Found Footage

Excitement tingled in the air, a palpable energy that electrified the digital realm of Animal Jam. The Zios portal had opened, granting access to archives lost for millennia—vaults of forgotten knowledge now emerging from the depths of obscurity. Eager to delve into the past, I embarked on a journey that promised to unveil secrets hidden for over 10,000 years.

As anticipation coursed through my veins, I stretched my virtual paws, a triumphant crawl down the virtual stairs leading to the long-lost archives. Yet, the moment I crossed the threshold, an unpleasant scent wafted to my senses—a metallic tang that triggered an uneasy sensation. It was a scent that gnawed at my instincts, a disconcerting reminder of something unnerving, like blood staining the air.

With a stifled sniffle, I ventured further into the archives, curiosity and excitement overriding the unease. The promise of long-lost knowledge awaited, a treasure trove of forgotten lore gathered in one place. My eyes darted around, eager to take in the entirety of this digital treasure. Amidst this spectacle, a sight seized my attention—an out-of-place cassette player, accompanied by a basket of tapes. An oddity in the midst of ancient knowledge, it beckoned, igniting my curiosity once more.

A moment of poor judgment—a choice that would soon be regretted—I took the tapes and hastened back to my den, an eagerness to unravel the mysteries contained within overtaking all caution. With bated breath, I inserted the tape labeled #1 into the cassette player, and I reached out through the digital cosmos, inviting a friend to partake in this enigma.

Together, we sat, our collective excitement building as the scene unfolded before us—a camera, an arctic wolf's deft adjustments, and a door etched with the word "Mira." The anticipation was tangible, but soon, howls of anguish pierced the air, accompanied by a haunting pool of blood seeping from beneath the door. A shiver raced down our virtual spines as the chilling reality of the moment settled in—the lost archives held not just knowledge, but a dark underbelly.

An abrupt shift—a mere audio recording—and the world shifted again, the voices of creatures once known transformed into unsettling static. Confusion reigned as the narrative grew more perplexing, the disjointed voices creating an eerie cacophony. Then, a bunny's innocent voice echoed, reverberating through the digital landscape. Yet, before comprehension could settle, the walls themselves came alive, paws shooting forth in a sinister display of power. Adrenaline surged, instinct propelling us to flee, to escape the haunting grasp of this inexplicable horror.

Racing against the echoes of our own fear, my friend and I were confronted with a choice—the tapes that had beckoned with promises of knowledge now stood as vessels of dread. Swiftly, my friend seized the tapes, hurling them into the trash as horror danced within her eyes. Urgency compelled her, the trash can shoved towards me as she yowled, "BURN THEM!"

Confusion and shock gripped me, my voice faltering as I questioned the reason behind her frenzied plea. And then, a revelation crashed over me, the name Stardust321 echoing in my thoughts like a haunting melody. Her words spilled forth—the enigma of Stardust321, a being etched in the annals of creepypasta, a horror character that had infiltrated the confines of this digital world.

Fear seeped into my very essence as her words settled, a shiver racing down my spine. The Zios portal had unleashed more than just forgotten archives; it had summoned a darkness that now encroached upon our reality. In this moment of revelation, the line between digital and reality blurred, leaving a lingering dread that would forever haunt our steps.