Ben snickered at the message alert that popped up on his smartphone.
The Universe followed you.
“The whole universe is following me, huh?” he said. “I guess I’m a celebrity now.”
His eyes darted from side to side, hoping someone else enjoyed his joke as much as he did. A couple strolled past him on the sidewalk. They held hands and chit chatted with one another as though Ben didn’t exist. Whatever. No sense wasting his humor on these ungrateful strangers.
A breeze swept an extra autumn chill against his cheeks. Colorful leaves rustled on overhanging branches. Ben tugged on the scarf circling his neck and cinched it tighter. Streetlamps cast a dull glow on the sidewalk and on the front steps leading to his townhouse.
His phone pinged again. A new message alert.
The Universe is still following you.
Okay, that’s weird. Whoever designed this app has an odd sense of humor. Ben shook his head. He heard strange rumors about Ubique before opening an account. Maybe it earned such a reputation for a good reason.
Ben fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door. Another ping greeted his ears.
The Universe is angry with you.
He frowned. This isn’t funny. Some anonymous troll is trying to jerk him around. Not cool at all. Ben cracked open the door and paused in the doorway. He opened the Ubique app and scrolled through the feed.
No sign of the messages.
Ben dropped the phone to his side and turned away from the door. His eyes trailed from one end of the street to the other. A woman wearing glasses stood under a bus stop shelter directly across the street from him. A fleece jacket covered her toothpick skinny frame. She averted her eyes from Ben as soon as she sensed his gaze and stared down at her smartphone.
He pressed his eyelids shut and released a deep sigh.
“Some dumbass is yanking your chain,” Ben mumbled to himself. “Get a grip.”
He ducked inside, clicked on the lights, and pushed the door shut behind him, locking the deadbolt. Ben tossed his keys on a small table near the door and draped his jacket and scarf on a coatrack next to the table.
The phone pinged twice this time.
Ben glanced at the screen. His throat tightened.
The Universe knows where you live.
The Universe knows when you’ll die.
Is someone on this app stalking him? What the hell is going on here? Ben’s heart pounded like he just finished a triathlon. This wasn’t cute or clever. His instincts told him to call the police. He paused and stared at the numbers on his phone. What could they do? This was only some anonymous prick trying to hassle him.
Ben expected to be targeted in some fashion after what happened earlier this year. He accrued a list of enemies a mile long when he survived the last round of layoffs. Why should he be blamed for what happened? Ben knew how to play the game. His former colleagues did not.
Maybe this was Jaime’s way of getting back at him. She had grown way too clingy before Ben decided to dump her. Did they really have to spend every minute of every weekend together? The parade of lame concerts and shopping trips became overbearing until the sex just wasn’t worth all the strings attached.
Ping.
The Universe is right outside your door.
Ben licked his lips and sweat formed along his brow. He cast his eyes toward the kitchen. Assorted knives rested in a block on the counter. Would a butcher knife offer enough protection? God, he wished he owned a gun right about now.
Ben crept into the kitchen. Shallow heavy breaths escaped his lips. He set his phone on the counter and rubbed his hands down his cheeks. After forcing himself to take another deep calming breath, Ben drew out the butcher knife from the block.
Ping.
The Universe is inside your townhouse, you fool.
Ben cast frantic glances around the room. No unusual sights or sounds greeted his eyes or ears. A chill gripped his entire body.
“Who are you?” he shouted. “Where are you? Show yourself.”
A loud creak emanated from the floorboards under the beige carpeted stairs. Ben narrowed his eyes and snatched up the phone. He brandished the black-handled butcher knife, holding it before him like a sword.
Ben tiptoed up the stairs, biting his lower lip to muffle his panicked breathing. Faint sounds of a rushing wind greeted him when he reached the second floor of his townhouse. It grew louder as he drew closer to his bedroom.
“I’m calling the police.” Ben said. “Whoever’s up here, you bought yourself a world of trouble.”
He cracked open his bedroom door, pressing against the oak frame with his fingertips. His mouth dropped open.
This was so much worse than a social media troll.
A swirling vortex lay on the other side of the door. It resembled a massive black hole surrounded by an accretion disk spreading out in all directions. Giant tentacles popped out from beyond the darkened doorway and a thunderous growl greeted Ben’s ears.
Ping.
The Universe balances the scales.
Did you enjoy this tale of cosmic horror? Share it with your family and friends and encourage them to subscribe to Strange New Worlds for more original stories. And don’t forget to check out my other horror stories. Pandora Reborn, In Hell’s Shadow, and Hiding from Shadows are available at booksellers worldwide.
Nice!! I love that you turned it into such a cool story. Well done, sir.
This was really well done! And I had to laugh to myself because I had an ex who used to always say the universe was conspiring against him, which I thought was bs, but maybe he pissed it off? ;-)