In my part of the world, it seems that we have equivalents or replacements of things that are popular elsewhere. In the context of this post, it is really about the social media apps. One of them is very popular at the moment because of a trend that is spreading like wildfire. The real name of the trend is in my native language and is really complicated to write and pronounce, but its most simple and comprehensive translation would be: the scare me challenge.
What is it about? Really simple. Several users on the app just post a 10 to 20 seconds video just being creepy. Some people just post pictures, but of course, the most popular way is to make a video. Anybody can do it. You can add creepy music or not, special effects or not, even though the latter is something I would not recommend because it leads to some dislikes. You see, the most successful ones are those who seem relatable or just simple, hence, if you have a good knowledge of practical effects or if you are good at communicating, you have great chances of creating a viral post. For example, the best one according to the comments, views and likes is the video of a girl with a cracked doll mask, slowly turning to the camera as she is seated in a dimly lit room full of broken dolls, with a slow guitar music playing in the background that accentuated the scenery. The second most successful is the one with a man just talking to the camera for about 15 seconds, saying such unnerving things that many believed he was a real serial killer.
After learning about the trend, I decided to join the wave and post my own version of the scare me challenge. I thought it out for about a week, not because I was looking for the best idea and details about the video, but because of a few alarming comments that started popping up under the other users’ posts. Things in the line of ‘don’t do this challenge’ and ‘this guy was my friend, he ended himself’ were the two main types of comments that flooded most of the videos. I ultimately dismissed all of them as mere attempts to add to the lore and creepiness of the videos and brought my own contribution to the trend anyway.
My post consisted of me sitting still in my room with a black hoodie that could be easily mistaken for a cloak, in my bedroom with the lights off. On the floor beneath me and not visible to the camera were lit candles and two buckets of very hot water emanating enough smoke, so that viewers get the impression that I was silently burning from underneath or that I was some evil wizard performing a ritual, you know, just depending on one’s own interpretation. My video did not make it to the top of the trend, but I got some nice numbers in terms of views and likes. As for the comments, I was surprised to be accused of using special effects. In the beginning, I thought they were talking about the smoke so I quickly ignored them and moved on with my life.
One week after, I had a terrible encounter with something I can only describe as a spirit. That night, I was surfing on the web, checking on the newest games, comfortably lying in bed when the door slowly opened. It was not fully open, but just enough as if someone was trying to peep. I thought it was just my little sister or just a breeze, so I went to close the door. The moment I reached my bed, I heard the door open again in the same manner, and went to slam it. Just in case it opens again, I locked it and then lied back on the bed. To my surprise, I heard it slowly unlock itself. I looked at the door and saw the key slowly turning on its own. I stood on my bed, not knowing what to do, eyes widened and heart pounding. The door slowly opened again.
Fearing the worst, I quietly called for my dad, then my mom and then my little sister, somehow trying to convince myself that it was just them. Silence followed, for at least 20 seconds, while I stood there waiting for something to happen as I started sweating in fear. Then, through the dark narrow opening, I saw a tiny yellow orb, which I believed to be an eye slowly emerge from the right, as if someone, or rather something was taking a look at me.
I screamed from my parents while the yellow eye and its owner remained there, unfazed by the noise and the running footsteps of my dad. When he arrived, asking me what was wrong, I answered him, pointing behind him, but the orb or whatever it was that he also did not notice while rushing towards my room, had disappeared.
A few days later, my little sister started running away from me for reasons her 5 years old self could not find words to explain. The day that new behavior of hers started, while I was at school, I received a text message on the app from someone I did not know. Our conversation opened my eyes to the reality and the gravity of my situation:
‘Hi BanyatBoy3214! How you doing? The person asked.’
‘Doing good and you? I replied.’
‘It’s good to see you online. It proves that you still ok I guess. Have you started seeing it?’
‘Seeing what?’
‘The shadow.’
‘Which shadow? What you talking about?’
‘The shadow in the videos, the transparent thing. It’s in yours too. Didn’t you read the comments on your post? The people talking about the special effects?’
‘I don’t know if it’s a prank or something but I’m at school right now. I’ll soon be in my next class.’
‘Bro, you’ll die if you ignore it. Don’t just follow any trend. This thing is now following you and it will manifest sooner or later.’
‘Talk to you later, I have to go to my next class. Cheers’
The words haunted me for the rest of the day. When I got home, I inspected my video again and the comments about me using special effects. I finally noticed that the emanating smoke seemed to be disrupted by something standing still behind me. I really thought that there was a rational explanation to that, and I chose to do a little research about video editing and filters to manipulate the video. After a few hours of tutorials and video manipulation, I had unveiled the nightmare I stepped into just by following the trend of the scare me challenge. The outline of a translucent, fairly tall and slim figure stood still behind me, but most importantly, I recognized its tiny yellow eyes, as it stared at the camera.
Remembering the words of the stranger earlier, I tried the video manipulation techniques on the other users’ posts, especially the most successful ones. My heart ceased to beat several times, when I saw the same entity being present in the other videos as well. Most importantly, those users were offline for a long time and according to the comments, they were either dead or nowhere to be found.
I deleted everything: my video, my account and anything that could be linking me to the challenge and the app. It has been a few days now and maybe deleting everything has worked because I have not seen anything strange since, even though my little sister is still avoiding me. If anyone should not do the scare me challenge, I also strongly believe that nobody should even watch a video about it. Since that supernatural being stares at the camera, do not you think that it can also see you?
My goal was just to be part of a trend like any other youngster, but now I am the one being scared to the core. Honestly, I am texting this and do not even know if the shadow is standing right next to my bed, staring at me with its yellow eyes.