Challenger Deep

Caden’s story is split between dual narratives. In one reality, which corresponds to his time in the hospital under the influence of various medications, he is a sailor on a ship. In his other reality, he lives at home with his family, attends school, and occasionally visits with his friends Max and Shelby.

Caden’s life on the ship is a delusion. Gradually, his delusions begin to creep into his real life with an insistence that blurs the line between what is real and what is not. Caden knows that people are plotting against him and wishing him harm. He does not simply believe he can know people’s thoughts; he feels a strong conviction that he is inside their minds. He is wrong, but his certainty feels so concrete and urgent that he acts on his delusions as his compulsions flog him onward.

At the hospital, he begins to acquire tools that help him question whether something he sees, thinks, or feels may be a delusion. The ability to even wonder whether he is wrong gives him new insights into the nature of his reality. He openly worries about what he will believe next, whether it will be real or not.