This article was originally published on VisualChase
No Good Ending in Sight Here
If you ever see something like this, you should probably start running the other way. That is, at least, what we would do. Either that or pray for our lives. However, that isn't what Anna, an Illinois resident, did when she saw this meteorological monster after finishing up her supermarket run. What she did was incredible - she actually took out her cell phone and snapped a picture. That takes guts.
Those who are praying for the coming of an apocalyptic weather situation, we're sorry to let you down, but this phenomenon isn't that bad. It's called a shelf cloud, which sometimes forms at the front of thunderstorms.
This Gets Even Creepier When You Realize What It Is
Those who are terrified of spiders should heed this warning carefully: you probably shouldn't go to Cordoba, Argentina, unless you don't mind a bunch of hairy spider legs crawling and wiggling through your front door. Talk about an unwanted visitor. We would probably be thinking of ways to sell that apartment and then relocate to somewhere a bit less infested by gigantic spiders that just come knocking on your door.
You've probably already guessed that this spider isn't just some ordinary house spider. It's a Huntsman spider. These things are scary; they can propel themselves through cartwheels. Oh yeah, and they're venomous.
The Stairs Into Someone's Office... Better File for Unemployment
There is just no way that going down this terrifying staircase seemingly leading into dark oblivion is part of this person's daily commute. There is just no way. We are one hundred percent sure that there's a gang of serial killers, huge radioactive roaches, terrifying lizard people, and all kinds of typical horror movie monstrosities lurking down there in the dark. We would just stay at home forever and ever.
Just imagine fearing for your life every time you want to leave the building where you work. That's his reality. Rationally, he probably knows that there's nothing down there, patiently waiting for him to join it in the darkness. But tell that to his out-of-control fight-or-flight response.
"Dad, the Neighbor's Being Weird Again"
So, picture this: it's an ordinary night in your quiet neighborhood. You live in the peaceful yet relatively secluded suburbs, so things can get kind of lonely sometimes, especially at night. One day, you go strolling through the neighborhood at night, and you sense something watching you. "It's just your imagination playing tricks on you," you think to yourself. Who could be watching you at this time of day? Nobody, right?
And then you look up, and you see this. What is that? Is that some kind of witch? Is it a demon? Well, actually, that's just some random neighborhood girl who was up on the roof claiming that she was "setting an example for the young kids on their block." Huh?
This Is Definitely Someone's Superhero Origin Story
This is definitely some kind of nuclear energy accident just waiting to happen. The cement block reads, "Caution - do not dig," before explaining that this area is filled with radioactive material from nuclear research conducted from 1943 to 1949. "Burial area is marked by six corner markers 100 feet from this center point," it says. "There is danger to visitors." We can totally imagine someone accidentally gaining a bunch of bizarre superpowers just by standing in the general vicinity of this thing.
In 1942, these woods were actually home to the world's first nuclear reactor. It was eventually abandoned and buried underground, and people moved to the area. Those poor, unsuspecting souls.
Imagine Just Strolling Through the Woods and Then Seeing This
So the story of this remarkably fashionable scarecrow goes something like this: some Czech woman was walking through the woods in her country, the Czech Republic, when she stumbled upon this treasure. Now, we know scarecrows are supposed to scare crows, but this may be going just a tad bit overboard. Look at all those frightening features! Those crows are going to need therapy after they encounter this thing.
Besides, we are pretty sure that the whole point of scarecrows is to scare crows, not humans. And yet, it seems as though there is an unbelievable amount of details that could only be perceived by humans. Strange.
Nature Can Be Terrifying
Did you ever wonder about the difference between giant and colossal squids? One difference between giant and colossal squids is that the giant squids have teeth in their suction cups. Not only that, but the teeth are creepily sharp and look like they're made of gold. Think that's bad? Colossal squids have hooks in theirs. Talk about the best of two evils. How about we just ban squids altogether and forget that they ever existed?
Who knew squids were so terrifying? We used to think they were kind of cute.
It's No Wonder Why They Stopped Making Mannequins Out of Wax
So this 1929 photograph just basically schooled us. We've learned two crucial lessons just by looking at this picture. Firstly, some store mannequins used to be made out of wax back in the day, which definitely explains where the whole Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum came from. The second thing we learned is that British mannequins used to be absolutely terrifying, and even more so when a heatwave hit the country.
Seriously, imagine being a kid growing up in this kind of environment. That sure is one way to get traumatized. What would you even tell your therapist? "I saw some mannequins back in the day, and now I'm unwell?"
When Your Doorbell Detects a Visitor in the Middle of the Night
We're just saying that if the doorbell is the one to tell us about this nightmarish scenario, then it should also be able to handle it. That just makes sense to us. Okay, seriously now, what happened here is one of two equally (or perhaps unequally) terrifying things: either this house was being surveyed in preparation for a robbery, or this is some kind of real-life horror scenario. Which is worse?
We actually have absolutely no clue. Like, the robbery situation is probably a bit better since it involves less of the unknown - but it isn't exactly a picnic, either.
Just Some Nice, Calming Scenery
Whoever did this is an absolute menace to society. What's wrong with letting people enjoy the view for a second? The people here said, "No, not today. We will create a creepy paper mache statue to obstruct the view, instead." But these statues weren't just made for scaring tourists; there's actually a very interesting history behind them - and it doesn't involve anything excessively creepy.
The Italians near Lake Como apparently have a tradition of making statues representing the people who used to live in the 11th-century fort that used to stand there. Every year, people volunteer to make new plaster statues of terrifying figures.
Dementia Through the Eyes of a Self-Portrait Artist
These paintings may seem normal at first, but the more you think about them, the creepier they get. They really do a good job of showing just how this person's mind changed as his dementia developed and how he was slowly losing his sense of self. That last painting in the year 2000 is especially chilling; it's like there was nothing left of him. This has got to be one of the most incredible depictions of dementia out there.
The early portraits, though slightly off-kilter, definitely exhibit some sense of self. The later ones, however, seem to spiral more and more into the abstract, and the artist's face is deconstructed further into abstraction.
7,000 People Passed Away Here - And It's About to Be 7,001
You know, sometimes it feels like some people hold their life in no regard. Why on Earth would you, by your own volition, stroll through a sanitarium where over 7,000 people lost their lives with only your flashlight to guide you? Do you really feel like adding to that place's atrocious death count? Seriously, people need to get some more wholesome hobbies, like walks in the park or something.
Just look at that caution tape. Even the tape is trying to tell this guy to turn back and go back from where he came from. There's just nothing good waiting for anyone on the other side of this corridor.
A One-Man Bunker for the Apocalypse
Apparently, these bunkers were pretty common in Europe back when the entire continent was ravaged by the World Wars. But the twist is that this one was marked as having been produced in 1948. That's three years after the Second World War had ended. So basically, whoever built this or called for the production of it was absolutely sure that he was going to need it shortly. We hope they were wrong.
The other weird part is that this was in the middle of the woods, far from any other structures.
Pretty Sure We've Seen This in Our Nightmares
Yeah, we've definitely encountered this monstrosity of a wasp nest before. It was in our recurring nightmares. Truth be told, we won't be surprised if that's what's about to happen to you all, too, after seeing this thing for yourselves. This thing is just like the perfect combination of every single scary thing in the world: demon babies, insects, the woods, and things that look at you menacingly from above.
If you didn't figure it out yet, this image is of an old, abandoned doll that got turned into a wasp nest.
Dear Mark, You Should Probably Skip Town
If you ever needed a reason to control your road rage, well, here you have it. This man from Portland went ahead and made some random cyclist angry by cutting him off on the road. Things got a little tense, and the driver decided it would be for the best if he just drove off. The next day, he found this ominous note, and his tires slashed. So the next time you feel the urge to berate some random person on the road, just remember this story.
If that were us, we would probably take a few safety precautions such as: moving to a different apartment, changing our legal names, faking our deaths, and generally making sure nobody knew we existed.
Elvis Better Leave That Building ASAP
Oh, shoot. Those wolves really seem to be enjoying Elvis's show! Either that or they haven't had anything to eat for quite a while, and Elvis may just be their next lunch. Okay, seriously now - anyone whose ever taken a photo in the wee hours of the night or in a dark room knows that eyes sometimes come out a little weird in photographs. But we've never seen this many pairs of eyes all looking so creepy.
If you've never seen this happen, even on a small scale, then try taking a photo of someone in a low-light situation and see what happens to their eyes.
There Are Some Signs From the Universe That Should Never Be Ignored
So there's a little story to this admittedly terrifying picture. The original poster had mustered up the courage and volition to move from the suburbs into the country in search of a scenic, secluded lifestyle. One day, he had decided to wander the woods for a little bit when he stumbled upon this message spray-painted into a dirt hill. Naturally, he didn't know what to make of it. We, however, probably would have listened to the sign.
Needless to say, this isn't the tranquility the original poster of this image moved to the countryside for. The poor, poor soul just got himself in more trouble.
Remembering a Horrendous Tragedy
Many people know about the Great Irish Famine (or simply put, the Great Famine). Not everyone, however, knows just how massive in scale that famine was. It was so huge that Ireland is one of the only countries today whose population is actually less than it was way back in the 19th century. It should not come as a surprise to anyone, then, that Ireland continues to hold memorial ceremonies in remembrance of all those who perished in the famine.
These statues definitely do a great job of conveying just how terrifying the whole famine was and how horrorstruck the people of Ireland were.
Zombies? No, That's Just the "Dead Man's Finger" Fungi
Oh, no, those things are scary. Imagine just walking through the woods at night (who knows why you would even do that but stay with us for a second) only to feel something remarkably finger-like grazing your ankle. You look down, but it isn't a bug that's touching your leg. It's these finger-like fungi. Yeah, we definitely get how this fungus got such a scary nickname. Heck, even its regular, scientific name is scary.
This is definitely one of those things that had to inspire a countless number of horror movies. There's just no way the person who invented the idea of zombies didn't stumble upon this thing first.
Time to Find a New Parking Spot
We can probably come up with a handful of reasons as to why there is a scary guy wearing a scary mask in that car and why the original poster of this image has spotted him several times. However, we don't want to think about it. So we'll just feign ignorance and totally deny the fact that we and the original poster of this image ever saw this happening.
That's probably what the scary mask man would want us to do, too. But, just to be on the safe side, we probably would have also written down the license plate. Not that that would do anything.
They Want Us to Believe These Are Baby Owls
So, you're telling us these are baby owls? Not aliens? Look, we hate to say it, but we're pretty sure owls can't actually stand upright and walk on two legs, can they? So, yeah. These are probably aliens, and they're probably being held in some basement in Area 51 or something like that. Look at those things, just staring blankly into the camera. That is just straight-up creepy.
On an entirely different note, remember that whole plan to raid Area 51? That was quite the meme back in the day.
How Lord Voldemort Was Supposed to Look
No, this isn't some kind of archeological discovery detailing the bone structure of the people of some ancient, long-forgotten civilization consisting of creatures that were part man, part lizard demon things. This is just the face model for the Lord Voldermort and Quirrell duo from that iconic Harry Potter movie. You know, the first one. Which , by the way, is the best one in our opinion.
Well, this isn't the exact face model. This Voldermort is even more terrifying than the one they ended up using.
"Mom, the Lady at the Door Is Holding a Knife"
Upon first glance, it really is hard to decipher this image. It's incredibly difficult to make heads or tails of, and there are definitely a thousand ways of interpreting this elderly lady's actions. The story behind the whole occurrence, thankfully, has been disclosed. This woman holding a knife was probably suffering from dementia, walked up to this door, and just got totally lost in her own train of thought. Enough to scare the heck out of the residents of this house.
She then went on to wave the knife around. The reason she did this, you ask? Well, that is something only she could tell you.
This Puppet Show Must Be Adults-Only
Oh, man. For those of us not familiar with this puppetry tradition from Japan, this is quite a frightening sight. Each performance is accompanied by traditional music, weaving complex stories involving incredibly intricate puppets. Mechanically, the puppets are often quite sophisticated, like the one seen in this photo, which transforms from a tranquil young woman to a sharp-toothed demon with the flick of a switch.
This tradition of terrifying puppets actually goes back to the 1600s, which is quite a long time to have puppets scaring the bejeezus out of people.
We Can't Tell if This Is Terrifying or Hilarious
For those who aren't in the know and for some reason can't recognize one of the most recognizable TV icons of the past century, those people strolling leisurely (or perhaps menacingly) through the woods are none other than the smurfs. Now, while it's true that, according to the delightful TV show, the Smurfs do live in the woods, never would we have thought that we'd ever hear of somebody running into them in real life.
What makes this photo so weird is hard to pinpoint. It's truly one of those instances of the whole being larger than the sum of its parts. Smurfs? They're cool. Forests? Also cool. Smurfs in the forest? Run for your life.
If You Don't Want to Die, Then Stop
Look, while this sign is admittedly scary, and the person who wrote it could have probably gotten the point across without being so brash about the whole thing, we can't fault this sign. Like, it literally says: "there's nothing in this cave worth dying for." That's just true, no matter how you slice it. We're willing to bet, however, that that exact line tempted a gang of troublemaking teenagers to trespass into the cave.
Also, we're going to go out on a limb here and guess that there's a reason this sign was made. Like, we don't want to sound morbid, but somebody probably went ahead and passed away in that exact cave.
Pretty Sure There's Nobody Smiling in There
So if there's one thing that's truly troubling about this little place known as the Smile Room, it is that we actually don't know where it is, other than the fact that it's somewhere in Richmond, Virginia. The person who mysteriously uploaded the photograph has refused to elaborate as to the nature of this place or its exact location. That may sound frightening, but it is admittedly common practice when photographing abandoned places.
But, if you held a gun to our head and made us guess what this room used to be, we'd probably say that it used to be part of some kind of fun house or something like that.
Our Therapist: "Babadook Isn't Real, He Can't Hurt You. " Babadook:
Okay, lets' cast aside the fact that this is terrifying and would probably be enough to send any unsuspecting witness of this costume straight to the nearest mental institution. We have to give props where it's due: whoever made this cosplay definitely went the extra mile. This may just be better than the actual Mister Babadook. The film is a psychological horror detailing the descent of the main protagonists into madness.
Perhaps, and this is just our little theory here, this wasn't cosplaying at all? What if the original poster of this photo actually encountered the real Mister Babadook? No. That can't be, can it?
He's Not Holding a Robe...
Ever been to Milan? You really should go. It's a beautiful city filled to the brim with wonderful attractions and a rich, colorful, vibrant history just waiting for unassuming tourists to explore it. Perhaps one of the most famous Milan landmarks has got to be the Milan Cathedral. Inside that cathedral stands the statue in the photograph - Saint Bartholomew. A beautiful, seemingly inconspicuous statue. Yup, nothing strange about this work of art.
Oh, wait, except for the fact that Bartholomew's holding his own skin. Yeah, totally forgot about that part. Saint Bartholomew's story is as gruesome as it is interesting, but we'll spare you the gory details.
Suddenly Alcatraz Seems Pretty Nice
Okay, so while this prison definitely seems scary (like, it looks more like a prison for metaphysical beings of terror than it does a prison for people), its place in the criminal history of the United States is actually quite interesting. Built in 1829, the prison's main premise was to help reform criminals rather than punish them. Interestingly enough, one of those criminals was none other than the legendary mobster Al Capone.
The iconic prison is now open to the public. Visitors should be warned, though: this place is definitely not suitable for the faint of heart. Let's just say that all those prisoners definitely left something to remember them by.
That Doll Has Got to Be Possessed
So first thing's first: we're going to have to straighten out a few things. Namely, there's absolutely no way we would ever willingly pay forty dollars of our own hard-earned cash for this monstrosity. In fact, we're pretty sure that constitutes a crime in certain states. What we would definitely be willing to do, however, is pay this person forty bucks to never, ever make such a horrid doll again.
This doll definitely looks like the type of thing to come alive in the wee hours of the night and stab us to death in our sleep. Somebody burn it! Please!
The Perfect Art for Scaring off Any House Guests
Sometimes things are scary because they embody the most terrifying elements of the human experience. Sometimes things are scary because they embody something incredibly inhuman. These drawings, however, are scary just because of how unsightly they are. Like, they're in such bad taste that they're actually disgusting. These bad boys were offered for sale in an estate sale. Truth be told, we wouldn't dare enter the house of the person who bought them.
This probably isn't even the artist's fault. Like, it's the subject matter that makes these so unlikeable. Like, how does one even paint clowns in such a manner that doesn't make us want to hurl?
Pro Tip: If You See These, Don't Poke Them
Yeah, this is definitely some kind of demon cocoon or a satanic egg that's slowly harnessing the energy of the wickedness of the human soul to birth the bringer of the apocalypse or some other kind of nightmarish creature. And do you know what the person who originally posted this picture did when he found it? He poked it with a stick. That definitely sealed the fate of the human race.
Okay, back to reality. These things aren't actually the spawn of satan or the things that'll come to spawn satan. They're only a type of fungus. That doesn't, however, make them any less unsightly.
Who Knew Blue Could Be So Terrifying
It's pretty much common knowledge by now that nature is one freaky thing. There are just so many natural phenomena that have us scratching our heads just by thinking about them. Take tornados, for example: what's up with them? This whole little fungus thing, however, takes the cake for nature's freakiest ace in the sleeve. We've never seen something so terrifyingly blue. That thing looks like it could kill you just by looking at it.
This just looks like something somebody in a Marvel movie would eat to gain special powers. That being said, you definitely shouldn't eat this. You won't gain any superpowers. Just stomach issues or worse.
If You See This - Run
Oh, cool. Somebody found Lovecraft's pet. Jokes aside, this is definitely one of those real-life things that definitely look way too much like something resembling the Eldritch truth. These squid-like, undecipherable beings are terrifying for the sole reason that they're just so hard to figure out. Like, what even is this thing? Well, that's what the person who found it asked the internet. Naturally, the internet had something to say.
So what this actually is, is a gelatinous capsule of squid eggs. These capsules are covered with a certain protein that engenders squid hostility, so if you ever step on one, you better watch your back.