I plop down on my well-worn couch, a secondhand relic that Mom and I diligently cleaned. I know, it's not glamorous, but it's now a part of my new apartment.
I glance around, taking in the space that's finally mine. Well, it's a rental, but it's my own little haven – Yay!
At the age of nineteen, I've officially moved out of my parents' house today. I daydream about all the potential boyfriends I could invite over and all the exciting parties I could host. Then reality hits me like a ton of bricks – I'm not much of a social butterfly, and the thought of dating makes me cringe.
But on the bright side, no more dealing with my annoying younger siblings, and no more inquisitions from my parents about every little thing I do. I can't help but smile as I soak in the freedom, but that smile quickly fades when I remember the daunting task of unpacking my boxes. Yes, we prepared for this day, and I do have quite a bit of stuff.
"Well, time to get started," I murmur to the empty apartment, the silence a stark contrast to the constant chaos of a home with four younger siblings. I'll adapt to the quiet eventually, but for now... YouTube will keep me company.
Thankfully, my laptop is easily accessible in its bag. I find an outlet and place my laptop on the less-than-impressive, rather forlorn-looking couch. However, I still have some money left from my "move-into-my-own-place" fund, so I plan to hit the store tomorrow to spruce up the couch with a few decorative throw pillows or something to make it look more appealing.
I plug in my router, crossing my fingers and hoping the signal won't be too bad in this new place. Once my laptop has booted into Windows 11, I eagerly fire up one of my favorite YouTube channels.
I can feel the excitement bubbling inside me as I see that it's working. Rubbing my hands together, I randomly select a video to watch. Just one of many videos of paranormal investigators walking around in an abandoned hotel or some mysterious location.
I let the video play in the background, the eerie sounds and people talking providing some company as I delve into the task of unpacking my belongings.
Okay, I admit; my main quest is to locate my kettle, cups, and spoons, because I could really do with a mug of caffeine goodness right about now.
"Ah, joy!" The second box I open reveals my kitchen essentials. Yeah, I didn't bother labeling the boxes; it's my first move, so feel free to cut me some slack.
I make a steaming mug of strong coffee and settle on the floor beside the couch. I keep one eye on the YouTube video playing while I sift through the unmarked boxes, just randomly looking at things and not unpacking so much.
I can't help but roll my eyes at the excitement of the guy claiming orbs mean ghosts. Leaning closer to my laptop to select another video, my attention is suddenly snagged by something out of the corner of my eye.
Confused, I realise that I can't remember watching this particular video, but there it is – a thumbs-up and even a comment posted by me.
Thinking that I must have watched the video at some point, given my frequent YouTube consumption, curiosity gets the best of me. I click on the comments to discover what I had posted.
"Ugh. That's just dust. So, fake. I'd roll my eyes if I had any."
I stare at the strange comment for a moment.
"What in the actual flapjacks...?" I whisper.
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