"DO NOT Take Sculpting Class!" and Other Stories | CLANCYPASTA

[00:00:00] As I stood in the almost empty classroom with only two other students, I realized that signing up randomly for whichever course was available might not have been my best choice. But, well, I didn't have much of a choice anyway. I scoffed at myself. Six months? Just six months of this and I could switch to something else. My mood lightened at the thought of the pizza waiting for me that night.

[00:00:28] As I stood there, the door opened and a man walked in. He was well dressed, with long curls cascading to his shoulders and a face so striking it was almost otherworldly. I hadn't seen anyone so beautiful in years. The sight of him stunned me. Without saying a word, he picked up a broken piece of chalk and wrote on the board,

[00:00:49] Nice to meet you all. I'm Ron, your sculpting teacher.

[00:00:54] I blinked, startled.

[00:00:56] Teacher? For a moment, I thought he was a model or an artist on display himself. The other two students seemed unimpressed, sighing heavily, clearly disinterested.

[00:01:08] After the brief introduction, the class started. But it wasn't what I expected. Instead of working on anything hands-on, Ron played a video about the basics of sculpting and remained silent the entire time.

[00:01:21] I spent more time looking at him than at the video.

[00:01:25] After the class, I learned the other two students were dropping out.

[00:01:29] I considered doing the same, but something about the quiet intrigue of the class, and Ron, made me decide to stay.

[00:01:36] A part of me felt bad for him, too. If no one else stayed, would he lose the job?

[00:01:43] The next day, I was the only one in the classroom. It felt oddly intimate, the silence heavier than before.

[00:01:50] Ron walked up to me and handed me a piece of paper.

[00:01:53] Are you sure you want to continue this class?

[00:01:57] I smirked, thinking it was a test, but then I realized he couldn't speak.

[00:02:01] The knowledge hit me harder than it should have, and I immediately felt guilty for smirking.

[00:02:07] I nodded and said,

[00:02:09] Yes, half out of genuine interest, half out of pity.

[00:02:13] His eyes lingered on mine for a moment before he walked to the front and began the lesson.

[00:02:19] For weeks, it was just the two of us.

[00:02:22] He communicated only through notes, his instructions simple yet cryptic.

[00:02:27] My sculptures turned out strange, abstract forms that seemed to emerge from a place I didn't fully understand.

[00:02:35] They were detailed, almost grotesquely so, with expressions that felt too real.

[00:02:40] I didn't question it at first.

[00:02:43] Art is meant to evoke emotion, after all.

[00:02:47] One night, after class, something changed.

[00:02:51] I lingered, examining the pieces I'd worked on.

[00:02:54] They felt alive in a way that made my skin crawl.

[00:02:58] The lights flickered.

[00:03:00] The room seemed to shift.

[00:03:02] Shadows danced unnaturally on the walls, and I swore I heard whispers.

[00:03:07] Then, on the chalkboard, a message appeared, scratched in jagged letters.

[00:03:15] Sculpt.

[00:03:16] Me.

[00:03:17] I stumbled back, my tools clattering to the floor.

[00:03:21] The sculptures around me seemed to move.

[00:03:24] Just slightly, but enough to make my blood run cold.

[00:03:28] I bolted for the door, but it wouldn't budge.

[00:03:31] The whispers grew louder, almost deafening, until the lights snapped off completely.

[00:03:38] In the darkness, I felt them.

[00:03:41] Cold, stone-like hands brushing against me.

[00:03:45] The sound of grinding stone filled the air, and then a voice.

[00:03:50] Ron's voice whispered directly into my mind.

[00:03:55] Create me.

[00:03:58] The lights flickered back on, and everything was normal again.

[00:04:03] The sculptures were in their original places, and Ron walked in, his usual silent demeanor intact.

[00:04:10] He handed me another note.

[00:04:12] Are you alright?

[00:04:13] You look pale.

[00:04:14] We'll end class early today.

[00:04:16] You don't seem well.

[00:04:18] I nodded, too shaken to argue.

[00:04:22] Outside the classroom, I noticed a poster on the notice board.

[00:04:25] It bore Ron's name, and advertised an upcoming sculpting exhibition.

[00:04:30] Was it the same Ron?

[00:04:32] The description was vague, but it seemed likely.

[00:04:36] The next day, I went to the exhibition curious.

[00:04:40] The gallery was packed, the crowd buzzing with admiration for the sculptures on display.

[00:04:47] Each piece was hauntingly lifelike.

[00:04:49] A man mid-scream.

[00:04:51] A child crouched in fear.

[00:04:53] A woman crying bloody tears.

[00:04:55] The detail was astonishing, almost unsettling.

[00:04:59] Then I saw him.

[00:05:02] Ron.

[00:05:02] He was nothing like the reserved, quiet figure from class.

[00:05:07] Here, he was a star, surrounded by admirers exuding charisma.

[00:05:12] I was shocked.

[00:05:14] He never once mentioned being so famous.

[00:05:17] One piece in particular caught my eye.

[00:05:20] A sculpture of a woman crying bloody tears.

[00:05:24] The sorrow and fear etched into her face were so vivid I felt compelled to touch it.

[00:05:31] My fingers brushed against its surface.

[00:05:34] It was warm.

[00:05:36] Before I could react, the figure crumbled under my touch.

[00:05:41] It wasn't stone.

[00:05:43] Flesh and blood spilled onto the floor.

[00:05:46] And the smell of decay filled the air.

[00:05:49] I stumbled back, horror clawing at my throat.

[00:05:54] Then everything went black.

[00:05:58] I woke up to darkness.

[00:06:01] My body stiff and cold.

[00:06:04] I tried to move, but I couldn't.

[00:06:07] My limbs refused to obey me.

[00:06:09] My chest burned and panic set in.

[00:06:12] I could see faintly the stage of the gallery, the dim lights casting shadows over a new centerpiece.

[00:06:21] It took me a moment to realize the centerpiece was me.

[00:06:26] I was frozen in place.

[00:06:29] My body contorted into a macaw pose.

[00:06:33] My hands reached out as if pleading.

[00:06:36] My face twisted in terror.

[00:06:38] The spectators marveled at my realism.

[00:06:41] Their voices muffled in my ears.

[00:06:45] Truly haunting, someone said.

[00:06:47] A tragic masterpiece, another murmured.

[00:06:51] I wanted to scream, to beg for help, but I couldn't.

[00:06:57] Ron appeared beside me, smiling faintly.

[00:07:01] He leaned in close, his voice soft and cold.

[00:07:07] Welcome to eternity.

[00:07:15] They called it the Murmuring House.

[00:07:17] It was an old house, built at the end of Stevens Lane.

[00:07:21] It wasn't about the way it looked.

[00:07:23] Plain white stone walls, red brick tiles on the roof, and a beautiful garden full of flowers.

[00:07:29] It was the sounds.

[00:07:31] Every passerby talked about the same thing.

[00:07:35] The murmurs.

[00:07:36] The voices were extremely low, sometimes no louder than a whisper, but you'd always swear you heard them.

[00:07:43] Despite seeming to be in perfect condition, the house had been unoccupied for the last seven years.

[00:07:49] The landlord had lowered the price five times, but nobody wanted it.

[00:07:54] Everyone had heard the stories.

[00:07:57] People losing their minds.

[00:07:59] Entire families either dying or disappearing.

[00:08:02] It was enough to discourage anyone.

[00:08:05] The Millers were not one of those people.

[00:08:10] James Miller had just gotten himself a new job, and the family was getting pretty desperate for a home.

[00:08:16] They did not pay any attention to the stories about the house.

[00:08:21] The town gave the family a month, because that was how long the victims usually lasted.

[00:08:28] Week 1

[00:08:29] The family shrugged off the rumors.

[00:08:32] Small town tales, James told his wife Sarah as they unpacked.

[00:08:37] The son, Timmy, had greater problems, like fitting into a new school and making new friends.

[00:08:43] The worries of a spooky haunted house seemed non-existent to the introverted boy.

[00:08:49] The house was really good for its price.

[00:08:52] Two rooms, a study for James, and an amazing lawn.

[00:08:56] The house already had the essential furniture.

[00:08:59] The basement was off limits to the family, though.

[00:09:02] The landlord said something about unstable walls and asked them not to open it.

[00:09:08] The family happily agreed, not wanting to miss such an unbelievable offer.

[00:09:13] The house was too good.

[00:09:17] Maybe the best they could find in the town.

[00:09:20] The murmur started on the third day.

[00:09:24] Sarah was the first to notice.

[00:09:28] At night, she heard a faint voice calling for her.

[00:09:32] Honey, do you hear that?

[00:09:34] She nudged her husband awake.

[00:09:36] Probably just the wind outside.

[00:09:38] Nothing to worry about, love.

[00:09:40] Said James half asleep.

[00:09:42] Sarah thought it made sense, but found it odd.

[00:09:46] All the windows in the room were closed.

[00:09:51] Daddy, were you the one in the garden last night?

[00:09:54] Timmy asked the following morning.

[00:09:57] No, son, I was asleep.

[00:09:58] You must have heard the night guard, answered James as he prepared the breakfast.

[00:10:04] Timmy decided not to question any further, but he was sure the voice he heard in the garden

[00:10:09] belonged to his father, and it was calling his name.

[00:10:14] Week 2

[00:10:16] By the second week, everyone had experienced something strange which they couldn't explain.

[00:10:22] James would often snap out of a trance at his desk, only to find the phrase,

[00:10:27] Can you hear us?

[00:10:29] Scrawled across his screen hundreds of times.

[00:10:33] He also received calls from unknown numbers, asking him to let us out.

[00:10:42] Sarah started finding strange dark red spots all over the house.

[00:10:47] No matter how much she cleaned them, they would come back.

[00:10:51] While cleaning the basement, she found what appeared to be hundreds of names written on

[00:10:57] the basement walls.

[00:10:58] No matter how hard she scrubbed, she was unable in erasing any of them.

[00:11:03] The basement really was in a terrible state.

[00:11:07] The cracks and crevices made it look way older than the rest of the house.

[00:11:12] She did not want Timmy to get hurt while playing here, so she decided to lock the door

[00:11:16] once again.

[00:11:19] Timmy began speaking about a man in the basement, whom he called the Ear Man.

[00:11:26] In his words, Ear Man was tall and covered in ears of all sizes.

[00:11:32] As his fascination with this Ear Man grew, he started speaking of how the figure whispered

[00:11:39] to him at night, sharing secrets about the house and said he loved their voices.

[00:11:44] Soon, Timmy started whispering by the basement door, even drawing unsettling images of him on

[00:11:53] his bedroom wall and spoke of his constant listening.

[00:11:57] His parents dismissed it as just his imagination, even when they heard voices in the basement

[00:12:05] one night.

[00:12:07] Week 3

[00:12:09] The family had fallen apart.

[00:12:12] James had barricaded himself in his study, driven to the brink by the relentless whispers

[00:12:17] that seemed to seep from every crevice of the house.

[00:12:21] He thought that isolation might silence the voices, but they followed him, growing louder

[00:12:26] in his solitude.

[00:12:27] His word documents were filled with the same word over and over again.

[00:12:34] Listen.

[00:12:36] Notebooks, once filled with ideas and notes, were now consumed by frantic scrawls of the

[00:12:43] same request.

[00:12:45] The walls, once painted in a cozy shade of blue, now had the phrase carved and scratched

[00:12:51] all over them.

[00:12:53] Sarah kept scrubbing and cleaning the house, even when her hands turned raw and started

[00:12:59] bleeding, mumbling something about keeping the house happy.

[00:13:04] The dark red spots were all over the house now, originating from the basement and creeping

[00:13:10] all over the walls.

[00:13:12] It seemed like the walls themselves were bleeding.

[00:13:16] The house even crawled into little Timmy's dreams.

[00:13:21] Every night, he'd have the same dream, all alone, standing at the top of the stairs that

[00:13:28] led to the basement.

[00:13:29] He would hear muffled voices behind the door, the voices of mommy and daddy.

[00:13:36] Ear Man would urge him to open the door and talk about how he couldn't wait for him to

[00:13:43] meet the others.

[00:13:46] The family stopped talking to each other.

[00:13:49] They didn't need to.

[00:13:51] The house whispered everything they wanted to hear.

[00:13:57] Week 4

[00:13:58] When the Millers stopped responding to calls and doorbells, the neighbors grew concerned

[00:14:05] and alerted the police.

[00:14:07] Upon entering the house, everything appeared untouched, as if it had been cleaned meticulously.

[00:14:13] The sharp scent of bleach and disinfectant hung in the air, too strong to ignore.

[00:14:19] But when the basement door was unlocked, a wave of putrid odor hit them like a tsunami.

[00:14:27] Inside, the decomposing bodies of James and Sarah lay sprawled on the floor.

[00:14:34] The authorities couldn't determine the cause of death.

[00:14:38] Some speculated it was something they weren't willing to share.

[00:14:43] Timmy, their son, was nowhere to be found.

[00:14:47] Nine years have passed and still no trace of him.

[00:14:51] The only thing left to guide the detectives was the hundreds of names, including James, Sarah, and Timmy,

[00:15:00] scrawled desperately across the basement walls.

[00:15:03] The case was never solved.

[00:15:07] Just another story lost in the whispers of the house.

[00:15:11] The town moved on.

[00:15:13] Another family consumed by the house, they all said.

[00:15:18] But at night, if you ever walked on Stevens Lane passing by the house,

[00:15:23] you'd swear you heard them.

[00:15:27] James, Sarah, and Timmy, whispering and murmuring along with the past occupant.

[00:15:35] If you listen closely, you might hear your name, too.

[00:15:45] I've been reading a lot of stories online about urban myths and serial killers,

[00:15:50] as I've had an experience with one that fits in both categories.

[00:15:55] I'm not a storyteller, per se, but honestly, this is the only way I can tell my experience to anyone reading.

[00:16:01] I'm just an ordinary person who works a normal job,

[00:16:04] and honestly, what I saw haunts me every time I close my eyes.

[00:16:10] I'm writing this journal as I feel that whatever or whoever I saw that day will finally come to close my chapter.

[00:16:21] It happened in November.

[00:16:24] The weather was more like autumn as winter had not yet started,

[00:16:27] so the temperature was cold but somehow bearable to me.

[00:16:32] The night felt crisp, honestly, and I do not have to cover my mouth and could breathe in the cold air.

[00:16:38] I lived two blocks from the bus stop, so I took my time walking as I enjoyed it.

[00:16:45] My car was in the shop for its service, which was why I am walking home.

[00:16:49] The area I live is a middle-class suburban type of place with single-story houses.

[00:16:55] My place was my parents' before they passed on.

[00:16:59] I liked it and saved me a bunch of rent and other costs.

[00:17:03] The street was empty at this time of night, which suited me.

[00:17:06] As I walked, I took the time to look at other houses, noting that many still had their lights on as it was around 9.30.

[00:17:15] As I walked, I came across a house that was in complete darkness.

[00:17:20] This was odd as our area did not have the usual empty houses and such.

[00:17:26] The occupants' cars were still parked in front of their garage, so one could surmise they were home.

[00:17:33] The odd thing was that the front door was open and a window looked broken.

[00:17:38] The window that was broken was the living room one, so I stopped to get a better look and saw a hand sticking out the front door.

[00:17:47] It was resting on the floor.

[00:17:50] I slowly took a few steps toward the house to get a better look and see if I could help.

[00:17:57] As I got closer to the front porch, I stopped.

[00:18:01] There was blood oozing out the front door and slowly making its way to the front steps.

[00:18:08] I took a step back and then slowly another.

[00:18:12] I did not want to get caught in a situation that could lead me to the same fate, so I began retreating further and, as I was about to turn and run home, I saw it.

[00:18:22] I refer to her.

[00:18:25] She looked like she was left out in the sun to dry as the skin looked white as paper to me, even in the semi-light.

[00:18:32] I was transfixed by the sight and slowly a hand was raised by her and she placed it on the window.

[00:18:40] The window was the one I supposed to be in the dining area.

[00:18:45] Placing the open hand on the window, I could see it was covered in a red paint of sort.

[00:18:50] She began to slowly move it side by side, like as if she was waving to me while leaving streaks of the red paint on the glass.

[00:19:00] Then I saw the worst thing I could ever imagine.

[00:19:04] She opened her mouth and in the light it let off glints of sharp things I could only guess to be razors, like the box cutter type.

[00:19:15] I lost my composure and ran.

[00:19:18] My house was four minutes away, but it felt like four days to me.

[00:19:23] I ran to the front door and fumbled in my pockets to look for the keys, all the while looking to see if I wasn't followed.

[00:19:31] Entering my home, I sank to the floor.

[00:19:34] I tried to steady my breath and remembered that I have a phone and should call the police.

[00:19:39] I fished out my phone and tried to call a few times.

[00:19:42] My hands were shaking uncontrollably, but finally I managed to call and waited for them to pick up.

[00:19:50] The operator picked up and I basically blurted everything out in a couple of seconds to which the operator tried to calm me down.

[00:19:58] I took a few breaths as I told and recounted everything to her and gave the address.

[00:20:04] She let me know that a unit will be sent to check up on the place.

[00:20:08] While that was happening, she asked if I have locked my door and checked my home also, to which I panicked.

[00:20:15] As I looked up at my door, I jolted up and locked it.

[00:20:19] I told her that I lived alone and always lock up.

[00:20:22] She told me to remain calm and keep the phone close as she will call again to check up on me.

[00:20:29] I closed the call and switched on the lights to my home and made my way to the kitchen where I sat down on the dinner table.

[00:20:36] The adrenaline was wearing off and I felt like I was drowning in warm water.

[00:20:42] I think I may have passed out as when I woke, my phone was rigging and so was the front door.

[00:20:50] I saw it was police calling.

[00:20:53] I picked up and it was the operator.

[00:20:55] She asked if I was okay and I told her I had passed out from exhaustion.

[00:21:01] I got up and walked to the front door.

[00:21:04] She let me know that this happens when you are involved in such situations and I should take a bath before getting some rest.

[00:21:11] Looking through the spy hole on my door, I could see there were two officers standing outside.

[00:21:17] I let the operator know this and she let me know that she had asked to check up on me also.

[00:21:22] I opened the door while keeping the line active.

[00:21:24] The officers introduced themselves and I nodded.

[00:21:28] The operator said that I should talk to the officers and we'll be cutting the call now.

[00:21:33] I cut the line and put my phone back in my pocket and let the officers in.

[00:21:38] I led them to the living room and we sat down.

[00:21:41] One of the officers tried to comfort me by talking about my place.

[00:21:45] It was a short banal conversation but it helped.

[00:21:48] I then told them my account for the night.

[00:21:52] They listened without a word and when I finished asked for a clear description of the figure I saw and I tried my best to give them one but honestly that description felt off.

[00:22:02] The face I saw looked like a badly made ghost mask but honestly it still is scarier to think of now.

[00:22:12] They told me to be vigilant as this was the first case in this area and they fear there could be more and that since I saw this person I may be in some danger now.

[00:22:22] I asked what happened to the family in that house.

[00:22:26] What they told me brought shivers to my core.

[00:22:31] Honestly miss we don't know.

[00:22:33] There are no bodies in the house but there was blood everywhere.

[00:22:37] It's like the perp tried to repaint the house in their blood.

[00:22:40] I know we should not be speaking to you about this but you saw the blood on the front door.

[00:22:46] Beyond that we cannot figure out who or what this person is but whoever they are we have the FBI looking for them also.

[00:22:53] So here's where I ask you.

[00:22:55] Is there a place you can go for a while or at least till we catch this killer?

[00:22:59] It's for your own safety.

[00:23:02] I told them that I had no other family or place I could go to as this was the only home I had.

[00:23:10] They considered this and one of them excused himself and walked out the front door to make a call.

[00:23:16] The one still sitting told me that if I did not have a place to go to then another option was witness protection

[00:23:23] which was brought up by the agents.

[00:23:25] I knew that once in witness protection I would basically start again and by the looks of it I had no other choice left.

[00:23:34] It's been six months since I was moved to this random town.

[00:23:38] Given few resources to start my life again I did my best.

[00:23:43] At first it was okay and things weren't so bad.

[00:23:46] I got used to the life.

[00:23:48] It was then I started to notice things happening at night.

[00:23:52] There would be noises from outside my apartment like someone pacing around and tapping on the windows.

[00:24:00] I called the police a few times and in most cases it turned out to be nothing but

[00:24:06] they swore they felt like someone was watching them.

[00:24:10] I was becoming paranoid myself.

[00:24:12] I called the agents assigned to me and asked if I could be moved and he informed me that it was impossible

[00:24:20] as he did not have another place I could be moved to.

[00:24:24] I asked why the investigation was really taking so long and he did not have an answer

[00:24:29] but said that I was the only tangible witness to this serial killer's crimes.

[00:24:35] I was confused.

[00:24:37] Since I checked online there were no mention of such crimes on the news sites and asked why.

[00:24:43] He informed me that it was being kept out of the news as there were no bodies, only blood trails

[00:24:49] and missing bodies that could easily be recorded as fraudulent death reports.

[00:24:54] The real problem was that locations of every crime was random and nothing connected them at all.

[00:25:02] I was getting worried by all this and now I am getting even more paranoid as there have been

[00:25:09] scratch marks on my door and windows.

[00:25:12] I tried to use a camera to catch the prankster but nothing.

[00:25:17] There were now knockings in the middle of the night and even whispers of a voice.

[00:25:24] I am scared that soon I will be next.

[00:25:29] Today I found a bloody razor on my doorstep.

[00:25:33] It was just late on the doorstep.

[00:25:37] Please help.