Red Room: Creepy Urban Legend
Today I was just reminded of an old uban legend from the olden days of the internet. It's called "red room." It's said that if you spent enough time online, a mysterious pop-up (you can tell this is old) would show itself and if you tried to close it, you would die. Messing online, I found an old Flash of that. See here for Flash See below for my thoughts (please do it after watching it.) To continue through the dialogue, click using the mouse.
Even though I know it isn't real, watching it gave me the creeps.
SPOILERS / TRANSLATION
The story starts with two students talking about an internet uban legend (see above) and decide to see if it's real. They make a little bet and promise to call the other if it happens. After going home, our main character logs on (the old yahoo page no less) and search this legend. Eventually the evil pop up show up after many hours. When it pops up, a strange voice says, "Anata wa, suki desu ka?" (So, do you like it?) Between the phrases, there is a black line...
The student tries calling his friend to tell him that the pop-up does in fact exist. But, his friend doesn't answer...
He then remembers that to close the window would mean that he would die. After wondering if it was true and if so, who would make such a thing, he decides to try closing it...
When he gathers his courage, he x-s out only for the pop-up to reappear saying, "So, do you like it?" Thinking, "Well, if it's supposed to kill you if you close it, and I can't close it, then it can't kill me can it?" he clicks it closed repeatedly to no avail...
And with each window closing it got stranger... more words appeared. The window would close then reopen, without even clicking on it!!
"So do you like it, this...."
"So do you like it, this red...."
"So do you like it, this red room?"
Suddenly, the window is redirected to a strange site. Red background and black lettering... a screen filled with names after name. At the very bottom of the list is a familiar name, the student's friends name...
Unable to get off the site or shut the computer down, the student is unprepared when the curse of the red room makes its move.
"So do you like it..."
The next day, classmates comment on the news that two students from another class have met their end.
And at the bottom of the red and black list is that student's name, next to his friend's...
END TRANSLATION
Pretty creepy, right?
Even though I know it isn't real, watching it gave me the creeps.
SPOILERS / TRANSLATION
The story starts with two students talking about an internet uban legend (see above) and decide to see if it's real. They make a little bet and promise to call the other if it happens. After going home, our main character logs on (the old yahoo page no less) and search this legend. Eventually the evil pop up show up after many hours. When it pops up, a strange voice says, "Anata wa, suki desu ka?" (So, do you like it?) Between the phrases, there is a black line...
The student tries calling his friend to tell him that the pop-up does in fact exist. But, his friend doesn't answer...
He then remembers that to close the window would mean that he would die. After wondering if it was true and if so, who would make such a thing, he decides to try closing it...
When he gathers his courage, he x-s out only for the pop-up to reappear saying, "So, do you like it?" Thinking, "Well, if it's supposed to kill you if you close it, and I can't close it, then it can't kill me can it?" he clicks it closed repeatedly to no avail...
And with each window closing it got stranger... more words appeared. The window would close then reopen, without even clicking on it!!
"So do you like it, this...."
"So do you like it, this red...."
"So do you like it, this red room?"
Suddenly, the window is redirected to a strange site. Red background and black lettering... a screen filled with names after name. At the very bottom of the list is a familiar name, the student's friends name...
Unable to get off the site or shut the computer down, the student is unprepared when the curse of the red room makes its move.
"So do you like it..."
The next day, classmates comment on the news that two students from another class have met their end.
And at the bottom of the red and black list is that student's name, next to his friend's...
END TRANSLATION
Pretty creepy, right?