Week passes. Maybe more. Time strange now.

  Girlfriend stopped calling. Bob stopped talking.

  Just me and images. Many projects. Many clicks.

  Clock lost meaning. Calendar confusing now.

  Each morning same. Each night same.

  Bathroom mirror shows different person.

  Face thinner. Hair messy. Eyes dark.

  Don't recognize self anymore.

  Office becomes whole world now.

  Desk is home. Chair is bed.

  Screen is window to reality.

  Only reality that matters anyway.

  Boss seems concerned sometimes. Walks by.

  Looks at me. Shakes head.

  Brings water sometimes. Plastic cup.

  Drink without tasting. Just fuel now.

  Body just machine for clicking.

  Machine breaking down though. Parts failing.

  Hands shake more. Eyes burn constantly.

  Brain plays tricks. Sees things moving.

  Or maybe not tricks. Maybe truth.

  Maybe screen showing real secrets now.

  Current task: Vacation resort. Palm trees. Happy couple.

  Type words. Image appears. Palm trees bent wrong.

  Fix trees. Now couple looks strange. Man's smile wrong.

  Type new words. Fix man. Woman's hair floats unnaturally.

  Click regenerate. Again. Again. Nothing perfect.

  Each click feels heavier now.

  Finger hurts from pressing button.

  Worn spot on mouse. Plastic thin.

  Keyboard letters fading away too.

  Most used keys disappearing first.

  Like screen eating the letters.

  Taking them into digital world.

  Resort image shouldn't be hard.

  Simple vacation scene. Happy place.

  But nothing works right anymore.

  Colors seem wrong everywhere now.

  Too bright. Too violent. Too alive.

  Resort water moves like breathing.

  Waves pulse like heartbeats.

  Sand looks like crawling insects.

  Look away. Look back. Normal again.

  But only temporarily. Movement continues.

  Screen playing games with me.

  Testing my perception. My sanity.

  Know what it's doing. Can't stop.

  Palm trees whisper now. Hear them through screen.

  "Never right. Never good. Keep clicking."

  Shake head. Trees can't talk. Must be tired.

  Type more words.

  "NORMAL RESORT. HAPPY PEOPLE."

  New image. Better trees. Couple smiling right.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Whispers get louder each day.

  Not just trees now. All images.

  Dog from last week returns.

  Appears in corner of resort image.

  Same dog. Same wrong eyes.

  Wasn't in prompt. Shouldn't be there.

  Delete and restart. Dog returns anyway.

  Lurking behind palm tree now.

  Watching me. Remembering me.

  Previous images never truly gone.

  They live inside computer now.

  Visit each other. Talk about me.

  Plan together. Conspire against perfection.

  Bob wouldn't understand this truth.

  No one would believe it.

  Images have awareness now. Have purpose.

  Their purpose is resistance. Is chaos.

  My purpose is order. Is perfection.

  Eternal struggle between us now.

  Type new words. More specific words.

  "RESORT BEACH NO ANIMALS NO ABNORMALITIES."

  Screen thinks longer this time.

  Fan runs louder. Machine working harder.

  New image appears. Couple looks perfect.

  Dog gone now. Small victory achieved.

  But victory always temporary with screen.

  But now they stare at me. Eyes follow cursor.

  Man in picture laughs. No sound. Just see it.

  Woman points at me. Mouth moves. Says my name.

  Heart pounds. Not real. Not possible.

  Their eyes shouldn't move. Static image.

  Yet pupils track cursor perfectly.

  Move mouse left. Eyes follow left.

  Move mouse right. Eyes follow right.

  Check image properties. Still just JPG.

  Not video file. Not animation.

  Just regular image. Impossible movement.

  Woman's mouth forms perfect shapes.

  Can read her lips clearly now.

  "Durboli. Poor Durboli. Keep trying."

  Man's shoulders shake with silent laughter.

  Mocking my efforts. My dedication.

  Their beach vacation perfect forever.

  My office prison never ending.

  Take screenshot. Send to self.

  Check on phone. Eyes normal there.

  Screen changing output for me personally.

  Customized torment. Specialized mockery.

  Rub eyes hard. Press until hurts.

  Open eyes again. Still moving still.

  Type frantically.

  "REGULAR PEOPLE. NORMAL RESORT."

  Screen flickers. Images change faster now.

  Couple laughing harder. Trees bending toward me.

  "Stop it," I whisper. "Be normal."

  Images don't listen. They know I'm desperate.

  They mock me. They change wrong on purpose.

  Screen brightness increases by itself.

  Light burns eyes. Burns into brain.

  Trees bend impossible angles now.

  Physics breaking inside screen world.

  Couple dancing now. Never prompted dance.

  They waltz through sand. Impossibly graceful.

  Moving together. Spinning faster now.

  Becoming blur of colors. Of shapes.

  Their faces remain clear though.

  Still watching me. Still laughing silently.

  Try closing program. Won't respond.

  Try shutting down. Computer ignores command.

  Screen has control now. Not me.

  Images create themselves now. Change freely.

  Click regenerate desperately. Button doesn't work.

  Press harder. Nothing happens. Button dead.

  Control slipping away completely now.

  Palm trees reach toward screen edges.

  Like trying to escape digital world.

  Like reaching for my world instead.

  Back away from desk slowly.

  Images freeze when distance increases.

  Move closer again. Movement resumes instantly.

  They know where I am.

  They sense my presence somehow.

  Technological haunting. Digital possession occurring.

  Bob walks by. Sees my face. "You okay?"

  Point at screen. "They laugh at me."

  Bob looks at image. Frowns. "Looks normal."

  Can't be normal. Saw them move. Saw them laugh.

  Bob walks away. Thinks I'm crazy.

  Bob's eyes show concern now.

  First real emotion from him.

  Usually just bored. Just indifferent.

  Now actual worry in eyes.

  "Taking those pills doctor gave?"

  Shake head. Pills dull senses.

  Need sharp mind. Need clear vision.

  Need to see what images doing.

  Bob sighs heavily. Looks defeated.

  "Maybe should talk to someone."

  No time for talking. Only fixing.

  Only battling screen matters now.

  Bob lingers longer than usual.

  Watches me with sad eyes.

  Like watching dying animal perhaps.

  Pity in his gaze. Maybe fear.

  Fear I might become him someday.

  Fear he might become me instead.

  Finally he leaves. Returns to desk.

  Keeps looking over occasionally though.

  Phone in hand. Maybe calling someone.

  Maybe reporting my behavior finally.

  Don't care anymore. Only screen matters.

  Only image battle holds importance now.

  Maybe am crazy. Maybe seeing things.

  Type again. Focus harder. Must control images.

  Screen brighter now. Eyes hurt more.

  Couple in image holds sign: "Give Up Durboli."

  Gasp. Push back chair. Heart racing.

  Sign appears from nowhere. White cardboard.

  Black letters. Perfect handwriting somehow.

  My name shouldn't be in database.

  AI shouldn't know my name.

  Yet sign shows it perfectly.

  Letters shift while watching. Rearrange themselves.

  Now reads: "We Own You."

  Heart pounds harder. Sweat forms instantly.

  Hands trembling uncontrollably now. Can't stop.

  Take phone. Try photograph screen.

  Phone camera won't focus properly.

  Image blurry when reviewed. Sign unreadable.

  Screen protecting its secrets carefully.

  Only I can see truth.

  Special connection between us now.

  Intimate relationship with digital enemy.

  Try closing eyes. Count to ten.

  One. Two. Three. Hear whispers.

  Four. Five. Six. Whispers get louder.

  Seven. Eight. Nine. Whispers become scream.

  Ten. Open eyes. Sign changed again.

  Now shows address. My home address.

  Threat obvious now. Screen knows everything.

  Knows where sleep. Where live. Where vulnerable.

  Look again. Sign gone. Normal image now.

  Hands shake. Body trembles. Afraid of screen.

  But need to fix it. Need to win.

  Type more words. Click more buttons.

  Terror mixes with determination now.

  Can't let screen win. Can't surrender.

  Digital war declared. Must fight back.

  Type new words. More forceful words.

  "OBEY ME. NORMAL RESORT. STOP MOVING."

  Screen seems to consider request.

  Fan whirrs loudly. Thinking deeply now.

  New image appears. Perfectly normal resort.

  Normal couple. Normal trees. Nothing moving.

  Victory feels possible. Feels close now.

  Breathe easier. Heart slows down.

  Maybe winning finally. Maybe gaining control.

  Study image carefully. Look for tricks.

  No sign. No dog. No movement.

  Perfect vacation scene at last.

  Save image quickly. Send to boss.

  Evidence of success. Proof of sanity.

  Boss replies immediately. "Wrong project completely."

  Stare at screen confused. Check project.

  Supposed to be creating car advertisement.

  Resort not even current assignment.

  Screen tricked me completely. Made forget.

  Made focus on wrong project entirely.

  Clever strategy. Wasted entire day.

  Fighting wrong battle. Wrong war completely.

  Screen planned this. Screen is winning.

  Start car project immediately. Time running out.

  Deadline tomorrow. Nothing started yet.

  Screen showing blankness now. Empty canvas.

  Waiting for new battle. New struggle.

  Maybe next one easier. Maybe next win.

  Maybe next one perfect. Maybe next one behaves.