One cool, early fall evening several years ago, I returned to my parent's house after a lengthy day of classes. Tossing my backpack carelessly aside and kicking off my shoes in random directions, I proceeded to the kitchen to pick at some ungodly number of various leftover takeout foodstuffs in the refrigerator.
Such was my twenty-year-old life, enjoying the fruits of my parents' labor without having to do much of anything to provide for it in the first place. I certainly miss some aspects of those days. The care-free nature of it all.
If you're wondering, the reason I was able to get away with being such a ruthless pig was that my parents had recently divorced, and they had each moved out. They agreed that, since the fate of the house was yet to be determined by themselves with the assistance of their attorneys, it would be appropriate for me to live there while attending the local community college. After all, even though they weren't entirely happy with each other, they were happy that I would have one less expense upon which to accumulate my current, soul-crushing loan debt. Soul-crushing though said current debt may be today, I still sincerely appreciate their gesture.
I only mention these details up front to give you some context in regard to what happened that evening and the following few days.
As I pulled out a few paper-box packages of Chinese food from the fridge, my phone began to buzz wildly in my backpack. I set the food on the counter, shut the refrigerator door, and checked my brand new iPhone to see what all the fuss was about.
It was a newsletter email from a site I used to frequent which had articles about all the latest apps and features available for the iPhone. I am embarrassed to admit this, but, at the time, I certainly wasn't much of a social butterfly. Endeavors like gaming, gadgets, and technology consumed the majority of my time.
Naturally, I was keenly interested in what the newsletter had to provide. I scrolled through the various headlines for apps such as "Productivity" "Games" "News" and finally "Pranks." I stopped briefly over the "Pranks" headline, as I had never actually heard of a "Prank" app before. (Mind you, these were the early days of the app store.) Underneath this headline, there was only one app listed- a bright, red eye on a black background as its logo. This app was called: "Peripheral Vision."
Although I certainly didn't consider it a priority, I couldn't help but casually open the app store and search "Peripheral Vision" as I grabbed my food and made my way to my bedroom to sit down by my computer. I mindlessly turned on the PC as I scrolled through the results, only one of which I could find that was actually called "Peripheral Vision." I clicked on it and checked out the description.
"SCARE YOUR FRIENDS! With revolutionary new technology, you'll get the drop on your buddies as you fool them into playing this 'game' of ours! Using discrete changes in colors and visual patterns, 'Peripheral Vision' fools the mind into seeing what isn't there!"
I chuckled a bit as I kept reading.
"The way it works is simple: Ask a friend to hold the phone close to their eyes, and they will be prompted to watch the screen carefully. You'll need to fool them into thinking this is some sort of memory challenge or blinking contest. After our unique algorithm takes over, they'll start to see spooky things out of the corners of their eyes! Wait until night-time for an extra creepy effect!"
Without a moment's hesitation, I clicked the download button, and began to wait for the app to complete its installation. Without a doubt, I was incredulous as to this developer's very bold claims about his or her "technology," but I couldn't help but wonder if the app actually did something.
As the app proceeded to download, I glanced out my window, noticing that it was still bright outside.
"Oh, that won't do." I joked to myself. "I think I'll wait until night time for this alleged 'extra creepy effect.'"
I did just that. Occupying my time with my computer, I waited until night to play around with the app. I followed my usual nightly routine, first brushing my teeth and turning out all the lights except the lights in the hallway. I would always wait to turn off those lights just before bed, after I had watched a fair amount of television.
I hopped into bed, turned on the television to some reruns of Futurama, and picked up my phone. I launched the "Peripheral Vision" app. Without any sort of loading sequence, the screen went black for a moment, the simply prompted:
"Hold the screen close to your face. Focus carefully on this text!" I smirked arrogantly as I followed the instructions on the screen.
In only seconds, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the vague outline of a shadow easing into the vicinity of my door frame.
I was so startled that I dropped the phone and gasped, my head whipping toward the shadow in my doorway- which had completely vanished. It had never been there in the first place.
"Holy shit." I muttered, fishing for my phone among the sheets as I kept my eyes locked on the door. Even after I found the phone, I continued to stare at the door frame. I glanced down only for a moment to see that the app was still open. With a fleeting shot of terror through my heart, I closed the app, flipped the phone upside down, and resumed watching the television. Every few seconds, I would flip my gaze back to the door frame. Each time I did, nothing was there.
After the episode had completed, rationality slowly began to restore itself in my mind. I thought that, first of all, now that I had given it some thought, this had not been the first time I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye as I looked at my phone in the dark. Perhaps it had something to do with the stark contrast in the light levels between the phone and the room around me. Furthermore, perhaps it was simply the case that the app worked! In that case all I had seen was an optical illusion. Exactly what was supposed to happen.
I smiled as I thought of how silly I had been only moments before. I relaxed and sunk into my pillows on my bed.
After time however, certain meddling thoughts continued to creep into my brain.
But...it couldn't have worked, right? That's impossible.
How the hell are color patterns- or lights- or whatever, going to make me see something like that?
I looked back toward my phone. I picked it up, and opened the app once more. Again I was prompted to hold the phone close, and watch the screen carefully.
Again, within just a few seconds, a shadow in the hallway eased into the door frame. I took a deep breath, and continued to hold the phone, focusing on it and not looking toward the door. As I did so, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a white, ghastly arm crept into view, just beyond the shadow. Crooked, broken fingers secured themselves around the door frame.
I threw the phone across the room, yelping. I again shot my gaze toward the door and again I found nothing. This time, I immediately got out of bed and ran to the door. The hallway was empty.
I heaved a trembling sigh, and slowly returned to my room to collect the phone. To my relief, it was just fine. I nervously closed the app once more before returning to bed and watching some the next episode that came on.
I tried to focus on the plot of the show, but I couldn't. I kept thinking about just how impressive, yet terrifying, this apparent "prank" truly was. I took the phone out once more, and began typing some messages to my good friend at the time. I won't mention his name in this story.
"Dude, next time I see you, I have to show you this new app. It's incredible. You won't believe it!"
Within just a few seconds, he replied.
"What, is it like a game or something? What's it called?"
Excited to give him a scare that very night, I held the phone closer to my face as I responded:
"It's called 'Peripheral Vision'"
I sent the text before beginning another.
"It's crazy. You won't believe the description it has, but"
That's all I managed to write. As I typed, the shadow returned. Followed by the arm, the hand of which again grasped the door frame. Behind the door frame emerged what the arm was attached to. A gray, lanky, decrepit, corpse-like torso fell backward through the frame. Behind it, a face with dark green eyes dropped upside down over its body. It flashed a smile with sharp, yellow teeth.
I screamed, again dropping the phone and looking toward the door. Again I saw nothing. Again I ran to the doorway and saw nothing in the hallway.
I did not sleep that night. I turned on every light in the house. I heard my phone buzz, which made me jump, but I did not check it. I waited in bed until the morning. I never stopped staring at the doorway.
In the morning, I grabbed my phone and immediately deleted the app.
I noticed that the there was one unread message. It must have been the buzz from the night before.
It was my friend, who had replied to the last text message I managed to send. "Huh. Can't seem to find it. Are you sure that's what it's called???"
Submitted June 17, 2016 at 06:02AM by Smoofis http://ift.tt/1XsBJSo nosleep
No comments:
Post a Comment