2 years ago, my brother and I were going on a road trip. A cross-country trip, cutting through Alabama. It’d been six years since I’d seen him in person, and also the last time.
It was late in the night and even with the headlights visible, the road was dark. It seemed empty. The night was quiet, with no sounds of honking or even animals. A bit too quiet, perhaps. A bright light hit us. We didn’t see the truck approaching us.
The front windscreen cracked and the shards of glass pierced through my eyes. I still remember that penetrating sensation. I’m grateful I lost consciousness then and there, but my brother wasn’t so lucky. He bled out, stuck in the car.
Grim, some say. I just think it was unfortunate.
Anyway, the incident rendered me blind. Doctors said corneal transplantation wouldn’t help. I was blind for good. However, they decided they would try one last time. One last time to get my eyesight back. My parents weren’t what you would term ‘rich’, but they had enough to spend on me. After all, I was all that was left to them after my brother’s death.
A couple of months I received a new pair of eyes from a donor. I overheard the doctor telling my parents he had Marfan syndrome and was a suspect in a crime before he died, but again my parents really wanted me to see again.
When the day came, the nurse slowly removed the bandages from my face. It was different this time. I saw a bright white light. Everything was initially blurry at the beginning. Everyone’s face looked blurry, like an old video game, but I could see now. I’m not stuck behind some black wall anymore.
I was only blind for 2 years, but everyone acted like it was the first time I’d seen the world. They kept asking me if I knew what this was or what that was, like whether I knew that was a lightbulb or a TV.
Anyways, that’s not the reason why I’m writing this. I just wanted to provide some context.
2 months ago, I was at home, watching a movie with my boyfriend. It was way past midnight at this point and my boyfriend was drooling on my shoulder. I was about to turn off the TV when I saw something at the end of the corridor, behind the TV.
There was a humanoid figure, standing there. I couldn’t make out any of the details due to how dark the room was. I rubbed my eyes and it was gone. The doctor told me that seeing things could be a side effect, so I dismissed this incident as one of those, but it was definitely unsettling.
Nothing strange happened for a while. Although, my eyes have felt a bit sore. Might just be sleep issues or something.
That was until last month.
I was in bed, scrolling through the endless Reddit posts on my phone. I was about to turn it off and get some sleep, but I saw something in the corner of the room, stationary. I swear it was the same humanoid figure.
It was more clear this time, though. I wish it wasn’t, though.
The figure must’ve been at least 7 feet. I could see parts of the face. Its white eyes stared at me and I stared back, frozen. I tried to get up, but I was stuck. It was holding me down despite standing a few feet away.
I don’t think I got any sleep that night, or even the entire week. Everything feels fuzzy as I type it. I don’t remember the rest of the night. I just woke up the next morning and ran straight to my boyfriend’s house.
I told him everything and he obviously laughed at me. He decided that he’d spend the night at my house. Nothing happened that night and he accused me of wasting his time.
I didn’t see it again for another few weeks, but that didn’t make anything better. I knew it would come back and began growing paranoid. Sleep was occasional and I set up cameras in my house. I would stare at the feed, waiting for it to appear, but it wouldn’t. It was tormenting me on purpose. I installed some warm lights in the room, so I never fall asleep while watching the feed. My eyes were getting red and I began finding it difficult to focus on objects, whether distant or close.
I told my doctor and he recommended me a psychiatrist. I kept telling him what I saw was true, but he wouldn’t listen.
“u/AshvikV, what you’re seeing are hallucinations and they’re quite common, but you’re going paranoid with this thing. The only good thing is that you’re just seeing it.”
“How is that good?”
“You’re not hearing it, which is I’m recommending you this psychiatrist who’ll help before things go out of hand and you go medically insane.”
I’m not fucking insane. I know that what I saw was real. I never went to that psychiatrist. I slightly regret that.
It happened again two weeks ago. I was watching the feed. I saw myself in the reflection of the screens… but I saw something else as well.
That thing was standing behind me. It could’ve been there for hours and I wouldn’t have noticed. I didn’t dare to turn around. If I turned around, I’m sure I would’ve been able to see it due to how well-lit the room was. I looked at the feed, but there was nothing in the room except me, and then I heard it…
“Just turn around. I won’t harm you, darling. I might just poke a bit, but that’s it. I have some unfinished business.”
It was a raspy voice, but charming.
I looked at the reflection back on the screen and saw it walking towards me. It crouched down next to me and put its hand on my shoulder and whispered into my ear.
“I’ll only take two of them.”
I saw its face on the screen. I won’t describe it. I won’t let that image seep back into my head, but I knew how close it was to getting want it wanted. I could hear it that day and I can’t even tell my doctor about what’s happening. He’ll think I’m crazy.
I told my boyfriend, desperate that he’ll help out. He shoved me away and told me to get help. I started losing myself. I’m seeing dead children on the ground, begging me to find them and save them before “he does”.
I can barely feel my eyes. They almost look white, like the iris is faded away. They hurt a lot, but I won’t that shit get to me.
2 days ago, I woke up in the middle of the night. I saw the door creak open and was prepared to see that thing emerge from it, but there was nothing.
“Give me your eyes, darling.”
It was standing over me. Right over my face. I blinked and it vanished.
I tried to forget about it. Maybe if I don’t think about it, it’ll stop or something. I still see the dead kids. I went to the doctor and told him. I was desperate and I needed him to do something. Even if he sent me to some asylum, I might be safe from this thing.
He obviously didn’t believe me. That was until I mentioned the dead kids. He looked at me, shocked. He told me that my eye donor was suspected to be a serial killer who gouged out children’s eyes and sent the bodies back to their parents. Before the police could confirm he was the culprit, he was killed in an accident.
I froze. I wish I was crazy, but now everything makes sense. I wish it didn’t though.
I’m at home now, staring at the feed while I type this. I can feel its hand on my shoulder. I don’t want to see that reflection. I really don’t. Maybe if I stop thinking about him, he’ll stop.
The condition of my eyes has gotten worse. I haven’t been able to close my eyelids for the past few hours. I want to gouge them it, but I don’t have the courage. The pain of grasping the socket for support and crunching on the eyeball before pulling it out terrifies me, but it hurts.
I think I’ll need to end this soon.