this post was submitted on 06 Mar 2025
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My 5-year-old has set up a selection of large rocks on the railing of my back porch, which my kitchen faces.

In the kitchen, there is a small TV with a red status LED, which due to the window construction reflects twice.

As I naively walked into my kitchen, the only person in my house awake in the early morning, the rocks and lights lined up in an alarming way. I got quite a start.

(I know the picture isn't great quality ... I think the phone camera didn't want to focus on reflections. Also I zoomed in to hide my kitchen clutter.)

edit: Clarifications.

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[โ€“] junkthief@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Just kinda looks like black a cat at first glance to me ๐Ÿ˜…

[โ€“] toynbee@lemmy.world 10 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, I definitely see that in the photo, but in real life it looks like there's some sort of Terminator or demon predator about to launch itself through my window at me. The red in the eyes is much, much more intense without the camera processing.

[โ€“] sxan@midwest.social 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

But then, perspective. Depending on how large your porch is, that would be a big cat.

Seeing any animal can startle you, and the larger, the more startling. Your lizard brain that gets startled doesn't factor in that you're inside and it's outside.

I've learned this a couple of times by discovering raccoons on our porch in the middle of the night. It's worse if, like me, you prefer the semi-dark at night, and keep your lights dim. I came down for some reason one night and there was a reason standing on its hind legs, paws against the sliding door, probably watching the cats and wondering if it could get at them somehow. Coming across a 3' tall shadow with reflecting eyes standing at the glass door in the middle of the night just about gave me a heart attack.

This is a great pic. I love your porch demon spirit. Looks truly malevolent. What you need is a Tomte to protect the home.

I don't believe in the supernatural, but that lizard-brain kind of does.

[โ€“] toynbee@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

The reaction was definitely instinctual and guttural. It looked like it was about to pounce and it had clear glowing red eyes that appeared to be focused on me and moved as I did. I couldn't say what size I interpreted it to be, but it was momentarily quite startling.

[โ€“] LiveLM@lemmy.zip 7 points 5 days ago (2 children)

What better way to start the day than with a heart attack?

[โ€“] toynbee@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago

It certainly made me more alert!

[โ€“] crank0271@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

First task of the day: cleaning some poop off the kitchen floor

[โ€“] RamblingPanda@lemmynsfw.com 6 points 5 days ago (1 children)
[โ€“] toynbee@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I don't get the reference, but I appreciate the sentiment. Also, assuming they aren't outside of my kitchen window at 4am, those look awesome.

[โ€“] RamblingPanda@lemmynsfw.com 6 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

It's from an, I think, British movie named Attack the Block. It's, if I remember correctly, quite nice. I just wanted to say it's probably a monster. It wasn't a direct reference to the movie.

[โ€“] toynbee@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

Fair enough!

You are definitely correct in that assessment.

[โ€“] UndulyUnruly@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[โ€“] toynbee@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Sadly, this is another reference I don't get and a quick search didn't return anything that seemed relevant.

[โ€“] UndulyUnruly@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

No surprise, I just made it up as just a moniker for a creature hitherto unbeknownst to mankind.

[โ€“] toynbee@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Did you make it up, or is it an ancient creature that reached across the ages and placed the idea in your head?

[โ€“] UndulyUnruly@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

It was probably the Argle. The circle is complete.