The Warning
Journalist Elena Marlowe agreed to meet the retired detective for an exclusive interview, but she didn’t expect him to cancel at the last minute.
His text came five minutes before the meeting: “Don’t come. I finally know who it is.”
The next morning, his name dominated the news — he had been found dead in his apartment.
Elena opened her laptop to review her notes, but one file she didn’t remember creating blinked on her screen.
It was titled: “The Last Question.”
The File
Elena hesitated. Her fingers hovered above the trackpad, her heart pounding louder than the rain outside.
When the document loaded, there was only one sentence: “You already interviewed me.”
Then her phone buzzed. Unknown number.
“Check your camera roll.”
She opened her photos… and froze. The last picture wasn’t hers — it showed the detective’s body, taken before the police even arrived.
The Reflection
Elena’s hands trembled. She deleted the photo — but it reappeared seconds later.
In the corner of the image… a reflection.
Her reflection.
Lines of text began appearing on her computer screen:
“You shouldn’t have opened the file.”
“He warned you.”
At that exact moment, her TV turned on — and on the screen, she saw herself… sitting at her desk.
The Video
Elena grabbed her keys and ran down the stairs, rain soaking her coat.
Her phone buzzed — a video message from the detective.
“If you’re watching this, Elena, it means they found me. And they’ll come for you next.”
Behind him, a framed photo — herself, smiling, years younger. She didn’t remember that picture.
From the back seat of her car, a quiet voice whispered: “Now you do.”
The Truth
Across the street, a figure stood under a streetlight. Slowly, it stepped closer… the detective. Alive.
“The file, the photos, the tape — it was all a test. You’ve got the instincts. That’s why I called you.”
He handed her a sealed envelope.
“You’re ready. And now, it begins.”
The rain fell harder, and Elena knew… nothing would ever be the same again.
Note:
All names and locations are purely coincidental and have no connection to real people or events.
