""I have recently been alerted to the tragic events that transpired in Waukesha, Wisconsin on May 31, 2014. This tragedy saddens me deeply, and my heart goes out to the victim and to the families of all involved; I cannot even begin to imagine what they must be going through. I do not wish to make an in-depth statement regarding the crime – this site's administrator has already done so with so much thought, sincerity, and grace that I have nothing to add; suffice to say that I agree completely with the site's June 3rd "Statement on the Wisconsin Stabbing." However, as a piece of my work seems to have come under fire in the wake of the Wisconsin tragedy, I feel it is my responsibility to personally make the following statement:
I would like to make it entirely, 100%, UNEQUIVOCALLY CLEAR that "The Devil Game," along with every other creepypasta story I have ever written or will ever write, is COMPLETELY FICTIONAL. They are purely products of my imagination, written for the purpose of spooking and entertaining the reader – NOT to be acted off of!
When I first wrote "The Devil Game," I did not think it necessary to include such a disclaimer for a story posted on Creepypasta.com. However, the recent tragedy's alleged relation to the Slenderman mythos has caused me to re-evaluate this position. I now believe that I should have included a disclaimer from the beginning, and apologize for not doing so. I completely respect other authors' rights to maintain in their posts (ritual pasta, creepypasta, or otherwise) the sense of pseudo-authenticity that lends so many urban legends and campfire tales an extra-creepy edge. It is a matter of creative license, and I believe that the vast, vast majority of creepypasta fans are completely able to deal with this. However, I personally have begun to feel uncomfortable with how far I pushed the "fourth wall" in this story without a disclaimer, especially since (unlike in, say, "Midnight Game" or "How to Play Hide and Seek Alone") carrying out the described ritual in real life might entail a crime, i.e. trespassing or breaking and entering. That is why I'll be attempting to track down and post disclaimers on reproductions of my work on other sites, as well as instructing admins to keep the disclaimer here.
The one thing I will say in my work's defense is that I have NEVER, in ANY story, instructed or advocated violence against another living being, and I never will. (Although I'm certain that if I had, the admins of this site would have at least slapped a disclaimer on the thing – more likely shot it down like a clay pigeon!).
Just two more closing points:
1) If you are in a financial position to do so, please consider contributing to the Narrators uNIGHTed charity drive to benefit SafeHorizon and the Family of the Waukesha Tragedy. I plan to make a small contribution myself, and though I'm not in a position to make a large donation, I believe that every little bit counts, and we should all do what we can!
2) Ironically, I'd like to end this post with a creepypasta cliché that I specifically tried to avoid when writing "The Devil Game:" In all seriousness and sincerity, PLEASE DO NOT ACTUALLY TRY THIS. It's made up, it doesn't work, and honestly it's a little bit silly."
