char *(null)="
muppet.dream
muppet.dream
From netcom.com!brianbet Fri Aug 19 07:42:46 1994
Xref: netcom.com alt.folklore.ghost-stories:6426
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Path: netcom.com!brianbet
From: brianbet@netcom.com (Brian Bethel)
Subject: A Television Tale o' Terror.
Message-ID:
Organization: Netcom Online Communications Services (408-241-9760 login: guest)
Date: Fri, 19 Aug 1994 04:01:42 GMT
Lines: 141
Hi, gang! It's me again with more Tales to Scare the Hell Ada Ya.
Sorry it's taken so long. Though I've responded to several threads,
there've been no new stories to spring forth from my terminal in quite
some time.
I have no idea why I feel compelled to respond to the Strange
Stuff Having to Do with Television thread. I've only told this story once
or twice, and although it was believed (as least, that's what THEY told me
;>) by the listeners, it's not something yo u'd usually post to a
newsgroup read by a bajillion people world-wide. But here it is, so deal
with it. :)
I will warn you now that this kind of sounds goofy. I honestly
don't know if this was the waking dream of a child, something
supernatural, or just something I ate. I leave it to you, gentle reader,
to decide.
But when I think about it, even all these years later, for some
reason it just rings true. I don't know why. Maybe with luck, I'll never
find out.
My Strange and Terrifying Television Experience
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay. Here's the scoop. (Yes, we newspaper types really do say
that!)
Long ago when I was about four or five, I stayed over at my
grandparents' house for the night. My Mom stayed over with me, because Dad
was out of town on business.
Granny and Granddad quite enjoyed their television programs, and
had a set in each of the two bedrooms in the house, as well as in the
living room. I was still stupid enough to believe TV's flickering,
mind-sucking images were pretty neat, so I was in he aven.
Night came on softly, as it only can when you feel safety and
warmth around you. With one of Granny's home-cooked meals in my stomach, I
had begun to feel the need for slumber. So, we all piled in the monstrous
king-sized bed in Granny and Granddad's mas ter bedroom, and soon we were
all snoring blissfully.
I woke up in the night and sat upright, looking around. Something
had disturbed my slumber. Granddad was still snoring rhythmically, and
Granny looked like she hadn't budged an inch, so I sat back and prepared
to visit the realm of dream once more.
Then the television turned itself on.
Now, I'm only 22 years old, but this was in the days when remote
controls were the providence of the wealthy and debased. Granny and
Grandad did not fit into any of those two categories.
To see a television turn itself on was an interesting thing. I sat
up again to see what would come on.
At that time, the TV in my grandparents' bedroom was a black and
white. I watched the white dot that had formed in the middle expand to
full screen, but only the static of a dead channel appeared.
Then, images began to appear.
I couldn't really describe them. They were sort of shadowy things
at first, but they seemed to be -- for lack of a better term -- "scoping
me out." Slowly, an actual image began to appear.
Muppets! The Muppets were on! I was exalted, elated. I wanted to
wake my grandparents up, but I then started to feel a bit uncomfortable
about what was happening on the television.
Muppets did not usually have fangs as I recall. At least, not ones
that looked so ... real and out of place in an otherwise standard
Muppet-style mouth.
I realize this is sounding goofy. You were warned. :)
Well, uncertain about what to do, I decided to keep a close watch
on the television.
The "Muppets" looked at me. It was common of course on Sesame
Street and the Muppet Show for them to acknowledge the audience, so I
wasn't alarmed so much by that.
I describe these things as Muppets because that's primarily what
they looked like. Other than the rows and rows of unusual teeth, one
looked vaguely Groveresque and the other sort of reminded me of Harry the
Monster (don't know if he's even ON Sesame Str eet anymore).
The Groveresque Muppet leaned over and pointed at me, while
whispering something to his companion. They looked at me in unison,
whispering all the while in a strange, unusually guttural tongue. It
sounded completely random, although it did somehow seem t o follow the
meter and pattern of a language.
I noticed when the Groveresque Muppet pointed, he had very long,
distinct talons on his furry hands. This, too, was quite disturbing.
The Muppets began to dance, sing and cavort about in that strange
language of theirs. It was sort of amusing, I recall. I began to feel a
bit more at ease.
The Muppets motioned for me to come forward.
I shook my head.
The Muppets tried again.
I shook my head. I was beginning to feel frightened. If there ever
was a way Muppets could look pissed, these guys were doing it. With all
those rows of fangs, it wasn't pretty.
I should mention that all of this singing, dancing, cavorting
horror that was going on seemed to in no way disturb my grandparents. This
disturbed me as well, because these guys were LOUD.
I got out of bed and crept into the living room, being careful to
avoid approaching the screen. The Muppet-things wore visages of absolute
anger now, motioning violently for me to approach the screen. My attempts
rouse my grandmother and grandfather were in vain; they would not stir.
I ran into the living room, crying. I collapsed in my Granddad's
chair, buried my face into the fabric, and began to weep, certain doom had
come for me.
I looked over at the television in the corner of the living room.
It had already begun to turn itself on, the shadow-forms that had
dissolved into the Henson-styled horrors already beginning to flicker
across its surface.
I screamed, rooted to the spot. But as the scream left my lungs
and two grinning, fanged faces burst into being on the television screen,
faintly and then with increasing tempo I heard footsteps.
The things in the television looked worried, swirled into their
shadow-forms and were gone.
The television winked out just as my Mother ran into the room.
After consoling me, we went to check on Granny and Granddad. They
were both awake, and had heard me scream.
We all sat up for a while talking, and eventually the warmth and
love returned to fill the chill in my soul.
I went to bed and nothing more happened that night. Or any other
night I stayed with my grandparents.
A waking dream? Probably so. But one that still fills me with
terror.
I was awake of course, Mom will still assert, when I was in the
chair. So, I did move somehow from the bed to the chair.
Still, it gives one pause. What better way to snare a young boy
than to show him something he loves, then pull him in unawares?
Whatever those two things were, I'm sure the Muppet-forms were not
their natural shape. I'm sure the fangs and talons were part of it,
though.
If they're still out there, I hope they haven't had much time to
practice those forms. If they could get them just right ...
I still wonder what would have happened -- dream or not -- if I
had put my then-small hands up to the screen there in my grandparents'
bedroom.
Perhaps nothing.
And then again, perhaps it's better not to know.
Next time, I'll post some real ghost stories. But the TV thread
made remember this.
In case you're wondering, I don't watch much television anymore.
It all seems so ... diabolical. ;)
Until next time,
Brian
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