Before I start, let me apologize. If the sort of thing I describe here started happening to you, I may be the one to blame. I’m sorry for this. I really am. But if we find a way to communicate and put our heads together, I’m sure we can find a solution and fight off the evil I have unleashed.
The start of all this was when I was about to set out alone spending summer holidays for the first time without my parents. It was like a dream. The days of being dragged around from one uninteresting attraction to another were over.
I made it on my own for the first year of college so I was sure I would be fine, but this would be a bit different. I went to college in the city I knew pretty well already. This was a place I have never been to. I was hoping to learn about life and independence for real.
But this trip has enriched me with even more knowledge that I could sum up with two sentences. You should never miss the last bus in a place you don’t know. Also, after you’ve missed that last bus, never try to walk back instead.
It was in no way an epic journey. I decided to take a trip to my country’s seaside and stay in Gdansk for a few days. While there, among other tourist spots, I visited Westerplatte. It is the site of an important World War II monument commemorating the very battle that started the war.
It was late afternoon and on the way there I fell asleep during the bus ride. After visiting the site I wanted to take a bus back to my hotel. Yet, according to the schedule of this line, the next bus was not until the next morning! I was outside the city and desperate to get back to Gdansk.
As a college student I had no intention to spend cash on a taxi. I decided to walk instead. I was confident that in the end I will find a bus stop for another line that operates at such a late hour. The thought of a warm shower and comfy bed kept me going as I walked.
It was getting darker and darker as I walked on the road in the midst of a wooded area. Occasional homesteads looked abandoned. Buildings were neglected, gardens unattended and all the windows dirty and dark.
The only places with any signs of life were gigantic industrial sites. But there was no person in sight. Light in the windows, smoke coming out of giant industrial chimneys and constant humming of some sort of machinery. These were the only signs the sites weren’t abandoned.
Still I was reluctant to seek help over there, since signs on the gates forbade trespassing. At this point I felt a little panic. My mind started racing. Was this some sort of postapocalyptic parallel universe I crossed into while asleep, where humans were slaves of evil machines and nature was on the counteroffensive?
As it got darker I felt more and more like some overwhelming presence was there watching me. It was is if it was waiting until it could attack. Finally I decided that was it and there were more important things than money and called the taxi. Standing there on a chilly night was the most alone and threatened I felt in my entire life.
When I finally saw the taxi approaching, I almost cried with relief. I jumped into the car and sat in silence as the we drove away. After a few minutes, a taxi driver asked me, how did I end up there of all places. I told him my story and asked about the strange location. The explanation he gave wasn’t supernatural. Still, it was very disturbing and at the same time fascinating.
The area was populated until ten years ago. That’s when city authorities discovered heavy air pollution in the area. The nearby industrial sites were responsible for creating a lot of carcinogenic waste. There was a massive relocation that resulted in people leaving behind their homes and thus creating a ghost village that I managed to escape.
Or did I?
I believed I would have no need to go to that weird place ever again, and that I was done with it. After I got back home I started to suspect that the place wasn’t at all done with me. I won’t even bother to tell you the name of my city, as it wouldn’t ring any bell to you.
Anyway, after I got back home, everything seemed like the same dull everyday life. But beneath that dull surface lurked something much more sinister. Do you know that uneasy chilling sensation in your spine when someone is watching you? Ever since I came back home this sensation became constant in my everyday life. It didn’t matter where I was or what I was doing, I had a constant urge to look over my shoulder.
At work I became paranoid, that my boss has started micromanaging me. At the college I began to feel like everyone knows some sort of dirty secret of mine and is judging me for it. It was even difficult to find some comfort by confiding in my friends. I felt someone was listening in on all my conversations, even the ones I had in person. In the end I had no choice but to quit my job and college as my performance took a nosedive. It was strangely comforting that at my place it was only a feeling of being watched. You know, without the attachment of actual people that could be watching me.
Then things escalated. I find it kind of ironic that it happened just as I started feeling as if I was gaining some sort of control over the situation. I was sitting in front of my laptop, waiting for the weekly zoom session with my folks. I was thinking of some sort of reasonable excuse on why I dropped out of college and job and needed to go back home.
As the zoom started ringing, I noticed something in the reflective surface of the screen. It seemed to be peeking at me from the darkest corner of the room. I wasn’t able to make out what it was, besides the pair of glowing red eyes in the darkness. I peeked over my shoulder but there was no one in the room except for me. I looked back at the screen and they were right there. I would give anything to be able to shrug it off as some sort of hallucination or technical issue with the screen. I couldn’t fool myself though, the feeling in my spine wasn’t lying.
I didn’t only feel something watching me.
There was in fact something watching me.
I slammed the laptop cover down and shot up from my seat. I grabbed my backpack and ran out of my flat. I couldn’t stay in that place any longer! I decided to pay my parents an unexpected visit. The entire ride on the train I knew peoples eyes were piercing through me. I felt like I was sitting on pins. All I wanted to do was to leave on the first stop but I knew that this wouldn’t do anything. I knew that the feeling won’t be gone even with my parents. Still I hoped the presence of other people would help to protect me from the mysterious stalker from my flat.
They were surprised, especially since it was close to midnight when I finally got there, but happy to see me. I told them there was a rat infestation in my building and I needed somewhere to stay for at least two weeks. Usually, if I could find an excuse, I wouldn’t visit them even for Easter or Christmas, so they didn’t mind. In half an hour my room was ready. After a couple of hours on the train I was tired enough to fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Next day though there was even more pressure on me. How was I going to get to school and work? Then when I told them about my dropping out, they wanted to know why I quit. And what was I going to do with my life? I couldn’t worry about all that! I had a more pressing issue at hand, and the worst part was when they asked me what’s wrong I couldn’t even tell them the truth.
Later in the evening I was lying awake, staring at the ceiling. I couldn’t sleep for many reasons. All of a sudden I heard a loud growl. It was my stomach, reminding me to get something to eat. I went down to the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. I didn’t want a piece of lettuce stuck between my teeth so I also went to brush my teeth. I dropped toothpaste and toothbrush though as I looked into the mirror. Behind me, deep in the mirror, where it reflected the entrance to the bathroom, there was something in the darkness of the corridor. It was staring at me with its glowing red eyes. Unlike in my apartment, I had nowhere to run. Whatever it was, it was thriving in the darkness. If I wanted to get out of there, I had to scare it off.
My dad isn’t much into electronics to the point where he doesn’t even shave with an electric razor. Instead he uses this old fashioned steel safety razor. He keeps it in such good shape that it almost takes him more time to clean it than to do the shaving. He also keeps it in such high regard that he yelled at me a couple of times about it. First it happened when he caught me pretending to shave with it a couple of years ago. And then whenever I dropped it by accident.
I was sure that if I dropped it on the floor, he would come running here. That he would turn on every light on the way and scare off all the ghosts in a kilometer radius. I placed my hand on the cold steel. It empowered me in a weird way to stare the mysterious glaring shadow in its eyes, as I shoved the razor on the floor. It made a loud rattle on the tile floor as it slid across. I was sure rescue was on the way and that I would hear heavy thumping footsteps as soon as the rattle rings out.
In the end it did but only a deaf silence followed.
I knew I was trapped there but I knew I wasn’t trapped forever. Sooner or later a day would come and I’d be able to get out. Until that time I had to take care of my safety. To ensure that, I started walking backwards. I kept an eye on the thing in the corridor and made sure it didn’t make a move forward. Finally I managed to close the door and turn the key. I slumped down on the floor as I was overcome with fatigue. I slid away as I heard loud banging on the door. Finally I couldn’t deal with it. I covered my ears with my hands, curled up in the corner and started sobbing. Then I fell asleep.
When I woke up my whole body hurt from sleeping on the cold hard floor. It was beginning to brighten up outside. Once again I was safe. I got up and tried the doorknob, then remembered I had to unlock it. I ran to my room and started gathering my stuff. It was 5 or 6 AM, but I couldn’t stay here aby longer, I had to run. Whatever was stalking me, came with me from that fateful trip to the seaside, or so I was convinced. I needed to go back! I’m not proud I had to take some money from the stash I knew my parents kept at home. I haven’t had any money of my own at the moment, and this simply couldn’t wait. Plus once I got back my peace of mind, I could worry about paying them back.
One hour later I was on the train on the way back to Gdansk. The ride would take most of the day but I would be there long before dark. The one thing I should’ve taken into account, but didn’t, was that on the way there I would pass through the tunnel. I was anxious as the train was swallowed into it car by car, but calmed down a bit when my compartment lit up. Just as I calmed down a little, the lights went off and the train came to a sudden stop.
I got up and looked around. The conductor walked up to me, telling me to sit down and that the train would be back in the running in a couple of minutes. Under the rim of his hat I’ve noticed a pair of glowing red eyes. I pushed him away and ran towards the other end of the train. As I went forward, I kept looking around my shoulder and he was there, keeping up without any effort. Good news was he was always a few steps behind me. Bad news was I was slowly running out of train to run through. Finally I hit the dead end. After what happened the night before, I had no courage in me to face the shadowy monster. All I had left was to cover my head with my hands and prepare for the worst.
Then the lights flickered and turned on again. The train conductor that I shoved away earlier was standing in front of me, asking me to calm down. I stood up and measured him up and down. He didn’t look threatening at all! He didn’t even seem mad at the fact he had to chase after me in the dark as I had my fit of paranoia. He checked my ticket and asked me to return to my seat as the train was slowly picking up speed.
The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. That is except for the fact that I had to ignore a couple of calls and texts from my parents and friends. I had nothing on me and didn’t rent any place to stay, so I went straight for the bus that would take me to Westerplatte.
It was still a couple hours until dusk so I grabbed something to eat and walked around the place for a while. Then I watched the last bus ride away. I wasn’t sure what I was trying to do by going back here. All I knew this place was the creature’s place of origin. Whatever compelled it to follow me, I believed I would be able to convince it to stay there for good. As I kept walking, the feeling that has been tormenting me for the last few weeks, turned up to eleven.
The only reflective surface I had at hand was the screen of my phone. I stretched my arm all the way up so I could scout my surroundings. I almost dropped my phone when I saw how many of them were there. Red glowing eyes upon red glowing eyes were staring at me from the woods that surrounded abandoned houses. Like my stalker they kept their distance so I figured I could keep walking as long as I didn’t walk right into them. As I continued, I noticed there was a gap in the line of creatures hiding in the woods.
When I looked in that direction I saw a street between two rows of abandoned houses. It was branching out from the main road. I concluded there had to be a reason why they stayed away and so I took that path. As I walked, things started to get weirder. Street lights that were out up to that point, lit up. Then there was a weird vibrating pressure I felt in the air. A gust of wind picked up leaves and dirt from the ground and threw it in my face. The roaring of the wind was really testing my eardrums.
Then I realized it wasn’t the wind that was roaring. It sounded more like a thousand human voices screaming in agony and terror. I didn’t have to reach for my phone to know the shadowy creatures were done glaring at me and were coming for me. I started running. In the distance I saw a large building that could be a school or sanatorium. I couldn’t think of more cursed places, but as long as there weren’t too many mirrors inside, I was better off there than outside. In the meantime, I still needed to get there and the shadows weren’t intent on letting me off the hook. Something like dark tentacles or vines started shooting from around the houses, trying to trip me or catch me. I jumped over one, made wild turns to avoid the next two and got grazed by three others as a result. Stinging pain and something warm dripping down my arm and leg motivated me to run faster. They weren’t just strange shadows in the dark. Now I knew for a fact they were able to hurt me.
I reached the fence surrounding the building. It wasn’t a school or sanatorium. It wasn’t anything better either. By the cross on top of a tower and the windows that appeared to be made of stained glass I could tell it was a church. I tried the enormous brass door handle. To my relief the door opened with a long painful creak. I closed them back as soon as I was inside. The place was pitch black so I turned on the flashlight on my phone. As I entered the main nave I realized the place has been stripped of everything. All the pews were put to the side and piled up. Part of the roof has caved in. The only things left in their original place were the altar and the baptismal bowl. Both were made of stone and installed in the floor for good.
I noticed strange inscriptions painted again and again, all over the walls. I walked up. In the light they seemed to be written in black paint
“New is ozdinoys ica zeceez”
“Gras isp zews jonlonc iech”
“Wyst oszo trank wen ipad”
I didn’t know that language or message hiding behind those strange texts. I walked back to the baptismal bowl. It was full of water, mud and half rotten leaves. Was I even protected here? Was this place still a sanctuary? I haven’t noticed any signs of defamation or vandalism besides the inscriptions. Still something was different.
When I was looking at my miserable, intimidated reflection on the surface of water, I was the only one in the frame. No shadow figures. No glaring red eyes. No chilling sensations in the spine that would warn me of someone or something watching me. I took a sharp breath, pinched my nose and submerged my head in the water. The water was nasty and I felt it’s bad smell all over me but I didn’t care. I first took off my hoodie and t-shirt and rubbed it all over my chest, then I proceeded to rub it all over my body. Once I was dressed again, I had a feeling of relief that made me realize how exhausted I was. I didn’t care for the dinner, bath or warm bed. All I wanted was to finally get a peaceful sleep. And so I did, curled up against the church’s wall.
I was woken up by the light touching my eyelids. The sunrays glowing through the hole in the roof made this place look peaceful and almost beautiful. The tiny specks of dust floating around, looked like gold leaves. I got up. I still was pretty smelly, but my body was dry by now. I got up and stretched my arms. I checked my phone. It was on 50% battery. I smiled for the first time in a while and picked up my backpack. It was time to go home. I left the church and headed back to the main road. Once I got there, I called the taxi. I waited for about ten minutes, but it wasn’t a problem. Finally able to breathe freely, I appreciated the fresh air.
It wasn’t until a couple minutes in the taxi that I finally looked in the rear view mirror. To my terror, two of the shadow figures have taken up the free seats and one of them was driving the taxi! Once again they weren’t eager to attack me. Still I didn’t want them around me. That was one week ago. Ever since that happened, at least a couple of them have hung around me wherever I go. I know this, because even when I can’t see them, I can feel them. Even as I’m writing this, I’m aware of two of them being somewhere behind me. So let me ask you, did any of you have the same experience? Were you able to get rid of those mysterious parasites? Do you know anything more about them? If so, please let me know!