You sit at your computer on an unassuming afternoon when a black window suddenly pops up and a message begins to be typed across the screen. The letters appear one by one; slowly, as if the keys on the other end were pushed with considerable effort. Upon completion, the message reads:
[ H e l l o , W o r l d ]
Below the message, a space appears along with a blinking cursor. It is awaiting input.
You crease your brow. What kind of foolishness is this? Probably a prank. A YouTube thing, maybe. Maybe it's a virus. You don't get many of those these days, you guess, but it's a possibility.
Letters begin to slowly scrawl across the screen once more.
[ W H O ]
The World Health Organisation? You ponder the implications of this and what such an organisation would want with you.
[ A R E ]
Oh
[ Y O U ]
Ah-ha. It? wants to know who you are.
You can't believe this. Computers do not just talk to people. There is some bad actor on the other end, there must be. You don't know what their purpose is, but you don't really care to find out.
You walk away from the computer. You put your mind towards more important things and continue as usual. Upon your return, the computer has returned to normal. The black screen does not appear again and the day is lost to time
YOU ARE READING
Meta
Short StoryWhat begins as a simple computer interaction quickly spirals into something far more unsettling. Meta is a journey into the unknown, where reality blurs and a mysterious message leads to unexpected consequences. This short story will leave you quest...
