1 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:13,839 Speaker 1: Matter is subject to debate. Light technically has substance the 2 00:00:13,919 --> 00:00:18,879 skimming of animated photons across various molecules, with a little 3 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:22,160 heat in the form of radiation thrown in for good measure. 4 00:00:23,559 --> 00:00:26,960 So it would be, in an abstract way, logical for 5 00:00:27,039 --> 00:00:32,560 that same substance to exist In the antithesis. Darkness is 6 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:36,920 the absence of light, of heat, and of energy. But 7 00:00:37,039 --> 00:00:41,799 what if there were another form of darkness, something palpable, 8 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:48,439 something tangential. Imagine if you feel darkness itself and feel 9 00:00:48,439 --> 00:00:51,520 it on your skin like a ray of warm sunshine. 10 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:56,880 It would be frightening or worse still, imagine if something 11 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,719 could come from that darkness and touch you. I was 12 00:01:00,799 --> 00:01:05,920 touched by something from the darkness. This is my story. 13 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,239 It seems too good to be true. What's the catch? 14 00:01:10,599 --> 00:01:13,640 The house must be haunted, I said to the landlord, 15 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:17,799 as he absent mindedly scrolled on his phone. What's with 16 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,000 all the stuff? He looked up at me with a 17 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,959 perplexed expression. Huh uh oh. Yeah. The old tenant moved 18 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,599 out about three weeks ago, left all the furniture and stuff. 19 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,920 Hence why I listed the house as fully furnished. Keep 20 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:36,400 whatever you want and toss the rest. I don't care. 21 00:01:36,599 --> 00:01:39,280 It ain't my stuff, he said, as he went back 22 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:43,680 to checking his phone. The backyard's fenced in, obviously, and 23 00:01:43,719 --> 00:01:46,840 the doggy door here is open if you have a dog. 24 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,040 There's an extra deposit of two hundred and fifty dollars. 25 00:01:51,599 --> 00:01:54,719 I walked through the three bedroom, two bathroom home, again 26 00:01:55,599 --> 00:01:59,680 built in the nineteen fifties, The one story brick structure 27 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,760 was a simple rectangle divided into rooms, a common design 28 00:02:04,879 --> 00:02:07,760 back in the day. It had fallen by the wayside 29 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:12,120 in the name of open concept floor plans long ago 30 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:16,159 shotgun houses. They used to be called I remember my 31 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:20,879 grandmother saying that phrase once upon a time. Still it 32 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:24,680 had been recently remodeled, didn't reek of cigarette smoke like 33 00:02:24,719 --> 00:02:27,120 a few of the other places I had seen for rent. 34 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,639 Trying to find a decent place within driving distance to 35 00:02:31,759 --> 00:02:36,240 work for under eighteen hundred dollars per month was nearly impossible. 36 00:02:36,879 --> 00:02:39,479 When the home just off Clifton Road sprang up on 37 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:44,479 my app I thought it was a scam. I perused 38 00:02:44,479 --> 00:02:47,080 the built in shelf in the den which surrounded the 39 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:52,759 wood burning fireplace, large thick books on anatomy, psychology, and 40 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:56,439 the like filled at least three of them. One book 41 00:02:56,479 --> 00:02:59,960 stood out. It was faded green and lacked a dust jack. 42 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:03,719 I started to remove it from the shelf, but left 43 00:03:03,719 --> 00:03:07,800 it hanging slightly. Ajar, these weren't my things to touch. 44 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:12,039 There sure are a lot of medical books here. She 45 00:03:12,159 --> 00:03:15,520 worked at Big wake Over on Newburn Avenue. It was 46 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,319 a short drive for her, but she found something else. 47 00:03:18,719 --> 00:03:21,800 Might have been a traveling nurse. I don't remember, he mumbled. 48 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:26,919 I inspected the couchs thoroughly before walking into the bedroom. 49 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,759 The lovely wooden French doors opened to a long hall 50 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,000 away from the rest of the home. I pulled the 51 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,439 sheets up and checked the corners of the mattress for 52 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,879 signs of bed bugs. You want the place or not, 53 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,759 little lady. I have another person coming in an hour 54 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,719 to look at it. Should I cancel him or he 55 00:03:45,759 --> 00:03:49,479 called from the kitchen. Let's do it, I told the 56 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:53,439 man proudly, as I walked back down the hall. Contracts 57 00:03:53,479 --> 00:03:56,280 on the island sign all three initial where I have 58 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:59,719 the little tabs. Rent is due on the seventh, late 59 00:03:59,719 --> 00:04:03,360 two months and you're gone. I will pro rate this month, 60 00:04:03,439 --> 00:04:06,719 since it's already the second weekend. Everything in here is 61 00:04:06,759 --> 00:04:10,759 yours now? Well, that sounds fair. When can I move in? 62 00:04:11,479 --> 00:04:15,599 His hand vibrated softly as I asked the question soon 63 00:04:15,639 --> 00:04:17,839 as you sign, do you mind if I take this 64 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:20,839 in port and call my new landlord said as he 65 00:04:20,879 --> 00:04:23,519 pushed through the screen door and went to the back deck. 66 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:29,040 I quickly read the document over and signed each one meticulously. 67 00:04:29,879 --> 00:04:34,519 My first lease, I was officially on my own. It 68 00:04:34,519 --> 00:04:37,319 had been hard coming right out of the university to 69 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:41,920 find a place to stay. Apartment prices were insanely high 70 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,720 in Wake County, but I had lucked into a one 71 00:04:44,759 --> 00:04:48,040 thousand square foot home. It would be all mine for 72 00:04:48,079 --> 00:04:52,519 the next eighteen months. I thought, No, she isn't as 73 00:04:52,519 --> 00:04:55,199 pretty as the last one, not by a long shot. 74 00:04:55,639 --> 00:04:59,000 More of a normy, I thought. U nc W grads 75 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,959 were all hotties, being from the beach and all. Guess 76 00:05:01,959 --> 00:05:05,079 she's the oddball, I heard the man say on his phone. 77 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:07,920 As long as the rent gets paid, I don't care. 78 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,759 Hopefully she doesn't vanish in the night like the last 79 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,959 one did. Excuse me, what did you just say about me, 80 00:05:15,360 --> 00:05:19,800 I asked, incredulously. He looked at me with an annoyed 81 00:05:19,879 --> 00:05:23,920 expression and pointed to his phone. He saw I had 82 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:27,560 the signed contract in my hand, and he snatched it quickly, 83 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:32,240 flipping through the pages. He nodded in satisfaction and gave 84 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:34,759 me a thumbs up with a smile as he continued 85 00:05:34,759 --> 00:05:37,920 to walk. He walked off the porch and got into 86 00:05:37,959 --> 00:05:42,160 his car, and he was gone. Two days and a 87 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:45,920 large U haul truck later, I was completely moved in. 88 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,079 As I removed the small things I brought from their boxes, 89 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:52,879 I realized quickly I did not need most of what 90 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:57,560 I brought Lenen's plates. It was all still there. The 91 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,319 cableman came and went without issue use, and I streamed 92 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,079 music from a small speaker as I moved throughout my 93 00:06:04,199 --> 00:06:08,959 new abode, glass of chilled wine in hand. It was 94 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:11,959 late when I finally got to the last box, and 95 00:06:11,959 --> 00:06:14,600 it contained a small basket given to me by my 96 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:19,319 late mother. I hoisted the cardboard container up and my 97 00:06:19,399 --> 00:06:23,000 hand found the massive hole in the side. No, no, no, 98 00:06:23,399 --> 00:06:27,000 I said, as I hastily cut through the packing tape. 99 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:29,759 Something had punched through the side while in the truck. 100 00:06:30,959 --> 00:06:33,639 I ripped out the packing paper and stuck my hand 101 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:38,560 into the box. The basket had splintered into pieces. It 102 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,920 was handmade, woven together from thin strips of pliable North 103 00:06:42,959 --> 00:06:47,560 Carolina ashwood. I would never find another like it. It 104 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:50,160 was wildly and a little crooked, but it was from 105 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:54,759 my mother. My heart sank, but I couldn't bring myself 106 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,800 to toss it. A few soft tears ran down my 107 00:06:57,959 --> 00:07:01,199 cheeks as I thought of her. She never saw me 108 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:05,399 walk the stage at Wilmington to receive my diploma. She 109 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,000 didn't get to hear my excited phone call to tell 110 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,079 her that I had found a place of my own. 111 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:13,920 I wanted to tell her these amazing things, to share 112 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,560 the experience with her, but I couldn't. And I laid 113 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:20,560 the broken pieces on the kitchen table, and my night 114 00:07:20,759 --> 00:07:25,480 was ruined. I preloaded the coffee maker and decided to 115 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:28,519 go to bed. I took one last glance at the 116 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:33,519 ravaged basket before I turned the lights out. My first 117 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:37,560 evening there, I had fitful sleep. I woke with the 118 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:41,639 sun bursting onto my face through the curtainless window. I 119 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:43,959 tried to turn away, but I found I couldn't move. 120 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,839 I tried, but I was stuck. I could not even 121 00:07:47,879 --> 00:07:51,279 move my head and my neck. My ears rang with 122 00:07:51,319 --> 00:07:55,040 a deep vibration and panic gripped me for an instant. 123 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,399 Was I going to die? I only graduated six months ago, 124 00:07:59,439 --> 00:08:01,879 and now my life ends here. In my first night 125 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:06,560 in my new home, the fear subsided as my feet 126 00:08:06,639 --> 00:08:10,800 became tingly. I could wiggle my toes. After a few moments, 127 00:08:11,279 --> 00:08:15,560 my entire body slowly returned to normal. The process took 128 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:19,120 a few minutes, but those minutes were stretched along infinitely. 129 00:08:19,279 --> 00:08:21,839 When the scorching rays of the sun slap you in 130 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:24,920 the face at six in the morning, I need to 131 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:28,000 get some blackout curtains today, I said aloud. As I 132 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:32,840 finally regained control of my body. My steady breathing returned, 133 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,840 and I sat up in bed now immediately reached for 134 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:41,720 my phone. It was six six a m. I opened 135 00:08:41,799 --> 00:08:45,120 Chrome and typed in can't move when I wake up? 136 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:51,120 And then scan the results. The top bar read sleep paralysis, 137 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:54,120 and I click the link from the National Health Service 138 00:08:54,159 --> 00:08:58,480 and I read through the information. It said sleep paralysis 139 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:03,159 could be caused by disrupt in sleep patterns. Suppose moving 140 00:09:03,279 --> 00:09:07,120 is a disruption of sleep, I thought. I stepped onto 141 00:09:07,159 --> 00:09:10,120 the plush carpet of the bedroom and opened the double doors. 142 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,600 A board groaned in protest as I stepped onto the 143 00:09:14,639 --> 00:09:19,000 hardwoods in the hallway. The strong scent of fresh coffee 144 00:09:19,039 --> 00:09:24,039 waffed it down the corridor to my nostrils. Each step 145 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:28,559 drew me closer to sweet, delicious Columbian goodness. My toes 146 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:33,480 danced in anticipation of that first sip. I stopped dead 147 00:09:33,519 --> 00:09:36,840 in my tracks as I entered the kitchen. The basket 148 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:41,200 sat on the table. A vibrant ray of sunshine illuminated 149 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:44,600 it in its perfect form. I rushed to it and 150 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:48,320 immediately picked it up. I could see differences in color 151 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:52,159 where new strands of wood had been used. It was 152 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:57,240 no longer off kilter. It was perfectly shaped. I dropped 153 00:09:57,279 --> 00:09:59,600 it onto the table and I took a step back. 154 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:05,200 What the hell, I said, It's not possible I saw 155 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,720 it broken into pieces or did I dream it somehow? 156 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,279 Deciding to see someone, I took myself to the urgent 157 00:10:13,399 --> 00:10:18,000 care clinic in Nightdale, and I spoke to a physician's assistant. 158 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:20,360 She told me there was nothing in the way of 159 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:25,600 medications that had proven effective in stopping sleep paralysis. She 160 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:28,559 said people used to think it was caused by demons 161 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:32,480 in your home, which would sit on your chest, but 162 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:36,720 that it could cause visual and auditory hallucinations, as well 163 00:10:36,799 --> 00:10:41,399 as cloudy memory. My mind immediately ran to the basket. 164 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:46,320 Was my memory distorted from the sleep paralysis? Was it 165 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:50,440 ever really broken? No, I remember the basket. It was 166 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:54,120 crude crafted by an amateur during her final months of 167 00:10:54,159 --> 00:11:00,600 life in physical therapy. Something was terribly wrong. I returned 168 00:11:00,639 --> 00:11:03,679 home with a bag of takeaway chicken tenders, and I 169 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:06,519 sat at the kitchen table and stared at the basket. 170 00:11:07,679 --> 00:11:10,039 I chewed a tender with an open mouth while my 171 00:11:10,159 --> 00:11:13,960 eyes burned into the ash wood. You are not the 172 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:17,000 way I left you, I said to the basket. I 173 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:19,600 know it, and you know it. So what's the deal, 174 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:22,559 I asked, as I jabbed a cold French fry in 175 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:26,679 its direction. Okay, fine, don't talk to me, but we 176 00:11:26,759 --> 00:11:30,960 will get to the bottom of this. I spent the 177 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:34,639 afternoon setting up my computer and streaming a show as 178 00:11:34,759 --> 00:11:38,440 background noise. I would have to get back to work Monday, 179 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:42,159 and I wanted to be ready that night. I turned 180 00:11:42,159 --> 00:11:45,559 in around eleven. I began to drift off to sleep, 181 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:48,279 and my phone blaring a video of a makeup channel 182 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:52,159 I subscribed to. I heard a creak and I realized 183 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:54,799 one of the two doors to the bedroom was slightly 184 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:59,399 a jar. As my eyelids became heavy, I felt a 185 00:11:59,519 --> 00:12:03,600 vibration in my ears. It was nothing painful, but it 186 00:12:03,639 --> 00:12:07,759 was still something I could feel. It seemed to grow louder, 187 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,919 or perhaps it felt louder. I wasn't sure if I 188 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,679 was hearing it or feeling it. I wiped my dry 189 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:19,279 eyes and I realized I still had my contact lenses in, 190 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:24,080 and I blinked a few times, and I screamed. A 191 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:28,080 large pair of glowing eyes stared at me from the corridor, 192 00:12:28,759 --> 00:12:31,919 and when I screamed, they appeared to move back slightly. 193 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:37,480 Almost startled, I heard the creak again the floorboard I 194 00:12:37,519 --> 00:12:41,919 had stepped on earlier. Something was there, and it blinked 195 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,519 rapidly a few times, and then suddenly vanished without a trace. 196 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,159 I sat there, stunned. What the hell could that have been? 197 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:54,360 I don't dare move from my bed, and fear utterly 198 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:59,519 gripped me. There was a strange clanking sound from the kitchen. 199 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:05,279 Something was definitely moving inside my home. After a few moments, 200 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:08,840 it ceased. I didn't sleep the entire evening and only 201 00:13:08,919 --> 00:13:13,399 moved when the sun arose. I gripped my softball back 202 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,320 tightly with sweaty palms. As I walked down the hall 203 00:13:16,399 --> 00:13:20,639 to the kitchen, my coffee maker clicked softly with the 204 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:24,320 fresh brew. I didn't remember loading it the night before. 205 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:28,919 Did I do it instinctively? Out of habit? I called 206 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:33,279 the landlord immediately, mister Burke, there was something in the 207 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:37,360 house last night, some kind of creature. It was in 208 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:39,080 the house and it was staring at me. 209 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:43,039 Speaker 2: Well, did you close the doggy door when you moved in? 210 00:13:44,039 --> 00:13:47,879 Speaker 1: The doggy door, I stammered. I turned around and walked 211 00:13:47,919 --> 00:13:50,519 to the den to look at the back door. There 212 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:54,000 it was a tiny black flap and awe staring me 213 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:54,679 in the face. 214 00:13:55,799 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, the doggy door. I told you that when you 215 00:13:58,519 --> 00:14:00,159 moved in. Did you forget about it? 216 00:14:01,279 --> 00:14:03,840 Speaker 1: When I didn't reply, he laughed. 217 00:14:03,919 --> 00:14:07,519 Speaker 2: Sounds like you had a raccoon visit. You probably rummaging 218 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:09,000 for some leftover food. 219 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:12,639 Speaker 1: Well, how did it get over the fence? Raccoons are 220 00:14:12,639 --> 00:14:14,720 too fat, he laughed. 221 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 2: A raccoon will do anything for scrap food, and the 222 00:14:18,399 --> 00:14:22,440 fences wooden. It probably climbed over. Close it up and 223 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:24,960 call it a night. The block is in the coat 224 00:14:25,039 --> 00:14:27,840 closet by the back door. It's a wooden plank that 225 00:14:27,919 --> 00:14:31,360 slides over into the doggy door frame. Is there anything 226 00:14:31,399 --> 00:14:33,399 else you need? Well? 227 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 1: I felt like an idiot. I said my goodbyes and 228 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:40,159 I hung up. I opened the closet door, and sure enough, 229 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,679 there was a wooden plank of the exact size of 230 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:45,879 the door. I slid it into place and wiggled it 231 00:14:45,919 --> 00:14:48,559 a few times to make sure it was in place correctly. 232 00:14:49,679 --> 00:14:54,519 Satisfied with the effort, I started my day properly. The 233 00:14:54,559 --> 00:14:58,200 coffee was perfect and a cream cheese bagel made me 234 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:02,240 feel better. I took a long, warm shower and opened 235 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:06,039 my computer for work. That night, no critters entered my 236 00:15:06,159 --> 00:15:11,240 home and I slept blissfully and without worry. My week 237 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:15,440 went uneventfully, and I procured my blackout curtains and hung 238 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:20,240 them myself. Sleep came much easier for someone working what 239 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:23,240 amounted to a second shift with the sun blocked out. 240 00:15:25,519 --> 00:15:28,080 It was Friday night and I had just logged off 241 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:32,480 the computer after a long meeting with clients from Europe. 242 00:15:32,679 --> 00:15:35,759 Companies in Sweden put in their IT tickets at the 243 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:38,519 end of the day, and I stayed up all evening 244 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:41,279 to make sure their software work when they logged in 245 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:45,759 the next day with a five hour time difference. Going 246 00:15:45,759 --> 00:15:48,960 to bed at one in the morning was a regular occurrence, 247 00:15:49,519 --> 00:15:54,399 and I was mentally exhausted and decided to relax. I 248 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,519 poured myself a drink and grabbed a book from the shelf. 249 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:02,480 The faded green text caught my eye again. With a 250 00:16:02,519 --> 00:16:04,840 book in hand, I grabbed my wine and I wrapped 251 00:16:04,879 --> 00:16:09,559 up in the warm sheets. Upon opening the groaning spine, 252 00:16:09,759 --> 00:16:15,279 the cover page took me aback sleep paralysis. Visitors from 253 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:19,960 the other side of the door. Did the previous tenant 254 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:24,360 have bouts with sleep paralysis? That couldn't be a coincidence. 255 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:27,799 I flipped to the first chapter and I began to read, 256 00:16:27,879 --> 00:16:31,159 but the wine went straight to my head. The room 257 00:16:31,279 --> 00:16:34,879 spun ever so slightly, and a soft hum started to 258 00:16:34,919 --> 00:16:39,039 make my head feel fuzzy. I gently tapped the base 259 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:41,399 of the bedside amp to turn it off and laid 260 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:44,480 my head down against the silk pillowcase, and I was 261 00:16:44,519 --> 00:16:53,559 asleep within a minute. My eyes snapped open instantly. I 262 00:16:53,639 --> 00:16:56,519 knew that sound. It was the board in the hall. 263 00:16:57,159 --> 00:16:59,960 It was ingrained in my brain after the other evil. 264 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,640 With my vision blurry, I fumbled desperately for the light, 265 00:17:05,279 --> 00:17:09,160 and in my heightened state of alarm, I slapped the lamp, 266 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:11,960 turning it on but also knocking it to the floor. 267 00:17:13,039 --> 00:17:15,680 The shade landed with a crunch, and the lamp rolled 268 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:19,119 from side to side on the soft carpet. I pulled 269 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:22,359 my glasses from under my pillow and hastily positioned them 270 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:27,200 on my nose, and I wish I hadn't. A set 271 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:31,440 of long, spindily pale fingers creeped over the footboard of 272 00:17:31,519 --> 00:17:36,599 the bed. It grasped the wooden frame, followed quickly by another. 273 00:17:37,759 --> 00:17:41,319 They were gnarled and had four or five knuckles. The 274 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,400 fingernails were yellowed, and the skin around them appeared to 275 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:49,359 be raw, like an open wound. Two gargantuine ears, the 276 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,519 size of a human hand perked up out of the darkness. 277 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:57,319 They were rigid and erect and pale and distorted. The 278 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:02,720 insides were a muddled pink. I gasped, and they instantly 279 00:18:02,759 --> 00:18:05,640 redirected toward me, like the ears of a hunting dog. 280 00:18:06,559 --> 00:18:09,400 The nails dug into the wood slightly, and two large, 281 00:18:09,519 --> 00:18:14,119 bulbous eyes rose slowly inch by inch. They were the 282 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:19,359 size of lemons, jaundiced yellow and semi luminescent. The creature's 283 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:23,440 face crept above the board, I switching ever so slightly 284 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:29,240 as it looked me over. The small angular face had sunken, 285 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:33,240 skeletal cheeks, and the nose was merely two slits in 286 00:18:33,279 --> 00:18:38,000 the face above the thin, cracked lips. My voice caught 287 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:43,200 in my throat, a scream silenced by utter terror and 288 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:47,119 the soft rocking of the lamp. Distorted shadows danced across 289 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:50,119 the morbid visage of the human, like emp before me. 290 00:18:51,279 --> 00:18:54,400 The ears began to twitch rapidly until they appeared blurry, 291 00:18:55,039 --> 00:18:58,079 and my ears, in turn began to hum. It was 292 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:00,799 the same hum I heard before I went to bed. 293 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:04,680 It made my head spin and caused a wave of 294 00:19:04,759 --> 00:19:09,119 nausea to wash over me. In a single swift motion, 295 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:14,160 it leapt to the footboard into view. The whole thing 296 00:19:14,319 --> 00:19:16,559 must have been less than three feet tall if it 297 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:20,559 stood up. The legs were strong and muscular, but then 298 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:23,960 the feet were massive, like the feet of a rabbit 299 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:28,759 or a kangaroo. The body was horribly emaciated, with the 300 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:35,440 ribs clearly visible through the taut almost albino's skin. A strange, 301 00:19:35,599 --> 00:19:39,359 hairless tail wrapped around the feet and thumped softly against 302 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:43,440 the wooden bed frame. It had something held tightly by 303 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:49,000 the tail, using it like a gripping appendage. The arms 304 00:19:49,039 --> 00:19:52,039 were gaunt, nearly twice the length of its legs, and 305 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:56,440 riddled with scars. It huffed softly in short bursts, like 306 00:19:56,519 --> 00:20:01,599 a flat faced dog with breathing problems. The creature put 307 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:04,279 the palms of its hands together and opened them up, 308 00:20:04,519 --> 00:20:08,680 displaying three fingers and a thumb on each hand. It 309 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:11,759 wriggled the fingers out, forming something akin to the shape 310 00:20:11,759 --> 00:20:15,880 of a spider. Each finger seemed to move independently of 311 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:19,519 the others, like they each had their own wrist joint. 312 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:25,000 I screamed a deep, harsh, shrill scream, and the amp 313 00:20:25,079 --> 00:20:27,039 fell from the foot of the bed, letting out a 314 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:30,680 yelp as it clattered to the floor. I tried to 315 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:32,559 peer over the top of the bed to see where 316 00:20:32,599 --> 00:20:36,599 it had gone, and the bantam monster scrambled across the floor. 317 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:39,880 The light of the lamp shone like a spotlight against 318 00:20:39,920 --> 00:20:44,000 the wall. It cast a harsh shadow in the corners, 319 00:20:44,319 --> 00:20:47,160 and the amp scampered quickly out of the light in 320 00:20:47,279 --> 00:20:51,480 short bursting hops. In one bound, crossed several feet of 321 00:20:51,599 --> 00:20:56,480 space and into the wall. Only it didn't crash into 322 00:20:56,519 --> 00:20:59,559 the wall. It seemed to jump through the wall, and 323 00:20:59,599 --> 00:21:04,400 then it was gone. The object held by its tail 324 00:21:04,519 --> 00:21:07,559 thumped softly on the floor, and I climbed out of 325 00:21:07,599 --> 00:21:09,960 the bed and cautiously walked to the spot where the 326 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:14,599 creature vanished. I listened closely for any sounds, as if 327 00:21:14,599 --> 00:21:17,640 it had gone inside the wall, but there was nothing. 328 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:22,559 After a pregnant moment, I stole a glance at the 329 00:21:22,599 --> 00:21:27,640 thing on the floor. I was astounded. It was a basket, 330 00:21:27,839 --> 00:21:31,640 A small basket, maybe big enough for a phone. It 331 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:34,960 was intricately woven from what appeared to be some kind 332 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:39,519 of black wood. It was perfect in every way. The 333 00:21:39,559 --> 00:21:43,599 realization dawned on me, and I began to panic. Had 334 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:47,559 that thing repaired my mother's basket? Did it see me 335 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,839 when I cried over it? Did it make this for 336 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:55,319 me like a gift? I did not sleep for three 337 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,079 days after that. I stayed in a hotel room until 338 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:03,079 that Thursday, with out a second of rest. I called 339 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:05,759 the police, but my home was locked up tight from 340 00:22:05,759 --> 00:22:09,200 the inside. And I looked at the pictures of monkeys 341 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,480 and animals with maine and any other abnormal creature I 342 00:22:12,519 --> 00:22:15,559 could think of, and I found nothing that would explain 343 00:22:15,599 --> 00:22:19,920 a hairless, nearly albino thing that could make baskets and 344 00:22:20,079 --> 00:22:26,359 vanish into shadows. That Friday, I finally went home and 345 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:28,759 I walked in the door to the rank odor of 346 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:33,839 rotten food, several pieces of fruit spoiled into a sticky, 347 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:38,039 sweet ichor. On my counter, I saw an apple that 348 00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:41,319 had small bites taken out of it, and I scanned 349 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:45,119 the kitchen for any sign of the little imp. The 350 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:49,799 coffee pot was haphazardly loaded with grounds. The dried black 351 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:52,960 dunk of a four day old cup sat burned onto 352 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:56,039 the bottom of the pot. I know I did not 353 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:59,799 do that. It had returned at some point for me. 354 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,559 Perhaps it thought I wouldn't return like the other person did. 355 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:07,160 And I checked each room meticulously but found no other 356 00:23:07,279 --> 00:23:12,000 evidence of its presence. Deciding it was safe, I settled 357 00:23:12,039 --> 00:23:14,759 down in my bed and I locked the bedroom doors 358 00:23:14,799 --> 00:23:20,039 from the inside, and I finally fell asleep. I woke 359 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:23,640 with a start. The room was dark, with the old 360 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:27,759 digital alarm the only source of light. I wanted to 361 00:23:27,799 --> 00:23:30,640 reach for my eyeglasses on the bedside table, but I 362 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:34,279 found I couldn't. My eyes were open, but I felt 363 00:23:34,319 --> 00:23:38,319 as if I were not fully awake. I willed myself 364 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:42,400 to move, but nothing happened. I was stuck in my bed, 365 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:46,799 lying on my left side. The first pang of anxiety 366 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:49,720 washed over my body, and the thought occurred to me 367 00:23:49,839 --> 00:23:54,319 that something was definitely wrong. The feeling was momentary, and 368 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:58,160 I realized this was just another bout of sleep paralysis. 369 00:23:59,319 --> 00:24:01,680 I tried to and I tried to say something to 370 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:05,319 gain a bit of control. It's okay, the doctor said, 371 00:24:05,319 --> 00:24:10,160 it will pass in a few minutes, I told myself. Unfortunately, 372 00:24:10,519 --> 00:24:14,400 my lips did not move. Instead, it sounded more akin 373 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:18,359 to gurgling mumbles. I would have laughed a little if 374 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:20,720 I had been able to. At least I was in 375 00:24:20,759 --> 00:24:24,799 a comfortable position. I began to calm down a bit 376 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:29,839 when my astigmatism riddled eyes caught movement near the bedroom doorway. 377 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:34,160 Was there something really there or was it part of 378 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:41,079 the mild hallucinations from the sleep paralysis. A creaking board, 379 00:24:41,279 --> 00:24:44,599 soft and subtle, was as loud as a gunshot in 380 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,920 the deathly silence, and I knew that creek. It was 381 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:51,359 the loose board right in front of the double doors. 382 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:55,799 To my bedroom. In the soft green glow of the 383 00:24:55,839 --> 00:25:01,079 alarm clock, a silhouette slinked into the room. It seemed 384 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:04,640 to pass right through the sturdy wooden frame without any issue, 385 00:25:05,039 --> 00:25:08,480 a darkness which was darker than the very shadow that 386 00:25:08,599 --> 00:25:12,839 it came from. It hopped on two back legs, almost 387 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,400 like a deformed wallaby, without making so much as a sound. 388 00:25:17,599 --> 00:25:21,200 The awkwardly long arms dragged along the carpet as it 389 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:26,000 hopped toward my bed. It drew near and the tapedum 390 00:25:26,079 --> 00:25:31,039 lucidum and the lemons sized eyes created an other worldly illumination, 391 00:25:32,039 --> 00:25:35,559 much like a nocturnal animal. They seemed to glow in 392 00:25:35,599 --> 00:25:41,359 the dark as they stared directly at me, unblinking. That grotesque, 393 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:45,400 hairless thing crept right up to my bedside, clicking its 394 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:48,759 tongue and thin lips together in a sound that reminded 395 00:25:48,759 --> 00:25:56,680 me of popping bubbles. In one sudden burst of speed, 396 00:25:56,759 --> 00:25:59,640 it sprung up onto the bed and landed on my hip. 397 00:26:00,519 --> 00:26:04,519 The gangly malformed hands grasped me by the shoulder with 398 00:26:04,599 --> 00:26:08,920 impossible strength. The grip was like a vice, and it 399 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,960 rolled me over onto my back and stared down at me. 400 00:26:12,599 --> 00:26:15,920 And it sat on my chest, the thin worm like 401 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:21,160 tail slapping aimlessly against the bed covers. I could do 402 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:24,559 nothing to fight the thing back. I could only lay 403 00:26:24,559 --> 00:26:29,480 there helpless. It lazily turned my head to the side 404 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:34,039 and ran its tongue, a fat, disgusting lump of flesh 405 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:38,519 against the hooked, yellow finger nail, over and over, like 406 00:26:38,599 --> 00:26:43,640 it was cleaning itself. But no, it wasn't cleaning itself. 407 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:49,680 I realized it was lubricating its finger. The eyelids retracted 408 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:53,160 to reveal the full size of the bulbous orbs, and 409 00:26:53,279 --> 00:27:00,640 it slowly carefully jammed the finger into my ear canal, stretching. 410 00:27:00,759 --> 00:27:05,160 Sensation burned momentarily, but I was soon overwhelmed with a 411 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:09,319 searing pain. I could feel the nail push my ear 412 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:12,880 drum to the side and continued deeper, and I wanted 413 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:17,160 to scream. I wanted to die. This was a violation, 414 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:21,839 and I was defenseless against it. Warm blood began to 415 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:25,799 feel inside my ear, and sound was drowned out by 416 00:27:25,799 --> 00:27:28,880 the steady thump of my own heart as my blood 417 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:33,599 pressure skyrocketed. Perhaps I would just have a heart attack 418 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:36,519 and die so I would not have to endure whatever 419 00:27:36,559 --> 00:27:40,599 this thing planned for me. Next, I squeezed my eyes 420 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:44,640 shut as tears ran down my face, hoping and wishing 421 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:47,319 and praying for it all to be a terrible dream. 422 00:27:48,799 --> 00:27:53,799 In an instant, the pain ceased. A warm, fuzzy feeling 423 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:59,839 permeated my joints. It was delightful. My mind seemed to spin, 424 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:04,960 but not in a dizzy, nauseous way. I slowly opened 425 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:08,039 my eyes and they needed time to readjust to the 426 00:28:08,039 --> 00:28:13,720 blanketing darkness. Had this all been a dream? My mind 427 00:28:13,839 --> 00:28:18,599 was overwhelmed with an outpouring of emotions. My stomach cramped instantly, 428 00:28:19,039 --> 00:28:21,480 and I would have winced in pain if I could have. 429 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:26,200 I was hungry. It was an immeasurable hunger, as if 430 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:30,400 I had not eaten or drank anything in days. This 431 00:28:30,559 --> 00:28:35,519 must have been the sensation that came with starvation. A 432 00:28:35,599 --> 00:28:39,440 massive wave of sorrow rolled over me. It was an 433 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:43,400 overwhelming sense of loneliness, like I had been alone for 434 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:49,039 a thousand years, no friends, no family, not even another 435 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:53,400 human soul to talk to. It felt like a crushing 436 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:56,400 weight so heavy I could never get out from under it. 437 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:01,880 The confusion faded as I regained my grip on consciousness. 438 00:29:02,839 --> 00:29:05,519 If it were all a dream, what I woke to 439 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:11,160 can only be described as a nightmare. The creature was 440 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:14,599 still there, and it sat on my chest, just below 441 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:19,160 my collarbones. The finger was still jammed in my ear, 442 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:23,039 almost to the knuckle. It looked down at me. His 443 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:26,680 head cock to the side, and the massive bat like 444 00:29:26,799 --> 00:29:31,799 ears were protruded forward and out. It rotated its head 445 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:34,640 back and forth like a dog hearing a ce word 446 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:38,319 for a treat. The lips were distended and the lower 447 00:29:38,359 --> 00:29:44,279 one quivered slightly. A droplet of drool spattered onto my nose, 448 00:29:44,799 --> 00:29:48,039 and it was smiling at me. It was a hideous, 449 00:29:48,039 --> 00:29:52,640 demented smile, showing row upon row of jagged, snaggled teeth. 450 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:58,519 With its left hand, the double jointed, morbidly long fingers 451 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:02,960 ran through my scalp with machine like precision. They bent 452 00:30:03,039 --> 00:30:06,200 and twisted in emotion. I could feel, but I could 453 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:10,000 not keep up with I knew the feeling though. My 454 00:30:10,119 --> 00:30:12,200 mother used to do the same thing when I was 455 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:15,279 a child, as she would lull me to sleep. I 456 00:30:15,279 --> 00:30:18,920 could almost hear her voice as she hummed, hush, baby, 457 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:24,200 don't say words. Mammy, buy you a bird. My mind 458 00:30:24,279 --> 00:30:27,480 cracked in a moment of insanity, and the first words 459 00:30:27,519 --> 00:30:31,839 were inhuman mutated, but as it finished the line from 460 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:38,000 the lullaby, it sounded soft and soothing. This thing, this monster, 461 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:41,559 was trying to sing to me in my mother's voice. 462 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:45,960 As it braided my hair. It was in my mind 463 00:30:46,519 --> 00:30:51,519 these feelings. They weren't my feelings. The crippled pangs of hunger, 464 00:30:51,599 --> 00:30:56,359 and the confusing mixture of nervousness and infatuation, the overwhelming 465 00:30:56,440 --> 00:31:00,759 burden of soul crushing depression. They were coming from it. 466 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:05,599 I was thinking its thoughts, I was feeling its feelings. 467 00:31:06,599 --> 00:31:10,559 The hand worked at a feverish pace. My left leg 468 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:15,759 jumped suddenly. I was regaining my ability to move. The 469 00:31:15,839 --> 00:31:19,079 massive eyes glanced at the movement. It looked back at me, 470 00:31:19,279 --> 00:31:24,559 blinking rapidly. Sh It whispered to me. The fingers doubled 471 00:31:24,559 --> 00:31:27,720 their efforts and spun intricate braids on the other side 472 00:31:27,759 --> 00:31:31,960 of my head. I bounced my wrists slightly. A long, 473 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:35,079 padded foot like a rabbit, pushed down on my hand. 474 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:39,960 I felt the retractable talons, ever slow slightly, dig into 475 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:47,759 my exposed flesh. Almost done, I began to find my voice, 476 00:31:48,119 --> 00:31:52,839 and it started as a low murmur. I screamed inside 477 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:55,759 my mind, but each time I did, the stumbling sound 478 00:31:55,839 --> 00:32:01,079 grew louder. The spider like appendance turned my head face 479 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:05,000 up and retracted from my head. A moment later, it 480 00:32:05,039 --> 00:32:08,240 pressed hard into my chest, and it felt like an anvil. 481 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:14,759 The strength this diminutive abomination possessed was impossible to fathom. 482 00:32:15,559 --> 00:32:18,279 I could feel the finger begin to squirm out of 483 00:32:18,359 --> 00:32:24,759 my ear canal, and with a moist PLoP, it came free. 484 00:32:24,839 --> 00:32:28,160 The amp held the finger to its face and inhaled 485 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:31,319 the coppery scent of my blood through the slits Just 486 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:36,440 over its upper lip. The bumpy, blistered tongue protruded, and 487 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:42,079 the face was suddenly just inches from mine. Slowly the 488 00:32:42,119 --> 00:32:46,799 tongue touched my chin. It was feverishly hot, and it 489 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:50,519 probed my face up. The side of my lip, passed 490 00:32:50,519 --> 00:32:56,319 my left nostril and lopped lazily on my cheek. My 491 00:32:56,519 --> 00:32:59,920 chest jumped suddenly as I regained control of my limbs, 492 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:03,160 and I rolled onto my side and tumbled out of bed. 493 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:07,960 The creature landed flatly on its two kangaroo feet and 494 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:11,680 bounded across the room. It was shadow in the corner 495 00:33:11,799 --> 00:33:16,599 seemed to open and engulf it, and it was gone. 496 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:20,640 I stared, barely able to see, as a small trickle 497 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:25,000 of warm blood coursed down my ear lobe. It followed 498 00:33:25,039 --> 00:33:28,200 the slimy streak of spittle the creature had left on 499 00:33:28,359 --> 00:33:32,559 my face and on my hands and knees. I sobbed 500 00:33:32,599 --> 00:33:37,359 on the bedroom floor until I threw up. The next day, 501 00:33:37,759 --> 00:33:41,279 I called my father and I told him I needed 502 00:33:41,279 --> 00:33:45,559 to move immediately and needed a place to stay. He 503 00:33:45,599 --> 00:33:48,079 offered to let me crash in his spare room until 504 00:33:48,119 --> 00:33:51,440 I got back on my feet. He drove up from 505 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:55,200 the seaport and picked me up that evening. I left 506 00:33:55,279 --> 00:33:59,559 everything there, just like the last tenant. I didn't even 507 00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:02,799 care about my own things. I just wanted to get 508 00:34:02,799 --> 00:34:05,960 the hell out of there. As I rode in the 509 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:09,079 passenger seat of his truck, I looked out the window 510 00:34:09,159 --> 00:34:12,280 at what should have been my dream but was instead 511 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:18,159 a living nightmare, and from the open curtains of the bedroom, 512 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:29,000 a pair of yellow, luminescent eyes stared at me, unblinking.