G60664.mp4

The video began without sound. It was a fixed-angle shot of a narrow hallway in what looked like a suburban home, though the walls were stripped down to the studs. For the first thirty seconds, nothing happened. Then, a low-frequency hum began to vibrate through Elias’s speakers—a sound so deep it made the water in the glass on his desk ripple.

The video cut to black, but the low hum stayed in the room. Elias tried to close the media player, but his mouse wouldn't move. He reached for the power button on his monitor, but as his hand drew close, he saw his own reflection in the black glass. g60664.mp4

Behind him, in the reflection of his own office doorway, was a sliver of silver foil. The video began without sound