It was going to be a long night; but I had no other choice. I stared into the camera. The light almost blinding; but only enough to give enough brightness to show my face and wall. My hands were shaking and I knew I had to get my post out live. I clicked on the live YouTube button and began…“Please, hear my warning. Do not I repeat do not get things from the dark web. It is not worth the views. I am begging everyone to believe me. I am scared.” My hands were trembling as my mind raced a mile a minute. “I cannot go into detail, but to the person who sent me the box, PLEASE, please leave me alone, I am so SORRY!” My voice cracked as I stared into the camera lens. I did not know what else to do.
I looked down to my feet and back up again. “If you are new to the channel and don’t know what is going on I will let you briefly know what is happening. I have taken down my other posts and the police have confiscated the box and its contents and have removed that first post. I had ordered a mystery box from the dark web in hopes to increase my views and subscribers, but I never thought what I would get would be as horrific as it was. I really didn’t realize people were just faking their videos. This is so ridiculous.” My voice quivered.
I didn’t want to go into detail, but explained what I had received, “there was a video on a usb drive. I used an old Ipad that I was going to throw out to watch and what I saw was burned into my eyes. The screams and the sheer terror was awful.” I looked away from the camera and started to shake. “I am so sorry to that poor baby girl and her family. But, please dude know I couldn’t keep it. My father is a cop and he knew I had ordered something and he was mad. He even interrupted the unboxing. Please, I don’t want you to hurt me…” I started sobbing, I couldn’t control it.
BAM BAM BAM, ding dong ding dong ding dong, BAM BAM BAM. I screamed and looked over to the door. “No no no! Go away!! Leave me alone!!!” BAM BAM BAM to door was rattling at this point. I grabbed my camera and ran into my room and locked the door. “Please someone call 911, I am at 46 Florence st. Vienna Florida. PLEASE! I whispered. I didn’t want to die and especially not like this.
Everything became quiet. I sat on my floor behind my bed in the corner. The darkness all around, there was no light in and no light going out. I could see a the faint light from my lighting in the other room. I stared at that light, praying that nothing would move in front of it. I turned my night-vision light on the camera, just so the viewers could see me. “Please, please call for hel…” I heard my voice in the other room.
Fuck! I forgot to shut the laptop. “No, no, no please God.” I turned the camera off and sat there. Shaking. I groped around trying to find something, anything that I could use to protect me. I felt my flashlight. It was large and heavy metal. I looked back to the door. There was no movement. I sat on the floor paralyzed in fear. I had no idea if there was someone standing there waiting, or if I am alone.
I slowly crawled to the door. I put me ear to eat to see if I could hear anything. The silence was almost deafening. I stared into the darkness as I tried to focus on the lack of noise on the other side of the room.
I waited another couple minutes and slowly turned the door knob. Taking a deep breath I stood up and leaned away from the door. As it slowly opened I scanned as much of the room as possible. Walking out I looked at my front door. Phew, it was still shut. I turned all the lights on in the room and turned my camera back on. My laptop was scrolling with hundreds of comments. Are you okay, I called for help, please be careful, don’t get hurt. There were even rude comments like fake; its all fake. My stomach was still in knots. I looked back at the door, knowing full-well the police would be here any moment. Walking to the door with my camera I continue.
“Thank you everyone for calling the police that was absolutely terrifying. I have no idea what to do. I don’t want to die.”
Looking down I noticed that the floor was sticky. I forgot to clean earlier that day so I figured it was something I spilled. I had the camera pointed at me as I was looking down. There was also an envelope on the floor by the door. My stomach started to knot back up. Shaking, I grabbed the envelope and put my camera down on the table by the door. I knew that the angle did not show my face, but everyone could see that I had something in my hands.
“Guys, there is an envelope. What the hell?!” I looked at the door, still locked and back to the envelope. I opened it slowly and inside was a piece of paper. It was sticky and dripping. I became faint.
“NOOOOOO…” the paper slowly drifted, to the ground. I turned to the kitchen, the darkness an omen of evil lurking within. The light flickered on and a man in black was standing there. A mask covering his face. He looked at me and I could feel his deadly stare. As he slowly walked towards me I stumbled backwards and slid on the sticky floor. As I fell everything slowed down. I saw my camera, still on the table pointing towards the door and as I hit the ground I realized that the stickiness was blood; fresh blood. But, I had no idea whose. I heard a thud and realized it was me as I hit my head on the floor. The pain was severe, but I had to get out. I looked back up to see if I could reach the door.
The man was standing above me. Staring down on me I felt warmth dripping on my forehead. I reached up and touched my head and realized that it was blood. He was dripping blood on me.
“Get, get…away from me.” I tried to move, but he was now standing on top of my hair.
“You have taken from me a personal token and now I take from you your essence.” He slowly bent down. I could see a knife in his hand.
“Please,” I begged; “take whatever you want, just let me live.” I was crying and shaking.
“Kill you, oh no. That you will do yourself. When the torture and pain is just too much you will be able to end it all.” He removed his mask. I couldn’t make out any distinct features. His eyes staring at me like he could swallow my soul whole. He smiled and took out a rag and put it over my face.
I looked up at him and realized that my life was no longer in my own control and I was now the prisoner. As I drifted off I saw him taking my camera and smiling directly into it and turning it off.
– Michelle Leonowicz