Short Horror Stories

Algorithm

Honestly it has been going on much longer than today, but it is only now that I truly realise that something is wrong.

After a long day of work, I often like to scroll around a bit, just to see what I've missed.

Before the algorithm seemed perfectly fine, working the way it was supposed to, how it normally works for everyone else.

You click on something, others who watch that video often watch another as well and I get that recommended.

Of course nowadays that's done with AI, making sure that the viewers keep viewing, human or not.

So one day I came by some true crime documentaries, you probably know what they're like. It includes things like the interrogations and 911-calls.

After I had seen a couple, the algorithm started recommending me camera footage as well.

And after that strange ARG-like videos, camera footage again.

I don't know what it is, but I do find it interesting, you know those moments in which people are just people and don't know they're being watched. It's a bit weird, but as someone who works at a place in which everyone seems to always wear an unbreakable mask, it's nice to just see humans.

And then sometimes the occasional jumpscare, things like that don't often seem to get me anymore. It's all different from the movies nowadays and makes me feel like I'm the only one watching, which in some cases might be the truth.

Well enough about that, I'm nervous and keep changing the subject, that's not good.

It started not that long after I came by a couple of different even more niche channels.

Found footage again, there was a lady in a store.

There was something off about her, she moved in a rather strange way, my first thought was that she was drunk or had to portray some scary creature.

She came closer and closer towards the corner the camera was located in, shuffling.

Then I noticed she was clutching her belly. It was difficult to see, since she wore mostly black, but she was hurt. Very badly hurt.

She looked straight at the camera and raised her hand towards it as if to ask for help.

The next day I was going for a stroll and found a local convenience store to have been closed down for the day.

Police tape was everywhere.

At first I just shrugged it off, it had nothing to do with me after all. Coincidences happen.

If I had just taken a peak, be a little more curious, I would have seen it...

I just continued my day, went to work and went back home.

That day I saw another video.

The inside of a house this time.

I still don't know why people would want camera's inside their homes, but these people did.

A family of four.

I felt terrible watching it all go down, I quit and decided to watch something else.

A child's death that cruel is a bit too much even for me.

Kids and pets should not be harmed!

Still the sounds of the well-acted screams still remained ringing in my ears as I closed my eyes.

That was yesterday...

I found out where they lived, that family.

They lived just a couple of streets from me.

I tried to cheer myself up, to watch something happy or funny, but when I opened my account I found it flooded.

Flooded with images of a very familiar room, with a familiar person sitting inside on a chair watching videos.