Video_2021-09-07_23-09-48.mp4

He looked down. It was a new file transfer. video_2024-04-28_11-34-12.mp4 The current date. The current time.

The timestamp on the screen ticked to . At that exact second, the reflection in the window turned its head and looked directly into the camera lens. The video didn't end; it simply froze. The progress bar continued to move, but the image remained locked on those silver, digital eyes. video_2021-09-07_23-09-48.mp4

On the screen, the reflection began to move again, even though the video was still "frozen." It reached out a hand toward the edge of the frame—toward the edge of Elias’s monitor. He looked down

In the video, the woman’s voice whispered from behind the camera, "Do you see it now?" The current time

Elias didn't open it. He didn't have to. He could already hear the rhythmic thrum-thrum of windshield wipers starting up somewhere inside his own house.

Elias felt a chill crawl up his spine. He tried to close the player, but his cursor wouldn't move. He reached for the power button on his monitor, but his hand stopped mid-air.

The video opened to a shaky, low-light shot of a rain-slicked street. The audio was mostly the rhythmic thrum-thrum of windshield wipers. The camera was sitting on a dashboard, pointed toward a lonely intersection. For the first thirty seconds, nothing happened.