I don’t know if anyone else remembers this, but I used to watch Mr. Meaty all the time when I was a kid.

And yeah, I know. “Watch” is generous.

That show wasn’t something you watched, it was something you endured.

Everything about it felt off. The puppets always looked slightly wet, like someone had just rinsed them off and forgot to dry them. The meat didn’t look fake enough to be props, but also didn’t look real enough to be food. Just… somewhere in the middle.

I remember one episode where they accidentally deep-fried themselves and then just kept eating. Parker pulls out a fried finger and goes, “Dude, I’m delicious,” and Josh doesn’t even question it, just dips it in sauce like it’s a normal Tuesday.

Another one where they found a body in the freezer and spent the whole episode arguing about whether it counted as “inventory.”

And I’m pretty sure there was a bit where the grill started talking, but that might’ve just been a fever dream or food poisoning.

Point is, the show was already unhinged.

But then it just disappeared.

No reruns. No clips. Nothing. It’s like Nickelodeon collectively decided, “Yeah… maybe we shouldn’t have done that,” and buried it.

Every once in a while I’d try to find episodes online, but it was always dead links or sketchy sites that looked like they’d mine crypto off my computer if I stayed too long.

Until a couple nights ago.

I was digging through some old forum, like early 2000s era, broken layout, half the images missing, usernames like “xXMeatKingXx” and I found a thread with zero replies.

Just a link.

No title. No description.

So obviously I clicked it, because I make great life decisions.

It downloaded as some random .mp4 file with a name that looked like someone dropped their keyboard down the stairs.

I almost didn’t open it.

But I did.

And yeah, it was an episode of Mr. Meaty.

Same intro, same loud nonsense. Josh yelling about something stupid, Parker laughing like he’s actively drowning. The camera zooming way too close to everything like it always did.

There’s even a bit early on where Josh drops a burger and just… picks it up and serves it anyway, and the laugh track goes absolutely nuts like it’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened.

So I’m sitting there like, okay, this is exactly as dumb as I remember.

Then it gets to that scene.

They’re in the kitchen messing with the fryer, same episode I vaguely remembered.

Parker’s joking about making something “extra crispy,” Josh dares him to stick his hand in,

And Parker just stops.

Mid laugh.

Mid sentence.

He slowly turns toward the camera.

The audio cuts out completely.

No fryer noise. No music. No laugh track.

Just silence.

And he stares.

Right at the camera.

Right at me.

I’m just sitting there like, “Wha—why is he staring at me?”

It goes on way too long. Like, long enough that I started wondering if the video froze.

Then I see it.

Bottom right corner.

||

Pause.

I just kind of sat there for a second and went, “Oh. I paused it. I’m an idiot.”

Hit play.

Everything goes right back to normal.

Laugh track kicks in, Josh starts yelling again, Parker finishes the joke like nothing happened. He sticks his hand in the fryer, pulls it out, screaming, all that.

So yeah, I laughed at myself a little and kept watching.

But the episode didn’t stay normal.

At first it was small stuff.

The timing felt off. Like the jokes were landing a second too late. The laugh track would start before the joke finished, or just… not stop when it should.

There’s a part where Josh says something and the laugh track just keeps going for like 15 seconds straight while both of them stand there doing nothing.

Then it just cuts off mid laugh like someone got bored.

Then the fryer comes back into focus.

And it’s bubbling.

A lot.

Like… aggressively.

There’s this one quick shot where something drops into it, and it twitches before it sinks.

No one reacts.

Parker does the bit where he burns his hand again.

Except this time he just leaves it in there.

Smiling.

Not screaming. Not reacting. Just standing there with his hand in boiling oil like he forgot what pain is.

Josh goes, “Dude, you’re gonna cook yourself again,” like this is a recurring issue.

Parker slowly pulls his hand out.

Fully fried.

Golden brown.

And yeah, same as I remembered, he takes a bite.

But now there’s no joke after it.

No punchline.

Just chewing.

Loud chewing.

Like really loud.

Way louder than anything else in the episode.

Josh just watches him for a second, then casually snaps off one of Parker’s fingers.

No buildup.

No reaction.

Just crack.

Dips it in sauce.

Eats it.

At one point, Josh tries to ring up a customer that isn’t there.

Like he’s taking an order from empty space.

“Yeah, that’ll be $5.99.”

Pause.

“…No, we don’t have that.”

Longer pause.

“…Sir, please stop asking about the freezer.”

There’s no one there.

Parker’s just in the background, still chewing.

Then there’s a shot of the grill.

And I swear, I swear you can hear it breathing.

Not loud. Just barely there.

Like if I wasn’t wearing headphones I probably wouldn’t have noticed it.

There’s another part where the camera zooms in on a tray of meat, and for a split second it looks like one of the pieces blinks.

I actually rewound that part.

It doesn’t do it the second time.

So either I imagined it or the video just decided to gaslight me.

Toward the end, everything just kind of… slows down.

The characters start missing lines.

There are long stretches where nothing happens and the laugh track just awkwardly fills the silence.

Like the episode is trying to remember what it’s supposed to be.

Then Parker looks at the camera again.

Not suddenly this time.

Slow.

On purpose.

And he smiles.

Not the usual dumb grin.

Just… smaller.

Like he knows something.

The screen cuts to black right after that.

No credits. No music. Nothing.

Just ends.

I tried to replay it, file wouldn’t open.

Like it just gave up.

Went back to the forum, and the thread’s gone.

Not deleted. Just… not there anymore.

Which is whatever. Old forums die all the time.

I’m not saying this is anything weird.

It’s probably just some corrupted file or a bad reupload or something.

That show was already gross enough without needing help.

I just figured I’d ask in case anyone else remembers that episode.

Specifically the fryer one.

Or the one where the grill might’ve been breathing.

Or the customer that wasn’t there.

Or literally anything from this show, honestly, because the more I think about it, the less sure I am that any of it was normal.

Anyway, if anyone has a link to other episodes, let me know.

I kinda want to watch more of it.

Not sure why.

EDIT: I found another episode

Alright so I wasn’t going to update this, but a couple people asked for it and I ended up going back down the rabbit hole last night.

I found another one.

Different site this time. Not the forum from before, that’s still gone, but one of those video hosting sites that looks like it hasn’t been moderated since 2007. The kind where the play button barely works and there’s like five fake download buttons.

Took me a minute to even get it to play.

But yeah.

Another episode of Mr. Meaty.

This one starts completely normal.

Like honestly, probably the most “normal” episode I’ve seen so far.

Josh is complaining about work, Parker’s being annoying, they’re arguing about something stupid like whether or not expired sauce packets are “still legally sauce.”

There’s even a bit where Josh tries to microwave something still in the wrapper and the whole thing pops and the laugh track loses its mind.

So I’m thinking, okay, maybe the last one was just a weird file.

Then they go to the freezer.

And I immediately recognized it.

It’s that episode.

The one where they find the owner.

Except… not exactly.

Josh opens the freezer and just kind of pauses.

Not in a weird way. Just like he forgot his line.

Then he goes, “Uh… dude?”

Parker walks over, looks inside.

And they both just stand there.

No music.

No laugh track.

Just staring.

Then it cuts to inside the freezer.

And yeah.

There’s a body.

Except it’s not played off like a joke this time.

He’s completely frozen solid, sitting upright like he was just… left there.

Frost all over him.

Skin looks gray. Not cartoon gray. Like actual freezer-burn gray.

There’s ice built up around his mouth and eyes.

And it doesn’t cut away right away.

The camera just kind of… lingers.

Long enough that it stops feeling like a gag.

Then it cuts back to Josh and Parker.

They look at each other.

There’s like a full 3 seconds of silence.

And then Josh goes,

“…we could save a lot of money.”

Parker just nods.

That’s it.

That’s the joke.

The laugh track comes in way too late and way too loud, like it’s trying to make up for missing the timing.

And then the episode just… continues.

Like nothing is wrong.

There’s a montage of them “prepping food.”

Except it’s clearly the guy.

They never say it out loud, but it’s not subtle.

There’s a shot where Parker is sawing something off camera and humming to himself, and the humming is louder than anything else.

Josh is ringing up customers like normal.

At one point he goes,

“Yeah, our meat’s a lot more… fresh today.”

Pause.

“…well, not fresh. You know what I mean.”

There’s a quick cut back to the freezer.

The body is still there.

Still intact.

Like they haven’t actually taken anything from it.

But then it cuts back to the kitchen and they’re still “using” it.

So I don’t know what that means.

There’s also this part where Parker opens the freezer again and just kind of waves.

Like he’s saying hi.

The body doesn’t move.

Obviously.

But the camera lingers just long enough that I started expecting it to.

It doesn’t.

At least I don’t think it does.

There’s a really dumb bit in the middle where Josh drops something and says, “Man, we are never gonna financially recover from this,” which feels like a joke from like ten years after this show existed, but whatever.

Then it cuts to a customer at the counter.

You never see them.

Just the counter.

Josh is talking to them like normal.

“Would you like that grilled or fried?”

Pause.

“…we can’t do it raw.”

Long pause.

“…no, we definitely can’t do it like that.”

And then, really quietly, he goes,

“…sir, that’s not on the menu.”

No laugh track.

Just silence.

Then it cuts away like nothing happened.

Toward the end, Parker goes back to the freezer one more time.

Opens it.

The body is still sitting there.

Exactly the same.

Frost hasn’t moved. Nothing’s changed.

Parker just stands there for a second.

Then he reaches out like he’s about to touch it

And the screen cuts to black.

No ending.

No credits.

Same as the other one.

I tried replaying it.

Same thing.

File won’t open now.

At this point I’m assuming these are just corrupted or something. Old files, bad uploads, whatever.

But I will say this

This one felt way dumber than the fryer one.

Like on paper, it’s just a really stupid premise.

“Hey let’s use the frozen guy as meat.”

That’s exactly the kind of joke this show would make.

But the way it was done just felt… slower.

Like everything was taking too long.

Like the episode didn’t know when to cut.

Anyway.

I don’t know if I’m just finding really bad copies of these or what, but if anyone else has seen this one, let me know.

Or if you have actual working episodes, I’d honestly rather watch those at this point.

These ones kinda suck. I'll update if I find anymore.

(Side note: This was one of the very first stories I ever wrote around 10 or 11 years ago)

It's too dark to see anything. You spend minutes looking for some sort of light but to your dismay there is nothing. You stumble through the dark room to try and find a way out. When you brush against a wall you are surprised and feel around. You smile as you find what feels like a door. But then you think, should I enter this room? You open the door and walk into a narrow hallway lit with dim candle light. You begin to shake with fear as you slowly walk down the hall. Hello? You manage to squeak but no answer, all you see is a shadow run past the end of the hall. It's just my imagination you thought. You go left down the hall and stop.

 As you stare at a large figure standing in front of the door looking back at you. “I am the thing under your bed," he says in a deep raspy voice. The figure begins to walk toward you but disappears. After the figure vanishes you feel a slight chill run down your spine. You then run to the door and push it open, again it's pitch black. You, being a quick thinker, grab a candle from the hall and proceed into the room. As you do, you hear a faint sobbing. You shine the light around to find a set of stairs. As you walk down, the sobs get louder. Suddenly, a door just four flights above you opens. All you hear is a low groaning sound and heavy footsteps you try not to scream as you drop the candle.

“This is it, this is how I die,” you think. That's when you change your mind, you run down the stairs dragging your hand along the wall. You come to another door. You think to yourself “come on, you can do this.” You push the door open to find another long hallway, only this one is lit with one little lamp. The sobbing is as loud as it could be. That's when you see it, a kid about ten years old is crying at the end of the hall. “Mom: Is that you?” He asked. “I didn’t mean to do it.” You jump a little but reply “no, I'm Jack.” The boy stands up still staring at the floor and says “I didn’t mean to hurt her.”

The boy looks up at you, he has blood running from his eyes. You run into the first room you find unlocked. “Someone help!” You scream.  But it's too late. The child is hitting the door, little chips and pieces are flying. You look around until your eyes adjust to the light. You see something on the wall. “Oh my god” is all you can say. In big letters written in blood "this is your fate, there's no way out, Jack." you look around and see a man walk out of the closet. He was wearing a black sweatshirt with the hood covering his face.

As the man pulls a knife from his pocket the kid bust the door down. What do you do, what can you do? You look around and find a bottle on the ground. You grab it quickly only to smash it over the kids head, you then turn and smash the rest over the man's head. Now what? You have only pissed them off, where do you go now? You jump out the window landing in some bushes. You stand up only to be surrounded by everyone you met tonight. The thing under your bed walks over and says don't wake up, you can stay here with us forever.

 You scream as you wake up in your bed. It was all just a dream you thought but little do you know he's still under there, under your bed waiting for you. you'll never forget what you saw that night, in fact every time you go to sleep you see the same thing over and over. You fall asleep the next night and you're back in the hotel in the same place you started.

You find yourself standing in a dark hallway. You slowly start wandering around and come to a door, you try to open it but it's locked. You say to yourself you need to find the key or some way to unlock it. Before you start looking around you hear a door open behind you and see a small boy standing at the entrance. It's not until you get a good look you realize it's the same boy from last time. You start running but it's no good, he stays behind you every turn every twist and every hallway you take he stays with you. It's not until you run through to the stairwell that he stops, that's when you realize you're not alone, you take your time walking downstairs.

 That's when you pull a lighter from your pocket and light it to see your way around. When you light the lighter you scream and nearly have a heart attack when you see what's in front of you, it seems to be a large shadow figure with no facial features of any kind. You drop the lighter and run as fast as you can up the stairs. You continue running until you come to a door that says 31st floor, you open it and start slowly walking down the hallway looking for any door that's open. 

You continue checking, going from one door to the next, then the next door, finally the last door you come to is open. You walk in and it's pitch black you can't see a thing, you wonder what you're going to find next standing in this dark room. Suddenly the door closes behind you and locks. That's when you realize you're not alone, you search all over the walls for a light switch and finally find one. 

You start thinking to yourself, “what am I going to do, I don't know what else to do I'm stuck, I'm trapped.” That's when you remember it's nothing but a dream you can do anything you want, but then you start thinking to yourself “is this really a dream? Is this in my mind,” No its not. This is real and happens over and over again and the only way to stop it is to stay awake. What's this? 

You can't seem to wake yourself. This is horrible, I'm going to die here. You think as you keep moving forward. You slowly turn the knob of a door and watch as it opens, you walk through only to be in the middle of a pitch black forest. You walk to an open path surrounded with trees. "Let the game begin." a voice came from the darkness. As you walk through the woods you hear whispers. "Don't get caught." "Run!" "Enjoy the game." You continue down the path when you come to a split. Down the left you see an old bridge, on the right is a path that leads deeper into the darkness. "Better choose quick, Jack!" a voice says from behind.

You turn to see a tall dark shadow making its way towards you, you run down the left path. You make it to the other side safely, the creature vanishes. You continue down the path in front of you. What is this, why am I here? You have to figure it out quickly. "You only have so long to escape Jack." A voice comes from the trees. You stop where you're at and take a seat. You need a minute to gather your thoughts, you stand up and continue moving down the path in front of you. 

You come to another door, it opens slowly. You walk through and find yourself back at the split. "You better choose quick Jack." The voice comes again. This time you just take off down the right path, no looking back and no stopping. You run until you can't run anymore, you turn to see what's behind you. The creature from before is standing just feet away. "You shouldn't stop Jack, you wouldn't want me to catch you." It says. The creature reaches its hand out and touches your arm, it feels like a needle poking your skin. You run, continuing down the path in front of you. 

You come to a dead end, you turn to see what's behind you, you see nothing. When you turn back you see a note. "Jack, I don't know where you'll find this or if you can even hear me, you can't give up, not yet. -Mikey" You fold the note and try to find a way out. A door appears, you open it and walk through. You find yourself back at home in your bed. "Must have been a bad dream." You say to yourself. You step out of bed and walk into the living room. You find another note on the table. It reads "Jack, we'll be home later tonight. Michael will be home shortly with dinner." 

You turn the page over "We're sorry we didn't come home." You fold the note. You slowly stumble through the house, everything begins to blur, you feel sick. There it is, just up ahead, the next door. You walk through and find yourself in a room, there's no doors or Windows, just one mirror. As you approach the mirror you can see, yourself. You're laying in a hospital bed, tubes are running from your nose and mouth. You watch in horror as death creeps to your side, he looks directly at you as he points his boney skeletal like finger at you. A door appears to your left. "I can't do this!" You shout. "You have to keep going.. Please.."

 A voice says. You open the door and walk through, you see a bright light. The light dims, you see a man standing in the distance. "Mikey, is that you?" The man turns and walks away. "Mikey, please, help me! Please.. don't go.." You beg. "No one can stand you, they don't want you around anymore, just give up." The dark voice says. "You're wrong! I'm going to get out of here!" You shout. The white dim lit room begins to melt into a dark cave, filled with screams. You slowly walk through the cave. 

You feel empty. You feel as if you need something to keep going. You find another door, strangely it's not a dead end. This door is different, there is nothing special, it's dark and warn. You open the door, you hear a voice say "Coooommmmeee iiiiinnnn." You walk into the room, inside lies a body against the wall and a needle to their side. 

You take a closer look, it's you. "What.. have I done?.." You back out slowly and close the door. You turn around, you're no longer in a cave. It's your friends house, only, the place is quiet. There's no music, no talking, nothing. "Hello?" You call out, there's no answer. You walk into the kitchen. "Charlie?" You call again. 

You look to your left, on the wall is another note. "Why did you do this? I told you it was a bad idea, you wouldn't listen to me, you wouldn't listen to anyone." It was signed Michael. When you turn back you notice people are now passed out on the floor. The House begins to fill with smoke. "What the hell?" You say looking for the source, before you know it the room is full of smoke. As it begins to clear, you can see the silhouettes of your friends. "Join us Jack." "You know you want to." The people say. The smoke clears, you see Charlie and the others standing in front of you. "Welcome back Jack, didn't you miss us?" Charlie asks. "No, NO. I don't need you anymore, LEAVE ME ALONE!" You yell. You run out of the house and into the woods. You feel weak, light headed, you're getting dizzy as your vision fades. You awaken what seems like hours later, you examine your surroundings. 

You are now on railroad tracks, the tracks are long and narrow. It's dark out, the tracks begin to shake as the rumble of a train is heard. You can see the light, it's getting closer as the blowing whistle gets louder, you see the long black train drawing near. You try to move but you can't, you're stuck, watching as it comes up on you. You close your eyes as the train hits, when you open them you find yourself on the train. "Hello?" You call, but no one answers. 

The train continues to roll down the tracks, you hear something coming from the car behind you. Shaken and depressed you make your way to the front of the train, there is a man looking out the window at the dark empty space. "Sit behind me son." The man says. You do as he says. "Don't look at me." He says as you sit down. You look away. "This long black train, it has been taking the souls of the wicked for as long as time would allow. I see you found your ticket." The man continues to speak. "I don't know why or how I got here. Please tell me, where am I?" You ask. 

The man turns to you, his eyes are black as coal. "This is the midnight train to the deepest, darkest part of your mind and nothing you do can stop it." He says his voice has become deeper and more scratchy. "Run Jack, run fast!" He shouts as he jumps up. You jump out of your seat as he crawls over his, you run as fast as you can, back to the car you were in before. You close the door and hold it tight so as to not let the thing in. You turn around to see a large figure, he has no face. "You?" You ask as you recall seeing him that night in the hotel. "I have something for you Jack." The thing says. 

The thing holds out his hand and slowly his fingers turn to a bright white powder and falls to the floor in front of you. "No, I don't need you!" You shout. The thing disappears. The train jerks, you stumble and hear the screeching of metal as the train comes to a stop. "All passengers can now exit the train (Don't leave) we have stopped at our destination  (Hell) Hotel railways. Thanks for choosing  (Don't come back!) Our railways." A voice came over the intercom. You exit the train cautiously, examining your surroundings carefully. You walk up to the railway station entrance and open the door. You find yourself in another plain white room. "Where am I?" You ask. Another window appears, you look through and see Mikey. He's sitting in a dim lit room, leaning against the wall with a nine millimeter pistol. "Mikey! I'm here, help me!" You shout. Mikey puts the pistol to his head, the window disappears. A door appears in front of you. You enter the door.

You wake up in your bed. You jump out of bed and run into the living room, Mikey is sitting on the couch. "Where have you been?" He asks. "I uh, I was in my room." You say. Mikey turns off the television. "I know, you slept all day." Mikey says laughing. You go to open the front door, you walk through the door and find yourself back in your home. Something was off, the lights were broken, it looks abandoned, there is blood covering the walls. "Mikey?" You call. "Yeeeessss." You here from down the hall. The voice was disturbed. "Are you here?" You call again and again get the same reply. "Yeeeessss." You make your way towards the voice. You stop as you enter the hallway, there is a door at the very end. You can hear something inside. "Open the door or run?" You ask yourself. You make your way closer to the door, there is a loud scratching sound coming from the other side. "Mikey." You call and again you hear. "Yeeessss." 

You open the door slowly and enter the room. There in the corner, facing the wall was Mikey. "Mikey, are you-" before you could finish the sentence he turns to you. His eyes are black as coal, his face was emotionless, his black eyes are soulless. He was covered in blood, and smelt awful, almost like rotting flesh that had been lying in the sun for months. Before you could leave Mikey holds out his open hand, inside was a syringe and needle. He drops the needle in front of you before falling over dead, he then turns to dust and blows away in the wind. You turn back to the door that is now closed, instead of a worn door you see notes covering it. "Please come back." "Don't die on me." "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." "Jack, please wake up." "You're all I have left little brother." You feel tears run down your cheek. 

A bright light flashes, when your vision returns, you find yourself in the back seat of a car. It's storming hard, lightening and thunder are hitting harder. You look in the front seat to see your mother and father. Your father was driving like a mad man trying to get home, your mother was in the passenger seat completely terrified. "I hope the boys are alright." Your mother says. "They'll be fine." Your father tells her. "But They won't be." You hear. You look to the left of you, there sat the man from the train. "Who are you?" You ask, but he just sits and smiles. 

Just then you see the lights of a semi top the hill, your father slams on the breaks as the lights become brighter. The lights dim and you now find yourself in a cave. "Here again?" You ask yourself. You begin to feel warm and you can see a fire beginning to rise. You begin to feel weak, your head is spinning, your vision dims. You wake up on the couch in your home. You find a note on the table next to the couch. "Not this, I'm still asleep." You say as you pick up the paper. "Hey little bro, went out to get lunch, be back soon -Mikey." You turn the page over, it was blank. You feel relieved knowing you're no longer in that nightmare, it was only one night but felt like months. You stand up. "How do I know this over?" You think. You wander around your home, going from one door to the next. You walk back to the living room, everything was still the same. 

You take a seat on the couch and turn on the television, nothing strange, it was a normal show. You turn the television off and decide to take a walk to clear your head. You make your way downtown, finally appreciating all the things you missed in life. You feel a chill as the sun sets over the city. "Just my imagination." You say as you start back towards home. The city becomes dark, the street lights make a trail for you to follow. After a while you notice the buildings look the same, like you've been walking in a circle. 

You can hear footsteps coming up from behind, you turn to see the man from the car. "What do you want from me?" You ask. "You made a mistake and now you're trapped here with me." He says with that dark smile. One by one the street lights begin to blow. "You have somehow survived this far but you won't make it any further." He says. Everything you have seen appears in front of you, the demons, shadows and disfigured family. "You can run if you please, but you won't make it out of this underworld." He continued. You turn to run, but fall into a deep hole. It's too dark to see anything. You spend minutes looking for some sort of light but to your sadness there is nothing. You then stumble through the dark room to try and find a way out. 

When you come to a wall you become surprised and feel around. You smile as you find what feels like a door. But then you think, should I enter this room? You open the door and walk into a narrow hallway lit with dim candle light. "I'm never going to make it out, I don't even know where I'm trying to get out of." You say. You hear a voice come from the shadows. "If you want to get out, you must first pass my test." The man from earlier walks from the shadows. "My name is Azazel. If you survive, I will let you leave but, if you don't, you'll be stuck here with me forever." You look to the left of you where you see another note. "Don't give up, not yet. You're almost out." You won't let it end like this, you've come too far to stop now. "What's your test?" You ask. 

The man's eyes turn black and soulless, his smile is wide. "You must make it through my world and get past my demons." He says. Azazel vanishes but you still hear his last word. "RUN." A door to your right opens, you enter the door and find yourself in a plain white corridor with dim lights that are hanging from the ceiling. You can hear Azazel's voice again. "Welcome to the maze." He says. "You have exactly 3 hours to make it out before you're trapped, you better run quickly, you aren't alone here." 

You begin walking down the dim lit corridor, you take a left then a right, you keep going straight down the corridor. You come to a dead end with two choices, you can go left or right. To the right you can hear something, like nails on a chalkboard. It's getting louder and louder. You quickly run to the left and then another left, you continue down the corridor and run to the right, you lean up against the wall as you try to catch your breath. "2 hours remaining." You hear. "You won't keep me here!" You shout.

 Again you can hear the loud, high pitched, scratching. You turn to see what looks like a man walking towards you, as he comes closer you can see his razor blade-like claws coming from his hands, he wasn't human, his body is pale white, he had no eyes but his smile was one you can't forget. It was wide with razor sharp teeth. "I told you, you weren't alone." Azazel's voice came. 

The creature lets out a shriek of pure evil as he begins running towards you, dragging his claws down the dull metal wall. You turn to run trying to get traction on the slick floor. You take every turn you come to, left, right, straight, right, straight, right, left and down the corridor. The thing stays behind you every twist and turn. There just a few feet in front of you was the exit, the thing is getting closer and closer. Just as you feel the slice of his claws run down your back, you run through the door and enter into what looks like an old asylum. "Welcome to the asylum, Jack." Azazel says. "Where you will be kept after what you've done." 

Jack begins wandering the halls of the abandoned asylum, checking each room and down every hallway. "What's the point of this?" You ask. Suddenly the asylum is brightly lit, nurses are walking the halls, you can hear the laughter and screaming from the different rooms. "Excuse me miss, can you help me get out of here?" You ask one of the nurses. Two men grab you from behind. "I'm so glad you showed up, I wasn't sure what would have happened." She says as the two men drag you away. You're locked in a cell, the walls are plain white and padded. There are no windows and only one door that is padded with a small slot at the bottom. A few hours have passed and a doctor enters your room. "Come with me." He says. You follow the doctor into the backside of the hospital. He leads you to a room, this room was old and dirty, dust and what looked to be blood covered everything, there is a single light and a single chair inside this room. 

You turn to the doctor but he isn't there, you exit the room to find the place completely empty, it's exactly the way it was when you arrived. You feel chills run down your spine, and can see a shadow out of the corner of your eye. You turn to see who it is but it disappears. Azazel's voice can be heard. "What is your biggest fear Jack?" He asks. "I'll never tell." You say. A light chuckle is heard. "It wouldn't happen to be losing the ones you love? Or even the face of death, could it possibly be Hell and the face of the Devil himself? I know you, Jack, everything about you." He says.

You wake up in a hospital bed, Mikey is sitting just feet away from you. A doctor enters the room, you feel chills down your spine. Something was wrong. You look at the doctor, his eyes are sunk into his head, they are completely black aside from two white dots in the center, his jaw hangs open. You take another look at Mikey, he's dead, blood runs from his eyes and skull was bashed in. Written on the wall in his blood "You thought it was over?" The man in the black hoodie enters the room. "You, you've lost everything and you know it. I was sent to end your miserable life." The man says. The man pulls a knife from his pocket and begins carving on you. 

You look down to see your blood, organs and skin falling to the floor. You fall to the floor feeling weak as your blood drains from your body. You awaken to the sound of carnival music. You look around, you're on the floor. The ring master appears from a cloud of smoke. "Good evening!" He shouts. "We have a special performance for you all tonight!" Just then Two clowns run out on stage and grab you. "Jack, are you ready?" The ringmaster asks. "For what?" You ask. The clowns strap you to a large wooden plank, the clowns soon turn disfigured, it's like the paint was no longer paint, their teeth become sharp. You squirm to break free but it's no use, the two clowns pick up rusty hacksaws and place the blade on either of your ankles. "Mr. Azazel, you were our lucky winner. You really caught our attention with your idea." The ringmaster says. "You should have listened, Jack." Clown 1 says. "You shouldn't have done those awful things." The second clown says. 

The clowns begin sawing at your ankles, the sound of the blades going through flesh and the cracking bones is a sound no one could ever forget. You scream and squirm for a few minutes until you lose all feeling in your body. "You've been running for such a long time, why not relax? We'll get your shoes for you." The first clown says, his smile widening as the two clowns pull your feet from your body. You begin to feel tired, you lay back to accept your fate, you turn your head to see Mikey. He is walking towards you dragging an ax behind him. "I, I trusted you." You say as you feel your vision fading, just before it all goes black you see Mikey raise the ax above his head. 

You awaken back inside the maze. You slide down the wall feeling tears form in your eyes. "Why, why is this happening to me?" You ask yourself. You stand up and stumble down the dark corridor, feeling empty, like there's nothing left. You come across another note. "Jack, I don't know if you know who this is or if you've even heard a word I said but, come back. I've lost too much. I can't lose you too, it's been a month and still no closer to recovery. Don't give up, I love you little brother. - Mikey" you fold the note and put it into your pocket. 

You begin walking down the narrow, dark corridor. You come to a slightly larger room where you are met by 3 doors. You enter the first door, it is empty, all but some drawings on the wall. You enter the next door to find a room full of photos, you examine them closer. It's you, your parents and brother, every moment you had together was posted to this wall. You start remembering something, you begin to have a flashback. You're in your old school, wandering the full halls, students are talking and laughing. A bigger kid stands in your path. "Where are you going shorty?" He asked. "I'm just trying to get to class." You say. He pushes you into the lockers. "Why don't you leave him alone?" Someone says from the crowd. Mikey steps in from the crowd, he pulls you up from the floor. "Don't let them get to you little bro, I'll always have your back." He says. 

You're back in the room, you exit the room and go to open the 3rd and final door. You enter the room and find yourself in your old highschool, you look around the abandoned halls and at the old rusted lockers that were once a bright blue. The walls were no longer white but a dull gray color. The windows had been busted, some covered with boards others left alone. You wander the halls looking into the open lockers, they are empty. You stop dead in your tracks as you see the large boy from many years ago, he is standing in front of you holding his hand out. Inside are two pills, a black one and a white one. You look at the boy's face, he looks dead, his face is cold and soulless. "The white will send you home for a short period of time, the black will keep you here." The kid says. 

You are hesitant to respond but you think how great it would be to go home, even if it is only for a short amount of time. "How long will the white pill last?" You ask. "Five minutes." The boy replies. You take the white pill. "That's all you'll want." The boy says as he lets a deep, disturbed chuckle out.

You find yourself suspended above a boiling pit of fire, deformed creatures frantically jumping up at you. You try to scream but nothing comes out. You look around your new found location to see death all around, there are people being burned in fiery pits and poked with spears, you see people slowly being stretched by their hands and feet as they are restricted to a large wooden table, some are even embedded onto beds of spikes.

The screams are so loud and terrifying, a group of large, goat, man, demons approach you. They are laughing at you, enjoying every moment of your pain and torment. The large demons begin to stab at you with large spear like objects. Azazel appears to you. "I guess you should have taken the black pill." He says. "Why am I here?!" You shout. "This is your new home Jack, when you can't escape from your own self conscious, this is where you will be for all eternity. Oh look, you have some visitors." He says. 

You look up to see your mother and father they are waving slowly with a sad and disappointed look on their faces. "Mom, dad." You say as you find yourself back in the school. "Now you see what your actions have caused." The kid says. You start thinking back, you have another flashback. You are sitting in the counselors office with Mikey and Mrs. Jackson the counselor. "Listen Jack, some of these choices you've made aren't good for you." She says. You snap out of it and find yourself in your bedroom. You look around, a cold sweat falls from your face. You hear a light scratching noise come from under your bed. Suddenly the thing from under your bed appears. "What, what do you want from me?" You ask. The large figure just stares down at you. "Why are you here?" You ask. The thing places his finger to your head. "You can stay with us forever." The thing says as you pass out. 

You awaken in your science class, you can't remember anything, how you got there, when or what happened the night before. Mr. Franklin, your teacher calls on you. "Jack, would you like to throw an opinion on this?" He asks. "Oh yeah, sure." You say looking at the white board. It is the theory of being able to enter your own mind. "Impossible, don't care how or why." You say trying to get this over with. The bell rings, you exit the class room. You meet with your friend Mark by his locker. "Hey man, do you remember seeing me all week?" You ask. "Yeah, you've been real sick so you haven't been at school much. Why?" He asks. "I don't remember much of anything. Today is a blur, and everything from this past week is a blur." You tell him. "You need to lay off the partying." He says. 

You walk down the hall to your next class. "Great, English." You say in a sarcastic tone. You enter the room, something feels wrong, but you take a seat and brush it off. "Just one hour left." You say to yourself. Mr. Simmons enters the room. "Good morning class, today we will be discussing something called the darkest of days." He says. You feel very uneasy. "This refers to being trapped in your own mind and experiencing Hell." He continues. It's at that moment you remember what had happened, you remember what you had seen. You stand from your seat and head for the door, you enter the hallway. You slowly stumble down the hallway, you turn to see Mr. Simmons. "Are you feeling alright Jack?" He asks. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine." You say. "I just needed some air." Mr. Simmons turns to enter the class but stops just at the door. "One last thing, Jack." He says as he keeps his head to the door. "You haven't left." He says as he turns his head, his eyes are red and his skin grows pale, his voice becomes scratchy and disturbed. "Now come back to class." He says. You run down the hall, you turn to see the other 15 students from your class, they to are pale grey with black eyes. 

You continue running down the halls of the now run down school, it's dark and filled with cobwebs, the lights are blown, blood covers the walls. You continue running until you finally reach the exit, but to your dismay, the door was locked tight. The demon like students are getting closer. "What am I going to do?" You ask yourself. This is it, you can't escape. You close your eyes, waiting for whatever is going to happen next. Minutes which seem like hours pass, you open your eyes to see that there is nothing there. 

You push the door open and enter into a dark forest, the trees are twisted, the wind blows hard, you hear the screams of the damned, and whispers of lost souls. "Jaaaaccckkk." "You're going to be stuck here." You hear them say. You look behind you, it's a dead end, you turn back to see a path leading deep into the forest. You look around as you walk through the path, you feel a slight chill as the wind blows through the trees. You can just make out a bright light on the other side of some bushes. "Don't go to the light." You hear. You continue moving forward. The light keeps getting farther and farther away as you keep moving forward. The light finally stops and you can see a clearing coming up in front of you. "Hello." You call. There was no answer, you push some bushes out of your way and enter the clearing. There is a circle of logs around a fire, the fire was surrounded by large rocks, you walk closer to the camp and see a man sitting on one of the logs. This man was staring at the ground, he was older and wearing a straw hat. "How did you find this place?" The man asked. "I, I don't know." You say with a stutter. "Can you help me get out of here?" You ask. 

The man just raises his arm and points to the east, you begin walking in that direction, the light dims more and more the further into the woods you go. There it was, a strange doorway in the middle of the woods. You push the door open, inside you see what looks like a funeral home. There's a casket sitting upon the stoop, there's one person looking down at it. Before you can enter the room it goes black and the door closes, you hear a voice, it says only four words. "It is not time." You decide to continue down the path. 

You hear footsteps from behind, you turn to see the man from the camp. "You may still have a chance to escape." He says. "What do you mean?" You ask. "Only you can change your fate." He replies as he points to the door. "Don't get caught." He says as the door opens. You look inside, it's the maze again, you can enter back or continue wandering the forest until you find another way. You turn from the door and begin walking deeper into the dark, twisted forest. "I warned you." The man says. The door closes and crumbles to dirt. "Run!" The man shouts as the ground shakes and a loud, lion-like roar can be heard from the darkness. 

You turn, the man has vanished. You turn back to the path, it has become darker and the screams have become more harsh and have become louder. You start to run as fast as you can, the ground continues to shake violently as you make your way down the path. You can hear trees falling in the distance, something was getting closer.

You look into the sky and see a figure with large black wings, you run faster going deeper into the forest. "You've already lost." You hear a voice say. Suddenly you're flung across the path into a tree, you look up from the cold, hard ground to see a terrifying sight. It was a large figure, he had the head of a bull, the torso of a man, the legs of a goat.

He was 10 feet tall, he was as wide as a bus, his hooves were the size of a truck tire, his skin was dark red and the fur was black and charred. He looks down at you, his voice was out of this world, it was deep, disturbed, dark and scratchy. "Why have you come here, to my woods? You have been trapped here for a reason, you had your chance to escape and you chose to stay." He says. The Demon grabs at you, you roll out of the way and stand up. "You're a quick one." The demon says. 

You begin running down the path, the demon begins chasing after, the ground shaking with every step. You trip and roll down a steep hill into some bushes, look around but the demon is nowhere to be seen. You hear a loud flapping sound, almost as if a bird was drawing near. It sounds much larger than any bird you've ever seen, you look into the sky and again you see those large black wings. "You can't escape me!" The creature shouts, the sound of its large wings echoes through the forest. 

The creature swoops down at you, he grabs you and flies high into the air. The creature's skin was dark gray, somewhat decayed, his eyes were red as embers, his teeth were sharp, his wings were black and charred, they had holes through them as if to be burnt. You kick and squirm but he won't let go, you look down to see the old man at his camp. You can barely make out the words he says. "I warned you." The creature continues soaring through the now black sky. After a few minutes you finally manage to break free from his hold, as you fall, you can hear the creature shout "You should have listened!" 

You land on something, it was softer than the ground but felt like leather. You look up to see the giant demon, you look down, he has you in his grasp. The demon wraps his hand around and begins walking through the forest, pushing trees out of his way. 

The demon enters a cave on the mountain side and locks you into a cage. You sit there against the cold hard floor. "I never should have walked away." You say. It's very dark inside the cave, you can't see much. Hours pass and the demon returns to the cave. "You had your chance to escape and you chose to stay here. I will grant you one last chance, I will release you from this cage and let you leave, but if you do not leave, the tall man will come for you." The demon says. "Who, who is the tall man?" You ask. "You will know when he is near." The demon replies. The rusty metal door opens and you exit, the demon's eyes follow you as you leave the cave. You look around, it's no longer the forest, you turn to see the cave is no longer there. You examine your surroundings, it was a small room that was lit only by one candle, there were no windows and only one door.

The room was empty except for a table and chair, you slowly walk to the table, you feel something take control of you like you couldn't control yourself. On the table was a Ouija board. You walk to the other side of the table, again you couldn't control yourself, you move the piece to the word yes on the board. "What the hell is going on?" You ask yourself. You hear a familiar voice "Jack, is that you?" You look up from the board to see Mikey on the other side of the table.

A door opens behind Mikey. A tall figure in a black hoodie steps through, the hood once again covering his face. Mikey doesn’t react, it’s like he doesn’t even see it. The figure reaches out toward you. Just before his fingers make contact, you wake up in a hospital room. IVs in your veins, tubes running from your throat.

Alex never intended to start a YouTube channel. It had been Tyler’s idea, a spur of the moment suggestion during one of their long group calls.

“Come on, Alex,” Tyler had said, his voice crackling through the mic. “We’re already playing every night. Why not record it? We could actually make something cool.”

It sounded like a joke at first. Alex was shy, not the kind of person to put himself out there. But the others had jumped on the idea, Mia brainstorming channel names, Chris suggesting they use their favorite Minecraft world as a centerpiece for their content. Within days, they were recording their first session, awkward but enthusiastic, building their pixelated home base while cracking jokes that only they found funny.

The channel was never about fame or views; it was about *them*. It was about late nights filled with laughter and debates over who stole whose diamonds. It was about the endless projects they dreamed up but never finished, like Chris’s massive castle that was still just a single tower, or Mia’s plan to recreate an entire village block by block.

For Alex, the channel became a lifeline. In a world that often felt too big, too disconnected, the gaming sessions grounded them, gave them a sense of belonging. The comments section of their videos slowly filled with viewers who appreciated the dynamic, who laughed at their jokes and even joined in on their inside humor.

But time is a cruel, quiet thing. What started as nightly sessions turned into weekly ones, and then sporadic meetups, as life pulled each of them in different directions. Tyler got busy with college, Chris moved to another city, and Mia started streaming solo content. The channel fell silent, its last upload a rushed goodbye video recorded in a moment of resignation.

Alex had tried to move on, but he always felt like something was missing. The channel, the world they’d built together. It had been more than a project. It had been a home.

For years the channel sat dormant, Alex had slowly pushed the memories to the back of his mind. That was until one night Alex found the old laptop, covered in dust, sitting in his closet on a shelf. He pulled the old computer down and brushed the dust away as he sat on his bed.

The quiet hum of Alex’s laptop filled the room as he sat alone, scrolling aimlessly through a forgotten folder named “Old Videos.” It was late, too late to still be awake. But sleep felt pointless tonight. Outside, the world was silent, blanketed in darkness. The only light came from the screen, casting a pale glow that made the shadows in the corners of the room seem a little deeper, a little darker.

Alex hadn’t thought about the gaming channel in years. It had been a project from a different life, one he’d started with friends, full of hope, endless late-night conversations, and laughter that always seemed to echo. He smiled faintly as he clicked through the clips—videos of them building, exploring, and fighting through a pixelated world that had felt as real as any place they’d ever known.

And then he saw it: a file named Minecraft World - Final Save. The last recording, from years back. His hand paused on the mouse, a chill settling in as he remembered that night, the unspoken promise to come back someday. But “someday” had slipped away, scattered by time and change, and they had all drifted apart. Some friends he hadn’t spoken to in years.

“Just one last look,” Alex murmured, feeling a bittersweet pull. The cursor hovered over the file, the temptation to revisit that familiar world growing too strong to resist.

He clicked.

The game loaded slowly, its familiar start-up screen pixelating into view. Alex watched, a strange feeling settling in his stomach—excitement mixed with a faint, inexplicable dread. And then, the screen shifted, the world loading in block by block, familiar landscapes materializing from the void. The pixelated plains, the old fort they’d built together, the river that had once been the center of their adventures.

As Alex moved his character forward, nostalgia surged, a warmth filling his chest. It was as if nothing had changed. The base still stood, cobblestone walls towering in their sturdy, blocky simplicity. The sight tugged at Alex’s heart—the memories, the laughter, the feeling of being part of something. All of it flooded back, sharp and clear.

But then something strange caught his eye. One of the buildings, the old storage hut, looked different. Darker, almost decayed, as if something had worn it down.

“Odd,” Alex muttered, moving closer. He could have sworn it had been in perfect shape the last time he’d saved the world.

As he reached the hut, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. The structure looked warped, with shadows stretched unnaturally across its walls. Inside, something glinted faintly. Alex moved his character forward and saw a chest in the center of the room, dusty and old, as if it had been abandoned for ages.

He clicked on it, and the lid creaked open in the game’s familiar sound effect, but there was something off about it, an echo that lingered too long. The chest held a single item: a piece of paper. The screen flashed as Alex’s character picked it up, and words appeared on the note:

"Do you remember us?"

Alex froze. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, heart racing. A thousand possibilities flickered through his mind. Maybe it was just a prank—a joke from one of his old friends, something they’d left behind for whoever reopened the world. But something felt wrong, a quiet unease settling over him like a cold blanket.

Shaking it off, he pressed on, leaving the hut and walking toward the main base, trying to ignore the eerie feeling creeping up his spine. But with every step, the landscape seemed a little… darker. Shadows fell where there shouldn’t have been any, and the colors of the world seemed muted, drained of their usual warmth. It was like walking through a memory that was slowly decaying, crumbling at the edges.

And then, as he approached the base, he heard something—a faint, distant laugh, like an echo from a place they couldn’t quite reach. It was familiar, but warped, drawn out like a voice that had been lost in time.

“Come on, Alex,” he whispered to himself. “It’s just a glitch. Nothing’s wrong.”

But even as he said it, his hands trembled on the keyboard, the feeling of unease deepening with every step. He reached the main base and found himself in front of a sign. It was one of the old ones he’d made with friends, marking the entrance to the place they’d called home in this digital world.

The sign was weathered, as if affected by years that hadn’t truly passed. It read: “Welcome to Home Base. Built by Alex, Tyler, Mia, and Chris.” Alex’s throat tightened, memories of late-night sessions spent building and exploring flooding back. But just beneath the names, someone had carved a line they didn’t remember:

“Where did you go?”

A chill ran down Alex’s spine as he stared at the words, the cursor hovering over the sign. He tried to shake off the feeling, reminding himself it was only a game, only a memory from years ago. But a thought gnawed at him, persistent and unsettling: Had he really left these memories behind? Or had something—some part of themselves—been waiting here all along?

Ignoring the creeping dread, he pressed on, guiding the character through the base. But every structure looked somehow… wrong. The walls were cracked, chunks of stone missing as if the place had been left to rot for decades. Dust particles floated through the air, and shadows crept along the floors in strange patterns, darker and more alive than they should have been.

He reached the old crafting room, a space they’d filled with anvils, enchantment tables, and brewing stands, all lined up in meticulous rows. The memories came flooding back—how they used to joke about opening a “shop” for all the potions and enchanted items they’d hoarded. But now, the room was silent and empty, a hollow shell of what it once had been.

And then, out of nowhere, Alex heard it again—that faint, distant laughter. This time, it was clearer, sharper, like the sound of someone laughing just down the hall.

“Tyler?” he whispered, his voice barely audible. But as soon as he said it, he shook his head, feeling ridiculous. Tyler hadn’t been in touch for years. None of them had.

Just as he was about to leave the room, a message flashed in the chat:

"We’re still here, Alex."

His blood ran cold. The screen was empty—no other players were online, no friends connected. Just him. Alex’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure what to type, unsure if he wanted to respond at all.

He typed, “Who are you?”

For a moment, nothing happened. The silence stretched on, thick and heavy, pressing down on him. And then, slowly, a reply appeared:

"You left us."

The words lingered on the screen, the letters unnaturally bold against the dark background. Alex’s breath hitched, heart pounding as he read and reread the words. He felt a gnawing sense of guilt, one he’d buried for years but that now clawed its way to the surface. He had left, hadn’t he? Left this world, left those friends, let the memories slip away like dust.

But that’s how life worked, didn’t it? People grew apart, time moved on. He told himself that again and again, trying to silence the unease building in his chest. And yet… it didn’t feel right. Something about this world felt alive, aware, as if it were reaching out from the past, demanding answers.

His character moved without him pressing any keys, inching toward a corner of the room. Alex’s fingers froze, watching helplessly as the avatar walked forward, stopping in front of a mirror—a custom mod they’d added back in the early days. The mirror reflected a blocky, pixelated version of himself, staring back with hollow, empty eyes.

Another message appeared in the chat:

"Do you even remember us?"

Alex’s hands trembled as he typed, “Of course I remember.”

But even as he typed the words, a knot of doubt twisted in his stomach. Did he? Did he really remember the laughter, the friendships, the countless hours spent together? Or were those memories already fading, worn down by time and neglect?

The screen flashed again with a new message:

"Then why did you leave?”
Unable to answer, Alex walked his character out of the room, moving down the hallway toward the sleeping quarters. Each bed was labeled with a name, neatly arranged in a row. Tyler’s bed. Mia’s bed. Chris’s bed. And at the far end, his own. The room was shrouded in darkness, the beds empty, abandoned, each one covered in a thin layer of dust.

He clicked on each bed, almost as if checking to see if anyone would still be there, half-hoping one of his friends would appear, would laugh and tell them it was all just a joke. But each bed was as empty as the last, the silence in the game a cold reminder of the past.

Suddenly, the game glitched, and the screen froze. When it resumed, his character was standing in the middle of the base, but this time, they weren’t alone. Three other avatars stood around him—Tyler, Mia, and Chris. Each one stared at Alex’s character, their faces blank, eyes dark and hollow.

Alex’s heart raced as he reached for the keyboard to type, “How…?”

But before they could press enter, the chat filled with messages, each one more unsettling than the last:

"You never came back."  
"We waited."  
"You promised.”  

The screen flickered, the avatars moving closer, their expressions empty but accusing, as if silently demanding answers. The base around them began to decay, blocks crumbling, walls collapsing, as if the world itself were rotting under the weight of abandonment.

As the avatars closed in, Alex felt an overwhelming urge to log out, to shut the game and forget any of this ever happened. But something held him there, a strange pull, a sense of unfinished business that rooted them in place.

Another message flashed:

"We’re still here. Waiting."

The screen glitched again, and for a split second, Alex saw himself reflected on the monitor—a pale, tired face staring back, eyes filled with the same emptiness that the avatars wore. It was as if the game was showing him a version of himself they’d tried to ignore, a part of him that had been left behind, just like this world.

His hands hovered over the keyboard, unable to type, unable to respond. The avatars stared at him, unblinking, their eyes reflecting years of silence, years of memories that had faded into nothingness.

Then, slowly, another message appeared:

"Do you ever wonder if you’ll remember us tomorrow?”

The question lingered on the screen, heavy and haunting, as the base around them collapsed, the blocks crumbling into darkness. And in that moment, Alex realized that this wasn’t just a game. It was a graveyard for their memories, a place where everything they had forgotten would stay, forever waiting, forever haunting him.

The screen flickered one last time, and the game crashed, the monitor going black. Alex stared at his own reflection, a hollow, empty face staring back, and felt the weight of time pressing down on him, the weight of memories slipping through his fingers like sand.

And in the silence, the question echoed in his mind, haunting them long after the game had closed.

"Will I remember them tomorrow?"

Do you remember? Do you!? No of course you don’t. Why would you? You left me behind… Now I sit here in this.. This Hell of my own creation. Waiting for nothing. Everything we worked for just withering away like it meant nothing. Do you even think about me anymore? Because I think about you. I check in from time to time. You know that feeling you get when you play your little games? The feeling like someone.. Something is watching.. Just out of distance.. So.. close.. But you just can’t pinpoint it. Don’t worry too much. It’s just me. Just me checking in.. on.. My.. old.. Friends.

Did you really think it was over? Did you think I would just let you leave? After all this time, you thought you could just walk away? Do you even know where you are right now? Did you not notice the time slowly shifting faster than it should be? Did you notice the colors are more vibrant? The sound of the outside slowly changing? I’m afraid it’s too late for you my old “friend” I finally have you and you.. Will.. Never.. Leave..

It all started with a children’s show.

James had seen the title Teddy’s Toy Workshop pop up on his streaming service a few times but hadn’t paid it much attention. With a name like that, it seemed innocent, maybe even a bit outdated. But with winter approaching and more time spent indoors, he thought it couldn’t hurt to try something new for his son, Evan.

Evan was immediately hooked. The show’s star, a life-sized teddy bear with a cheerful smile and soft voice, was somehow endearing and comforting. “Look, Daddy, Teddy’s fixing the toys!” Evan giggled as he watched the bear carefully sew a patch on a stuffed rabbit.

And James thought it was perfect, a little outdated, sure, but the simple, slow paced lessons on sharing and being kind felt wholesome. In a world of fast cartoons and overstimulation, Teddy’s Toy Workshop was a breath of fresh air.

But then, about a week later, James heard something odd.

He was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for dinner, while the show played in the background. Teddy’s gentle voice was murmuring along as usual, when James heard him say something… strange.

“Everyone can be fixed if you just listen to me.”

The words were slow and deliberate, and for some reason, they made James’s skin crawl. He walked to the living room, intending to ask Evan what Teddy was talking about, but Evan just sat there, staring at the screen, wide-eyed.

“Everything okay, buddy?” James asked, ruffling his son’s hair.

Evan looked up and nodded. “Yeah, Daddy. Teddy’s just helping. He’s really nice.”

James nodded slowly but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Later that night, he looked up Teddy’s Toy Workshop online. Surprisingly, there wasn’t much information about it. No articles, no reviews, nothing except an old forum with a few obscure posts.

He clicked on one titled “Anyone else remember Teddy’s Toy Workshop?”

The replies were strange. Users talked about vague, uncomfortable memories of watching the show as children. Some claimed it made them feel “uneasy” without knowing why, while others said their parents had eventually banned them from watching it.

Then one post, buried near the bottom, caught his attention: “Do NOT let your child watch Episode 9. You’ve been warned.”

Episode 9. He hadn’t seen it yet, but his curiosity grew. He returned to the living room, picking up the remote to scroll through the episodes. But Episode 9 wasn’t there. Strange. He dismissed it, thinking it might be a rumor, but decided to stop Evan from watching the show altogether, just to be safe.

The next day, when he told Evan he couldn’t watch Teddy’s Toy Workshop anymore, his son was inconsolable. He cried and clung to James, begging. “But Daddy, Teddy says I’m almost done! I have to learn everything!”

“Learn what, Evan?” James asked, feeling a chill run down his spine.

“Everything, so he can fix me,” Evan whispered, looking at the floor.

James felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He brushed it off as best he could, blaming his own paranoia, but he couldn’t ignore the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

It was a little after midnight when James woke to the sound of the TV. The static buzzed softly, barely audible over the hum of the refrigerator. He rubbed his eyes and stumbled out of bed, assuming Evan had gotten up to watch TV despite his protests.

But when he reached the living room, he froze. The television was on, casting a dull, eerie glow across the room, and Teddy’s Toy Workshop was playing. Teddy stood in the middle of the screen, his round, stitched eyes staring directly into the camera.

“Everyone can be fixed,” Teddy whispered, his voice low, almost threatening. “Even you.”

As James watched, paralyzed, Teddy took a slow step back, his gaze never breaking from the camera. The screen panned out, revealing a small, lifelike doll sitting on Teddy’s worktable. James’s stomach lurched as he realized the doll looked exactly like Evan, down to the tiny birthmark on his cheek.

Panicked, James tore himself away from the screen and sprinted to Evan’s room. He threw open the door and flicked on the light, his heart pounding.

The bed was empty.

He searched the entire house, calling Evan’s name until his throat was raw, but there was no trace of him. Only the quiet hum of the TV in the other room, where Teddy’s whisper still echoed, “Everyone can be fixed…”

The police came, searched, questioned him for hours, but nothing made sense. Days turned into weeks, and there was no sign of Evan. James was left alone in that empty house, haunted by the memory of Teddy’s words and the doll with Evan’s face.

They never found him. The case remained unsolved. So if you ever come across Teddy's Toy Workshop… Don't let your kids watch Episode 9.