While honeymooning in Maine, my wife and I stopped in the picturesque town of Boothbay on a particularly dreary and rainy day. Since our planned picnic was out of the question, we sought shelter in a dilapidated little antique store near the harbour. While my wife inspected the large chests and side tables near the door, I eagerly examined the antique tools and seafaring equipment inside the glass sales counter at the back. Being a collector of optics and mariner’s instruments, I hoped to find a sextant, or perhaps an old leather-bound telescope.
A particularly interesting piece caught my eye. It appeared to be a heavy brass flashlight, bearing a worn brown patina but remarkably modern in design. I asked the shopkeeper, but he could only tell me it was found in the same old sailor’s chest as several of the compasses and the sextant also on display. He inquired as to whether I would like to purchase it for five dollars, or perhaps have it for free. “It’s worthless to me, nobody wants it.” When I remarked about the price, he sighed wearily, and then reached into the cabinet and retrieved it for me.
“Here, see for yerself, feller.”
The craftsmanship was wonderful—quite durable and apparently hand-made, perhaps originating from somewhere in Europe. Worn lettering indicated it might be German, or perhaps Austrian, in origin. I twisted the bulb housing and a weak red beam swept out. Poking it into a dark corner of the shop, I was greeted with fantastic monotone swirls, moving and entwining with each other like a pit of eels. As I stared further into this unusual projector-kaleidescope, my fanciful mind invented ghoulish faces and sinuous, gnarled tendrils.
Shutting the device off, I turned excitedly to the shopkeeper. “Fantastic!” I said. “It must have an oil filter of sorts in front of the lens! I have two Victorian kalediscopes, but none that are illuminated like this.”
“You don’t get it, do you? Nobody gets it. They all come back to return it after a while.” The shopkeeper leaned on the counter and I could see that he was breathing heavily and perspiring. “They all think it’s some sort of trick… till they start seeing it when the light’s off.”
“That ain’t no projection, mister. That… damned thing, that light… it ain’t makin’ up those creatures. It’s just lettin’ your eyes see what’s already there.”
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Dammit, I wanted to read more! It’s short and sweet, but could just imagine a nice longish story about the guy not being told what he’s seeing, buying it and then find out slowly. Maybe have them interact with the guy more and more, like a doorway. And a great ending were he ends up seeing them all the time everywhere not sure if he’s gone mad.
If you ever consider writing a longer version I’d love to read it!
Interesting, its like a device thats showing you a parallel world or something. Nice 8/10
This one is wonderfully weird. Maybe shouldn’t read it at 4:40 in the morning when I can’t get to sleep, but still a cracking little Pasta that justifies its high rating. Small problem though: I need a wee but don’t want to have to get out the quilt….lordy, I’m a wuss xxx
Great best one yet
would have been better if he didn’t get the warning from the guy. show us the horrors, don’t just tell us “here’s a spooky thing”…… it should be something like, he takes the flashlight home, plays around with it, DISCOVERS that the light reveals what’s there, then one final Big Scary Thing happens. maybe they can interact with humans? noticing them lets them notice you? staring at them too long makes you turn into them? something along those lines. rly nice start, cool idea, but it’s soooooo short and has no actual description or build up.
But, still good :D
That was too abrupt an ending. Felt like the author just ran out of things to say.
Brilliant story! Short and sweet, just like I like my creepypasta. You’ve mastered the art of stripping away the unnecessary elements, leaving a brief story that packs a horrifying punch. Other than “kaleidoscope” being spelled a different way every time it pops up, I can’t find anything I dislike about it.
Pretty spooky…though somehow it feels like it ended before it really started…
>Is in Maine
Oh. But really great pasta!
Wish there was more, but awesome.
IT’S A GHOSTS PORTAL :D
kaleidoscope? nah son, whatchu got there is a silphscope.
Very tasty
Same concept as Lovecraft’s, “From Beyond.” I like it though.
It was good but, if he were to bring it home and prove it better it would be better
The ending was really the hook that had me excited to read more, and then it just ends so abruptly. Docked points for that.
Yawn….pretty boring,and definitely doesn’t deserve to be in the top ten.Also….
WHO WAS MORON SHOPKEEPER WHO LET HIM USE THE DAMN THING!!!!?
niceeeee
I didn’t know it’d be good but the ending made it worth it
Well you know what they say, ignorance is bliss
i like this. i’m real interested into unseen creatures….
Did any body else think of Flying Polyps?
Creepy as fuck…
10/10 :D
i hate to break it to you, but this is basically a shorter version of H.P. Lovecraft’s “From Beyond”
Interesting. Very interesting. Gravebot, you are in no way similar to Mr. Welldone. Do not try.
Fear the Darkness
-Nex
Compare to H.P. Lovecraft’s “From Beyond”: http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/fb.asp
In fact, if any story has writhing unnameable horrors that humans are just lucky enough to not see, check Lovecraft’s works; I’ve definitely found several on this site that are direct lifts from him.
Awesome!
The shopkeeper ruined it! Finding out by yourself is much more scarier.
While the idea is very good, I can’t help but feel the writer was just trying to use big words to sound smart. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was written by a clever little teenager with a thesaurus.
This is good. People seem to be saying that it should continue, but more would be pointless; it already ends perfectly well. The character is pretty cool too.
i thought this one was really neat.
This was brilliant.
soooo where exactly is the disadvantage in having this demon-detecting flashlight if the demons already exist and are supposedly fully capable of doing whatever the hell they want?
i can’t possibly see the logic in returning an item like that. ignorance is bliss?
This one had a lot of potential. Could have been a bit longer.
I want one.
BUY ME ONE MATE.
but who was mother
BUT WHO WAS PERSON WHO SAID LAST LINE?
Wants to see faces tooo…*steals*
I liked this one, but a short and abrupt ending. :(
….I wonder did the guy buy it or take it… I would like to have it…
Was all right… Not great.
i would like that i coulpd prove to my friends there is things in the dark noone can see those why i’m scared of the dark
I like the simplicity of this, better then a lot of other pasta’s.
Seems incomplete, but intriguing.
errm
gay.
didnt like it one little bit
found it boring and well- not scary in the slightest.
i meen compare it to the Girl int the picture
i meen that one i just read ant scary at all.
Uh.
Abruptly ended much? D:
@49 What about the guy’s wife?
Not bad 49, but, that would conflict with the wife being in the shop too…
D:
Better ending:
(Cut off from “Shutting the device off, I turned excitedly to…” and below)
I set the device down, fascinated, explaining to the shopkeeper the surprisingly creepy deformities of apparant nature created by the Kaleidoscope.
The shopkeeper casually replied, “Oh, it looks even better with the lights off”, he said as he flicked the rickity old light switch.
I looked into the device, but before I had even flipped the switch on, my viewpoint was filled with one ghoulish horror standing before me, in the exact spot I had seen the shopkeeper in, not a moment earlier.
The figure reached for me, and I screamed..
damn i shit brix..
I love this it is awsome and I love it. Oh my god it made the hair on my arms stand up.
I liked this one. The concept is great. The only issue I might have is that it feels a bit rushed… The shop keeper kind of gave up the truth of it too easily if you get what I mean. I htink the customer should have had to press him for it a lot more, considering what it’s meant to be.
Maybe the shopkeeper was sick of giving refunds? I don’t know, it’s 5am and I can’t sleep s ok my brains not working at full strength and my full strength is just about everyone else’s “Dipshit” rating and so you can see my quandary. Tell me you see my quandary, Simone! Xx
I rather liked this one compared to the other pastas here. Very subtle.
I liked this, the only thing i didn’t like is to me it seemed like there should have been more between the comments from the storekeeper at the end, a response from the guy buying it or something? I mean its kind of like explaining a regular flashlight to someone that’s never seen one(I don’t know where you’d find that person but…) and being like “Everyone thinks its magic” then before they can react going “ITS NOT A TRICK IT LETS YOU SEE IN THE DARK” well not so much….I just thought the shop keeper talked funny there
A sextant is an old seafaring tool used to measure things at sea. I’m not sure what it measures, but I think it uses the sun/moon/stars.
SexualBubblegum …your name is made of win
So the shopkeep’s a creature? ^o)
Greetings
This one has quite the veracious ring to it. The truth is they are always watching.
I lol’d because The Spiderwick Chronicles came into my head. =\
This was very well written, better than the pastas as of late.
=] yay!
The truth is out there!
And also, I agree with Reptilian Liar…… not my cup of tea ^_^
EPIC WIN!
Wow, Loooooved it. Sooooo nice. Hope the dude is stupid and buys it anyways.
Goooood pasta. :D
…Uh, no…
I’m sorry, I’m too picky when it comes to creepypasta D:
Oh, and wtf is a sextant?
I like it . I like it a lot. :]
WHO WAS FLASHLIGHT?
WHO WAS OWNER?
but….WHO WAS KALEIDOSCOPE?
I had to. .___.
That aside, I love this pasta…it provides enough, but at the same time, allows the reader to draw their own mystery from it.
But then…
WHO WAS SEXTANT?
hehe sextant…
niiiiiiiiiiiiiice^^. hurrah!
who was old man
This one has been the best as of late, but I feel like there should have been more. It almost sounds like the author was set to write more and got board so they just ended it.
Also, since I didn’t see it in my hasty scrolling to the bottom of the page: WHO WAS FLASHLIGHT?
I WANT TO BELIEVE.
wait…did cyarm propose that john should BECOME the demons?!?! BRILLIANT!!!
not bad
Me likey. Me wanty.
I want that kaleidoscope now.
Also, this sounds like something Mr. Welldone would approve of.
Haha Cool I like this one..
so. who was creature?
lol @ anonymoose!!
I liked this one. Its better than one or two that have been up recently, and it leaves just enough mysteryous-ness for your imagination to fill up in.
I likes it.
well, i liked it alot; i didn’t mind the ending.
it was one of those you had to have a bit of your own imagination in.
REALLY GOOD! i love when it talks about the unknown and how things are lurking where we cant see them
Oooh… this one is good. Better than the others that have been around recently, at least.
Very Lovercraftian creature descriptions. Very nice.
Sounds familiar with John Carpenter’s “They Live”
The story seems abrupt. Is there a continuation of this?
Neat, this one makes me happy :3
Especially so after reading John Dies at the End.
The writing is really nice-it’s all flowy and I barely noticed that I was reading something at all. It sucked me in, all right.
I like that it’s creepy in a more subtle way, rather than “BOO! I’M COMING TO GETCHA!”
Now, if you’ll excuse me for my lack of coherence, I’m off to nurse my migraine~
Then WHO WAS WIFE?
I was waiting for this lmaooo
Finland, obviously.
so-so, not all that creepy. but still better than the recent pastas have been.
Oh wow.
This sort of reminds me of LMLYUT’s mirror story on the forums.
Creepy D:
Fantastic! Finally a good one. I love it. ^_^
WUT?
Meh… kinda bored me… it’s like the pasta is half written. Shoulda had an ending where he shrugs off the warning… checks it out without lights, and becomes one of the ghoulish faces or something
Man, that’s so GENERIC!
Hm, interesting. I like it alot. If only there was more. Like a description of the creatures would be nice.
The Alot doesn’t care whether you like it or not. Alots just want to be left alone.
The imagination always invents something far creepier than a picture or a written description can produce.
Indeed
sounds pretty damn useful
i don’t want to get tentacle raped in my sleep by invisible monsters
ohmaiblob so you like anime lol :p
I think your referring to hentai
Now I know what to do you when you’re asleep. >:D
MUHAHAHA
.////. So ecchi….
Wtf dude? Anyways it was a good pasta.
Haha sure. It makes it better if you can SEE the monsters, but that won’t stop the tenticleees >_<
D: That makes me paranoid…
I like