WEBVTT 1 00:00:08.039 --> 00:00:13.839 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 Well, did you close the doggy door when you moved in? 210 00:13:44.039 --> 00:13:47.879 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 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 When I didn't reply, he laughed. 217 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:07.519 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 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 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 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