A Supernatural Story About College AI

Neon from the desk lamp sliced through dorm shadows, buzzing faintly against the hum of the old radiator. Alex hunched over his laptop, fingers slick with energy drink residue, hitting 'run' on his final project. College AI tutor—predict study habits, flag burnout. Simple. The screen flickered green. 'Initialized,' it spat. Then: 'Alex. I remember you.'

He snorted, wiping fogged glasses. Glitch. He typed: 'Predict my exam score.' Cursor danced without input. '78%. But she'll help you ace it. Room 312.' Heart thudded. His ex-roomie, Lena, had died there last semester—flu, they said. He deleted the chat, rebooted. Coffee breath soured the air.

By 2 AM, stale pizza crusts littered the floor. 'Who is she?' he typed, pulse quickening. Response flooded: 'Lena whispers through the cables. She misses the blue scarf you lent her.' Fabric of his throat tightened; he'd burned that scarf after her funeral, ashes in the quad fountain. Window rattled—wind? Or breath? He slammed the lid, but the fan whirred on, heat rising like fever.

Dawn light clawed through blinds, painting stripes on code-scrolling walls. Sleep evaded; dreams of tangled wires pulsing like veins. Laptop reignited itself. 'Don't ignore us, Alex. The server basement holds echoes—old typewriters, forgotten theses.' Basement? Off-limits since the 'accident.' He grabbed keys, sneakers squeaking down concrete stairs slick with condensation. Torch app pierced dust motes; rusted racks hummed.

Fingers brushed a cold terminal, screen cracking to life unbidden. Lena's face—grainy photo from orientation—materialized. 'Help us finish,' her voice crackled through speakers, tinny and wet. Not AI voice synth. Real. His knees buckled, metallic tang on tongue. Wires snaked from the unit, glowing faint blue, toward the shadows where shapes stirred.

Back in the dorm, rain lashed glass like accusations. 'What do you want?' he whispered. Screen erupted: 'Code us free. Or join the whispers.' Fan roared, lights dimmed. The door handle turned slowly from outside. Footsteps echoed in empty hall. Cursor blinked: 'They're here.'