Previously: “A Simple Man’s Dictionary.”
Have you ever noticed how so many slasher flicks — the vast majority, truthfully — all seem like they happen in the same kind of place? A town, small but not too small, where there are four seasons, and single-family suburban houses with white picket fences, and a high school full of teenagers just itching to make their marks on the world — that kind of place? Well, the creepypasta “Slashertown” takes that idea to the extreme: What if slasher films don’t just take place in the same kind of location… but actually all happen in the same location?
The premise of “Slashertown,” which was uploaded to the Creepypasta Wiki by user CherryTheWeierdo at the beginning of October 2023 following an earlier draft posted to the wiki’s forums in May, is perhaps stronger than its execution; the idea is an interesting one, though, and I think it’s worth examining regardless.
[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]
The locational sameness seen broadly across the subgenre is, of course, not accident; the implication has long been that, no matter how safe a place a seems, it’s only ever the illusion of safety. The suburban fantasy — the American dream — is only ever an illusion; even if it seems like these kinds of things could never happen in your own small town, they can… and, moreover, they likely will.
Many decades along, the subgenre has naturally evolved — and as it has, so, too, have the locations in which these kinds of stories occur. But they’re all in constant dialogue with each other, story to story, year over year, decade upon decade. In Slashertown, it’s always the late ‘90s to the early ‘00s — so that should give you something of an idea about how it fits into the grand scheme of things.
You can visit Slashertown, if you like. But you’ll have to figure out how to get there first… and once you arrive, you’d better make sure you’re happy there.
You… might find it a little difficult to leave.
***
There’s a place somewhere in this world, difficult to find through conventional methods. It isn’t in any map; there’s no register of its existence. But I can assure you that it’s there, waiting for you to find it and drag you down with it.
It’s a town of many names, full of people oblivious of the fact. Everyone thinks it has a name. Every town has one, after all. But this one has as many names as habitants. Some may believe its name is “Cherrytown,” other may think it is “Woodsboro.” There’s even a possibility of someone thinking its name is “Haddonfield.” Think of a name, and someone probably believes it’s the right one. Despite this, everyone remains oblivious. None notice the discrepancy. It is natural, of course. After all, it’s not the only thing they don’t notice.
***
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[Photo via network__/Pixabay]
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