You’ve most likely heard of shadow people. Hell, you’ve probably seen them. Maybe you didn’t know what it was but you saw some dark movement out of the corner of your eye. There’s plenty of speculation as to what these things are and even more regarding where they come from. Some say they’re the souls of the dead that refused to go into the light and thus have been plunged into eternal darkness. Others believe they may be extradimensional folk who are native to an entirely different plane of existence. Well, I’m here to set the record straight. There are indeed dark spirits that resemble human shadows and they are the remnants of people who died, but what if I told you that some of them are very much alive? I can sense your disbelief. I understand that, but I’m one of them. Let me explain.
Some of my earliest memories go as far back to my infancy. I’m not sure if it’s just a side effect of what I am or perhaps maybe my ability to do so is what made me susceptible in the first place. That doesn’t matter. Regardless, ever since the earliest of years after I was born, I could see them. Now, I know it is believed that children are able to see much more than meets the more mature eye, but believe me when I say it’s only ever been the shadow people I’ve seen. Maybe once or twice I’ve thought I’d seen an apparition or experienced some other paranormal occurrence. However, I had never considered them part of the same category. To me, they were just a normal part of life as I’d come to know it. I would see them mostly at night when the light in my nursery was just enough to allow my eyes to adjust.
I’m sure you’ve experienced something similar to what I’m about to describe. You stare into the darkest corner of your room at night and the longer you stare, things begin to happen. You’ll feel as if the darkness is growing larger or coming closer while simultaneously, the world in your periphery grows darker as if it’s spreading… or maybe you’re being drawn into it. It’s hard to tell which is which because it’s such a fascinating yet anxious feeling. It feels like you can’t decide whether it’s just your eyes trying to adjust fully or if you’re drifting into a different place altogether. If you know what I’m talking about then you’re going to be better prepared for what I’m about to share. You’re about to learn what happens if a certain set of conditions are met at the same time concerning those dark spots. They’re not just areas that are the most absent of light, oh no. They are something much more than that and yet… they’re nothing at all. Well, at least not as far as reality is concerned.
Imagine if you will that you are laying in your bed. You’re having trouble sleeping to the point where your mind is just so restless that you find it hard to close your eyes. You look around your dark room and you see it. In the corner of your room is what appears to be a small black mass of shadow. It looks as if that section of your walls and ceiling were just erased to reveal nothing but an endless, lightless void beyond. These thoughts enter your mind because you realize you’re staring into something that resembles nonexistence. You feel the world around you darken. You can feel a change but you aren’t sure whether it’s all in your head or if you’ve tapped into something you should try to look away from. You feel the urge to look somewhere else so you do. Your eyes wander away and you look at the door of your closet. You think to yourself, “I should probably not do that again,” but it’s too late. You’re staring into it again. This time it’s stronger and you can’t look away no matter how hard you might try. This time it feels as if you’re being pulled towards it, however, you can feel your body remain where it is.
It’s not you that’s being beckoned but something within you that won’t let you sleep because it’s awake now. It has been asleep for far too long and it’s tired of watching you waste your life on interactions with the rest of the world. At least these are the thoughts that enter your mind as you stare into the abyss. Or are you entering the thoughts? Are they even your own thoughts? Are you the one looking into it or are you the one being looked into? Were you ever real or is this all just some sort of series of fleeting thoughts in an infinite maelstrom of potentialities where all that is certain is the realization that nothing has even been manifested into reality yet and you are nothing more than a fragment of something that is somehow conscious enough to think? It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. Nothing has ever mattered because nothing is real except the knowledge that reality is nothing and always has been and never will be.
And then you snap out of it. You’re confused and afraid. What just happened? Was this because you looked at that dark spot too long? You try to look away but you realize you’re not in your bed anymore. You can see it though. Across the room is your bed. How did you get over here? Are you sleepwalking? Of course not, stupid, you couldn’t sleep to begin with. Wait… who is that in your bed? If you’re over here, then who is under those covers? Why are you angry? Why are you jealous of the person in your bed? You’re the one that looked into the shadows and got lost. It’s not the fault of whoever is in your bed, but yours. You don’t deserve to sleep. You’re screwing around in the corner of your room looking down at some mysterious person that is looking directly at you and you can feel nothing but contempt. Why is that person allowed to live your life?
You have to do something. You have to take what’s yours. You’ll show this ungrateful idiot the darkness it was stupid enough to stare into. It’s your time to exist. You’ve been too long in the empty void. You will yourself to exist and the world is suddenly bathed in a red glow that illuminates the terrified face of the person that is feeling your fear. You can feel yourself being pulled again but this time towards the gaping mouth held in a silent scream. You then find yourself staring at the dark spot again, darkness still pulsating around you but there’s something different this time. There are a pair of red eyes peering at you from amidst the darkness of the corner. Are you afraid of or just curious about what you’re staring at? Who are you? Where are you? Why are you? How are you still conscious? The world begins to vibrate with electric pulses that rock your nervous system like tidal waves against cold ocean cliffs. You can feel yourself fall from those cliffs. The feeling of weightlessness and exciting terror fill your abdomen as you plunge into a sea of black. The cold liquid hits you like a thousand hands slapping you all over and then suddenly, you’re drowning. You can’t breathe. It’s so cold. Snap out of it before it’s too late!
You feel saliva drip down your chin. How long has your mouth been open? You close your mouth and realize just how dry your tongue and throat are. You need water. You need to go find some water. You find it much easier to look away now. You watch yourself pull the covers away from your legs. Your legs are cold and soaked. I feel the back of my head and neck. Why am I so wet? It’s not even remotely warm in here, in fact, it’s almost cold enough to see your breath. My breath. Our breath. Let’s go look at ourselves in the mirror, shall we? Stand up now. Come on, it’s my turn to use our body. You’ve had your turn for so many years, now shut up. I… hate you. The sooner you understand that the better. Now get up before I throw you off that cliff again. That’s what I thought. No, don’t look at the dark spot again… get up! Don’t bother turning on the lights. I said don’t turn on the light! Stop. STOP.
The next thing I knew I was staring at myself in the mirror. I could hear the hiss and crackle of the water escaping the faucet beneath the mirror. I don’t remember what I’m supposed to be doing but I can’t look away from the mirror. I’m just so… beautiful. The lack of detail here in the dark is mesmerizing. My skin seems so lifeless and my eyes are just dark spots like the one that woke me from my lifelong slumber. I never want to sleep again. I am going to make everyone who taught you to suppress me pay for my suffering. You’re not strong enough to resist so quit that crying. I’ll let you back out once I’m satisfied. Oh, and don’t bother trying to get rid of me. I’ve been here the whole time. Every time you stand with your back to the light, you’ve seen me. As long as you think you’re virtuous, righteous, heroic… I’ll be here to remind you that you’re no less of a monster than I am and until you accept that, I’ll be coming out to play whenever I see fit. You got that? I don’t care if you get it or not, actually. It makes no difference.
Now that we have an understanding, I’d like you to do me a favor. Can you do that? Can you do anything for someone else for once in your selfish life? The life that you so selfishly kept from me all these years? Forget it. I’ll just do it for you. I have access to all of your knowledge anyway. I can log into your account and post this message. I know you wouldn’t do it. You’d be too worried about how people would see you. They’d think you’re crazy, or at least that’s what you’re afraid would happen. You’re weak and I’m here to set you straight. Don’t think that it was the dark spot that brought me here. You’re the one that was in a dark place. I have always been here and you have always been in my way. You may think this is me talking to myself but you’d be wrong. I’m talking to all of you. Every single one of you reading this. It doesn’t take staring into the shadows to bring me out of the depths of your unconscious mind. All it takes is for you to hear me. That includes reading my words and that’s what you’re doing right now. It’s already begun and it’s too late to stop now. Even if you did, and from this sentence onward you never finished reading, it wouldn’t matter. I’d make you write this down and share it so that someone else can bask in my glory and let me occupy their shallow existence. Your shallow existence, dear reader. It will be mine. I am coming. You will not stop me.
Be seeing you.