Christmas Lights from Beyond

The Blakely family prided themselves on their extravagant Christmas light displays. Every year, their house became the neighborhood’s main attraction, drawing visitors from miles around. This year, they decided to outdo themselves. Michael Blakely, the father, ordered an advanced set of lights from a mysterious online retailer. The listing boasted “otherworldly brilliance,” and Michael couldn’t resist. The package arrived in an unmarked box, with no instructions aside from a note: “Once lit, do not turn them off.”

Ignoring the cryptic warning, Michael and his teenage son, Jake, spent hours stringing the lights across the roof, windows, and garden. That evening, as the family gathered on the lawn for the grand illumination, Michael flipped the switch. The lights flared to life, casting a surreal, almost hypnotic glow. The colors shifted in impossible patterns, and the air around the house seemed to hum with energy.

The neighbors were in awe. People clapped and cheered, taking photos and videos. But as the crowd dispersed, strange things began to happen. Birds, normally silent at night, gathered in eerie flocks around the house, their chirping discordant and unsettling. The Blakely’s dog, Max, whined and barked at the lights, refusing to go near them.

The First Night

That night, Jake woke up to a tapping sound on his window. Pulling back the curtain, he gasped. A figure stood on the lawn, illuminated by the glow of the lights. It was humanoid, but its limbs were elongated, its eyes glowing faintly like the lights themselves. Jake stumbled back, and when he looked again, the figure was gone.

The next morning, Jake told his parents, but they dismissed it as a bad dream. However, as they prepared for the day, they noticed something odd: the lights wouldn’t turn off. No matter how many times Michael flipped the switch or unplugged the cords, they stayed lit, pulsing faintly in the daylight.

The Encounters

Over the next few days, the sightings increased. The neighbors reported strange noises—low, guttural hums that seemed to emanate from the Blakely's' yard. Visitors who came to admire the lights complained of dizziness, nausea, or a feeling of being watched.

One night, Sarah Blakely, the mother, heard whispers coming from the living room. She crept downstairs and froze. The lights, reflected in the window, formed shifting shapes that looked like faces. As she stared, one of the faces turned and looked directly at her. She screamed, waking the family.

Michael decided to take the lights down. As he climbed the ladder, the air grew icy, and his breath fogged. The lights began to flicker violently, and a deep, resonant voice boomed, “You summoned us.” Michael fell from the ladder, unharmed but shaken. The lights flared brighter than ever, casting grotesque shadows that danced across the yard.

The Truth Revealed

Desperate for answers, Jake searched online for the retailer where Michael had bought the lights. The website was gone, but he found a forum discussing cursed decorations. One user described the lights exactly, claiming they were a gateway for beings from another dimension. The only way to sever the connection, the post warned, was to destroy the lights before they fully anchored themselves in the physical world.

The Final Night

As Christmas Eve arrived, the Blakelys’ house was no longer a festive spectacle but a source of terror. The lights’ glow had grown so intense that the entire street was bathed in an unnatural radiance. Shadows moved independently of their sources, and the strange figures now roamed the neighborhood.

Gathering their courage, the family armed themselves with tools and gasoline. They planned to burn the lights and end the nightmare. As they approached the house, the lights’ hum became deafening. Tendrils of light lashed out, searing the ground and walls. One of the figures appeared, its form now more solid and menacing. It spoke in a voice that echoed in their minds, “This world will be ours.”

In a desperate act, Jake managed to douse the lights with gasoline while Michael ignited them. The fire roared to life, consuming the cords and decorations. The figures let out unearthly screams as they dissolved into the air. The hum ceased, and the lights finally went dark.

Aftermath

The Blakelys’ house was a charred ruin, but they were alive. The neighborhood returned to normal, though many avoided the family, whispering about what had happened. Michael vowed never to decorate for Christmas again, and the mysterious retailer was never found.

But sometimes, on cold winter nights, the Blakely's swear they can still see faint, flickering lights in the distance—and hear the hum of something waiting to return.