The Sleepers

Hollow Creek is an otherwise ordinary town with a rather unusual monthly occurrence. Every month, on the 4th, something happens that changes the life of one unfortunate resident forever. Nobody knows exactly when it started, or why it happens, but the pattern has remained consistent for as long as anyone can remember. Every year, one resident is selected by an unknown force, hypnotised and transformed into something known as a Sleeper. Sleepers are no longer ordinary humans. Although they retain memories of their previous lives, their personalities, behaviours and physical appearances undergo a change. They become part of a mysterious collective, seemingly controlled by an unknown individual or entity known only as The Dreamer. The town has learned to live with their existence, but that doesn’t mean everyone accepts them. Some residents fear them, others despise them, and a small number actually believe becoming a sleeper is a blessing. One of the most disturbing aspects of becoming a sleeper is the physical transformation. Every Sleeper develops an almost identical appearance, making them immediately recognisable to anyone in Hollow Creek. Their skin becomes entirely abyss black, and a pale white mask covers their face, with 2 small holes for eyes. Their voice becomes unusually calm, holding a strange distortion and their movement becomes unnatural.. On the 4th of the month, the “Sleeping Hour” begins at midnight, and clocks pause, televisions stop working, and a calm and soothing melody comes from everywhere. Somewhere in town, the selected resident falls into an unusually deep sleep, and by morning, they have transformed. The newly transformed individual appears to accept their new existence completely. They don’t seem concerned about what has happened to them and rarely discuss their previous life. For the past years you have been alive, it has never concerned you what happens to the other people as you live alone. Until tonight.