The narrative typically follows a standard "lost media" or "cursed file" trope:
While specific details vary by retelling, the story gained traction in online communities like the Creepypasta Wiki and r/nosleep , where users share fictional horror stories presented as real-life encounters. It taps into the "digital dread" of the early 2010s, similar to legends like Smile Dog or The Expressionless .
: As the protagonist investigates the files, they experience "glitches" in reality—hearing sounds from the audio files in their own home or seeing figures from the videos in their peripheral vision.