₮ⱧɆ VⱧ₴ ₮₳₱Ɇ - NWTB ANALOG HORROR

You had just arrived to nate's house as you stepped out of your car, closing the door behind you. You really wanted to reunite with your dear friend after so long. You rang the doorbell and for a moment, it was like no one was gonna answer, but soon, anna - nate's wife - was at the door.

"Oh hey Matpat" She greeted you with a smile and let you enter. Inside, the house was neatly cleaned and organized, Anna led you to the living room as you looked around. It was when you entered the living room that your eyes fell over an old tape player, like the one used in the 70's.

This was odd, it was 2026, not 1979.

"Uhm, Anna" You began. "Why is there an old VHS tape player in here? isn't it too old-fashioned to be here? it's 2026, for god's sakes" You added. Anna looked at the VHS player, then at you, her eyes unblinking yet full of curiosity and....humor?

The woman looked at you with a slight smirk on her face like she found your question amusing. "For memories, silly." She said with a slight laugh "You know... ancestors and....all that. I mean-" She began but you cut her off "ah ah ah, no no, this feels wrong on so many....cosmic, generational levels, Anna. We're in the 21st century, THE TWENTY-FIRST. and there's a player here? are you kidding me right now?" You asked her with your arms crossed as if you couldn't believe her. This was just too crazy to be real. If this player was physical and real? yea, the matrix was playing tricks.

You went over and touched the player, feeling the hard metal that constructed it as the metallic scent hit your nose, however, it didn't feel like nostalgia. It felt like something worse. Sure, you watched vhs tapes, it was fun, it was crazy, confusing, but THIS? this....was a generation error.

At that moment, you felt your fingers touch something small as you looked for the remote. It was a small VHS tape, small enough to fit inside the player.

It didn't have a name, It didn't have a date either, it didn't have anything written on it. Whatever the label originally was supposed to be was now nothing but frantic scribbles, like someone had tried to name this piece of childhood, but all ideas felt wrong and they gave up.

Your hand trembled. The vhs was label-less, well, almost, but still gave you a rather sickening feeling in your stomach. Like, that if you even dared to play it, something was gonna go wrong, things were gonna go south. It didn't exactly leave a sweet taste in your mouth either.

Anna noticed how you were frozen like a statue as she called out to you after a few moments.

"Matpat." She said, making you look over at her, her face filled with concern "are you alright? you looked pale and scared." She asked, such simple words, such a big cloud loomed over.

"Y-yea, i'm fine" You managed to choke out with a shaky breath. "It's just...i-i don't think we should like- play this VHS tape, like come on! you know that this is how horror movies begin." You added, your voice rather shaky for a former theorist as brave as yourself.

And there it was again, that stare from you to the tape, to you again. You felt like time had just reserved itself on you. Was this deja vu? were you dreaming? no answers to such a theory. You looked around. it was as if it was only you and anna in the room, no, in the HOUSE. Where even was nate? what could've happened to him? What if he...

Anna's voice grounded you yet again, but not in the way you were hoping it to.

"Let's just play the tape." She said calmly "I'm sure nothing will go wrong, right?" She asked. Your heart was beating against your ribcage like crazy as you tried making sense of all this. "B-but where's an- no no-" You fumbled "Where's nate? where's nate?" You asked twice frantically, worried sick about your friend, the temperature in the room felt nearly non-existent now as your eyes widened in panic.

"he's just out for some shopping." Anna said calmly, but your heart had already fallen deep into the pit of your stomach, as if those words weren't entirely true "But he'll be back in a few minutes" You swallowed hard, trying to steady your breathing. This was wrong, all wrong, and you had to prove it...but how?

"Come on" Anna then continued nagging you "play the tape." She said with a smile on your face. which didn't sit right with your own panic.

This was it...would you play the tape like anna wants you to and watch whatever was on it...or would you let the tape be as it was before, untouched?