Writing some shit
Hey guys, I’m working on a text-only psychological thriller story called "Us" and wanted to see what you think of the vibe. It’s heavily inspired by Monster and 20th Century Boys, focusing on a kid named Arlo who is trapped in a cult where the members are convinced the world is just a fake simulation. The leader—the Founder—is preparing everyone for a massive "Exit" ceremony to wake up in the real world, but Arlo is the only sane one who knows the world is 100% real and that the "Exit" is basically a death sentence. He has to fake being brainwashed to survive, and his only teammate is his best friend Jude, who acts like a protective big brother figure and pretends to hate the cult's bullshit too. But the twist is that Jude is secretly the Founder pulling all the strings, using Arlo's trust to keep his biggest threat close until a huge, cold confrontation at the end (where I'm actually planning a Kanye reference right before Arlo pulls a gun). How would you guys handle the slow-burn dread of Arlo having to sit at dinner and fake his emotions every day, and do you think a "nice, supportive" villain like Jude hits harder than a stereotypically evil one?