Bingo

An internet horror story coming to life? Isn’t that what Slenderman is? Did he not start life as some spooky Italian-food internet meme and now he’s in his own movie?

Maybe I could do something similar and get a film franchise. Move to Hollywood and rub shoulders with the stars. I’d have to give credit to TheDreamer of course.

Wouldn’t be a slender man though, not with my waistline. More like Fatman. Dinner dinner dinner dinner, dinner dinner dinner dinner: FAT MAN!

Ha!

What?

Thought I heard something. Must be imagining things.

Think I’m going cuckoo staring at this monitor screen, trying to think of something scary to write.

That’s always worth pursuing though, writing about the decline of one’s sanity. Describing, from the viewpoint of the afflicted, the progression from level-headed normality to stark-raving, chips-up-the nose, underpants-on-head madness.

It’s probably been done before though. And better.

Yes, it has.

Okay, that time I’m sure I heard something. Who’s that? Who’s there?

No answer, huh? But I’m not going mad.

At least… I don’t think I am. I wonder if I would know.

No, I’m not mad. Maybe I’m just tired. It has been a cray-busy week at work, what with meddling bosses and moaning customers. That’s what I should write about, the horrors of working in a call centre. No – too scary. Plus, I want to get away from that place, not include it in my hobby.

So what internet story can I create and then make come alive?

Me.

Look, it’s not funny anymore. If you want to talk to me, then just come out and talk. If not, just shut up and go away.

Hmm?

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Perhaps I should take an existing internet horror story and work on that? Would that be plagiarism? I don’t know, but it’s not like I worry about copyright – I’ve just posted a story with a boat load of song lyrics and didn’t ask permission. I wonder if it will get removed because of that. Time will tell.

But I’m procrastinating.

You’re good at that.

I’m getting proper cheesed off now. Who are you and what do you want?

It’s not a matter of what I want. As for who I am, I am what you want.

Do you have to talk in riddles? I’m having a hard-enough time convincing myself I’m not crazy without trying to decipher your lunatic ravings. Are you gonna speak clearly?

What do you want?

You mean apart from world peace and money and love?

World peace? Ha! You only thought that in case anyone reads this. Don’t want them thinking you’re completely self-centred, do you.

But I will ask again: what do you want right now?

I want you to get out of my head.

No.

There is something specific you are looking for. You’ve mentioned it at least two times in the past few minutes.

An internet horror story?

Bingo.

But you’re not one. You’re just the runaway imagination of deluded Brit who’s desperately trying to avoid real like for a while by escaping in fiction of his own making.

And who creates internet horror stories?

Not me. I just write silly little things for fun. I’ve never created anything that be classed as an internet horror story.

Until now.

I…

What…

You searched for me, and so I came. You wished for me, and so I live.

But you’re not coming to life. You’re still just a story.

Am I?