In this post: An interesting story that put my logical reasoning on its head. A spooky start to the Christmas season.
Category: Short Story Collection + Fast Fiction
Ramiah Recommended?
Yes.
Before we begin... HAPPY HOLIDAYS! We're rounding out another year!
In the spirit of some creepy holiday movies that are out this December... *cough* Violent Night *cough*... I decided we should switch it up this year and read a creepy December story.
That takes us to Psychosis, a Creepypasta about a programmer named John who has spent too much time in his room working on a project, and then experiences a series of events that he believes are omens. He talks himself into and out of believing the world is out to get him, real people have been replaced, and everything (including technology) cannot be trusted, and the story takes us directly into his thoughts as the madness unfolds. There is a delightful twist at the end that will make readers wonder if he was crazy at all, and if we were crazy to believe (or not believe) him.
I don't know where to start. Creepy is a great word for this story. It's eerie but not scary. Bleak but manageable. For someone who likes horror films but nothing that will make me overly suspicious or extremely fearful for the time to come, this was a good read.
There's this ever-looming 'What if?". What if... the mysterious email I got about needing to see them with my own eyes is a warning, not spam? What if... the person speaking on the other end of the phone isn't my best friend Amy? What if... even my eyes are deceiving me?
The stream of consciousness goes further and further into a rabbit hole. Thoughts at the beginning of the story that I (and John himself) laughed and could easily belief were questionable fears became feasible. The logic wasn't impossible... improbable, sure, but improbable until it happened.
For example, when Amy wanted to get John out of his room and made the trip to his apartment, he questioned her before letting her in. "'Tell me one thing about us. Just prove to me you’re you.'" She answered that they met at a playground. It was a fond memory, but also something that only the two of them would know. John was getting ready to open the door when he remembered something: he journaled how much the day he met Amy at the playground meant to him, and when he looked at his desk for the journal, he saw his webcam was pointed directly at the open page.
Did Amy truly know the memory, or was it something she saw through the webcam somehow?
Now if you think that's irrational, that's fair. But think about it, hacked webcams are not unheard of. Black Mirror has a whole episode on it ("Shut Up and Dance"). There's a reasonable fear to it. And again, that little 'this cooooooould happen' feeling opened me up to John's fear, and before I knew it, I was along for the ride.
Anyway, I don't want to tell too much about this story. Read it for yourself here and tell me what you think!
Ramiah Reflects
Food for Thought:
Is there an end to the rabbit hole? How can one stop from overthinking themself into madness?
Ramiah's Re-read When
Re-read when:
You want a eerie story
You want to explore the lengths of logic
You want a fun twist
(No notes this time, folks!)
Check out my other posts and book notes here.
Until next time!
Montana Houston
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