#noend!sans

[oogaboogaspookyman]

*didn't you do enough?

[girls4horror-blog]

Creepypasta Discussion - Escaping NoEnd House

Horror Tropes: The Chimera House.

Recently, I found myself falling down the rabbit hole of a significant, yet obscure horror trope of the Chimera House. A few weeks ago, I re-read the infamous creepypasta NoEnd House written by Brian Russell where I was instantly sucked into the story. The short three chapter creepypasta was a favorite of mine back when the website had first taken off. Upon a second reading more than 5 years later, I was still mesmerized by it. Despite some of the cheesy over-the-top gore and plot holes, it still creeps me the hell out! A super imaginative take on the Chimera House concept.

I don’t blame you if you dont know what a Chimera House is. I had to do some research on it myself. It is a “haunted” house that appears randomly and without warning in a neighborhood, and challenges/seduces people to enter it wherein the house expands to be infinitely larger on the inside than it is on the outside (yes like the tardis). The house changes shape depending on who enters it, and will usually challenge you with trials that make you experience your worst nightmares. Usually people are challenged to make it through to the last room or exit for the promise of some type of reward (usually a large sum of money or “life changing” event). However, the reward is almost always spending an eternity getting lost, being eternally tormented, and/or dying due to some supernatural force or entity in the house.

For those of you who are really into this kind of thing i recommend reading Mark Z. Danielewsky’s incredibly creative novel (its more of an experience) House of Leaves published in March, 2000. The book is filled with codes, secret messages written backwards, and fake references to articles and movies that dont actually exist. All of it taking you further into the world of conspiracies and opening doors that seemingly never end, which mirrors the plot of the novel about a never-ending hallway suddenly appearing inside a documentary filmmaker’s summer family home. It is WILD, people. A little dense but very fun. And VERY scary.

Apparently the Chimera House story trope started popping up out of a rumour spread in the 1980′s about a haunted house that would give you money if you could make it all the way through without chickening out. It may or may not have existed in real life. No one knows for sure. (oooOOooo SpoooOOOoookyyyy). The rumour started as a take on the actual haunted houses that would appear during the Halloween season where you would enter someone’s house decorated to spook the bones right out of your body, make your best friend scream and get handed candy as you are chased out the exit by someone’s dad in a Jason mask.

Russell’s story follows this trope as his main character David is told by a friend that a “NoEnd House” has appeared in the neighborhood and the owners (or “Management”) of the house are offering $500 if he can make it to the last room. His friend warns him not to go, but what would a good horror story be if everyone always did what they were told? So of course he goes into the house and... well... you can read it yourself.

Read it here: NoEnd House

Since its inception, Russell’s story had been picked up by SyFy TV series Channel Zero (watch it now on Shudder with a free 7 day trial) and reimagined to be a beautifully shot surreal nightmare about two college-age girls and their undying friendship. I just have to say that season 2 (the one based on NoEnd House) is PERFECT. As a TV show it is exactly what I wanted and more. It takes a lot of creative liberties with the story, but turns it into a visually stunning, unique and heart-wrenching journey for its characters. A must-see for those who like Twilight Zone, Eldritch horror and surreal/visually creative horror. Monsters I’ve never seen. And it has cannibals. Wild, I know.

There are many instances of the Chimera House throughout books, film and television but I have never seen a comprehensive discussion about it. 

Why does this trope exist? 

What does it mean for us as horror lovers to be attracted by it?

 And why are we all-of-the-sudden seeing a recent emergence in newer media?

Some recent movies/stories I can think of: Escape Room (2019) “My Job Is Watching A Woman Trapped In a Room” reddit nosleep (2019) Haunting at Hill House (2018) Channel Zero: Season 2 (2017) “NoEnd House” creepypasta (2011) Robert D. San Souci’s “Chimera House” short story in Haunted Houses (2010) Cube 2: Hypercube (2002) House of Leaves (2000) House on Haunted Hill (1999), (1959) The Haunting (1999), (1963)

I’m sure there are a ton more but if anyone remembers a story where characters are trapped in a neverending shapeshifting house where they were initially offered some kind of reward can you comment or message me with more?