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@maya.jpg

📍 posted 11:47 PM

“found this in my camera roll and honestly… I don’t remember taking it.”

[📷 a blurry photograph of an empty bedroom]

1,842 likes

327 comments

@zoya.exe:

girl why does your room look haunted 😭

@maya.jpg:

BECAUSE IT IS

@sarahhh:

girl stop 😭😭

@maya.jpg:

I'm serious.

@noorwrites:

Wait.

@noorwrites:

Is that your room?

@maya.jpg:

yes

@noorwrites:

Then why is your mirror covered?

@maya.jpg:

What?

@noorwrites:

The mirror. Look at the left side.

@maya.jpg:

…

@maya.jpg:

I didn't notice that.

@zoya.exe:

okay I officially regret opening Instagram tonight

@sarahhh:

Maya delete this.

@maya.jpg:

I can't.

@sarahhh:

WHY

@maya.jpg:

Because I already tried.

@sarahhh:

??

@maya.jpg:

It keeps coming back.

@arjun.17:

Probably Instagram glitch lol

@maya.jpg:

Maybe.

@arjun.17:

Definitely.

@maya.jpg:

Then explain the second photo.

@arjun.17:

What second photo?

@maya.jpg:

Exactly.

@noorwrites:

Maya.

@noorwrites:

Don't post anything else.

@maya.jpg:

Why?

@noorwrites:

Just don't.

@maya.jpg:

Noor what do you know?

@noorwrites:

Nothing.

@maya.jpg:

You're lying.

@noorwrites:

I'm not.

@maya.jpg:

Then why did you text me at 11:31 saying “don't look at the comments”?

@noorwrites:

I—

@zoya.exe:

HELLO?????

@sarahhh:

WHAT IS HAPPENING

@arjun.17:

Okay this is actually getting weird.

@maya.jpg:

I took this picture at 3:14 AM.

@sarahhh:

You were awake at 3:14?

@maya.jpg:

No.

@sarahhh:

Then how do you know?

@maya.jpg:

Because my phone says so.

@zoya.exe:

Maybe you sleepwalked?

@maya.jpg:

Maybe.

@noorwrites:

Did you check your recently deleted?

@maya.jpg:

Why?

@noorwrites:

Just check.

@maya.jpg:

Wait.

@maya.jpg:

There's another photo.

@zoya.exe:

Post it.

@noorwrites:

NO.

@maya.jpg:

Too late.

@maya.jpg

📷 [Photo 2 uploaded]

A dark hallway.

At the very end of it, a figure is standing beside the staircase.

The photograph is grainy.

The figure's face cannot be seen.

@sarahhh:

MAYA.

@zoya.exe:

THAT IS A PERSON.

@arjun.17:

Okay, probably your brother.

@maya.jpg:

I don't have a brother.

@arjun.17:

…

@arjun.17:

Okay.

@zoya.exe:

WHY WOULD YOU SAY PROBABLY 😭

@maya.jpg:

Wait.

@maya.jpg:

There's something written on the wall.

@noorwrites:

Don't zoom in.

@maya.jpg:

Why?

@noorwrites:

Maya, please.

@maya.jpg:

I already did.

@sarahhh:

What does it say?

@maya.jpg:

“YOU POSTED ME.”

@arjun.17:

Okay whoever is doing this needs to get a life.

@zoya.exe:

Exactly.

@maya.jpg:

No.

@maya.jpg:

It's not someone.

@sarahhh:

How do you know?

@maya.jpg:

Because I just locked my bedroom door.

@sarahhh:

And?

@maya.jpg:

Someone knocked.

@zoya.exe:

CALL YOUR PARENTS.

@maya.jpg:

They're downstairs.

@sarahhh:

GO TO THEM.

@maya.jpg:

I can't.

@sarahhh:

WHY???

@maya.jpg:

The knocking is coming from inside my room.

@zoya.exe:

Maya stop replying and call someone.

@maya.jpg:

I'm scared.

@noorwrites:

Listen to me.

@noorwrites:

Do not open the door.

@maya.jpg:

Okay.

@noorwrites:

Do not look behind you.

@maya.jpg:

Why would you say that?

@noorwrites:

Because that's what happened to me.

@maya.jpg:

…

@maya.jpg:

WHAT

@noorwrites:

Three years ago I found a photo on my phone.

@noorwrites:

Same room.

@maya.jpg:

That's impossible.

@noorwrites:

I know.

@maya.jpg:

What happened?

@noorwrites:

I deleted it.

@maya.jpg:

And?

@noorwrites:

It came back.

@maya.jpg:

Then what?

@noorwrites:

I posted it.

@maya.jpg:

Why?

@noorwrites:

Because the photo had a comment.

@maya.jpg:

From who?

@noorwrites:

You.

@zoya.exe:

WAIT.

@zoya.exe:

MAYA WASN'T EVEN USING INSTAGRAM THREE YEARS AGO.

@noorwrites:

I know.

@arjun.17:

This is fake.

@sarahhh:

Then explain why Noor is crying on FaceTime.

@arjun.17:

What?

@sarahhh:

She sent me a screenshot.

@sarahhh:

She's literally crying.

@maya.jpg:

Noor.

@maya.jpg:

What did my comment say?

@noorwrites:

You don't want to know.

@maya.jpg:

Tell me.

@noorwrites:

It said:

“Don't worry. I'll post the next one.”

@maya.jpg:

The knocking stopped.

@zoya.exe:

GOOD.

@maya.jpg:

No.

@zoya.exe:

Why no???

@maya.jpg:

Now someone is breathing behind me.

@sarahhh:

MAYA DON'T TURN AROUND

@maya.jpg:

I'm not.

@noorwrites:

Don't.

@maya.jpg:

I'm just looking at the mirror.

@noorwrites:

MAYA STOP.

@maya.jpg:

The mirror isn't covered anymore.

@zoya.exe:

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

@maya.jpg:

Me.

@sarahhh:

Okay.

@maya.jpg:

And someone standing behind me.

@arjun.17:

Call the police.

@maya.jpg:

I can't.

@arjun.17:

WHY?

@maya.jpg:

Because the person in the mirror is holding my phone.

@zoya.exe:

What?

@maya.jpg:

I'm holding my phone.

@sarahhh:

Maya…

@maya.jpg:

I know.

@maya.jpg:

I don't know which one is me.

@noorwrites:

Maya.

@noorwrites:

Listen carefully.

@maya.jpg:

I'm listening.

@noorwrites:

Turn your phone camera toward the mirror.

@sarahhh:

NO DON'T

@noorwrites:

She needs to.

@zoya.exe:

WHY???

@noorwrites:

Because that's how I got out.

@maya.jpg:

You never told me you got out.

@noorwrites:

I didn't.

@maya.jpg:

Then where are you?

For almost a minute, nobody commented.

Then a new account appeared.

@maya.jpg's post was edited.

The caption now read:

“found this in my camera roll and honestly… I don’t remember taking it.”

But underneath it, another line had appeared.

“I remember now.”

@sarahhh:

Maya?

@zoya.exe:

Maya answer.

@arjun.17:

Guys this isn't funny anymore.

@noorwrites:

She's not answering.

@sarahhh:

Someone call her.

@zoya.exe:

I did.

@zoya.exe:

It went straight to voicemail.

@arjun.17:

Maybe her phone died.

@noorwrites:

No.

@noorwrites:

Look at the post.

@unknown_user_4817:

She's still here.

@sarahhh:

Who are you?

@unknown_user_4817:

She hasn't left.

@zoya.exe:

WHO ARE YOU???

@unknown_user_4817:

You shouldn't have asked her to look behind her.

@sarahhh:

What the hell?

@arjun.17:

Report the account.

@unknown_user_4817:

Too late.

The account disappeared.

So did Maya's profile picture.

Then the comments began disappearing one by one.

First Arjun's.

Then Sarah's.

Then Zoya's.

Then Noor's.

Everyone watching the post saw the same thing.

Their own comments were vanishing.

Except one.

@maya.jpg:

There's no going back now.

@zoya.exe:

I didn't write that.

@sarahhh:

Neither did I.

@arjun.17:

Guys.

@arjun.17:

Why is Maya typing?

@maya.jpg is typing…

@maya.jpg is typing…

@maya.jpg is typing…

Then a final comment appeared.

@maya.jpg:

“Your turn.”

The post was shared 1,204 times that night.

By morning, Maya's account was gone.

No profile.

No photographs.

No followers.

Nothing.

Except the post.

And somehow, the post was still gaining likes.

Every few seconds, another one appeared.

❤️ 1,843

❤️ 1,844

❤️ 1,845

❤️ 1,846

Until the number stopped.

At 2,003.

Exactly the number of people who had commented.

Then Instagram sent everyone who had interacted with the post a notification.

Not a like.

Not a follow.

Not a message.

A reminder.

@maya.jpg added a new photo.

And underneath it:

“Don't worry. I'll post the next one.”