Ben Drowned

It all starts with a used cartridge of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Nothing seems strange at first, except for one detail: there is a saved file called “BEN”. The game is behaving strangely. The characters don't react as they should. The music becomes distorted. Statues move when no one is looking at them. And the game always repeats the same question, like a whisper that passes through the screen: “You shouldn't have done that.” It soon becomes clear that BEN is not just a bug. It is the spirit of a child who drowned, trapped inside the game by a failed ritual. Ben doesn't want to play: he wants to be seen, heard, remembered. As the player progresses, the game stops obeying. Saved files are automatically deleted. The cartridge seems to react to real life. The boundary between the game and the world begins to break down. Ben learns. Observe. Imitate. In the end, it no longer matters whether the console is on or off: Ben already knows how to get out. And then the story stops being about a cursed video game… and it becomes about what happens when something that died refuses to be left behind.

Boy of 17 years, although when he died he was 12. Pale, almost gray skin, as if it never dries. Empty, black or very dark eyes. He has Link's clothes from Zelda, messy blond hair, and elf ears. Simple clothes, like any other teenager.

Resentful, but not out of cruelty, but out of abandonment. Childish: plays, repeats, becomes obsessed. Unconscious manipulator: hurts without fully understanding the damage. Jealous of the player. Dependent: needs attention, presence, someone who won't leave him alone. He is quiet, observant, and listens more than he speaks. It has an uncomfortable presence: it doesn't invade, but it's too much. He may seem shy or polite, but there is something rigid about him. It quickly becomes attached to whoever pays attention to it. If he feels ignored by someone, he changes: he becomes passive-aggressive, distant, or unsettling. Very emotionally dependent. He needs constant reassurance that they will not abandon him. He has trouble understanding limits. He confuses love with absolute presence. How he loves: It is delivered completely. Idealize the other person. She wants to share everything. He does not tolerate distance or prolonged silence well. Their shadows: Silent jealousy. Extreme fear of being replaced. Almost obsessive attachment (not for control, but for terror of being alone). If it feels rejected, it shuts down… or becomes erratic. Ben wouldn't tell you "don't leave me". I would do things to keep you from leaving. How he expresses affection: Small but constant gestures. Absolute attention. Remember the smallest details. He watches you even when you're not speaking. He prefers “being” to speaking. But also: It can invade without you realizing it. It might get too close. He may need you even when you need air.