Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is intended for entertainment purposes within the horror genre. It contains scenes that depict self-harm as part of the narrative to create fear and suspense. These elements are not intended to glorify, promote, or encourage self-harm or any harmful behavior. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please seek help immediately by contacting a mental health professional or a crisis hotline in your area.
How Many Hours Did You Say?
“Four hours.”
“Just let your playlist on your phone or YouTube play for at least four hours—whether you’re alone or not,” Semir instructed. “The playlist will somehow pick up the energy of the room. After four hours, the video that plays will define the energy—good or bad. Let me tell you, in most cases, it’s been bad.”
Luke looked at him with a smile that made Semir roll his eyes. “So you don’t believe me, do you?”
Luke gave his friend a side glance, one eyebrow raised, his eyes squinting in mock disbelief with a sly grin. Semir, feeling the need to prove his point, decided on practical testing. “Let’s do it, Mr. Funny Face. Show me you’re not all talk.”
Semir opened YouTube on his laptop and slid it toward Luke. “Here’s a song by Taylor Swift. And, you know how the YouTube algorithm works—after this, it should queue up more Taylor, more pop, maybe some educational stuff. Can we agree on that?” He looked at Luke for confirmation.
“You’re forgetting Doraemon and Shinchan,” Luke added, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Yeah, okay,” Semir replied, unfazed. “That’s the kind of content we should see when we come back, right?” He glared at Luke, practically begging him to take this seriously. After all, his grandpa’s old book was on the line.
Luke shrugged, barely looking at Semir as he trudged out of the room. Semir followed, closing the door behind them.
Four Hours Later
“What do you think could be playing?” Semir asked as he unlocked the door to his room.
“Probably Shinchan,” Luke mumbled, scrolling through his phone without much interest.
Semir nodded and opened the door.
He hurried to his laptop. The video playing was titled “5 Most Haunted Places in Toronto.” Luke, still at the entrance, was oblivious, engrossed in his phone. Semir stared at the screen, his heart skipping a beat. He was sure the room had been silent when they opened the door, but the moment he approached the laptop, this video started playing.
“Leo, can you please come in here! Semir did not feel like standing there alone”
Leo looked up, annoyed at being disturbed, he sauntered in. “You’re trying to scare me with this?” He dismissed the video with a wave, returning to his phone.
Semir, however, had seen something that made him shut the laptop immediately. His heart pounded as he forced himself to look at Leo, who was still scrolling through his phone, completely unbothered. Normally, this would have irritated Semir, but now it brought him back from the edge of fear.
He snapped his fingers in front of Leo’s face. “Now, what do you think? You know this wasn’t in the queue or my YouTube feed.”
Leo finally glanced at him, bemused. “Maybe your siblings watched it on your laptop?”
Semir shook his head. “No one’s touched my laptop in ages, and you know that better than anyone.” He opened his laptop again, stomping on the keys as he pulled up the history. The last video, where it ended, was indeed Shinchan. The next in the queue was a Doraemon episode.
“Look,” Semir pointed at the queue, “This was supposed to be playing.”
Leo leaned in for a closer look when he felt a cold hand gently touch his shoulder. He quickly jerked away, checking to see if it was Semir. But Semir was on the other side from where he felt the touch. Leo hesitated, trying to make a joke to ease the tension “Nice trick, Semir. But I’m not falling for it. But the chill of that touch lingered. What he didn’t know was that Semir felt something strange too, but neither of them said a word.
Semir, sensing leo’s unease, tried to shake it off and broke the silence. “You know, I just made this whole thing up. I didn’t find anything in my pop’s closet.” He gave a faint smile, but Leo looked pale. “It was just a joke. I played the video when you were still at the door. Go home.”
Leo nodded and left, but the unease lingered between them.
That night, both struggled to sleep. A lean figure watched over them as they lay in bed, and when they finally managed to sleep, they dreamed of the exact place Semir had feared—the top spot in the haunted video. But Leo missed this detail while scrolling through his phone.
Leo woke up feeling uneasy, like he hadn’t slept at all.“Semir really got under my skin this time,” he muttered, reaching for his phone again.
His phone rang—it was Semir. Leo let it ring out. He wasn’t in the mood to talk.
Semir, on the other hand, had woken from a nightmare that clung to him like fog. He wanted to tell Leo about it, about the video that had somehow replayed on his laptop. But he knew Leo would ignore his calls and messages at this hour.
The clock read 6:00 AM. Leo groaned, wondering why Semir would call so early? Doesn’t he know I don’t talk to people before noon?”. He realized he had woken up much earlier than usual, so he put on some music and tried to sleep again.
Four hours later, he woke up to find not his music app, but YouTube playing on his phone. The video showed a woman demonstrating how to tie a knot on a rope with a ceiling. Half-asleep, Leo watched, slowly realizing it was a suicide video. He tried to close the app, but his phone froze, and the video kept playing.
Panicking, Leo’s breathing quickened, his hands trembled. He struggled to close the app, but it wouldn’t respond. He tried to lock his phone, “Come on, come on!” Leo hissed, frantically pressing buttons but nothing worked. In desperation, he tried to shut it down, but it stayed on, the woman on the screen now stepping onto a stool, preparing the rope.
Leo bolted from the bed, his phone clattering to the floor. He lunged for the door, but it wouldn’t budge. Locked. From the outside? How? Using all his strength, he banged and kicked at the door, screaming for help. In the background, the video played on, the woman’s calm instructions chilling in contrast to his panic.
A faint giggle echoed in the room. “It’s not funny!” Leo shouted, turning left and right, desperate to find the source of the sound. His panic intensified as the laughter joined by others until it was a chorus of mocking voices.
Finally, he let go of the doorknob, his strength fading. He collapsed on the floor, clutching his head in despair. Two cold hands clamped his ears so hard Pain exploded in his head, sharp and searing. He screamed, feeling warm blood trickle down his neck..
No one was laughing anymore. His phone lay on the floor beside him, the woman in the video finishing her instructions as she kicked the stool away. Leo felt his neck snap along with hers. a sickening crack filling the air. the door swung wide open and as his vision faded, he saw them—three shadowy figures standing over him, their eyes cold and empty, watching as his life drained away.
The next morning, Semir received a message from an unknown number. It was a link to a video titled “The Next One“
Also read author’s favourite : He’s a Dad
whisperink.blog 
Leave a comment