The screen went black. In the reflection of the monitor, I could see the silhouette of a tall man standing in the corner of my room, holding a piece of chalk. I haven't looked back since.
"Good evening, class," he whispered. The audio was crisp, unnervingly clear against the grainy visual. "I’m so glad you stayed late for the extra credit." FavoriteTeacher8mp4
When I clicked play, the video opened to a static-heavy shot of an empty classroom. The sun was setting, casting long, orange shadows across empty desks. In the center of the frame stood Mr. Aris, a man with a smile that was just a bit too wide, his eyes obscured by the glare on his thick glasses. The screen went black
The boy didn't move. The camera zoomed in on the back of his head. I noticed a small flickering at the edge of the screen—a digital artifact that looked like a barcode. "Good evening, class," he whispered
Mr. Aris stopped writing. He didn't turn around. "Do you have the answer, Leo?"
"Don't worry," he soothed, his voice now coming from the space right behind my chair. "I give everyone a passing grade... eventually."