Curiosity is a heavy weight. I downloaded the 42MB file, expecting a low-res clip of a forgotten '90s mascot. Instead, the WinRAR window showed a single video file: smile.avi . The Content

I slammed my laptop shut, but the heavy breathing continued from the speakers for three full seconds after the power died. When I finally gathered the courage to reboot, the .rar file was gone. In its place was a new folder on my desktop titled Thank You .

Inside was a single image: a hand-drawn sketch of my own room, seen from the corner of the ceiling, with the chibi girl sitting on my bed, her blue ribbon tied neatly around my pillow.