Mark and Lisa had just returned from their European vacation and were eager to get back to their routine in Waldorf, MD. As they drove down 301, they noticed something strange. As they passed Circuit City (the one in that intersection), a bright flash of light blinded them. When they opened their eyes, they saw that the streets were completely empty.

Lisa: “What’s going on? Where did everyone go?”

Mark: “I don’t know. It’s like they all just vanished.”

As they walked down the deserted streets, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. They stopped by a store and noticed that everything was in its place as if people had just disappeared into thin air.

Mark: “This is so creepy. It’s like everyone just vanished into thin air.”

Lisa: “And look at these clothes. They’re still warm. This just happened.”

As they continued to explore the empty stores, they heard a strange noise. It sounded like footsteps, but they couldn’t see anyone.

Mark: “Do you hear that?”

Lisa: “Hear what?”

Mark: “Footsteps. It sounds like someone’s following us.”

Lisa: “Stop being paranoid. There’s no one here.”

But the footsteps persisted, getting louder and closer. Suddenly, they turned around and saw a shadowy figure with the shape of a grotesque and unsettling mass of appendages, melded together in an unnatural form. Its many limbs and twisted extremities contorted in ways that defied the laws of physics, while its multitude of heads and faces stared in all directions (it looked as if all the people that disappeared were stuck together) in the distance.

Lisa: “What is that?”

Mark: “I don’t know, but we have to get out of here. Now.”

They ran as fast as they could towards their home. The entity was getting closer, and they could feel its cold breath on the back of their necks. They could hear its eerie whispers, but they couldn’t make out what it was saying.

Finally, they reached their home, but the entity was still following them. As they entered the house, another flash of light blinded them. When they opened their eyes, they found themselves back in their reality. The streets were busy, and people were going about their business as usual.

Mark and Lisa were relieved to be back in their reality, but they couldn’t shake the feeling of terror that had consumed them during their time in that place.

Mark: “What the hell just happened?”

Lisa: “I have no idea. But we have to tell someone about this.”

Mark: “Who would believe us? They’ll just think we’re crazy.”

Lisa: “I don’t care. I don’t want to keep this to ourselves. It was too real.”

As they sat in their living room, trying to make sense of what had happened, they heard a strange noise. It sounded like whispers, but they couldn’t see anyone.

Mark: “Did you hear that?”

Lisa: “Hear what?”

Mark: “Whispers. It sounds like someone’s here with us.”

Lisa: “Stop it, Mark. You’re scaring me.”

But the whispers persisted, getting louder and closer. Suddenly, the shadowy figure they had seen before appeared in front of them. It was even more terrifying up close. The shadow was made up of many limbs, heads, and feet, all twisted together into a grotesque shape.

Mark and Lisa tried to run, but the entity was too fast. It chased them around the house, its whispers turning into deafening screams. They could feel its cold breath on their necks and the weight of its limbs crushing them.

Just as they thought they were done for, another flash of light blinded them. When they opened their eyes, they found themselves back in their reality. They were lying on the ground, disoriented and scared.

Mark and Lisa knew that their lives would never be the same, and that the memory of the entity would haunt them forever. They never spoke of the incident to anyone.