The Wanderer

This is a true story.

Back in the 1990s, a girl committed suicide after viewing an image posted in an old newsgroup.

The image was of a figure - which some identified as a woman - standing in the middle of a lonely road. The figure is transparent to the point that its legs are barely visible and is illuminated by an unknown light source coming from the direction of the camera. Whether it's headlights, a hand-held flashlight, or the light of the camera itself isn't known for sure, as the actual source of the image has never been identified. No facial features can be made out, but the figure is most easily identified by its long, bony appendages which partly resemble a spider's legs. Those who have seen the image or know of its existence have come to know the figure in it as "The Wanderer."

The first known Wanderer account occurred in 1996. Jane, a college girl who was visiting her family during the holiday season, had an interest in the paranormal. She saw the Wanderer image on a newsgroup along with a message reading, "Do you see me? I can see you too."

Dozens of other users saw the same post. Most didn't think much of it - just that it was somehow "funny." Some actually complained that they experienced headaches while they looked at the image, and similar claims have been made by others since.

According to Jane's family, she suffered from nightmares in the nights after seeing the image. She claimed she would wake up and see the Wanderer outside her window. Sometimes it would scrape the glass with its spider-like limbs, but usually it would just stand there and stare at her. She would find herself unable to move while in its presence, as if many unseen hands were holding her down. Even if she closed her eyes, she would still see it.

Her family was sure she had just been frightened by an image online and was having nightmares as a result until Jane complained of seeing the Wanderer in her waking life as well. She was convinced it was following her. She would see it even while she was in a room full of people or out in public, even though no one else saw anything. Jane's family feared for her sanity, but only assured her that the Wanderer wasn't real.

Jane, however, only got worse. She began going to extreme lengths to stay awake at night. It started out just with caffeine and staying active, but quickly graduated to cutting herself and screaming all through the night. Before long, she wasn't sleeping at all. She was convinced that, if she slept again, the Wanderer would take her.

Her family knew they couldn't just wait and hope for the best. Jane needed help. But when Jane's mother knocked on her daughter's bedroom door, she received no answer. She carefully opened the door, not wanting to disturb or startle Jane, but still she heard nothing.

Jane wasn't in her bed. She wasn't sitting at her computer. She didn't appear to be in her room at all, until her mother checked the closet.

There, Jane was found curled in the corner. Blood reddened the front of her body, having drained from the long slit across her throat. She was clutching a bloodstained note which read, "It can't have me now."

Jane's case is not isolated. Through the rest of the 90s, dozens of others went missing or committed suicide after viewing the image of the Wanderer. Since the turn of the century - despite my best efforts at locating the image - it seems to have disappeared. Recently, though, I posted on a newsgroup asking if anyone had heard of the Wanderer. I've done this many times before and usually there's one or two people who have heard the story, but no one who has seen the image. This time was different. Shortly after posting, I received an email in my inbox.

The subject of the email was, "I CAN SEE YOU." The body only read, "Do you see me? I can see you too."

There was an image attached with the message. I can't verify whether it's the real Wanderer image or not, but I must warn you that, if you choose to view the image, you do so at your own risk.

Here it is.