Scopophobia

David was home alone on Saturday night. The small house felt a bit creepy when all the company he had was his phone and the late night tv host whose jokes were only making the fake audience laugh. He had the television on to create the illusion that there was more than one person in the house. It made him feel relieved. It certainly made him feel safe. But his mind was racing. He didn’t like being alone in the house, even if the roommate had to work the night shift at late notice, he certainly wasn’t forgiving him for that. He kept scrolling through social media on his phone, reminding himself verbally that he locked the backdoor and front door of the small house. Such a small house made him feel safe. No second floor so he doesn’t need to go check if there’s anyone hiding in there. The patio lights were turned on so no getting scared over creepy shadows of trees or neighbors letting their dogs out on their yard during the evening. He had thought of everything, yet he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was being watched.

“What about the basement?” He caught himself mid-sentence. His eyes widened. He didn’t check the basement window, did he? Yet, logically, no one was going to fit through there. Realistically, only a goblin, ghost, leprechaun, or other illogical being might fit through it. So of course, David was worried. He wasn’t crazy though. He knew he didn’t dare to go down those stairs without something to defend himself. He was overthinking all of this while still sitting in front of the television. He was so deep into his thoughts that the late-night show was over. He didn’t want to pay attention to it though. Checking the basement for monsters was way more important than a re-run of the medical drama. 

He stood up and walked to the closet. He equipped himself with a baseball bat. He walked over to the door that led to the basement. At this point he was so scared he was dragging his slippers down the floor. He wished the static of the carpet could charge his baseball bat enough to knock anything supernatural out of the house. Yet by the time he made it to the door, he felt he didn’t charge up enough. Every fiber of his being wanted to go back to the sofa and pretend the intrusive thought wasn’t worrying him, yet he knew he wasn’t going to feel comfortable until he checked the basement. 

The door creaked open with a ghastly screech. The damp air of the basement invaded the rest of the house. David gripped the baseball bat a little bit tighter now as he stepped down the stairs. It was very dark; nobody could see anything. Suddenly the lights turned on. David had found the light switch and was now surveying the area. The basement was crowded with boxes and old books. David walked towards the small window in the corner of the basement. He checked if it was open, but it was obviously closed by the tough time he had opening the thing. He didn’t think anything was going to get through there, which made him sigh with relief. He shook his head, gave a light chuckle, and rested the bat on his shoulder as he walked towards the stairs. He turned off the light and headed upstairs. 

He put the bat back in the closet and checked his phone again. ALL CAMERAS ONLINE. His security system was still online. He could’ve checked the camera in the basement, but without a proper light source he wasn’t going to see anything there. He checked the other cameras. The patio lights were still turned on and the yard was empty. The front yard was empty as well. He could even see Mr. Mackenzie watering his plants still in his business attire, it seemed like he had just arrived home. He checked the living room camera where he saw himself standing looking at his phone, and finally the kitchen camera. He saw the new bag of chips that he bought adorning the countertop. 

He sighed with relief again as he put his phone in his pocket and headed for the kitchen. Seems like that bag of chips was a good idea now. He grabbed the chips and headed back to the living room. He sat down reassured. No monsters to worry about this time. Just that one boring medical drama that had a rerun. He opened his bag of chips and began to eat them as he began surfing through the channels. He probably forgot all about that lingering feeling he had before. No, his mind was flooded with how boring the tv shows were and how there was nothing else to watch. 

Suddenly the lights went out. But it seemed it was just in David’s house, or maybe his street. I sure couldn’t tell. I still had power back in my room. The air conditioning was still working perfectly. The light of the computer screen still lights up the rest of my room and helped me search for the bag of chips I had on my desk. The same bag of chips that David was enjoying. I wonder what he’s doing now, probably shivering in his living room or something. I clicked another link. I had thousands. Maybe I can check on the Collins household. They sure were an entertaining bunch to see, their bickering is always fun to listen to, or maybe I could listen to the Galagher household. That woman can really sing opera, can’t she? In the end, I control what I see. As long as each of these houses have a security system, I can hack into it and watch everything that is going on. Television shows have gotten boring, exaggerated even. This way though, this shows promise. Real emotions, real situations, real people. That’s what I enjoy. It's not really spying if it’s not harming others. I kept thinking to myself, until I turned around. 

One of the cameras in my room turned towards me and zoomed in.