www.nothingsnormal.comLegends of mysterious evil creatures that lurk in the shadows waiting to strike are nothing new as for centuries, sharing spooky stories was a thrilling way to pass the hours after dark.
These bogeymen differ from culture to culture and until recently it has only been word of mouth and the odd snippet of crackly video that has revealed them to a wider audience. But the internet has changed all that and now these terrifying beings can be seen (from behind cushions) the world over.
Here are some of the most spine-tinglingly scary monsters that have got the internet sleeping with the lights on…
Slender Man
mirror.co.ukThis tall, skinny character is said to abduct and kill children after first appearing lurking in the background of their photos. The Slender Man was created on June 10, 2009 on a thread in the Something Awful Internet forum – a photoshop contest in which users were challenged to edit everyday photographs to appear paranormal. However since then he has taken on a life of his own, after readers of his fiction were connected to several violent acts, particularly a near-fatal stabbing in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
The Rake
monster.wikia.comThis terrifying humanoid is said to walk on all fours, watching its victims as they sleep before killing them as soon as they wake. Primarily focused in rural New York state and once found in Idaho, self proclaimed witnesses told stories of their encounters with a creature of unknown origin with one detailed online description describing it as having “a hinged skull that opens at the chin.”
Jeff The Killer
i09.gizmodo.comThis is Jeff the Killer, whose face was burned off with acid and who hides in your closet, telling you to ‘go to sleep’ First surfacing in 2008, the story goes that a young boy woke to find his window open, curtains blowing in the wind. After closing everything once more he returned to bed – only to be swamped by the pale-faced ghoul pictured above. The strange face has sparked countless pieces of bizarre fan art and even a female spin-off bogeywoman known as Jane the Killer.
Smile Dog
mirror.co.ukThis truly creepy image of a Siberian Husky with human teeth has freaked out millions of people across the web after it first emerged several years ago. No one is sure where it came from but some versions of the photo also feature two bloodied fingerprints, adding an even more sinister dimension to an already chilling image.
The Grifter
Often described as ‘the most disturbing video on the Internet’ The Grifter has been shared millions of times and its origins are shrouded in mystery. Some of the scenes are said to be taken from a film called Little Otik but that hasn’t stopped the eerie footage of the strange character freaking out viewers.
Mereana Mordegard Glesgorv
This weird video became a phenomenon in 2008 with the story accompanying it claiming the 20-second clip was taken from a 2-minute version which had to be taken down when disturbed viewers took to harming themselves.
20 seconds of a silent face staring out of the screen is definitely unnerving but the full version – if it exists – has never surfaced leading many to claim it is just a hoax.
The Smiling Man
www.wattpad.comThis story has gained incredible momentum since it was posted to Reddit in 2012. It tells the tale of one man’s terrifying late night encounter with a deranged smiling man whilst out a walk through some deserted city streets and was considered so scary that it was one of a selection of tales turned into a short film last Halloween.
Redditor blue_tidal wrote:
I lived in that city for six months after that night, and I never went out for another walk. There was something about his face that always haunted me. He didn’t look drunk, he didn’t look high. He looked completely and utterly insane. And that’s a very, very scary thing to see.
