Static Music

Everyone loves music. We listen to it constantly. On our phones, on our iPods, even in our stores and offices. That's what I was doing then.

I suppose I should tell you a little more about how I got into this, since that's what everyone does in this type of story. I had just gotten my own iPhone. My first Apple product. I honestly hadn't really liked Apple, but I can't say I wasn't curious about the brand.

Anyway, I was browsing the iTunes Store for some new music. Of course I wanted music. The phone came with headphones, so what else would I need them for? Sorry, back on topic.

So I was browsing the top hits, or whatever they're called, and I came across an album called "Download Me." Weird name, I thought at first the time. It didn't give an artist or song name just a bunch of hyphens. Of course, I figured "What's the harm? It's on the top charts, so it's probably just glitching out the name."

If only I had thought...

I clicked the sample button and all that came out was loud static: another glitch, I guess. I hit the download button and my phone powered off. It was out of battery.

"Strange," I thought out loud. "It barely came off the charger." So of course, I put it on to charge. After maybe an hour, it finally turned back on, and I went back to searching for music on the iTunes app. But I couldn't find that album again.

It was about a week later. I hadn't found the album on the store or the music app. So I forgot about it.

I was on my way home from my part-time job, as a grocery clerk. College doesn't pay for itself, y'know. I decided to put in my headphones and listen to music on my way home. I walked, so it wasn't like I was going to get distracted or something.

Honestly, after about five songs, I was barely listening anymore. Until... until it turned to static. Loud static.

I turned down the volume and pulled my phone out of my pocket to check what was going on. It didn't show the music on the lock screen, like it usually did, so I had to unlock it. But the passcode wasn't working. I took out my headphones and walked home, planning to check the Apple website for help. Either that, or ask my roommate, Wyatt, about it.

He was the one that convinced me to buy the phone in the first place. He was a total Macintosh geek. Anything about Apple or its products could be learned just by asking him his favorite colour. Or his favorite anything for that matter. It all led to him rambling on about the company and how much better it apparently was.

So when I got home, surprise surprise, he was playing around on his MacBook. I sat next to him.

"Hey, dude," I said. "Any chance you could help me with my phone?"

He held out his hand and I handed my phone to him.

"What's the password?" he asked. I told him. He tried it. It didn't work. "Very funny," he said. "Do you want my help or not?"

"I'm serious, man," I replied. "It wouldn't open for me either."

"Did you turn it off and back on again?" he asked. I shook my head and he started to turn it off. The "slide to power down" thing came up, and he slid it. It just went away and unlocked the phone. His eyes went wide.

"Well," he said, recovering, "it's unlocked."

"Thanks," I said as I took my phone.

That night, I turned on my music to listen, but I noticed something. At the top of my playlist was a song I didn't know I had. It had hyphens in the writer's name place. The album was called, "Download Me," and the song was called, "Thank You."

That's when I really figured it out. I had always been a creepypasta fan, but I always figured it to be bullshit. I went to my roommate's bedroom and knocked.

"Come in," he called. I did.

"What's up?" he asked and I handed him my phone, the song displayed but not playing yet.

"I never bought that song," I said as I sat down with him. He sighed.

"Look, if this is your idea of a joke-"

"I'm being serious, man," I cut him off. "I don't know what to think of this."

"Then you should listen to it," he replied, putting in one of my earbuds and handing me the other. I put it in as he pressed the play button for the song. For me, I heard loud static again, but even I looked at Wyatt... I don't know. Something just seemed off. He wasn't panicked or confused, the only thing strange that I could see was that his pupils were dilated. He took the earbud out and handed it to me.

"It's just talking," he said. "I don't get what's so strange."

"Talking?" I asked. "All I could hear was static. The same static that made my phone lock up earlier."

He shook his head. "Go to sleep," he said. "You're imagining things."

I watched him a moment, then took his advice and went to get some sleep.

The next morning, Wyatt wasn't there. Nothing strange about this, after all, he often had earlier classes than I did. That idea didn't last long though. After breakfast, I finally got the idea to look at my watch. It was Saturday. Neither of us did anything on Saturdays, besides occasionally going to parties. He must have been out on a walk, or something.

5 o'clock rolled around. He still hadn't come back. At this point, I was considering calling the cops, but I knew they only filed missing persons as missing after twenty four hours.

It was 9 o'clock. Wyatt came in. He was limping and his pant leg was bloodstained. I asked where he had been, but he was just silent. I tried to get him to stop and talk to me, but when he did stop, I noticed something that made me back off... his eyes were bloodshot, and his pupils were dilated to the point of barely being visible. He went to his room and stayed there. I didn't bother checking on him. I didn't want to see those eyes again.

The next day, he was gone again. But this time, he didn't come back. When I called the police, they set up a file for him. I may have lied a bit. I didn't mention him coming back the night before.

On Monday, I went to school as usual. At lunch, some friends asked about Wyatt. Apparently his disappearance was on the news that morning. I told them about that evening and showed them the song. They all wanted to listen, so I let them. They all agreed that it was a recording of talking.

The next day, they all missed school, but showed up at lunch. Their eyes were the same as Wyatt's had been, and all had somewhere in their clothes or hair covered in blood. They were silent, then left after lunch. I never saw them again.

I decided that was it. I was going to delete the song. I swiped it, just as with any other song, and hit the delete button. But the next day... it was back on my playlist. I deleted it every day until Saturday, when I decided that I was sick of it. I was going to listen to it until I heard the talking.

It didn't take long. I put the song on repeat and after listening to it three times, I finally heard it.

The voice was smooth and sweet, but at the same time, it was harsh and ragged, squeezing like nails on a chalkboard and sending shivers down my spine. I can't remember what it said, but I remember feeling that I had to do exactly as it told me...

As soon as the song was over, I destroyed my iPhone. I couldn't let anyone else have my song... my master...

A moment after I had done as much, I felt back to my senses. What was I doing? I quickly got on my computer, good old fashion PC. And that's where I am now.

Look, I'm not here to scare you. I'm not here to harm a company's reputation. I'm here to warn you. The song is real. And it's... influential...

Even now, I feel the need to find... something... something to draw blood. Because I know, if I don't... I can't stay... My master will forsake me... He will find another servant...

No one... no one else... can have... my master...