Advertisement
Please wait...

Mauvaise Foi



Estimated reading time — 4 minutes

“The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool.”

-Stephen King

 

Somewhere out there in this great blue world of ours, across oceans and throughout time, there is a familiar face. Attached to this face is of course, a familiar person. This is a person that you can only recall in the vaguest sense of memory, someone that you may or may not actually know as a person at all. More or less, they appear as only a fleeting moment of human interaction, but not as an individual. Really, if anything at all, to you, they’re simply the negation of everyone whom they are not. It is in this way that this seemingly random stranger is timeless, immortal if you will. There will always be a familiar stranger, a stranger that you think you may remember from a past experience, ingrained into the backdrop of some greater scene of drama. Keep in mind though, that this stranger has a name. It could be Mike, or Lindsey, or Brian. Maybe it’s one of your father’s old coworkers, or perhaps a neighbor from that one house you used to live in when you were thirteen. You know that you know them, but from where, well, you just can’t put your finger on that part.

 

One day, you’ll be passing a downtown café in Chicago, and outside on the patio, you’ll see him. He’ll wave and smile and you’ll wave and smile back, the whole time trying to think of who he is.

Do I know him? Didn’t we go to high school together?” You’ll ask yourself. Or maybe you’re walking across a bridge in Dublin, and look, there she is, offering you that cigarette you’ve been craving all morning. You think you remember her name, but you won’t be sure, not really.

“Isn’t she my sister’s friend? The one who was dating that one guy?” It could be, but who knows? You’ll see her motioning for you to approach her, or you’ll see him offer you a seat, the way a casual acquaintance would. Go ahead, join them for a moment. You know each other, even if you lack the memory. Join them, and have yourself a chat. Follow them for a while if the opportunity comes about, it’s perfectly fine. After all, they may be a stranger, but that doesn’t mean you can’t trust them. It’s okay, just take a nice walk, and catch up if you can. Try to get their name if you can. It shouldn’t be that hard, it’s been on the tip of your tongue since you laid eyes on them at the bridge. Or in the parking lot. Or at the library.

 

If they seem friendly, it’s only because they are. Always urbane, always witty. No need to be cynical here, just because you lack the certainty of their motivations. If you begin to doubt that they are who they say they are, then feel free to ask as many questions as you please. Ask them anything, things like, “Who are you again?” or, “Where are we going?”  You’ll probably forget a few minutes later, but that’s okay. All that you need to stay focused on is the box.

 

Oh, did I forget to mention that, or did you already lose track of the situation? Well, you may want to check again, just to be sure. You’ll notice it eventually, tucked under one arm of your long lost friend. Your familiar friend, your pleasant friend. Yes, you’d be correct in saying that it is a box, a wooden box. Small and polished, with steal bolted to the trim. It’ll have a handle too, and even a lid. You won’t recognize this box. It’s something far too important to be swept under the carpet, even if it means nothing to you now. Despite the generally mundane nature of this small, banal box, you’ll still notice it regardless. It’s much too intriguing to ignore, in a simple way. Naturally, you’ll become curious, and conversation will inevitably lead to the contents. Here’s your chance to learn something, somethingvery interesting.

“What’s that for?” You ask the stranger. If you two find yourselves walking, your company will cease all movement. If you find yourselves near a bench or a few chairs, they’ll take a seat. No no, don’t worry about it, it’s perfectly normal. Just sit down, and try to enjoy yourself. If the mood is still right, the person you are with, whoever they may be, they’ll start to speak.

“Why do you want to know?” they’ll ask you, but only if you truly want to find out. Trust me, you do want to know.

Advertisements

“I was just wondering.” You’ll ask, or something similar to those words. Your friend, the stranger, they’ll start to smile. They’ll hold the box out in front of their chest, almost offering you to take a look inside.

“What do you think it’s for?” You won’t be sure how to answer that question. It could be anything for all you know. Anything at all, or nothing at all. Maybe even both. The stranger, if they are in fact a stranger, will see the confused look on your face. They’ll know that you don’t know, and smile.

“It’s a portal to hell. It’s every nightmare you’ve ever had.” They might say in grave voice. Or maybe, “It’s an abomination, a crime against nature, the likes of which you’ve never seen.” Or something like that. Then, they’ll stare at you, with a look of engraved seriousness.

 

Then you’ll laugh. You’ll both laugh; because there’s no way those things could be in that box. It would silly to think those things. There’s absolutely nothingdangerous about this box. Don’t even consider it. But, it does hold something that all containers hold until opened, an intangible thing. In that old box, in that strange and familiar box, held in the hands of that strange and familiar friend, there sits a secret ready to be rediscovered. More of a surprise really, a pleasant surprise. Definitely not a bad surprise. Just keep telling yourself that as reach towards the lid. Just keep telling yourself that you want to open the box.

 

Because you do want to open it, don’t you? Who doesn’t like a little adventure now and then? Now now, don’t worry about a thing. It’s normal to get a little nervous now and then, just so long as you don’t let those feelings get the best of you. Just have a little faith, and everything will be alright. Don’t be scared, it’s just an old wooden box, with a latch and a lid. Just open it up and take a look inside, just a little peek. It’s a good thing to be a little bit reckless now and then, curiosity has always been a good thing. Besides, what’s the worst thing that could possibly happen? It’s absolutely and perfectly safe.

Advertisements

 

So when you meet that certain familiar person, and you most certainly will, go ahead and just ask to look in that nice old box of theirs. Don’t be skeptical or rude or pessimistic. Open that box, and experience something that few others have. What’s there to lose? What’s the worst that can happen? It’s perfectly safe, so go ahead and look.

 

You can trust me.

 

Credit To – Stephan D. Harris

Please wait...

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.

41 thoughts on “Mauvaise Foi”

  1. Normalsteve Jacinto (Normalste

    You open the box to find a ring. Turns out your familiar and strange friend was your ex. What your ex said was true. It was something, really really abominable inside the box. You shouldn’t have opened the box, yet that is completely normal to be afraid. It is not like it is something reallydangerous. Your ex proceeds to propose. You most likely would say “No” but i advise you to say “Yes”. NOTHINGbad could possiblyhappen.

  2. Stephen D. Harris, the author, was the name of a character in previous pasta I read. Nice coincidence :P (Harlequin No. 7, I think?)

  3. Wait whaaat? This happened to u, u met someone out of the blue who seemed familiar, that’s fine but why would he give you a tattoo kit?

  4. I was listening to ‘Jar of Hearts’ while I read this, and my first reaction was ‘Holy s**t, I know what’s in the box! A jar of hearts!’
    My second reaction was to dismiss it as ridiculous.
    Anyway, great pasta. 9/10.

  5. im not into all these ritual pastas since they arent creepy and they remind me of a fifth grader’s “horror” story but this was good. 7/10

  6. The one in your dreams, the one you want to forget.

    I was sure it was going to say string. I bet that is what is in it!

  7. Funnily enough, almost this exact thing happened to me recently. I was staying with a couple of friends in Queensland, and we’d driven out to this pretty, wooded, rural area outside of the nearby towns. We stopped at this one place, and a guy came out to the car. As he was walking over, I could have sworn I’d seen him before, but surely not – I was on the other side of the country from my usual territory. But as he looked up, that same look of slightly confused recognition came across his face and he pointed at me.
    “You. I know you.”
    The conversation went around in a few startled, baffled circles before we came to the unsatisfying conclusion that we couldn’t figure it out completely but that we’d found at least a slightly-less-impossible scenario to (sort of) explain this familiarity… and then he handed me a box. Not quite so old as the one in the story, about the size of a shoebox, black, with metal trimmings on the corners and a metal handle.

    Now, if I’d read this beforehand, it might have made the whole thing even weirder and creepier than it was, and already it was kinda doing my head in trying to figure out where this guy could have known me from, and I have trouble recognising even people I know quite well, so why did /I/ suddenly feel like I recognised this guy, too?
    It plagued me for days.

    But the box? Well, that was my new tattoo kit. :D

    So… I guess the description from the story could be right? Depends on whether I am an incredibly bad tattooist or not, I guess? We’ll find out, I suppose. xD

  8. Although it’s not the best, it proves that second person CAN be used effectively if effort is made. Thank you author for your proof.

  9. Don’t worry, its just a secret string.

    Its not like pulling the string would revival a secret compartment containing a embarrassing photo of you at the Christmas party or anything.

  10. You know, I’m actually really excited about the continuation of the harlequin series Stephan’s been writing. The first of the series had been alright, but the second was better.

    I really do enjoy watching him grow as a writer, and since he’s started, he’s really progressed. Good work, 10/10

  11. Seriously love this author’s work. Good pasta, very good. Leaves you wondering, but not in a bad way- sort of like “The Lady and the Tiger,” that one story from fifth grade. Anyway, tasty pasta. 10/10

  12. I enjoyed this story, if not for the tale, then for the interesting lesson behind it all. The quote fits the plot of the pasta perfectly, and it truly makes one think. How many of us have forgotten someone’s face or name, only to have them see us in public and to our surprise instantly recognize us? When they say their name, do we truly recognize and remember them, or is it our mind merely fooling itself into the belief of having met the person? It is quite unsettling to think how an individual of less that righteous causes would mistreat the trust of a stranger.

    I am a fan of Stephan’s Pastas. Whether long or short, they are always a worthwhile read. I hope to only keep seeing more and more of your work. I give this a 9 out of 10.

  13. Endoplasmic Reticulum

    The box holds a cat, some poison, and a hydrogen atom. The cat exists in a flickering quantum state of being both alive and dead.

  14. This started out with a pretty decent plot to intrigue the audience enough to keep reading, but it lost its momentum and appeal very fast, bordering on repetative and boring by the end. Too much filler and not enough substance. The creep effect could have been great but it, too, lost its appeal when the novelty of the story wore off. 3/10

  15. I don’t know, I somehow expected more. I just read and read, waiting for “the creepy” to start, then at the part when your acquaintance tells you about the content of the box I was feeling spooky, and thought “Now it’s gonna start!” and then BUMP!
    This story ended before it started (for me). Also, it just reminded me way too much of Pandora’s tale, sorry. :/

    6/10

  16. I would have titled this,”important words are all in italics,”

    But not too bad! I often run into people who seem to know me, but i never really recognize them.

  17. The only thing I didn’t like about this pasta was the ending. I expected some twist, but the ending seemed kind of just a rushed way to end it.

  18. “What’s in the box!” -Brad Pitt

    I couldn’t connect to the theme, but that’s probably because I’ve never ran across a random acquaintance holding a box. I understand it’s a cautionary tale…”curiosity kills the cat” and “don’t talk to strangers” type fable vibe but I just couldn’t connect to it as a reader. Written well though.

  19. definitely creepy, but I think the best part was the last line, with the whole familiar faces thing, somehow its ironic cause of that one line “you can trust me”.

  20. Pretty vague pasta.
    As ‘ritual’ pastas go, if you can call this one, it was creepy for sure, and nicely mysterious.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top