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A Warning



Estimated reading time — 5 minutes

I’m doing this for you. And for Mike, too, I guess, though I don’t think there’s much I can do to help him at this point.

I suppose I should provide some background information first. I’m a sophomore in a fairly good university in Boston – no, not MIT or Harvard, but still one that’s a bit of a chore to get into. My freshman year, I had the option to live in honors housing and decided to roll with it; after all, at least the people would be interesting. Whatever arcane algorithm they use to process roommate requests took in my preferences and spat out the name of my future roommate: Mike, just another random honors kid from St. Louis. The two of us got along fine for most of freshman year – my enjoyment of Miley Cyrus notwithstanding-and so we decided to room together sophomore year as well.

Now, Mike had always been a pretty obsessive guy. He tended to bounce around in his interests; one week, he would devour entire series of anime, only to later start watching random online episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and then begin working his way through the archives of the hottest new webcomic. And, of course, like any real obsessive, he would keep me posted on his latest craze. I humored him; what else are roommates for?

One day earlier this week, he started telling me random scary stories. You know, those random things you find on message boards-I think his main source ended up being some site called “creepypasta” (I never understood why pasta could be creepy, but whatever). I’d hear about a med student eating an arm, or someone being autopsied alive, or some random youtube video that will drive you insane. We usually had a good laugh about them.

The third day of this obsession, however, things got weird. He threw a few more stories my way before hitting the sack, but something seemed a little off. His voice had a sharp edge to it. As the hour got later, his banter got more and more inane, as though he were talking just to stave off having to go to sleep. Eventually, I pointedly got into my bed and rolled over, effectively ending any further chance at conversation. I wish I hadn’t.

I sleep like a log, and that night was no exception. I don’t think I even came close to waking. Usually I can’t remember any of my dreams, but the nightmare I had that night has been clear in my mind for days now. I dreamt I was trapped in a fog so dense I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. The damp air sent chills down my spine. I could hear muffled screams in the distance. There didn’t seem to be any words, just guttural shrieks of pain. Instantly (don’t ask me how), I recognized the screams as Mike’s. I tried my best to run to him, but my feet just slid through the fog; I couldn’t get any real traction on the ground, if there indeed was any ground. The screams got further away and more indistinct, though I could still tell they were Mike’s. Eventually, they faded to nothing and I woke up.

And every last trace of Mike was gone from the room.

Everything. His laptop, his sheets, the “Official Zombie Survival” guide poster on the wall, the heap of trash he let accumulate on his half of the windowsill-everything. A thick layer of dust coated his entire side of the room. Absolutely nothing on my side of the room had been touched-nor had any of his stuff in the bathroom, the kitchen, or the living room of our suite. Only in the bedroom had anything been taken.

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I couldn’t believe it. I prayed it was a dream. I pinched my elbow until the skin was red, until my fingernails drew blood. When I didn’t wake up, I dialed campus security, who quickly brought in the Boston Police Department. I was immediately kicked out of the room so they could go over everything with a fine-toothed comb.

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I think I must have been in shock. I felt completely numb, like nothing around me really mattered. I’d left my laptop out in our suite’s common room, so I used that to distract myself-or to try to, at any rate. When I popped open the laptop, however, a word document stared at me. Its text was the following:

‘I know this is stupid. I can’t help but think how much I’ll regret this in the morning, but for some reason I’m genuinely scared and I feel like this is the only way I can tell someone why. So here goes: earlier, I was scouring the ‘net for short horror stories-you know, rituals, tales of scary places, and the like. I came across this…warning, I guess it was. I won’t say what, and I won’t say where, for fear of you finding it yourself. Suffice it to say it sent chills down my spine, something not much has managed to do. Still, as has become my habit, I just clicked on the next hyperlink, going ever farther down the rabbit hole.

The warning stayed with me, though. In the back of my head, just nibbling away, waiting until I would focus on something else to rear its ugly head. This was irrational, I knew; my mind was just playing tricks on me. Some ancestral fear had been played upon, some age-old nightmare that was just that-a nightmare, no more and no less. But that didn’t make the fear go away. Only when I looked at the clock to see how long I had until you got back that it dawned on me I had passed the time alloted me by the warning to stop what was coming (any vagueness is out of concern for you, I promise).

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And then the real anxiety kicked in. My palms started to sweat, and my eyes refused to stay closed for more than a second at a time. All my hairs stood on end, and I could feel my heart rate start to increase. Instantly, I knew that the warning had been real. And I had failed to heed it. My time was limited.

It was about then that you got back from the TV station. I was so glad to see someone else, I can’t imagine how I sounded. Finally, someone to fight off the dark with, a companion against the now terrifying night. But clearly you weren’t interested; your yawns were a dead giveaway. You headed to bed, and I (to stave off sleep a little longer) decided to write you this. Do me a favor – if I’m wrong, forget this ever happened. If I’m right…warn them.’

So that’s what I’m doing. I’m warning you. Just be careful. Next time you go on an archive binge at creepypasta, or start checking the horror thread of your favorite discussion board, or even just try googling “creepy stories,” if you feel a chill run down your spine at some warning you’ve never read before you might want to heed it. If you decide not to, however – if you just click on your merry way-please tell Mike I’m sorry I couldn’t get to him in the fog.

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Copyright Statement: Unless explicitly stated, all stories published on Creepypasta.com are the property of (and under copyright to) their respective authors, and may not be narrated or performed under any circumstance.

118 thoughts on “A Warning”

  1. “I saw a warning, but I won’t tell you anything about it cuz it’s too scary. Just be careful in general on the internet, I guess.”
    There is indeed a way to effectively use vagueness and ambiguity to let the reader’s imagination run horrifically wild. This is an example of how NOT to do it.

    1. I agree. There is the kind of the vagueness that allows your imagination to run rampant and give you chills at the endless possibilities.
      But there is, also, laziness and lack of creativity.
      I see what the author was going for, but they didn’t quite capture that “what could it be” scare that I would have liked.

    2. I agree. There is the kind of the vagueness that allows your imagination to run rampant and give you chills at the endless possibilities.
      But there is, also, laziness and lack of creativity.
      I see what the author was going for, but they didn’t quite capture that “what could it be” scare that I would have liked.

    3. I agree. There is the kind of the vagueness that allows your imagination to run rampant and give you chills at the endless possibilities.
      But there is, also, laziness and lack of creativity.
      I see what the author was going for, but they didn’t quite capture that “what could it be” scare that I would have liked.

    4. I agree. There is the kind of the vagueness that allows your imagination to run rampant and give you chills at the endless possibilities.
      But there is, also, laziness and lack of creativity.
      I see what the author was going for, but they didn’t quite capture that “what could it be” scare that I would have liked.

  2. little miss black cat

    @hem it was cool but needed something else like finding his body on the floor dead with words like don’t go to sleep or something cool like.

  3. I see a lot of comments saying the vagueness took away the scare factor. The vague and unknown is what was meant to make it scary. In my opinion the less you know the more scared you should be. That is why I liked this pasta so much. It was hard to guess for sure what the warning was or where it came from, and whatever was in the fog that took this guy away turned on my imagination like never before. This pasta sent such a strong chill through my whole body I had to go and get my blankets to make it stop. One of the scares I long for and search for endlessly because there is so little known that the mind can make up anything. In almost any pasta vague is good. Read on, my fellow connesiours. The search for the best scare continues.

    1. If you think vagueness is inherently scary, you’re a fool. There’s a difference between “being ambiguous” and “telling us NOTHING.” This is an example of the latter. Wake up.

  4. I loved this pasta when I first read it a couple of years ago :D
    I’m listening to music in another tab as I read and re-read creepypastas, which kind of ruins the effect of scary stories, but that’s kind of the point. I love at the end how the story teller is so sure that we won’t survive if we read the warning. I love how he is so sure that instead of begging us not to do it, he decides that we’re already doomed, and just asks us to says hi to Mike for him.
    I loved this pasta when I first read it, so no matter how many comments I read that explain why it’s not that good, I don’t think that my mind will be changed that easily. :)

  5. I liked it well enough. I know people have been complaining about the overuse of the word “random” but it adds realism, I think. It’s a college guy who is not a grammar nazi, that’s how people tend to speak. I think I mainly liked this story because Mike sounded like someone I would get along with quite well and kind of reminded me of my brother. I felt sad when he vanished.

  6. Unlike most folks, I really enjoyed this. The story itself isn’t creepy, but the way the story messes with your mind is. I’ve read a similar story on here that ‘warns’ you of something coming, and possibly killing you or whatever. It was very untradtional, which I guess I like. I enjoyed how vague it was.

  7. I’m really surprised no one mentioned how ridiculous protagonist’s liking towards Miley Cyrus is. Like honestly? This is the internet, how come no one said anything about it?

    But putting that aside, this really didn’t get to me at all. Just poorly put together, and rushed near the end. Too vague, even though it was meant to be at least a little. The few grammatical errors and overuse of “random” got to me.
    3/10.

  8. The Fact That The Narrator Seems So Detached Is Far More Frightening Then The Monster Itself Monster In Human Skin And All That Yes There Is Evidence That They Are Human But Far Less So In The Warning And General Description

  9. Everyone else is saying this pasta isn’t good…?! This is one of the best ones I’ve ever read. (Only shortly behind Suicide Squidward, Suicide Mouse, and You shouldn’t have done that o.o) The ending scared the hell out of me, and I really love the way you left it vague. I do wish I knew what the warning was though o:
    Amazing pasta is amazing. 10/10 <3

  10. I really liked it, this is my first pasta, but I like the idea of reading and before you realize that what you\’re reading is actually a warning telling you not to read warnings on the website you\’re reading the warning, i still have chills.

  11. I really liked it, this is my first pasta, but I like the idea of reading and before you realize that what you’re reading is actually a warning telling you not to read warnings on the website you’re reading the warning, i still have chills.

  12. “I came across this…warning, I guess it was. I won’t say what, and I won’t say where, for fear of you finding it yourself. Suffice it to say it sent chills down my spine, something not much has managed to do. Still, as has become my habit, I just clicked on the next hyperlink, going ever farther down the rabbit hole.”

    Oh my god! The same thing happened to me, and now I shall be stuck reading TVTropes until the end of time.

  13. Ha, Mike kinda sounds like ME: I always bounce around with my fandoms (or obsessions, whatever you want to call them). I just started reading creepypastas, loving them all the way.
    This story, however, could have used a bit more OOMPH. Maybe a longer period depicting Mike’s fixation on creepypastas or even just a bit of dialogue between the narrator and Mike on the last night.
    It’s alright, but not great.

    !JACKIE!

  14. A decent pasta, kinda got me at the end with the “Shivers down the back” thing. Maybe coulda used some more detail at the end though…I give it 6.5/10. There have been some real good ones out there, but I’m afraid this one isn’t a classic.

  15. This was pretty “meh,” BUT…

    I’ve fallen behind on my creepypasta reading, and this one is the last one on the RSS.

    Awesome. Now, I’m gonna’ go backwards ’til I’m caught up :D

  16. And I went on a creepypasta binge for a while because of paranoia from a few other stories on here, but I’ve gotten over them. I suppose if I had read this a few weeks ago I would’ve been scared.

  17. The idea of adding realistic elements, like creepy pasta and different college boy personalities was good.
    The story wasn\’t TOO bad, but it wasn\’t great either.
    I\’m honestly very confused by it.
    I don\’t know, maybe I just got distracted and missed something,
    but the end didn\’t make sense at all, and most of it was just
    strange.

  18. Ok… that was pretty lame. He just disappeared? Just like that? For reading shit? Come on. I would have gone a looooong time ago lol

  19. Feels more like sauce. Something that isn’t tasty unless combined with the right pasta

    So, I think it’s good, but really depends on what you have recently read to have any sort of impact

  20. Could have been better… It was a great concept.

    I guess this one kind of creeps me out, though, because right now I\\\’m on a huge creepypasta binge… Being paranoid doesn\\\’t exactly help. Heh.

  21. Well, I liked it, though I’m one of those who do think that the word “random” is used too much.

    I particularly liked the use of modern technology in this pasta. Not all stories need to find place in 1840 or 1945.

    Besides of the random flood, I guess this is a nice concept, but not blood-chilling. A little vague, as people here mention, but it’s hard to balance that. No, we don’t need to know who the fog is.

    Maybe when the author creates more fog-stories, or a longer version, we’ll want to know. But for a short story, it’s difficult, as it can create a wall of text, boring a reader.

    Good luck, author

  22. It was a little unnerving, and at that, a good attempt at a pasta, but, it could have been written better. And who was Fog? Where did it come from, and why? Those questions could have been answered.

  23. This kinda sucked. It starts off BRILLIANTLY. Then it goes to shit. I’m sorry, but I’m supposed to be scared because his roommate reads shit that scares him online and then won’t go to bed and then ends up god knows where and leaves a note saying, “You shouldn’t read creepy shit because it freaks you out” and then nothing happens?

    This is so vague, it’s almost vaporous.

  24. The story had an interesting concept..but…it was way to vague. I know it was meant to be somewhat vague, which is what the story was going for…not scary…needed a little meat in the sauce….sorry

  25. twas ok twas better than a lot of the more recently uploaded ones but i have read better and now just because… (wait for it) :Orawwwwwww!

  26. This pasta is like a song where you keep expecting it to rock, but then it never does.

    Good idea for a story, some good moments, but ultimately its just flat – the “warning” is so vague that it’s meaningless and the fate of “Mike” is both too specific (lost in the fog oh no!) and too vague (why reading a bunch of CreepyPastas made vanish is not even hinted at – maybe it was online porn instead, who knows?)

  27. If nothing else, this pasta could stop people from clicking every url along the way like morons.
    That dreadful monster that’ll get you if you do that?
    Virus, fucking virus.

  28. You used the word “random” 5 FUCKING TIMES in three paragraphs! That’s not how you use the word random! “Random” means that an event has no statistically predictable basis, with no reason behind it. He didn’t watch a “random” episode of MST3K, he saw an episode that looked good to him. He didn’t pick a “random” creepypasta to show you, he found one that was especially scary.
    It is completely impossible for any human being to do anything randomly, and I’m so sick of people overusing it incorrectly.
    As for the story itself, I’m so fucking tired of “herp derp read creepypasta and you’ll die derp” stories. It was cool the first time, but now it’s just as cliche as any other creepy trope.

  29. I almost raged and closed it off when I reached the pandering “creepypasta” reference.

    After finishing the story, I wished I had.

  30. So…CreepyPasta is gonna make people vanish? Maybe we’ll get less bad stories if it happens lol.

    I liked this pasta. it was barely creepy, but it was pretty good. 7/10

  31. i didn’t really like this one, i have read creepier ones on this website … i could barley finish reading this one … :) i bet it wouldve been creepier in real life tho :) :) :) :) :)

  32. >fairly good university in Boston – no, not MIT or Harvard,

    Good thing you cleared that up, considering neither MIT nor Harvard is in Boston.

  33. i did not really get it until i looked at the website’s name and saw it was creepypasta….plus i didnt get chills from this i got it because i have strep throat

  34. Unfortunately, I do not get chills down my spine very often.
    Years of horror movies and horror games have hardened me to creepypasta, so everything else I find creepy I roll my eyes at.

    For this reason, 1/10 for effort and summat to read

  35. not exactly scary if you read in the day time, but it creeped the hell out of me when all of a sudden my laptop started whirring really loud.

  36. I like it. It was extremely vague but in a good way. I know the “feeling” that he was talking about the chill and everything. But, I liked how it gave references and made it so modern.

  37. Sorry I was gone for so long. I recently got this long ass night shift job and I’ve been getting used to it. It’s nice to be back.

    This creepypasta was scary. 10/10

  38. Everyone has already pointed out the fact that the pasta was too vague to be truly scary, but I did get a chill up my spine (although I accredit that to not wearing much in a house that’s 60 degrees.)

    I did like it though – how it kind of played on every reader’s fear that, maybe, just maybe the pasta I’m reading will be the one to be real, will be the one to get me. I’ll give it a 6.5/10.

  39. One, I felt the references to this website were pretty forced. Read like they were included for the sake of including them. Secondly, the opening was the best part (and it didnt have anything scary in it). It just went downhill from there. What\’s more, after Mike\’s letter ended, the story just cuts off there. No expansion on the consequences, other than a vague warning. I get that was the idea, but it was delivered really poorly and was waaay too early. Basically, fuck this.

  40. I like this- it’s difficult to do a “meta” story convincingly but I think by being deliberately vague it works.

    also, first.

  41. Not a bad pasta, I got freaked out at the end when I got chill in my spine. I would eat this pasta again anytime even if it means I die in some paranormal way.

    8/10

  42. Hmm.. Interesting. That’s about it. A little long, and not very creepy. Real vague. I liked the references to some creepypastas though.

  43. Nice and vague. This is the kind of story that\’ll make another story that much more creepy. I know I\’ll be thinking of it the next time I read a creepypasta at midnight.
    8.5/10

  44. An interesting story. Good concept, but its execution could have been a little better, like most of the stories on here. A little short, a little vague, but good, better than most of the stories on here.

    8/10

  45. meh pasta… No real scare element because it was TOO vague…

    Other than the obvious lack of \’scare,\’ it was a pretty good, short pasta. Though pasta without scare is like mac\’n\’cheese without the cheese: no matter how good the macaroni is it\’s not gonna taste very good…

  46. I can’t pick out why, but I felt that this story was lacking in every direction. I wasn’t even the least bit scared at any point, nor did I find it an interesting read. It’s not that I didn’t get the ending, because I got it completely. But something about the story just felt like you whipped it up in 30 minutes out of boredom.

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