Is There a Demon in This Photo? The Internet Seems to Think So.

If the gates of hell had to open anywhere on Earth, it’d probably be at a dimly lit intersection in the hot and dusty state of Arizona.

That’s what two photos uploaded to Facebook by Arizona-man Richard Christianson seem to suggest, because they show what looks like the living embodiment of pure evil. Or like, a massive demon waiting for a bus under some street lights. Arizona is the perfect environment for a scary-ass demon. 

Since conspiracies flourish on the internet -- and because it's probably a hell-spawned, fire-belching creature in those photos -- Christianson’s post has been shared nearly 85,000 times, and ratcheted up 9,000 comments. In any case, people are curious: Is it Satan standing there, telling us to brace for the fall of humanity? Or is it a palm tree, captured by a grainy cell phone camera? The world may never know.

Happy new year, mortals. A tide of darkness fast approacheth. 

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Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Vice. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster.