I Should Have Read The Reviews

My girlfriend moved out three weeks ago. My cat, Ruk, was really close to her and now that she's gone, I can tell he's a bit lonely. Especially when I'm at work. I came home a few times to my curtains ripped up, or all the toilet paper in shreds.

The last straw was when I came home after working late to find he had clawed a hole the size of a dinner plate into the side of the sofa.

I decided I had to do something. I tried different toys, even catnip, but nothing worked. One night while browsing Amazon, I saw a pet camera. It's a tiny camera that records your pet on a live feed so you can monitor their behavior while you're away. It even has an audio function so you can talk to them.

Sounded silly but hey, I love my furry dude so I bought it. I got overnight shipping and installed it immediately. I decided to set it up in my bedroom, as that was where Ruk dwelled most.

My first day at work I think I checked that camera thirty times. When I spoke into the microphone, Ruk seemed to be happier, and I noticed there was no destruction around the house either.

By day four I figured I'd solved the problem with Ruk.

That leads me to right now. About thirty minutes ago I climbed in bed with Ruk, ready to close my eyes, when my phone buzzed. A notification from the pet cam. I almost ignored it, sure I'd just triggered the thing. But I opened it anyway. What I saw made my grip tighten on the phone.

Instead of a video of myself in bed I saw a man, tall, gangly, with pale skin, and large eyes. He was moving into my room with exaggerated steps, like a sneaking cartoon character.

He got right up to the lens, so close I could almost smell his rotten breath, and he smiled.

I immediately paused the video, terrified. I looked at the spot where the man should have been standing, but there was no one there.

I went onto Amazon and found the pet cam, and read the reviews, hoping for some weird glitch. It had to be a joke, right?

The first dozen reviews were pretty standard, but it was the last that caused me to bolt upright.

The customer complained that the camera was on a time delay, sometimes as much as fifteen minutes.

I went back to the video and pressed play with shaky fingers. I watched in horror as the man slithered under my bed, giving the camera a wink before disappearing in the darkness. Then I saw myself enter the room and climb in bed before the video ended.

Now I'm sitting in my bed, knowing he's under it. I could call the police, but I doubt I'd have time….

So please, do yourselves a favor and read the reviews.

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Credits

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A Wish Come True (A Short Story)

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