This article was originally published on our site: storieswithpictures.com
Samantha Hartsoe was leading a perfectly normal life filled with work, evenings out, occasional travels, and fun times with her roommates up until the moment when the curiosity got the best of her. They say ‘curiosity killed the cat’, but Samantha is one of those people who believe that, on the contrary, curiosity is what makes the cat live a long and meaningful life.
Otherwise, why live at all if you don’t venture into the unknown once in a while? Little did she know that ‘the unknown’ was lurking right behind her - in her very own home!
Being a naturally cheerful and adventurous person, Samantha never expected anything weird to ever happen to her, especially inside of her own apartment with all her roommates present. But she couldn't resist investigating a mysterious find...
Alice in Wonderland
Samantha was standing inside her bathroom with a hammer in one hand and a handmade headlamp in the other. She already had a protective mask covering her face, but she was still hesitant to do it. Was she actually ready for something like this?
Her roommate was standing behind her near the entrance trying to cheer her up. Samantha turned back and gave him a wink as if saying that it was all going to be alright. She wasn’t really sure about that herself, but she felt there was no turning back now.
Her reflection was staring right back at her with wide-open eyes. Much to her own relief, Samantha didn’t see any fear there – only excitement sprinkled with a little bit of nervousness, but who wouldn’t be nervous in her place? It’s not every day you find something so hideous right inside your own bathroom. Samantha took a deep breath, put on her headlamp, and moved forward.
Just an Ordinary Girl (No, Not Really)
Few of us grow up thinking that we are somehow special and Samantha Hartsoe would never call herself outstanding in any way. She had her ups and downs, she liked going out with friends and spending time with her roommates, John and Julia, but most of all she liked to go somewhere few people have ever gone before.
That’s probably why she loved hiking so much! True, lots of people love venturing out into the wild and spending time with nature, but not many do it as often as Samantha. She felt she was born for hiking!
Nothing could compare to the freedom she felt being out in the open space of beautiful vistas and breathtaking valleys with rivers running as far as the eye could see. Her love for adventure was always pushing her forward, whether it was a long hike through the dense forest or the work she loved doing more than anything else. It was after one such hike that Samantha came home and faced a challenge she never thought was possible.
Samantha’s Biggest Passion in Life
Samantha was a Development Manager at Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York, a non-profit organization that takes care of children in need, providing them with a decent education and ample opportunities to enrol into their college of choice.
The organization also provides counselling, academic advisors, and a wide range of extracurricular activities that keep the scholars busy and motivated. Children with problematic backgrounds get to live in dorms 5 days a week and their tuition fee is covered by Boys Hope Girls Hope of New York.
Samantha has always been proud of her job and the impact it had on the lives of kids who didn’t have many opportunities in life to grow into healthy and productive human beings. Yet, she never bragged about it, although, she felt like more people should know about this organization and the difference it was making. She could never imagine that she’d get a chance to talk about herself and her work on national TV real soon!
A TikTok Star
Whether you’re a fan of TikTok or have only heard about the unusual video app, it’s a power to be reckoned with. Unlike YouTube, Twitter, or Instagram, TikTok offers a more playful approach that isn’t restricted by any rules at all.
You can follow or not follow anyone, you can participate in various challenges, you can become a TikTok video star or get lost in the sands of time – it’s all up to you! The community of TikTok is strong, its algorithm is chaotic, and most people don’t even know why they’re spending time on it, apart from that it’s really fun.
As to Samantha Hartsoe, she was a kind of a rising TikTok star before she made her mysterious discovery with thousands of people viewing each video she made. Well, after she posted her new story on TikTok she had millions of views and more new followers than she could count!
A Story That Had to be Shared
Samantha is known for her cheerful attitude towards life and her videos fully convey her fun and easy-going character. Whether she made a cute dancing video or a short video joke about her day, it always made people smile.
That’s why it was so unlike her to post a scary story and not just something she saw happen – it was a story about herself and a mystery, unlike anything she’s ever experienced!
Carefully documenting her every step, Samantha created a series of short video documentaries worthy of a horror movie. Thousands of people joined her on a spine-chilling discovery reminiscent of both Alice Through the Looking Glass and Candyman. So, here’s how it all began…
A New York Apartment with a Twist
Samantha was sharing her New York apartment with two other roommates – Julia and John, whom she loved to bits. It seemed like they’ve been living and having fun together forever and the cosy apartment was almost as perfect as their friendship. Well, not quite.
Having returned home after a long and exciting hiking trip, Samantha was on cloud nine to see her dear friends once again. As much as she loved travelling, nothing could compare to the feeling of coming back to the place where she was truly loved.
A few days passed filled with bliss and exciting stories about what Samantha missed while she was gone. But then Samantha started noticing something different about the apartment – it was unusually cold. Yes, it was March and the temperatures were still pretty low, but this felt different. Like some extra cold creeping inside her room from somewhere. Samantha felt that she had to investigate what was going on.
Samantha the Detective
Samantha started going from one room to another, carefully investigating each crevice in the wall or suspicious opening that could have been letting in the cold. She felt both like a detective, trying to solve a weird case, and a ghostbuster hunting for something paranormal.
She didn’t actually think that the freezing cold had something to do with ghosts, but the thought has crossed her mind. Her roommates found the whole idea of being haunted quite exciting, so they were cheering for her every step of the way.
But it was a New York City apartment and not some old European mansion hidden deep in the woods. There was no chance it was haunted! At least, that’s what she was telling to herself, while carefully examining every nook of the house. There had to be a rational explanation for the cold and she was going to find it.
The New York City Apartment Mystery
Having looked at all the cracks and corners of the apartment, Samantha finally reached her room. Yes, it was definitely the coldest out of all! John and Julia often joked that she was like Elsa living in a castle made of ice. They might have been right!
No matter how long the heater was on, Samantha always felt cold and had to put on layers of clothes to feel comfortable in her own room. She hasn’t paid too much attention to it in the past, but these last few days after she’s been back from the hike the cold seemed to become more intensive.
Or maybe she just didn’t want to notice it before? We rarely want to deal with the things we don’t understand, so we stash them away in our subconscious, where they can stay forever. But this time Samantha wanted to deal with whatever was coming her way, whether it was natural or supernatural in origin.
Samantha’s Room was the Source of It
Samantha was walking around her room, waving her hand slightly in the air as if it would help her to locate the source of the unusual cold. She could swear there was some kind of slight wind coming from somewhere, yet the source of it wasn’t inside the room.
But Samantha could feel it was there! She entered the bathroom, stopped for a moment, and started slowly examining every inch of it. Her intuition was right, there was a source of the unusual cold and it was right here, in her very own bathroom.
Samantha stayed near the entrance for half a minute, feeling the slight draft coming from somewhere. She could literally feel the air blowing and moving her hair around! It was weird and disconcerting on so many levels. She promised herself to find the source of it, but she had no idea it would lead to a discovery that would become a news sensation in just a few days.
She Had to Film It
Samantha took out her phone because she felt she was about to make the discovery of a lifetime. Something about all this just seemed too strange and sent chills down her spine. Well, some of it might have been because of the cold, but mostly it was the whole situation.
We just live in our apartments for years never expecting to find something weird out of the blue, but then something happens and our room or bathroom turns into a creepy movie setting worthy of a horror flick. Samantha wasn’t sure what she would find inside her bathroom, but her gut was telling her it would be big.
She got out her smartphone and started recording every step she made. It was a full-on investigation and thousands of people would tune in to watch her spine-chilling adventure later on. Of course, Samantha wasn’t doing it for the likes or some kind of Internet fame – she just felt it was so much fun and everyone had to witness it along with her!
An Unexpected Discovery
There was only one whole in the bathroom and it was the vent, so Samantha checked it first. The vent was silent and there was no air movement there whatsoever! Finally, Samantha found a small opening in the door’s frame with a bit of air coming out of it.
But was that really the source of the freezing cold that made her room nearly inhabitable without a heater working non-stop? Samantha’s gut was telling her there was something else, and she was right.
She taped the small hole so it wouldn’t create any draft and stood at the bathroom’s entrance once again. Just as she suspected, the cold air didn’t stop blowing and moving her hair around. That’s when Samantha’s gaze fell upon the big mirror in her bathroom. There was something there!
A Big Revelation
Just as Samantha got closer to the mirror she could feel the cold air blowing at her almost like the wind from outside. Why didn’t she notice this earlier? Or maybe the draft wasn’t so strong back when they were just moving into the apartment?
She touched the mirror trying to see if it would move and then gasped when it shifted in her hands. Not only did the huge mirror move, but it seemed that it could fall off the wall any second! Samantha swallowed hard, feeling that her mouth went all dry. She was scared a little, but she was also excited about what she would find behind the mirror.
Finally, she held the mirror with both hands and pulled it slightly – the whole thing came off easily like it wasn’t fixed to the wall in any way. And it wasn’t! It was just hanging there, covering a huge hole almost the size of the mirror itself.
It All Seemed Impossible
Samantha couldn’t believe her eyes as she was standing there with a huge heavy mirror in her hands, staring at the opening almost the size of a window. It was pitch dark and she couldn’t tell what was on the other side of her bathroom yet.
The very bathroom that she used for shower, where she took her clothes off and spent so much time all alone! Samantha felt her body shake a little both from fear and disgust. What if someone was there on the other side this whole time? What if someone was watching?
Well, the mirror wasn’t a see-through and Samantha silently thanked God for that small consolation. She put the mirror down on the floor, staring at the black square in front of her. Now the air was blowing even harder, so there was no doubt – this was the reason for that chilling draft that has been keeping her room freezing cold all this time. Still, there was one more thing Samantha needed to do before looking into the black hole in her bathroom.
Her Roommates Couldn’t Believe Their Eyes
Of course, Samantha had to tell her roomies about her discovery first! After all, it was their apartment as well and they had the right to know what was happening in it. Besides, investigating the hole wouldn’t be so scary with her friends’ support.
Julia just came back home and was standing in the hallway, when Samantha rushed to her with the big news. While Samantha was more excited than scared about the whole thing, Julia was seriously freaked out. She couldn’t believe what was happening inside their apartment!
John laughed nervously at the whole thing – he thought Samantha was just kidding, but then he gasped in surprise as the three of them entered the bathroom to examine the hole. It was real, and it was scary, and they were about to find out more about it!
Shedding Some Light
Samantha switched on her flashlight while continuing to record her each and every step. She felt that it was a one-of-a-kind experience that no one has ever witnessed before. The whole situation seemed outlandish and the more the three of them were staring into the darkness of the Beyond, the more surreal it seemed.
The light revealed some piping and a small space that could have been a room of some sort. It seemed dishevelled, old, and in dire need of repairs. Samantha moved further inside the small space trying to see if there was something else there.
That space wasn’t the only one! This small room had a door frame that connected it to something else. What on Earth could be there? And was someone actually staying there? Samantha and her roommates had so many questions and no answers whatsoever. That’s when Samantha had a mind-blowing idea that would turn her life upside down.
Going into the Void
Even before anyone could say anything, Samantha had already set her mind on going inside the hole. The small space was connected to another room that has been hidden behind her bathroom wall all this time. She couldn’t let it go!
It wasn’t just something happening to another person – it was her apartment, her life, and the lives of her friends as well. Did this mysterious hole pose some kind of danger? She didn’t know! And that’s exactly why she had to go in.
Most people would never rush with a decision like that, but Samantha was definitely not one of them. She would never forgive herself if she just let it slide or let someone else do this for her. But really, who would go through the wall into some uncharted territory instead of her? The decision was made, now all she needed was a little bit of courage and a few instruments.
Preparation
Samantha had to think about the things she would need on the other side. Some weapon, maybe? Well, not exactly, but she will need something strong and heavy just in case. What if she meets a wild animal in there? Old New York apartments are truly unpredictable.
If you find a weird hole in the wall then finding a wild beast lurking in the dark doesn’t seem like such a far-fetched idea after all. Samantha tried not to think about finding an actual living being in the room behind her wall. She was definitely not prepared for that!
Samantha took a hammer and a makeshift headlamp, which was made of a torch and a headband. It looked a little bit ridiculous, but she wasn’t getting ready for a fashion show – she just needed it to be functional, so she and her viewers would be able to see what was hiding beyond the wall.
Going Down the Rabbit Hole
Samantha was standing in front of the black hole connecting her bathroom with some other dimension. At least, it definitely felt like that! John was not helping either, making comments about the Parasite movie and creepy Candyman references.
She had to admit this did look like the premise of a pretty good horror flick, but she didn’t allow herself to think in this direction. She had to be brave to find out the truth! Samantha felt that she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she cancelled the whole thing.
And most certainly she wouldn’t be able to use her bathroom like nothing’s ever happened! Samantha liked the Alice in Wonderland references more than the horror movie ones. She wasn’t following a white rabbit, of course, but there was a big dark hole and it might lead her to some surreal discoveries. At least, that’s what she hoped for.
Not What She Expected
Samantha took a deep breath and moved forward, trying to fit into the hole going head first. Suddenly, she heard her roomy John laughing behind her, saying that her hips wouldn’t fit through the hole.
Samantha sighed and then giggled a little, too. She didn’t even measure the hole! She just thought she’d make it through somehow, but going head first was definitely not the way. Samantha returned to the bathroom and took a look around.
She would need to try another way! Well, if going head first was not going to work, then there was only one other option left – to go sideways. Samantha had no idea if she’d fit into the hole, but she’s already passed the point of no return and could only press forward. Soon, all her efforts would be rewarded with a mind-bending find!
A New Idea
Samantha found a small bucket and pushed it to the other side of the wall, hearing it land on the floor with a loud thump. This should become a perfect little step for her that would allow her to go through the opening without stretching her legs too much.
Samantha felt more confident now than ever before. It was going to work, it had to! This time John was cheering her up, following her each step with a camera, recording everything she was going through. This was huge and it would definitely become a viral video once it hit the Internet.
Samantha started squeezing through the opening little by little. Much to her own surprise, she was fitting into the hole perfectly fine! Half of her body was already on the other side of the wall and she could feel the cold air blowing. She shuddered but continued pushing through.
Finally, She was Inside
Samantha was breathing heavily as she stood on the other side, looking at her roomy John as if he was in a different dimension. Or maybe she was the one that has gone through some kind of portal, ending up in a world similar to hers, but not quite?
Like that animated girl Coraline, who ended up in a copy of her homeworld, but with some dark unexpected secrets lurking in the shadows. Samantha took one deep breath, steadying herself. She could do this, she had to. There was no going back now and she didn’t really want to!
John was encouraging her to press forward, telling her she was on the other side of the dimension and that she should go onward. Samantha always had an adventurous spirit, but this was by far the maddest thing she’s ever done in her life!
On the Other Side
Feeling like Alice in a spooky variation of Wonderland, Samantha started moving across the small space that could have been a bathroom in the past, and now resembled a horror movie set with its shabby walls and piping peeking out from everywhere.
The small space connected to a bigger room, and then another one. Samantha stopped in surprise, taking a look around the desolate place. It was a whole apartment hiding right behind her bathroom mirror!
It was trashed and in desperate need of serious repairs. There were no wallpapers on the walls and whatever paint remained there was already half-gone. The apartment seemed ancient, but not completely abandoned – and that was the scariest part of it all!
Was Someone There?
Samantha continued inspecting the apartment on the other side as carefully as she could. Something cracked under her foot and she jumped, scared out of her mind, but then calmed herself down – it was just a pile of trash.
She could notice big black bags of trash lying around in the corners along with other things that seemed to be almost ancient by the look of it. Maybe someone was trying to repair this place or at least clean it up a bit?
Suddenly, Samantha noticed something out of the ordinary – there was an opened bottle of water standing on the windowsill, which meant someone was actually there not so long ago. What if they were still inside the apartment? Where they dangerous? Samantha was breathing heavily, thoughts running through her mind like racing horses. There was no turning back at this point, so she braced herself and moved forward.
The Mysterious Source of the Cold
If someone has been staying there this whole time they’d die from cold, wouldn’t they? Samantha was trying to calm herself down with some straightforward logic. It would have been better than living in the streets, of course, but without the heating the cold was excruciating. There was no chance she’d actually meet someone there!
Samantha took a deep breath – the face mask was making it hard to breathe normally, but she’d rather have it on. The place was as dusty as it was cold and desolate. Her hunch was telling her to move closer to the exit – and she was right!
Well, she didn’t actually find anything apart from the wide-opened door of the apartment, but that was a big enough find for Samantha. That opened door was the main reason why the apartment felt so freezing – the cold was coming right through the hole in her wall and inside her own room. Mystery solved!
This was Not the End for Samantha
“Mirror, mirror on the wall…” – John was all cheerful and smiley when he saw her sweaty face back in the hole where her mirror used to hand all this time. Samantha laughed nervously, crawling out of the hole the same way she came through it.
“That was… Awesome!” – Samantha told her roomy while taking off the mask and headlamp. She wanted to say 'scary', but who was she kidding? She would do it all over again if she had the choice.
At least now she and her roommates could sleep safely without the anxiety of not knowing what was hiding in the other dimension behind the hole in their apartment’s bathroom. Well, Samantha would definitely sleep better – and warmer! But this was definitely not the end for Samantha’s otherworldly hole-in-the-wall story as there was another huge surprise coming her way.
The TikTok Celebrity
Of course, Samantha couldn’t keep this story all to herself – she had to share with her TikTok followers! It was fun, dramatic, thrilling, and unlike anything she’s ever experienced before. At least, not something she has ever shared with the public.
Samantha decided to post one video after the other, taking short breaks to see the reaction of people. She was blown away right after she uploaded the first video showcasing the beginning of her bathroom adventure.
People were going crazy! Her followers couldn’t believe their eyes, making assumptions as to what would happen next. Samantha never expected her videos to become so popular, but as soon as she posted the second one her story went absolutely viral!
News Channels Followed
As if becoming an Internet star in a fortnight wasn’t enough, Samantha started receiving proposals from numerous TV channels to tell her compelling story to an even wider audience. Suddenly everyone wanted an interview with her!
Samantha felt like she was in a dream – it started way back when she was about to investigate the mysterious cold in her room and it was still going on, each passing day bringing her new challenges and discoveries.
Samantha went ‘down the rabbit hole’ just like Alice in Wonderland did when she found a mysterious dark hole, and now she was praised for that! Samantha had no idea so many people would be excited about what she did – she was getting hundreds of messages on her social media accounts and thousands of likes! But there was an even bigger surprise coming her way.
A Mind-Blowing Invitation
When around 8 million viewers watch your video – that counts for something, right? Samantha had no idea just how many people watched, liked, and shared her videos telling the spooky story of the bathroom mirror and what was hidden under it, but other people took notice.
Not only did she get numerous invitations from news channels, but she was also contacted by one very special person she never expected to hear from. Samantha Hartsoe was invited to take part in Ellen DeGeneres Show!
Samantha couldn’t believe her eyes. A few days ago she had a few hundred followers and the world had no idea about her existence, but now everyone was talking about her, trying to get more details about the creepy discovery. Naturally, she said “yes,” but nothing prepared her for what was about to happen during the show.
Ellen DeGeneres Show
If you’ve watched Ellen DeGeneres Show at least a few times, then you know that its host is humorous, kind, and likes surprises more than anything. Most of the times she prepares some wicked jokes and fun videos to entertain her celebrity guests, but those are definitely not the only instruments in her huge arsenal of ways to surprise people.
Once the show was announced, Samantha didn’t really know what to expect apart from the usual – just telling her story the way it happened and answering the usual set of questions about how she felt and what made her do it.
Of course, Ellen DeGeneres wasn’t just going to ask her a few questions and stop at that. She was preparing something very special for their online meeting, a surprise that would leave Samantha speechless!
Nothing Prepared Samantha for This
After chatting effortlessly for a few minutes, Ellen asked Samantha why she decided to go into that hole. Not many people would want to do that! Samantha laughed and said that she simply couldn’t ignore a hole in her very own bathroom. She wouldn’t be able to live in her apartment not knowing what was out there!
For Samantha, that’s even scarier than going into the Unknown. According to her, there are two types of people – the ones that would simply shrug it off or call some service to investigate the hole for them, and then there are people like her that have to do everything themselves. It’s scary, but it’s also very exciting and a tad bit dangerous.
Ellen suggested Samantha should cement that hole for good and then revealed the first part of her surprise – a whole new bathroom setup for Samantha’s home!
A Surprise of a Lifetime
Samantha was lost for words looking at the brand new mirror with a sink, a cupboard, and gorgeous lights. This would definitely look stunning in her bathroom as soon as she deals with the hole and the mysterious apartment it connects to.
But that was far from over! After presenting the beautiful bathroom set on live TV, Ellen asked her assistant to remove the mirror to see if there was something hidden behind it just like in Samantha’s story.
As soon as the assistant removed the mirror everyone saw an image with $10,000 printed on it. Ellen DeGeneres was gifting Samantha $10,000 for her bravery and an adventurous spirit! Samantha didn’t know what to say and was on the verge of tears after hearing Ellen say: “That’s for you”. Was she in a dream?
The Happy Ending
Samantha’s story was far from over – she still had to talk to the landlord about another apartment attached to her bathroom and something had to be done about the hole that made her feel unsafe to even take a shower there. Still, for Samantha, it was already a happy ending.
She remained true to herself and did what her gut was telling her despite all the dangers she could have faced on the other side. Maybe that’s why her story got so popular, to begin with?
Yes, she was brave and a little bit reckless to enter the hole, but she also wasn’t doing it for attention or some possible reward – she was doing it for herself only! Well, and for the fun of it, of course. This will definitely remain one of the most exciting adventures in Samantha’s life.
