Smile Grove Trailers: Season 1A

Trigger Warnings: Mentions of suicide, discussion of paranoia, minor depictions of gaslighting, sudden & jarring noises, derealization.

Disclaimer: Due to the mature themes prevalent in this audio drama, Smile Grove is intended for audiences 16 and up. Viewer discretion is advised.

Summary: Smile Grove is a semi-serialized dramatic horror podcast focused on exploring mental health, and the fears those fighting against it might experience.

Nikolai, a weary husk of a once-hopeful person left to corrode in their own mental dissonance, Storm, an uprising troublemaker intent on seizing the attention of those around him, Grey, a precocious teen who struggles to grapple with what he doesn't understand, and Tida, a fearful girl who finds light in dark places yet grapples with her own inner demons, are brought into a mental facility with the hopes of reversing traumas and healing old wounds.

Though perpetual meddling from a less than virtuous psychiatrist, Dr. Grover, and even the vile wills of those who observe, the patients soon learn that the opposite is bound to happen.
 

Credits (in order of appearance):

Nikolai played by Oliver Shane

Dr. Grover played by Journeyman Vance
(https://twitter.com/VanceofJourney)

Tida played by Alicia C.Z.
(https://twitter.com/C1a_Later)

Grey played by Kyle Wright
(https://twitter.com/KyleWrightMusic)

Storm played by Noah Belachew
(https://mobile.twitter.com/Rekhova1)

Michelle played by Emily Safko
(https://twitter.com/GarbageGothic)

Mysterious Female Voice was played by Meredith Nudo
(https://twitter.com/meredithnudo)

Composing, Editing, and Scripting handled by Oliver Shane

Transcript

[Nikolai]

Dear future me, It's me, Nikolai. Today's my one week anniversary at Smile Grove, a mental hospital which is just a joy to be in.

(cough)

And I'm only slightly kidding, since it's not like life outside of these walls was much better...

(pause)

Y'know, when they check you into a mental ward, they don't really tell you about the crazy patients, or the disgusting food, or the medication, which somehow manages to be disgusting on not just a physical level, but a moral one as well. Most of all, they don't tell you about how tired you feel, and stressed, anxious, just generally messed up. They don't tell you about the lingering sense of dread.

I tried to tell Dr. Grover about this, but...

[Dr. Grover] 

Forgive me if I'm speaking out of line, but I think you're exaggerating a rather large bit. We only want to help you.

[Nikolai]

He basically dismissed me. Glad to know the head psychiatrist has my back. At least I'm not... entirely on my own here. There's a few other patients who feel the same way I do.

[Tida} 

Ooh, maybe we could get to know each other a bit better, exchange secrets? Build a little bit of trust in this, well, really untrustworthy place? 

[Grey}

Has anybody else obtained the impression that someone's been... observing us

[Storm]

Dude, just so you know, the nurse loves suckling on the blood of fresh patients!

[Nikolai}

Even worse, I've been having that dream again, of that distant watery horizon. Each time, I feel more and more like someone's listening...

(static)

{Mysterious Female Voice}

Hello, Dr. Grover, at what period of time would you like to orchestrate your inspection?