Behind The Screen

Chapter 1

The faint glow of Jess's laptop screen illuminated her room. It felt like a fortress—one where she could hide from the relentless hum of teenage existence. Her reflection in the darkness of the computer revealed the eye bags etched in her eyes and the weariness of solitude. At fifteen, making friends had somehow become more complex than solving math equations, or figuring out how to cure world hunger.

In her peripheral vision, the blinking green dot on the chat app declared her presence as "online." It felt weird she hadn't talk to anyone but her parents in a while, and she was about to possibly make a friend. After months of navigating the Website and trying to find the right friend, she had finally connected with someone: Mike564.

At first, her new online friendship had seemed like a harmless escape from the loneliness that gripped her days. Mike was intriguing—a self-proclaimed expert gamer with an unusually vast knowledge of horror films. His texts were both interesting , engaging, and entertaining, drawing Jess in like a moth to a flame. But tonight, as she sat down to chat again, an odd sensation prickled at the back of her mind.

"Hey, Jess! How's it going? Found any good horror movies lately?" His message pinged on the screen, instantly pulling her focus.

"Not really. Everything seems repetitive," she typed back, hoping her casual demeanor would mask any wavering discomfort.

"You know, I could suggest a few that will haunt your psyche for days."

A chill skittered down Jess's spine. His choice of words felt ominous and inviting at the same time. It was as if Mike564 understood her in ways no one else did—her obsessions, her interests, and most chillingly, her fears.

"Sounds interesting," she replied, her heart beating louder with every moment they spent exchanging messages.

As they conversed, Mike's words began to really interest her. He spoke of abandoned places a lot, tales that merged reality with myth. His stories and experiences somehow made Jess comfortable, she wonders if she could ever go to a place like that.

"I'm particularly fascinated by the trenton asylum, i've heard about it a lot, but new jersey is extremely far from me, i'm in California by the way, what about you?" he wrote, a smiley face at the end of the sentence like bait on a hook.

Jess hesitated. but she was desperate to keep this friend. "I've heard about it. People say it's haunted, but i'm pretty close to you, i'm in Seattle. I've always dreamed of going to California, but my parents are too poor and too busy to go anywhere. " she typed, her heart racing. He will never find out where she lives, right?

"Haunted places have a way of gripping the imagination. Maybe we should explore it together someday... I promise it'll be fun."

The use of "together" set off alarm bells in her mind. How well did she really know this person? What did he mean by "together"? Despite her intuition screaming for a retreat, the thrill of having someone so captivated by her response caused her fingers to type words that didn't reflect her inner turmoil. "Sure, that sounds... thrilling." it was so far away, but who knows, maybe he can take her?

The silence stretched on, thick and heavy, until Mike responded. "Cool! Just you and me. No distractions."

Jess's fingers froze in midair. There it was again—the feeling of unease nudging her heart like a stubborn whisper. As much as the interaction thrilled her, it reeked of something she couldn't quite place. She had imagined herself exploring the fringe world of her interests, but the realization that Mike envisioned it as an initiation of sorts grabbed hold of her like ice-cold hands.

Needless to say, the string of messages that followed sent Jess's mind into a spin. Each reply became increasingly eerie; they were laced with innuendos that blurred lines and twisted meanings. Mike spoke of shadows that lurked in corners, whispered promises of secrets in the dark. Jess found herself unable to resist.

"Let's do it. Maybe i can say i'm going to a sleepover, my parents don't really care about me." The words tumbled out, and Jess cast her gaze to the window, half-expecting eyes to be staring back at her.

"Great. I'll pick you up at midnight tomorrow."

"Midnight?" A tremor rippled through her.

"Yeah. The witching hour is the best time for such adventures."

Her stomach twisted as she read the message. Something nagged at the back of her mind, fiercely demanding she end the conversation, block him altogether, and retreat to the safety of her screen. But the lure of belonging had sunk deep, keeping her rooted instead.

"Where are we going?"

"To Trenton. Don't worry. You'll be safe with me."

As if to punctuate his sentence, Jess's phone vibrated. Ghostly echoes from the past filled her head with the tales of those who had wandered too far into the darkness, never to return. But the need for companionship loomed colossal, blinding her to the warning signs blinking in bright red.

"But that's extremely far, are you sure?" Jess typed, her fingers shaking. This seems risky, but at least she will make a new friend.

"It's fine, i'll pick you up then we can go on an adventure together." he responded.  is messages kept giving her bad vibes, but it's fine. What's the worse that can happen?

When nothing significant happened in the following hours, mechanical in its mundanity, Jess began to reconsider. It was a choice between comfort and danger, the edges of her isolation tugging her backward as the pull of an unfamiliar connection urged her to leap into the unknown.

At around eleven-thirty that night, she made her decision. With a quickening pulse, Jess whispered a silent promise about stepping back from the abyss. She reached for her laptop, fingers poised to sever the connection for good.

But then another message chimed onto the screen.

"Already waiting outside your house. Everyone's asleep. It's time to have some fun."

Darkness blanketed Jess's room as she raised her gaze toward her window. Outside, shadows flickered, moving with an intention that made her breath catch. "How did he know where i live?" She thought. Mike was creepy, but at least they were going on an adventure together..

A clenching dread welled inside her. Crippling doubt now hung heavily over her, a tangible weight pushing her to take a step back.

"Who are you really?" she typed, her heartbeat hammering rhythmically against her ribcage.

"A friend. You've wanted this."

The words echoed through her mind, unsettling yet undeniable. Jess felt the breath leave her lungs as a low laugh echoed faintly in the recesses of the alley outside. She knew it was time to make a choice: confront the real world beyond her screen, or forever remain ensnared in the depths of her solitude, hoping for a lifeline that might just be coated in shadows.

As she glanced out the window again, a figure stood there, cloaked in darkness. Whether it was her imagination or the sliver of reality, Jess could no longer tell.

Faced with the harrowing question, she had to decide; was she ready to enter the abyss with someone she barely knew, or was it time to cut the invisible strings before they tightened around her neck?

"I'm coming," she typed, determination swirling in her veins.