Seth Walker had always seen himself as a romantic. An artist lost in the haze of existentialism, he had dabbled in love, only to find it more elusive than an artist’s muse. After a string of lackluster relationships that felt like obligatory reruns of a soap opera, Seth decided to dive into the world of online dating. If anything could rescue him from the morass of his own disillusionment, it was that new app, SINder, and its promise of digital romance.
He crafted his SINder profile with his usual blend of bitter charm and sardonic wit. “Looking for someone who won’t turn every text into an emoji extravaganza. Must appreciate the dark corners of the human soul and not be afraid to wade into the murky waters of existential crises,” it read. Seth’s inbox soon filled with a parade of uninspired messages, each more predictable than the last. That is until he stumbled upon a profile that made his heart skip a beat…
The profile belonged to a user named “Lily.” Her photo was a haunting black-and-white portrait of a woman whose eyes seemed to pierce through the screen. Her bio was cryptic, promising an “extraordinary” connection. Seth’s interest was piqued. He swiped right, and within moments, a message appeared: “I’ve been waiting for you. Let’s meet tonight at a place where we can truly connect.”
Despite a creeping sense of dread, Seth was intrigued. He agreed to meet Lily at a café she described as a “hidden gem.” The address led him to “The Eclipsed Café,” an old building that looked like it had been stolen from a David Lynch screenplay. The neon sign outside flickered with an unsettling rhythm, casting long shadows on the cracked pavement.
Inside, the café was a gothic dreamscape: dusty velvet chairs, a crackling fireplace that whispered secrets, and dim lighting that created an oppressive atmosphere. The patrons seemed more like specters than people, their faces hidden in the gloom. Seth couldn’t shake the feeling that he had wandered into a scene from a horror novel (or at least a short story).
Lily, or whatever she was, was waiting at a secluded table in the back. Her appearance was exactly as it had been in her photo — enigmatic and oddly alluring. Her smile, though, had an unsettling edge. “Seth,” she said, her voice smooth yet carrying a strange undertone, “I’m so glad you came.”
As they sat down, Lily’s conversation was both captivating and disconcerting. Her words flowed with a hypnotic rhythm, luring Seth into a web of eerie charm. She spoke of transcending the ordinary and finding a world where everything was extraordinary. Her questions grew increasingly probing, touching on Seth’s deepest fears and desires with unsettling precision.
The longer the night went on, the more the café seemed to warp around them. Shadows lengthened and twisted in unnatural ways, and the patrons remained eerily silent. It felt as though the very fabric of reality was being stretched and distorted.
“Have you ever wondered,” Lily asked, leaning closer, “what it would be like to escape this world? To step into a place where everything is as you’ve always dreamed?”
Seth’s gut churned with unease. “What are you talking about?” he asked, his voice betraying his growing anxiety.
Lily’s eyes glinted with a malevolent light. “A world where your deepest fantasies come to life. But be warned, Seth — once you cross that threshold, you can never return.”
Before Seth could react, Lily reached out and took his hand. An icy chill spread from her touch, and the café began to dissolve into an inky void. The warmth of the fire and the soft glow of the lamps vanished, leaving only darkness.
Seth found himself standing in a vast, desolate expanse, a barren wasteland devoid of color or life. The sky was an impenetrable black, and the ground beneath his feet felt cold and unyielding. Lily’s figure appeared in the distance, her smile now a twisted mask of triumph.
“This,” Lily’s voice echoed through the void, “is the world I promised you. A realm where your darkest desires come true. But remember, Seth, once you’re here, you’re lost.”
Panic surged through Seth. He tried to scream, to find a way back, but the darkness swallowed his cries. The void closed in, and Lily’s figure faded into the shadows.
In the days that followed, Seth’s disappearance became a chilling mystery. His friends and family were left with a series of cryptic messages they happened to find on his open laptop, each signed with a chilling farewell: “From Lily, with a promise fulfilled.”
“The Eclipsed Café” was never found. The location in the messages turned out to be nothing more than an empty lot. Seth Walker’s fate remained a haunting tale, a grim reminder of the dangers lurking behind digital facades in the world of online dating, that the real horror might just be the monsters hiding behind the screens.
—VA
I don’t want the people at church to know I do this. Please don’t use my real name or photo.
