Fiona gasped. It was her mother, Monica. But this wasn't the Monica she knew—the woman who had abandoned her family time and time again. This was a Monica who was happy, healthy, and present. "Mom?" Fiona whispered, her voice trembling.
The TV screen flickered, casting a cool blue light over the messy living room of the Gallagher house. Fiona was slumped on the sofa, her eyes fixed on the screen as the closing credits of Shameless Season 1, Episode 9 began to roll. It was 10:48 PM, and the house was unusually quiet. Shameless S01E0950:48 Min
Fiona sat there for a long time, her heart heavy with grief. She knew that what she had seen wasn't real, that it was just a hallucination brought on by exhaustion and stress. But it had felt so real, so tangible. Fiona gasped
The screen didn't go black. Instead, it started to pulse with a faint, rhythmic glow. Fiona leaned forward, her heart beginning to race. Was it a glitch? Or something else? This was a Monica who was happy, healthy, and present
As the final notes of the theme song faded, Fiona felt a strange sense of unease. Something about the way the episode had ended—the lingering shot of the empty Gallagher kitchen—felt different. She reached for the remote to turn off the TV, but her hand froze.
"No!" Fiona cried out, her hand pressing against the glass. "Don't go! Please!"
She looked around, but there was no one there. The voice seemed to be coming from the TV itself. Fiona reached out and touched the screen. It was cold, colder than any piece of electronics should be.