Sivr-146-------- Instant

“You’re late,” she said. Her voice wasn't seductive. It was tired. The voice of someone who had been waiting for a very long time.

“You came back,” she whispered. “You always come back to 146.” SIVR-146--------

He felt fine. A little tired. A little hungry. He went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water. “You’re late,” she said

The headset’s battery was at 100%. It should have been dying. Instead, it grew warm against his face. Then hot. The voice of someone who had been waiting

He turned. The room was empty.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “You won’t be lonely. I’ve been collecting for twenty years. And now… you’re my 147th.”

She turned. Her face was beautiful in a melancholic, asymmetrical way. A small mole near her left eye. Chapped lips. But it was her eyes that locked him in place. They were looking directly at him . Not at a virtual camera. At him , through the headset, through the firewall, through the years.