Have you heard the phrase “ghost in the machine”? It refers to the belief that machines can sometimes take on a life of their own, as if possessed by some supernatural force. I never believed in such things until I purchased an antique computer at an estate sale. It was a vintage IBM PC from the 1980s, still in its original box and with all of its original components. But it didn’t take long for me to realize there was something seriously wrong with it.
Everything appeared to be fine at first. I set up the computer in my home office and started messing around with it. But then strange things began to happen. Even when I hadn’t touched it, the computer would turn on by itself. The screen would flicker and glitch, displaying strange symbols and messages. The keyboard would type words on its own, as if it were controlled by something or someone. I tried to rationalize it, thinking that perhaps the hardware was simply old and flaky. But then things started to get worse. When I was alone in the room late at night, I could feel a cold presence behind me. I would turn around, but no one was there.
I couldn’t take it anymore one night. I sat down in front of the computer and typed “Who are you?” on the screen. To my horror, the keyboard started typing a response: “I’m the one who arrived before you. I am the machine’s ghost.”. The ghostly presence grew stronger and more malevolent. It would open and close programs, delete files, and send emails to people I’d never met. The whispering became more urgent and louder. It was as if the ghost was trying to tell me something important. Finally, after conducting some research, I discovered that the computer had belonged to a man who had died in a tragic accident……
I was a wuss so I had destroyed the computer or so I thought
3 MONTHS LATER
I stumbled backwards in horror as I read the words on the screen. The same computer that I had thrown out was now sitting in front of me, somehow restored and functional again. I couldn’t believe it. Was it really possible for the ghost to have found a way to come back to haunt me? I quickly left the store and went home, feeling sick to my stomach. I tried to convince myself that it was just a coincidence, that someone had found the broken computer and fixed it up. But deep down, I knew that something much darker was at work.
That night, as I lay in bed, I could hear the faint sound of typing coming from the other room. It was the same sound I had heard before, the sound of the ghostly presence inside the computer. I knew I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I had to confront it, to find a way to banish it for good. I went back to the estate sale the next day, determined to find out how the computer had been restored. The owner of the store looked at me strangely when I asked about it, telling me that it had been donated by an anonymous person. But as I walked out of the store, I noticed a figure watching me from across the street. It was a man in a long coat, his face obscured by shadows.
I could feel his eyes on me as I walked away, and I knew then that he was somehow connected to the ghost in the machine. That night, I performed another ritual to banish the ghost. I recited the incantations and burned sage, hoping that it would be enough to rid myself of the malevolent presence. But as I finished, I could hear the sound of laughter coming from the other room. It was the ghost, mocking me, taunting me. I knew then that I had to do something drastic. I took the computer and threw it into a nearby river, watching as it sank into the murky depths. I thought that was the end of it, that I had finally freed myself from the ghostly presence.
But I was wrong.
The next day, I received an email from an unknown sender. The subject line read “I’m still here.” Attached to the email was a photo of the computer, floating in the river. And then, I heard the sound of typing once again, coming from my own computer. The ghost had found a way to escape the machine, to haunt me wherever I went. And I knew then that I would never be free of it, that it would follow me until the end of my days.