5 Scary Stories Too Terrifying to Listen to in the Dark ― Creepypasta Story Compilation

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chilling tales for dark nights [Music] fog lights by jeremiah hoffman narration production and sound design by Jesse Cornett original score by Brandon boo [Music] normally ran a stubby finger crosses lips then when leathery and cracked he had nothing to eat the previous day but coffee and sweets and he'd been up all night riding his tongue fell fairy in his mouth like the tail of some anxious little animal hiding in the dark hollow of a rotting stump he was staring out the single window of the kitchenette at the back of his trailer eyes fixed upon the mailbox which seemed miles away standing alone in the early morning fog soon the postman would show up and once again unwittingly plagued Gormley's harbinger of doom the thought made the fat little man smile and his lower lip split down the center a small bead of red bubbled from the slit and Gormley raked it into his mouth with square yellow dentures it took another swig of his coffee and got up to pace the floor the postman was a bit late perhaps it was the fog normally himself couldn't recognize much outside his window the blacktop road that led back to town appeared to have drowned and the murk the dry brambles of the thicket occasionally revealed their twisting jagged tips as the fog slithered through the spaces between the branches the gloom emanated from the woods outside as if exhaled by the ancient wicked lungs of some unseen demon normally wanted to step out and walk toward town to see if he could see any approaching fog lights but he knew he'd be wasting his time he sat back down at his shabby little table and unwrapped his last peppermint candy he looked at the disorganized stacks of paper in front of him printed two photos of children photos from yearbooks sports teams vacations all of them emblazoned with the same word and thick bold lettering the word missing Gormley perused the photos as if he were picking out a steak at a butcher shop he would pick up each photo and study it he'd read the accompanied information and he would deliberate his criteria weren't strict mostly he based his decision on how happy the child looked in the picture normally hated their smiles if the child repulsed him enough he would place the photo to the side in a special pile once he'd whittled his list down to one he read up on the case when and where the child disappeared what they were wearing that day where they'd been spotted since if they'd been spotted since he did research all he could about the child's parents siblings if he or she had any pets or participated in the extracurricular activities he'd even try to learn what the child's favorite color was if he could information like this was valuable to his work and the internet made things so much easier and hadn't always been so easy and used to take him up to a year to get the information he needed to produce one letter Gormley felt pride in the fact that this year alone his first year of retirement he'd been able to produce a very convincing letter every couple of weeks thank the good Lord for technology he singled out a photo the subject of his latest work and he regarded it with an obnoxious sneer the little boy in the picture was nauseatingly happy he was wearing a cap with an emblem of a cartoon tiger hitting a baseball and a t-shirt and matching blue and orange the boy held a small trophy in his hands and he looked so damned proud of himself Gormley reclined in his chair and thought of the letters sitting in the mouth of his lonely mailbox dear mrs. ableton the old worries are at an end on the man who for years and seven months ago took your boy Trevor from your car while she shopped we sat and watched you return with your gal in the milk before we drove away you may consider yourself lucky it did not suffer long and they remained a virgin I hope that you have since learned to lock your doors for men like me are everywhere and went on for four full pages depicting the most believable abduction torture and murder scenario that Gormley could envision custom detailed for little Trevor ableton Gormley was especially proud of the bit about the jar of spiders he'd learned about the boys arachnophobia and such a particularity was to exquisite to amend in his eyes normally was helping these families get over at all move on with their lives he put a stop to their uncertainty most of all he gave them something to hate and what a great motivator that was hate was what got him up and cracking before the Sun could show itself hate was what had fueled him all of his life hatred was what made him exceptional other children had been spoiled they lived under the illusion that somebody cared about them and if somebody didn't then at least that somebody should care go on was expression curdled at the very idea he could almost taste those thoughts of false love and feigned affection gurgling up the back of his throat like bile and he fought them back by lapping at the dissolving peppermint in his mouth the whole love thing was a joke parents really cared for children as children cared for their toys as objects of dreams and fantasy and ultimately disappointment to be broken and forgotten when playtime ended the amount of love given was only equal to the child's usefulness Gormley had learned that lesson early in his youth and it had made him tough and cruel it had made him exceptional because of the remoteness of his property and his disagreeable comportment normally didn't get many visitors he liked it that way often he would go days without seeing anybody at all except for the postman and the postman was only ever seen from Gormley single front window the postman both excited and disgusted Gormley his father had been a postman that fact alone was enough to spawn a black aversion to any and all postal workers and for years even long after the old man died looking at a mail carrier made Gormley ill every time he did he would hear the rusty screech of his father's truck he would smell the beer tinged halitosis all over again he would hear echoes of garbled curses and shouts was wrong boy was dead he would feel the shoves the slaps and the punches touch it nasty toe thing was wrong before Gormley started his crusade the postman delivered him nothing but pain but this as it turned out was a blessing in disguise and Gormley was perceptive enough to see it through his work he'd turned the thing he hated most into his personal lap dog the postman came almost every day and was his job to come and he would take gone mice letters off and deliver them he had to to every stupid soft happy sappy family the postman was weak a sheep a zombie an instrument the postman had no power over Gormley now it was he who was the puppet master no the preacher no the savior of the world and if the world couldn't learn from him then as far as Gormley was concerned you deserved to suffer blindly in darkness but today today the postman was terribly late and Gormley was beginning to worry maybe the authorities were monitoring his mail maybe they were fitting the postman with high-definition cameras and microphones normally hadn't been caught and punished for doing something bad since he was a child he learned to be careful never once had even received a response from a vengeful grieving parent of course he never revealed his identity but you never know how somebody can find you out nowadays his saliva could have been pulled from all the stamps and envelopes it could have been collected in a vial in some refrigerated vault somewhere deep below the Pentagon perhaps the authorities were just biding time amassing evidence Gormley had done nothing really wrong of course he'd never killed anybody he'd never touched any children Gormley didn't know too much about the law but whatever they could charge him with he knew they couldn't just send him to prison even if they did drag him to trial for what letters few hard truths he'd have the opportunity to preach his cold gospel to the world this man is responsible for sending these letters to these poor grieving parents I had done anything wrong don't you see I'm helping these people I'm helping them to get over their grief what have you done with their grief what have you done what if any of you've done for them I've brought their pain back yeah I made him feel everything the thing I helped to move on to get past it the filthy smiles the happiness they need to get past that don't you understand I need to get fired they need to understand what this world is really about what demons really lurk in this world and his arguments would be so convincing that the lawyers and the judge in the jury and the families and the courtroom and the journalists and all the people at home watching on TV would open their collective eyes to reality everyone would finally see the real cold hard truth then people would start acting accordingly then the world and everyone in it would start getting real instead of play-acting in the same sick tired old farce what getting caught really be so bad then Gormley considered this for a moment probably probably yes people are stupid they simply wouldn't understand normally couldn't go to prison he wasn't as tough as he had been in his youth not physically anyway and prison was full of men much tougher than he no getting caught was out of the question he'd sooner die Gormley stomach ached too much caffeine and sugar too much worry he debated walking to the mailbox taking the letter and trying again the next day perhaps he would write another draft after a short nap but if he were being watched retrieving a letter from his mailbox would appear quite suspicious to prying eyes would it not another thought occurred to him what if one of the real abductors had learnt of his letters what if some psychopath child killer was out there lurking in the fog wearing a bloody postman's uniform and waiting for Gormley to take that long lonely walk to his mailbox surely at least a few maniacs resented his taking credit for their deeds warmly wrung his hands he scurried to his door to check the locks his trailer creaked on its cinderblock legs the fog outside had lifted it had turned from hyperborean gray to dingy yellow was it really so late in the day Gormley swiped his phone from the nightstand then was dead he'd checked it not long ago that's how he was so sure the postman was late and it had been fully charged his old desktop didn't fire up either he pulled the chain on a nearby lamp and no light emerged from behind the shade it was a blackout perhaps they were working on the line somewhere out there perhaps it was the police and in an instant they were going to kick his door down and blast him with tear gas or perhaps it was a madman with an axe such speculation was no good it provoked far too much anxiety normally considered the fact that he hadn't actually talked to another human being in a week or two he'd barely left the trailer safe to check the mail when his diet had been especially terrible during the time he was focused on his letters it was the isolation and the caffeine and the lack of sleep making him worrying it was all of that and the damned postman today of all days he was late it just all felt - and auspicious was it getting darker Gormley pulled a candle from a drawer it couldn't have been later than 10:00 a.m. was his vision failing too much time in the dark in front of a computer screen he returned to his kitchen head lift the candle and placed it on the table in front of him the world beyond the flame in the solitary window had grown ever darker it appeared to be dusk though there was no way of discerning the sun's position in the fog which had thickened just as quickly as the daylight had waned it rolled over Gormley's property obscuring his view of the mailbox and blank sheets of oblivion I must be tired the phrase repeated itself in his head over and over his mind and body swung from nervous tension to help right lethargy must retard a Kidada he wasn't sure of what he was telling himself but he slowly rose to his feet with the candle reluctantly breaking his gaze on the shrouded world outside and he shuffled to his room at the opposite end of the trailer he observed how quiet it was there was only the groan of his footsteps there were no birds or furry little things scampering through the trees outside even if the day was really over the usual hum of night insects was strangely absent it was sound dampening technology it had to be they were screwing with him watching him from the woods he was almost sure of it but a word a new maniacs have access to the kind of engineering necessary for this sort of production normally banished the thought from his mind he slipped into his bed and piled the covers around him it was the police they were trying to break him and I didn't know whom they were harassing first thing in the morning he'd go to town he'd mail his letter personally then he'd go to the police station and confront them he forced them to play their hand and and what let me go to jail certainly not certainly not that so what then well he'd think of it he'd think of something perhaps to a lawyer first yes a lawyer he had options he wasn't a poor man he certainly wasn't a fool yes he'd mail his letter then talk to a lawyer then but his letter he'd have to get his letter he'd have to get out of bed he'd have to leave his trailer he'd have to walk that long walk down to the mailbox in the darkness and fog he'd stay in the box overnight no harm in that just one night soon as the postman comes before him up that saves me a trip normally flops from one side to the other and face the wall the candles flicker cast odd shadows and stretched his own deformed silhouette across the false wood paneling his eyes were weighty and felt dry and wrong he'd hoped end his day in the same manner he always did after a successful missive assault by fantasizing about some little child's mother or father opening his envelope and reading his letter he would imagine the colour draining from their faces the tears welling in their eyes the wailing and gnashing of teeth normally cursed his anonymity he wanted the parents to write him back one time he had chanced upon the mother of one of his lost children responding on TV to the letter he'd sent the failure in her words the stupidity in her voice and was also predictably perfect Gormley had downloaded the video clip from the show and replayed it often when he felt the urge to do impure things Gormley fell asleep swirling dreams rushed through his agitated brain with foggy visions of crying mother's smiling children SWAT teams and serial killers and of course the postman his wretched slave he awoke in an unfamiliar time to a hard single knock at his door his candle had burned itself out but he could see scant light coming from the kitchen at window at the trailer's opposite end he sat nervously in a dull room and was as if he hadn't slept wink another hard hammering knock at the door a battering ram or worse an axe then Gormley heard something in the silence outside someone was moving from the front door to his side of the trailer in excruciating ly slow plodding steps there's also a scraping sliding noise advancing across the metal exterior something pressed heavily against the trailer causing it to sigh like the hull of an ancient ship set adrift in the fog and normally could hear the breathing the slow laboured breathing of clogged elderly lungs the movement stopped just outside of Gordon Lee's bedroom the wall creak - vaguely and the breathing grew louder the visitor outside was listening pressing their head to the wall Gormley held his breath he tightened his blanket against his chest to muffle the sound of his heartbeat untold time passed while Gormley sat paralyzed by the croaking rhythm of the breathing outside then the panting rose to a furor and the insidious invisible presence spoken lo sustained dripping tones got a package for you boy the voice was a mockery of something recognizable it was glottal and reptilian conjuring up a pallid but unmistakable memory Gormley's leaden heart began to sink he wet himself and the caffeine was to blame after a moment the owner of the voice outside started a slow creeping limp back toward the front door Gormley considered barricading it but he doubted he had time whoever it was outside had heavy fists and could have battered the door down with minimal effort a kitchen knife was the only accessible means of defense the stranger was almost to the door Gormley shook free from vacillation and nearly tripped over the blanket as he tore out of his room his heavy footsteps shook the floor just as he passed the threshold another solid dump on the door froze him in place the anger in the stranger's voice was palpable his final word was punctuated with another powerful knock the aluminum surface of the door was undoubtedly dented and Gormley heard the splintering of cheap wood for the first time since a childhood have drunken words and drunken hands ossified in his memory despite every attempt to forget Gormley felt the urge to cry to scream for help but who would help him Gormley tried to speak and it took more effort than he'd anticipated his voice came out in cracks and squeaks just now tomorrow the trespassers heavy gasps mutated into a sickening chuckle I'll be back tomorrow [Laughter] Gormley heard the intruder turn and begin to stagger away normally ran to the cutlery drawer and rummaged for the largest knife he could find it was dreadfully dark outside and the light that seeped in through the window belonged to a pair of fog lights at the end of the driveway Gormley squinted and spied the tall hunched bleary shape of a man and a rounded postman's hat hobbling back towards the source of the lines the man was moving so slowly that his lame steps seemed to take place in a kind of bizarre time-lapse photography upon reaching the end of the drive the figure bathed in the fog lights turned to Gormley's mailbox and lingered Gormley whispered aggressively he wanted to repeat himself more loudly and forcefully but before he could utter them again the man turned back as though he'd already heard at once the fog lights intensified taking the shape of two huge bulging or black eyes and the face of the postman appeared in full view directly outside the window the ghastly being curled its thin lips injected him with a ribbon rotten tooth math that billowed fog and foul expiration modeled the yellow gray skin hung from a skull wreathed in patches of dead white hair the postman's foglight eyes flashed and burned as he let out a protracted scream [Applause] then the Moldy jaws clenched and he ground his jagged teeth together in a hateful decayed grimace at that moment a blinding white sting hit Gormley directly in his eyes he clutched at his face and fell away from the window tumbling over the table and back first onto the linoleum floor Gormley screamed the razor thin edge of some spectral blade had slashed deep into each eyeball his hands were warm and wet with tears and blood and something else something thicker he could feel it losing down his face and puddling before the pain was excruciating like the worst paper cut imaginable in the most delicate and sensitive of places the angry feculent voice of the postman hissed you gonna lose more than yours Francis comin tomorrow and now I'm gonna take your fat little fingers in there now come the next night and take your tongue now spread it right down the middle boy and then there'll be no more bad words from you the postman's horrid laughter resounded inside the trailer Gormley felt the stinking humid breath on his face it was a sickly familiar mixture of soil stale beer and rotten fish then suddenly nothing silence for what felt like an eternity at last Gormley heard the mail truck pull out on to the blacktop road with a rusty screech and slowly drive away taking the darkness with it Gormley heard the pleasant sounds of the day the birds and the furry little animals busying themselves amongst the trees but Gormley's nightmare remained fear overrode the pain in his lacerated eyes the postman would come back he was sure of it and who knew how long the day would last time meant nothing now Gormley had to get out he had to find people perhaps prison wasn't such a bad option maybe they'd take pity on a blind man at the very least he wouldn't be alone normally pulled himself to his feet and groped for the door he had to put a shoulder to it to get it to open and when it did he tripped over a large object at his feet he felt that it was a package wrapped in paper he was afraid to open it but he shook it and could distinguish the unmistakable rustling of envelopes within then the faint sounds of laughing children surrounded him Gormley's throat felt constricted and sour and he wished he'd had a peppermint he picked up the package and with great trepidation made his way to the blacktop road at the end of the drive normally pointed himself toward town and wandered off blindly in the vaporous morning fog life near the bone written by Billie sue massaman performed by Todd Farrell where do you think life's sweetest Jeff Castine stood next to overflowing shelves with a book open in his hands we're deep inside a woman who stacked like a movie star let's say she owns an exercise gym yeah that's where it's sweetest Jeff's roommate was bent over at the waist towel drying freshly shampooed hair it says right here Jeff said ignoring Greg's worthless comment pointing to a page in the book it is life near the bone where it is sweetest I believe that near the bone what's that supposed to mean unless it's the pelvic bone EES talking about he chuckled at his own sexist wit Henry David Thoreau said this I don't think he was talking about a woman's anatomy still I don't get it it's all mumbo jumbo to me Greg slung the damp towel over the back of a slouch backed easy-chair and plopped down in it he hiked up one foot onto the lip of the cushion and began pulling at his toenails ripping them off and slivers one by one Jeff moved from the bookcases and lay down on the sofa he propped the book on his chest so as to block the view of his roommates disgusting hygiene habits filthy man he thought I'll have to go behind him and sweep the nails from the carpet and put them in the trash it's like picking up baby shit doesn't he know that it's thorough you're a philosopher of choice this week Greg asked it was obvious by Greg's tone of voice he didn't care about the answer Jeff almost failed to respond but then decided he had taken quite enough sarcasm for one night friend or no friend I think that's unfair he said I don't go around picking philosophies the way someone collects porcelain dogs or the way you collect those stupid arty-farty posters Greg paused and the ripping off of a bit of ragged nail from his big toe he frowned over at the supplying Jeff low blow okay maybe I'm just being an asshole sorry quote all the Thoreau you want what do I care huh thanks for giving your divine permission Jeff solved behind Thoreau Walden and would not say anything else all during the following day Jeff read and pondered The Rose book no matter how ringing and clear and intriguing the pages he read he kept coming back to that one quote nagging at it taking it apart and putting it together again trying to make it solely his property how does one get near enough to the bone so that life would be sweet there stood the question this towering incomprehensible question that might drive him mad if he let it for life at this juncture was sour and smelling of decay a desperate heir clung to him fumed off his clothes no matter how often he changed them it rolled off him in waves from his pores he decided that must be the reason the job interviews went badly they could detect his desperation maybe smell it the way he did that fetid stench of rotting peaches left and neglect on a drain board for a month not his fault he lost his job Houston had been good for him when he'd first moved there from the moraband Gary Indiana these were boom times and jobs were for the picking and money flowed faster than a flooding Bayou but feast always gave way to famine and so it was for the city that boasted itself the jewel of the southwest he had clung to his managerial position at the Boston Whaler dealership for as long as he could why blame him for a loss of sales and a slumping profit margin but they did and he was out and he was not coming in until he could find a job more rewarding than shoveling burgers out of a jack-in-the-box thank you Charlie Brown he wouldn't catch him Damini himself for minimum wage he still had he glanced at his fingers and from a balled fist flicked out one finger at a time counting the weeks six weeks before his unemployment check was cut off he'd find something worthwhile before then wouldn't he the possibility that he might never find work again left a little knot of fear tingling in his belly he began to perspire to smell himself needed a shower needed to think think about getting to the bone or life was sweet again where it wouldn't matter fate had turned where he might again discover his lost self-respect around 3:00 in the afternoon just before Gregg came home from work at Bayshore Hospital Jeff found a clue in Thoreau it was like encountering an old long-lost friend for immediately he remembered part of the quote from high school literature books our life is frittered away by detail simplify simplify so that's how it's done Jeff realized that's how you get down to the pure gleaming skeleton of existence and find peace so obvious he had been trying too hard running too fast and complicating his world unnecessarily simplify what are you doing isn't it apparent I'm writing my life of detail and clutter Greg turned down the volume on the television we're a married couple was sparring on a sitcom he went to Jeff and stoop near him on the floor by the stereo what are you gonna do with those albums the dumpster it's all for the trash man but Jeff you've had some of those albums since we were in college together why would he get rid of them now some you'll never find again not in the original Jeff paused and looked at the cover of an early Jimi Hendrix album this one had belonged to his older sister may she find peace in her sumptuous overcomplicated frivolous life he placed it with some care on top of the other albums in a cardboard box it wasn't worth a weary sigh really just junk really he wouldn't miss it I don't want them anymore I've loved stuff around for years that's the point Greg I'm through with all that I'm simplifying my life but Jeff dumped the rest of the albums into the box and smiled beatific Lee at his friend before going to the shelves lining the far wall he turned his back and began pulling out volumes and stacking them in piles on the floor at his feet now what are you up to more clutter got to go your library Greg squeaked coming to his feet don't need it it's just littering the place up books are dust catchers everything I own does nothing for me but gather dust now Jeff you know I don't give a good goddamn about books I wouldn't read one if my life depended on it but you read all the time if you throw all these books out what are you gonna read Jeff just said one word Thoreau and continued hauling the bound titles from the shelves to stacks on the floor Greg grabbed up Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer and held it to his chest Jeff I don't understand any of this you love books you're a glutton for books how could you give them up this way and your music I don't know what this means Jeff turned all in a rush he flourished too thick books by Dostoyevsky in front of Greg's face garbage Greg startled backed immediately out of range can't you get it haven't you been listening to me seven rage spiraled upward like a tornado swirling between the two friends Thoreau says that luxuries and comforts of life are not indispensable they're hindrances to the elevation of mankind can't you see that are you blind as well as death are you a total fucking mindless vegetable Greg carefully replaced the Miller book on top of one of the stacks and slunk away to the far side of the living room where he took up a watchful pose in the easy chair he began to chew his fingernails to still the quake inside his chest it didn't seem to bring an instant of a relief Greg stumbled home from a double shift at the hospital so tired even his eyeballs ached he saw that his framed posters had disappeared from the wall behind the television set at any other time this would have served to make him go into a rant but he was too tired to do more than search for Jeff and asked for an explanation he would put in a mild protest and retrieve the posters hang them again at Jeff's bedroom door he paused on the threshold Jeff stood emptying his chest of drawers into a glod trash bag while his back was to the door Greg glanced quickly around the Navajo rug his friend had bought on a visit to Santa Fe had been rolled in a corner the covers on the bed were missing except for one rumpled sheet and a bear pillow the lampshade the lampshade crumpled on the floor looked stomped this frightened Greg more than any of the other evidence that his friend was losing it Craig couldn't guess the import of the shade unless Jeff meant to live in the unprotected glare of a light bulb this was decidedly going too far he must intervene the way they taught at the hospital outpatient alcohol clinics sometimes people had to intervene and risk getting their asses kicked if they saw someone they loved descending into perilous territory now Jeff was methodically discarding clothes would he go naked Jeff finally chose to keep two rather than three pairs of jockey shorts all he needed was a change while one was washed and drying he bundled up the rest of the underwear into his arms ready to stuff it all into the rapidly filling bag he saw Greg in the door hey there you know what I've been thinking about you pulling those double shifts it's crazy man it's unenlightened I told you a Thoreau said about luxuries and comforts wanting things is a trap once inside the trap you never get free the jaws locked down tight here you are working 16 hours straight so you can afford that Camaro you just bought and those nights on the town with your girl and Jeff yeah.he tamp down the clothes in the glide bag grinning all the while what did you do with my posters oh those I put them in your room you really should think about doing away with that kind of stuff it just drags you down drags you down Jeff I think it's time you saw someone doctor Bronski over at Bayshore is pretty good I'll get him to give you a professional discount and fuck you vehement aggressive even Jeff's good-natured temper was rapidly vanishing come on Jeff I'm serious this is getting way out of hand look at you you're throwing away your clothes for Christ's sakes not everything I'm keeping two pairs of jeans and two shirts that's all I need what do I need all these clothes for for starters maybe you'd need them for a job for going to interviews to get a job go away Jeff turned his back pulled out the bottom drawer of his chest and hauled out folded summer shorts and sports shirts I can't Jeff I have to try to do something Jeff halted in his pawing through the drawer he said quietly if you don't go away right now I won't be responsible for what happens are you threatening me now I hear a different drummer Greg if you don't hear it fine but don't interfere now go away Jeff didn't want to go but he didn't want to stay either he waited only until his friend turned slowly ominously and he saw the look of a nervous zealot the mad staring look of a monk holding a flame ready to immolate himself with the cleansing holy fire then he knew he must leave there was nothing he could do Jeff had ventured too far over the edge and he was falling without a net he had to call from the living room too fearful to tell Jeff anything to his face ever again I'm moving out Jeff he waited do you hear me I'm gonna pack my shit and I'm out of here you're sick Jeff I'm not staying with you any longer when you won't listen to me when you won't go for help you're dangerous don't you realize that you've been throwing away stuff for a week fuck you here Jeff call back furiously fuck you and the Gucci Rolex BMW Beverly Hills horse he rode in on I don't need you around anyway you're nothing but a prostitute you sold out the day you were born Jeff Castine gradually came to enjoy life again it seemed as if he had been on a quest for the Grail and found it embedded in the pure clean stone of Thoreau's noble philosophy he had been walking through trash stumbling lost and now he could see the path before him he read some circumstantial evidence is very strong as when he find a trout in the milk from this he deduced that Greg's leaving was ordained it helped him unearth order in a disorderly universe he had never loved him or anything not truly they were just friends for a while and who turned out to be a traitor to all that was good and right and just so what if he proved to be the asshole of the world the turncoat the Philistine the apartment was shaping up looking good he rubbed his palms together in contentment in the living room he'd gotten rid of everything that one kitchen straight-backed chair an unadorned fruit crate from the safe way and his precious copy of Walton in the kitchen he'd thrown out everything but one plate one knife one pan he ate from cans mostly so what was the point of owning dinnerware and drawers full of silverware and cabinets full of cooking utensils he saw his landlady's scuttled to the dumpster and take the electric grill and the popcorn popper crazy old bitch frivolous frowsy pak-rat his bedroom was a spare cell now and he loved it it was a hell of a chore to lug the bed from the apartment down the stairs and out back to the dumpster but sweating and swearing he'd managed the floor was immensely more comfortable after a few nights he hardly ached at all anymore when he woke he thought the Spartan idea converged well with Thoreau's philosophy so he incorporated it into his new life modality he had the phone company disconnect his telephone at week's end Greg kept calling in the job agencies - what a fucking nuisance what a bore he didn't need a job his needs were too few to demand a real income when the unemployment check ran out he'd apply for welfare if they wouldn't let him have it he'd go on the streets it meant nothing to him one way or the other Thoreau said I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude Jeff embraced that to mean he must let the world flow past in the apartment on the street wherever he found himself it didn't matter he carried solitude with him like an envelope in his pocket and no one could divest him of it ever again they didn't even know he had it he patted his shirt pocket as if solitude really was a thing of dimension and weight and had belonged to him alone it was not until a month later that Jeff found the quote that would change his life and get him down to the nub of existence he'd still been searching for the place next to the bone scraping and scraping away society's frills until he could feel the knife screeching somewhere far off in the dim nether reaches of the fog that had come to surround his days there are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root that is what he came upon in his diligent study and when he found it he knew then he was nearly home free through the twilight of his ignorance he heard Clarion bells ringing on the reading aloud of that sentence he shivered with anticipation at the coming understanding that crept forth from the dark corner shadows of his barren apartment that understanding when it took him would rend the foundations of his misery and bring him down to the bone down past the slime and corruption the gait of flesh that barred the way hello mrs. Witt Shaw Jeff how nice of you to visit won't you come in the old woman who had nabbed the grill and the popcorn popper from the trash dumpster let her tenant inside the dank bird shits splattered living room a white cockatiel flew through the air in protest wings flapping wildly pay no attention to Pato he's a spoiled brat and isn't used to polite company hush Pato behave now Jeff declined to sit in the newspaper covered chintz chair mrs. whit Shaw gestured he take he stood with his hands behind his back smiling the stiff smile of the Buddha the smile of the inscrutable his gaze flicked around the room and soon his smile evaporated replaced by a sneer of disgust white smears of Pato scrap covered the drapes dripped down the neck of a brass table lamp layin dried yellow streaked plops on top of the furniture it looked as if an insane painter had come and in a frenzy swung a wet brush around and around to create a barbarous nightmare of interior decoration I haven't seen him out of your apartment and ever so long mrs. whit Shaw said shooing the contentious bird from her shoulder Jeff watched the cockatiel closely to see where it might light down it hung upside down from the silent dust layered ceiling fan and screeched at him one eye cocked in his direction I haven't been out much Jeff said once reassured the bird was not coming to him he felt a nausea rising and had to swallow bitter Gorge he tasted of the kidney beans he'd consumed the night before sickening eating an odious habit made people into worms scoop it in shit it out round and round she goes where she stops no one knows what happened to your nice friend that Greg boy did he really move out posters Jeff said by way of explanation what's that dear Jeff crossed the room his eye trained on the bird as he came for mrs. whip Shaw with the one knife he'd saved for cutting through meat disposing of the bodies now Thoreau never gave advice about that sort of thing damn odd he knew about everything else you'd think the man would have left some sort of roadmap Jeff had to ponder the situation for two days before he could decide what to do he had mrs. whip Shaw and Pato cooling in the huge freezer she kept strangely enough in the spare bedroom of her ground-floor apartment he had the occupant of the other downstairs apartment funky-looking George with the orange and green blotch in his hair stuffed over double at the waist in his broom closet cluttered cluttered baseball mitts bats skates pool cues bowling balls smelly running shoes much too cluttered for anyone sane he had James the quiet law student in the bathtub in the apartment on the second floor he sat shrivelling like an old potato with a radio in his lap pity it wasn't a law manual though what good that would do him now Jeff couldn't guess he had the d'Anjou sisters waiting in their beds nice girls not a bother in the world but the way they lived unbelievable frozen dinner trays growing mold magazines littering the carpet thready dust balls and trailing spider webs and filmy bikini panties hanging everywhere it was enough litter to turn the stomach it took Jeff all night just to get their apartment under some kind of control he cursed them with every name in the book nice girls are not anyone living like a pig needed to be called a swine old man shor was no trouble at all he was all bent and crippled by arthritis he couldn't run he couldn't even crawl not toward the last cried though cried like a fucking baby and him old as the hills didn't make proper good sense to Jeff but there it was a man who chose to live with a cat that scratched out shit ball litter every time it used the box had to be some kind of nut to begin with everyone knew you could get terminal diseases from cats Jeff had saved sure our prolonged and no doubt much more painful death now to dispose of the bodies without the ROS help without his wisdom and guidance and to return the apartment house the entire building to meet impersonal harmony it would take boxes and boxes of glad trash bags dozens of cardboard boxes from the Safeway a wheelbarrow yes he would need a wheelbarrow he hoped the dumpster wasn't full tonight he would be taking numerous loads to it his heart sang with freedom he was at last seeing the very edge of the pristine bone a flicker of purity and it was a glorious glimpse of paradise heaven itself he heard the pounding of feet coming up the stairs before he ever heard knocking on the door he was tired sweaty needed a shower cold and long he peeked through the viewer and saw the intruder into his place of calm and peace was the treasonous poster man Greg figured Jeff Greg called his face pressed against the door let me in Geof unbolted the lock and swung wide the door turning away and walking across the room as he did so Jeff there was a pregnant pause then what the hell what did he do with all the furniture Jesus Jeff wore only a pair of grimy shorts his hair stuck out on end as he'd been sleeping and not washing he was covered with dirt and smudges that looked like tar or oil what do you want now I've been worried about you I tried to call but the operator told me the phone was disconnected so well yeah how are you what do you care you vamoosed for a decadent lifestyle didn't you you want to be featured on the rich and famous one day don't you so why would you care Greg cleared his throat he looked like a weasel caught in a hole the criticism however exaggerated was a little too close to home did you did you find work Jeff chortled unpleasantly go away Greg I have nothing to say to you he left the room and disappeared into the darkened hallway Greg followed close behind Jeff wait I really mean it I'm still worried how are you paying the rent are you eating I could help you no I haven't really abandoned you no rent mrs. whipsaw said so dear old lady dear bird lady Jeff went directly into the hall bath and stepped in the tub he slipped out of his shorts and threw them on the floor he turned on the shower drew the curtain no rent rent free Jeff said above the roar of the water ask her yourself maybe I will the shower curtains snapped open and droplets of water flew in the air spawning Greg's face no you won't don't you dare you stay out of my business affairs you're no longer in my life remember you wanted your fucking posters and your soft cushions and your steak and potatoes remember Jeff can you talk with me without fighting can't you see your way clear to be reasonable Jeff shut the curtain he sets down his body and scrubbed himself hard with the washcloth finally he said in as sane and sensible a tone as he could muster let me through and I'll take you on a tour of my new orderly world full of misgivings Greg lowered the toilet seat and sat down to wait this time he had to do something before he left this time it was absolutely imperative he not leave Jeff alone with his warped delusions he had known him too long not to try to help Jeff finished bathing dried dressed himself quickly in jeans and t-shirt and sneakers I've seen the place Jeff you got rid of everything it looks like a prison not a prison a sanctuary a man has to begin at home then he glanced shyly at Greg he branches out I don't think you're gonna find very many followers not many people want to join a cult that denies all possession Greg laughed easily but soon quieted when Jeff walked past him to the front door come on I want to show you how I've hacked at the chaos and brought it under supervision I want to show you what can be done when you simplify your life when all the extraneous is ruthlessly cut away down to the very roots where the trouble lies Jeff took his friend to mrs. whipsaws freezer first thing they walked together through this scrupulously cleaned empty apartment to the their room when the stunned horrified remonstration began it was a beast of a battle to get Greg subdued enough to shut his mouth to shut his mouth forever less than a week passed after Greg's visit before Jeff wandered through the silenced apartment house in the middle of the night saying goodbye to his perfectly balanced world people had come to enquire mrs. whip Shaw's sons screamed that he'd be back with the police he would see his mother god dammit if he had to bring the National Guard to do it she never would have left town without telling him he claimed from the bottom of the apartment steps don't tell him she would the boyfriend of one of the Dandridge sisters left without a squawk but as he went to his car he kept squinting suspiciously over his shoulder to law students stopped by to ask why their friend had not been to classes sick they hadn't heard from him too sick to call them contagious wasn't that funny though he always seemed in such good health yes it was time to go as much as he hated to he had invested a ridiculous amount of time in creating order in simplifying the complex it was a shame terribly unjust that he must flee what was an almost perfect creation yet an apartment house in the center of a seedy district inside of an abhorrently chaotic big city was no real place for him anyway he needed his own Walden Pond he needed to escape to the wilds sequester himself away from the mad chattering bruising world with the money Greg in the apartment dwellers had on persons or in their possession Jeff took a bus from Houston to the dry West Texas town of Midland once there he hired a taxi driver to take him into the desert where where no one lives Jeff said waving money in the man's face are you nuts how are you gonna get back no phone there buddy nothing but snakes and tumbleweeds sand and cactus you can't go out there a friends meeting me later in his car if it's any of your business I'll come back with him W Drive he drove for two hours blabbering all the way bitching about the heat the absurdity of this the coox he ran into what a job Jeff ignored him in favor of a reading for the doesn'the time from Walden he knew exactly what he was doing he knew with a bone glistened most cleanly it was not in the woods where Thoreau had hidden away himself it was not in the mountains where Shady towering presences safeguarded the timorous it was not in the lush valleys where nature rioted and the senses were overwhelmed it was in the plain open desert the place man had not yet desecrated with his two-bit palaces and his glittering signs and his bubbling stinking tarmac laid end to end forever and all men it was here in the steaming heart of untrodden forgotten land that Jeff Castine knew he would find the ultimate simplification he wanted that more than breath itself this buddy of yours don't show up in time you could have a sunstroke out here without water I tell you this is the craziest thing I've ever seen the cabbie complained I don't like it not a bit I ain't gonna be responsible for you dying out here you know 105 in the shade if there was any shade I've been trying to talk you out of this ain't that right Jeff failed to answer except to say pull over here this is where I get out even before the taxi made a u-turn on the infrequently traveled two lane highway Jeff was already heading off across the hard-packed sands he moved west toward the lowering Sun theros book clutched tightly in hand heat mirages blinked on and off in the distance like defective pale blue neon tubes a lone vulture rode the high currents a dot in the scalding blue sky here was Sol here was where eternity sat down to shake hands with creatures courageous enough to come unfettered Jeff Castine looked back only once to make certain he was losing sight of the long black strip of highway to make sure he was leaving civilization behind he thought now it had never belonged to him that world was under rule of someone else someone other alien he lost all sense of time when de segwayed in tonight in today in tonight he stumbled and dropped the book picked it up surprised to see his hands blistered black but never mind never mind finally his tongue swelled in his mouth and hung over his cracked lips like a fat grey slug his lungs of fiery bellows labored to keep him going his eyes had swollen two slits blocking the blood-red disk of the Sun his skin his clothes at some pastime discarded seeped clear fluid from pustules that he split apart with pinched fingers each passing second he could feel the loosening of the hold the world had on the flesh he was a dragon whose scales fell clattering at his feet each faltering dragging step he managed to take brought him ever nearer the crux of reality ever closer to the bone he yearned he begged he prayed in the end he raged didn't I sacrifice enough he yelled across the endless sand didn't I scrape past all the filth he pulled on a sack of skin until he tore off pieces and had ripped an ear from his skull he went to his knees and screamed soundlessly at last he could hear a velvety voice hissing across the still air as it approached he was almost home it said he bowed his head in relief and wept bloody tears come it said nearer it said where life is simple life is true where no one knows you no one cares and nothing can get you back again come now where you belong it said ever closer come with me where life is sweetest near the bone near the white white bone watchtowers of Carthage key written by Chris Mallory narrated by Rock Manor featuring Rebecca Pisan mainland Florida disappeared behind the horizon leaving my girlfriend her son and me surrounded by the open Atlantic I've revved the boat engine enjoying the warm wind and the ripples of sunlight dancing on the crystal-clear water Jordan tugged on the back of my shirt where are we going I told you exploring now go bother your mother he kicked my leg Lindsey sat up in the hammock beads of ocean spray listened on her oil to hook the skin cut it out boys Mama's busy working on her tan yeah yeah we'll be there soon anyway Jordan shook his hands above his head I shrugged truth was the place we were going didn't have a name hundreds of small islands dot two Floridian coasts most of them are uninhabited and undead ik ated seeking a fun way to bond with jordan i had searched the maps online for one to visit I ultimately chose a spot farther off the coast than I had originally wanted to travel because I was intrigued by the large structures that appeared to stretch along at sandy beaches like a row of dominoes staring at the computer monitor I hadn't been sure whether the shadows were playing tricks on my eyes I checked around the web and couldn't find anything about the place except a crude drawing of the general region with the joke caption written in pirate text here there be monsters honestly I didn't expect much to come from the excursion at the very least I thought checking out the small bit of land would be a good day trip Lindsay loved the sunbathe and Jordan always enjoyed adding to a seashell collection and even if those structures turned out to be geological I wasn't going to get upset the island itself didn't matter I just wanted to spend time with two people I cared about a sense of adventure had washed over me the moment we left the marina once Florida was out of sight I set the course to the unnamed Island and took in all the beauty the sea had [Music] man it's a nice day thank you for coming out with me Jordan replied thanks for bringing us still not going to tell me where we're going nope as we sped through the salty spray I told stories of islands full of lost pirate treasures while Jordan listened and all and Lindsay kept watch for the occasional acrobatic dolphin or sailfish we laughed and played as the morning wore on I even let Jordan man the helm for a while we were enjoying the trip though after a few hours the first signs of impatience began to spoil my peaceful happy mood we should have been getting close and I had expected to see a few seagull circling in the sky without a hint of land anywhere nearby I began to worry Lindsay join me up the helm and kissed my cheek mark yeah how much longer I checked the map again are we on the wrong heading I wondered Jordan standing at the bow began jumping and waving his finger at the horizon look I let out a relieved sigh that's it we're here I squinted but I think that's a key bit strange this far out what's a key [Music] I got this jordan keys are formed on top of coral instead of from volcanic eruptions so in other words most of the sandy sea isn't really sand it's the bones of millions and millions of tiny dead sea creatures rock she turned toward me right close enough how did you know that two semesters of oceanography she winked and then went back to her hammock I navigated the boat over a reef toward a small Lagoon black coral reached from the ocean floor harmlessly scratching at the bottom of the hole Jordan dropped anchor where the water was shallow enough for us to swim ashore oh wow Lindsey murmured staring at the huge square structure at the edge of the cove it looks like the ruins of some sort of ancient lighthouse yeah but I saw six of them on the map even if this used to be a shipping lane no one would need that many lighthouses around a small key I think they were watchtowers six she scanned the beach and then nodded at several piles of boulders scattered along the bank six left standing maybe I bet there used to be even more the rocks were the remnants of another Watchtower the Fallen century sinking below the shifting sands I think you're right Lindsey gave the monolith of nervous glance this isn't a good idea mark we should head back Jordan whispered do you think people still live here no I said listen just stay near the boat I want to have a quick look around and then we can go fair enough okay but please hurry this place is creeping me out Lindsey stayed on the boat while Jordan and I swam to shore halfway there I began to sense something wasn't quite right with the water Jordan said that's it I thought something must have scared them away swim faster Jordan he laughs just swim faster we paddled hard until we reached the beach both of us Lindsay yelled we're fine I'll be back in ten I want to go inside with you Jordan said no way I replied looking up at the watchtower the top was like an open gazebo with a mosque covered crumbling Battlement held up by eight stone pillars stay on the beach and I want you out of your mother's sight with a sigh of resignation Jordan picked up a flat rock and skipped it across the lagoons calm water I patted his head and then climbed up the bank to the base of the watchtower the design was militaristic in nature perhaps a civil war outpost or maybe a relic from the conquistadors of the sixteenth century either way I was sure the island had once been a fort how old are you I wondered I ran my hands over the smooth rock wall a studded iron band wrapped around the foundation thick as a bank vault door on the ocean side of the watchtower links of heavy chain like those found on an ocean liner stretched from the metal band out into the surf the anchor point was a notch and lever system though the turning wheel was missing I imagined it had been used to pour ship closer to the beach or to keep it stabilized during a strong storm after admiring the ancient ingenuity I walked to the top of the dune next to the watchtower and examined the key as a whole other than the towers the key appeared no different from any of the other uninhabited land masses in the general area then once again they felt as though something was wrong with the place like the island was somehow angered by our trespassing I pushed the silly thought to the back of my mind and hiked down the other side of the dune through knee-high brush most of the dead shades of yellow and brown a sudden scream prickled the hair on the nape of my neck i whirled and charged back toward the inlet Lindsay called I reached the peak of the dune in time to see her dive into the water I slid down the slope as she swam fast to shore Jordan backed away from something on the beach still screaming when I reached him he hugged me tight I quickly looked him over he wasn't injured just frightened what is it buddy you're okay Lindsay hurled herself up the bank kicking up sand as she ran I patted his curly black hair no I don't think so Jordan said pointing behind Lindsay she tilted her head to the side looking over her shoulder I caught sight of a dirty old sneaker lying in the weeds far above the high-tide line snakes I wondered Lindsay take him I said prying his arms from my waist I retrieved the sneaker and nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw the severed foot inside bones dry and skinned my brother I dropped the shoe and looked from Jordan to Lindsey holding each other in the large shadow of the watchtower a ringing echoed in my ears so loud that it would have drowned out the sound of birds except that I suddenly realized there were no birds nor what I observed any other type of Wildlife what is it mark we need to go now the key was a dead zone my gut instinct at that moment told me a predator had marked the territory and chased away anything it hadn't killed I ran into the water treading and swimming Lindsay and Jordan were right behind me I know of and swam faster underwater wanting to radio the Coast Guard as quickly as possible that's when I first saw it a massive black shadow coming in from the deeper sea get back get back I yelled the second I surfaced and i gestured wildly an effort to wave them to shore seized by fear as I was though my arm has refused to paddle swam my mind screamed but which way I was closer to shore but I had to reach the boat jordan's call broke the mental block i'd over ghin and pressed on as quickly as possible the thing was so massive and fast growing larger with each heartbeat but it didn't move like any shark I'd ever seen instead of darting straight toward me the shado slashed left and right quick as a stinging bee suddenly a second one jetted across my field of view then there was a third and a fourth then too many to count underwater my scream oscillated my eardrums as I spun searching for the direction of the next encounter the things were swirling around me like a vortex flashing like soundless grips I swam like a madman and somehow I made it just as I grip the first rung of the ladder the boat vanished it was taken so fast somehow ripped down under the waves but the force twisted my shorter out of its socket then the suction pulled me under before my mind could comprehend what had just happened I caught a better glimpse of what had taken the boat and then fought my way back to the surface Lindsay and Jordan were on the sand screaming incoherently but I was petrified all I could do was gasp for air and wait for death to take me the shadows in the water weren't separate features no they were all smaller pieces of a beast prehistoric and sized violently I was pulled beneath the surface again it couldn't tell up from down head over feet I tumbled through the thrashing whitewash lungs burning for air then my head cracked against the hall my boat and everything went black as the Sun touched the horizon Jordan found me half buried in sand near the center of the key bleeding from a gash above my eye the thick bitter taste of salt was the first thing I recalled followed by the searing pain in my shoulder though I don't remember what had happened after the thing pulled me to the ocean floor I know neither of them had seen it if they had a glimmer of insanity would have surely been present in their eyes as I lay on the dune assessing my wounds Lindsay paced back and forth recede it's so fast why riptide pulled you down I was sure you were dead it wasn't a race we ran into the tower before the tsunami came crashing in the water chased us up the steps mark we almost didn't make it you did the right thing I'm glad you're okay and you're lucky to be alive depending on your definition of luck I thought though she wasn't ready to face the truth she was right somehow I had survived with only a dislocated shoulder a nasty bump and maybe a few cracked ribs to accompany my lacerated back I stood testing my weight it would hurt to walk but I could manage the injuries were nothing compared to the bigger problem Jorden cried of course I lied leaning on Lindsay shorter I looked at each of the crumbling watchtowers in turn then at the grim landscape scattered across the sands were pieces of wreckage for my boat broken links of a thick shipping chain and other useless debris toilet destruction the way everything was soaked in salt oddly reminded me of the destroyed city of Carthage you look like you might have a plan Lindsay said I nodded I think others have been stranded here many many others trapped exactly like us maybe even the people who built this place up we need to use a watchtower to signal help not sharks Lindsay froude her brow what nothing it isn't important right now we need to find supplies just don't go near the water we all went separate ways planning to check around the island for anything of use I found a few bone fragments of a long dead castaway in one standing tower and an old rusted sword and another but little else along the way I passed several fallen towers nothing left of them but broken stone and iron links the sky was crimson by the time we met back at the watchtower overlooking the cove Lindsay hadn't found anything helpful only some tattered clothing in an empty soup can Jordan had discovered a few glass bottles and suggested we craft a message to launch into the Atlantic a swell idea probably the best that any of us had to offer if only we had found a pencil a large brass Basin stood in the center of the gazebo level of the watchtower I brought up a bundle of devil grass and driftwood though it took a while I was able to build a decent fire using some long dormant camping skills we sat near one of the stone pillars and looked out over the darkening sea at least it's warm I said Jordan traced one of the markings itched into the pillars I don't know they look like crude hieroglyphics Lindsey stood and raised her voice I want to make a fire in each tower the rescue party will have a better chance at finding us how go your arm she sighed and then whispered low enough so that Jordan couldn't hear [Music] no one knows we're out here do they yeah and it wasn't sharks no Lindsay walked away then paused at the edge of the stairs as if waiting for me to say something that would make the situation better Jordan said breaking the uncomfortable silence I know so my I kept quiet aside from the fact that I didn't have any answers I had read stories of stranded families in hostile environments sometimes people turn to cannibalism when the hunger grows sharp enough first eating those already dead before turning on each other maybe that's what happened to the owner of the shoe maybe his foot was left over from the creatures last snack I wondered how long Lindsay's body would sustain Jordan and me and when our eyes met I swear she was thinking the exact same thing about my body in either case Jordan would be next no doubt it shouldn't have to come to that I said shaking my head I took in a deep breath tasting the salt once more there's something else about keys that differ from islands they don't have any natural sources of fresh water will die of thirst first Lindsay stormed away carrying a flaming branch to light other signal fires Jordan and I sat in silence waiting for her to return it wasn't the quality time I had hoped to spend with the boy the sky darkened and one by one bright yellow lights sparked to life in each of the watchtowers when the last was lit the crash of a massive wave from jarred me to my feet water spread across the key sweeping away what and remained of my boat and something roared louder than a howling tornado my face went numb as my heart clenched it was back I grabbed Jordan by the shirt and white-hot pain shut up my arm Flynn's he called from the top of the closest watchtower and then screamed the scream was cut short as her body ripped into and a halves fell to the sand below a split second later the fire in that tower suddenly blinked out Jordan tried to yell for her I held my hand over his mouth muffling his cries it's too late she's gone I said they released my Griffin allowing him to run off to be gutted - that's what he wanted instead he just stood there shaking like a leaf in his red swimming trunks our watch tower began to tremble I rushed to the edge and looked down though dark the chain appeared taught in the moonlight and the whole tower vibrated from the tension then my eyes were drawn to the other top each light vanished as a long spiky tentacle reached in below the Battlement the fires Jordan quick put it out a tentacle shot by my neck nearly decapitating me deadly black barbs protruding from the slime-covered arm dripped black liquid it lashed again and I jumped back almost falling from the edge Jordan stomped at the flames ducking as the trunk blindly twisted around the room he smothered the fire while avoiding the barbs as they stabbed at the air when glowing embers were all that remained in the basin the tentacle slowly retreated panting I looked out across the sea following the mass of flesh as it gyrated away are you all right Jordan gripped my hand and let out a hopeless whimper then he ran from the watchtower howling an unearthly sound reserved for those who have had their sanity ripped to shreds my heart broke for the poor boy as he crawled across the sand drift over to the top half of his dead mother it was my fault I had killed her by bringing them to the key but my mind was too far gone to feel the pain behind the dunes against the backdrop of an ocean of stars the colossal creature stood in the open sea it roared again and I understood as never before help me girly humans truly are dozens of chains hung from its neck and tentacles most of the bindings were broken in the few remaining were pulled tight against the watchtowers that still stood it had been captured long long ago in the passage of time had not calmed the hatred for the jailers and their fire slowly the massive black frame lowered into the water disappearing under the waves I continued to stare out at the serene night certain no one had ever survived the key like those thousand fierce tentacles hiding just below the surface I quivered patiently waited to be free latter to oblivion by Mac Shepard performed by Kristin Holland a cursory internet search will reveal that there were 91 unlicensed NES games but I know that's not true there's one more and I've seen it it's real and it's name is ladder to oblivion I'll tell you as much as I can and I hope that by the end you'll understand why I will never play it as you probably know Nintendo created a worldwide phenomenon in North America in 1986 when it released its Nintendo Entertainment System the NES by that time more than 2.5 million units of the console had already been sold in Japan the success of the system in America single-handedly revitalized the struggling video game industry by 1990 30% of American households owned the NES beating the percentage that owned personal computers by 7% I grew up in one of those households I remember my dad bringing the NES home for the first time beaming with pride I was incomplete or I remember sitting in our sunken living room and playing Super Mario Brothers for hours upon hours what I didn't know back then was that making games for the NES was big business part of the reason the system was so successful was because Nintendo actively courted third-party developers for its fledgling system because Nintendo possessed a near monopoly on the video game market they were able to enforce their standards and policies with an iron fist eventually they got the attention of the United States Department of Justice which started looking into the company's business practices once the Federal Trade Commission got involved Nintendo changed some of the strict terms of its agreements by Nintendo's count there were 671 licensed games to the NES that list grows to 677 if you include the 3:10 gen games that were only temporarily licensed several others such as miracle piano which were left off Nintendo's list for unknown reasons to enforce its licensing standards Nintendo created the ten NES authentication chip when the system detected the chip in the cartridge the game would be playable otherwise no dice as you can imagine many companies either didn't want to pay the licensing fee or were rejected as officially licensed partners by Nintendo based on the quality of their games hence the 91 unlicensed games to skirt the protection of the 10 NES chips some companies configured their hardware to create a several milliseconds Pike that short-circuited the authentication chip for just a moment thus allowing their game to be played interesting stuff right well I thought so and so did my father he worked for Nintendo in the development and licensing department during the late 80s and early 90s and got to experience all of the drama as it happened however the story of latter to oblivion the game that never was does not begin with my dad it begins with Rob the founder of a game development company and his idea for a new kind of video game Rob was in his senior year at West Lafayette High School in Indiana when Super Mario Brothers wasn't released for the NES like thousands of other kids around the country he quickly became obsessed after graduation Rob decided to attend Purdue University to study computer science he wanted to make video games Purdue's Computer Sciences Department moved into a newly renovated building in the fall of 1985 and Rob took full advantage of it when he started college the next year four years later he graduated with honors at the top of his class my dad always said rob was one of the smartest people had ever met regrettably he said Rob also had some serious personal demons Rob's father was murdered during a home invasion when he was young his mother was spared and raised him on her own unfortunately the trauma she had experienced Center careening through years of alcoholism and depression unsurprisingly rob was neglected then it was only a matter of time before Child Protective Services stepped in and took custody of him at first he acted out but eventually Rob rose above the unfortunate hand he'd been dealt when Super Mario Brothers came out in his senior year it seemed as if he'd found the escape he had been seeking my father told me this story about the day he first spoke to rob a dozen times it was May 25th 1992 and he was sitting at his desk when the phone rang the voice on the other side hesitated for a moment and then said in a rush have you like to be rich my dad had heard a version of that question a hundred times and typically hung up immediately upon hearing it but that time was different something in the man's voice intrigued him but I'd love to he joked do you have a secret to winning the lottery the voice in the other end of the line was humorless I've got something much better and what's that my dad shot back a new type of game one the world has never seen before I'm listening my dad replied Rob introduced himself as the president of a fledgling game company called LTO at the time my father had no idea Rob was the company's sole proprietor the young man went on to describe the game he was working on as a platformer where the player moved across the screen from left to right collecting items and power-ups and fighting enemies along the way at the end of each level there would be a boss with an ultimate boss at the end of the game my dad informed Rob that Nintendo had already produced a game like that - which rob confidently replied the differences are in the details according to rob his game would begin with a young man who finds a strange wooden ladder protruding out of the ground upon climbing down the ladder the character would discover that he couldn't go back up again the only way would be forward just like real life Rob remarked at the end of each level the player would battle a demon that appeared in the form of someone from their past in every case the enemy took the form of someone perhaps a teacher a parent or a friend who had harmed the main character in the past after defeating the demon the player climbed down to the next level nine levels had been planned in each subsequent stage the screen would become darker and the enemies more powerful by the ninth and final level the player would barely be able to see their way through the darkness at the very end the ultimate boss appeared and the player would discover the truth but the entity they'd been after the entire time was none other than a mirror image of themselves defeating the final boss would reveal a new ladder that led back up to the surface what happens when the player fails my dad asked you don't want to know Rob cryptically responded okay so what's this game called dad asked ladder to oblivion [Music] Rob replied nearly whispering eventually Rob convinced dad to meet with him in order to show him the game it wasn't quite finished but the young developer promised that the first seven levels were playable my father was mesmerised he told me it made him feel like no game ever had before he began to see the bosses at the end of each level as the people who had wronged him a fourth grade teacher who once humiliated him in front of his class an old high school friend that he claimed had stolen his girlfriend It was as if the game changed depending on who was playing it when my dad brought the game to Nintendo they refused to approve Rob's company as an officially licensed developer Nintendo had very strict rules about the type of content that their partners could include in their games among other things nudity gore cursing and religious symbols were prohibited latter to Oblivion's theme and content violated none of these restrictions but it was rejected all the same it was simply too dark the higher-ups argued rob was crushed dad said understandably so he'd worked on latter to oblivion for the better part of three years my dad told me the day of the final rejection was the last time he'd ever spoken to rob I begged my father many times to try and get in touch with Rob maybe he still had a copy of the game and we could play it together for old times sake maybe he said to me once averting his gaze I don't see if I can dig up his number at some point I forgot all about Latta to oblivion and figure the story ended just the way my father said all those years ago but I was wrong this past week my father committed suicide my mother found him in the woods behind her house the shotgun he used lying several inches from his outstretched hand the news was totally unexpected there was a shock to my entire family my dad was a happy man as far as I knew he'd never suffered from depression I was devastated seeking closure I visited my dad's study he and I had spent hours in there together playing old NES games and reliving his days at Nintendo on a whim I grabbed Super Mario Brothers out of its case intending to play a final round in his honor when I went to put it in I found another game inside that was odd I thought dad never left games inside the console he used to tell me it made them wear out quicker the art was just how I pictured it all those years an 8-bit image of a ladder descending into a raging fire it was ladder to oblivion that's when I noticed the note taped to the back of the console I pulled it free and so the first line said simply to my son I considered reciting the letter in its entirety but decided against it the words don't reflect my dad's personality in the slightest they're too dark so I'll paraphrase instead the day ladder to oblivion was rejected robbing my father discussed things at length and my father was invited to become a partner at LTO together he and Rob would complete ladder to oblivion and release it as an unlicensed game my dad knew all about Nintendo's authentication ship and how to work around it he and Rob both understood that many companies had already produced successful unlicensed games however they knew there were risks there was a distinct possibility that Nintendo could at any time devise new methods to prevent the playing of unauthorized games in spite of their concerns Rob and my father decided to take their chances dad accepted Rob's offer on the condition that his involvement remain private his day job was what paid the bills after all seven months later latter to oblivion was completed Rob called my dad and told him the news dad was excited beyond measure the next day he had the game loaded onto two pre-production cartridges he even had a trusted friend in the art department whip up a label complete with Nintendo's seal of quality that way that reason they'd think he was working on something for the company Rob insisted on doing a complete playthrough on his own in order to catch any remaining bugs and promised to call my father once he finished they agreed they would meet afterwards at which point my dad would test the game as well and discuss the next steps when five days passed with no word from Rob dad set out for his partner's house and showed up and announced they hadn't spoken since the phone call and that had begun to worry that Rob had released the game on his own and cut him out of the profits what he discovered was much worse Rob was dead at that point in the letter my father began ranting about God and the devil is writing borderline illegible sentences were scribbled over so heavily that they became virtually indecipherable I was able to make out that Rob had left a note which consisted of only four words never climbed the ladder at the end of the page my dad hastily scrawled what he suspected had led to Rob's fate he finally faced himself while dad was terribly upset at Rob's death he was undeterred Latta to oblivion had taken control of his life ever since he played at that first time he'd been battling a secret depression something that I don't think anyone knew the only thing he believed would make him happy again would be to release the game to the public the following day my dad partnered with an entrepreneurial minded friend from his college days by the name of Eddie that night they got together to play the game dad started but ended up leaving after the seventh level to grab some pizza when he returned he found Eddie dead with game over flasher on the screen both of his partners wrists are being slashed with strange symbols carved into the flesh my father's note gets harder and harder to read from that point but it seems as if he was trying to describe the symbols he'd seen either way I couldn't make heads or tails of it at that point he says he was convinced the game was responsible for both Rob and Eddie's deaths as well as his worsening or depression he tucked the game away vowing to never play it again but he couldn't quite bear to get rid of it for 24 years my dad kept his promise he never played the game all the way through until recently that is what I'm about to recite next to my father's last words verbatim you can draw your own conclusions 24 years of guilt finally caught up with me today I climbed the ladder something I said I'd never do I faced myself and I was judged unworthy just like Rob just like Eddie there's something wrong with the letter almost like consciousness it's more than just the sum of its parts it looks deep inside you too deep for light to the places you didn't know existed son I don't want to die I want to live but my shotgun is sitting on the floor beside me and I can hear it speaking to me it sounds so sweet it's voice is a siren song if I can ignore it I'll tear up this letter and you'll never know the difference I'm sorry I lied to you I'm sorry for a lot of things please know that I love you please move on I'm going outside I can't take it please never climb the ladder it knows [Music] I for one believe my dad no matter what you all might say he never told me what happened to Rob's copy of the game for all I know it's still out there no one comes up here written by swaiiow toss NEMA narrated by James Cleveland featuring Eric sighs Mayer Alicia Pappas David omelette and Jessie Cornett I looked up from where I stood just a couple of steps and I would reach my destination my heart hammered like a million pounding drums my head was dizzy with excitement behind me I heard my friends grunts and pants as they struggled clambering over the jagged and broken rocks I stood straight and proud as I took the final step summiting the cliff I gazed over my shoulder to check on my friends they weren't far behind come on hurry up we're almost there I called Jackson how far is it from here Alice asked as she managed to wrench herself forward it's right there over that cliff she continued walking and some other people followed in all honesty I didn't know most of them I had only brought them along because I needed a good support team there were seven including me Adam Alice and Brad were the only ones with whom I was well acquainted they were fit for the job and very obedient exactly what I needed I wasn't thrilled about the fact that I would have to share my money with them after we achieved our goal and handed our pictures over to the mayor but I had made peace with it my only goal right now was to climb up the channel mountain get some pictures and climb back down channel mountain as the article say is this mountain with a flat top the place has a massive number of trees all over it except for this clean path running north to south a clear channel like road hence the name Channel Mountain there is a way up from one side and a safer way down from the other no one before has had the guts to come up here so of course I decided to do it build my own team and use my own technology to show everyone what this place actually looked like naturally the money we'd receive was a strong incentive finally I reached the very edge I held my breath and took the final step up too excited to wait for the rest of them that was when I first saw channel mountain it had more of an impact in person than anything the articles had conveyed the air was thick and Misty like a cold cloud of shriveling fog my breath froze within me at the very sight of it the sky suddenly looked pale there was a clear road at the centre and the corner stood lush oddly shaped lines of trees their branches stretched long and far from the trunks the trees looked quite healthy and well tended strange I thought as there was no one else up here to look after them at least that's what the article said the path reached into the distance as far as my eyes could see it looked almost endless the area ahead of me was blurred and obscured by the thick fog hanging in the air like stone cold smoke I admired what lay in front of me that's when a strange feeling ignited and stirred inside my gut a burning sensation somewhere between foreboding and guilt a feeling that warned me of danger demanding that I turn away I wanted to turn around and maybe forget about the whole thing but my team finally caught up with me and I heard most of them gasp when they saw what I saw [Music] my god one of them said there was a pause as my friends absorbed the atmosphere at the roadway this the place Brad asked his voice raspy why does it feel so creepy no it wasn't creepy creepy wasn't the word to describe it it was more unsettling there was a visceral feeling of dangerous uncertainty flowing through the air of the place no word I could think of was powerful or accurate enough to describe what we felt I was just a tiny inch away from the mist of the forest just one more step and I would physically feel the fog it took every ounce of willpower in me to convince myself to move on but I reminded myself of the money and what had put myself and my team through to get up here in the first place we had already climbed for god knows how long to get to the top after that much effort I was quite sure no one would want to turn back after all the end of the mountain was a long way back down besides the walk along the road wasn't that long either he shouldn't take us more than 30 minutes to get to the other side well I guess we should get moving I said trying to sound enthusiastic my voice came out cracked and unconvincing I took a step forward then slowly and steadily stepped into the mist the white fogged gently stirrup to my skin leaving like goose bumps all over me I trembled a bit then without warning a feeling of dread poured over me making me regret my decision almost immediately nothing about the place felt right darkness swept through my mind I felt it an extra presence someone or something apart from the other members of my team although no one was seen there was a presence I could feel it an evil deceptive danger watching us as we took every breath my friends were utterly silent looking at them I could see their fear he was written all over their faces they all wanted to turn back but no one wanted to admit it no one wanted to be the first one to snap under the pressure [Music] after another pause I continue to walk our footsteps echoed through the empty space it was like walking through an empty hollow shell our breathing had become unsettled and sharp as we kept alert our eyes wide open and our ears sharper than ever Adam our camera boy was immersed in his work he snapped his flashlight to everything he saw everything of recording he documented to be taken back as the evidence needed to collect our prize money glancing down I noticed that even the grass around the bases of the trees looked odd like thin green needles found inside vaccination syringes we walked around for three minutes and some people began to complain why are we even here is this even worth it Brad was starting his usual annoying behavior at the moment I had no interest in dealing with it for all the money we'd get yes it is I said firmly I was clearly lying to myself but I couldn't let anyone see my weakness or question me at this point how do you know if there's even a way down no one comes up here said Brad the articles predicted there would be they predicted how would you know for sure we can get out of here Brad questioned he he's got a point Alice cuts in hesitantly trying to make it look like she wasn't taking anyone's side everyone thought for a while then they're half expectant and half angry eyes gazed at me demanding an explanation of course it was my plan and by extension problems that arose were my fault but really who wouldn't want a lifetime supply of money guys I began this is not the time to blame each other their faces looked more disapproving look we'll get out of here I promise and what if we don't it'll be your fault Brad was clearly not about to let this go I sighed why did I bring him along guys look for now just trust me right at the end of this path there is a way down we'll just have to keep walking everyone else seemed more relaxed as a result of my front certainty but Brad refused to budge so you got us up here without even knowing that goddamned way out I just told you how to get down I shot back you said the article predicted how does predicted suggest anything close to certainty he was like an annoying ten-year-old that's when I lost it Brad if you don't shut up I'll throw you down the cliff if you stop being such a jerk we could all leave this place with our sanity you don't know what you're doing my blood began to boil he was right all that he said was right and that's what pissed me off just shut up I screamed at him at the top of my lungs almost tearing my vocal cords with the ferocity Brad fell silent everyone fell silent at first I thought it was because of my outburst but then I realized he wasn't looking at me none of them were they stared way past me their eyes reflecting pure underlying horror I followed their gazes it led into the dense line of trees for a minute I couldn't comprehend what had scared them so then I saw it at first relief washed through me it looked like a figure of a lady faded and unclear through the mist she walked closer I noticed tough features grow more and more defined with every step I noticed that she was tall really tall I noticed that her skin was covered in scars no not scars it looked more like the skin on her body was actually tattered or frayed like some sort of fabric I noticed that her limbs were really long I noticed she only had a few grass like hairs on her head I noticed how awkwardly she walked in skiff jerky movements when she finally came into clear view I understood why my friends look so terrified just a few meters away stood the ugliest weirdest creature I had ever seen a sight which would haunt our memories for the rest of our living minutes she breathed like a tire deflating her head was covered by a few patches of glass her torso stretched to 7 feet high and her arms were like long lanky pieces of wood her skin resembled the flaked fiber of wooden trunks she had only one eye on the left which was a pure silver color it had no iris but I could tell it was looking straight at us for a few seconds none of us moved her eye ball rolled from me to Alice then to Brad then to Adam then to the rest of us from the corner of my eye I saw Adam step forward and place his eye at the lens of the camera crouching slightly to get a good shot of it Adam no I tried to warn him but it was too late Adam pressed the trigger the light flared from his camera and right into the things beady little eyeball the creature flinched in shock letting out the most haunting and curdling scream her scream echoed in her ears ringing like a million sirens she crouched down on all fours and in the blink of an eye charged straight at us [Applause] Alice screamed as she sprinted in the opposite direction without thinking you ran after her we were running the wrong way I knew but it was too late we had to escape from that thing adrenaline shot through my body as I felt my heart pound loudly in my ears we ran blindly along that part of fog which became thicker and thicker if me ran Bret screamed his voice hoarse we slowed our pace but remained on high alert the fog was thicker now like a solid cloud all the members in our party were close by but they looked like faded shadows like thin fragments Adam yelled gasping for breath why don't you ask the guy who got us into this I could feel Brad's gaze on me did you even know that creature lives up here how would I so you didn't know anything about this I knew it I just knew it you just got us here for that stupid money didn't you Brad yelled his voice echoing through the forest as he ranted my mind could only think that God forbid he might attract that creature again dad just shut up she might hear us I'm not shutting up until you admit that I'm right I didn't know we'd get a visit from hisses horrifying plant lady alright the article said nothing about any of that why the hell would anyone rely on some stupid random article at the back of a paper no one reads is that the sort of thing you used to make important life decisions that's enough Brad stay quiet or you'll come back Adam cut in coming to my defense we should probably go to the other side of this place that's the way down I could tell he was speaking to me alright is everyone here I asked everyone answered like a disjointed roll-call but I could feel someone's absence where's Alice everyone gave each other scanning to find the brunette in the mist she was right you were in front of them adam said unable to disguise the panic in his voice everyone was growing frantic with fear our breathing was getting faster irregular and we shuffled nervously on the dry sandy paths as we continued searching for our friend the truth Adam finally said maybe she went into the forest his voice was trying to reassure himself as much as come for others yeah maybe she did my throat was like sandpaper but what about that monster someone yelled she must be quite far behind us by now he ran for quite a long time I said and stepped forward ignoring any further protests everyone headed to the dense canopy of trees I felt my shoe dig into the surprisingly wet mud my feet sank in and I have to struggle to take one step at a time no one complained they all just wanted to find Alice and get out of this weird place just a few steps in someone nearly lost their mind guys it feels like the mud sucking me in Adam said in a voice of alarm it's just mud Adam grow up Brad scolded but I too could feel something going on in the mud I did feel suction a pull from below I feel it someone said another admitted well I don't Brad rolled his eyes grow up all of you we need you his sentence was interrupted without any warning Brad went down he didn't lose his balance and stumble he didn't trip over anything to all our horror we watched as Brad was sucked into the muddy wet ground like it was a giant vacuum cleaner it happened so fast it was over almost before I could process what I was seeing and the last thing we saw of him was his hand with his Rolex watch reaching out of the mud desperately trying to claw his way to the surface Adam lunch to his rescue but within a second he fell in - and was quickly submerged in the muck I heard someone scream then everyone burst into panic we tried to run but the mud was growing thicker and heavier and worst of all harder hard enough to slow us down in masses of seconds everyone around me was sucked in one by one who watched helplessly as my friends disappeared and then suddenly I was alone for a second nothing happened I was left quite thick suffocating fog and with a curtain of dead silence falling all around me I knew I was about to be the final victim I knew I was being watched I knew I was being saved for the last and I felt it the iron grip of a giant ragged hand wrap around my ankle I was next the hand pulled me down with unimaginable strength and force at first I felt my body moved down wet mud and then I simply felt like I was falling it was just a couple of seconds until a long rough coil like structure wrapped around me holding me firmly in place I coughed as my throat burned from the mud inside I gasped for breath and opened my eyes a jaw hung open at what I saw on top of me was a large dome of soil with roots hanging down looking thick and healthy from the dome protruded an endless number of giant roots each of which held something at its end in tight round coils I wanted to scream when I realized what were in the coils they were bony remains human remains and now I was coiled in just like them around me all my friends were also held tightly in their own coils all screaming in despair it took me a moment to realize precisely at what they were screaming then I saw them at the tops of the roots were tiny little creatures miniature versions of the plant lady we saw earlier millions of them crouched on all fours the silver eyes glaring down as in a combination of surprise amusement and all who made the same horrible sound will mother did began to crawl down the roots coming straight for us I heard Alice scream and realized that she was on the coil right next to me the grubby little creatures climbed on her body I saw one of them sink its teeth into her arm she screamed in pain and I felt paralyzed with fear the same happened to everyone one by one I saw their blood I saw their bones and I heard their cries grow muffled and then cease entirely as the creatures devoured them alive when finally the creatures cleared away from the coils I saw the remains of all my friends these people alive just minutes ago now they broken and twisted in the grips of the coil like rag dolls their flesh and muscles pulled away from their bones those creatures must have enjoyed my expression of pure horror and they began to crawl toward me I was their main course I could barely with her as I struggled all the recoils trying to pry them off they trying to cut them with my teeth trying to do anything to break their fear upon me the coils have the sturdiness of hard cement there was no escape the creatures climbed onto my body and still I fought the inevitable trying everything to push them away but just as they descended on me a loud ragged voice spoke those words froze every muscle in my body I saw her appear as her children scurried away her tree bark like mouth parted into a gruesome grin she said it's her enormous hand squeezed my leg her hands released me from the coils as she lost me and at palm she said happily sitting down cross-legged on the ground like she was getting ready to have a picnic after all no I screamed as loud as I could but ignoring my cries she closed her mouth around my head I shut my eyes awaiting the end a moist warm gush of wind rushed around my head her twig like teeth pierced the flesh of my neck and I felt a forceful pull on my head the excruciating pain overwhelmed me every second brought new depths of agony and terror finally just when I could take no more my vision went like after that I felt nothing chilling tales for dark nights [Music] you

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Channel: Chilling Tales for Dark Nights

Views: 50,122

Rating: 4.619266 out of 5

Keywords: scary creepypasta, creepypasta, creepypasta stories, award winning scary stories, top 5 scary true stories, 5 scary true stories, scary story, no sleep podcast, podcast, chilling tales, 5 scariest true stories, top 5 scariest true stories, scariest creepypasta, true scary stories reddit, true scary stories, scary true stories, creepypasta compilation, award winning horror short, scary stories, 5 scariest stories, 5 scary stories, 5 scary

Id: JD_qeLY73fA

Channel Id: undefined

Length: 144min 12sec (8652 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 13 2018

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