VHS is Dead
You can read Part 1-4 below.
Story 16: VHS is Dead
Part 5: Please Rewind
(You chose: Tell Josh everything.)
“Man... you’re never gonna believe what just happened.”
“What?”
You look toward the empty corner of the room.
“I saw it.”
A pause.
“Saw what?”
You tighten your grip around the phone.
“The thing from the movie!”
Another pause.
“Dude... what are you even talking about?”
“I... I don’t know. Okay, so... I went back to Blockbuster, right? And I rented a comedy. It was supposed to be a comedy. You know… like, ha ha, let me forget all this Passenger nonsense. I put the tape in the VCR and it wasn’t the comedy. It was The Passenger. The fucking tape we returned.”
“What? Porter probably just screwed up the tapes. But… weird.”
“I KNOW. And it was already at the end. Dude was standing there with all those weird space things going, ‘We are ALL passengers!’ And then the TV started freaking out and the volume was turning up by itself and I unplugged the fucking thing and it was STILL ON.”
“Tyler...”
“No, wait. Then the static started doing this weird... feedback loop thing. And I swear to God, Josh, I thought something was coming out of the TV. Like actually coming out of it. And then I tripped over the rug and everything went white and the lights went out and...”
You stop.
Jesus.
You can hear yourself.
You sound insane.
“And?”
“And then it was in the room.”
Silence.
“What was in the room?”
“I don’t know! The thing. The figure. Whatever the hell it was. It was standing in the corner and I was talking to it and...”
“You were talking to it?”
“Yes! I don’t know why! I asked if I was going crazy and it shook its head. Then I asked if it was The Passenger and it shook its head again. And dude, I know how this sounds. I’m pretty sure I’m just so worked up from everything today that my brain is completely screwing with me, but I don’t even know anymore.”
You pace across the room.
“Oh! And the phone.”
“What about the phone?”
“The phone fucking rang in my hand.”
“What?”
“It was already off the hook! It never reset. I was holding it and it just rang. And when I answered it there was all this static and these voices... I don’t know, like a bunch of people really far away or something. And then this guy came through.”
“What guy?”
“I don’t know! He knew my name. And he said...”
You stop.
It’s Dan...
It’s Da...
“I don’t even know what he said.”
You rub your hand across your face.
A half-hearted attempt to calm yourself.
“You know what? Just come over.”
“Tyler...”
“Seriously. I can’t explain this over the phone anymore. Just come over. How quick can you get here?”
There’s a pause.
Josh’s voice changes.
“Dude... are you okay?”
You look around the room.
At the television.
The corner.
The lights.
“No.”
You let out a nervous laugh.
“No. Clearly I’m not okay.”
You take a breath.
“Just come over.”
“Right now?”
“Yes, right now.”
“Dude...”
“Josh, seriously. How fast can you get here?”
His voice changes slightly.
“Alright. Alright. I’m coming.”
“Thank you.”
You hang up.
Then immediately regret hanging up.
The house is quiet again.
Absolutely not.
You start turning on lights.
Every single one.
The kitchen.
The hallway.
The bathroom.
The dining room.
The porch.
You even turn on lights in rooms you have absolutely no intention of entering.
Anything to get rid of the shadows.
You find another television and turn it on.
Because screw that other one.
You don’t care what’s playing.
You just need noise.
Voices.
Something normal.
You call your mom.
Nothing.
Of course.
She’s working another night shift.
You hang up and call your sister.
Ring.
Ring.
Nothing.
She’s probably out doing something infinitely more exciting at college than answering a phone call from her little brother.
“Seriously?”
Apparently everyone you know has collectively decided tonight is the perfect night to stop answering their phones.
You pace.
For a brief moment, you consider calling one of those stupid psychic hotlines you see advertised late at night.
Miss Cleo.
Yeah, Miss Cleo would be able to tell you why an interdimensional shadow person just crawled out of your television.
Then you imagine your mom opening the phone bill.
Nope.
Outside...
Headlights sweep across the front window.
You rush toward it.
A car passes the house.
Not Josh.
“Come on,” you whisper to yourself in frustration.
You pace some more.
Another set of headlights.
Not him.
A low rumble rolls somewhere in the distance.
You glance outside.
Thunder.
Just perfect.
Rain begins tapping softly against the windows.
Then harder.
Within minutes, the sky opens.
You stand near the front window watching water pour down the glass.
“How long can this freaking take?”
Headlights turn onto your street.
You lean closer.
The car slows.
Then turns into your driveway.
Finally!
You unlock the front door and pull it open, leaving only the storm door between you and the downpour.
For a moment...
Nothing happens.
Then the driver’s door flies open.
Josh makes a run for it.
He barrels across the yard, one hand over his head as though that is somehow going to help.
You push open the storm door.
“Come on!”
“I’m coming!”
He practically tumbles through the doorway.
Half-soaked.
Hair dripping.
He looks at you.
“Whatever the hell is going on... this better not be a joke.”
“It’s not.”
“And it better be good.”
“It’s not good.”
Josh looks around.
Every light in the house is on.
He looks back at you.
“Dude.”
“Don’t.”
“You turned on every light in your house.”
“I said don’t.”
He kicks off his wet shoes.
You close the door behind him.
“Just... go sit down or something.”
Josh drops onto the couch.
You continue pacing.
He watches you cross the room.
Then back again.
“Are you on something?”
“No!”
“Because you look like you’re on something.”
“I told you. I’m trying to process what just happened.”
“Alright.”
He leans forward.
“Show me.”
You stop.
“Show you what?”
“Where it happened.”
You stare at him.
“You don’t believe me.”
“I just drove through a monsoon because you called me saying something crawled out of your television. I’m here, aren’t I?”
Fair enough.
You point toward the TV.
“It started there.”
You show him where you were standing.
“The volume knob started turning by itself. Then I unplugged the TV and it came back on anyway.”
“Bullshit.”
“I swear to God.”
You point toward the rug.
“I fell right there.”
Then...
You walk toward the corner.
“And when I looked up...”
You stop.
“It was standing right here.”
Josh looks at the empty corner.
“Right there?”
“Right here.”
“And it answered you?”
“Not with words.”
You demonstrate the movement.
“It just... shook its head.”
Josh stares at the corner.
Then at you.
“And you actually think this happened?”
You hesitate.
“Honestly?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know.”
He rolls his eyes and throws up his hands.
You sink into the chair across from him.
“I really don’t know.”
Thunder rolls outside.
You stare down at your hands.
Then something surfaces in your memory.
“Did I ever tell you about my dad?”
Josh looks confused.
“Your dad?”
“Yeah.”
“No.”
He thinks about it.
“Actually... I don’t think you’ve ever mentioned him.”
“I haven’t?”
“No. I know you moved here with your mom. Your sister’s off at college. Your mom works like seventeen shifts a day.”
You give him a look.
“You know what I mean.”
He shrugs.
“But no. You’ve never really said anything about your dad.”
You lean back.
“I don’t really talk about him.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
You think for a moment.
“The last real memory I have of him is this family trip we took to Hawaii.”
Josh waits.
“I was pretty young. I don’t remember everything. And then... after we got home...”
You struggle to find the words.
“Something happened.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“No.”
You shake your head.
“He was just... gone.”
Josh’s expression changes.
“Gone?”
“Yeah.”
“Like he left?”
“I guess.”
“You guess?”
“Mom doesn’t talk about him. My sister doesn’t either. Every time I’ve ever tried asking, they just kind of... shut down. I think about him whenever it rains.”
“What? Why?”
You look toward the window.
“Sometimes I have this dream.”
“What kind of dream?”
“I don’t know if it’s even a dream.”
Josh sits forward slightly.
You close your eyes.
Trying to find it.
Rain.
A car.
The sound of something opening behind you.
“I’m sitting in the back seat.”
The memory begins to surface.
“It’s raining.”
Thunder rolls outside.
You open your eyes.
“My dad is behind the car. The trunk is open and he’s going through some bags or something.”
You can almost see it.
“He finds something.”
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
You shake your head.
“Then right before he closes the trunk... he looks at me.”
A strange pressure builds in your chest.
“And for like... a second...”
You stop.
Josh waits.
“He isn’t my dad anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s black… like… he becomes a silhouette.”
Josh doesn’t move.
“Just a completely black figure.”
Silence.
“Like...”
You look toward the corner where the figure stood.
“...the thing I saw tonight.”
Josh stares at you.
“Dude.”
“I know.”
“How long have you had this dream?”
You think about it.
“As long as I can remember.”
Josh leans back.
“So... kind of like what people describe after watching The Passenger?”
You say nothing.
He laughs nervously.
“Come on, man. That’s a crazy coincidence.”
You look at him.
“I’ve never really believed in coincidences.”
“Well, I do.”
“Of course YOU do.”
“You got yourself completely worked up today.”
“Josh...”
“You watched the movie. Porter filled your head with all that urban legend shit. Then you started thinking about your dad and some dream you’ve probably had since you were a kid.”
He motions toward the corner.
“And now you’re seeing The Passenger.”
“It said it wasn’t The Passenger.”
“Right. Sorry. Your imaginary interdimensional shadow friend has clarified the record.”
You throw him a look.
Josh smiles.
“Look... I’ll crash here tonight.”
“You don’t have to.”
“No. Clearly you’re a little bitty baby and need someone to take care of you while Mommy’s gone.”
“Shut up.”
Josh laughs.
“Alright. It’s settled.”
He stands.
“I guess we’re watching The Passenger again.”
You stare at him.
“Absolutely not.”
“Absolutely yes.”
“No.”
“We have to see if anything crazy happens.”
“Something crazy already happened!”
“Allegedly.”
“Josh.”
“Popcorn?”
You glare at him.
He smiles.
“Popcorn.”
Josh disappears into the kitchen.
You hear cabinets opening.
Then closing.
Another one opens.
“Where the hell do you keep popcorn?”
“Cabinet above the microwave.”
A pause.
“This?”
“That’s oatmeal.”
“Your house sucks.”
Despite everything...
You smile.
For the first time since you came home, you feel yourself beginning to relax.
Josh is here.
The lights are on.
Someone is talking in the kitchen.
Everything feels...
Normal.
FLASH.
The entire front yard turns white.
You jump.
“Jesus.”
Thunder cracks overhead.
You look toward the window.
Nothing.
Just rain.
Then...
FLASH.
Your eyes catch something.
You sit forward.
Someone is standing in the street.
Your smile disappears.
Completely black.
Motionless.
Rain pours around it.
“Josh?”
No answer.
You stand.
Another flash of lightning.
It’s still there.
You move slowly toward the front window.
The figure doesn’t move.
You follow the glass toward the front door, never taking your eyes off it.
Or...
As much as you can lock eyes with something that doesn’t appear to have any.
Your heart begins racing again.
This is stupid.
This isn’t real.
You reach for the door.
Behind you, Josh is still rummaging through the kitchen.
You pull the door open.
You hesitate.
Then slowly push it outward.
Your eyes drop toward the porch as a gust of wind blows some rain droplets against your face.
Boots.
You stop.
Someone is standing directly in front of you.
Your eyes dart upward.
Jeans.
A rain-soaked jacket.
Then...
His face.
You hear yourself gasp a little.
No.
A man stands before you.
Maybe in his forties.
Looking back at you.
Smiling.
You know that face.
You haven’t seen it since you were a child.
And yet...
He hasn’t aged a day.
Your mouth opens.
Nothing comes out.
The man studies you.
For a moment, something almost sad passes through his expression.
“Hi, Tyler.”
It’s him.
He gives you a small smile.
“I’m Daniel...”
He stops himself.
“Dad.”
Your eyes widen.
The telephone.
It’s Dan...
It’s Da...
The man looks at you.
“It’s been a long time. And also, not very long at all.”
You can’t move.
Hawaii.
The rain.
The trunk.
The dream.
The television.
The figure.
The movie.
Everything collides at once.
You stare at him.
Finally...
You manage a whisper.
“...The Passenger.”
Daniel smiles.
“No.”
He studies you for a moment.
“You are.”
You stare at him.
“What are you talking about?”
Daniel glances toward the rain falling behind him.
“Well...”
He almost seems amused.
“I suppose, in simpler terms... you’re a Passenger.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“No. I imagine it doesn’t.”
He looks back at you.
“Are you ready to go back?”
You blink.
“Back where?”
Daniel looks at you.
“Back to Elijah’s timeline. The original timeline.”
You look down, your brown tightening with confusion.
“Who the hell is Elijah?”
Daniel pauses.
A strange smile crosses his face.
“You are.”
“What?”
“Story 15.”
You stare at him.
“...What the hell is Story 15?”
Daniel smiles.
“That’s a conversation for another time.”
You continue staring at him.
Daniel’s expression changes.
He gets a bit more serious with you.
“I didn’t think I’d have to explain all of this to you so soon.”
“Explain what?”
He hesitates.
“None of this has actually happened.”
You stare at him.
“What?”
He immediately corrects himself.
“That’s not entirely accurate.”
“Yeah, no shit.”
Daniel smiles slightly.
“Ah… the language of a teenager. I haven’t experienced that part yet.”
“Yeah, sorry.”
“What I’m trying to say is that it may never happen.”
Somehow...
That explanation is worse.
You look back into the house.
The couch.
The television.
Still hearing Josh rummaging through your kitchen.
Then back at him.
“I don’t understand.”
“I had a feeling this could happen the moment you saw me transform.”
Your stomach drops.
The dream.
The rain.
The back of the car.
“That wasn’t a dream?”
“No.”
Daniel shakes his head.
“I just didn’t think you would have the ability.”
“The ability to do what?”
He looks at you carefully.
“Your mother is from here. Your sister doesn’t have it. I assumed you wouldn’t either.”
“Have what?”
Daniel considers his words.
“Some would probably call us time travelers.”
You wait.
“But that’s more science fiction than reality. In a way, it’s more complicated than that.”
“Okay...”
“Others have called us observers. They catch glimpses of us in hallways. Sometimes old…”
He raises his hands in air quotes.
“…‘haunted buildings.’”
He can tell he’s losing you.
“We kind of… hop around.”
He stops trying to explain.
You immediately think of the figure.
Daniel looks past you into the house.
“The simplest way I can explain it is that you’re here.”
He looks back at you.
“But you’re also still sitting in the back of that car.”
Everything inside you goes still trying to comprehend that possibility.
“What?”
“Waiting for me to come back so we can go home.”
Rain pours from the edge of the roof.
You stare at your father.
“No.”
“Yes.”
You look back into the house.
At your life.
Your house.
Your friend’s wet shoes sitting beside the door.
“This is real.”
“It is.”
“But you just said none of this happened.”
“I said it may never happen.”
You shake your head.
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It will.”
A long silence passes between you.
Finally...
Daniel extends his hand.
“If you’d like, we can go back.”
You stare at it.
“Back to the car?”
He nods.
“Back to Story 15.”
There it is again.
That strange phrase.
You still have absolutely no idea what it means.
You look at his hand.
Then back into the house.
Something occurs to you.
“But I have a choice?”
Daniel lowers his hand slightly.
“A choice?”
“To stay.”
He studies you.
“Technically...”
A small smile forms.
“You can stay as long as you’d like.”
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
You both look toward the kitchen.
“Shit!”
You hear Josh scrambling around inside.
“Hey, man!”
A cabinet slams.
“What the hell are you doing out there?”
You look at Daniel.
“I think I burnt half the popcorn!”
You laugh and shake your head.
“I hope you like your kernels a little toasty!”
Daniel looks toward the kitchen.
Then back at you.
You smile.
“I think I’ll stay for a little while.”
Something changes in your father’s expression.
Understanding.
He nods.
“Okay.”
You start to close the door.
Then stop.
“Dad?”
Daniel looks at you.
There are a thousand things you could ask.
Instead...
You smile.
He smiles back.
You close the door.
A few minutes later...
You drop onto the couch beside Josh.
He sets the bowl of slightly burnt popcorn between you.
“Who were you talking to?”
You grab a handful.
“No one.”
Josh looks at you.
“Okay, weirdo.”
He reaches for the remote.
“Ready?”
“Not even a little.”
He presses PLAY.
The VCR whirs.
Static fills the screen.
Then...
A nearly white space appears.
Currents of light.
The First.
Daniel standing before them.
You groan.
“Oh, come on.”
Josh looks at you.
“What?”
You point toward the television.
“We’re still at the end.”
Josh shrugs.
“So?”
You look at him.
“Dude...”
He grabs another handful of popcorn.
You shake your head.
“You really have to get better about being kind.”
END STORY 16
Part 1: Be Kind, Please Rewind
(As voted on this is a continuation from Story 15.)
“What’s happening?”
Parts of the form that have broken off dim to a monochrome palette.
Floating silently as if lost.
“…A fracture…”
His brother turns toward him.
“They’ve begun to question.”
Total darkness.
…
Weird hybrid electronic-orchestral pulses start to play.
You find yourself completely dumbfounded.
Then…
The television lets out that familiar hiss as the VHS reaches the end of the tape.
A blue screen fills the room.
The VCR hums quietly beneath the television.
For a moment…
Neither of you says anything.
You blink a few times, still trying to process what you just watched.
Finally you turn toward your friend.
“Can you explain to me again why this movie is your favorite?”
Josh is still staring at the television.
“What part?”
You gesture toward the screen.
“The part with the glowing space amoebas.”
“They weren’t amoebas.”
“They looked exactly like amoebas.”
“They were interdimensional beings.”
“They looked exactly… like… amoebas.”
Josh laughs.
“I swear you completely missed the point.”
“I was with it right up until the giant glowing jellybeans started giving TED Talks about becoming human.”
“A what talk?” Josh shakes his head. “You know what, I don’t care. They weren’t becoming human. Daniel was experiencing humanity.”
“…Same difference.”
Josh looks mildly disappointed in you.
“You have absolutely no imagination.”
“I have plenty of imagination.”
You lean back into the couch.
“I just can’t decide whether that ending was supposed to make me emotional… or angry because of all the plot holes.”
He smiles.
“For one… c’mon. It was incredible. For a movie that never made it to theaters on zero budget. The graphics! You know that scene was shot in the filmmaker’s basement, right?”
“First, no, it was confusing. Second, it looks like it.”
He stands up from the couch and turns to you.
“It makes you think.”
“It made me hungry.”
Josh laughs.
“I walked right into that one.”
He reaches over and presses the stop button.
The television pops before fading to black.
The cassette ejects with a loud mechanical clunk.
He catches it before it falls.
“You asked why it’s my favorite.”
“I did.”
“That’s only reason one.”
Now you’ve become curious.
“There’s another?”
He turns the VHS over in his hands.
“The truth is…”
He hesitates.
“…Apparently a small percentage of people have really bizarre experiences after watching this movie.”
You stare at him.
“What kind of experiences?”
He shrugs.
“Depends who you ask.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I know.”
“Have you?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
A beat.
“…At least I don’t think I have.”
You roll your eyes.
Josh grins.
“A human gesture you’ve become fond of?”
“Oh, shut up. Stupid script.”
He motions you to get off the couch.
“Grab your shoes.”
“Why?”
“We’ve got to return this.”
>>>
The drive to Blockbuster only takes a few minutes.
The late afternoon sun hangs just above the horizon.
You push open the heavy door as the bells above the door chime.
Immediately you’re hit with that unmistakable smell of popcorn, plastic VHS cases and old carpet.
You moved to this town a few months ago.
You wouldn’t admit this to Josh, but you’d consider him your best friend at this point.
One thing you’ve bonded over are your movie runs and love for Scotto’s pizza.
Rows upon rows of movies stretch in every direction.
It feels like you could wander the aisles for hours.
Josh walks straight to the return counter without hesitation.
The clerk glances down at the tape.
Then back at Josh.
“…Seriously?”
Josh smiles.
“What?”
“Dude.”
“What?”
“Why don’t you just buy this thing already?”
“Oh Porter,” Josh bats his eyes, “you know I enjoy coming in here and seeing your pretty face.”
The clerk, Porter, parrots him in a deep, annoying voice.
“… I enjoy seeing your pretty face!”
Then sticks out his tongue.
They clearly banter like this often.
“I think you’re just hoping a different tape gives you an actual interdimensional shadow person experience.”
Josh laughs.
“Newsflash…”
The clerk holds up the cassette.
“We only own two copies.”
He points toward the shelves.
“So unless one of them suddenly develops magical powers… you’re watching the same movie.”
Josh shrugs.
“Like I said… I come in for your pretty face.”
Porter sighs.
“You’re exhausting.”
You glance between the two of them.
“Wait…”
“You know about this movie too?”
Porter shrugs.
“Kind of hard not to.”
“And you actually believe what people say about it?”
He looks at you rather nonchalantly.
“My friend is friends with a guy from his travel soccer team that goes to a different school. Apparently, his cousin supposedly watched it and had some experiences.”
Josh coughs loudly.
“That sounds like a lie.”
Porter ignores him.
“Spent almost two months in some psych ward upstate.”
Josh coughs again.
“A really big lie.”
Porter points at him.
“Look… I believe him. And obviously you do, too, which is why you rent this damn movie every week.”
You’re confused.
“I don’t understand. What actually happens?”
Porter leans against the counter.
“Apparently, people start seeing it.”
You laugh.
He continues, “The only thing that’s consistent is this…”
He pauses, searching for the right words.
“…all-black figure.”
His hands move slowly downward, outlining a human figure in the air.
“No face. No features.”
You let out a small, nervous laugh.
He continues, “You start seeing it at night. In mirrors. Standing in your bedroom doorway. Just…”
He leans in closer to you.
Inches from your face.
For some reason you don’t move.
“Just… watching!”
A chill runs down your spine.
“And then?”
Porter steps back still holding his stare.
“It gets closer. Little by little. Eventually people start seeing it during the day.”
Josh nods in agreement.
“Some kid in an AOL chat room claimed he saw it sitting in the back of his classroom.”
Porter smiles.
“Yeah, I heard about that one. The next night… he woke up with it sitting on his chest.”
You immediately shake your head.
“That doesn’t even make sense. The beings in the movie weren’t evil. They seemed…”
You stop yourself.
“…good.”
Okay, maybe part of you did like the movie because now you’re defending it.
Porter shrugs.
“I don’t know. It’s probably some kind of tulpa. A thought-form.”
He continues checking the tapes that have been returned.
“People work themselves up expecting something… and eventually they convince themselves they saw it.”
He grabs the one Josh handed him and flips the VHS over.
Then looks at Josh.
“…Hey.”
“What?”
“You weren’t kind.”
Josh looks confused.
“You didn’t rewind.”
The clerk opens the flap just enough to see the tape.
Josh laughs.
“Next time…”
“…I’m charging you a dollar.”
Josh throws his hands up.
“It’ll rewind eventually.”
“Not on my watch.”
Porter reaches for the scanner.
“So… are you actually renting anything today?”
Josh smiles.
“Next time.”
He turns toward you.
“What about you?”
He gestures toward the endless aisles of movies.
“Are you renting anything?”
End of Part 1.
***
Part 2: Who Orders a Cheesesteak?
(You chose: Tell Josh you’d rather grab a pizza. Like you said, you’re hungry.)
You look around for a second wondering if there is a movie you actually feel like renting.
Your eyes drift across the shelves… the categories.
Horror.
You jump a little inside at the thought of watching The Passenger again.
And it wasn’t even scary.
You shake your head.
Your eyes meet Josh.
“Nah, like I said the movie made me hungry… pizza sounds better.”
He nods in agreement and you both head to the door.
The bells above the Blockbuster door jingle again behind you as the two of you step back into the warm summer evening air.
Josh starts walking toward the other end of the strip mall.
"You know..."
He points ahead.
"I swear this place hasn't changed since I was a kid."
You look around.
A dry cleaners.
A Chinese restaurant.
Scotto's Pizza.
A small convenience store.
Everything sitting exactly where it probably had for years.
Josh laughs to himself.
"My mom used to bring me here every Friday night."
He motions around the parking lot.
"This little strip mall was basically the center of my universe."
Funny...
How small places can feel so important.
The Scotto's Pizza sign comes into view.
The little chef wearing his white hat smiles down at you exactly as he has for countless customers before.
The smell reaches you before the door does.
Fresh dough.
Tomato sauce.
Italian spices.
You step inside.
Behind the glass counter, pizzas slide in and out of glowing ovens with incredible speed.
One of the guys working behind the counter tosses a stretched piece of dough into the air without even looking.
Josh watches it spin.
"I still don't understand how they do that."
"What?"
"The pizza."
He nods toward the counter.
"I tried doing that once at home."
"What happened?"
He shrugs.
"Punched a hole straight through the dough."
You laugh.
"Sounds about right."
Most people seem to be waiting for takeout.
Only a handful have decided to stay.
You claim one of the bench seats along the wall while Josh orders.
A few minutes later he returns balancing a large tray.
Half a plain pizza.
Half pepperoni.
And...
A Philly cheesesteak.
You stare at it.
"Who orders a cheesesteak at a pizza place?"
Josh unwraps it proudly.
"Someone with taste."
"You know the only place to get a real cheesesteak is Philly."
"We're close enough."
"No."
"We're literally one bridge away."
"It doesn't count."
Josh takes a bite.
"It counts enough for me."
You shake your head.
"I can't believe I'm friends with you."
Josh points at the pizza.
"More for you."
Fair enough.
The little white plastic pizza saver sits proudly in the middle of the pie.
You grab a pepperoni slice while Josh focuses his full attention on defending his questionable life choices.
Halfway through his cheesesteak...
Josh suddenly stops chewing.
His eyes drift past you.
Toward the back corner of the restaurant.
His expression changes.
"...Tyler."
You look up.
"What?"
Josh doesn't answer.
His eyes remain locked on whatever he's staring at.
"...Don't turn around."
You freeze.
"...Josh?"
He says nothing.
Anxiety creeps in your chest.
"...Josh..."
Very slowly...
You begin turning your head.
You see…
Nothing.
Or maybe something in the corner?
You feel a pressure around you.
And then…
Josh bursts into laughter.
"Oh my God!"
He nearly drops the cheesesteak.
"You should've seen your face!"
You throw a crumpled napkin at him.
"I hate you."
"I know."
He wipes tears from his eyes.
"But admit it..."
"...I got you."
You can't help laughing.
"...You're an idiot."
"I've been told."
The rest of dinner passes exactly the way it should.
You steal one of Josh's fries.
He complains.
You remind him he ordered a cheesesteak at a pizza place that has the best pizza in the state.
He insists it's still the right decision.
Outside...
The parking lot grows darker.
Headlights occasionally sweep across the front windows before disappearing again.
You finish your last bite.
Reach for your drink.
And happen to glance past Josh's shoulder.
Your smile fades.
Just beyond the reflection in the front window...
Is someone.
A completely black silhouette.
No face.
No movement.
Just... Watching.
You blink.
A car turns into the parking lot.
Its headlights wash across the glass.
The reflections shift.
When the light passes...
The figure is gone.
"...Tyler?"
Josh's voice pulls you back.
You realize you've been staring toward the window.
"Dude..."
He leans back in the booth.
"...don't tell me you're seeing something now."
You force a laugh.
"No."
You shake your head.
"I'm just messing with you."
Josh smiles.
"Good."
He grabs the last fry.
"For a second there I thought you saw your Passenger."
You laugh with him.
But only because it's easier than admitting what you think you saw.
Clearly... Your mind is just playing tricks on you.
Isn’t it?
You knew it…
You should've rented the stupid comedy.
End of Part 2.
***
Part 3: You Weren’t Kind
(You chose: On second thought… rent a movie after all.)
You and Josh step outside Scotto’s.
The chaos of the restaurant disappears behind you as the door closes.
The strip mall looks a little different now.
Quieter.
Most of the stores have gone dark.
The Chinese restaurant next door is still open, its fluorescent lights spilling across the sidewalk.
You smell the fresh dumplings and hear oil crackling in a wok whenever someone opens the door.
Farther down…
Blockbuster glows against the night.
You glance toward it.
“On second thought… I think I’m gonna rent a movie after all.”
Josh stops walking.
“Dude.”
You give a half-embarrassed smile.
“What?”
“You’re obsessed.”
“I’m not obsessed.”
“You watched a movie about an interdimensional space creature, spent the entire night making fun of it, listened to Porter tell you about people losing their minds after watching it, and now you’re going back to Blockbuster.”
You stare at him.
“I’m renting a comedy. You know… to get my mind off said space creature.”
“Oh.”
He nods.
“Well, that’s incredibly disappointing.”
You laugh.
“Whatever man, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Josh starts backing toward the parking lot.
“Don’t forget. Tomorrow night we’re going down the rabbit hole.”
You already know what’s coming.
“Josh…”
He raises both hands dramatically.
His fingers slowly wave across his face.
“Edward Jessup…”
A pause.
“…Altered States.”
You shove him.
“Dude, you’re an altered state in itself.”
Josh laughs as he turns away.
“Tomorrow night!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“And don’t let your Passenger get you!”
You give him the finger.
His laughter follows him across the parking lot.
Then…
You’re alone.
You turn back toward Blockbuster.
It’s only a few stores away.
Maybe a minute walk.
Probably less.
You shove your hands into your pockets and start across the parking lot.
The place is mostly empty now.
A few cars scattered between you and the store.
Your footsteps sound strangely loud against the pavement.
You walk between two parked cars.
You feel a heaviness shift beside you.
Like something brushed past your arm without actually touching you.
Except… it had weight.
You stop.
In the dark window of the car to your left…
Your reflection stares back.
You let out a quiet breath.
Jesus.
You’re really letting this get to you.
You start walking again.
Then…
Something moves in the reflection.
Behind you.
Your stomach drops.
A completely black figure walks several steps behind you.
You spin around.
Nothing.
Empty parking lot.
A shopping cart sits crooked beneath one of the lights.
A car passes on the road beyond the strip mall.
A group of girls burst out laughing obnoxiously as they exit the pizza place.
At least you’re not completely alone.
You stare for another second.
Then another.
“…Nope.”
You mutter under your breath.
“Get a grip, Tyler. Get a grip.”
You turn around and pick up the pace.
Walking quickly becomes a jog.
The blue and yellow Blockbuster sign gets closer.
You reach the door and pull it open.
The bells above you jingle violently.
Porter looks up from behind the counter.
He stares at you.
“Dude… weren’t you just here with Josh?”
You nod as you bend over, resting your hands on your knees for a moment.
Trying to catch your breath.
Adrenaline still courses through you, but you do your best to shake it off and appear normal.
“Yeah. On second thought, I figured after all this talk about shadow people and psych wards and whatever other nonsense you two filled my head with, I should probably rent something a little more… cheery.”
Porter grins.
“Ah. So now you want my expertise.”
“Apparently.”
He thinks for a moment.
Then reaches toward a small stack of returns beside him and pulls out a VHS.
“Someone just returned Caddyshack. I doubt you want Ghostbusters after tonight, but Bill Murray is my guy. You can’t really go wrong.”
You laugh.
“Alright. Sounds good. I’ve actually never seen it.”
Porter looks genuinely offended.
“You’ve never seen Caddyshack?”
“No.”
“I don’t know if I can rent this to you anymore.”
“Porter.”
“Fine. But tomorrow you’re coming back with an apology.”
He slides the VHS across the counter.
You grab it.
“Deal.”
>>>
By the time you get home, the house is completely quiet.
Your mom and sister are staying at your aunt’s for the weekend.
Normally…
Having the place to yourself would be incredible.
Tonight…
Not so much.
You lock the door behind you.
Then check it again.
Just because.
Your room feels exactly as you left it.
Clothes on the floor.
A couple of CDs stacked beside the stereo.
Your landline sitting on the nightstand.
The television across from your bed.
You toss the VHS onto the mattress.
“Caddyshack.”
You shake your head.
“Alright… weird golf movie it is.”
You pull out the knob on the television.
A sharp click.
The tube hums to life.
Blue light fills the room.
You grab the tape without really looking at it and push it into the VCR.
The machine catches it.
Pulls it inside.
You sit back on the bed.
The screen flickers.
Static.
Then…
An image.
You stare.
For a second your brain doesn’t understand what you’re looking at.
A nearly white space.
Currents of light.
Figures connected through some impossible living network.
No.
You feel the blood leave your face.
A wave of vertigo follows.
On screen…
Daniel stands before The First.
And then you hear him.
“We are ALL passengers!”
“Shit.”
You jump from the bed.
It’s the tape.
The fucking tape you and Josh returned.
Porter must not have rewound it.
Must’ve put it in the wrong box.
You stare at the television.
“How the hell…”
The image disappears.
Static fills the screen.
You reach for the VCR.
The volume suddenly increases.
You stop.
The knob on the television turns.
One click.
Then another.
Then another.
The static grows louder.
“What the…”
You step backward.
The volume knob continues turning.
The hiss becomes deafening.
You lunge forward and switch off the television.
It stays on.
How?!
You scramble behind the television and rip the plug from the wall.
Black.
Silence.
You stand there breathing.
Your reflection stares faintly back at you from the dark glass.
No.
Absolutely not.
You grab the phone from your nightstand and dial Josh.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
“Come on…”
Ring.
Nothing.
You hang up.
Dial again.
“Pick up, Josh.”
Ring.
Ring.
Nothing.
Then…
Behind you…
The television clicks.
You stop breathing.
Static.
You slowly turn around.
The screen is on again.
The television is unplugged from the wall.
The volume knob begins turning.
Click.
Click.
Click.
The static rises until it pierces your ears.
You cover them.
And that’s when you notice something inside the static.
The static isn’t random anymore.
It’s repeating… like a feedback loop.
The same patterns appearing inside themselves…
Again.
And again.
And again.
Something dark forms at the center.
At first…
It’s nothing.
Just an absence in the static.
Then a figure begins to emerge.
Standing somewhere beyond the screen.
You can’t move.
The static bends around it.
The figure takes one step forward.
End of Part 3.
***
Part 4: Landmines and Landlines
(You chose: The figure comes through the screen.)
The figure takes one step forward.
Static begins concentrating toward the bottom center of the screen.
You stare.
Light bends around the shape of what appears to be a foot.
Slowly...
It pushes forward.
Not across the screen.
Out of it!
You can't believe what you're seeing.
You didn't even know something like this was possible.
Then again...
It isn't possible.
Maybe you're dreaming.
Maybe you hit your head at some point and don't remember.
Maybe you never made it home.
Maybe they put something in your pizza.
You don't know.
All you know is that this can't be happening.
For some reason, that doesn't stop it from happening.
You stand there in shock, still clutching the phone in your hand.
Josh.
Where the hell is Josh?
You called him twice.
What could he possibly be doing?
He's probably sitting in his basement trying to beat some stupid level of Quake while you're apparently fighting for your life.
The thought actually annoys you.
Of course he is.
Except...
You're not fighting for your life.
Because this isn't real.
It can't be.
Then...
The leg emerges.
Static clings to its surface as it passes beyond the glass.
For a fraction of a second, the limb appears to be made entirely from noise.
Then the static begins peeling away.
Dissipating from the foot before it touches the floor.
Leaving something completely black beneath it.
Your entire body locks.
Nope.
This is absolutely real.
You tell yourself you weren't going to be one of those idiots in horror movies who just stands there while the obviously horrible thing happens.
It's time to move.
You just have to...
Move.
Nothing.
Your brain screams at your legs.
Move, you idiot.
"Move, you idiot!"
You don't even realize you've said it out loud until you hear your own voice.
The figure continues pulling itself through the screen.
You stumble backward.
This must be a dream.
You have to be dreaming.
No.
Stop.
MOVE.
You turn and run.
This would be a really great time for someone else to be home.
Your sister is away at college.
Of course she is.
And Mom...
Mom is working another night shift.
She's been picking up every one she can get since you moved here.
Anything to keep this place.
Anything to make this work.
And tonight, of all nights...
You're alone.
You rush through the living room.
Your foot catches the edge of the rug.
"Shit!"
You fall forward.
POP.
A violent flash of white fills the room.
Then...
Black.
Complete darkness.
You don't move.
You don't breathe.
You just listen.
Nothing.
No static.
No footsteps.
No television.
Nothing.
Slowly...
The living room light attempts to come back on.
A weak glow spreads through the room.
It flickers.
Brightens slightly.
Then dims again.
As though something is pulling energy from it.
You're still lying on the floor.
From where you've fallen, you can just barely see around the edge of the couch.
Directly toward the television.
The screen is black.
You stare at it.
Nothing moves.
Good.
Good.
This was a dream.
Or...
Not a dream.
Whatever the hell that was.
The television probably blew.
Some electrical surge.
The thing is ancient anyway.
A hand-me-down tube TV with knobs that probably should've been thrown away years ago.
Piece of junk.
That's all.
Some electrical malfunction mixed with a brain that has spent the entire night listening to Josh and Porter talk about shadow people.
You breathe again.
Once.
Twice.
Then notice the phone lying on the floor in front of you.
The receiver must've fallen with you.
The ridiculously long cord stretches all the way back to the base sitting on the side table.
For once in your life...
You're thankful for that stupid extra-long phone cord.
You reach for it.
Alright.
You've had enough.
You have clearly worked yourself into such a state that you're now imagining things crawling out of televisions.
Whatever happened to the TV probably scared the hell out of you.
That's it.
You grab the receiver and push yourself to your feet.
Your back is toward the television now.
You look down at the phone.
Who are you even going to call?
Josh apparently has better things to do.
Your mom is at work.
Your sister isn't even in town.
You stare at the receiver for another second.
Maybe you should call someone.
Anyone.
Then...
RING.
You nearly drop it.
What the hell?
The phone is already off the hook.
It never even had a chance to reset.
RING.
You stare at the receiver in your hand.
Slowly...
You bring it to your ear.
"...Hello?"
Static.
Your grip tightens around the phone.
It's the same sound.
The same static that was coming through the television.
"Hello?"
Something surfaces beneath it.
Voices.
Many of them.
Far away.
Overlapping.
As though you're somehow catching pieces of a hundred conversations passing through the same line.
"Who is this?"
The voices fade.
Then...
One breaks through.
A man's voice.
Deep.
Controlled.
But there's something else beneath it.
Desperation.
"Tyler…”
You stand there completely still.
The static swells around his voice.
Something about him feels...
Familiar.
Not the words.
Not even the voice exactly.
Just...
Him.
You know him.
Somehow.
"Who is this?"
Static tears across the line.
Then his voice fights through again.
"It's Dan..."
The connection distorts.
"Hello?"
Nothing.
“Dan? Did you say Dan?”
A burst of static.
Then...
"It's Da..."
Click.
Silence.
You stare at the receiver.
"...Hello?"
Nothing.
"Hello?"
Dead.
You slowly lower the phone.
Enough.
You don't care anymore.
You're going to Josh's.
He can laugh at you.
He can tell you you're losing your mind.
He can make stupid jokes about The Passenger for the rest of your life.
You don't care.
You're getting out of this house.
You turn toward the side table to put the phone back on its cradle.
As you bring the receiver closer...
The light dims.
You stop.
Pull the receiver away.
The light brightens.
You stare at it.
You move the phone toward the cradle again.
The room darkens.
Away…
…Brighter.
"Oh."
You almost laugh.
Of course.
The television must've screwed with something electrical.
The phone line.
The lights.
Old wiring.
That's what happened before.
Some weird electrical issue.
That's all this is.
You lower the receiver toward the cradle again.
The room dims.
And that's when you see it.
Standing in the corner.
Your hand stops.
Completely black.
No face.
No clothing.
No features you can make sense of.
Just...
The figure.
Standing silently in your living room.
No.
Nope.
This isn't happening.
This can't be happening.
Every part of you tells you to run.
You promised yourself you wouldn't be one of those idiots in horror movies who just stands there.
And yet...
You don't move.
Because beneath the fear...
There's something else.
Something you don't understand.
You don't feel like it's going to hurt you.
Actually...
There's something strangely familiar about it.
The same feeling you had hearing the man's voice on the phone.
You stare at the figure.
It stares back.
At least...
You think it does.
"...Am I going crazy?"
For several seconds...
Nothing.
Then...
The figure slowly shakes its head.
Your mouth falls slightly open.
You almost laugh.
Not because anything is funny.
Because you have absolutely no idea what else to do.
"I must be going crazy."
The figure doesn't move.
"There's no way you're real. There's no way you're actually standing in my living room right now."
Nothing.
You look down at the phone in your hand.
Then back up.
Still there.
Okay.
Maybe Porter wasn't completely full of shit.
Maybe his friend's cousin's sister...
Or cousin's friend's sister...
Whatever the hell it was...
Maybe she wasn't crazy.
Maybe this is real.
Maybe Porter was right.
Maybe people created some kind of tulpa.
Maybe enough people watched the movie and talked about it and believed in this thing until somehow...
It became something.
You study the figure.
Then finally ask the question you aren't sure you want answered.
"Are you the Passenger?"
The figure slowly shakes its head.
No.
You stare at it.
It seems to study you in return.
At least you think it does.
It's difficult to tell when something doesn't have a face.
"Then what are..."
RING.
You jump.
Your eyes snap toward the phone.
Instinctively, you lift it to your ear.
"Hello?"
"Hey, man."
Josh.
You immediately look back toward the corner.
Nothing.
The figure is gone.
You spin around.
The lights suddenly return to full brightness.
You look behind the couch.
Nothing.
"Tyler?"
You move toward the hallway.
Check around the corner.
Nothing.
"Dude?"
You flick on another light.
Then another.
You open the closet.
Empty.
"Tyler, are you there?"
The phone cord starts knocking things off the table as you move around the room.
You check the bathroom.
Nothing.
You even open the media cabinet.
Why?
You have absolutely no idea.
"Man, I can hear you breathing. What the hell are you doing over there?"
You turn back toward the living room.
Nothing.
No figure.
No static.
No impossible darkness.
Just your house.
You finally bring the phone properly to your ear.
Take a breath.
"Man..."
You look toward the dead television.
"...you're never gonna believe what just happened."
End Part 4.
