The Worm | Animated Horror Story

[@DWHAAD]

A lot of people have been asking questions so I'll just pin this here! - What is that song on the radio at the beginning? It's an original song we made for the video. We called it "Thinking It Over" and it was written by my buddy Ryan Carlson who did all the music you hear in "The Worm". He's awesome. Ryan's friend Carmen Elle did the vocals for us. - Where can I listen to the full song? Here you go! open.spotify.com/album/1hF6L6a6UCIXe049y0pf11 - Is the opening sequence a dream? Yes. It is one of Sparrow's dreams. - Are you going to make more stories? Absolutely. It'll probably take a while though. I also have a regular job and animation takes a lot of time and work. I make this stuff because I love doing it, so I'd rather just take my time and be happy with the things that I make than rush out videos just to chase some algorithm or something. This is just for fun. - What did Sparrow actually do? What she had to...

[@rennoib]

Thanks a lot, you should pin this comment to keep it on the top.

[@yxt-Youssef_324.siiiiiii]

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[@MitchelHart]

this film ia amazing and incredibly well done. you've definitely got a good side gig doing this

[@Senhor_Raposo]

E um SCP? 🕴️🕴️🕴️🕴️

[@chivonfortney1656]

I love it❤!

[@luznoceda423]

I was wondering why the animation of this channel was so familiar. It turns out the director of Hilda The Series is behind this channel. He's impressively talented and I wish his channel will reach millions of subs

[@God_melon_cat]

Ayooooo its luz noceda

[@luznoceda423]

@@God_melon_cat lowres noceda, actually 🤓👆

[@Iguanodon-fb7rs]

Oooooohhh, I know it seemed familiar. Hilda always had that horror feel to it.

[@gianlu018]

For me the animation is like a version 2.0 from shows like TOH or gravity falls, probably because it's a small team but the animation is more one image and little movement.

[@MillyKKitty]

I knew that someone working at Hilda must've been involved. Yesss. 👏👏👏

[@alexfrancisco9327]

It's a small (and obvious) detail, but demonstrating the passage of time through the character's hair is brilliant.

[@salmascreativitypen4489]

Agreed, I noticed how Sparrow’s hair started from neat to rough and neat again with her time at the mental hospital.

[@yamato6114]

@@salmascreativitypen4489And it goes from her hair being red to just the tips red to show it’s growing

[@salmascreativitypen4489]

@@yamato6114 Exactly, thanks you gotta watch out for the small details.

[@K-o_S]

It reminds me of Zuko's hair in Avatar: The Last Airbender

[@Latinriver]

This is so good. The idea that a curse is being passed onto you, the viewer, always ends a slight chill down my spine. Even if I know it’s just a story.

[@pierrecurie]

some stories are more true than others...

[@notthatbad42]

They’re called cognitonazards, and they’re an interesting concept

[@gdottothegamer1001]

​@@notthatbad42I did a bit of research. It's not that, it's called infohazard. The name is pretty self-explanatory. You give some info about a monster or something like that to others and they'll get infected. The one that you said can only happen through your senses. Touch, smell, hear, taste, and sight

[@D3xteRC4T]

Scared the shit outa me

[@cccyanide3034]

it's just a story ... or is it ? 🤔

[@ProfJamie20]

This has two of my absolute favourite horror tropes in it!! 1) Cognito hazard type thing that gets “passed” to the viewer at the end 2) The LITERAL monster is not actually the TRUE monster (while The Worm is indeed terrifying, the psychiatrist is the one who allowed it to escape, infected everyone else with it, and also abused his power to violate a vulnerable patient’s consent and a whole bunch of other malpractice things - The Worm wouldn’t have spread if it wasn’t for him) This was SO fantastic, the atmosphere and everything else was SO haunting and beautiful and just brought everything together, I just discovered this channel today and these are all so amazing!!! 💕💕

[@dislikebutton6558]

Also, I like how the worm isn’t necessarily portrayed as a monster, but instead a highly intelligent organism doing what it has to in order to survive.. It just happens it’s also a gigantic terrifying kaiju monster that haunts dreams

[@elizabethk007]

This was even better than the first one! I loved how fluid the dream sequences were. The minimal movements during the doctor's narration makes the dreams more jarring.

[@Stinky0368]

Gay!?!?

[@gleove1]

A Nightmare On Elm Street

[@JadenGregg-su9no]

​@geohandel4 REPLIES

[@shadowclaw7210]

You got 666 likes

[@jaygooese4242]

Well I didn't see that 1 coming

[@DMCMaster550]

I like how the narrator, isn't recounting events to warn people away, as seen in stories like "At the Mountains of Madness", but for selfish reasons, so he doesn't have to deal with it anymore. I also like how his curiosity, is what helped The Worm to live. Sparrow knew, had the capacity to do awful things, to keep others from spreading The Worm, but also the strength to keep from spreading it herself. What she didn't count on, was a curious doctor, who had the moral flexibility to not only undergo a frowned upon practice for answers, but to spell it all out, in order to free himself. She almost won, if it weren't for him.

[@RustBot42]

Not to mention the fact that the newspaper on the desk describes the incident as a "murder-suicide attempt" with four of the teens dead, plus an unidentified adult male. This is conjecture on my part, but this seems likely to be "the old man" she spoke about, the one who used to call her "Little Bird". Either spurred on by the Worm, or in a desperate attempt to stop something they knew nothing about, they killed the man, and then killed themselves (or even killed each other) to completely burn any possibility for it to happen again. Except... Sparrow didn't.

[@vizthex]

and in the same way, our own curiosity is what allowed him to spread it the worm to us.

[@KxngRxch]

"if it wasn't for you medaling kids."

[@viniciushenriquepinheiroba1036]

@@RustBot42 Based on the author's pinned comment that claims that "Sparrow did what she had to", I think Sparrow is the one who killed both the "old man" and also her friends, and then tried to kill herself. When she survived, she decided to sacrifice herself by not telling anybody so the worm would die together with her.

[@mistercrool2538]

This is one of those 15 to 20 minute videos that makes you positively feel like you’re watching a 90 to 120 minute long film. I’ve been getting interested in indie shorts (live action and animated) lately and this one is definitely going to my list of favourites.

[@theknight1573]

I know right, especially the last 10 minutes felt both like 2 and 100 minutes at the same time

[@MrHangman56]

thats bad, thats a bad thing to have something your watching do, it shouldn;t feel like 120 minutes of film if it's only 12. you have bad opinions

[@frozenjackal1714]

I adore the detail of Sparrow's hair returning to it's birth color. You can see a photo of her with it completely dyed, then see it progressively get "pushed" out until the end it's back to normal. The doctor made the complete wrong assumption that she looked healthier and stronger. The parasite may be out of her system, but what it took from her will never be something she will ever get back. Fucking perfect.

[@aidenalbin7994]

i genuinely didnt notice that and i love that you pointed that out

[@manobambu]

I dont think I get it... The hair represents her personality that got deleted?

[@mow0118]

@@manobambuI wouldn’t say “her personality got deleted”, more like… a part of her died… after that experience

[@samstarlight160]

I do like to think that there's symbolism to it, but it's also possible that somebody said "She's in a psych ward, she doesn't even get to pick her own clothing. Where would she be getting hair dye?" and they decided to use the change in color to show that she's been institutionalized for a while.

[@MC-yg1mq]

Cool how the song at the beginning talks about sparrow hosting the worm "In the mist of memories remains, yeah I've had this dream before, I always wanted more"

[@daniskowt2470]

omgg i didnt realize that!!!! thats sickk detail

[@melanieodhner4686]

I love how the doctor's moral flexibility and her vulnerable position adds its own layer of horror, and puts a hauntingly relatable twist on the "horror as morality tale" trope. If you cross people's boundaries for their own good, it miiiiiight turn out well... But keep in mind, you might just get your brain eaten by a contagious lovecraftian dream worm! 🙃

[@jessica6608]

Well said! Honestly the part of this that bothered/stuck with me the most was the fact that they drugged her against her will.

[@cinemartin3530]

I like it when people try to see subtext in what they watch. A very useful quality that fills our leisure time with great meaning. I completely agree with your conclusions)

[@jameschristopher2540]

@@jessica6608 of course. But some people are like that. Kinda like the maze runner.

[@ItIsILIV-rx1px]

It’s true! Sparrow tried to save them, and he took it on himself. And now, he’s done a thing he can to get it away from himself! He’s not a good guy 😅

[@samis2642]

​@@cinemartin3530 Subtext is fun to think about, but I wouldn't say it's useful in the slightest.

[@Soundwave._]

Shocked to see none of the comments acknowledging the true horror aspect of this, the medical malpractice. The narrator isn't sympathetic at all. As someone with mental illness who has had psychiatrists good and bad, I would not want to be in this guy's care ever. The attention to detail with the notes on his patient and the way he makes subjective assuptions about her and belittles her (soft-spoken, smaller than expected, etc) is subtle but terrifying.

[@DWHAAD]

Exactly! The monster in this story is not the worm.

[@Soundwave._]

@@DWHAAD Indeed. Very chillingly written, great story!

[@skystygian]

Agreed! What really tipped me off was how he ultimately passed it onto the viewer, he knew how it worked and yet he went ahead and spread it anyway. I guess that just begs the question of if the parasite affects the mind of the host and makes them want to spread it, or if he's just inherently bad and that was his reasoning. Given Sparrow seemed to be fighting sharing about it though I think it has more to do with the person than the parasite.

[@derpstick5467]

@@skystygianso I’m guessing sparrow is the girl and she seems to be okay at the end? lol sorry to the creator I did skip around cause I figured she’d end up torn to pieces by some monster, though if she still suffered mentally from the experience then well maybe death was preferable.

[@ariadnefrolich7243]

Recently started going to a new doctor's office myself and it was shocking how the whole staff seemed to be actually concerned with helping their patients, rather than if we had the money to pay for treatment/had all the proper forms filled out. The fact that such attitudes are the exception rather than the norm in Healthcare really says a lot about our society, and none of it good.

[@minecraftpogfam3760]

Wow, I am blown away at this remarkable short film. The build up to the end, it pulls the whole thing together making me feel more in the story. It left me with goosebumps, not only from feeling uneasy but also how good it was. I just subscribed and can’t wait to see more

[@keenanhaasbroek1491]

You understand horror and terror really well, terror is when you understand it and it scares you, horror is when you don't. A monster will terrify you, a concept will horrify you. Very well done.

[@bedlam_blaze1840]

Other way around, but yes

[@Self-replicating_whatnot]

Isn't it the other way around?

[@command5613]

Terror starts before the horror actually arrives

[@Stiqetastic]

I've never heard anyone call them "terror stories" but okay

[@ellemueller]

Terror is when you don't know and you're afraid of something terrifying. Horror is when you find out what seemed terrifying is actually horrifying and you cannot easily accept it so you may go bonkers to some degree because it's horrifying.

[@diontaedaughtry974]

Thank you for passing the worm to us and dooming us all to hell. Now I gotta try to stay awake like the kids in A Nightmare on Elm Street. 1-2 the worm is coming for you. 😱

[@Basilililisk]

It will be of no use... eventually the mist will come, and with it the worm

[@melvinfranco2142]

​@@BasilililiskWhat would happen if a true psychopath was infected by that thing?

[@alwynwatson6119]

Yeah well I went full crocodile Dundee on Freddy Krueger as a Therizinosaurus. You know “that’s not a claw this is a claw“ if the worm wants to come for me then I hope it likes getting the mitochondria treatment. Do you know because mitochondria were bacteria before our cells hijacked them. I would recommend that anybody who had a dream about this tries the psychic equivalent of that.

[@melvinfranco2142]

@@alwynwatson6119 What do you mean by that?

[@fullmentaljacket4159]

@@melvinfranco2142 I think AW6119 is implying that they're going to hijack the worm for their own purposes. A little like accepting a tapeworm to suppress one's appetite on purpose. The tapeworm thing is real, and I suspect that trying to harness an ancient psychic nightmare abomination would be similarly fraught.

[@doodlebuglet7619]

“It gets passed on when you tell people about it.” *Proceeds to tell everyone on the internet*

[@ryanp9]

Dumb

[@TarrareyoutubeOF]

Sigma doctor

[@_salvaa_]

😂

[@fanbouyant1056]

Dude its ALREADY on the internet, so you wasting your energy..😜

[@ItsWednesdayMyDudes3]

Thats the twist of the story, he shares it so he can pass it on to anyone else

[@lnx4845]

The second the guy said that he started dreaming about the worm, I immediately went "Oh, it's a Cognito Hazard. Oh no, I'm screwed"

[@nitsanraviddaos4797]

Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

[@griefingg0lem685]

It's like being told that you lost the game.

[@Gaster_021]

SCP-1461

[@merlin2v]

Similar thoughts though I have yet to be effected by any cognitohazards so far. Memetic and antimemetic properties don't seem to effect me very much.

[@Gaster_021]

@@merlin2v perhaps it has to be in direct contact for it to work

[@MMumbles]

A little detail I love is how Sparrow's hair color gives you an idea of how much time has passed. Very well done!

[@kayurien845]

The fact that this isn't a whole season show is a tragedy. I am left wanting more

[@Animation_fan14]

Honestly big studios need to get independent creators like this one their own show!!

[@loggling5135]

@@Animation_fan14 Big studios usually come with corporate bureaucracy that ruins or hinders the original creator's vision. Or they're just absorbed into the studio to work on something unrelated to their passion.

[@LegallyinsaneLoL]

@@Animation_fan14good news for you, they actually do have their own show! It isn’t as directly horror like this but they have a show on Netflix I think called Hilda

[@theroundestfrog7913]

It's like a memetic spc type of thing. I absolutely loved that. The contrast of soft and "childish" animation with an absolute horror of something grater than you, of not being able to run away or change your fate once you came to contact with it. The vague description of it changing you to something violent, and becoming contagious to everyone around you.And the best is that it has a perfect trap based on one of strongest human impulses, curiosity. I just really loved it, thank you for making it.

[@dracovoid2001]

Shark punching center

[@woosh_woosh]

@@dracovoid2001 i bet there's an mft out there searching for this thing

[@dracovoid2001]

Totally unrelated to the scp foundation

[@JoseHernandez-xv2bt]

@@woosh_wooshI think MTF “Village Idiots” are on the hunt currently

[@waffles001]

@@dracovoid2001he didnt say it WAS an scp, he said it was similar

[@KyuubiDragon4]

"I am sorry for this." Sure you are. This is fantastic work. I love slow-burn horror like this, it's so much more thoughtful and intriguing than jumpscares and gore. Definitely giving you a sub.

[@dcbandit]

This is my favorite style of horror, no actual blood or gore, just something to haunt you to your core, very classic. Slashers never haunt you like this, they mostly rely of cheap jumpscares and gore, which while can work, it never really lasts. Nothing better than a classic story! I love the animation too, very much belies the true horror that is about to unfold. And when it does, it goes hard, so smooth and intense! Love it.

[@RralRonaldo]

Just love how you generalize all slashers

[@relight6931]

Yah, the mistery or misery or both, paired with dreadd and slow unraveling of either clues or one's own sense of reality just has this sense of a gift that just keeps on giving.. Except you never asked for it or wanted it.. For me a horror that doesn't stay with you for a while after watching, just ain't horror.. Using jump scares is relying on using human instincts to produce a reaction. It is cheap. So is using gore, or using ones sense of disguast. I have not made my mind on using uncanny movement yet. Good horror is as most genres, good story telling, with intentions of bringing certain emotions, atmosphere.. This piece right got it all..

[@clydecraft5642]

@@RralRonaldobecause slashers are for adrenaline junkies, aka modern idiots who want a rush.

[@dcbandit]

@@relight6931 exactly!

[@Adultswim-A-Plus]

You said it all... I loved the narration. Made me hang In There 😅

[@unicornfishhh1116]

I love how you used her hair dye to express the passing of time so creative!!

[@paleoartstudios783]

Another outstanding piece of animated storytelling. I tell ya -I love this stuff. Seven months out of University, and seeing this really takes me back to the final year around October, when I would lounge about the cafe, attend the writing club, and write stories. Reliving memories is reliving the good times. Awesome video

[@DaisyLefay]

bro this is better than 98% of the stuff hollywood is producing these days

[@DarkandTwisted]

As a horror/thriller writer, illustrator and animator myself, I must say this was very well done. Brilliant writing, illustration and animation. I hope there is a part 2. 😍🥰👏👏👏👏👏

[@Adultswim-A-Plus]

Indeed

[@somanemeth6317]

Don't worry, it will come in your dream... :D

[@Adultswim-A-Plus]

@@somanemeth6317 Then It Will beg for its freedom from the monsters in my mind :D

[@jonathansandusky7446]

@@somanemeth6317 Nah. The real terror was the egregiousness of all those damn bass drops. Like, really? Motherfuckers.

[@hrothgarnogar]

It doesn't need a part 2. The story is complete. The whole point, if you were paying attention, is that YOU the viewer are the next part.

[@NoodleGoblin]

Mnemonic hazard stories that end with the narrator telling us about the thing and "passing it on" to the audience never fails to send chills down my spine and give me goosebumps! Good work!

[@looking4agoodtime89]

The storyteller just added a lot more bodies to the Raid. LOCK N LOAD! CAUSE WE GOING IN! AND WE GONNA KICK THIS THING’S ASS!

[@medexamtoolscom]

Then read "Nothing But Gingerbread Left" by Henry Kuttner. Some say it actually inspired the "funniest joke in the world" monty python sketch.

[@C0PP3R.]

@@looking4agoodtime89YESSIR

[@xkavarsmith9322]

8:35 I can tell, even as abstract as it was drawn, that poster on the cell wall is the Hang In There Cat. Which adds to the cuteness of the animation and the horror of the situation. Why would the hospital remind patients that suicide is an option?

[@mellowingg]

In a way, your question almost serves as a metaphor. If the hospital is inadvertently reminding its patients of suicide, isn't that cruelty, yet just hidden behind kindness? It works, because even though it wasn't inadvertent for the doctor (assuming it was for the hospital, and that it was an innocent gesture), it was still cruelty hidden behind 'kindess'.

[@cubonefan3]

“Hang in there cat” is not invoking the idea of suicide 🙄 it’s crazy you actually think that

[@Ohallo-tp2eb]

Nice, infohazards are always a cool concept, and it’s cool to see a horror animation that uses a more typical ‘cartoony style’

[@SixxWolfZx]

That's what took me by surprise I wasn't expecting a legitimate psychological trick to strike fear into the viewers. That made me smile, it was good!

[@farinafranqui]

This is a cognitohazard, not an infohazard

[@SAMMYTASTISCH]

@@farinafranqui You know, what "cognito" means, right

[@farinafranqui]

@@SAMMYTASTISCH Yes because if you know the information, it's dangerous. An infohazard is information that *can* be dangerous if you follow it. If someone told you how to easily break your thumb, thats an info hazard. You wont break your thumb, but now you can. A cognitohazard is information that *will* be dangerous if you know it.

[@dukedevlan5457]

​@@SAMMYTASTISCHS.C.P REDACTED, REDACTED

[@MinibossMakaque]

Ok, so I'm just guessing here, but the unspoken part of the story might be something like this: When you tell someone about the worm they get the worm and you're cured. If you tell a group, they all get the worm. The worm doesnt want to kill it's host. And the narrator expected to meet a monster. So Sparrow and her group of friends all received the worm at the same time, presumably from the old man. Sparrow realized how the worm spread and killed everyone who'd been infected excluding herself.

[@DeathKitta]

I thought the longer you have the worm the less control you have over yourself and the worm kinda forced her to kill her friends.

[@AltriaQueenOfMoths]

​@@DeathKittaIt wouldn't kill its own hosts. She killed them so they wouldn't spread it.

[@DeathKitta]

@@AltriaQueenOfMoths I don't know. Like, if the worm doesn't have control over you and just feeds of your energy and fears, than the problem isn't that big to straight up kill people. Someone tells you about the worm, you have a nightamre, you tell someone else and you are free. It makes it worse if one person tells many, cause then there are many worms. But if you contain this to one for one, or tell this to someone dying so they can't even get to tell anyone else... Maybe I am overdoing with ratiolizing it xD

[@katchii93]

@@AltriaQueenOfMothsdamn i thought they were just driven mad and unalived themselves. her doing it so it wouldn’t spread makes it creepier and more tragic

[@satsujin4027]

​@@AltriaQueenOfMothsOk but if that was true and she was able to go that far to protect others, why not kill herself andbtake the worm with her? She was already in a state where she didnt have anything to lose and if protecting others was her priority, the logical answer was for her to kill the last host: herself. Is there any chance that the worm actually stopped her from doing that somehow?

[@chriswolfe403]

the transition from un-dyed roots to almost all brown hair is ACE. This detail alone is worth my total attention

[@DragonKing-te9wy]

Amongst the multi-layered horror, I see a cautionary tale about loss. Sparrow lost a lot and got the Worm for it, she held it in, which of course ate away at her, as would any pent up emotion or bad memory. Then someone tried to help her, whether with good intentions at first or not since the doctor mentioned she had done terrifying things but never specified, so who knows if Sparrow was driven to madness at times or the doctor simply lied about any horrible things she may or may have not done; he soon became infatuated with the mystery itself and also lost something - his trustworthiness, conscience, and possibly a friend. It all boils down to the question of: what happens when you have gone through terrible trauma and need to let it out, but can't, for fear of it destroying another? This is a beautiful, thoughtful horror story. Especially since the original victim was liberated, which seems to be rare in the genre. Yet that too could be seen as tragic, since she tried to bear it up lest anyone would catch it. Thank you! This stimulates my mind wonderfully! To partially answer my own question: never share trauma with morally weak individuals with a lot of power, and do not post it online where you can attract all the manipulative, malicious people.

[@TheSaiProducts]

Man, from one host to another... it was well done, kept one curious enough till the end.

[@Bananappleboy]

Man, is there an end to the numerous of people with OneShot Niko profile pictures?

[@JadenGregg-su9no]

2 REPLIES

[@katestarkey8375]

Man, now ima have anxiety about *this* for a few weeks

[@gesso9061]

​@@Bananappleboy no, we are always there

[@walleandeve1]

These short stories are better thought out and more captivating then pretty much anything I've seen coming out of big producers recently. You have a real talent for this, please never stop.

[@WarriorofSunlight]

Most good creepypastas or online horror stories that I’ve read or listened to have stories far superior to most actual horror movies. I guess some things are just hard to put into live action, at least without an astronomical budget.

[@something-from-elsewhere]

@@WarriorofSunlight Animation, on the other hand.... /gen

[@WarriorofSunlight]

@@something-from-elsewhere I absolutely love animation.

[@StyxDescension]

This sort of concept is called an infohazard and I think these are really freakin' cool concepts for horror stuff. Fantastic short!

[@adamofblastworks1517]

"The Bye-bye man" I can't help but laugh every time I think of that.

[@AllyOJustice]

@@adamofblastworks1517 this is that done correctly.

[@yeetus5111]

or cognitohazard

[@DiabloDelMer1]

Memetic hazard is another one.

[@Plazmasoldier]

⁠@@yeetus5111It’s more like a subsection of cognitohazards

[@Roronoa1213]

I love this, I usually listen to Reddit horror, because not much of the mainstream horror scares me, and I’ve found out that by having nothing visual, it leaves it to my imagination, and it caters to my personal worst fears, this left just enough to my imagination to be quite chilling. I loved it. As a big fan of Hilda, I adore the animation style and really appreciate the horror film 🫶🫶

[@Extex_]

This is amazing, portraying a physciatrist like a noir detective

[@x.Galaxolotl.x]

The thing is people will probably watch this at night, therefore when they go to sleep (if they do sleep) they may dream about The Worm because it was the most relevent thing in their mind, this could mix with memories of the past and possibly create an nightmare like the one we saw in this animation, so the ending could actually kinda happen in theory, whether this was the goal or just pure accident it's still super freaky if you think about it, great job either way 💜

[@theredgermandude6469]

Im goin to sleep now. Im gonna tell you tomorrow

[@Eulers_Identity]

​@@theredgermandude6469Share your findings 👍

[@NaraMidnight]

It's 1:50 AM for me, I'll see how it goes.

[@StoneBox_761a]

Me with autism and over lapping brain parts: "ok."

[@theredgermandude6469]

I didn't dream about it, but I haven't slept so well in a long time

[@InternetStrangerThatCanRead]

The things you can do with animation compared to live action is amazing. I love the minimal movement it allows people to focus on the dialogue and the way you held back how the worm is spread until after the story actually sent shivers down my spine. Needless to say I am now subscribed.

[@Adultswim-A-Plus]

Yes... Yes... Right on 😄

[@Cookedandcreepy]

I wish I could do animation 😩

[@MatheusCrediDio]

Now we'll dream with The Worm...We all doomed!😱

[@Adultswim-A-Plus]

@@MatheusCrediDio It will take some time eating through thousands of people before eventually getting to you 😏... Your Safe for now,😶

[@MatheusCrediDio]

@@Adultswim-A-Plus Thanks for the information bro...Now I have some time to think of a plan to stop The Worm!

[@idkimjustherenow]

I absolutely love this animation and the storytelling, its so well done and genuinely pulled me into the story enough that i began to suspect the twist before it happened! Always a joy to see! One thing especially freaked me out tho, and its the fact that Sparrow's character design very closely resembles someone i know IRL, and that scared the shit out of me. wonderful job!

[@ultmateragnarok8376]

A very cool concept. The worm seemed to shift forms, and with our limited sample size of one dream for each person, it's impossible to say if its shape adapts to its host, or if you get a new horror every time you sleep. That interests me. I suspect the old man was just as desperate as Sparrow was, as the psychologist quickly got. Given it's said it wants to propigate, I wonder why it leaves its hosts. And why it led Sparrow to supposedly kill those others - did they die by passing it on, one by one? Does passing it on to a group kill all but one? What of explaining it to someone after you lose it? It's a very interesting concept, with a lot of unknowns that just make it scarier. No telling how this thing's going to act, or what, precisely, it's feeding on.

[@alwynwatson6119]

My hypothesis is that the worm hosts eventually die after it has taken all it can. She was infected last and it didn't drain her as fast because it needed her to pass it on. It worked. The worm and its offspring now have 870k hosts to choose from. It probably eats positive emotions or possibly souls based on the effect it has on people.

[@ajlovechrist]

What

[@vanzeralltheway8638]

Because its such an abstract concept, let me just guess an abstract answer too. As alwyn said, it probably feeds off of your fear for as long as it could. Maybe, after sparrow got infected she decided to tell 4 other people (the Woodfield Five) presumably her friends (kid of similar age) and then the 5 of them started to have the same nightmarish dream. They might be having it in turns, or a few at the same time, or a few at the same time in the same dream, or no patterns at all... The obvious things is the 5 of them are breaking down. Maybe because these 5 kids are the initial contractor or relatively young the nightmare didnt break them far enough, and some of them accidentally told other people that, ufortunately, isnt as strong as them and those other people turned insane or commit unalive. Maybe its the guilt, maybe its their initial misunderstanding of what the "feed me" mean, but i think the worse happened then and these kids decided to end the suffering and killed the other infecteds. They made it into the Woodfield 5 case afterall so maybe all 5 of them are not desperate enough to kill themselves yet, and fully understand the effect of speaking about the "you know what" so they zip their mouth. Maybe the worm just got bored after nesting inside sparrow for so long and decided to fully jump to other host. Who is to say that it cant just jump back to any previous host ? Well, what it wants is obvious. Lets use a tree as an analog. All you need to do is to water them trees or in case of a big tree, just let them be and they will grow and survive on their own. You feed on them by plucking their fruit, maybe shaking the tree will get you those fruit or well, you know what i mean. It specifically didnt kill so it can continously harvesting their fear.

[@Jay_Vee1]

I'm genuinely so glad I came across this video on my recommendations. The animation, voice work and story were nothing short of enthralling, and I really hope more people learn about this channel. I know this will probably just be an one-shot story, but I wish we could learn more about Sparrow and the doctor. Overall, an amazing work! Props to everyone who participated in it!

[@ChillPengu75]

The entire time I had already figured out that the worm goes to people just from them being told about it, but it all clicked for me as soon as he said it at 14:17 I immediately went "This mother fricker got me."

[@WlngDlngBat]

So I was reading the newspaper article shown at 3:54, and among the 4 dead kids, the article also said there was an ‘unidentified adult male’ who died with them. I wonder if maybe he was the ‘old man’ who called her ‘little bird’ and then maybe he passed the worm onto them, and that’s what caused them to inherit it?

[@user-vn5xj6yc9p]

That is so well made. The art style, the voices and animations. Everything is great and especially the usage of diffrent kind of phobias made that great and the breaking of the fourth wall worked great. Amazing.

[@katchii93]

passing it on by just telling other people about it - one of my favorite tropes when executed well and it was here! i realized by the end that we were next 😆 love the style and animation! i know this is from the director of hilda and i love hilda just as much. splendid work 💕

[@shaunpocalypse]

This whole passing it on thing sounds a whole lot like SCP and I'm surprised not to see any comments about it lmao

[@hildamarston4077]

Finally. Another creepy story from your part! Gotta say, your artstyle in the animations seriously gives me Hilda vibes, it looks almost similar. And i like it. We need more animations with this style.

[@elizabethk007]

It gives you Hilda vibes becuase the guy who makes these is the art director for Hilda

[@hildamarston4077]

@@elizabethk007 No way. You're kidding.

[@foxpro3002]

a guy who works with on show directed this, he's an animator I think.

[@elizabethk007]

@@hildamarston4077Nope, not kidding! Look up Andy Coyle

[@hildamarston4077]

@@cynicg I don't think this was actually made by the people who made Hilda. What makes you guys think that?

[@metaphysicalmonsters3667]

Reaaaally good character animation in this one!! Great job to all the artists (including sound designers and voice actors!) who brought this story to life!

[@tred6292]

This is beautiful animation. Reminds me of Hilda and Infinity Train. Great story too. I was intrigued throughout the entire thing, and yet, only at the end did I realize the true scope of what the story was trying to tell me.

[@ailamusic6135]

It’s actually by the same person who directed Hilda!

[@moroseloki1912]

Not sure what any of that is. But yeah animation is dope.

[@looking4agoodtime89]

You mean that the doctor just added a lot more people to the raid? WELCOME ABOARD! AIM FOR THE LEGS FIRST! WE CAN FUCKIN *GET* THIS SONUVABITCH!

[@derpstick5467]

@@moroseloki1912Hilda and the infinity train is another animation made by the creator, look at it since you like the animation.

[@Dekuzan]

@@moroseloki1912 the animation is dog water and so is the story. this is literally just evolved gacha, so trash istg and it tries to act good with the wording lmao its just trash

[@CordellPotts]

Normally I wouldn't think this art style would mesh with horror. It does though. It adds an innocence that makes the dark things seem even darker.

[@2BagSam]

I've waiting for so long and they finally delivered this masterpiece.

[@johnjriden]

Couldn’t have said it better myself when I saw the notification across my screen I almost dropped my phone.!!!!!

[@SeinIshamiado]

Animation takes time

[@2BagSam]

@@SeinIshamiado 😐ok?

[@SeinIshamiado]

@@2BagSam I'm just saying. You wait a long time because animation takes a long time.

[@bondyrabbit8852]

It is utterly impressive that despite having a plethora of still frames, this animation is able to keep one's attention for so long. Truly, a testament to good writing and performing.

[@Imnotsmg4bob]

The Worm: **gets passed onto me** My sleep paralysis demon: *YOU PICKED THE WRONG HOUSE, FOOL!*

[@ilikecats-sn3oh]

My sleep paralysis demon is called greg and one time i played uno with him i think it was in a dream because he’s in those too

[@lord_ozymandias]

sleep paralysis demon and the worm get into a custody battle

[@ariadnefrolich7243]

Not to be disrespectful to those who suffer from sleep paralysis, but the idea of the demon fighting off other evil entities simply because it was there first makes me laugh.

[@thehyperion5333]

Would be like Sukuna.

[@wandry96]

I didn't expect such a ending until 5 seconds he actually unveils it. I think it's a really great and original idea. Really a wonderful short animated film , the music is top notch besides the animation itself and even the dub. Really looking forward to see another one ASAP.

[@addy7464]

Thanks for choosing this aspect ratio. It feels amazing when the video fills the whole screen.

[@RansvensAnimation]

The art design on this is so ridiculously good! Character designs, backgrounds, and even the way the voice acting is processed brings such a great atmosphere and polish. Well done!!!

[@CTRLVCatMemes]

HOW has KZbin not pushed this harder!? Its a CRIME!

[@MegaMindYt0909]

Yeah instead they just push lgbtq bs

[@thespicychicken7774]

When I was younger I used to get nightmares every night, it would always end in my gruesome death and sometimes it would be so bad I would feel the pain when I woke up. I’m fine now but I have no idea to this day why all that happened. Nonetheless, it wasn’t too much to handle in my eyes, I just stopped sleeping. This is an amazing animation with beautiful art/visuals and an amazing story, I love it.

[@hotelbravowhisky7084]

Anyone else curious what Sparrow and her friends did and how they died? Also, if the Worm can only inhabit one body at a time, how did they have shared psychosis? Aside from that, I loved this one! It was great! It just left me with some interesting questions

[@陽菜-v2g]

It might have been ruled as shared psychosis because of the close time frame

[@MillyKKitty]

In the newspaper it says "FIVE DEAD IN ****(perhaps mass?) Murder/self-deletion. Teenaged survivor in custody". Based on that, I think they all had decided to end the parasite with them.

[@MillyKKitty]

Since it says five dead, Spara's mother might have been involved in it. It would make sense since she was from a spiritualist commutee, so she might have been the last one carrying it? Or it was an uninvolved party that spread it.

[@koboldsage9112]

The mother was part of a cult that was feeding the worm one troubled teenager at a time. One escapes, tells 4 others, and once they believe, once they are all infected, they arm up and wipe out the cult, appearing to outsiders like a murderous rampage. Maybe the worm makes it hard to tell friend from foe once the bloodshed starts. Maybe the worm is temporarily sated by bloodshed. This could be a whitewolf fomori campaign.

[@YoshimotoZentaro]

It was shared, just not at the same time. It was a series. Also, I'm pretty sure the shared psychosis was ruled out.

[@corbinlandreth]

I love how the detective's dialogue leads you into knowing exactly how he's going to finish his sentences, but he just delivers them so darn well.

[@scarystories1800]

I’m an absolute sucker for stories that involve the watcher or reader into it! When done right it adds a whole new layer of spookiness to it. Keep it up cause these stories have been amazing!

[@RubberDuckKid]

This is fantastically done. Everything an eldritch horror should be, well done

[@Mankey619]

It’s an amazing Lovecraftian horror short movie you’ve ever made. I like the concept and ideas of a worm that feeds on your inner most fears, like a parasite and goes from host to host.

[@a-s-greig]

Mine must be starving. Poor little guy...

[@Sgront]

a story with a perfect tension.......once started to notice it you get sucked in ! and perfect background music, happy you having a friend doing this ! this sadly remembers me to the fatigue of depression.....lot of parallels, this is also a parasite that eats you up in my humble opinion !

[@MarsBarzzzz]

This is extremely impressive. The dream sequences are so cool, the storyline is even cooler. Infohazards can be hard to pull off effectively, but this was perfect. Immaculate job!!

[@OhNoImHere]

To be honest, this channel needs more attention. I love everything, the story, the art, the animation. Good job guys!

[@aceupsleeve9331]

As an animator this is SO good love the simplicity yet attention to detail. Sound work is amazing too. bravo all around

[@viribusunitis8617]

I have come back to watch this a lot over the past year, and it doesn't get old. I just love the art style! The fact that only the dream sequences feel alive while the real world is basically a slide show of almost still images, just makes the Worm so much more real and menacing. Great job indeed!

[@Aiden-wg4pu]

Wow, this story was so great! The doctor’s narration, the animation, so good. The dream was phenomenal, and felt like a real dream! I like the idea of an infohazard, and their potential for stories is limitless.

[@Hype_Films]

Shout out to all the people who worked on this!! Its super cool what people can do to make a dope project this turned out super amazing and everyone did amazing working on it!!

[@delilacain7882]

Just 2 minutes in and gotta say this sound design and voice acting is phenomenal wow this was so engrossing and riveting. Gave me chills. Good job!

[@VEphraim-sb7ox]

I'm terrified I was sleepy now I'm just afraid of the worm the guy's voice was amazing it spooked me.

[@figthegiant4065]

THAT ENDING WAS BRILLIANT- Takes me back to my creepypasta days🏆

[@Cosmicsans2517]

Always 😊

[@elliotgandersen]

This is so good! The art, lighting, sounds, and animation are so crisp. The story telling was inclusive and I just wanted more and more, and I love that ending! Congratulations you’ve earned a new subscriber.

[@ForkLefts]

Oh, DAMN! The doctor's dream sequence was absolutely stunning, both visually and atmospherically!

[@madmcomber752]

Maybe one day I'll write the essay this story deserves, but long story short, I'm in awe. I haven't taken the time to comment on any KZbin video in years, but this was AMAZING.

[@VampirePumpkins]

This story was so good at drawing me in! I like how you waited to reveal the nature of the monster until the end. I love how much is left a mystery, like what was the violent thing sparrow did? What happened to the other people from her town? Who was patient zero? The voice acting, the animation, and the design of the worm were really good too

[@siyabonganongilane3486]

Well Darn, this is the most intriguing story I've ever come across and your animation style brings nostalgic memories from cartoons like Steven Universe and the Regular Show. This was the best animated horror I have ever watched and you have gained a new sub this day. Absolutely beautiful work this is.

[@slowmotionfear2]

man, you need to read/watch more stuff if this is the best you've ever seen lol.

[@siyabonganongilane3486]

Relax man. I've watched great stuff and still watching great stuff. I'm just admiring someone's working who by their quality of work has a passion for what they do. So I just expressed myself the way I felt when I was watching the animation. That didn't mean I don't know a lot of interesting movies,series,mangas and comic books alright.

[@Unlucky_RabbitFoot]

That twist had me in shock- beautiful storyline with beautiful animation

[@politexme8488]

The last message scared me but really this is AMAZING. I was really just passing through videos and I came to be attached to this one. Keep up the good work👏🏿

[@J_Meep]

THIS IS SO COOL The concept of this story was incredibly captivating, and it included the watchers in it. The art was cool, the story was scary, you accomplished exactly what you set out to do!! Literally love this, Thank you!!

[@OneBitGaming]

I love these animated shorts on youtube, so many talented people sharing their work.

[@UnpublishedThoughts]

The animation, the story, the music, the narrative. I loved everything about this. Your work is gorgeous and I truly hope you’ll keep on building on the awesome universe you’re creating. I can’t have enough of it ! Best of luck for your future endeavours -😊

[@tibble_studios]

Absolutely amazing. I am going to show my whole family tonight!!

[@ThompsonMaple]

I’m at a loss for words. I’ve never seen such amazing storytelling matched with smooth and well made animation. It kept me hooked to the end, while it was told I had to turn on my lamp to feel some sort of comfort. I can’t wait for the next story. This has inspired me to start writing again. Keep making great things, soon enough millions of people will recognize your talent. Warm Regards A Canadian story lover

[@Glow_Stix139]

Around 14:32 is when I realized I was fucked, I heard to much 😭

[@ZombieOfBerlin]

Rude. I wanted a spooky story not to be infested with a dream parasite.😝 Loved the animation, especially how Sparrow's hair dye grows out over time.

[@helen5272]

I was pretty certain I knew what was happening from the half on, but it was only at 14:25 when it occurred to me, that I was the one being told about the worm. Brilliant plot and incredible animation!

[@locomotivefaox]

I really liked the opening sequence espeically, you guys do the sort of uncannyness of being alone in a comfortable place turned uncomfortable really well if that makes any sense. I actually find those sequences a lot more disturbing than the actual monster reveals.

[@TheMisbegottenOphanim]

This looks beautiful! I hope there's an entire show like this!

[@Totally._.Not._.Elliot]

OH MY GOD?!?? this is amazing! the animation, the artwork, the soundtrack, the voice acting, the story, everything! i would toootally watch something like this if it were ever a series

[@lewisrodriguezespigares3325]

This was AMAZING. I suscribe to the channel right now. I never thought this kind of animation could work SO good with a terror story. Congratulations!!

[@swarple]

Wooo cosmic horror! Wooo infohazards! Loved this. I’ve watched a few animated horror shorts recently but this one is definitely my favorite. So creepy. Also that monster design? Awesome. It’s just all awesome.

[@Kiloburn]

I'm so very glad to see new content from this channel. These are really wonderful, and as always, I'm hungry for more! The dream sequence is fantastic!

[@dragonofthewest5971]

amazing! as a huge fan of horror genre, Hilda, and Gravity Falls, this is just my kind of thing! thank you

[@Alexsvideos-vj8ih]

The way this part was done is so good! Amazing! 11:03 I have a theory that the wirm could have something to do with the spiritual group Sparrow's mom was involved with

[@SuddenlyUpsidedown]

So glad I finally clicked on this. Not sure why but I thought this was going to be one of those 'totally true scary stories' which I'm not so much for, but it kept coming up in my feed so I gave it a shot. Love me some good, tightly paced, well animated cosmic horror.

[@AlcachofaQ]

This is incredibly well put together, from the narration to the dream sequence. The ending was genuinely chilling, I'll be waiting for the mist

[@theseusaurus1061]

Thank you, The Worm, for popping up on my recommended right around 1 am! I’m not gonna sleep now! Jokes aside this is insanely cool, I love it so much

[@Platypus_Gaming_1]

Cognito Hazards are always something I find interesting, the concept of a being that hunts or feeds on people just by having them aware of its existence is inherently perplexing and I love it.