DO NOT READ AT NIGHT! ║⋄Completed⋄║

The Laptop

Henry Farold was working at his job as an engineer when a man walked up to him.

"Excuse me, sir?" the man said.

Henry glanced up from where he was sitting. "Hmm? Do you need something, sir?" he asked kindly.

He noticed the man was carrying a suitcase of some sort, with a strange latch.

The man smiled nervously. "The lady at the front desk told me that you could help me with this. It was my grandfather's. He passed away a few weeks ago. It was his old computer, but I can't seem to figure out how to open it. He was a very mysterious man with many secrets."

Henry nodded sympathetically. "Ok, I understand. Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you if I opened it yet."

The man beamed. "Thank you so much, uh...?" He squinted at Henry name tag. "....Mr. Farold."

The he held out the suitcase to Henry. Henry took it from his slowly, careful not to break it.

"My name is Sam White. I'll try to call you tomorrow, Mr. Henry Farold."

Then with a slight wave, the man left.

Henry worked hard at night. He couldn't find any tools to open the lock without damaging it. So he considered just prying it open with a screwdriver. It didn't work, of course.

Sighing, he started towards the nightstand to turn off his lamp and get some rest. But then he heard a low click.

He whirled around. The suitcase was wide open, revealing a laptop that was playing a video.

He smiled when he walked over. It was a video of a little girl giggling and laughing. He enjoyed watching the video, cracking a grin. The little girl was maybe five or so, sweet and gentle. She was playing a board game by herself, but Henry could tell there was someone else in the room videotaping.

This went on for a few minutes until the girl looked up and frowned. "Daddy, am I playing this right? If I roll the dice on a two, what am I supposed to do next?"

There was a rough voice of a male. "I'm not your Daddy, sweetheart, how long have I told you that?" he responded. "When you roll a two, you have to double the amounts of spaces you go. So that would be four."

"Okay, Da- I mean, sir."

Another clip went on to replace that one. This time the girl was sitting on a couch sobbing, her palms covering her face.

"Daddy, I don't want to do this anymore. Can we please go now? I'm scared. I don't wanna, I don't wanna do this anymore!"

The man's voice sounded angry. "No, you will keep playing. I will give you one more day to change your mind, but we are going to do it first thing tomorrow."

She looked up at the camera through her fingers. "Daddy, pleas-"

"I'm not your father. Your father is long gone by now. You have to listen to what I say, sweetie. They may sound unpleasant, but it is all for your own good. You are helping me research, you know that, don't you?"

"Yes, sir. But why do you have to do this to m-" she started, tears streaming down her pink cheeks.

"Because I said so."

Henry stared at the next video clip. The girl appeared like she did in the first clip, smiling, laughing, playing.

But then her expression darkened as a man entered the room. Henry could only see the male's feet.

"Dear, have you made up your mind yet?" he demanded. "Are you ready?"

The girl squeaked, terrified, "Yes, Daddy, sir."

A silvery item dropped to the floor. A sharp, wicked blade.

The girl picked it up. "Do... I have to, Daddy? Do I?" she asked, crying again.

"Yes. Do it. Or I'll do it for you."

The girl made a small choking noise. "I can't do it, Daddy."

"What a disappointment you are, child." He snatched the blade from her, shoving her to the ground. "Stay still, you little brat."

Henry couldn't see the man's face. It was covered in shadows. But what he did see horrified him.

The man began stabbing the sweet little girl with the blade, cursing and yelling at her violently. Each time he hit a new spot, it created a wet, sickening thud.

But the girl was still alive. Barely alive. Dying.

"Da..addy..." she gasped.

"I am not your Daddy!" the man shrieked. "Call me by my actual name, you stupid, ugly brat!"

"Oka...yyy.... Sam...am...mm.."

Henry threw the laptop against the wall, panting.

Henry realized that the video had stopped, so he stepped forward to retrieve the computer.

The video was paused. The man who had given him the laptop, Sam White, was standing directly in front of the video camera recording. He was grinning maniacally, holding a sign with four bloody words written on it.

YOU'RE NEXT, HENRY FAROLD.