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He leaned in closer, his nose almost touching the screen. In the reflection, the figure holding the camera began to turn. Just as the face started to come into focus, Leo’s monitor flickered. A low, rhythmic humming began to vibrate through his desk, the same sound people reported hearing right before the lights went out three years ago.

The figure was tall, impossibly thin, and wearing a coat Leo recognized instantly. It was his own heavy wool overcoat—the one he’d lost during the blackout and never found. But it wasn't the coat that froze his breath; it was the timestamp burned into the bottom corner of the image in glowing red digital ink: Download IMG 20221116 102948 648 jpg

Then, his phone buzzed. A new notification appeared on his lock screen: File Received: IMG_20221116_102949_001.jpg The perspective had changed. The door was now open. He leaned in closer, his nose almost touching the screen

Leo stared at the cryptic file name on his desktop: . A low, rhythmic humming began to vibrate through

His mouse hovered over the icon. He knew he should delete it. His antivirus was silent, but his gut was screaming. Click-click.