The night felt normal.
Too normal.
Taye leaned back on the worn-out couch, one leg stretched across the center table, his phone resting loosely in his hand. The ceiling fan above him spun lazily, pushing warm air around the room like it had given up trying.
From the kitchen, the faint sound of plates clinking echoed.
"Taye! If you're not busy pretending to be a landlord in my father's house, come and help me here!"
His sister's voice.
Sharp. Alive. Annoying.
He smirked.
"I'm supervising," he called back lazily. "Very important work."
A head popped out from the kitchen doorway.
"Supervising what? Air?"
Her hair was tied loosely, strands falling across her face. She had flour on her cheek, and for a second, Taye almost laughed.
Almost.
"Don't worry," he said, sitting up slowly. "One day, you'll thank me."
"For what? Being useless?"
"For building character."
She rolled her eyes. "If uselessness builds character, you'll be a legend."
Before he could reply, their mother's voice cut in.
"Both of you, if I hear another word!"
Silence.
Immediate.
Taye raised his hands slightly. His sister disappeared back into the kitchen, muttering under her breath.
For a moment… everything felt steady.
Safe.
Normal.
The front door creaked open.
Their father stepped in, loosening his tie as he walked, exhaustion clinging to him like a shadow.
"Evening," he said.
"Welcome, Dad," Taye replied.
His father nodded, dropping his keys on the table. "Where's your sister?"
"Fighting with flour."
A small chuckle escaped him. "Sounds about right."
(From the kitchen)
"I heard that!"
Their father shook his head, a faint smile forming.
It was small moments like this… the ones no one thinks about… that made a home feel alive.
Then a phone buzzed.
Taye glanced down at his screen.
Unknown number.
He frowned slightly but ignored it.
It buzzed again.
And again.
Something about it felt… off.
He picked it up.
A message.
No name.
No greeting.
Just a link.
"Spam," he muttered.
He almost deleted it.
Almost.
Then his phone vibrated again.
This time, it wasn't the unknown number.
It was his friend.
Kola
Guy… have you seen this?
Another message followed immediately.
A screenshot.
Blurry.
Dark.
But clear enough.
Taye's stomach tightened.
Something cold crept into his chest.
"Seen what?" he typed back.
Three dots appeared instantly.
Disappeared.
Then...
Check that link.
Taye stared at the message.
For a second… he didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
Didn't think.
Then slowly… he tapped the link.
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
The video opened.
At first, it didn't make sense.
Shaky camera.
Dim lighting.
Voices overlapping.
Then...
A face.
Taye froze.
"No…" he whispered.
It was her.
The phone slipped slightly in his hand.
His heartbeat started rising, fast, uneven, violent.
"No… no, no…"
From the kitchen, her voice floated out again.
"Mom, where did you keep the..."
Taye stood up abruptly.
The chair behind him scraped loudly across the floor.
"Taye?" his father said, confused.
But Taye didn't answer.
His eyes were locked on the screen.
His entire world… shrinking into that one moment.
The video kept playing.
Every second worse than the last.
Every second louder than the silence in his head.
This wasn't just a video.
It was a weapon.
And it had just been fired.
"Taye, what's wrong?" his father asked again, this time more serious.
He couldn't speak.
His throat felt tight.
Dry.
Like something was choking him from the inside.
Then...
His sister stepped out of the kitchen.
Still holding a spoon.
Still unaware.
Still…
normal.
"Taye, why are you.."
She stopped.
Because of his face.
Something in his expression must have told her.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
"...what happened?" she asked slowly.
Taye looked at her.
Really looked.
And in that moment…
He realized something terrifying.
She had no idea.
His grip tightened around the phone.
His voice came out barely above a whisper.
"Don't…" he said.
She frowned.
"Don't what?"
He took a step back.
Then another.
Like distance could somehow fix what was already broken.
"Don't go online."
Silence.
A pause so deep… it felt like the world itself was holding its breath.
Then her phone buzzed.
Everyone heard it.
She looked down at it.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like it suddenly weighed more than it should.
Taye moved.
Fast.
"Don't..!"
Too late.
Her eyes scanned the screen.
Confusion first.
Then curiosity.
Then..
Everything changed.
The spoon slipped from her hand.
Clattered against the floor.
"No…"
Her voice trembled.
Barely there.
"No… no, this is not…"
She shook her head, stepping back.
Her breathing quickened.
Her fingers trembling as she tried to scroll… to understand… to deny.
"This isn't me… this, this isn't..."
But it was.
And deep down…
She knew it.
Her knees gave out.
She hit the floor hard.
Their mother rushed out of the kitchen.
"What's going on?"
She saw the phone.
The screen.
The look on her daughter's face.
And everything went silent.
Not quiet.
Not calm.
Silent.
Like something sacred had just been broken.
Taye stood there.
Frozen.
Powerless.
Watching.
And for the first time in his life…
He felt it.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Something worse.
Helplessness.
Outside, somewhere in the distance, a dog barked.
A car passed.
Life continued.
But inside that house…
Something had already begun to die.