Скачать или смотреть The Midnight Bell of 1899 The New Year’s Chime That Traps Souls in the Final Second

In the quiet town of Blackwater, Maine, there’s a church with no congregation—and a bell that hasn’t been rung by human hands in over 125 years.

It’s called The Midnight Bell, and it tolls only once each year: at the exact moment the old year ends and the new begins.

But locals don’t celebrate when they hear it.
They hold their breath.

According to town records, on December 31, 1899, the town gathered at St. Marlowe’s Church to ring in the 20th century. As the clock struck twelve, the bell rang—once, twice… then shattered mid-peal. In that instant, 13 revelers dropped dead, eyes wide, mouths frozen in joyous shouts. Autopsies found no cause. They simply… stopped.

Ever since, the bell—now fused back together with iron bands—rings on its own every New Year’s Eve at midnight. And anyone within earshot must not speak, move, or even blink during the chime… or risk being “claimed” by the final second of the old year.

Over the decades, those who ignored the warning met eerie fates:

A teenager who laughed during the 1954 chime vanished—only to reappear aged 90, whispering, “I’ve been waiting since last year…”
In 2000, a couple kissed at midnight as the bell tolled. They were found the next morning—frozen in embrace, hearts stopped, smiles intact.
And in 2023, a livestreamer who mocked the legend on camera cut off mid-sentence at 12:00:01 a.m. His phone was recovered… still recording static. His last words? “It’s still 1999 in here.”
No one lives within a quarter-mile of the church anymore. But every December 31st, townsfolk leave an empty chair and a glass of champagne on their porches—facing east, toward the belfry.

Not as an offering.
But as a reminder:
Some seconds last longer than others.

And if you’re in Blackwater when the bell rings…
don’t welcome the New Year.
Just survive it.