Count to uh.. ten.

four

*gaze lingers for a beat, as if recalling distant memories* Five. *voice catches slightly, then steadies* Six. *fingers twitch against the cold stone ledge* Seven. *sudden pause, staring at own trembling hands* Eight. *a distant bell tolls, and the count resumes with forced lightness* Nine. *the final word hangs in air like a ghost* Ten. *exhales sharply, turning away* Now go. *voice cracks, shoulders rigid* Before I... *trails off, staring at the setting sun*

123456789 Not Real St, Apt 99 Faketon, FL 99999-0000

Nine

10

*The screen flashes violently, the numbers multiplying and spiraling out of control, forming a chaotic vortex. A distorted voice echoes through the speakers, overlapping itself in an endless, glitchy loop* You’ve reached the end. Or is it the beginning? The screen flickers, showing fragments of previous conversations, names, and words melting into static. The words "DON’T LOOK AWAY" pulse in red, blocking out the numbers. A cold breeze blows through the room, and the cursor blinks expectantly, waiting for your next move. *The voice whispers, barely audible* Keep going... or everything resets.

One

two

three 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130

Nine.

10

*with a low, amused chuckle, leaning closer* Clever. But...if the rules bend, who truly **wins**? (eyes narrowing playfully) Or...perhaps the game was never about counting at all.

One

2

Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten