The Webcam Project

He sits in his room with a raw throat and bloodied knuckles. It can’t be undone... it can’t be erased. His girlfriend’s corpse lies in his arms, severely disfigured and mangled. The man is in shock, and doesn't know whether to cry or laugh. He feels nothing emotional; just newly exposed blood running down his arms and legs. Amid his seemingly desolate state, he remembers the box in his pocket, and begins to laugh.

Everyone knew how much this couple loved each other. David and his soul-mate had been inseparable for the past two years. It seemed no matter what situation arose, they would always find a way to be in it together. Their love could not be matched by anyone else.

David had planned for months for this day. It was supposed to be the day he proposed to her. He had called for her to come over to his house, where he had a nice candlelit dinner planned out. He had rigged the electricity in the house to suddenly turn on every light and appliance, then seemingly die out, much like a power surge.

I regret to inform you, reader, that this didn't happen the way it was supposed to. Merely one light turned on in the kitchen, flickering above the new laptop David had received as a present a few months prior for his birthday. Sitting atop of this gift was a webcam David had obtained for a few dollars from a friend at work, who simply claimed he didn't want it any longer.

Each time the light flickered, David looked back at the laptop. His senses were dulling and sweat was pouring from every pore it could. After some time, he couldn't bring his gaze away from the laptop. It wasn't long until the worried yells from his girlfriend started to blur into ambient sound. He no longer sensed anything.

David snapped. Something caused him to do this, but we will never know for sure. Maybe there was a faint whispering in his ear, maybe he saw an unfamiliar face, or maybe it was something far more sinister. No matter how you want to put it, he snapped. Before his girlfriend could utter another word, she was knocked out cold. David threw punches as he screamed like a madman that couldn't be stopped, never once questioning his actions.

This brings us to where we are now in the story. The effect of some sort of delusion had started to wear off as David rolled off of his dearly beloved’s soaked body and dragged her into his room, so he could still stay with her for the duration of the night.

Outside of the house, all is silent. David takes this in for a split second, but not a moment longer. His brain has become metaphorically dead, as if his mind was asleep, but his body was not. He laughs, and laughs, and laughs, until he closes his eyes along with his girlfriend.

“Our research has shown that one hundred percent of all people exposed to our project entitled ‘The Webcam Effect’ have acted in the same way, or nearly the same, as David did. We are now able to take over nearly anyone. Anyone that has a webcam... cannot avoid us. We're always watching through that webcam they have plugged in.” That’s what they told me, the lowly intern sworn to secrecy. I don’t know how they do it, or why, but this is my warning to you: unplug your webcam. And never plug it back in. I know I did. I no longer work at the agency, and they might come after me for posting this. But it’s for the best... right?