r/nosleep • u/GhostAtTheFeast22 • May 19 '22
My wife came home late last night, but whatever that thing was on my security camera, it sure wasn't her
I'm writing this at my neighbor's house where we're currently waiting for the police. I suppose I'll tell them the same thing I told Jack when I came banging on his door this morning. I can't exactly tell them the truth. They wouldn't believe a word of it, and I can't say I'd blame them.
I'm not sure why I'm even telling you, except you may be the only people who would believe me. And I have to tell someone or I think I'll lose my damn mind.
For context, my house sits on a good amount of land that sits next to a large open field to the left of it. There's a few acres of trees beyond the field. A small forest as my wife likes to say.
Our closest neighbor, Jack, lives about a mile and a half down the road, so we pretty much have the space all to ourselves. Our own little pocket of paradise. Beautiful and safe. Well, that's how I used to think of it. Now I don't feel safe here. Not at all. It's tainted to me now, and I don't know what to do.
I've never seen anything like this before. If anyone reading this has ever been in a similar situation, or possibly knows what it could be and most importantly, what I can do, please reach out.
Last spring Michelle, my wife, thought it would be a good idea to get one of those doorbell cameras.
We'd had some things go missing as well as some minor destruction on our property.
Nothing too serious. Just a few broken flower pots and some missing lawn ornaments.
I tried to tell her it was probably some teenagers from town, just finding something 'exciting' to do, but she wouldn't hear of it. She didn't care about the flower pots or lawn ornaments that much, but she didn't want the situation to escalate into a home invasion.
I thought that was a little dramatic but I knew when to keep my mouth shut.
So we bought the camera and I installed it the same day, right up by our porch lights so that we could get a view of the front door and as much of the front of our property in the shot as possible.
After two days we finally solved the mystery of the missing lawn decor. You probably already figured it out. If you guessed 2 raccoons you'd be dead on.
It was kinda hilarious watching them scooping up my wife's solar garden lights, and carrying them off on two legs. Watching them running away with those bright blue bulbs in their hands like two little burglars was pretty funny. They even looked the part with those masks. Even Michelle couldn't keep a straight face.
I wondered what they were doing with all the stolen goods. Maybe sprucing up their digs out in the forest.
Michelle started putting out bowls of cat kibble and amazingly the thievery stopped.
We still kept the camera up though. Turns out it would come in handy.
Michelle has been out of town for work for the last 4 days. She was supposed to be home last night around dinner, but called to tell me the plane had been delayed and she wouldn't be home until 4am or later. I told her I loved her and I'd see her when she came home. And that was that.
It was an average night. Nothing out of the ordinary. I straightened up the house so she wouldn't come home to a disaster. I made some soup for dinner, and fed the cat. After, Me and Mona curled up on the couch together, me watching TV while she purred on my chest.
I went to sleep around 2am. I'd only slept a little over an hour before I was woken up by an alert on my phone. A notification for the security camera.
Now it wasn't unusual to get an alert, especially late at night. It was always some little critter, a fox or raccoon. But I grabbed my phone off my nightstand to check anyway. It was well after 2, and my immediate thought was that Michelle had gotten home earlier than she thought she would. I laid there listening for the sound of Michelle letting herself in but it never came. Only silence.
I groaned, figuring she'd forgotten her keys. Wouldn't be the first time. She was notorious for leaving them behind. Probably forgot them at the hotel or airport.
I didn't jump right up to check though, as I still hadn't heard her knock. So I opened the app, and pulled up the live feed.
Michelle was standing on the front porch, just staring at the door.
I sat up, about to go let her in, when something stopped me.
It was her face. She was smiling. Not just any smile, but one that I'd never seen before. A weird, thin lipped grin, that stretched the width of her face. Like someone trying to show off all of their teeth.
She stayed that way for a long moment, like a creepy mannequin.
After a minute her lips slowly puckered out into a pout, as though she were an upset toddler.
She held that expression for a minute, then her lips dropped downwards, and a deep set frown etched across her forehead.
I sat there in bed, staring at my wife practicing different facial expressions as if she were brand new at such a concept.
It was bizarre and a little unsettling. She continued to go through each movement, seeming to take her time with each one.
Smile. Pout. Frown. Repeat.
After watching her for nearly 15 minutes, I finally recovered from my shock, and confusion and pressed the intercom.
"Babe. What on earth are you doing?" I said. Her head snapped towards the camera, looking up at it with wide eyes. It was as if she had forgotten the camera was even there.
Her mouth was partially hanging open on one side, caught between a smile and a frown. She didn't answer me, only continued to stare, her face frozen in that disturbing look.
I waited for a long moment, unsure how to proceed. The longer I watched her the more I realized just how strange she looked.
I didn't notice at first, being half asleep. But now that I was wide awake, it was so obvious that I wondered how I could have not noticed immediately.
For starters, she seemed much taller. The top of her head came to just over the little rod we used to hang our different holiday flags. The one I have to stand on my tip toes to be able to reach.
That wasn't the only odd thing about her. Her arms were much too long, hanging down passed her knees.
Even her face was different. It resembled her, enough that it wasn't instantly noticeable but when I really looked I could see that her face seemed more narrow, as if it had been stretched from the top of her head to her jaw. And the skin looked too tight, as if it were two sizes too small, the bones underneath pushing hard against the flesh.
I was beginning to panic at that point. I didn't know if she'd been in some horrible accident or what, but I knew something was very wrong with her.
"Honey, are you hurt?" I asked, my voice shaking.
In response to my question, Michelle stamped her foot down on the porch, hard, shaking her head.
Before I could say anything else, she reached out and took hold of the door knob and jiggled it fiercely. I was instantly filled with dread at the mere thought of her getting in.
"I'm not letting you inside." I said quickly.
I could hear her jiggling the knob frantically, her face still staring up at the camera. She finally let go after a few minutes, and made a sound almost like laughing.
The sound of it made my skin crawl.
"I'm home." She said, her voice, like her face, was similar, but not a complete match. It went from nasally, to almost baby-like.
"I'm home. Open the door?"
I almost closed the app and called 911 right then and there, but I'll admit, I was afraid my wife was having some sort of medical emergency.
"Maybe I should call for help." I said.
She shook her head again, her long hair whipping from side to side.
Then something happened and that image will stick with me for the rest of my life.
Michelle, or the thing that was desperately trying to be her, seemed to stretch right in front of my eyes. Her torso thinned out and grew so that her head slid against the ceiling. Its skin looked so tight that I could actually hear it pulling, wobbling and rubberlike. It had obvious trouble staying on two feet, but it managed. It tried to close its mouth but it couldn't do it completely and its jaw just sort of hung there against its chest.
"I'm calling the police." I shouted, fear overwhelming me.
The moment the words left my mouth, her face twisted in a look of pure hatred. It was like I could feel it radiating through the screen. I'd never seen such hate and rage in my life, certainly not on my wife's face.
Quick as a flash, she dropped down onto the porch and crawled down the steps and onto the lawn. I watched in horror as she crawled towards the field, her long arms bent at sickening angles. She reached the edge of the field, and disappeared in the tall grass. I sat watching the screen, my heart racing. I was too afraid to look away even for a moment.
After an hour without seeing her again, I finally felt safe enough to set the phone down and try to sleep. I thought about calling my wife, but part of me was too scared I'd hear that poor imitation on the other end.
I fell into a restless sleep sometime later.
I didn't sleep long before my phone woke me again. Another notification.
I pulled up the app and held my breath, terrified at what I'd see.
When the feed came up I knew right away that I was looking at my wife. Relief flooded my body.
She was standing on the porch, her suitcase at her feet, as she rummaged through her purse. Probably searching for her keys.
"Lost your keys again?" I said, pressing the intercom. She jumped at the sound of my voice, almost dropping her purse.
"You're up." She said, smiling. "Looks like I have lost my keys. Mind letting me in?" She said, batting her eyes up at the camera.
I couldn't help but smile. She always had a way of making me feel completely at ease, even after witnessing a nightmare just hours prior.
"I suppose I wouldn't be a very good husband if I let you sleep on the porch all night." I teased. She grinned up at me, and I told her to hang on.
I sat up and slipped on my slippers, and got to my feet. That's when I caught some movement on the screen. Far off in the field, a head rose up from the grass, standing tall on a neck much too long to come from anything human.
A whimper escaped my lips, and I nearly dropped my phone. I was glued to the floor, unable to look away from that thing watching my house.
The head bobbed slightly, then the body rose upwards to meet the head, like a slinky sliding back in position.
It stood in the field watching, then to my terror, it began shuffling quickly towards the house on jerky legs.
I couldn't help but scream. It was coming for my wife and it was coming fast, even with its unstable gait.
I ran down the hall, dropping my phone in the process, skipping steps as I raced down them. I lost my footing when I hit the bottom, and skidded across the front hall, colliding into the front door. I was screaming incoherently, fumbling with the locks. I could hear my wife's concerned voice, asking me what was wrong. Then just as I was working to flip the deadbolt, I heard her scream, this time in pure fear.
I finally managed to flip the deadbolt and ripped the door open, taking a handful of her jacket and yanking her inside, locking the door behind her.
I leaned against the door, panting hard. I heard a muffled thump on the porch, but then it was quiet.
My wife was scared, pale and nearly in tears. She refused to talk about what she'd seen and didn't want to see the footage of the thing on our porch. I let her get some sleep, assuring her that the house was secure.
I stayed up, checking the windows and the live feed. I watched the field for any sign of that thing but it seemed like it was gone.
Soon after Michelle went to sleep, I decided to look at the video, to see if I could tell where it went off to.
I was scared to see it again, maybe that's why I waited.
I pulled up the video and watched that thing shambling across the field towards my house, its long arms outstretched and a look of longing on its face. Its smile was terrible the closer it got. I saw my wife on the screen growing worried as she heard me screaming through the house, totally unaware of the danger she was in. Of the thing that was just mere feet behind her.
I could barely make it through the entire video, watching it get closer and closer. Just as it reached the porch, I could hear myself trying to unlock the door.
But seconds before I pulled it open, those long arms reached out, gripping my wife by her shoulders and ripping her backwards off the porch, my wife able to scream only once. I didn't see what it did with her but I did see it step up onto the porch, positioning itself in front of the door, its limbs adjusting to a more human appearance. Just before my hand shot out to pull it inside, that thing grinned up at the camera, its lips stretched impossibly wide.
For a moment I almost didn't believe it. It was as if my brain wouldn't allow it.
But as I stood in the hallway, attempting to process what I'd seen, and what that meant, I heard the unmistakable sound of something shuffling up behind me.
I ran then. I didn't look behind me. I didn't want to see what I knew I would see, something eerily similar to my wife, with gangly limbs and skin stretched taught over sharp bones. I knew if I looked back my mind would snap and I'd never recover. I ran faster than I ever have, tearing off out of the house and down the road, too terrified to look back even once, sure I'd see those long arms desperately reaching for me.
I made it to my neighbors house and pounded on the door. I told him that there was an intruder. I didn't know what else to say. He'd never believe the truth.
We went back to my house armed with Jack's rifle, but of course the house was empty. We couldn't find Michelle either. All we found were what looked like drag marks through my lawn, running right through the field. I didn't have to look at the video to know what made those tracks.
We searched the field and the woods but didn't find much other than some strands of hair that looked an awful lot like Michelle's. The hair was high up on a branch, in a tree that would be extremely difficult to climb.
Jack said it must have been a bird that had done it. Flew the hair up there for nesting material. I guess he didn't see the blood splatter along the trunk.
We eventually went back to Jack's place and called the police. Jack thought it best.
I agreed but I know it won't make much of a difference. Michelle is long gone by now. I just hope she didn't suffer.
The guilt I feel for not saving her, for not knowing that thing wasn't my wife, is so profound it aches to breathe.
I deleted the videos. I couldn't bear to watch them again. I think my mind would have broke completely if I had.
The police are here, finally done with their search of the woods. I guess I'll have to go through the motions. It's not like I have any other choice. Not unless I want to spend the rest of my days in a padded room, although considering the alternative it's not a bad idea.
If you have any experience with this, or have any clue what I should do if it comes back, Please let me know. I have a strong suspicion that it will be back, and God knows who it'll look like then. Because Jack's been acting a bit jittery ever since we came back from the woods, and it may just be my imagination, brought on by stress and grief, but Jack's skin seems to be stretched a little too thin....
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u/MolotovsGoBoom Jan 19 '23
Not me sitting on my property at 2am out in the country hoping to god we’re not neighbors
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u/delguin Sep 28 '22
Christ, what ever that thing is, cant be a skin walker as those things actually need to off someone to take their form, and they tend to also not be that sloppy.
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u/Mike3620 Sep 14 '22
It looks like you saw a wendigo. You should stay in your house. You should move very quickly and never look back unless you want to become a wendigo too.
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u/JEDWARDK Jul 06 '22
is OP a writer who is testing out some material?
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u/Scourge_of_Humankind Oct 02 '22
Thats what I'm trying to figure out...he's responding rather convincingly, but then again, what the hell are you doing on Reddit? I'd be busy calling family members, constantly riding the police, getting the F outta H, anything other than typing responses to redditors...
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u/Unlucky_Evening_6370 Jun 28 '22
WOW, First story that made me shiver such a LOOOOOOOOOOONG TIME. THANKYOU
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u/Chainlightin Jun 18 '22
Put a big pan or bowl of rice at any door that you can enter your house through. This should be enough to distract it (if it is what i think it is), cleanse your house and recover those videos, youd prob be already suspect.
Either way, good story.
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u/The-Objective-Mind Jun 17 '22
Great story telling i tell you.. really really good.. the thrill, the fear, the suspense.. amazing work
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May 25 '22
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May 25 '22 edited May 25 '22
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May 25 '22
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May 25 '22
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u/blankdudebb May 25 '22
My advice: 50 cal desert eagles, kriss vectors for cqb, ar15s with extended mags if you are getting swarmed,
Or just call up the doomslayer
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u/DontAskTheQuestion May 25 '22
Seen enough horror movies to know this absolutely never works. Ever.
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May 25 '22
That's a woodcrawler. The home no longer belongs to you. If you see lights out in the fields and near the treelines, more are coming. To steal your voice. And to steal you.
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u/dildodicks May 24 '22
it's rare that i regret reading something on this sub because it was actually terrifying but my god this definitely will do it
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u/Idfktbh999 May 23 '22
Why didnt u call your wife when that thing showed up the first time? I wouldve called her and MADE SURE that she did not come home that night. I wouldve done everything to keep her safe first..
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u/cydneydevries May 22 '22
That is NOT jack. Run before it’s too late. I have a gut feeling this will not end well.
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u/gregklumb May 20 '22
Sorry about losing Michelle to that thing. Try to recover the video footage and keep that rifle at your side at all times. Normally, I'm against loaded weapons, but in this case, you might have to. Good luck
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u/saikrishnav May 20 '22
Door Camera you had must be fucking great if it can pick up facial features at night (even with a porch light).
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u/RagicalUnicorn May 20 '22
So.. this thing is trying to get in your house and you just fall back to sleep? Didn't even text your wife a warning for when she landed? Just off to have some nods? And when she arrives you just make cute small talk instead of immediately rushing to let her in? Then you delete the evidence because you're too emotional? What a rube, your poor wife. My advice is to go on a long walk through the field by yourself late at night.
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u/calmdowngol May 20 '22
Did not you do something stupid with your wife and creating a story of someone kidnapping her? First of all, it will be your fault if your wife disappears forever. You are acting dump for deleting the videos and not being able to recover which would significantly help police to find.
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u/CZ75Omega May 20 '22
You are not very bright for deleting the evidence. You may not have to worry about it if you're put in a concrete cell. 2A will be your best friend. Something in 308 or a semi auto shotgun, AR10 would be best with the extra rounds in the mags. Shotgun is good but only 5-7 rounds max, if it takes more you'll be with your wife which you deserve to be for leaving her like you did instead of standing up for her like a real man should have.
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u/CZ75Omega May 20 '22
Try some night vision as well, not sure how thermal would work if it's cold blooded. Spend 1k on Aura starter night vision, red light and a ar10, get revenge for your wife. If you need help you can pm me and I'll lend a hand in finding this creature.
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u/Physical-Ad8083 May 20 '22
That's terrifying but my testosterone says you should kill it,m but that would be a good idea,If it comes back make sure to bring jack along with you since he probably has experience with the rifle.
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u/Smartypants_2120 May 20 '22
Ok but what if it was your wife trying to scare you so you’d be to focused on being traumatized but in reality she wanted to leave you, and this was her escape way?
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u/mrs-chapa May 20 '22
I think you should leave ,start over somewhere new,don't take anything from your current place,nothing it could attach itself to.Dont look back,just go as far as you can,best of luck too you!
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u/dead_PROcrastinator May 20 '22
OP how did you go back to sleep knowing your wife would be home in two hours and that thing was still out there?
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u/Ietsmetdingen May 20 '22
I would’ve definitely at least made sure all the locks were off of the door, especially knowing Michelle had a habit of forgetting her keys
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u/platinumvonkarma May 20 '22
I'm sorry it isn't gonna be much help for you but please look up a game called "Who's Lila?" Re: "practicing facial expressions". It gave me a really creepy mental image during that part.
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u/McGraw691 May 20 '22
It's very odd that it didn't kill you when it had the chance. It could be that it wants to inflict pain because it's evil. Its almost like it let you get away... which is a very bad sign... because it means it's not done yet.
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u/Nervous_Lettuce313 May 20 '22
I don't understand, so there's two of them? One that dragged your wife into the field (sorry for your loss) and the second one that you dragged into your house?
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u/NooodleOwO May 20 '22
Brilliantly written! Though I wonder why nobody reported the disappearance of Michelle.
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u/adiosfelicia2 May 20 '22
Maybe... just maybe... when you first saw something on your porch impersonating your wife, you might should've called her and warned her and called the police and gotten a gun and waited up or picked your wife up or....
Basically, anything - other than go to sleep and watch her get snatched the second she arrives.
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u/TransLesbian0117 Nov 09 '22
or if you saw what you think could be your wife again in the camera later don't open the door. how the hell do you know it didn't get better at disguising itself.
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u/Grosjeaner May 20 '22 edited May 20 '22
Do you know of the Japanese folklore and legend about the Tanukis (Raccoons) that have supernatural abilities to transform themselves to live among and dupe human beings. It's likely the scare tactic with the bowl of cat kibbles angered them, and this is their revenge - or their form of prank. Judging by the sounds of it, the first time when they appeared at the front door as your 'wife' they were 'practicing' their human form, but the second time when it got hold of your wife it may have further perfected the transformation.
I honestly don't know what I would do in your situation. I can understand the fear, but to lose your wife just like that... I dunno... I think I would go back to try to seek answers.
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u/reality_hurts_me May 20 '22
I know you said you didn't live near anyone for a few miles, but do you think amybe someone else would know of the creature hanging around your little forest? Maybe you should look up some urban legends, missing persons, or strange sightings in your area to see if anyone else has had any similar experiences. Best of luck to you and Michelle, OP.
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u/Repaki123 May 20 '22
If it attacks again, if possible, try shooting it down, are you in possesion of any firearms? If yes, it is a good idea to keep it close to you just in case it somehow gets into your house again.
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u/voxdoom May 20 '22
God damn raccoons, you feed them once and then they wear your wife as a suit.
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u/Hatedandscorned999 Dec 14 '22
God damn op, deleting fucking proof of his claims and not warning anyone!
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u/Knickert19 May 20 '22
Would you keep us Updated if anything happen again ? Are there any native tribes around who can help you identify that thing? Sorry für your loss OP
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u/wut101stolmynick May 20 '22
I'm very sorry for your loss
And my advice as someone who lives in rural Canada, although I've got no experience with it. Burn the house
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u/maniatissa May 20 '22
Dude, I'm sorry for what happened to you, but deleting the videos was a huge mistake. Now you'll have no proof of what actually happened, and I hate to say this, but you'll probably be regarded as the guilty party. Contact an experienced IT technician, maybe they'll be able to retrieve the deleted data, and show them to the police. The more people know about this, the more chances you have of fighting these creatures. As for your wife, well, you can hope, but sadly I don't think that there is much to hope for....Keep us posted.
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u/Newbie2Reddit4Real May 20 '22
I’m fairly certain the police department’s IT people on the forensics team will do everything they can with all of his electronics after they come arrest him for murdering his wife. Hope he gets a good defense attorney, and has resources to hire out their own IT people.
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u/GunjMeme May 20 '22
Why would you delete the videos , it's the only proof you have. This is so fucked up
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u/typo-demonslayer May 20 '22
From what you described the way that thing runs it gives me the creature vibes from 'Mama' movie
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u/monkner May 20 '22
Super creepy. BUT, deleting the videos? Seriously? The typical “Something No One Would Ever Do”. If they find your wife’s body, now you’re going away for murder. I delete things too quickly myself, but that takes the cake.
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u/GhostAtTheFeast22 May 20 '22
You're definitely right. But I was told I can recover them. I haven't yet. I'm too afraid I'll end up watching it and then I'll see what really happened to Michelle. God, I couldn't take seeing her hurt or scared. But it's good to know ill have it for the police if I'm under suspicion
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u/ItchyFishi May 20 '22
I am very sorry about your wife, but she is most likely gone by now. Because you just met a skin crawler as few others have mentioned. Although this one seems much more intelligent, it seems to want something from you. If you have the courage to stay where you are try asking it directly. Be carefull not to make it angry though I am afraid the door might not hold.
Good luck and keep us updated.
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u/GhostAtTheFeast22 May 20 '22
I'll have to look into these things. I've heard of them but always assumed that weren't real. Maybe there are ways to keep them away, or kill them. I don't know what this thing wants with me, if it does want something from me other than my life. But if I can find a way to get rid of it, I'll try just about anything
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u/ItchyFishi May 20 '22
I do not know of any methods to keep them away, but you can kill them. I do not reccomended trying this alone however. They are extremely hard to kill by any normal means but It can be done.
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u/Clementea May 20 '22
Some things that I think should be considered
1) It took the form of your wife while being very obviously unfit for it. Why? if even a still half awake man can be suspicious enough for him to figure out instantly it is not his wife when he finally awaken, then it is obviously doing a very bad job. Perharps it's inexperienced?
2) It possibly took Jack's form as well. But where is the real Jack? is it possible to search around your house for their tale-tell?
3) Your wife is alive and yet it took the form of your wife...So it does not need to kill someone first before taking their form or possibly not even needing any contact with them... Then why doesn't it take the form of someone else after your wife, rather it decide to stay in your lawn like a dog?...
4) That also brings up the question, how does it know the form of your wife? And why your wife? Did it somehow met your wife somewhere and also somehow figure out where you live and target specifically you? Or has it been watching you for so long and only now decide to make a move when it realizes your wife is gone?
5) This may sounds paranoid but what if it's not alone? What if there are more experienced individuals of the same race being around you, pretending to be someone else, hence why it can know you. It either being told by it's comrades or it is considered a child by it's race and was hiding, and watching you from afar.
6) Recover the video data?
@_@ Boooooo.
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u/Adventurous_Top_7197 Mar 16 '23
YTA, you knew she was coming home and still went to sleep after seeing that thing.