Selfie Vengeance

'Nina stood in her dimly lit bedroom, phone in hand. The soft glow of the screen illuminated her face as she angled the camera for a selfie. Her green eyes reflected a mix of lies and unease. The room felt heavy, memories clung to its walls like cobwebs. The house was empty of other life; not one relative in sight.'

Three years ago, on a stormy night, her boyfriend, Alex, had been brutally murdered. The police never found the killer, and Nina's grief had consumed her. She knew she had to move away, hoping to escape the pain that haunted her.

But now, back in her inherited childhood home, she couldn't resist capturing the moment. The mirror behind her reflected the room; a room that held the energies of comfort and family. As she snapped the photo, something shifted in the background. A silhouette, barely visible, stood next to the window, where no light touched. Looking at her phone, terror gripped her throat as she saw him, casually standing there in the dark corner of her photo.

Nina's heart raced. She zoomed in and out on the photo, hoping it was just a glitch. There, amidst the dust bunnies and memories, was Alex. His eyes, once warm, were now hollow and accusing. His lips formed a silent scream. How was this possible? She watched him die, as she felt his last breath through her fingers.

The room grew colder. Nina stumbled towards the bed. She hit her knee on the footboard and dropped her phone. The silhouette remained, etched into the pixels. She whispered Alex's name, but he didn't respond. Instead, he stepped closer, his form flickering until it became solid.

Fright and confusion drove Nina out of the room. Why? Why was Alex there? It wasn't possible. Nina had killed him after he broke up with her and started dating her bestfriend. But little did Nina know, Alex was a warlock. As Nina was murdering him, he had made a pact in blood, a promise of vengeance. Praying to his dark lord and scratching Nina's arm in the process, until he took his last breath.

Alex had returned, not as a ghost, but as an avenging spirit. His murderer had escaped justice, and now he sought retribution. Nina's hands trembled as she missed grabbing the handrail. She tried to recover, but instead slipped on the next step and fell down the stairs, attempting to escape the house. Before she passed out, Alex loomed over her with a crooked smile.

A couple hours later, Nina woke up. Tied to her bed, she struggled to make sense of things. The room was full of candle light, the ropes that held her were tight, and the clothes she once wore had changed to full red silky garments. The scent around her soon began to smell of incense and decay.

Alex's voice echoed through the room. "Three years," he said, his words a spectral breeze. "Three years I've waited for justice. You were my friend, Nina. I couldn't love you the way you wanted. I was honest, but you didn't care nor did you listen. Sigh, then you decided to kill me. Tsk tsk, naughty girl you are Nina. And completely insane."

Tears blurred Nina's vision. "I didn't know what I was doing, I'm sorry. I regret it, but I was hurt. Please let me go Alex. I still love you and I didn't mean to ruin you like that."

His laughter chilled her. "Ignorance is what you claim and love is what you portray. Pathetic little liar! But that's okay my lady. I won't hurt you too bad, but justice will need to be served tonight. Blood for blood, maybe? Yeah, I like that very much." As Alex turns to pick up a long sharp blade, Nina starts to wiggle around. Trying to break parts of the headboard, Nina forcefully shoots her hands forward. A couple of wooden slats give way, allowing Nina to escape.

Rolling to the opposite side of the bed from Alex, Nina lands on her feet and stares her first love down. "Oh Nina. No one and nothing will save you. So why don't you just lay back down and get what's coming to you," Alex says, with pure confidence. Nina huffs at Alex's words and stands her ground. "Lay back down Nina. I will not repeat myself!"

"How about you just shut up and get what's coming to you, again!" Grabbing one of the broken headboard slats, Nina comes towards Alex with full force. "I will make sure you die and stay dead this time!"

With a gleam in his eye, Alex allows Nina to come close and hit him one good time across the face. With a broken jaw, Alex grabs Nina by the neck. Picking her up effortlessly, he begins to speak in Latin. The candles in the room shift with force, and Alex uses his knife to stab Nina multiple times in the chest. Chanting dark spells, Nina begins to convulse in Alex's grip. Eventually, her spirit comes out from her body and floats around the room. Finishing off Nina with a neck snap, Alex tosses her useless body to the floor. He then captures her spirit and presents it as a gift to his dark lord. "You can now replace her. I will renew your body and you can live once again," says the dark lord.

Finally getting his revenge, Alex lives out the rest of his days on earth. He had to live under a new identity, but he was fine with that, as long as no one ever found out who killed Nina. Justice had been served, a grand reward was given, and Alex was finally free from his resentment. Reaching into his pocket, he glares at the selfie Nina took. "Goodbye my friend," Alex mutters, as he deletes the photo of him on Nina's phone, breaks it, and tosses it into a trash can bear his favorite restaurant. He walks in and enjoys a juicy cheese burger for the first time in ages, slightly hoping no one recognizes him after so long.