The Most Jarring, Baffling Images That Stopped The Internet In Its Tracks
For most people, certain sights trigger such a visceral reaction that before people even realize it, they can remove themselves from viewing it entirely. Whether it's by closing their browser or physically leaving the room, the only word that flashes through their minds is "NOPE."
However, it's possible to be disturbed and fascinated by something you see at the same time. Such sights make people glad they're not the ones tasked with solving the mystery, but they're compelling enough to make them curious when somebody else does it. They're not images of things most people would want in their houses but those people still can't look away.
Believe it or not, a grocery store might actually sell this
When Reddit user artill posted this deformed apple, they figured it couldn't be safe to eat. Whatever is wrong with the stem, it was likely the result of some kind of genetic mutation. However, that's apparently not as big of a deal as it may seem.
Although most commenters thought the apple was too gross or funny to weigh in on this, some who had worked at grocery stores and farmer's markets said this would probably be sold without issue. It was a little deformed but that deformation was considered benign. It's not exactly appetizing, though.
The most unsettling of discoveries
By the time scientists examined this sculpture of Buddha, it had existed for 1,000 years. However, they eventually discovered that something else had been hidden inside it ever since it was built. As the second of these images shows, it was the remains of a person.
Given the timeline and region the statue originated in, the most likely candidate for the mummified remains is the Buddhist master Liuquan. Considering that his organs were replaced by scraps of paper with ancient Chinese characters written on them, it seems this statue was created as part of a mummification ritual.
It's a blurry photo but the horror is crystal clear
While people would likely be hesitant to touch this dark mass next to the dime, it's unlikely that the true horror behind this photo wouldn't set in unless the viewer has had some unfortunate experiences. But what could be the size of a dime and yet, so terrifying.
According to Reddit user ZippyMcLintball, the answer is that this was his kidney stone. When something the size of a dime is passing through a urethra, the pain is absolutely unbearable. He said he passed out and nobody can blame him for that.
Even an itchy back probably won't like these
Some nail designs are large and seem unwieldy, which is often because the look as sharp as they are long. However, this is beyond even that beauty trend because these look like they've been sharpened to the point of being a deadly weapon.
As for why this woman did this to her fingernails, the best that anyone can figure is that she wanted her nails to look like cat claws. The claws aren't most people's favorite things about their cats but nobody can deny that it's a unique aesthetic.
The last thing anyone wants to find in their headphones
When Reddit user soulhacler started work one morning, they felt something furry on their ear when they put their headset on. Undoubtedly, they got a serious case of the Willies when they discovered that a bat had been sleeping against their ear.
Although it was something of a relief that the bat wasn't dead, this didn't make the situation any easier for the uploader to deal with. Since bats can transmit a wide variety of diseases (including rabies), they spent a while trying to find the right place to give them all the vaccines they need.
This probably wasn't intended to look so ghostly
As Reddit user UrUncleRandy explained, this is what the museum is their university looks like after night falls. Although they didn't explain who this statue in the museum is depicting, it wasn't lost on the uploader that it looks like the spirit of a child wandering the grounds.
However, commenters had a hard time focusing on that because they were so stunned that the school has its own museum. This led them to imply that the really scary thing about going there is the tuition, which the uploader couldn't really argue with.
This situation is an even bigger nightmare than she thought
After Reddit user shelblikadoo broke up with her boyfriend, she fell asleep while he was packing his things. Unfortunately, it seems that this slumber ended up creating a bizarre opportunity for her ex to be vindictive. When she woke up, she discovered that he had stolen her toilet.
While it was hard for commenters not to find this situation hilarious, some weren't laughing at all. That's because exposed sewer lines are combustible, so the ex-boyfriend left her an explosive risk to go with his embarrassing insult.
Nobody needs to tell them not to look down
Although many people are afraid of heights, what that actually means depends on the person. Some see some overlap with a fear of flying while others are perfectly fine on planes, but feel nervous when their height feels unsupported.
Well, if there's one thing that can bring them all together, it's dread at the thought of having to climb these mountainside rope stairs. That would be a hard challenge to accept even for a million dollars. Thanks but no thanks.
There's something eerie about that mirror
While Glittering_South5178 was cycling in central Pennsylvania, she came across this abandoned farmhouse. It wasn't hard to see why it had been abandoned, as a quick look told her that it showed signs of burning down a while back.
However, she couldn't get over the fact that this seemingly pristine mirror was just leaning against it. One would have expected the previous owners to take it with them or for it to become tarnished, but neither of those things happened for some unexplained reason. It's hard not to see it as cursed.
There's no subway to Hell but it would look a bit like this
Considering how it seems to jut through a natural cave, there's something almost alien-looking about this subway station. In some scary stories, the trappings of modern civilization are used to lure people deeper into supernatural situations until it's too late to escape.
However, this is real life. And in real life, this is just a subway station in Stockholm, Sweden with an ambitious interior design decision behind it. It's beautiful once that context is established, and the echo there must be crazy.
It's gross but it looks so much worse
Naturally, this image of a bathroom hand dryer with a large dark mark under it attracted some disgusted reactions online. Considering how some people have been known to behave in public restrooms, people feared the worst and squeamishly wondered whether someone had defecated all over the wall.
Fortunately, that isn't what we're looking at. Instead, the metal plate under the dryer was exposed due to neglect. As such, those who used the dryer and blew the moisture from their hands onto the plate contributed to its rust problem bit by bit. It's unsightly but not nearly as nightmarish as it seems.
They didn't cover this in driving school
Even outside of rural Montana, it's probably not the most uncommon situation there for drivers to encounter wildlife on the road. Yet, while moose, bears, and bison can all be hazardous to encounter when those drivers aren't careful, this would be the last thing they expect to see.
Naturally, people were more than a little confused as to how an elephant ended up roaming the streets of Butte. As Reddit user tlomo explained, the most likely origin for this animal was Jordan's World Circus. Looks like someone didn't want to join the circus after all.
What on Earth is inside of this microwave?
Although this photo is blurry, the contents of this microwave probably wouldn't be much clearer if somebody took a 4K video of it. It looks like someone plopped a snowball on a crumpled bath mat.
However, as Reddit user celes41 explained, this was just what happened after they left their unspecified food in the microwave for a week. Whatever this used to be, it's a mold casserole now. People also didn't buy that this wasn't in there for months, so the uploader must live in a moist environment.
Don't worry, it probably isn't haunted
Although a sailor doll named Robert is the most famous example, there are a few museums whose staff claim to host dolls possessed by a spirit. This spirit isn't necessarily characterized as evil but as having clear likes and dislikes and as being quite scornful when encountering a pet peeve.
However, this doesn't appear to be one of those dolls. This is a World War I museum, and these little military dolls were one way of making the horrors of that time a little more palatable to children. That soldier doll didn't look creepy when it was made, but a century of wear-and-tear can surely make it that way.
This was a strange day at work for someone
As Reddit user Vegetable_Berry2130 explained, they're a contractor who was working on a house where an eviction had recently taken place. The more they looked through it and encountered sights like this, the fewer questions they likely had about why that eviction happened.
They thought this was some kind of strange booby trap, but it's just as likely that this is one of the previous tenant's bizarre little art experiments. Although the uploader didn't mention anything about narcotics, it seems wise not to rule them out.
Whoever did this, they probably weren't sober
After coming across this sight, Reddit user rolixzs had a simple question: "How does this even happen?" Considering that the wheel is missing and the rim seems effectively annihilated, that was a pretty good question. Still, it didn't stop people from having answers.
First off, it seemed unlikely that this was the work of a thief, since it takes more trouble than it's worth to leave a rim this mangled after they steal a wheel. Thus, it's more likely that someone drove on a sparking rim until the wheel fell off. If that's the case, they probably didn't do it sober.
The lack of context is maddening
When Reddit user Jonfreakr dined at the cafeteria of the Cadix hospital in Antwerp, Belgium, they reported feeling creeped out by this odd head sculpture that seemed to be encased in a layer of salt. The fact that it seemed to have hair didn't help these squeamish feelings.
However, what likely kept this odd art piece in the uploader's head for so long was the fact that they could never get an explanation for why it's there. It wasn't even clear to them who it was supposed to depict.
It was jarring to see, but sadly necessary to hear about
After Reddit user Krankhaus1221 checked into their hotel room, they saw this card that detailed the signs of human trafficking and the ways that it's legally distinct from human smuggling. It wasn't something they expected to see, but some commenters weren't surprised.
As they explained, hotel staff tend to be on the lookout for human traffickers, as their workplaces are common places for victims of the practice to be housed either to fulfill the trafficker's ambitions or before they're moved elsewhere. Apparently, this hotel is also telling other guests to watch for the signs.
Someone's package came with an unpleasant stowaway
As Reddit user Luxzencandles, the package they received from AliExpress came with this strange, fleshy oval stuck to the bag. Apparently, it also had spiky hairs and the uploader initially mistook it for some stray material. However, that perception changed when they squeezed the bag and blood came out.
At least, it looked like blood. Apparently, this is a squished cocoon and the most likely candidate for a matching species is the Virginia Tiger Moth. Although it's true that cocoons don't bleed, it's also true that pupal fluid is red enough to be mistaken for blood.
He wasn't sure what to think about this
When Reddit user guffberkin's wife came home to find this wooden head mounted on a stake by their driveway, the couple was understandably confused. It looked like it was made in the shape of an animal's head but they had no idea why it was there or why it had a rock lodged in its back.
However, they were soon able to get an explanation from the neighbor who left it there. Their home's previous owner used to do woodworking, the rock had been sucked up by the tree's root system ages ago, and the neighbor thought they'd like to have it. Not everyone receives a mystery as a housewarming gift.
This little guy is popular in Germany but nowhere else
As Reddit user GeoCangrejo explained, they first encountered this vaguely unsettling hedgehog-human hybrid character at a carnival in Münster, Germany. Although they found it more creepy than anything, it seems their brother has since become obsessed with it.
Fortunately, the more they learned about this guy, the less they have to worry that their brother is under some bizarre curse. This character is known as Mecki and he's been a popular fixture of German's children's books since the 1950s. Perhaps he's best considered the German equivalent to Barney The Dinosaur.
Not exactly a sight anyone is thrilled to wake up to
When Reddit user MoJoLatte came across this sight, they were at a loss. In their words, "A bird seemingly exploded on top of my car." They took it pretty well, all things considered, but they may be relieved to know that what happened is much more common.
After all, no animal really makes a habit of spontaneous combustion. However, it isn't so unusual for a hungry hawk to get as much nutrition as it can out of its prey. Granted, it was a little inconsiderate to use this person's car as its dinner table.
It only took one name to creep this person out
As Reddit user SnuzieQ told it, they were house hunting when they came across this fire pit at one of their options. Although they were seriously considering the house, something about this choice of decor gave them pause. See that name peeking out from one on the left above the clover?
That's what prompted the realization that every stone used for this fire pit is a gravestone. Fortunately, they weren't stolen and either consisted of scrap stones or ones that were broken in transit. Perhaps the previous owner had some tires to the funeral industry.
This doesn't inspire a lot of confidence
When people learn that the doors baring these odd coffin-like designs are found in a hospital, they're quick to assume this is the entrance to the morgue. Although that might come across as a little insensitive, it at least makes thematic sense.
However, it's also not the case. Apparently, the architect who envisioned this design for a hospital in the Dutch town of Zwolle intended them to look like butterfly wings. It turns out that they only realized these looked like coffins after all the work was finished. Ouch.
It's not quite what it looks like
Considering how important people's final resting places often are to them, it doesn't exactly inspire confidence to see a cemetery's groundkeepers leaving caskets lying around outside the grounds. It's hard not to wonder whether this was a response to somebody's check bouncing.
However, the truth it that this isn't a casket. It's a vault that a casket is placed in to prevent its degradation from creating cemetery sinkholes. It does an important job but it seems that this one is either defective or doesn't have a customer yet.
Well, there goes everyone's appetite
Upon discovering this grisly sight, Reddit user Walnut2001 was understandably concerned when they asked what was in this piece of fried chicken. Specifically, they were worried that the chicken's brain had somehow ended up in the deep fryer.
However, one commenter with some experience in the meat industry identified it as a thigh piece and said that it's not unusual for butchers to leave the chicken's kidney attached. Apparently, it tastes like any other chicken meat, just with a softer texture.
There's no way this thing is good for business
While children can sometimes find things adults don't bat an eye at frightening, it's hard not to wonder whether the opposite can be true. If not, then how could any ice cream shop that keeps this gawking monstrosity in front of it manage to stay open for so long?
Nonetheless, this fellow in Dubrovnik, Croatia is considered uniquely unsettling enough to become a local landmark. In a way, maybe his presence is a ringing endorsement of the quality of the ice cream. Is the slogan, "Tastes so good that you won't mind our terrifying mascot?"
Every picture of this thing stares into your soul
Those who want to blame Goosebumps for people's common unease among ventriloquist dummies need only see how intensely terrifying they used to be before R. L. Stine even thought of his Night of the Living Dummy saga. Even Slappy isn't as viscerally creepy as Peter Patter.
Slappy was intended to be scary, but it's mind-boggling to think that someone looked at this abomination's piercing, evil eyes and thought that children would want to play with him. Unless a lot more games in 1960s England ended with people tossing this thing in a bonfire than it seems, it's hard to see the logic.
The dress and the mannequin look fine, but not together
It's not unusual for horror movies to add a bunch of mannequins to induce a little paranoia, but those who don't make a habit of breaking into department stores late at night shouldn't have to worry about that in daily life. By the same token, this dress is cool and ornate enough to look stunning at any event.
However, something happens when this dress is put on this mannequin. It looks like a malevolent witch from a fantasy story came to life and started haunting an antique shop. Even those who know that's nonsense may not turn their backs on it.
Those who want to burn this are in luck
Understandably, most people who see this would want to know who on Earth Lundy is and why anybody would make such an unsettling figure out of him. To answer that, it's hard to find the motivation to put artistic flourishes on something when its whole purpose is to be destroyed.
To summarize some complicated Scottish history, Robert Lundy was a Scottish army officer who was also Governor of Londonderry during the Siege of Derry. He surrendered the city against the people's wishes, which have inspired some of them to burn his likeness in effigy each year and call him, "Lundy the Traitor."
Well, it was perfectly innocent at the time
It's strange how things that used to delight children in decades past can end up scaring future generations years later. In and of itself, this is just a photo of two kids wearing Halloween costumes. Not only that but their costumes are based on characters who are still beloved today.
However, there's something about vintage Halloween costumes that often end up making them look creepy to modern eyes. Whether it's the mismatch between the faces and the eyes or the bad lighting and limited technology of older cameras, something about this seems oddly sinister.
None of these are leaves
Although some leaves can get surprisingly sticky when we brush our hands against them, that's not how this person got them all to stay on their fingers. Instead, it was because none of them wanted to go anywhere when this photo was taken.
That's right. Literally, every one of these seemingly random pieces of debris is actually an insect. Some are pretty obvious about when people know to look for it, but others still look like leaves even with that knowledge. Camouflage is an incredible thing.
Nobody understood this, including whoever wrote it
When Reddit user fflaminscorpion used the bathroom at work, he couldn't help but wonder why someone had scrawled a pentagram here. Although he assumed that Hebrew text above the symbol would clarify things, it turned out that it only made things more confusing.
These are the Hebrew names for the books of Genesis and Exodus, but the included vowel sound dots don't match the way a native Hebrew speaker writes. Since they also don't have anything to do with the Pentagram, everyone's best guess is that someone was trying to be edgy as they played with half-understood Hebrew.
What'll they think of next?
Although this sign may not raise many eyebrows in its city, much of the rest of the world was understandably confused by what they were looking at. Not only has nobody ever heard of butt oil, but it's news to everyone that it's apparently valuable enough to sell.
However, it's still true that there's no such thing. As all of these car company logos suggest, this store actually sells an assortment of oils, particularly motor oils. "Butt" is just the last name of the store's owner.
This mural makes sense but its placement doesn't
When Reddit user Metjependek stepped into this McDonald's location in Peru, they were understandably confused and distracted by this mural on the wall. And while they received an explanation for it, it didn't clear up as much as they likely hoped.
The mural represents the Juanita mummy, which is an important artifact of Peruvian history because it's clear evidence of human sacrifice from over 500 years ago. That said, it's unclear what about this mummy's backstory made someone think it was a good fit for a restaurant that serves Happy Meals.
