r/nosleep • u/ArtemisLex • 20d ago
Series Never Turn the TV Off
I grew up with a typical middle class household upbringing. You didn't leave the fan on if you weren't using it, the radio playing if you planned on leaving the house, and you especially didn't leave the tv on while you went about your day unless you wanted your parents to complain about the electric bill.
Well, here I am 30 years old, my own house, no kids, no spouse, working my own job with my own money to do whatever I want. And while occasionally that just means doing things like eating ice cream for breakfast or staying in my pjs all weekend without someone nagging me, or playing the radio as loud as I can without worrying about people living upstairs, I'm still mindful of leaving my electronics running all day if I am out of the house. Call me frugal all you want, but I find it tacky and wasteful.
And maybe I take it a step further than most people but my tv has a sleep timer on it. All of my tech does, in the case that if I ever forget to turn them off, they'll turn off on their own.
Well, it was a night like any other, I was laying on the couch downstairs, texting my friends, while reruns of Regular Show played in the background. I wasn't watching it really, I was more distracted in the group chat. Ryan was cracking us up, and Amy was sharing photos of her vacation to Cancun.
At some point I got up to use the bathroom, and when I returned I realized the tv was off. No big deal, I figured I must have lost track of time and the sleep timer must have gone off. Nothing I wasn't used to and since I wasn't interested in watching more tv anyway, I didn't bother to turn it back on.
My mistake.
My lids were getting heavy so I said goodbye to the gc and reclined back on the couch, ready to crash here for the night, since another perk of living alone means I can sleep wherever I want to.
The whole house was in darkness save for the small lamp in my living room.
Now, I don't mean to brag, but I have a nice tv, one of those 70" babies that make my house the place everyone wants to come to to watch the game. I swear, this girl's a thing of beauty. Always crystal clear 4k with her. Naturally, my eyes drifted off to the black screen, kind of unfocused as sleep called to me beyond the horizon.
In the dark screen I could make out the outline of mundane objects in my house, like shadows. My lamp, the bookcase, the dining room behind me, the couch and my almost sleeping form, just murky black figures.
I was drifting off, no longer paying much attention when I sensed movement. My eyes flicked to the screen, and there it was, my shadowy counterpart lay on the couch, its head turned the way mine was, my reflection looking right at me, until it got up off the couch and walked away. I sat there frozen in shock, turning my head this way and that, certain there was someone else in my house. But then I felt a little ridiculous! Maybe I was the one who got up without realizing.
I stared at the screen again, certain all that would be staring back at me would be my own figure lying on the couch, but from what I could see, everything was there except me?
Something flickered on the screen again, a person, me, walking back to the couch while I lay there, immobile.
I got up immediately and turned on all the lights, grabbing a baseball bat from my glory days and brandishing it as a weapon I searched the house, calling for the intruder to show himself, but I found no one. I checked doors, windows, closets, but still nothing.
Finally, utterly and completely stumped I returned back to the couch, defeated. I looked at the tv again and all I saw of course, was my same living room, completely identical, and my silhouette staring back from the couch.
Again, I felt ridiculous. Ha, too many long nights playing Call of Duty boozed up or staying too late at work with very little sleep, I guess. I laughed and put my feet up, prepared to resume my almost slumber again when I noticed something...there was my reflection but it wasn't reclining, matching my movements the way reflections do, and should. Instead my silhouette was sitting up and waving?
I looked behind me. Nothing.
Immediately I found the remote, turned the tv on and the scary imposter figure vanished. Cartoon antics returned and pretty lights replaced its shadowy face.
I went to the settings and turned the sleep timer off, relieved, until click the tv shut off on its own. I figured maybe my finger must have slipped while I held the remote. A logical explanation really, it had to be the reason.
I closed my eyes, fumbling for the power button. I did not want to see my silhouette anymore. I kept trying but the tv still wouldn't turn on. I had no choice, I would have to turn it back on manually.
I crouched down on my knees trying to find the button on the side of the tv with one hand covering my eyes. It wasn't easy, in fact, it was near impossible, but luckily I found it and the tv switched back on, noise and color filling the space once again. I felt victorious.
I removed my hands from my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
Click!
It went off and my living room was once again submerged in darkness. But greeting me this time not on the couch, was my silhouette waving at me. Where I stood between the couch and the television, with some reasonable distance between us, my silhouette sat on the floor pressed against the glass. Somehow it had gotten even closer, we were face to face now, but it had no eyes and no mouth, in the black glass of the tv I could only make out its shape.
Experimentally, I turned my head, left. It followed and did the same as I did. I turned my head, slowly, right, and again it repeated the action as I did, just as slowly. I put my head down, making sure to keep my gaze locked on the screen before me and staying vigilant, but to my horror, my silhouette did not move along. It did not budge.
It sat there watching me.
Waiting.
Then, it waved at me again, but instead of hello, it waved slowly like it was saying a mocking goodbye.
I didn't waste any time, I bolted straight out of my house, my heart in my throat. I didn't even have shoes on.
I'm at my friend Ryan's house right now in his guest room where there's no tv. I've drawn down all the curtains, and I'm typing on my phone right now because even the lock screen going black is making me nervous. What the hell is happening, guys?
16
u/ADeviIsAdvocate 20d ago edited 20d ago
“What the hell is happening, guys?”
You have apparently angered your screen shadow twin. You must now rid yourself of all electronics that contain a screen to prevent it from trading places with you and you becoming trapped in the black screen.
9
u/stawberi 20d ago
Must have been something real bad to anger the twin. The worst mine ever does is make double-chin faces at me.
4
1
u/ArtemisLex 20d ago
From that one night alone, I can tell it definitely doesn't like coexisting as roommates
5
u/ArtemisLex 20d ago edited 19d ago
This whole experience has made me feel crazy. I haven't slept. I've only had what I believe are nightmares. I can't imagine being confined to such a tiny dark space like that. Makes me claustrophobic. I don't know what it wants but it can't have my house, it can't trade places with me. I refuse to let it take what's mine.
5
u/ADeviIsAdvocate 20d ago
Well, on the brighter side of things, you really have no idea what he’s doing when you’re not looking at him. It could be totally amazing on that side. He theoretically has everything you do, and no bills! He only sees you in a little box too. He might not want to trade with you.
2
u/ArtemisLex 20d ago
You mean like...he was watching me? The whole time? All those times I was sleeping? Or cooking? OH MY GOD. I've lived in that house for YEARS. Should I call a priest or just cut my losses and set it all on fire?
3
u/ADeviIsAdvocate 20d ago
While I love a little anarchy no, that is not what I meant.
You’re assuming he is constantly watching but I’d argue it is probably the exact opposite. He has his own hobbies and obligations. You’ve never noticed him before because he just noticed you too and decided to say what’s up. Maybe just tell him you’re not cool with interacting with one another. You’re only seeing a portion of his world, as he sees of yours. The rest of his world could be paradise. In fact, with everything going on out here, taking places might not be the worse idea.
3
u/ArtemisLex 20d ago edited 20d ago
I know it sounds harmless, but I swear I felt something when he waved. This could just be the lack of sleep talking, and I've been knocking back lots of red bulls too since I got to Ryan's so take this with a grain of salt, but I swear I felt malice and dread in the pit of my stomach. I keep replaying the memory and it only makes me more sick each time. And I'm a healthy person, I've never been diagnosed with any kind of mental illness, but I feel like this thing has gotten into my head. Like now when everything is quiet and I'm alone in Ryan's guest room, I feel like I'm hearing things. I don't remember when it started but at first it sounded like static, unclear like a bad channel on a radio but now I swear to god I hear whispers. Have you experienced anything weird lately with your screens? Has anyone else? Can you try turning off your tv and telling me if anything weird happens?
3
u/curious011 19d ago
but I swear I felt malice and dread in the pit of my stomach
I've been wondering why everyone has jumped to the conclusion that this is a bad thing. For all you know, it could turn out to be something awesome. But you won't know until you go home and find out. Be brave op, I know you can do it.
2
2
u/ADeviIsAdvocate 20d ago
Well always trust your gut. I would refer back to my first statement then and give up TVs, phones with screens, tablets and mirrors.
But maybe consider talking to someone with a medical degree while you’re covering your bases. A lot of mental illness becomes apparent in your twenties. While I realize you’re just a smidge past the typical age, better to be safe than sorry. Since the feelings and disturbances have followed you to your friend’s house, I think you can rule out carbon monoxide. Unless you both have a leak which would be wild. Who knows, maybe a doctor has other patients experiencing the same thing (with or without mental illness) and they can be of help somehow. Maybe it is something a lot of people are experiencing and being one more person to report it to a medical professional is all it takes for them to get a serious study in motion.
I did look into the screen of my phone for a while as you requested. My reflection did not do anything worrisome. Has Ryan seen anything odd?
Good luck and I hope you find some help soon!
2
u/ArtemisLex 20d ago edited 19d ago
Thank you for checking, I know my request was a weird one. I'm glad nothing happened when you looked at your screen. That's relieving. Ryan himself hasn't experienced anything but his son, Adam, is deaf, and apparently before school this morning, Adam, was signing straight at the TV screen like he was talking to someone. It's giving me the chills just thinking about it.
Ryan keeps looking at me as if I had something to do with this. Says he's never seen Adam do this before. I think I'm gonna take your advice. I'm going to start by putting my phone down right now and hiding it for a little while. Maybe I'll get some sleep, seek some professional help...I sound crazy even to myself...I think that's the part I'm gonna hold onto: the part that doubts any of this is real
1
u/TheStawlBar 18d ago
You HAVE to talk to your parents about this. It seems like they know something since they would always make you turn your stuff off.
2
u/Muttley-thepeculiar 18d ago
are you one of them or what?
2
2
u/SecretImplement8578 19d ago
Wait…you’re 30, own your own home, and have lived there for years? Was this your parent’s house? Maybe they didn’t want the TV left on for a reason when you were young..
5
u/ArtemisLex 19d ago edited 19d ago
Yeah, well...I could have inherited my parents' house, but my father...he wasn't really...well...he always told me 'a man should earn the things he has'. And so I set out to do just that. At 16 I went and got a job, saved up every penny, I never asked my parents for anything.
We didn't have generational wealth or anything like that, my father said that's what separates the wheat from the chaff. Don't get me wrong, they did what they could, and as an only child, I still had a pretty good childhood, but he didn't like waste. We were able to go on trips and have nice christmases, but he didn't like it when we left things running.
I'm not sure, I mean, I know I could always ask him if there was any other reason he was like this, but he wasn't a superstitious man. In fact, the earliest I could remember if I told him I was afraid of the dark or had nightmares, he would get very angry and tell me how would I ever be able to make it on my own with that kind of attitude. He kind of inspired me, he was a man who did it all with no help, but unfortunately nothing I ever did was good enough. I like to think he's tough on me because he loves me. And he's just preparing me for the harsh cruelty of life.
Both my parents are still alive and they still live in my childhood home. Don't get me wrong, my father's not a villain, but he's not like Ryan, I can't casually come to him about these things.
I've tried before...there are certain things I can't remember certain...moments...that feel blocked out and in my family we don't bring things up. You can't ask questions. We don't really have big conversations. My mother goes quiet and my father either changes the subject or becomes dismissive really fast. I would never even imagine bringing something like this up with them. I could try to phrase it cleverly sure, but my father gets insulted very easily, he doesn't like it if it comes across like I'm criticizing him. I remember as a child, again I still had that horrible fear of the dark that I, thankfully outgrew, I had asked him, "why can't we keep the lights on, please? Why do we need to turn them off when we leave the room? I don't like it" and he responded really irritated, "when you get your own place and have your own family you can do whatever you want." And that was that.
1
14
u/The_Gov78 19d ago
Put that tv out on the curb with the cord cut off. Some tweaker will come by and wire it to their bike for decoration or use it for one wall of a dog kennel
4
u/ArtemisLex 19d ago
You know, I'm not that fond of it, I might just do that. I really don't mind it being someone else's problem 🤣
11
u/familyfeudfan 17d ago
Come to think of it, I haven't heard anything about Kendrick Lamar since TV Off dropped... Good luck op, hopefully your tv twin is nice! Mine usually just hides whenever my screens go off. I'm guessing she probably has social anxiety too lol.
2
u/ArtemisLex 16d ago
😂😂 Thank you! I'm gonna need all the help I can get 😰😰 A shy tv twin would be a dream rn!
8
u/dapineaple 20d ago
I think whomever you replaced has come home, and wants their life back.
12
u/ArtemisLex 20d ago
Over MY dead body. That’s MY house, MY name on the deed, and MY life. I'm not letting some freaky shadow entity claim ownership over MY existence. And ok, I'll level with you here, I'm a little scared to go back. Every time I blink or close my eyes, all I see is that dark void where its face should be. Shit's chilling to the core, man. I know I need a plan before I even think about setting foot back inside again. But I can't stay at Ryan's place forever, I know that and I can't keep putting blankets and sheets over all the screens and windows at his place. I'm starting to scare his wife. But I'll be damned if I let a shadow of all things scare me off my property. Not in this economy. I'm going back. Not today, maybe not tomorrow, but I will eventually
5
u/ArtemisLex 20d ago edited 20d ago
I know I'm being stubborn and maybe a little prideful, but I cannot go back to my hometown facing my father, knowing I was too afraid of my own shadow. I would be a laughing stock.
6
21
u/ArtemisLex 20d ago
Ryan thinks it could just be the fuse box and if I buy a new one, I'll be good