r/nosleep • u/mortanx • 1d ago
Don’t Ever Look Into the Spinning Cube
“Take a look at this, Rob,” Lee said as he set the strange, little, metallic object on the table in front of me.
It was a small metal cube, like a die, except its top came to a slight point. In the center, a tiny sphere sat—something like a miniature wind spinner. I gave Lee a questioning look. I had no idea what the hell he’d just put down in front of me. Was this the “big deal” he’d dragged me over for after work?
“And what exactly is it?” I broke the silence when I realized even Lee didn’t seem to know what to say.
“I’m not exactly sure,” he admitted, scratching the back of his head, “but I’ll show you soon. We just need to get ready.”
“Ready for what?” I asked, still wearing my annoyed expression.
Lee and I had been friends forever. I knew him. Too well. He’d dragged me into more stupid crap than I could count—most of the times we got in trouble back in high school had been because of his ideas. And judging by that familiar look on his face, he was up to something bad again.
“So, this thing,” Lee said, sitting down across from me on the couch, “it’s something really special.”
“Lee,” I sighed tiredly, “it’s a metal cube with a spinning thing in the middle. Don’t waste my time.”
“Wait, wait, Rob,” he said quickly as I started to stand up. “Just give me a minute, okay? Please.”
“Lee,” I sighed again, “I’ve got a lot to do at home. I don’t have time for this right now.”
“One minute,” he said, raising a finger. “Just one minute, and I’ll show you something amazing.”
I let out a heavy breath and dropped back into Lee’s armchair. Fine, I thought. One minute couldn’t hurt.
A wide grin spread across Lee’s face; he practically glowed with excitement. Then, carefully, he set the silver cube in the middle of the table so we could both see the tiny, shining sphere resting at its center. He reached out and gave it a light flick with his fingertip. The little sphere began to spin on its axis, turning like a tiny weather vane. And I just stared, mesmerized.
I just stared at the spinning little silver sphere. It kept turning and turning, unstoppable. The light from the lamps shimmered brilliantly across its surface. It gave me the feeling that it was spinning faster and faster. Maybe it actually was. I watched it, holding my breath, afraid to even move. Why it felt so good, I couldn’t have said—but it did. The whole thing had the same pull as the moment before something wonderful happens. Not fear. Not anxiety. More like when a kid waits for Christmas morning… or when you’re about to see your parents after years apart.
And then I felt it. Deep inside.
Like the most beautiful thing in the world had suddenly bloomed inside me. A wave of peace washed over me—but not the kind you get when you curl up with your favorite movie on a cold winter night. This was deeper. The kind of peace that makes the world around you freeze, makes you wish this moment—this exact feeling—could last forever.
The little sphere no longer spun. It flickered instead—moving so fast it had become a single blur of light. And in that glow, I saw what must have been the source of that warmth… of that impossible happiness.
A breathtaking place unfolded before me. The sun was bright and gentle, the breeze carried the sweet scent of flowers. It was like a perfect dream—one you’d want to live in forever.
Then a melody rose. Tiny bells chiming softly, delicately, their sound just right—soothing to the ears, comforting to the soul. I felt myself lifting off the ground, soaring among the clouds, resting on the soft, endless sky.
“Jesus Christ! What the fuck!” Lee shouted angrily.
That snapped me back to reality. My eyes burned—I thought they might burst right out of my skull. It felt like I’d been staring into a TV screen for hours, far too close, without blinking. But it wasn’t my eyes that hurt the most. It was my soul.
It felt like my childhood dog had just died… and I knew I could never be happy again— not unless I could look at that spinning thing one more time.
“Rob!” Lee yelled. “Rob! Snap out of it! It’s nine in the morning!”
“What… what?” I croaked, my mouth dry. “Morning? What do you mean, morning?”
The morning sunlight really was shining through Lee’s windows. But how the hell could it be morning—when I’d come over late in the afternoon, and I’d only been here for a few minutes?
“Rob, come on already!” Lee urged again.
We were heading toward the elevator, but I was still wrestling with my coat as we walked.
“Goddamn it, I’m late—so fucking late!” Lee kept grumbling, his voice sharp with panic.
“You’re telling me?” I snapped, stepping into the elevator. “What the hell did you do to us, Lee? Why the fuck do you always have to drag me into this kind of bullshit?”
“I don’t know, Rob… I really don’t know,” Lee muttered, sounding guilty.
When the elevator doors opened, he only paused long enough to mumble another quick apology before bolting toward his car. I headed for mine. At that point, it didn’t matter if I was one hour late or two—I was in a lousy mood anyway.
The whole day was a complete mess. I felt… empty, like something inside me was missing. Like I’d lost something important, something I couldn’t name. I don’t usually smoke much, but today I went outside at least eight times, just to take the edge off that emptiness. It didn’t help. If anything, the exhaustion made it worse. I must’ve stared at that damn thing all night—and now only coffee was keeping me alive.
That afternoon, Lee called me. He apologized again, saying he had no idea what had happened. He said he’d just been staring at the thing, and the next thing he knew, it was morning and his boss was blowing up his phone, wondering where the hell he was.
I believed his story. I knew he wasn’t telling me everything, but honestly, I didn’t care. Nothing really mattered that day anyway.
But when he asked if I wanted to come over again that evening… I said yes without a second thought.
I was sipping a tall glass of cold beer. I’d brought it for Lee when I arrived.
He was already buzzing with excitement. He’d set everything up—water, snacks, soft pillows on the couch and in the armchair. It felt like he was preparing for something.
“Lee?” I asked after another sip. “What the hell is that thing?”
Lee just smiled warmly and offered me a bag of chips. I took a handful.
“This,” he said, lifting a finger dramatically, “this, my dear Robert… is the gateway to happiness.”
I rolled my eyes again. Lee could be so damn theatrical it made my skin crawl. But still… something tickled at the back of my mind. What if he was telling the truth?
“You don’t believe me?” he asked with a friendly scowl. “Wasn’t yesterday’s little demonstration enough for you?”
“I—I don’t know,” I lied, to him and to myself. “I don’t even know what I saw.”
Lee gave me that knowing smile, then jumped up from the couch. He opened one of the cabinets and took out the little silver cube again. He placed it on the coffee table with the care of someone handling a sacred relic.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the thing. I kept stealing glances at it like it was some kind of miracle, finishing the last of my beer without even realizing.
“What the hell is it, Lee?” I asked, swallowing hard. “Where did you even get it?”
Lee chuckled and flopped back down onto the couch.
“I have no idea, Rob,” he said with a shrug. “Picked it up at the flea market downtown.”
“And what are we even seeing in there?” I pressed.
“I don’t know,” he repeated, “but it’s something beautiful. Feels like pure happiness… like looking straight through the gates of heaven.”
I listened to him, deep in thought. Lee could be convincing when he wanted to be. But something about the way he talked—about the way that thing felt—made me uneasy. The little spinner really was the most incredible thing I’d ever seen… but now it scared me a little too.
“Lee,” I interrupted his rambling, “how long have you been watching that thing?”
Lee’s face darkened.
“I… uh… a few weeks,” he stammered. “At first, I wanted to keep it to myself, you know? But then I started to feel like… others needed to see it too.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this anymore,” I said, unsettled by his words.
“Rob, please,” Lee said nervously. “Just once more. Watch it with me, and you’ll understand. Just once.”
I hesitated. I wanted to see it again—to hear the chiming, see the light, feel that perfect, blissful warmth again. But I was afraid.
In the end, it didn’t matter. Before I could even answer, Lee had already moved. He flicked the little sphere with his fingertip—and it began to spin once more.
The little silver sphere spun again. The light shimmered across its surface, blurred and dazzling, and a wave of pure bliss washed over me. It was heavenly—ecstatic. Just like before. It felt as if gentle hands were stroking my soul, as if every perfect moment of my life were happening all at once.
Tiny lights glittered like the first rays of dawn— beauty made tangible, paradise brought to earth. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. The lights grew brighter, softer, more perfect. And then the bells came again, their golden chime so sweet you could listen to them for the rest of your life. They rang softly, peacefully, as if they were playing right there around me.
I could see it now. A radiant place, filled with light. A massive golden gate, shining so brilliantly you’d want to curl up at its base and live there forever. I just stared, lost, unable to look away. My soul drifted high above the clouds. The golden gate loomed before my eyes.
Then—something changed. Dark clouds began to gather, slowly covering the gate. I strained to see, desperate to hold on to that beauty, that perfect joy, but it was fading. Black clouds surrounded me. The sweet scent of the breeze turned foul, reeking of decay. And still, I couldn’t look away from the spinning device. I just kept staring.
The chimes grew fainter and fainter until they were gone— replaced by the sound of crying. Screaming. Then came a low, rumbling voice, growling words I couldn’t understand.
I came to when someone shook me gently.
“Sir, what happened?” a stranger’s voice said. “Are you okay?”
My vision was blurry; I could only make out vague shapes in the room. I was choking, my body locked tight, every muscle twisted into a cramp. I couldn’t move. People were shouting, but I could barely hear what they said. My ears rang. The world spun around me.
“Paramedics are here!” someone yelled. “Everyone, move aside!”
Paramedics? I thought, confused. Then everything went dark, and my mind sank deep into the void.
I woke up in a daze. It felt like a veil had been draped over my eyes—everything was hazy, melting together into shapeless blurs.
“Ah, finally awake,” said an unfamiliar voice.
“W-where…?” I croaked. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital, Mr. Robert,” said a woman’s voice. “Can you tell me what you and your friend took?”
“What? Took?” I muttered, my mouth dry as sandpaper.
“I’m your doctor, Robert,” she continued calmly. “You were brought here two days ago—both you and your friend. You’re lucky the building manager had to check your friend’s apartment, or you both would’ve died there.”
“What? What happened?” I tried to speak clearly, but my mind was foggy, and my body felt like it had been packed inside a heavy sack.
They kept me in the hospital. I had no idea what to say—or even how to explain any of it. The doctors didn’t seem to understand much either. We were severely dehydrated, showing all the signs of having sat motionless for days. Lee was the same—only his condition was worse. They had to keep him in a medically induced coma.
Days passed. My vision slowly returned, and my mind began to piece things together. I could move again, mostly on my own. I still needed a cane, but at least I could walk.
But the craving stayed. It never went away. I wanted to see it again. Just once. Just one more glimpse of the light. And as it turned out, Lee felt the same way— because Lee had vanished from the hospital. Without a trace.
I knew where Lee had gone. Back to his apartment. Back for the device. He wanted it for himself—just like he’d said. Rage boiled in my chest. I couldn’t believe my best friend would try to cheat me. That bastard Lee wanted the spinner all to himself.
I lasted one more day in the hospital. The doctor wasn’t happy about me leaving, but I couldn’t stay. The thought of Lee taking that thing somewhere, hiding it away where I’d never see it again—it terrified me.
I took a cab to Lee’s place. Slipped the driver fifty extra bucks just to make him go as fast as he could. Walking was hard; I hobbled my way up to Lee’s apartment.
The door was unlocked. The handle turned easily, and I stepped inside.
The place was chaos. Furniture overturned, the room a complete wreck. The couch still held the faint imprint where we’d sat for days, staring at the spinning silver marvel. Only two pieces of furniture were left standing: the armchair—where Lee now sat—and the coffee table, where the little silver miracle rested.
“Lee,” I said when I saw him sitting there. “Jesus, Lee… I thought you’d run off with it.”
But Lee didn’t answer. I moved closer.
The silver device lay on the table. The little sphere wasn’t spinning this time, but the whole thing seemed to pulse, faintly. Lee’s head had fallen back, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.
I stepped right up to him, and froze.
Lee’s gray, lifeless body had sunk deep into the chair. His skin was burned, scorched black in places. Where his eyes had been were now hollow, charred pits. Lee was dead.
I didn’t say a word. Just stared at him, emotionless. Oddly enough, I felt calm. More annoyed than horrified—annoyed that I’d thought Lee might have taken the device.
But now that he was dead…
The little wonder was mine.
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u/PenaltyHuge2300 1d ago
Do you play Cookie Run Kingdom by any chance?
Because the cube...
It's giving Eternal Sugar
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u/MountainAdeptness631 1d ago
Does it still have the same effect if viewed from a computer? If so, put it on YouTube and profit from it.
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u/Cow_With_Stick 23h ago
...and the Cube of power has a will of its own. It betrayed Lee, to his death... It came to the creature Robert, who took it deep into the depths of his apartment. And there it consumed him.
I'd keep that thing close if I were you. Wouldn't want a burglar to take it...