THE ALGORITHM OF FEAR

4~the text!

Ivaan stepped closer, his tone softening. "Hey, don't say that. We'll figure this out together, alright? I'm not going anywhere."

Despite his reassuring words, Eve couldn't shake the unease curling in her stomach. She wanted to trust him, but the voice in her head whispered doubt, growing louder with each passing second.Eve drove home in a daze, her thoughts a jumbled mess. The video, the messages, the calls-it was all too much. She parked her car in the driveway, gripping the steering wheel tightly as she tried to steady her breathing.

She glanced at her phone sitting on the passenger seat. The screen was dark, but she felt its weight like a ticking time bomb. Whatever was happening, it wasn't over.

Finally, she grabbed the phone, shoved it into her bag, and stepped out of the car. The night air was cool, but it did little to calm her nerves. She unlocked the door to her house and stepped inside, flicking on the lights.

The silence felt oppressive. Normally, her home was her sanctuary, but tonight, it felt like a trap. She locked the door behind her and stood there for a moment, trying to collect herself.

Her mind drifted back to Ivaan. She hated how their conversation had gone. She'd accused him of something awful, and even though he'd insisted he was on her side, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling of guilt-or the faint whispers of doubt.

"Get a grip, Eve," she muttered to herself, heading to the kitchen to pour a glass of water.

As she sipped, her phone buzzed again. She froze, the glass trembling in her hand. Slowly, she pulled the phone out of her bag and unlocked it.

A new message appeared on the screen:

"Home sweet home. Did you miss me?"

Eve's stomach churned. She spun around, her eyes scanning the room, but everything was as it should be. No signs of an intruder. No sound except for the faint hum of the refrigerator.

She quickly typed a reply:

"Who are you? What do you want from me?"

Almost instantly, a reply came through:

"You'll find out soon enough. Sleep tight, Eve."

Her blood ran cold. She turned off her phone and tossed it onto the counter, as if that could sever the connection to whoever or whatever..was tormenting her.

But she couldn't just stand there, paralyzed. She needed answers.

Grabbing her laptop, she sat at the kitchen table and began searching for anything that could explain what was happening. She looked up phone hacking, deepfake technology, even paranormal phenomena. Every answer seemed more implausible than the last.

Hours passed, and her eyes burned from staring at the screen. Exhausted and frustrated, she leaned back in her chair. Her home felt too quiet, too still.

That's when she heard it.

A faint creak from upstairs.Her breath caught in her throat. She stared at the ceiling, her heart hammering in her chest.It could've been the house settling. Or it could've been something or someone else.

Grabbing the nearest object a heavy glass paperweight she crept toward the staircase. She hesitated at the bottom step, straining to hear any other sound.

"Hello?" she called out, her voice trembling. "Is someone there?"

Silence.

Gathering her courage, she climbed the stairs slowly, each step creaking beneath her weight. The hallway stretched out before her, dim and shadowy.