Hey everyone, I'm Max, and I've come to the forum with a really strange, frankly weird (and at times hilarious) story that I need help figuring out. I know how ridiculous this sounds (especially compared to the fascinating stories told here), but I genuinely want to share with you what happened to me recently.
Ever had that moment when you're walking through a familiar place and you spot some unusual piece of trash—something shiny, strange, or interesting? I think it's happened to everyone. Some people ignore it, some give it a kick with their foot, and some will actually pick it up with their hands to take a closer look. I'd say I generally fall into the first category; I rarely pay much attention to weird litter.
But here's what happened: I was walking through the entrance of my apartment building when my attention was caught by this small, shiny object on the steps. Almost automatically, I picked it up (and this is where it gets weird—I never do that!). I looked at it and realized it was an object everyone knows from childhood—the writing tip of a ballpoint pen refill (see photo).
It would seem like such an ordinary, mundane object (it was strange, of course, that it was just lying there on the step, right in the middle of it—how did no one kick it away?). I recognized it immediately and, knowing myself, should have just thrown it out. But for some godforsaken reason, I got this very distinct, persistent feeling: "Something's not right here!" I mean, so strong a feeling that I can't even put it into words. This was the first time such an everyday object has ever made me feel like this! This has never happened to me before.
But it wouldn't have been so bad if it was just the feeling—oh no. My brain, as if it's telling me: "Hey, dude, that's a miniature spaceship, or a tiny rocket." Where did that even come from? I had zero associations with this object! I was honestly just shocked by my own reaction. I shoved the thing into my pocket and don't even remember how I got to my apartment. This is the first time in over 30 years that something like this has happened to me! I can't explain it with anything!
So, at home, I put this thing in a jar and just stored it away, hoping I'd simply forget about it in a few hours. But no—this damn thing haunted my dreams all night and kept circling in my thoughts.
The next morning (it was a day off), I decided to examine this object more closely. I'm looking at it and thinking, "What's wrong with it? It's just a standard ballpoint tip." I armed myself with a magnifying glass, needles, and tweezers.
The first thing that caught my eye was the complete absence of any ink traces—and I mean completely! I even dropped some isopropyl alcohol on it—nothing, not a single drop of dye... Lots of scratches—well, maybe people had stepped on it more than once (concrete step, after all).
I looked into the hole—and this is where it gets strange. I couldn't really get a proper look inside, but I did manage to insert a thin wire—and it went in only about 4 mm max (right up to a thickening inside). I tried to photograph the insides (I'll post the photos later—forum size limit restrictions). There's something shiny inside, clearly not what should be in a part from a ballpoint pen.
Alright," I thought, "I've truly lost it. I've concocted this fantastic story after picking up a defective pen part. This is utter nonsense!"
But here's another strange thing: I have a cat (a regular alley cat), and she tried with a strange, almost vicious determination to get to the jar with this thing in it. Several times. It was very purposeful, and her behavior would shift from calm to highly agitated. I put it away in a desk drawer—and she seemed to calm down.
Anyway, it's a pretty funny story, but it's bothering me. I can't find any logical explanation for any of this.
I’ll share the story exactly as I posted it on UM:
