.

The scene then changed to Sonic.exe hovering in front of Knuckles giving the option to run and punch. I tried punching Sonic.exe but he teleported behind Knuckles. After a while, Knuckles fell over as Sonic.exe appeared in front of Knuckles as the screen was taken over by black again as another scream could be heard.

As I was taken back to the character select screen for the third maybe fourth time, I noticed two of my friends have left. Well, at least I thought they left. I looked at all my other friends but they seemed to be looking at something behind the couch as my girlfriend was just as confused as I was.

We both took a look to find the two friends dead behind the couch and the scariest part, we have no idea why this happened. We all looked back to see the character select screen once again. This time, I selected Amy as we all heard the same chuckle.

The next level was named “So many souls” as I was loaded into a zone that looked like an abandoned doll house with blood everywhere, doll limbs scattered all over the floor and doors closing as I got closer to them. Amy then hit a barrier made out of your generic dollhouse furniture which was then the game forced me to use Amy’s hammer but it didn’t display it’s use in text like “Press a certain button to open the door”. But instead, I heard Sonic.exe say “If you wanna get past, press the X button”.

I tried pressing X and it worked. Amy slammed her hammer down, getting rid of the barrier in front of her. I continued on as Sonic.exe appeared in front of Amy. I tried to hit him with her hammer but he grabbed the hammer.

We all thought what he was gonna do was horrible but we didn’t expect Sonic.exe to rip Amy’s arms off and hold the hammer. I then saw Sonic.exe charge up the hammer until the screen went black as a loud, wet impact like sound played in the background. All of us immediately assumed Sonic.exe used Amy’s weapon against her.

I was then brought back to the character select screen once more with no option but Shadow. As I selected Shadow, I saw that another one of my friends had died which is the point where I started to realise a connection. This might be a bit of a stretch but I think the reason some of my friends are dying is because me, my girlfriend and my friends like certain Sonic characters. For example, the friend who just died had Amy as his favourite character. With that theory, we started to ponder on whose gonna die next.

The next level was named “So little time”. The game loaded Shadow into a level which looked like the doll house from the last level. It looked exactly the same. I got to the end when we all saw Sonic.exe killing Amy with her hammer. Now, I’ve always thought I had a strong stomach but when I saw that, I felt very uneasy.

I heard Shadow let out a massive gasp as Sonic.exe turned around and threw Amy’s hammer at Shadow. The screen went black before we could see the hammer hit Shadow but we just assumed it happened due to another scream. I then heard Sonic.exe say “There's so many souls yet there's also so little time, Would you agree?”

Everyone then looked over to see that yet another friend had died who liked Shadow, debunking my theory. It was at this point where I was getting very worried because my only selection at this point is Rouge and she is my girlfriend’s favourite character. So, either all the deaths are purely coincidental or my girlfriend is about to die right next to me.

I selected Rouge as it took me to the next level named “You can’t fly”. The level looked like Emerald hill but covered in blood. I started making Rouge run collecting a few rings on the way which I found a bit creepy yet relaxing. (The previous levels didn’t have rings) I then tried to fly but Sonic.exe grabbed Rouge by her bat wings as he said “No flying…”. I then heard a tearing sound as the screen turned black.

I slowly turned towards my girlfriend to see her dead. I saw the character select screen as I only had Silver, Blaze and Dr Eggman left. I selected Silver as I was taken to a level I’ve never heard off called “Chrome Lake Zone”.

Like I just said, I’ve never heard of this zone but I assumed it’s a level where the player can drown so I knew I had to be careful. The level started me in the liquid rather than above the surface but I didn’t think too much about it. I got about half way through the level until Silver started to drown. I looked around for an air bubble but I couldn’t find one. It’s almost like air bubbles didn’t spawn.

I finally reached a staircase which led up to the surface which made me think I was at the end of the level. That was until Sonic.exe was there waiting for Silver at the end sign. Sonic.exe broke the sign and the screen went black but we all assumed Silver was impaled by the sign.

I was then taken back to the character select screen once more. I selected Blaze as only me and two of my friends remained. I was loaded into the next level called “Chrome Drought Zone”. The level looked like a drained version of “Chrome Lake Zone” meaning there might not be a drowning threat.

I continued on as Sonic.exe appeared in front of Blaze. I tried to use Blaze’s fire power but Sonic.exe must’ve reversed her power because the screen went black as I heard the sound of fire burning and someone (Who I assumed to be Blaze) screaming in agony.

I was taken back to the character select screen for the last time as my last and only choice was Dr Eggman. I selected Dr Eggman as I feared the fate of my last and only friend at this point. It was at this point I truly started to fear the game itself and began to ask myself “Is this even a game?”.

The final level was called “...”. The level looked like Dr Eggman’s lab as it looked he was monitoring all of Sonic.exe’s murders and actions. I then moved on as the level got darker the more I progressed. Dr Eggman ran into Sonic.exe but he just stood there not even doing anything to Dr Eggman.

I started to get impatient thinking it wasn’t gonna do anything. Sonic.exe must’ve seen through the TV and saw me getting bored because he then summoned the spirits of his previous victims as they all prepared for a spin dash attack. Sonic.exe and his souls dash at Dr Eggman which brutally kills him. (The screen didn’t black out so I actually saw Dr Eggman get split in half by the spirits) It then displayed a very graphic game over screen until my laptop turned itself off.

I went to call the police but I accidentally left the camera app open and I was shocked at what I saw. The camera somehow replaced the bodies of my friends and girlfriend with the characters that died in the game. (I don’t think there's even a filter that does that) The more I stared, I kept wondering: Which one was Sonic?

I called the police and they have no idea how they died. They weren't drugged or harmed in any way so the police just decided they all had a brain aneurysm. (Which doesn't make sense at all but I don't wanna argue with the law)

I decided to tell them about Sonic.exe and everything that happened that night but instead of thinking I was crazy, they believed me. They said something very similar happened to a kid I knew a couple of blocks down named Tom Miller. He received the game from his friend, Kyle Winters who told Tom to destroy the game but Tom played the game and has been missing ever since.

Anyways, I walked over to close the door after the cops left as I heard a voice say “Well done…”. I turned to my mirror to see Sonic.exe replacing my reflection as I realised that he must’ve killed my friends.

I asked “Why?” and Sonic.exe leaped out of the mirror and said “You played my game…”. I then woke up in my bed thinking that it must’ve been a dream. I ran into my living room to see no one in there. There weren't any bodies but there was still some blood. I checked the date to see that it was the 14th of November which is important.

I probably should’ve mentioned this earlier but I’ll mention it now. On the 14 of November in 2006, I was playing Sonic 06 with my friends and girlfriend when an intruder (Who was under the influence of some very strong drug) broke in and murdered my friends and girlfriend. I was hiding but I still saw and heard the way he chuckled, the way he killed them (Ripping off body parts and  beating them with different kinds of weapons like a hammer) and the way he customised his Sonic mask to give him black eyes and red pupils.

It had been a decade since that happened. I’ve always had that similar dream on the 14th of November. Twisting reality and what I remember. From turning a murderer in a Sonic mask to Sonic coming to life and murdering my friends. I’ve always dreamt the same thing on the same date. It’s almost like Lucifer himself is forcing me to relive that same night over and over and over again with no difference. All the same events, all the same kills, all the same friends and all in the same exact order.

Last time I had the nightmare, I realised that he was deciding who lives and who dies. Basically playing a deity. But the more I thought about it, I started to believe that he wasn’t just playing a deity. He IS a deity.