In a world of ordinary lives, there was a man named ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇—just another office worker living an unremarkable life. But this is the story of how his world unravelled into something... unexplainable.
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I wandered the crowded streets, my thoughts tangled in frustration. Fired. Just like that. No warning. No second chances. Just... gone. A job I had relied on for so long, pulled from under me like a rug. 'Budget cuts', they said. It was a seemingly plausible excuse but... I knew the truth. I was just another number erased from their payroll tab.
I walked with no real destination, the city's chaos blending into a distant hum. The honking cars. The scattered conversations. My mind raced between Anger. Disbelief. And something else... dread.
What now? What the hell was I supposed to do?
Then, I noticed him.
A man stood by the sidewalk, handing out cards to strangers. At first glance, he seemed like any other street promoter. But something was… off.
He wasn't calling out any deals. Wasn't trying to engage.
He just stood there.
Expression blank. Gaze sweeping over the crowd like a machine scanning for a match.
I kept my head down, intending to pass unnoticed.
Then, he moved—stepping directly in front of me.
I stopped.
He was tall. Unnaturally so. His suit was crisp but outdated, the kind of style you'd see in old photographs. His face was smooth. Too smooth. Like a photograph blurred just enough to feel… wrong.
His eyes—a shade too pale. Cold. Knowing.
He didn't speak. Just extended a small card toward me.
Hesitant, I reached for it.
The card was simple. Too simple, But… too unique as well. A company name, a logo, a few words… but the letters—they blurred, shifting in and out of focus.
Like something or someone was trying to hide it from me.
I blinked hard, trying to make sense of them."You interested in becoming a tester?" the man asked. His voice was calm. Too calm. Like he already knew the answer.
"We pay well. Handsomely, even."
My gut screamed at me to walk away. Everything about this felt... wrong.
But I didn't.
"Great. Just give me your contact info."
He held out a notepad and pen, as if this was all routine. My hand shook slightly as I scribbled my number.
The man tore off the page, tucked it into his pocket, and smiled.
A wider smile this time. Too wide.
"Great. You'll get a call at 11:40 PM, sharp. Make sure you're ready."
Then, just like that, he vanished into the sea of people.
The rest of the day passed in a blur.
By the time I got home, exhaustion and unease had settled deep in my bones. I dropped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling.
Fired. A strange man. A job offer I didn't understand.
Why had I agreed? I should have asked more questions. Should have thought it through.
But... when you have nothing left… what is there to lose?
At exactly 11:40 PM, my phone rang.
I hesitated. Then answered.
A hollow voice spoke.
"Wait for further instructions."
No explanations. No details.
Then the call ended.
A weight settled in my chest. I lay there, eyes wide open, staring into the darkness.
Sleep never came.
Morning arrived too fast.
I dressed quickly, trying to ignore the gnawing unease in my gut.
At the bus stop, the world carried on as if nothing had changed.
People scrolled through their phones. Chatted. Laughed.
Just another day.
For them, maybe.
Then... I saw him.
A figure stood in the middle of the road. Perfectly still.
At first, I thought he was just another pedestrian. But something was wrong.
He wasn't moving. He wasn't blinking.
Then I saw it.
Rays of sunlight passed through him.
A cold shiver ran down my spine. I blinked. Rubbed my eyes. But he was still there.
The traffic light turned green. Cars surged forward.
He's going to get hit. I thought to myself as I turned to the people beside me,
my voice caught in my throat. I wanted to say something—anything—but no one was looking.
They were all staring at their phones, faces illuminated by cold, artificial light. Not a single one glanced up. Not a single one reacted.
It was as if they didn't see him.
Or worse—as if they couldn't.
Then… it happened.
He turned his gaze toward me
Slowly.
Everything else disappeared.
The city. The people. The noise.
Gone.
There was only him, staring at me.
Then, he smiled.
A twisted, inhuman grin.
"Found you."
The words didn't come from across the street.
They whispered right beside my ear.
And then—he was there.
A cold hand gripped my collar. An impossible strength hurled me forward.
I hit the asphalt hard, my mind screaming—MOVE!
But my body refused to listen.
Tires screeched. A car barreled toward me.
I turned back toward the sidewalk, searching for the man who had thrown me.
But there was no one.
Instead, I saw myself.
My own body.
Standing there.
Twitching.
Frozen.
For a moment, time itself seemed to stop.
Then, it—I—looked up.
And smiled.
A wide, horrifying grin—like someone who had just broken free from a prison.
"Have a safe trip."
The car struck.
The world exploded into darkness.