Previously: “Harvest Hill.”
This week, something short and not-so-sweet: “The Kaleidoscope,” a creepypasta that might make you think twice about bringing home that neat thing you just found at that out-of-the-way antique shop you stumbled onto by chance.
This one is filed under the Historical Archives tag at the Creepypasta Wiki, which is generally where stories circa 2010-2013 tend to reside; indeed, its notes over there state that it was uploaded in November of 2010. It does, however, seem to be older than that, though: Over at Creepypasta.com, it’s dated Oct. 13, 2008, making it officially old enough to vote.
[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]
Alas, “The Kaleidoscope’s” author has been lost to time — if indeed, there was ever a name attached to it in the first place. The thing that’s both maddening and fascinating about early creepypasta is that the matter of authorship was so very different than it is now: Part of what made these early stories so effective was the way they would just sort of… show up, with little or no identifying details about where they had come from or who had written them. It helped blur the line between fiction and reality, which is what so much of this era of creepypasta aimed to do.
Anyway. A word of advice: Don’t look through that kaleidoscope. You might not like what you see.
***
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 harbor. 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, mister.”
***
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[Photo via pictures101/Pixabay]
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