crane

“Okay— let's do this.” they breathed, hands steadily typing away at their keyboard, eyes fixated on the screen before them as the re-tellings of the infamous myth "guest 666" had formed throughout most of the titles they picked at.

they let out a frustrated sigh— a stupid fascination when they'd be able to force their time into something more productive, something that seemed more ideal at the age they found themselves at, graduating college was one thing; working in a studio as a coder was another, but being a basic human being was mandatory.

body slumped forward, (name) realized how dawn had crept up upon them, the time seemed to be mocking them— ticking towards six, sixty-six am.

pushing their chair back they forced themselves up together and watched as their computer shut, strange as it seemed full battery when they had left it— they could hardly remember. It's been a long night.

Sometimes they nestled in bed, in their delirium they felt the saccharine touch of a weird sensation that did it's best to manifest fingertips, never quite matching human skin.. Body now reaching for the comfort of their mattress as they wished to settle for the day ahead— a perfect Sunday to lay back, and waste away.

it felt the world had other plans— as they collapsed their body fell through, forcing them into a descent of code, feeling a strange sensation curl around them, a face nestling into their neck almost demanding.

there was no words shared, but the horror in their face was enough to make the entities faux heart beat rapidly.

lately, the myth had grown bored simply observing plenty others, til it found them of course— a weirdly routine human who so happened to enjoy it's myth the best.

in silence the entity grew to watch them study the lines of code that worked it's very figure, eyes churning in delight at the realization someone could have such a want to know, a need to pick them apart.

as the dawn cracked, they knew they could wait no longer to tug their favorite into this strange digital realm, a world where it would only have the opportunity to see their face, their face that'd twist into expressions it could never fully capture trapped in their current body.

"You..- you are—" The name felt tight on their throat, the entity pulling away to stare at them, a piercing gaze of crimson met their eyes.

"You.." They spoke, the pads of their fingers reaching to touch, the entity moved it's head, allowing them a feel of it's jaw, padded tips gently drawing down till they held its chin. "Fascinating. . ." Said them, the person they obsessed over, that interesting individual who reciprocated it's interest.

what a delight— they'd never know the amount of victims they've had to test to get it right, to learn to pull a body of matter into the digital realm where they'd become omnipotent.

always so intelligent, but always so dense, it thought of them.

so perfect, the clovers leaf surely turned it's favor toward the entity.

it spoke through their head, ‘say my name’, it whispered, hands touching the others face, ‘I'm as real as the scum that believe I am dangerous.’

they watched in awe as the red eyed figure spoke to them, a symphony of voices echoed in their mind, ‘say my name’, they beckoned, and like a trance, they succumbed, “Guest— Guest 666.” they whispered back, like a secret being torn into the surface.

they watched the entities eyes shift, almost mimicking elation— fixating on their face.