My issue started with a cultural thing to the UK, so forgive the back story here if you know it. In the UK, back when the Covid Pandemic first hit, the UK’s health network couldn’t cope. A social movement to support them was started called ‘Clap for our Carers’ in which everyone would go to there front door on a Thursday evening at 8PM and clap for the NHS staff working so hard to keep people alive. It was a lovely thing that also allowed us to see our neighbours (from a distance) and wave and shout hello to each other after a week locked inside. Some people bought bells and in my small town there was a unspoken competition of who could be the loudest. This clapping went on for a few months, with the final one being the 28th May. I expected everyone to be louder as they ever have been as it was the final one and maybe elsewhere, they were.
7:55 rolled round and I headed outside. Usually, my neighbours were out earlier than I, to shout to each other across the street, but this time everyone was standing still without uttering a sound. It was creepy, so I tried to shout to my immediate neighbour and got ignored.
Weird, but okay. Maybe it was a sponsored silence beforehand I didn’t know about. The second the clock hit 8 the entire town slowly clapping in perfect unison. No bin lids, whistles and bells this time. Just clapping, with this manic grin on their faces, clapping once every three seconds.
The first night was awful. That damn clapping kept me up all night. I was confused, terrified and didn’t sleep a wink, I kept returning to the window and peering out at the eerie silhouettes of my neighbours getting soaked in rain clapping happily away.
The next day, sleep deprived I went on autopilot and turned my work laptop on trying to ignore the clapping. I didn’t even consider the rest of the UK (World?) would be clapping figuring some kind of mania had gripped my town. Relief flooded through me when my colleagues were typing their usual morning greetings, talking about there evenings. A short lived feeling before the neighbours next booming clap. Strange but at least I knew I wasn’t alone… until the morning teams call. Camera’s were on and its really was set up to have a bit of socialisation in the morning and to make sure everyone was okay. However as son as the videos started, I could see everyone’s legs as they stood there, clapping in unison with the fucking neighbours. I must have been in shock, as my next memory is the call ended in exactly 10 mins, and everyone typing, carrying on a joke someone has said in the team meeting that had consisted of nothing but claps to me, and seemingly me alone.
It’s been two fucking years since then. So I won’t go into everything I have done. If you have questions, feel free to ask in the comments. But I will go through a few things about how technology is affecting… whatever is going on. To save the typing, if I say someone is clapping- Its in unison with the neighbours.
Time seems to be normal for everyone else outside of where I am. The TV guide is updating with new shows which my colleagues and friends are texting me about (e.g. House of the dragon) However when I go d watch that channel, the actors are in there costume, facing directly at the camera with that unnaturally wide and static smile, clapping.
All Radio stations are the sound of clapping Channel 66.6 Is the exception, which pays a strange static noise. I tried to listen this in the earlier days to drowned the sound of lapping out but after a while my ear started bleeding and I haven’t listened since.
Text only communications work fine, and everyone seems to be fine. Its this lifeline that has kept my sanity, but as soon as I call them, I will just hear clapping. Weirdly nobody realised I’m missing. I hear the lockdown is over, yet no one has questioned my absence.
Games work, so long as I mute everything. Any sound from actors will be clap.
Ignoring the sound of clapping is second nature to me now. But seeing the people is horrifying. There eyes are full of fear, begging me to do something to help and I can’t. Their hands covered in blood from the repeated clapping (even though they are fine when they text me and that’s what I try and remember. It can’t be the real them) My best friend had a baby with a body builder. Strongest (and gentlest) person you will ever meet. I wanted to see my godson who was born during this, but the baby wasn’t there. Just my friend, and her body builder boyfriend who was clapping so hard to do long his hands were down to stumps. I threw up and ran away and that’s the last time I ventured out of my house or turned the TV on.
I’m trapped and nobody believes me. If I reach out via text to anyone about this the message will fail. The only place I can type this issue is on the internet, but of course everyone things I’m a troll. Someone finally took me seriously and pointed me in your direction saying this sub is used to weird goings on and can be very helpful. Please reach out and help. Just don’t call me to do so.