Hello, after years of reading other peoples encounters and experiences i have decided to share with you one of my many personal experiences in the area i live. If people want i will gladly share more, my home area is full of the weird and unexplained.
Some background before we start, i live in the most northern part of Norway. which is also the most northern part of Europe. My home leis well above the arctic circle, this means for those of you unaware that we have very short summers where the sun never sets and very long winters where the sun never rises. Those long and cold months of darkness in the end and beginning of the year have made us into a understandably superstitious kind.
There where many tales meant to safeguard us safe growing up, You have "Stallo" the mountain troll who steals children who wander to far away from their home. You have the "Myling" who you will not see but you can hear it stalk you , letting out the cries of a baby. And the "Nøkk" who leis in waiting beneath the surface of lakes and rives , waiting to drown any unsuspecting swimmers.
My story begins when i was 16 years, i had just gotten my hunting license and my father had even bought me shotgun for my birthday. This was big for me as i had always followed my father on hunting trips as a child but never had i actually shot grouse myself. My father is the stereotypical northern Norwegian. He knows everything about the outdoors , and he can endure any hardship or weather with the same unwavering sense of macabre humor. Once his fingers got stuck in a saw at his workplace and peeled the skin of his middle finger like a banana peel. He promptly bandaged it up by himself and kept going. He did not consider going to the doctors to get it looked at before almost two weeks had past and the stench of the bandages made him unbearable to stay in close proximity with. In the end he needed a skin transplant and several weeks off work before his hand was remotely usable again.
So the time of year comes when the sun is out for a few hours in the morning, and me and my dad takes the journey to the cabin. This includes an hour of driving and a further hour of boat. You see our cabin is in a remote area without any road access, so the only way to get there is by a ferry. This means we somewhat always knows who is out there since most people only stay over the weekend when there are no holidays and the ferry only goes Fridays and Sundays during the weekend. That being said, there never are more than a handful people out there at the same time, Spread out on a area that is roughly larger than my home town. This time on the other hand it was only me and my father taking the ferry that Friday so i knew we where going to be left alone over the weekend.
Arriving on that small pier by the cabin i could finally breath in the fresh air of untouched nature that have always been soothing for my soul. Its like you leave behind all your troubles at home because out here they are irrelevant. At the cabin the only things that matter is the things that keep you safe , warm and fed. We then dug out our snowmobile that was parked near the pier and drove the short trip over to the cabin. That night i we mostly spent preparing noose traps and lunch for the next day. My father told old stories of when he went hunting back in the days and such, and we shared in a "ceremonial" hunters shot of single malt whiskey. I slept well that night as i normally do when the peace and quiet of the cabin comes over me.
We got out of the cabin late the following morning due to us just enjoying the calming of a morning with no obligations. This would turn out to be a mistake however, you see the key point is to be out early so you can utilize the sunlight as much as possible. We knew this but sometimes you just want to sit down and eat a lazy breakfast and watch morning TV.
When we had arrived at the lavvu (imagine a winter version of a teepee) that we had set up that summer next to a lake (which was now frozen ofcourse). My father decided that he would take it easy that day and get the lavvu warmed up, so that when i returned from the mountain there would be warm food and drink waiting for me. I had previously spent a lot of time by myself around the area so walking around the mountain alone never bothered me and still does not to this day.
So i started walking up the mountain overlooking the lake, it was difficult due to the heavy snow and me not bringing my skies. Instead i opted for using a old pair of snowshoes that was hanging in the cabin. This resulted in me using way more time than needed to get up to where i could find some grouse i might shoot. As i knew from previous experiences that this was a area they would be in.
After a lot of effort i made it up and the area despite being full of tracks and feces, it was abandoned. you see it had snowed that night and part of morning so the tracks must have been somewhat fresh yet i could not hear or see anything. So i stalked the forest upon that mountain for and hour without any traces of life. That is probably when i noticed the silence..its like what people with similar experiences say, there is always this deafening silence that preludes something bad. Like all the animals know to get out there. I remembered for the first time since childhood that i felt uneasy about being alone up there. But of course i was not about go empty handed back to my father so i continued.
As i was walking around listening intently to any sound that might give away any other form of life , i remember being amazed at how loud my footsteps was (at this point i was a tall yet skinny boy around 70kg/154lbs). Even tho i walked as slow and controlled as humanly possible. The uneasy feeling creeping closer and closer to the point where i decided to take a quick snack brake and regain my previously calm state of mind.
as i walked back to a clearing overlooking the lake my footsteps seemed to almost lighten and i felt more relaxed and at ease again. I sat down on a rock and ate a bar of chocolate i had brought and enjoyed the sun on my face, ridiculing myself for being spooked of what essentially was nothing,
Thats when i heard the footsteps..coming from the direction i had just been in. Loud and heavy footsteps of a grown man. I know this because as anyone can tell you the sound of a biped walking on two feet is quite distinct from four legged creatures such as moos or bear, especially in heavy snow. I tried calling out because i immediately thought it was my father who had a change of hearth yet no reply. I sat there on the rock watching the direction of the footsteps as they grew louder and louder. Several times i called out and yet i received no reply.
Feeling uneasy again i decided to take out my phone and try to call my father. There on my phone i had an unread message from my father delivered 3 min ago. "Coffee and lunch is ready". Simultaneously the footsteps where somehow getting louder and louder and i knew whatever was at the other end was not my father. This and knowing that we where supposed to be the only two people in a radius of many many kilometres, made me instantly jump up. I grabbed my shotgun and nopped out of there as soon as i had tightened my snowshoes. As i was making way at all heist i could hear whatever was stalking me pick up the pace. And i realized that the sound of my own footsteps and whatever it was that was after me was almost synchronized to the point that there was only a slight difference in when our feet hit the ground.
I realized since then that whatever it was had followed me since i had entered the forest on the mountain, and was the cause of why i felt like my footsteps where abnormally loud. I remember trying my best to run in hip deep snow, not caring that the thick layer of branches hit my cold face leaving red marks all over. It came to the point where i could hear the extra pair of footprints no more than maybe 5 meters behind me, yet when i turned around there was nothing. I pushed all i had and when i finally manage to reach the frozen lake on the other side from the lavvu the extra pair of footsteps just stopped.
Exhausted by the kilometre plus run i high snow i made my way to the lavvu. My father seemed almost amused by how tired i seemed. He handed me a hot cup of coffee and asked if saw anything. I dint know what to say and was honestly embarrassed by what had occurred so i said only that i had spotted many tracks yet no birds.
However i later years i have asked him about this and other strange occurrences around the area and the answer have always been roughly the same. "Dont worry about it and dont ask about it, somethings are better ignored".
Edit:
First off all wow , this really blew up beyond what i have imagined, thank you all for the support and kind words! I have decided to share more stories from my area and personal experiences.
Further, as i have gotten requests from people who want to read my story on YouTube i figured id just make an announcement here as well for future reference:
Any one are free to share ,copy or read or utilize the story in whatever manner they see fit. If this story brings any joy (or dread) to anyone in these trying times i will be very happy.
Stay safe out there - y4m8
Fifty-seven days ago, I woke up to find that all color had drained from my face. My pores were gone. Where there used to be tiny blackheads was only smooth, even skin. The bump of my nose had turned into a smooth bridge ending in a sharper tip and my originally round chin had turned more pointed.
My lips had turned as white as paper and when I raised my hand to wipe over my eyebrows, the short dark hairs came off and fell into the sink below the mirror I was looking into. I shut my eyes and ran my thumb over the other one as well. Now both were gone. I leaned closer to the mirror. My eyes were the same, yet the tiny wrinkles I used to have in their corners had disappeared. When I opened my mouth, I found that my teeth had blended together to form two closed, seamless white rows.
I was terrified, to say the least. Confused. It didn't feel real. Was I dreaming this? I rubbed my eyes, only to gasp in shock when I pulled back to find my long, black lashes in my hands. I looked up at the mirror again, the face of a mannequin staring back. Then I fell unconscious.
I woke up back in bed. Dana and Michael were sitting by my side. They adopted me at the age of eight and have shown me nothing but love and doting care throughout the years, but I could never refer to them as mom and dad without feeling incredibly uncomfortable. I had expected them to look scared and worried, but they appeared to be weirdly elated.
Dana reached down to the small tray resting on her thighs. It held a wet cloth, a cup of tea and a little plate with some pancakes on it. She grabbed the cloth and gently began dabbing my eyes and forehead with it. When she removed it, I could see that the remaining hairs of my brows and lashes were stuck to it. I slowly sat up in bed. I wanted to say something, ask what was going on, but noticed in horror that I could hardly move my lips. Opening and closing my mouth worked well enough, but I couldn't contort it properly to form words.
"What…" I managed to press out.
Dana smiled. "It's okay, Christine. Here." She lifted the cup of tea to my lips. "Have some of this, it'll calm you down."
I obediently took the cup out of her hands and drank a few sips of tea.
"Sit up straight," she instructed me as she proceeded to place the tray on my knees. She let me hand her the teacup and gestured for me to eat. My gaze flitting between Michael and her, I grabbed the fork and knife lying on either side of the plate and began to eat. As my teeth repeatedly came down onto the pieces of syrup-drenched pancake, slowly and laboriously turning them to mush, I felt tears form in my eyes. My hopes of this being a bad dream were fading.
"Is it good?" Michael asked.
I nodded quietly, suppressing a sob as I swallowed my bite of pancake.
"You're probably very scared right now," he said softly. "But don't worry, it'll all be fine. I know it's hard now, but it's all going to be over soon."
I tilted my head at him, trying to utter a question through stiff, unresponsive lips.
"You'll understand soon enough," he replied, smiling gently as he took out a hairbrush, leaned in and began to run it through my short light brown locks, carefully arranging them into large, orderly curls again. "You must be very scared. Trust me though, we'll take care of you."
They knew what was happening. As soon as I realized this, I felt my stomach churn. I slowly laid down my cutlery and raised my head. Tears were now freely streaming down my numb cheeks.
In the following days, Dana and Michael's demeanor towards me changed. They were still friendly and affectionate, but something about the way they were acting was lacking sincereness. It felt staged and disconcerting. I would catch them talking behind my back more and more often as well. For example, one time they were having a conversation in the kitchen and instantly fell silent when I came in. And then there was the thing about the doctor.
Of course, I wanted to get my face back. I thought I had fallen ill or something. However my requests of making an appointment or going straight to the hospital were gently but firmly denied. I wasn't allowed to go outside, which I didn't notice at first since there was no way I could leave the house looking like I did anyways. But then I listened in on Dana calling my boss at the clothing store I work at and telling them I had come down with a bad flu. She said it would take a while for me to come back in. At the time, I didn't really think much of it. At least not as much as I do now.
Michael and Dana would continue to keep me inside. In fact, they decreed strict bed rest, which is where they proceeded to keep me. Michael bought me a tv for my room and set it up right in front of my bed so I could see it from where I was resting. Dana would continuously cook my favorite meals and bring them to me. One of them would be by my side almost all day. We would play games or read together. I love to paint, so Dana carried my little desk with all my equipment on it over to my bedside. She'd even sit still and let me paint her.
It was nice, being pampered like that. It took my mind off my situation. In hindsight, that was probably what they had intended in the first place. My love for them and my comfort made me blind. They did give me an explanation for the disappearance of my face.
"It's a family curse," Dana told me. "At a certain age, our kids lose their facial features. It was like that with me too. It can stay like that for weeks or even months, but it will go back to normal after a while. I thought it wasn't going to affect you, but I guess I was wrong. It's not that bad though. All you have to do is rest." She then kissed me on the forehead and handed me the remote control.
"I look scary, don't I?" I asked. That was what I wanted to ask at least. I still couldn't really move my lips too well, so what came out was probably just a helpless string of barely comprehensible words. Dana however seemed to understand them just fine.
"Not to me, sweetheart," she replied, leaning in to give me a hug.
I felt so safe. Everything was nice and warm. I enjoyed eating tasty things and just playing around all day. I believed Dana and Michael. I had no reason not to. That was until I overheard a conversation between them that had probably not been meant for my ears. It was late at night and I was half asleep already when I heard Dana crying in her and Michael's bedroom. Concerned, I silently got out of bed and snuck downstairs. I was about to knock on their door when I heard Michael speak up.
"I know, baby, I'll miss her too. It's natural, we've been with her for twelve years. Of course we've grown attached. But it'll be worth it, don't you think?"
"I don't know anymore," I heard Dana sob in response. "I love her, I really do. I miss Marlene… I can't think of anything but her all day, but I don't know if I can go through with this. She even looks a little bit like her. Well, used to…"
"But she's not her, you gotta remember that." Michael sighed and I heard the mattress creak as he sat down beside his wife. "There's no turning back now anyways. We'll make it this time, I know we will. The thing with Phoenix was a disaster but this time, we'll make it work. Just… think of how happy you'll be when Marlene is finally back, alright?"
There was a long pause before Dana sniffled and whimpered one last time. "…alright."
I returned to my room without making a sound. My heart was pounding in my chest. I know they were talking about me. As I said earlier, I was taken in by them when I was eight years old and I'm twenty now. My mind was racing with faint ideas of what they might do to me, what they wanted to use me for. I hadn't heard of anyone named Marlene or Phoenix before. I was now certain they were keeping something from me. I felt like I couldn't trust them anymore, even though I wanted nothing more than that. I cherished them.
That was exactly three days ago. I know because that same night, the faceless man came into my room for the first time. I had gone back to bed after listening in on the strange exchange. Part of me was still hoping it had simply been a weird dream and that I just needed to wake up. The best way to do that would be going back to sleep, right? So I laid back down and shut my eyes. I found that I couldn't really rest though. I tossed and turned in bed, kicking the sheets and trying in vain to nestle into my pillow.
I ended up lying on my back. That's when the strangest feeling overcame me. I slowly opened my eyes. I almost screamed when I saw a face staring down at me, but before any sound could leave my lips, a hand had pressed itself over my mouth, forcing me to stay silent.
The face hovering above my own was pale as a sheet. Its chin and nose were unnaturally sharp, its lips and cheeks void of all color. It was so white it almost seemed to shine in the darkness. It was completely hairless; no brows, no eyelashes. It was then that I realized that this other person–this intruder looked just like me. It was hard to tell at first, but something about them felt male. Maybe it was the shape of his eyes or the size of his hand which he proceeded to slowly and carefully remove from my mouth.
He raised a finger to his lips and I nodded quietly. We stared at each other for a while before he reached out to take my hand. He gently pried it open, turning my palm to face him. He then began to draw onto my skin with his finger. It took him a few tries for me to finally understand that he was writing something. At first a simple line, followed by him stroking over my open palm as if to erase it or something. It tickled a bit, but apart from that, it was almost affectionate. I shook my head and let out a low hum, trying to tell him I didn't get it.
He looked up at me and let go of a soft breath. He sounded exhausted. Still, he lowered his head and repeated the motion.
I. I nodded eagerly, pointing at him to communicate that I finally understood. I could still see little apart from the faint glow of the white color of his face in the darkness, but for a second, it almost looked like he was attempting to smile. The corners of his stiff lips were pointing up ever so slightly.
He proceeded to write letters onto my open palm. His fingertip was cold and almost sharp. It drew chilly lines onto my sweat-laced warm skin.
I watch you sleep. As much as this first sentence may have frightened me, I soon understood the necessity of keeping up communication with the man without a face. Ever since then, he's been coming in through the window every night. We talk using my phone now, typing out our messages to each other. He's made it very clear that I'm in grave danger, even though he is still holding off on explaining the details. I asked him if we should call the police, but he seems to be certain that it would only get me into more trouble. Maybe that's because Michael works for the police department, or maybe it's simply because I can't really talk and writing the cops an email doesn't sound too helpful.
Instead, we have been planning our escape.
Tonight, the man without a face will wait until Michael and Dana are asleep and bring a ladder to my window. How he has managed to climb up here without one in the first place is beyond me, but I don't really care either. By now, I just want out of here. Dana and Michael have been keeping the keys to themselves. I don't know where they're hiding them but I check the doors and lower windows from time to time when nobody's watching. They're all locked. I'm not sure if they know that I know they're basically holding me captive, but I am certain that if I stay, something will happen to me; something much worse than losing my face.
I have to trust the faceless man with my life. There's no other way. Maybe it's due to our identical condition, but I feel strangely connected to him. I pray I'm not wrong about it.
Tonight, I'll find out. Tonight, we'll flee.
x My name is Christine and I can borrow other people's faces. My name is Christine and I don't have a face because a dead girl wants hers back. Christine had no face and no manners. My name is Christine, I don't have a face and my time is running out. My name is Christine and I have a face. 
