Estimated reading time — 19 minutes

I have this friend, Randall. Good guy, and all. Just a bit weird, y’know? I don’t know. Like, I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s like he’s from another planet, sometimes. Just the way he talks or acts around people, I guess. Yeah, it’s not important–not to what I’m about to share, anyway.

Long story short, without getting into all the details: Randall has apparently spent some time on the dark web, from what he claims, anyway. Again, I’m not about to get into all that. I just thought it was an important detail–that this is how I got my hands on the supposedly cursed film.

Yeah, I know. Crazy, right? I mean, I’m not exactly a videophile, or anything (Jesus, that sounds like I’m a porn addict, or something), but I’m a sucker for a good…or even bad horror movie. Of course, I’ve watched so many of them, that I’m basically desensitized to even the most gnarly and grotesque scenes. But, I still love them.

Anyway, I was hanging out with Randall at his place, a few months back. We were just drinking a bit, playing some Black Ops, and shit–y’know, nothing exciting. So, my buddy’s awkward ass just suddenly turned off his controller, and strolled over to his computer desk, without a word.

If I was anyone else, I would’ve worried if I did something to piss him off, but not Randall. That was just his way. When he was done with something, he was done. I don’t know, I think he might have a few screws loose upstairs–fucked up parental situation, y’know? But, it’s not my place to get into all that.

Whatever his deal was at the time, it pretty much soured me on the game too, so I just cut it off, and started browsing through his streaming apps. We were still shooting the shit, here and there. But, he was just sort of checked out, tapping away on his keyboard, already in his zone, or whatever.

I ended up queueing up some classic horror flick, absentmindedly droning on about some on set accidents I read about, some years back. I mean, I had a feeling he wasn’t paying me any attention, or anything. I don’t know, I guess I just felt like dropping a bit of useless knowledge on the guy, just to be absolutely sure I hadn’t inadvertently chapped his ass, in one way or another.

Maybe fifteen minutes later, dude is parked on the couch next to me, with a bowl of popcorn, all invested in the movie, all of a sudden. They way he was acting–twitching at the jump scares, involuntary yelps, and even leaning forward, damn near entranced by the TV. It was like he’d never watched a horror movie before.

Turns out, that was exactly the case. Next thing I know, when the credits begin to roll, he’s practically grilling me on what he should watch next. We ended up binging some of my favorites over the next few hours. I mean, it was cool to see him really getting into it, but after a while, I ended up passing out.

When I woke up the next day, it looked like he had headed to bed at some point, but the movie marathon was still going strong. I just cut the TV off and headed to my car. I didn’t have to work that day, or anything, but I was ready to get back to my own place.

Over the next week, I barely heard a word from Randall. I know that he can hyperfixate on things, so I didn’t think anything about it, at first. I thought about checking in, just to make sure the guy was still breathing. But, I know that social cues can be quite foreign to him, so I thought it best to just give him his space.

When he finally reached out to me, almost nine days later, he was talking eighty miles an hour, about all the movies he’s been watching. Like, this whole time, he’d just been locked up in his house, watching everything from classic horror movies, to shit that only recently came out.

That wasn’t all, though. From what he said–from what I could make out, in between his toddler-like, speed talking, during his breaks from tuning into the greatest hits of horror, he had been scanning the web. More specifically: the dark web.

I don’t know how he had access to it, and I didn’t ask. He’d talked about it before, but I never paid him much attention. I guess I figured he was just trying to sound like a badass, y’know? Dude doesn’t have many friends, and you know how some more, I don’t know, like, neglected folks can tend to brag about silly things.

Basically, since he had already watched anything and everything that claimed to be the most terrifying, or most horrific–while he enjoyed all of them, he still felt like none of them were actually scary. I mean, I don’t disagree, y’know? Once you know it’s just a movie, there’s nothing scary about actors and special effects.

What he came across, during his time spent browsing the darkest depths of the internet, had me nervous, at first. I won’t get into what sort of chat rooms he had been on, nor some of the more fucked up things he told me he came across. That shit leaves a nasty taste in my mouth, I tell ya. But, when he mentioned that this guy was selling copies of an apparently ‘cursed’ silent film, from, like, the twenties or thirties, he had my undivided attention.

Now, he knows his way around the dark web, like I said, or like he claims, anyway. He apparently has some credit cards under a phony name and address, which he uses for these sort of…less than legally binding transactions, so he says. And, it was one of those he used to place the order, getting it shipped to a P.O. box, a few towns over.

I know, it sounds like some undercover, private investigator, or bounty hunter shit. But, that’s how he told it. The package was scheduled to arrive the following week, but he asked me if I would mind picking it up for him. He’d even let me watch it first, since I was doing the legwork. All he asked was that I take it to his apartment and watch it there.

I asked him why he couldn’t pick it up, but he said he was going to be visiting his grandparents in Toledo that whole week. And, he didn’t trust leaving something like that in a P.O. box until he got back. Again, I assumed he was overreacting, but, being a delivery from some unknown contact on the dark fucking web, I couldn’t necessarily disagree with his paranoia.

I’m supposed to keep an eye on his place while he’s out of town, anyway–take in his mail, feed his fish, and all that shit. Plus–not that I’m buying any of this shit, but if this is some fucked up, dark web, black market shit, or whatever, I don’t want it in my house.

Yeah, this is all pretty ridiculous. Hell, I’m sure he’s just fucking with me, or setting me up for some practical joke, or something. He’s never pulled anything like that before, but all of this cloak and dagger shit, along with a supposedly ‘cursed film’–I mean, what would you think?

On top of that, if this is for real, my curiosity is already in overdrive. Okay, yeah, the part of me that doesn’t think this is bullshit is worried it’ll just be some sort of old school snuff film, or something–something that’ll give me nightmares for a month. But, again, I can’t say that part of me isn’t curious to see that, if that is the case.

So, where am I going with all of this? Well, I just got back from the post office and, sure enough, the package contained an old VHS tape. Randall had told me that this was his selected format, and he had already borrowed his uncle’s ancient VHS player and TV combo, before he took off for Toledo.

Fortunately, he gave me a quick demo on how to work the damn thing too. Hell, I’ve never even seen one of these artifacts before, let alone used one. I think the TV is strictly black and white, but I highly doubt this movie has any color, if it really did originate from almost a century ago.

So, here I am, in Randall’s study, where he has the tape player set up (it’s a nice fucking apartment, lemme tell ya), with popcorn popped, and a chilled beer, on the table. And I thought that we might watch this together, kinda. Okay, I’m not actually going to, like, video record this viewing experience, just in case it is something especially fucked up. But, I’m going to record the audio of this exclusive viewing.

I’ll describe what’s going on, along with probably talking some shit about the likely bullshit spectacle that qualified for scary, back in that day. But it should be an interesting experience, right? Randall told me nothing about what to expect–nothing about the plot, nor what makes it supposedly cursed. So this will be a genuine, first time reaction.

(Sounds of movement can be heard. The tape pulled from the box, loaded into the VCR.)

Alright.

Here we go, pushing play now.

(Crackling static–silent movie ambience and eerie music begins to play…)

‘Aprire Il Vuoto’, it says on the screen–one of those silent movie stills, with only words on it. I’m guessing it’s the title of the movie. The damn picture is shaking so badly, it’s like someone is holding a piece of cardboard, while having a seizure. I’ve only seen a few silent movies–not really my thing, y’know? But, the still frames with the dialogue, and whatnot, are always shaky, it seems.

Okay, the brief credits are over. Same music is still playing–I’m sure you can hear that. I probably don’t need to narrate that part. It doesn’t sound like that usual, I don’t know, like clinky music, most of these old movies seemed to have. I actually kinda like it. Eerie, y’know?

So, this guy–I guess, maybe the star of this film, just walked out of a store, holding a bag. He’s got it tucked under his arm, exaggeratedly cutting his eyes back and forth, like he’s being watched, or something. Maybe he just thinks he’s being watched. Paranoid, y’know?

He’s got that classic, silent film hero look: slender guy, not too tall. Wrinkled, slightly oversized suit. Dark eyes, dark complexion, dark, messy, kinda shaggy hair. Kinda seems to be a bit of a poor man’s Buster Keaton. Even has the dark eyeshadow, and pale makeup.

Other people are coming and going–the shop he’s still standing in front of us on some busy city street, in the middle of the day, I guess. Close up shot on his face–that is one serious expression of exaggerated concern!

“Devo tornare a casa mia!” the dialogue text reads…what the fuck does that mean!?

Okay, I’m gonna pause and look that up. I wonder if there’s a good translation app.

Man, this is really gonna kill the immersion…

Fuck it. I’m just gonna Google it.

(Movie pauses. The sounds of tapping on a touch screen…)

Hmmm. Apparently it’s Italian.

“I have to get back to my home,” he said. I could really use subtitles. It’s gonna suck to keep looking this shit up.

(Movie resumes…)

He’s running now, weaving in between people on the street, holding his bag close to his chest. Some old lady, he damn near knocked over, looks fit to burst. Ha! She’s all shaking her fist at him. Ugh…more dialogue.

“TI PRENDERÒ PER QUELLO!!!” in all caps, with multiple exclamation points. Oooh, she means business!

Yeah, I’m not looking that up. Probably not relevant to the plot.

The guy just cut down an alleyway, while the old bat is still lip sync cursing at him. Ah, two guys in black suits just wandered up to her. Caught her off guard, it looks like.

“Dove è andato?” guessing they’re asking what happened? Ugh.

(Tape pauses, Tippy tap sounds…)

“Where did he go?” Hmmm. Guess they’re looking for the guy? Makes sense. They look all ‘Men in Black’, y’know? I didn’t know they were a thing back then. Maybe this is the origin? The OG men in black!

(The movie resumes again…)

Okay, back to the hero. He’s all ducked down behind a dumpster, cutting glances back the way he came. The two suits just skidded to a halt, glaring down the alley. One of them pulls a gun from his jacket, and the other stops him.

“Troppi innocenti!” yeah, my accent sucks…

(Movie pauses and more tapping…)

Oh, “too many innocent”. So, are these the good guys, or what? Maybe they just don’t want witnesses? Hmmm.

(Movie resumes.)

They’re just casually walking down the alley now. Yeah, keep your wits about ya, boys…

Cut to the guy behind the dumpster. Yeah, he’s getting nervous now. He’s stashing the bag under the trashcan, cutting his eyes across the ground around him. Another close up.

“Deve essere fatto…”

Ugh…I’m never getting through this damn thing, if I keep having to pause

(Tape pauses again…more tapping…)

“Has to be done…” Interesting. What has to be done?

(The movie resumes again…)

The two guys are passing by the dumpster now, conveniently looking anywhere, but down. What the hell do they think they’re gonna see, glancing upward!? I mean, there’s only one thing to hide behind in this fucking alley, and they’re not even go…

Holy shit!

Um…

Jesus…

So, he just leapt out behind them, cracked the one on his right over the head with some sort of metal pipe, or rod. He just rammed it into the other guy’s mouth, quickly raising it, splitting the dude’s skull open at the jaw. The other guy is gathering himself back up, blood streaming from the back of his head.

The main character is now smashing the pipe against the dude’s face, crushing it more with every hit…

Another closeup of his face, getting sprayed with more blood by the second.

“MORIRE! MORIRE! MORIIIIRE!!” he’s screaming, judging by the all caps again.

(Pause. Tap, tap, tap…)

Yeah, that sounds about right: “Die. Die. Die…”

I’m gonna leave this paused for a second. I mean, that shit was graphic as fuck! Like, that’s nothing I’m not used to, with some of the movies I’ve watched. But I didn’t know they had those kinds of effects back then. Y’know, that shit looked…yeah….just special effects…but….Jesus…

Okay…

(Movie resumes again…)

Yeah, he’s panting hard, covered in blood now. How’re you getting outta this one, buddy boy? That’s a busy ass street, back that way.

He’s heaving his victims into the dumpster. Naturally, no one passing by is paying him any attention.

He’s fished his package from beneath the dumpster, looking more paranoid than ever, while skulking deeper into the alley.

Oh, come on! Really!? Dude just pushed through a convenient door to the building on his left. I swear that door wasn’t there in the last scene! I mean, if it was there the whole time, why didn’t he run in there before the suits caught up with him?

Yeah, I’ll give it to them on the special effects, but these plot holes and conveniences are wracking up!

And there’s a convenient sink for him to clean up in! It looks like some abandoned warehouse, or something, with fully functional plumbing. Oh, and some dusty overalls, just hanging on a rack, near the back wall, for him to both disguise himself, and hide his bloody clothing.

I know this was back in the day and all, but did these writers even try? Meh, screw it. Whatever. Again, this completely kills the immersion, but having to translate every line of dialogue already accomplished that, I suppose.

Alright, he’s back in the alley now, with his bag safely tucked away in the somehow no longer dusty overalls…

Yup, double check that those bodies are still safely hidden, bud. Make sure to keep that paranoid look on your face when you get back amongst the public too.

Weaving back around people on the sidewalk again, yada, yada…you can move the story along now…We get it, he doesn’t want to be caught with whatever is in that bag!

Ah, fading to black. Thank God…

“Quella notte.”

(No pause, just tapping…)

And that means…ah, “That night”.

Okay, fading back in as he walks into, I’m guessing his house? It’s a cluttered room, with books all over the place. Shelves lined with them, others scattered across tables, and even on the couch. Looks like it’d be a nice place, if he’d clean it up a bit.

He flips on the lights, pulls the curtains closed, taking one last glance outside, before shutting them all the way. The music is more mysterious now, so that has to mean we’re getting to the point, right?

Alright, he goes into the next room, starts taking off the overalls…

Gah!

C’mon, man!

We don’t need to see that!

Yeah, I wasn’t aware that any silent films featured full frontal…

Bleagh…

Okay, he’s finally pulling open the bag–it’d be nice if he would be kind enough to put on some pants first, but…um…yeah.

So it’s another book. Yeah, you need more books, bud. What makes this one so special, though?

And, after all that running around and paranoia, he just tossed the book onto the bed, before casually walking to another room.

Quick dissolve, and fade back into him walking back out, wearing some wrinkled, dressy looking pants, a halfway buttoned, white shirt, and suspenders, drying off his hair with a towel. At least we didn’t have to watch him getting dressed, I suppose.

He picks up the book, tossing the damp towel on the bed, starts leafing through it, and another close-up of his face, looking all serious and determined.

“It’s almost time…”

Huh…

That one’s in English…

That’s…odd…

Yeah, he’s walking to yet another room–pitch black in there. There’s a little light from the bedroom still, but…okay, he flipped on a lamp. This room is practically empty–just a chair, a desk, with the lamp, and what looks like some sort of recording device on it. And four, blank walls.

He lays the book on the desk, heads back to the door, shuts it and locks it…

(The sound of a deadbolt can be heard.)

…after one more paranoid glance back into the room he left…

Hold on…I think…I think there’s someone at the door.

(The movie’s background music stops.)

(Chair slides back, footsteps to the door. Another sound of a door lock, followed by the door opening, closing moments later. Footsteps back to the chair.)

Nope. No one there. I don’t remember locking that door, though. Could’ve sworn I heard…doesn’t matter. Damn movie is making me paranoid now, ha ha.

I’m gonna grab a fresh beer before I get back into this.

(Recording stops, starting again seconds later. A beer can is popped open.)

I didn’t realize it was getting so freaking cold in here. Grabbed some long sleeves, before fishing out a fresh beer. Cranked the heat up a bit too, even though it was only reading 68. Maybe this film is having some sort of unsettling effect, after all.

I don’t know if it’s the music, the lighting, the camera angles, or this fucking guy. Whatever it is, I mean, I was giving them shit for dragging things out, and really enforcing the fact that dude is paranoid, and shit. But, maybe whoever directed this did know what he was doing.

Okay, here we go again.

(The movie starts again )

A close-up of the book.

‘Aprire Il Vuoto’, it says on the cover. So, the title of the movie. I probably should’ve looked that up.

Another shot of his serious face.

Oh…

“Open the Void” he says.

Why is it wigging me out that the dialogue is in English now. I mean, yeah, it was a pain in the ass to Google everything. But…

Okay, so this will sound nuts–it does sound nuts to even think. But, is it in English now…because I don’t speak Italian?

Like…is it translating for me?

Jesus! What the hell is wrong with me? Something about this movie is fucking with my head…

He’s opened the book now, just flipping through the pages, like he’s actually absorbing the words. Like, he’s mouthing words, darting his eyes left and right, tracing his fingers down the page, and flipping to the next one.

Another close-up. His eyes are all wide and maniacal, and he has this crazy smile.

“That’s it!” he said, apparently.

He’s running back to the other room, out of the shot. The camera isn’t following him, just staying focused on the open book, laying on the table.

I don’t know why, but there’s something strangely unsettling about this shot. I mean, nothing is happening–not in front of the camera, or anything. But…

Okay, he’s back. He locked the door…

(The sound of a deadbolt can be heard again.)

…behind…him…again…

That…I swear that sounds like it’s coming from…

Nope, it’s just the movie…the silent film…with random locking mechanism sound effects…

It’s gotta be part of it, right? Just some effect to creep out the viewer…right?

He’s holding a knife now–an especially long, serrated, and ornate looking dagger. What’re you planning with that, bud?

Christ…he’s looking right at me…at…the camera, I mean…

“Are you prepared?”

Huh? Prepared…?

“To open the Void?”

That’s fucking creepy. He’s just standing there, holding the knife, in the middle of the room, staring at me…the camera. It’s just panning between him, and the dialogue stills, or whatever they call them.

“Are you?”

Again? Really?

It just keeps repeating the same words, between cutting back to his eerie ass expression.

“You have to answer…”

What? No…I…

“ARE YOU PREPARED TO OPEN THE VOID!?”

Sheesh! All caps again…

I’m…okay, fuck it…I’m prepared…whatever…

“Good…”

What the fuck!? Like, as soon as I answered, that next nugget of dialogue popped up, followed by dude just smiling at me…the camera.

“This will require both of us…”

I…don’t like this…

“It will take us both to…let loose the old ones…”

Um…this is getting a bit…

Okay, I gotta pause this shit.

(Movie pauses.)

Gonna rewind it a bit.

I know this has to be some sort of trick, or just well timed dialogue, or whatever…but, I have to see if it repeats, y’know? If this is just part of the show, it’ll rewind in the same order, right? Christ, I sound nuts right now.

(Attempted rewind, tape just skips.)

(The sound of a clicking button, muffled cursing.)

Uh-huh!

Yup!

And, it won’t rewind…

I hit the rewind button, and it’s just skipping in place. Is this normal for VHS? I don’t know shit about this shit–never fucked with them before, y’know? My grandparents had one, but…

Fuck it…just gonna hit play again, I guess. It’s just a fucking movie, for crying out loud! What’s going on with me!?

(Buttons clicking, movie resumes.)

Alright, he’s dragging his chair closer to the far wall, just a few feet in front of it. Rolling up his sleeves, smearing the back of his hand across his sweating brow. Dude is really getting into character, I tell ya…

Goddamnit…he’s looking back at…the camera…

“Will you be a part of this ritual?”

I’m…not answering that…

“Will you be a part of this ritual?”

Y’know what? No…No, I will not be a part of this fucking ritual, you creepy, old fuck!

“You have to consent…”

No, I do not have to consent…

What I have to do, is turn off this fucking tape.

(Buttons click. Background music stops.)

Jesus….

Okay, yeah, I don’t know if this film is truly cursed, or whatever. But I am not about to…

(Background music begins again.)

What the fuck!?

It…it just turned back on…

Could I have accidentally hit the remote, when I was getting up?

(Button clicking over and over…)

It won’t…

It won’t turn off again…

“Do you consent to be a part of this ritual?”

NO! I DO NOT FUCKING CONSENT!

(Buttons click repeatedly.)

“You have to consent…”

No! I…turn off, you fucking…

Fuck this! Keep playing, for all I care. I’m gonna go…

(Sounds of footsteps and attempts to open a locked door, along with muttering and cursing.)

What the..?

Let me…

LET ME THE FUCK OUT!

This isn’t…

It’s still playing…

It just keeps blinking from his smiling fucking face, to those same words…

“You have to consent…”

Can’t…can’t get out…

Can’t shut it off…

No…I do not…consent…

“You have to…”

No…

“Consent…”

No…

“Consent…”

Fuck…YOU!!!

(Sounds of a TV falling to the floor. Glass shattering, plastic snapping. Music stops. Heavy breathing and gasping.)

Thank Christ…

(Footsteps to the door, which successfully unlocks and pulls open…)

Yeah, I feel like an asshole for destroying the video player and TV…I do not feel bad for fucking up the tape, though…I’ll pay him whatever he put into it, and cover the cost of the player. If he asks what happened, I’ll play this for him.

I still don’t believe the damn thing was cursed, or whatever. But…

(The music begins again, accompanied by the snapping of more locks.)

What the..?

It’s…playing on the living room TV…

I didn’t…

(Sounds of attempts to open a locked door again…)

Let…me…OUT!

(Sounds of pounding on glass, but will not break.)

I…I can’t get out…door won’t open or unlock…Windows…windows won’t break…Even if I wasn’t five floors up…fuck!

I can’t…

No…I do not consent…

Let me out…

LET ME OUT!!

This can’t be possible, right? This cannot be…

Wait…

Wait a fucking minute…

Randall, you son of a bitch! You sneaky son of a BITCH!

You almost had me…

Oh yeah, “watch it at my place, good buddy…Make yourself at home, and enjoy this movie that I have been heavily anticipating, without me…”

Christ, I am one gullible asshole…

Okay, let’s just see how far you’re willing to go with this, good buddy…

Yes. I do consent.

Sheesh! I didn’t think his smile could get any creepier! Dude looks like it’s Christmas morning! I wonder if this is someone Randall knows, like some sort of acting troupe helped him out this together. I mean, it looks, I don’t know, genuine, I guess?

Alright, he’s turning back to the wall, examining the knife he brought in. Looking back up at the camera, and…

“Let’s get started…”

Sure. Let’s do that.

Shit!

Dude just sliced the knife across his palm, smearing the blood across the wall now. He’s, like, making some sort of design in his own blood.

Bleagh!

What the actual fuck!?

(Flickering lights…)

Okay, that’s unsettling. The lights just flickered in the movie, and in the room, simultaneously. I gotta remember to ask Randall how much money he put into this thing.

Fuck!

The guy just pressed his bloody hand into the center of that, I don’t know, symbol, or whatever.

He…he, like, flipped his hand upward, keeping his fingers flat against the wall…

He just snapped them all back, and didn’t even react! Just glared at them…

(Sounds of breaking bones.)

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!

AGH!!!

My…

Fucking hell!

My fingers…on my…Jesus…my fingers just…snapped! All four of them…

FUCKING CHRIST!!

They just snapped back…

What the…?

On the screen…on the film…he…he’s looking back at me…his hand, still pressed to the wall…four fingers…snapped backwards…

My…four fingers…snapped back…

This can’t be…happening…

“Say it with me…” it reads…

Say what?

Fuck! This fucking hurts…

“Repeat after me…”

I won’t…

I…

Shit…

Feeling…faint…

I…I don’t know if I can even pronounce that.

“Liberate l’antico.” (a whispered, disembodied, Italian voice speaks…)

I can…I can hear the words now…just a whisper…

“Repeat…”

Getting dizzy…

Loopy…

“Repeat…”

L…liberare…l’antico…

“Again…”

Liberare…l’antico…

“Yog Sothoth…”

Yog…Sothoth…

(Sounds of bones breaking again. Body tumbling to the floor.)

AGH!

My…ankle…Jesus…

“Nyarlathotep…”

Christ…

AGH!

Nyar…Nyarlathotep…

(More bones breaking. Body writhing in place.)

JESUS FUCK!!

My…my fucking knee…

Jesus…

“Azathoth…”

Aza…thoth…fuck, it hurts…

(More bones splinter. Body buckles back to the floor, writhing in pain.)

RIBS!!

My fucking ribs!

Jesus!

“Ti invito.”

(The writhing body falls still…)

Head is…swimmy…

The music…intoxicating…

“Ti…invito…”

(The sound of his phone falling to the floor.)

Shadows…

Shadows…dancing across the walls…

It doesn’t hurt anymore…

“Ti invito…l’antico.”

Tentacles…reaching through the wall on the screen…

I can almost…feel them…

Feel them…embracing me…

“Ti invito…l’antico.”

Ti invito…l’antico…

“What will you offer?”

I…I offer…what do you want?

“Your ears, to truly hear the words…”

Take them…

“Your tongue, to speak them…”

You can have it too…

“Your eyes…for the blind one…”

They’re yours…take them all…

“You have to give them…”

I will…

“Cut them out.”

How?

“Cut…them…out…”

Fuck…

It’s a bit hard to get around right now, y’know?

“CUT THEM OUT!”

Okay…

AGH!

(The sound of crunching bones, and a person shuffling across the floor. Grunting, as he makes his way across the room. A knife being slipped from a rack. Knocking on the door. More grunting as he returns to the chair.)

Okay…

Okay…where…um…where do I start?

“Your ears…to truly hear the words…”

Alright…

(The sound of meat being sliced, followed by screaming. The knocking intensifies.)

AGH!!

Jesus fucking…

What…what have I..?

Oh God…my ear!

“Continue…”

NO!…

No, this is…fucked up…

I won’t do this!

“DO IT!”

NO! FUCK YOU!

(More knocks on the door, muffled words from outside.)

“DO IT!”

WHAT THE FUCK!?

GAH! STOP IT!!

(Sounds of a scuffle, a man battling against himself. More knocking and muffled voices.)

My hands…

Jesus!

They’re moving on their own! How are these fingers even..?

“CUT THEM OUT!”

NO!

STOP!

AGH!

(Sounds of a muffled battle. Something slides across the floor.)

NO!

JESUS FUCK!

STOP!

I WON’T LET YOU…

AAAGH!!

(Sounds of a knife slicing flesh, gurgling, followed by a body falling to the floor. Pounding on the door, followed by the door being forced open. Stomping feet.)

(The movie’s background music and static stops.)

(New voice, along with more shuffling feet.)

“My God! Young man!? What…what have you…CALL AN AMBULANCE!”

Recording stops.

•

Recording begins again.

My name is Randall Myers. I just got back from…identifying the body of my friend, Jason McConnel, who had been found…with his throat cut, fingers broken, left ankle and knee mangled, right ribs…shattered, and…his ears severed, in my apartment. They said it looked like he tried to…Oh God…like he tried to cut out his tongue too.

At this point, the police are calling this some sort of mental break–like, a psychological episode, or something. There were cuts all over his chin…they said it looked as though he wrestled the knife away from his mouth, before cutting his own throat.

I had to answer a lot of questions about why he was in my apartment, when he…when he…

They seem to think that, given the nature of the wounds, someone else might have been there. Yes, he was alone in the apartment when they broke in. But, I had to prove to them that I was out of town.

Like what? I had somehow hidden away, after…murdering my friend? I mean, I didn’t even get back until a few days after it happened, so I was in the clear.

Still…is it my fault that he’s dead?

The place was a mess when I returned, but…The VCR was destroyed. Fortunately, the tape still seems to be alright. I’m not about to watch it, to make sure it’s good, of course. But it looks to be okay, from what I can tell.

My dad would kill me, if it was messed up…It’s been in the family for decades, after all.

Surely that’s not what made him…

With the VCR being wrecked, and some more furniture knocked over or broken, they didn’t confiscate the old tape player for evidence, or anything. Given that he was in another room, they didn’t look into it much. It took a bit of work to actually get the tape out, but it seems to be in one piece, at least.

I found his phone under the TV stand. From what I can tell from the recording–I could only bring myself to listen to…parts of it…I’m thinking he tossed it, or kicked the damn thing while he was, I suppose, fighting for his life?

It does make me wonder, though. I mean, who stopped recording?

Yes, I shouldn’t have lied to him about the whole dark web thing, but I didn’t think he’d be willing to watch it without me, if he knew it was part of my father’s ‘sacred collection’.

I was curious–always have been. My old man always spoke about that tape with such reverence, but made me swear I’d never watch it. I knew there had to be something special about it…I never imagined…Oh God…

I just didn’t trust him to take the tape back to his place. Yes, it was probably a risky move to mail it to my own P.O. box. But…yeah, this whole thing was a bad idea. I’m just going to take the tape back to my father’s vault, and hope to Christ he doesn’t realize I took it.

I feel awful about Jason, but how could I know that something like this would happen!?

Why didn’t he stop watching, or leave the apartment when things began to get crazy!?

Maybe I should just destroy the damn thing. Something like that should never…

(The opening music for the film begins to play in the background.)

…be…watched…

What!?

How…

How is it playing on my TV!?

I’m literally holding the tape!

(Sounds of turning and yanking on a doorknob, which seems to be locked.)

Oh God…

Credit: William Rayne

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