Previously: “The Green Album.”
This week’s story — a Japanese creepypasta called “Hammer” that was most likely originally posted to 2ch — is old by internet standards; the best English translation I’ve found, available over at the sadly long-defunct Okaruto Tumblr, was originally posted in October of 2013. And since that version is the story in translation, that also means that in its original form, it’s even older.
It’s not long, but it’s effective despite of — or perhaps because of — its brevity. It’s also likely not a story that could be written today, as it relies on once-commonplace activities and technologies that have now become obsolete: VHS tapes and shopping in actual stores, as opposed to streaming services and shopping online.
[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]
I like it for both of those reasons: It understands how to do a lot with a little, and it pushes the nostalgia buttons for those of us who were around for the VHS era.
It’s also a fun little cautionary tale of the sort that many early creepypastas tended to be: If you find a poorly labeled thing that’s selling for a suspiciously cheap price… maybe don’t buy it.
Don’t bring it home.
And DEFINITELY don’t put it in your VCR.
***
The video rental place down the street was having a sale, so I decided to grab something to watch later. As I was going through the bins, I found a VHS tape that didn’t have any case. The only sign that anything was actually on the video was a white sticker with the word “Hammer” scrawled across it in black ink. I had no way of telling what the movie was about, but since it was only 100 yen, I decided to buy it anyway.
When I got home later that evening, I was dying to know what the video was. I put it in the VCR, and it began playing immediately.
It was night, and somebody was running down a nondescript road somewhere. The point of view was that of whoever was running, and for a few minutes the only thing on the screen was the camera’s bouncing as it made its way down the road.
“Pft, even 100 yen is too much for this shit…” I mumbled and opened my laptop. I left the video running in the background as I started messing around online. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the camera was still bobbing along, and whoever was holding it seemed to be getting tired. I could hear them panting heavily, but they continued running at the same speed.
I looked up when the panting became too strong to ignore. Something felt very wrong about images on the screen.
“Wait… I think I know this street!”
***
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[Photo via awojcikkk/Pixabay]
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