I woke up early today like any other day. The sky still dark with the sun ever so slightly peeking out over the hills, slowly coating the world with its daytime glow yet again. I rub my eyes and stare at the wall, recollecting my drowsy thoughts and exiting my groggy state. After a few minutes, I do the usual morning routine – getting dressed, cooking a small breakfast and fixing my bedridden hair.

While eating, I open my phone, expecting no new notifications, when a new email catches my eye. Expecting it to be an urgent letter from my boss, I tap the screen with my thumb and open it. It’s a message from an unknown contact, and the contents are all a strange combination of letters, with a heart emoji at the end of it.

Weird. Must be some strange spam or phishing attempt. I place it in the trash folder and finish eating my food as I grab my bag and head to work, hopping on a bus full of people wrapped up in their own individual worlds. Individual chatter among the people flood the interior as I fidget with the zipper on my leather bag. The spontaneous conversations that surround me never fail to make me anxious, even for seemingly no reason. After a couple minutes, the bus comes to a stop and I hurriedly rush off into the streets, walking down sidewalks in various directions until a familiar tall office building greets me.

I approach the same desk I’ve been sitting at for the same mind-numbing, boring 9 hours each day, some longer than others as I work overtime to earn a little extra. My computer lies in front of me and a small digital clock sits in the corner. I set my items and bag down and check the time, the numbers on the digital interface glowing steadily, flashing in and out at a slow pace, right on time as usual.

I could’ve sworn it changed for the split second I went to power my computer on. A familiar low hum fills my workspace as it turns on, calibrates, and a small, noticeable tut-tutting sound comes from its internal hardware while it scans through code and prepares to demonstrate its endless repertoire. A dance of numerous 1s and 0s alternating back and forth all to display a simple login screen.

It never really occurred to me just how advanced and intricate technology is, but I find myself more drawn to the screen today than usual. I’ve never been particularly tech savvy, honestly I find myself struggling to keep in touch with the latest technological trends, yet it’s all so fascinating how major advancements have been made so quickly.

I glide through work emails, making quick responses to any questions or requests my boss or other co-workers have sent me. I’ve been encouraged to engage with my companions in the past, but they don't seem much for conversation. I feel myself losing train of thought again as my mind becomes numb waiting for the final pixel on a loading bar to fill in, and I scroll through a few news websites to catch up on anything that catches my eye.

Cluttered advertisements littered across the screen and in the sidelines all chattering about the latest cleaning product or sketchy life hack remain in place, occasionally refreshing to display a new ad. Yet this time, they all seem to whisper in tandem, rapidly changing and whispering from the margins. I stare at the screen, confused yet enticed, commercial advertisements starting and stopping, seemingly clipping between nonsensical words until my groggy mind realizes they're forming sentences.

“Are you tired? Come see me tonight.” “I’ve been waiting.” I refresh the page. They remain unchanged, flickering between unfamiliar voices, taking up varying portions of the screen. “Aren't you lonely?”

Is someone talking to me? In a state of panic, I jolt back in my chair, afraid to touch the keyboard, and I feel a cold chill run down my spine. A new commercial with a female voice pops up in the middle of the screen.

“Do you feel down, not like yourself?” The unknown, monotone voice purrs. “We can provide the help that you need to be the best version of yourself. Just let us help. It’s simple, easy, and free. Let us help. Let me help.”

The screen emits an enticing glow, the strange voice mysterious yet oh-so inviting. I close the tab in a panic and sit in my chair, my hands clammy and dripping with sweat as I try to recollect my confused thoughts.

What the hell just happened?