Hatman
10:30 PM. Late in the Summer Season. It’s storming outside. My favorite time of year and my favorite kind of weather. Whenever it storms I just have to smile. Storms are beautiful, or at least I used to think so.
Almost all the lights in the apartment were off, and I’m just talking to some friends over AIM. Then suddenly it became very very cold. As if the storm from outside was creeping thru the door. I just figure there was a temperature drop because of the storm, so I toss on a sweatshirt. After about 30 minutes or so I’m still freezing cold.
I start to get this feeling.
It’s a feeling we all have felt before.
The feeling that someone is staring at you.
The feeling that this someone is not very far away.
The feeling that if you turn your head the slightest bit, you would see them.
I shrug this feeling off because I am an extremely paranoid person and I get this feeling all the time. I continue to converse with my friends, I even mentioned this sensation that I currently had, and my friends naturally laugh at me saying I need to stop being a baby. The sympathetic ones say it will go away eventually and not to worry. I waited awhile…it did not go away. In fact it increased.
It felt like something was consuming the very Happiness within me.
Like something was filling me with Dread.
That chilling Terror we all felt as children when the lights were turned out.
A true Fear of the Dark.
But it’s not the dark we are afraid of….but of what lurks in the dark
I almost couldn’t take it anymore. Here I am, almost a grown man, and I’m jumping at shadows. It’s ridiculous, but as ridiculous as it seems, I still have this little voice in the back of my head telling me that maybe I have a reason to be afraid. Maybe I should turn around and see if there’s actually anything there.
Wait…why would I turn around?
I don’t want to turn around.
Whose thought was that?
That certainly wasn’t mine.
But who else’s could it be?
I reached my limit. If I stay in this chair another second I’m going to go insane. I wonder if I can make it to my room before this thing gets me. It could be nothing, but I am not staying here to find out. I’m a pretty fast runner, there’s no way this thing can catch me. Let’s do this.
The chair clatters as it falls to the floor. I don’t think I could move this fast again if I wanted to. After my first foot was through the gateway to my room, I was already in the process of slamming the door. I rush over and turn on every light, including the T.V. making sure there’s no room for any shadows. I put my ear to do the door to see if I can hear it following me.
Nothing
Complete Stillness
The type of silence most people only experience once in a life time.
I don’t know why people would ever seek this type of quiet.
I never want to hear silence again.
I slowly back away from the door. I have one thought going through my mind. What in the hell did I just see, and why did I ever look over my shoulder. I will never forget what I saw. It was a shadow, but it wasn’t a shadow. It was free standing, as if it was a man. The surrounding night seemed to channel into this horrific being, making it seem blacker than the darkest pit in hell. It chilled me down to my very bones. Though something peculiarly odd stood out about this particular shadow being, it had a cane with a silver handle, and a top hat akin to something you’d expect to see in a movie from the early 20th century.
And the thing that was the scariest part about it:
To this day I swear it was smiling, and not the smile you ever ever want to be on the receiving end of.
A smile that said I’m evil.
A smile that said I had fun tonight.
A smile that said I enjoyed toying with you.
A smile that said I really want to hurt you.
A smile that said I’ll see you again.
Posted in Beings & Entities
September 20th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
this was terrible
September 20th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
so the shadow was in his computer room? and he ran past it into his bedroom??
i’m a little confused. and why didn’t the shadow do anything to him?
September 20th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
WHO WAS SMILE?
September 20th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
But, WHO WAS HATMAN??!!
Seriously, I didnt see any mention of a hat.
September 20th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I like the concept alot, but it could have been written better.
Still, just the image I created with my mind… D:
September 20th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
there’s a shaodw that i c in my room in the same spot every night and i thought it was a shadow from some thing in my room so i moved all my furniture and the shadow was still there in the same spot every night and it still is now but it actuly sames like when i turn out the lights to goto sleep it gets closer to me
September 20th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
yea i know that smile. i think i saw it on my ex girlfriends face
September 20th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
its dark …and im in a computer room alone o_o
September 20th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
hurf durf shitty grammar pasta nom
September 20th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
My writing is shit, so I have absolutely no right to talk, but…ah…I have to agree with BonerFruit; the concept is interesting, but I did not care for the way this story was written.
I’m really sorry, I don’t know how to explain it.
@ The Person Formerly Known as ‘Noneya’:
“…it had a cane with a silver handle, and a top hat akin to something you’d expect to see in a movie from the early 20th century.”
I suppose that’s where it came from.
September 20th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
@ Noneya:
Check the last sentence of the paragraph that begins, “I slowly back away from the door.”
Anywho, not the best pasta, but beggars can’t be choosers. Thanks for posting, Dr. WHO. =P
September 20th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Hello.
I would very much like to know who wrote this tale.
Will anyone claim credit?
September 20th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
That… wasn’t very good at all. It wasn’t well-written.
September 20th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
I know not who wrote this piece, Mr. Welldone, but I found it enjoyable.
I would like to add that I very much enjoy your personal site, and your commentary on this site makes it very worthwhile.
September 20th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
“It felt like something was consuming the very Happiness within me.
Like something was filling me with Dread.”
lol that made me think of Harry Potter Dementors.
September 20th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
i don’t like the title but the story is pretty good.
September 20th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
” It was a shadow, but it wasn’t a shadow.”
Orly?
September 21st, 2008 at 3:24 am
lol @ 15 i was thinking the same thing…
i assume the tv was on mute to hear such silence.
but naaw, i didn’t care for this one much…but i am the only one awake in my apartment…and the only light is a lamp near by…if i see him i’ll just grab the cane and give him a swift wack in the shadowy teeth…or i’ll just cry and pee myself…ye, that’s more like me =\
September 21st, 2008 at 4:17 am
It was good.
September 21st, 2008 at 11:57 am
That was a decent story. Could have been written better. I think the creature should have been a bit different. Seems too much like a Harry Potter Dementor.
September 21st, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Ah, there it is!
Theres just nothing worse than when an evil entity invades the privacy of your home and smiles at you.
>:[
September 21st, 2008 at 10:12 pm
@ Para: lol me too.
But yeah, I really like the concept, and the story reminds me of myself. Whenever I’m creeped out downstairs alone and I decide to go to my room, I run as fast as I can through the house, slam my door, and turn on all the lights. If I start to feel like something’s watching me, I’m gunna freak out. lol
Not too crazy about the grammar though… =/
September 21st, 2008 at 10:40 pm
DUNADUNADUNADUNA
HATMAAAAAAN!
Meh, pretty good.
September 22nd, 2008 at 1:06 am
@Above posters: I agree, neat concept, had potential, but then, hah, your still fucked dude. *Thumbs up*
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
THEN WHO WAS SHADOW?
September 22nd, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Not good.
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Hey,
guess after reading all this i have to claim credit,
yes it was poorly written and i freely admit it. This was my first ever attempt at pasta.
Don’t know who submitted this though. I didn’t
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:05 pm
what is up with so much cusing in all the coments
September 23rd, 2008 at 7:04 am
Dementooooors.
September 23rd, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I think the whole ’splitting up sentences to create suspense’ thing was used a little bit too often, it’s a ‘less is more’ thing, that technique.
But the story had good potential, in my opinion [=
September 23rd, 2008 at 12:50 pm
It was all right… rather long for the payoff, though. And I agree with Souris, the “lots of short sentences” crippled it some.
There is indeed potential here. Practise, polish, by all means _keep writing._
Also, I love the title. And not just because I had the same thought as Reptilian Liar.
September 23rd, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh HATMAN!
September 23rd, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Who am I?
I’m the goddamned HATMAN!
Meh. Scary stuff, the short sentences killed it a little.
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Mr. Welldone only wants to know who wrote the pasta because they use the same pseudo intelligent jargon that he does.
September 25th, 2008 at 12:28 am
Very well written, but uhh.. not much to it.
September 25th, 2008 at 6:24 am
He could have just looked in the reflection of the screen on the computer..
I didnt really like this story.. it was okay 0.0
September 25th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
The idea of a vaguely malevolent shadow hovering at the edge of your vision and sucking all of the happiness and warmth out of the room is cool, but dressing up the shadow with a top hat and cane is more ridiculous than scary.
September 26th, 2008 at 1:39 am
“Why hello there, old bean! I’m here to devourer all light and warmth, if it is alright with you, good sir. Cheerio then!”
September 26th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
You guys should really google Hatman…
read some of the “true” stories of people’s encounters. This idea really isn’t original. It just takes a common…fear/occurrence and attempts to make it creepy.
September 27th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Holy semantics, Hatman. You never cease to amaze me!
September 29th, 2008 at 10:48 am
I actually thought this was a good story, better than some pastas i read and it gave me the same feeling like a weird shadowman was behind me too lol it was kool
October 2nd, 2008 at 4:48 pm
LOL.
Complete silence, and yet the TV was on… interesting
Not scary at all
October 4th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
It’s Brendon Urie mwahahaha *get him
October 5th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Mandy you do realize its possible to mute a tv right?
October 5th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Coming back to this story, I took Anon #39’s advice and googled Hatman.
I don’t think I’m going to be getting any sleep any time soon o___o
According to one person who claims to have seen the apparition (google “Hatman” and click on the third result), “It usually appears to women and occasionally to men, though men who see it are usually gay.” Lolwut.
October 7th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
I googled “Hatman” but I keep getting links to clothing sites ¬_¬
Can anyone post the link up? I am oh so curious to see it.
October 7th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
STOP USING CLICHES WHOEVER WROTE THIS
“BLACKER THAN THE DARKEST PIT OF HELL”!? “CHILLED ME TO THE VERY BONE”!?
FUUUUUUUUUUUCK
October 7th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
@ Willow:
This is the site I was talking about:
http://www.ghostlytalk.com/node/502
I probably shouldn’t have put it in quotations. I’m sorry ^^;
There’s also a brief mention of Hatman in Wikipedia’s Shadow People article.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
@ #45
so OP is gay? or a women?
@ #47, cliche’s are used because they work for the most part
thats why there hasnt been an original horror movie for like 20 years
October 8th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
@ Anon #49
Lol, I wouldn’t know. I was just quoting someone who *claimed* to have seen the apparition and *claimed* to know other people that have seen him/it/whatever.
I just thought it was funny, because to me, it made Hatman sound like some sort of seducer.
October 9th, 2008 at 2:36 am
predictable. hatman? silver cane? shadow man? too many cliches
October 9th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Ah thank you Ma Cherie….I think I’ve read that South American one somewhere before as well….eerie stuff
October 11th, 2008 at 9:36 am
“I start to get this feeling.
It’s a feeling we all have felt before.
The feeling that someone is staring at you.
The feeling that this someone is not very far away.
The feeling that if you turn your head the slightest bit, you would see them.”
srsly, STOP.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Du na nu na nu na naa
Du na nu na nu na naaa
HATMANNN!
October 19th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
that was creepy but it kinda makes me wish i was in that position.nice ending…i wonder what would have happened if you didnt run and just turned around to face the shadow
November 15th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
“I rush over and turn on every light, including the T.V.”
“I never want to hear silence again.”
TVS MAKE SOUND.
Faaaaaaail.