Latest / Shallow Nights: Scary Bedtime Stories / Dancing with Monsters - A Tale of Mystery

Transcript

Dancing with Monsters - A Tale of Mystery · Shallow Nights: Scary Bedtime Stories

0:17
A friend of mine recommended a dating website for me to check
0:20
out, which isn't too unusual. However, the site he told me
0:24
about was clearly a joke. It was the site to date
0:27
monsters, or at least that's how he put it.
0:31
He gave me the website address and told me he was only up for 7
0:34
minutes and 7 seconds after midnight.
0:37
I rolled my eyes at him and put the information away in the back
0:40
of my mind in case I got bored. One day recently I got very
0:45
bored and was unable to sleep scrolling through my social
0:48
media trying to find anything new.
0:50
I sighed, wondering if there was something a bit more interesting
0:53
I could do. The website came to mind.
0:57
I mean, why not? If it was real, it was clearly a
1:00
prank website that could entertain me for a few minutes.
1:05
I waited for the clock to hit midnight and I easily found the
1:08
site. It looked like one from the
1:10
early 2000s, blocky scrolling bars and a clunky mouse.
1:14
The front page had a few profiles of the top creatures in
1:17
demand. From what I could see of the
1:20
photos, the top sellers looked like they were wearing animal
1:23
ears. This was a really poorly made
1:27
joke. I hit my screenshot key to show
1:29
my friends, but nothing happened.
1:31
I guess some sites put a block on that sort of thing.
1:34
I really didn't know much about website building to think
1:37
otherwise. It would take me longer than 7
1:40
minutes to fill out the form or pick out a monster I wanted to
1:43
request the date with. I saw a randomized button at the
1:47
top of the screen hovering over it for a few moments.
1:50
I clicked it. It brought me to a page that was
1:53
simple compared to the rest. Instead of picking out a
1:56
creature you could have once sent to you, the site would tell
2:00
you a day and time. The creatures of the site would
2:03
be able to pick if they wanted to go out.
2:05
So it wasn't truly random on both ends, the human just didn't
2:10
know what they would get. There was no form, so I just hit
2:13
the button and waited. I doubted anything would happen,
2:17
this was a joke site after all, right?
2:21
The screen turned black and I started to feel a little bit of
2:24
fear creep up my spine. I was almost angry at myself for
2:27
feeling like that. It was just a simple website.
2:31
I was about to close it when text and an image came on
2:34
screen. Alex Hawthorne, Wednesday, 10:00
2:37
PM, Location below. I took a small inhale of a
2:41
surprise to breath when I saw a photo of a park.
2:44
I knew. Not only did this site somehow
2:47
pull my name, it also found a photo of a location close by
2:50
where I lived. This was stressful.
2:53
I felt as if my computer just got a virus.
2:57
I closed the site and ran a virus scanner just to be safe.
3:00
I reset my passwords and the most important sites, hoping the
3:05
fake dating site didn't install something that could spy on what
3:08
I was doing. Only time would tell if I was
3:11
tricked out of my life savings or not.
3:14
It wasn't as if I had a lot, so it wouldn't be a huge loss.
3:18
I would give my friend an earful the next time I saw him for
3:20
telling me about this damn site. As the days passed, I started to
3:25
think about it. Surely it wasn't real, right?
3:29
They weren't going to send someone all dressed up, wearing
3:31
a mask, trying to pass themselves off as a creature for
3:34
whatever desperate soul signed up for the date, right?
3:40
It got to the point where I could no longer think of
3:42
anything else. I was done working very close by
3:45
the park, the least I could do is take a peek to see if anyone
3:49
was waiting, no matter how silly I felt about it.
3:52
This might be a setup to rob me, but I still started down the
3:57
park pathway, my phone in hand, ready to call for help if
4:00
needed. Someone was waiting for me,
4:04
that's all man. Stood under a parking light,
4:07
looking around as if expecting someone.
4:09
I froze, unable to decide if I should go near, when he spotted
4:14
me and gave a wave in my direction.
4:16
I could never figure out what motivated me to go over to him.
4:20
Normally I would never do such a thing, but that night I found my
4:23
feet moving on their own. He looked to be about a foot
4:28
taller than me, middle-aged with salt and pepper hair cut short
4:31
and styled back. He was wearing a long wool coat
4:35
that looked like it could fit into an old fashioned European
4:38
crime drama. His eyes were a bright blue, but
4:41
I could not see the rest of his face.
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Half of it was covered by a Gray cloth that went around his
4:46
entire head. It was tied to a gold chain and
4:49
looked like a dancer's veil. It looked like he was smiling at
4:52
me, but with the cloth covering his face, it was hard to tell.
4:58
You're Alex right here, We're told this makes a good
5:01
impression. When I stopped a few steps from
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him, he took out a rose from his coat pocket and held it out for
5:07
me. I didn't move to take it.
5:10
This whole thing was weird, he looked human and not at all what
5:15
I expected. This is a joke, right?
5:19
I asked slowly, not feeling right about the whole thing.
5:23
It's up to you to decide what you believe.
5:25
If you want to think this is some sort of scam, you're free
5:27
to walk away. However, the website will keep
5:30
sending you monsters until you finish a day with 1.
5:33
He explained, Rose still towards me.
5:36
I don't remember agreeing to that, it's in the fine print.
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I stared him down, trying to figure out what to do.
5:44
He was a stranger after all, and I still didn't believe in the
5:47
whole monster dating website thing.
5:49
But I had nothing better to do that night, and he was acting
5:52
friendly enough. I took the Rose from him and his
5:54
eyes turned up in a smile. How do you know my name?
5:58
I asked, still feeling weird about the whole thing.
6:01
It's easy to find out. You must be uncomfortable not
6:04
knowing mine. If I know yours, I go by Poppy.
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I raised an eyebrow, that was not a name I would expect for
6:12
him. Then again, none of this was
6:14
really going as expected. So you're not human, right?
6:19
Got anything special under your cloth of yours?
6:23
His eyes looked like they were smiling again, but this time I
6:26
got a chill from it. He took the edge of the cloth
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and lifted a fraction. I couldn't see what was hidden
6:31
under it and my brain screamed at me.
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I didn't want to find out. It was such a strange reaction,
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I needed to take a step back. It seems as if you do not wish
6:42
to know. No matter, come along, I shall
6:45
buy you food. It's a step of completing the
6:47
date so you can go back home sooner.
6:51
I was still freaked out, but I followed behind him.
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I was led to a well lit Main Street with stores still open.
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If you wanted me to go to a dark street, I would have left.
7:01
Turning to face me, Poppy handed me some money.
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Regrettably, I cannot go inside. You shall need to buy your
7:09
dinner. I do not need anything so feel
7:11
free to choose whatever you like.
7:14
There was a few fast food places on the street and within walking
7:17
distance. He gave me more than enough for
7:19
one meal and I again wondered what I got myself into.
7:23
I could have just walked away with the money, but I started to
7:25
feel a bit curious over what a date with a monster would be.
7:30
I picked the 1st place and got a meal to go.
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Poppy waited outside for me and gave me another friendly wave
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when I came out, as if I didn't know where I left him.
7:39
Damn it, this guy was a little endearing.
7:42
I almost wanted to believe in the whole monster thing.
7:45
Would you like to eat in the park?
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He offered. The park entrance had a few
7:49
tables for people and it was right across the street from the
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police station. Overall, a very safe spot to sit
7:55
and eat with a stranger, even if it was at night.
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I agreed and followed him again. We picked out a table that
8:02
looked clean enough. I wasn't too hungry so I picked
8:05
away at my fries from the bag. So if you don't eat fast food,
8:10
what do you eat, People, Puppies.
8:13
I asked, looking over at him. He sat across from me and
8:17
thought about my question for a moment.
8:19
I eat people's worries. He said finally.
8:23
I paused, well aware I was giving him a look.
8:27
Here I was trying to believe him and he came out with this
8:29
weirdness. OK, I'll bite.
8:33
How does that work? To pet it better?
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I eat the causes of people's worries.
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It's like a monkey's paw thing. You raise the hand that was
8:41
covered in a white glove to emphasize the point.
8:45
Let's say you're worried about a job interview coming up.
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I eat those worries and there no more job interview.
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Another example is if you're worried about your daughter's
8:54
grades. You can see where I'm going with
8:57
that. I ate a few more fries and close
9:00
the bag. I did see where he was going.
9:03
Can't be worried about a daughter if you don't have one.
9:07
I should have left after that, but I felt as if I was having
9:10
deja vu. As if I've heard this before,
9:14
but that was impossible because I've never seen Poppy before
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that night. Do you warn people before you
9:20
ruin their lives? Like be careful what you wish
9:23
for kind of deal? I asked and found my voice was
9:26
shaking a little. Not often, I do tend to stress
9:33
about how there is no going back, but I do believe you
9:37
already know of all of this. My body tensed up.
9:41
This man no longer appeared charming.
9:44
His blue eyes bore into mine until I needed to look away.
9:47
I've never met him and yet he was acting as if I had.
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My mouth became dry, but I didn't dare move to get a drink.
9:55
I haven't. I started but couldn't finish my
9:58
statement. I haven't.
10:00
What ever met me before haven't requested my assistance.
10:05
Alex, I recognized you after all these years, that is why I chose
10:10
you. When your name came up.
10:12
I never expected to actually follow through with the silly
10:15
dating site and yet here we both are.
10:20
My body started to tremble as I sat listening to him.
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I didn't believe a word of it. I couldn't, I just couldn't.
10:27
This whole thing had gone too far, my arms started to ache in
10:31
a phantom pain that I thought was long gone.
10:34
Poppy was still sitting on the other side of the table, but it
10:37
felt as if his form was getting bigger, the light surrounding
10:41
him slowly fading until it was just his blue eyes in the
10:44
darkness narrowed, staring at me.
10:48
I shook my head, trying to wake myself up or anything to get me
10:52
away from him. If we have never met, then tell
10:55
me, why do you wear long sleeves all the time?
10:58
His hand reached over and grabbed my wrist.
11:01
My stomach turned and I weakly tried to pull my arm away.
11:04
His voice changed to something deep and threatening, almost as
11:08
if he was enjoying this. When I did not respond, he went
11:11
on. If we have never met, then tell
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me how you got these burns and where is the man who caused
11:18
them? I couldn't take his looming dark
11:21
form. My stomach finally gave up, I
11:24
shot out of my seat and thankfully a garbage bin was
11:27
only a few steps away. I got sick from fear and stress.
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When I finally looked back up, Poppy returned to normal.
11:35
He sat silently waiting for me. As much as I wanted to leave,
11:39
this man gave me a reason to stay.
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He was dragging up memories I worked so hard to forget.
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Why? What happened before?
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How did we meet? My voice was hoarse and I
11:52
sounded terrible. He waited until I sat down and
11:55
took small sips of my drink. We met when you were a child.
12:00
You asked me to deal with your father.
12:02
The burns are from him, I believe.
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I nodded as the memories came back, but very hazy.
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I haven't thought of my father in years, but I remembered how
12:11
he was always drunk. On his mean days, he used my
12:14
arms as an ashtray. I couldn't even remember his
12:17
face. However, he did worse things to
12:21
your little sister. Poppy's tone was low, as if he
12:26
was disgusted by what he just dragged back to the surface.
12:30
My stomach nearly lost a few sips of soda I had when that
12:33
terrible truth came back. What that man did was evil
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beyond evil. I could never remember if he did
12:41
the same things to me. I only knew the horrible things
12:44
he had done to my sister, who was five years younger.
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I clutched up my shirt, feeling as if I was going to explode in
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anger. My sister never mentioned this
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and I prayed she'd forgotten it all, just like I had.
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Why? Why did you show up again?
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Why did you need to remind me? I asked their tears, thinking
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Poppy was very cruel in that moment.
13:08
It was a monster after all. I am aware of how you must feel,
13:13
but this may be better hearing it all now for me than what is
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going to happen shortly. I have a vague sight when it
13:20
comes to worries of the future. Back then, you were a child who
13:24
still had some care for a father that was so monstrous gonna
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burden you with his death. He's been in prison all this
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time. Your sister's memories shall
13:34
never return because I devour them.
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You requested some of yours to be saved in case he ever
13:39
returned. My head shot up and I felt
13:43
dizzy. How could he get out of jail?
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And if he did, what would he do to us?
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Would he leave us alone and go after some other children?
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I knew deep down he would never stop.
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There was nothing good in him and I wish to poppy talk to my
13:57
child's self into ending it back then.
14:01
Is he? I asked, unable to really speak.
14:07
Yes, either by escaping or by the legal system.
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He's going to be out of his prison in the next month or so.
14:15
I placed my head into my hands, unable to handle all the
14:18
information I was just given. It all felt too much of a
14:21
coincidence of checking out the website and Poppy remembering my
14:25
name. I suppose stranger things
14:28
happened. I didn't remember Poppy in my
14:30
past, only fate memories of the same conversation about the
14:34
monkey paw. When I finally raised my head,
14:37
Poppy was looking at me, his eyes crinkled in a smile.
14:42
Is your father being out of prison?
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Where are you? His calm tone chilled my blood.
14:47
Without any hesitation he offered me O help only he could
14:50
give after what my sister went through.
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I didn't dwell on my answer. I knew at the moment he asked.
14:57
Yes, it worries me a lot. I felt a weight come off my
15:04
shoulders when he nodded accepting my answer.
15:08
He let me calm down and stood, signaling the so-called date was
15:11
finished. I just wanted to get home as
15:14
soon as possible. I gathered up the bag of food in
15:16
the Rose but didn't leave yet. Unfortunately, the ones who made
15:21
the website thinks the date is finished if you both kiss.
15:26
Poppy announced and I looked at him dumbfounded.
15:29
Now you're just messing with me. He shook his head, cloth
15:33
fluttering and crossed over his heart.
15:36
I did not want to kiss. Well, whatever was under his
15:40
cloth, but he did mention the website would keep sending
15:43
monsters until 1 date was done. If I didn't go through with
15:47
this, who knew what else would show up the next time.
15:51
It shall only be on the forehead, do not worry.
15:55
All right, well that was a bit better.
15:58
At least something I could agree to.
16:00
No matter how embarrassing it was.
16:03
I got myself ready to get this over with and close to my eyes.
16:07
Poppy only took a second to place what I felt like a normal
16:09
kiss on my forehead and backed away a few steps.
16:13
Somewhere in the back of my mind, another memory was trying
16:16
to worm its way through my thoughts.
16:18
I thought when I was younger I had to ask to see what was under
16:22
his cloth and he showed me. I couldn't remember what he
16:25
looked like, but I felt it was frightening but in a way that
16:29
heights could be frightening or venomous animals.
16:33
I almost asked him if I could see it again, but decided
16:35
against it. There you are.
16:39
I shall take care of your problem.
16:41
No need to ever see me again. We could.
16:46
I started, feeling my face flush.
16:48
We, we could meet again, if you want.
16:52
He looked down at me, his eyes narrowed, but in a kinder way
16:56
than before. I would like that.
16:59
Maybe someday. Without giving me any way of
17:03
contacting him again, he gave me a wave and left.
17:06
I stayed in the park watching where he went before turning
17:09
around to head back home. the Rose I kept was the only proof
17:13
of my first and only blind date. A month later my mother called
17:18
me. It was something serious judging
17:21
by your tone. My father tried to escape prison
17:23
that day he was shot and she wanted to tell me, feeling it
17:27
would be better for the news to come from her and not some other
17:30
source. I told her how I felt about him
17:33
for the first time and we spoke for a while, something I never
17:37
thought I would be able to do. I found myself not worrying
17:41
about speaking with her and we finally had a real conversation.