The Echo of Me 

Al sat frozen, staring at the video. 

The version of himself on the screen wasn't moving anymore. He just stood there, smiling. 

And then—his head twitched. 

Not a normal movement. A sharp, unnatural jerk. 

Al's stomach twisted. He forced himself to scrub through the footage. Was this edited? Was someone messing with him? 

He skipped forward— 

Then stopped. 

The figure on screen was no longer in his apartment. 

The footage flickered—showing him somewhere else. 

A hallway. Unfamiliar. Dimly lit. 

Al swallowed. He didn't remember going anywhere. 

He hit pause, his breath coming too fast. His mind was spiraling—grasping for explanations. 

Then— 

His phone buzzed. 

A single text. 

Unknown Number: "Why did you come back?" 

His pulse spiked. 

A memory flickered. 

The diner. The waitress. The napkin. 

"Get out before you wake up." 

Al clenched his jaw. Something was happening to him. 

And he was losing.