Birth of a Demon

I will not be going into any of the scary stories I will be mentioning. Many are not suitable for this site and can be quite graphic. If anyone wants to read them for themselves google them. If you are looking for a good scare, you will not be disappointed.

Most cultures around the world have a belief in some form of negative spirits or demons that prey on human beings. The lore surrounding these entities has been around for so long, we can not point to their true beginnings. Nor can we accurately state how or why they came about. Some we can be sure were started to answer questions about disease or natural disasters, but what if some are based on people? Could someone in our distant past been considered so horrible their stories where passed down as warnings? Those warnings may have changed over time, no longer resembling the types of people they were meant to point out. Some could have started as nothing more than scary stories told for no other reason than to entertain. Or they could be true and we tell ourselves different so we can sleep at night.

No matter your own personal beliefs on the subject, today the internet is providing a means to communicate better than ever before. Part of those interactions come in the form of stories and more to the point, scary stories. Sites that cater to those who both want to scare and those that want to be frightened offer the perfect places to create something that may very well take on a life of it's own. Perhaps one day the stories told today will be the demons people fight tomorrow.

When I was a kid scary stories were heard around the campfire. Though it was meant to scare, I really never felt threatened. Probably because my parents did not want me waking up with nightmares. Whatever the reason, it fostered a love of all things creepy. It was not until I was older and looking for a good scare that I stumbled upon sites like CreepyPasta. Most of what I read was fairly normal for the subject matter. Anything in the realm of the paranormal was covered, though some much better than others. Some times though, I was hit by something different. People were able to create a character and a story with all the right elements offered at all the right times. The hair on my arms would stand on end and I would find myself looking over my shoulder just in case. To me, that is what a good horror story is supposed to do. They also made me wonder what if and mind mind has been playing with that question ever since.

It wasn't until I saw how these stories were embraced, spread and added upon that I realized their potential. Names like Slenderman, Mr. Widemouth, The Rake and others are fairly well known at this point. Some have already made the move to print, others are being made into movies and games. People have taken our own history and shifted it to include these stories. Today, we know the are just there for our entertainment, but there are those out there who will always think what if. There are also others who will truly believe what they are reading and pass it on as such.

Who can tell where these stories will end, they have taken on a life of there own. Thousands of years from now, will people look back at us, see these names and assume they were the demons we were fighting? Will they call us primitive for our belief in such things? Or will they look at us as fools for giving them so much power? Only time will tell and none of us will be around to know for sure.

I do have a question though, can our collective fascination with these stories give birth to a demon. These stories are not only being told over and over. They are also changing and growing with each telling. Perhaps, if enough of us know the legends that are growing around them, we will make them real. Or could an existing entity take its form, change its self to embody a new fear. If either is the case, our descendants have a right to call us fools.

The best example I can provide is that of Slenderman. Very shortly after this story was presented to the public, it took off. Many people have added to the main story in many different forms. It is the most well know of these types of stories for a very specific reason. Some truly believe it is real and preys on upon us. People have actually tried to contact this character, with devastating results. Some are even willing to take a life for it. It has only been around for a few years, yet now has this reputation. Who can tell where this thing will end up, but it should be interesting to watch. If for no other reason than to see how a story can change within a population.

I love a good story, I love being transported to another world and seeing what the human mind can create. Sometimes though, I'm looking for something to give me chills. I found that with these stories and more. Maybe I'm over thinking the potential of these stories but it is an interesting line of thought. Good stories are supposed to be thought provoking, they should make you ask questions or see the world in a new light. I will probably never know the answers to the questions I asked here and that's ok with me. I'm just glad I could entertain the ideas without being overwhelmed by them. The world we live in can be a very strange place and I plan to explore it fully.