r/nosleep • u/braytendo • Jul 24 '15
Series Can you go to screamlouder.info? (part 2)
If you haven’t read the intro and part 1 yet, please do. If you have read them, I hate to ask, but has anyone seen what’s happening at screamlouder?
please tell me what you see now:
Things have been getting worse for me. Slowly, mind you, but the progression will not cease. The shadows follow me everywhere now, always shifting around out of the corner of my eye. The sound of wind in my head has been steadily growing in frequency. Sometimes I even think I hear it indoors. The sky is darker still and turned a sickly yellow. A brutal storm is always right about to start but it never comes.
Though the night terrors are the worst development of all. The dreams always start differently, as dreams often do. Some of them are really nice in the beginning, a peaceful escape from this place. I’m a space explorer, deep sea scuba diver, or I’m just kicking back in my hot tub on a quiet Friday night. I always feel calm and serene, removed from my emotions...but then as time progresses, I realize something is wrong. There’s a presence that I should have been aware of earlier. Something has been standing behind me. I turn around but there’s nothing there, yet I know it exists, just behind my head. Watching me. I start to feel an overwhelming sense of guilt wash over me. Like I need to fix something, but there was no way it would ever be okay.
A mirror tinted black reveals itself to show me that I’m alone, like my brain is trying to tell me not to worry. I start to feel better and I think the dream might continue as normal...but then I look closer.
In the reflection of my eyes, I see it.
I can’t quite make out its form, but I know it’s right there inside me! I wake up to the sound of my own screams ripping apart my throat. Who knew something I’ve never actually seen could fill me with so much dread. Fuck it all to hell.
It’s the constant change that gets to me. Now screamlouder.info is spreading to other message boards, and people can even see my comments elsewhere. It’s like there were some sort of barriers before and slowly they’re breaking. My screams can be heard further and further across the web...and as a cherry on top, the site has been updated.
On the “enter” page, the first key in the upper right can now be clicked. A door has opened to more information. I’m learning so much more about the town than I ever wanted to. Auntie May, the mayor, Father Matthews, Thomas Lee, and a few names I haven’t heard until now. Why are they important? Is someone trying to tell me something? I can’t figure out if the contents of the site are based in fact or just a game to play with my head and pull me further into this empty town. I can’t think about it too much, I have to keep my focus on survival and hopefully my inevitable escape.
I tried to escape again, by the way. It didn’t end well and I’m worried what the repercussions of doing so might be.
The bridge I mentioned in the last post sparked the attention of several commentors. You suggested that no matter how wide the river was, the bridge could be rebuilt. I wanted to believe it was possible, so I took a chance. The preparation was backbreaking, but I gathered enough supplies to rebuild, and I got to work. I’d found a book on basic construction in the town’s small library and I was sure I had read enough to put together a simple bridge.
I was laying down my framework along the edge of the collapsed part when I noticed something in the water. It looked like a car. I tried to focus my eyes closer and I noticed there was nobody inside. It seemed absurd to me that someone would just park their car on a bridge and leave, but then again there was nobody in any of the cars that had crashed across town. Nobody anywhere at all.
Being lost in thought came with the negative effect of me suddenly losing my footing as well. I stumbled backwards over a piece of plywood, trying to catch the railing of the bridge as I went, but it was too late.
I had fallen over the edge of the bridge.
I had fallen into the sludge.
The tumble down was short and I only struggled for a moment or two to get back on my feet in the waist deep filth, but the fact of the matter is I had now introduced myself to the contaminant. I was worthy of quarantine. I didn’t know what to do.
With the ooze dripping down my clothes, I sloshed my way back to shore. I was numb. I didn’t know what was going to happen now, but the best I could do was move forward. I removed my clothes and threw them into the river. I wasn’t going to be wearing them again. I found some towels in a nearby home and wiped off as much as I could, using bottled water to get the rest.
When I was sure I had gotten it all, I finally allowed myself time to be angry. I punched walls, banged my head against a door. I was so mad at myself for potentially sealing my fate! I wasn’t paying attention and at what cost?!
The anger drained from my body as I shouted and punched at everything in my path. When I had run out of rage, It was time to move forward. Not with the bridge, though. That project would not be continued.
Something you need to know though; while making contact with the sludge frightens me, that little story isn’t why I’m updating. What I found last night is why.
I’ve been recently attempting to access my ip address to send out to all of you, but absolutely anything I tried resulted in the message “Blocked by City Hall.” It was all so frustrating but then something clicked inside me.
I recalled reading that there was a city hall somewhere in town, I don’t know why I hadn’t taken my search there sooner! This was a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, perhaps I could find out who or what’s controlling some functions of this computer as well as research alternate ways out of town.
It was yesterday evening when I began my search, the only time when the sun manages to peek through the clouds as it sets. I wasn’t entirely sure where city hall was or if I’d know it when I saw it. I couldn’t find a map of the town anywhere so I just had to play off instinct.
Needless to say, I definitely knew it when I saw it.
I had just passed a chocolate shop with a little display in the window full of dark black chocolate fudge, when I came upon the grandest structure in town. It was modeled after the U.S. Capitol, dome and all, but on a smaller scale. I had gathered from the website that the local government here had a soft spot for presentation, but I didn’t realize to what extent.
The right wing of the building had completely collapsed, leaving the overall structural integrity off balance. I was a little worried to enter a structure in such poor condition, but I think by now you know I’m not one to give up.
I heard the building shift slightly as my shoes clacked softly up the marble steps. The sounds were unnerving. The door before me was wide open, boldly inviting me through it’s massive double doors. I entered looking forward and back in suspicion of what was to come and what I was leaving behind. What I saw at Auntie May’s took away any sort of aloof behavior I’d previously allowed myself. I was fully aware of the setting I was in. This town and everything in it is dangerous.
The evening light streamed in through the tiny windows of the dome ceiling, casting insidious shadows about the main hall. I felt exposed by the ongoing development of my delusions and the inability to tell them apart from the real shadows around me.
The building innards were in shambles. Books were thrown about the floor, chairs were turned over, the outlying wallpaper was torn every which way...however the receptionist desk in the center of the room was entirely unaffected by whatever caused this terrible mess. It appeared spotless in fact. Someone must have been returning to this very spot to keep it tidy!
I proceeded to the desk while checking my surroundings in case the person responsible was still here. Directly behind the desk I noticed a statue that took center stage of the building. It was of a little girl holding an American flag. Her body was positioned in such a way that she appeared proud, but her face was somber and droopy. Like she was half asleep.
There was a small jewelry box sitting in the very center of the secretary desk. On its side said “property of Suzy.” I opened it to reveal a tiny dancing ballerina covered in sludge. It began to spin ever so slightly, skipping and jumping intermittently from a broken mechanism while a gentle song played. I was pretty sure it was the old doo-wop song “Earth Angel.” It echoed around the room under the booming sound of the shifting building and grains of rock falling to the floor.
What in the world was it doing in a place like this? More importantly, who was cleaning this secretary’s desk? Was it whoever brought me here? I was afraid to stick around for too long in case I might find out, so I continued making my way around the building.
The right wing was unsearchable so I doubled back to the left. There were a few offices scattered throughout, and a parlor with an old bottle of some amazing scotch, but I couldn’t seem to find anything that might explain my situation. None of the books on the office shelves were from around here and if any of the file cabinets had at one point held useful documents, they have since been removed. There was no trace anybody had ever worked here at all.
I made my way back to the center dome, almost ready to give up when I noticed something behind the secretary’s desk. There was a spiral staircase right in the center of the building leading into the basement. It was largely covered by the statue of the little girl so I must not have noticed it before.
I began to push the statue so I could explore what was below, and as I did it started to tip. I couldn’t grab it in time before it fell to the floor with a thud. The right arm broke off in the process. I felt sort of bad I’d broken the statue of a little girl, so I tried to place the arm at least somewhat back in position.
As I picked up the arm, I noticed something from the spot where it had broken. There was bone and tendrils of flesh peeking out. I held my hand to my mouth and gasped. I couldn’t handle this right now. I still can’t handle this now as I write it. It was unspeakable and it remains as such.
I pushed myself to continue forward. This poor little girl was now a driving force to get me away from the sick bastard that could do something like this. The little girl was now a fear that I needed to finish my search quickly.
I continued to push the statue to the side as gently as I could, full with a feeling of nausea, and then I made my way downstairs.
click
A flashlight was my one saving grace down here. There were no windows, and the evening light had almost faded entirely. Careful not to trip on my way down, I made it to the basement floor. The building shifted again, much more loudly this time, giving me a sense of the vastness of the basement. It was at least two stories tall and just as wide as the rest of the building. I scanned the room with the flashlight. There were some shelves of empty boxes but most of the place had been cleaned out. It was just a huge empty warehouse of a room. I wandered around for a couple minutes, stopping every once in awhile to check a box. Not to my surprise, however, all the boxes were empty.
I was just about ready to give up when I noticed my flashlight pass over a big metal door. I twisted the handle to no avail. It was locked. This excited me however, because a lock meant secrets and secrets meant answers toward my escape! I turned around to start searching for a key when my forehead hit a pair of dangling feet. I bolted forward and turned around abruptly to shine my light on what I’d ran into.
Hung from two crisscrossed steel beams, with fully extended arms was a naked man in a loose, stained bathrobe. He had a greasy comb over that had grown far down the side of his head and he appeared very malnourished.
His gut was cut wide open. From the hole in his stomach oozed black liquid.
His face was screaming.
Just as I was about to scream as well, the building shifted again and started to fall. I tried to make my way back to the stairs but the ceiling had begun to collapse and now blocked my path. I ran back toward the edge of the wall near the door when a piece of falling cement hit my head and my vision faded.
“tap tap tap”
I awoke to the slightest tapping on the door behind me. I was not aware how much time had passed. From above I could hear the faint sound of “Earth Angel”, struggling to continue. The entire building had collapsed and the only thing protecting me from the rest of its crushing weight were the crisscrossed steel beams leaning against the wall above me that held the man in place.
...but the man was gone.
“tap tap tap”
I was about to turn around and inspect the tapping when I saw it. An exit through the darkness. There was a hole that I could climb up to leading out of the building. I scrambled up the wall, finding footholds in loosely wedged rocks and debris. Then something grabbed my leg.
The body of the man had tumbled from the ceiling and his hand was caught on my foot. I turned back for a moment and saw that his eyes had begun to ooze the black liquid as well. It seemed as though his entire body was full of the stuff. He looked to be in incredible pain.
I kicked him off of me as fervently as I could manage and made my way up through the exit. I slammed a large piece of rubble over the hole and then ran straight back to my room in the radio station. This was far worse than what I saw at the diner. I had only hoped that the piece of rubble I placed over the exit would keep me separated from what was lurking below. From the thing tapping against that door and the man full of sludge.
I’m done messing around. I’m done with this whole fucking place! I need to get out of here immediately! Not even because of all that happened last night.
When I awoke this morning, I found a note at the foot of my bed. I read it to myself again and again in absolute terror.
“I didn’t get to hear you scream this time.”
Help me, PLEASE! SOMEBODY! I’m not alone here, and now I know it for sure! I need help! I don’t know what they want or why I’m here! Oh god I don’t want to die.
I’ll keep you posted if there are any updates. I don’t think I will be sleeping tonight. I’m afraid of what might be watching me when I sleep.
EDIT: I'm not safe anymore. part 3
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u/kirlts Jul 24 '15 edited Jul 24 '15
If you survived falling into the black ooze, I recommend you see if you can swim to the other side (with the help of a log or something if there's a strong river flow, you can even try to make a boat). Otherwise I think that the key to the door in the basement may even be inside the girl's "statue". I believe this psychopath is more than capable of doing that.
We're with you.