R/Nosleep (Get Spooked)

We Were Forced To Search For Something In The Static...(Pt 1)

By:u/aproyal

Part 1. You should have a little listen.

When the elders spoke, you listened.

I learned this from an early age. And those that didn't, the "problem children", they never seemed to last.

So I listened. The problem was, I didn't always understand - why were they keeping us here? Why the same routine? They would never tell me, plus I wanted to survive. So I was a good little boy.

I looked around at the other good little boys and girls. The solemn faces of kids who were once happy. We should have been in school, instead we were here.

Our mornings were spent in the static. Sat side by side, row by row, on long tables. This part of 'The Facility' was called 'The Great Room', but nothing great happened here. It was a cold metal box with dim fluorescent lighting.

The humdrum buzzing would start low, as a noise that was almost soothing. I could never pinpoint the source, but my best guess was the ventilation system. The vibrations slowly crept up on you, as the static incrementally got louder. Sometimes it would buzz, sometimes hiss, sometimes hum. It seemed to fluctuate and change depending on the frequency they were using. Eventually it would be turned all the way up - turning into a deafening crackle. The sound waves were deafening, pounding your ear drums and rattling your skull. With our heads laid down on the cold metal table, we would painfully wait for it to be over. And then do it all again tomorrow.

Momma used to tell me if you look hard enough for something, you will eventually find it. We were searching for something in these sessions. For what, I didn't quite know. But some of the others figured it out and I was jealous of each and every one of them.

Kyle's hand shot up, his chair squeaking from the sudden jerk. He was shaking as he whispered into one one of the elders ears. Kyle was one of the older kids. He had a few whiskers growing from his stache. My best guess was that he was maybe twelve and he had been at this place much longer than I had. The one that approached we called Big Booty Judy, for obvious reasons. She smiled at Kyle as she whispered back, waddling her massive fanny in delight.

Lucky bastard, I thought, as she escorted him down the hall. He had a dumbfounded look all the way out of the room.

We would never see him again and he knew it. The static was your ticket to freedom. Whatever they were hearing pleased the elders, you could tell by their stupid smirks.

I missed Momma. I wished every night we could go back to how it was. We had been struggling for a while, in and out of shelters, but at least we were together. She accepted change one day from a black sedan. The driver was friendly, a pretty woman with deep green eyes. They had a long conversation and we hopped into the vehicle. Momma always said never hop into a strangers vehicle. But we did that time, and everything changed.

After the static sessions we were escorted to 'The Hall' for breakfast. The high metal ceilings reminded me of a hangar. This was the rec room and dining section of The Facility. Numerous tables were positioned around a buffet line of food. Fruits and cereals were laid out for our choosing. In the corner was 'The Gymnasium', a room for the kids to blow off steam. It was just a large room with hardwood floors, but I imagined bleachers and basketball hoops, just like my school back home. As much as this place was a prison, they sure did try their best to make sure we were kept healthy.

The Hall was the best place to be. Us kids were left to be....well, kids. Me and my friends always sat at the back of the cafeteria, as far away from the elders as possible.

"What do you think they hear, Jay?" Kerry asked, as she downed her glass of chocolate milk.

"Hell if I know," I said, playing with the cheerios in my bowl. The kids that heard something got to leave, so no one ever stuck around to compare notes. "You have any idea?" I asked.