I’d already been crying because I knew it was something I couldn’t hold off on doing anymore, but I was still terrified. I asked to facetime her and I was stuttering and sniffling and couldn’t quite make the words come out. She was patient and let me ramble. Finally, I looked away from my phone and said “I’m sure you know already, but I’ve just gotta come out and say the words: I’m bisexual” at which point I started sobbing and clapped a hand over my mouth and she just... laughed. Guys, she laughed and sighed and said “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be laughing, it’s not funny, I’m not laughing at you, I just thought it was going to be something bad!”

We laughed a little more and she kept apologizing for laughing and I kept saying “go ahead, go ahead, I’d rather you laugh than hang up on me!” Eventually the tears stopped and we stopped laughing, she asked how long I’ve known, how I was feeling, what made me finally come out, all that. I asked if she was mad and she laughed again and said “no”.

Then, we talked about her work day and my writing and her sore neck and my cat until her husband asked if she was coming back to finish the movie.

Clock Tower: First Fear is a 1997 re-edition of Human Entertainment's groundbreaking horror adventure, initially released in 1995 for the Super Famicom. Clock Tower was one of the first mature survival horror games of its day, one of several reasons supporting its notoriety and popularity. With the last official episode of the series being released for the PS2, already a few years after the extinction of Human, it stands today as a treasured cult-classic among players and collectors.

Limited to a very few editions placed in the market that year, the special release of First Fear was accompanied by a few extras, such as a small booklet containing information about the game, storyline, characters and the distinguished creator of the series, Hifumi Kōno. However, the greatest of all treats therein was the short comic strip introducing the game in which the main character - the aptly named Jennifer - introducing the circumstances in which she found herself inside the old Barrows mansion threatened by a heartless killer known as the Scissorman. For the first time, that rare comic is now available in English, courtesy of my friend and skilled translator Sorrel Tilley and of Eastern Mind.