I always wanted to know why. Why could I not be outside between 2 and 2:30AM? I asked my mom all the time when I was younger. She always said that I just shouldn’t. That there were some things that only adults should know. I started just accepting that as normal. Everyone followed the rule. Everyone said it was not to be broken. That was just the way it was supposed to be.

I used to think that everyone followed this rule, not just our town. I found out a while back that this wasn’t true, which made me wonder again why no one could be out at that time. I’ve asked many people the same question: “Why can’t we be outside between 2 and 2:30AM?”. Classmates, my parents, teachers… hell, even the dentist.

My classmates never knew the answer, they were just children as well after all. My parents and teachers didn’t want to tell me. The dentist flat-out admitted to not knowing. Despite that, it was ingrained into everyone in the town. It annoyed me if I’m honest, why would no one tell me? And if several people didn’t even know the reason, why follow the rule?

Today, I couldn’t take it anymore, I had to know. So, I got some stuff together: snacks, a power bank for my phone, a flashlight of course, and a knife, for self-defence in case something happened. I’m planning on heading out tonight around 1AM. My parents will be asleep at that point and I should be able to sneak out. I’ll be logging everything that happens on my phone using speech to text, so that I can post it here. Just in case there is something out there, I have it set so that whatever has been logged will auto-post at 3AM.

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*

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00:51AM.

It’s time to get going. I have all my supplies in a small backpack, and I’m headed down the stairs from my room to the front door. It’s gonna take a while to unlock that without making too much noise…

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01:02AM

I’ve successfully unlocked and relocked the door, I have the keys with me of course. Good thing I took my winter jacket with me, it is cold as fuck. I think I’ll just wander around waiting for 2AM.

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01:08AM

It feels weird seeing my town during the dark. All the familiar locations suddenly feel alien and threatening. The playground doesn’t look like a happy place where there’s always kids playing. Instead it feels ominous, dangerous almost. The houses are almost all dark of course. Even the house that during the day has music on loud enough to deafen anyone within a 2 mile radius. Now even that house lay dark and quiet.

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01:33AM

Y’know, I really should have left later. I’ve almost fully looped my town at this point, and there’s still half an hour to go. Guess that’s useful intel for the next time that I decide to sneak out for the express purpose of being outside at 2AM. Can’t exactly abort the mission now though. If I headed back home, snuck inside and then snuck back outside It would already be past 2AM. Might as well stay outside.

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01:54AM

I’m starting to feel pretty nervous if I’m honest. After all: everyone follows this rule, and most are terrified of being outside at this time due to it. Surely there has to be a good reason for it beside “It’s very dark out at that time.”? But it’s too late to head back already, it’d take me at least 5 minutes to get back home, then I would also need to unlock the door quietly, so I guess I’m committing to this.

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02:00AM

I wasn’t really expecting anything to happen, but I can’t help but be a little let down by the absence of anything happening. I think I’ll stick around a few more minutes and then head back.

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02:04AM

Okay. I have no idea which way to head back. This place seems unfamiliar for some reason. I don’t think I’ve passed this part of the town ever before. Not to worry, I’ll find a signpost or something.

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02:06AM

I am starting to panic a little bit. This isn’t what the town looks like. I’ve lived here for 16 years, there’s no place I haven’t thoroughly explored! Why don’t I recognise this place?!

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02:09AM

Shit’s starting to get real weird. Every house in this row has their lights on. It’s past 2AM, that makes no sense. What the-? Fuck, shit, there’s a fucking person standing in front of the window in every house. The fuck?!

Just breathe… I’m fine… I’ll keep walking… I’ll find the way again…

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02:13AM

I’m don’t know what the fuck is going on man, there’s a fucking tree in the middle of the road. Is there…? HOLY FUCK! Ah. Haha. You, you scared me there! You happen to know the way to *****street?

…

Sir?

Why are you smiling like that?

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02:14AM

*Heavy breathing* I… I think I lost him… Fuck dude, motherfucker just suddenly sprinted at me. Damnit! Why the fuck do I not recognize any of these places?!? Things don’t make sense! Trees in the middle of the road… Entire rows of houses with all their lights on… There’s random people everywhere too, but they’re… different. They don’t feel normal. They’re more shadows than anything. They all have this weird fucking smile on too, fuck! I can feel them y’know, all staring at me at once. They’re everywhere…!

Need… to… find… my… way… back…

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02:19AM

They’re chasing me! THEY’RE FUCKING CHASING ME!! FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK! Fuck, dead end! Gotta fight them, I sure hope the knife I brought does the trick!

…

Huh?

Mom…? Dad…? Is that you…? Don’t smile like that… Please…

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The… knife…?

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Is that… the way… back... home…?