The Last Horizon of Us

Cold blue light

A group of friends crowded around the television, the glow of the screen flickering across their faces as the new Twin Peaks movie played. Popcorn disappeared by the handful, the rustle of the bag nearly constant, and empty Coke bottles clinked together on the coffee table as they reached for another and another.
Valentino leaned back in his chair, chewing lazily, kernels crunching between his teeth. "This movie isn't even that scary," he said, mouth half full, brushing sugar from his fingers onto his jeans.
"What did you say, Val?" Florence asked, leaning across the table, straining to hear him over the low hum of the TV and the chatter of the others. "That this movie isn't scary at all," Valentino repeated, a crooked grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. He tossed another handful of popcorn into the air and caught it, chewing loudly, clearly pleased with himself. "Not even a little." Florence shot him a look from across the table. "You're kidding, right?" "Nope." He shrugged, reaching for another Coke bottle. "I've seen cartoons scarier than this."
"Oh, please," she snapped, leaning forward. "You practically jumped out of your seat five minutes ago."
"That was because you yelled in my ear," Valentino shot back. "Anyone would've jumped." Florence folded her arms. "Sure, blame me."
"I am blaming you."
Their voices rose over the low, eerie drone of the movie's soundtrack, sharp and quick, trading jabs while the others groaned and shushed them. "Can you guys shut up already? We're trying to watch a movie here." Margot's voice cut through the room, sharp and sudden. She shot Valentino and Florence an exasperated look, her arms crossed tight over her chest. The television cast a cold blue light across all of them, the soundtrack humming low and eerie, but their argument was louder than anything on screen. Valentino smirked.
"Wow," he said, leaning back into the couch like he'd just delivered the cleverest line of the night. "Looks like the girls are on their period." The grin on his face was huge. Proud. Stupid.
Florence went rigid. Margot's eyes narrowed.
For a second, the only sound was the muffled static from the TV and someone nervously crumpling the empty popcorn bag. "Okay," Florence said, rising from her seat, voice tight and dangerous. "That's it."
"Oh, come on, it was a joke—" Valentino started.
"No, it wasn't," Margot snapped, stepping forward. "It was gross."
"Yeah, Val," Florence added, pointing at him. "Maybe try being funny without being a jerk for once." He scoffed. "You guys are so sensitive. I'm literally kidding."
"Then get better jokes," Margot shot back. The argument sparked fast after that, words overlapping, sharp and heated. Florence talking over him, Margot backing her up, Valentino digging himself deeper with every smug comment. Across the room, Robin and Nolan exchanged a helpless look.
Robin slowly lowered his Coke bottle. "Should we... do something?"
Nolan watched Florence jab a finger into Valentino's chest while Margot lectured him like an angry substitute teacher. "...I have absolutely no idea," he muttered. They both turned back to the screen for a moment, where something eerie and important was clearly happening in the movie — something none of them could hear over the shouting. A sudden blast of static tore through the room.Not from the movie.Sharper. Louder. Like the TV itself was breaking apart. Everyone jumped. The screen fizzed white for a split second, the harsh hiss filling the air, and then—Black. The television shut off completely.The room fell into an unnatural silence.No music. No dialogue. No crunching popcorn. Just the faint ticking of the wall clock and the low hum of the heater.They all stared at the dark screen.Then slowly at each other."What the hell just happened?" Robin asked.No one answered.Margot groaned and stood up, brushing crumbs off her jeans. "I'll go check the cables. Maybe it's loose or something."She walked toward the doorway.The moment she stepped out of the room—The TV flickered.A quick flash of light.Then the movie came back on, right in the middle of the same scene, like nothing had happened.The strange, droning music crept back into the air.Margot stopped and turned around slowly.everyone exchanged uneasy looks."That's... weird," Florence muttered.
"This has never happened before," Robin said."Probably nothing," Nolan said, shrugging, though his voice lacked confidence. "Just the power acting up or something."
"Yeah," Florence added. "Just a coincidence."But nobody sounded convinced.The room suddenly felt colder.Valentino checked his watch and swore softly. "Crap. It's later than I thought. My dad's gonna flip if I'm not home soon."
"Same," Robin said, already putting on his jacket. "I should go too."Chairs scraped against the floor as they gathered their things. The movie kept playing behind them, forgotten now.
"Ride safe," Margot said from the couch. "See you tomorrow."Outside, the night air hit them hard.Cold. Damp. Quiet.Streetlights buzzed faintly overhead, casting long yellow shadows across the empty road. Their breath came out in little white clouds as they unlocked their bikes.
They started pedaling together down the street, tires crunching over gravel.No one joked. No one teased.Every sound felt louder in the dark.Behind them, Margot's house shrank into the distance, its single lit window glowing like a lonely eye watching them leave.