MidReal Story

The Moonlight Trance

Scenario: It's 3 AM. An official phone alert wakes me up. It says "DO NOT LOOK AT THE MOON". I have hundreds of notifications. Hundreds of random numbers are sending "It's a beautiful night tonight. Look outside."
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It's 3 AM. An official phone alert wakes me up. It says "DO NOT LOOK AT THE MOON". I have hundreds of notifications. Hundreds of random numbers are sending "It's a beautiful night tonight. Look outside."
It's 3 AM.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand with an official alert.
I pick it up.
The screen reads:
"DO NOT LOOK AT THE MOON."
Hundreds of new messages from unknown numbers pop up on my screen:
"It's a beautiful night tonight. Look outside."
"Can't sleep? That's okay! Just take a peek!"
"The moon is waiting for you..."
I show the alerts to Ethan at 3:10 AM.
Ethan rubs his eyes.
"Looks like a prank to me. Ignore it."
We both go back to bed.
But the texts keep coming.
By 3:30, I have hundreds of notifications.
Ethan rolls over and checks his phone.
He sits up sharply.
"What the hell?"
He shows me his screen.
His phone is blowing up with the same messages.
"Let's peek," I say.
"Just to see what's going on."
Ethan stares at me like I'm crazy.
"Why would we do that? It says not to!"
But I'm curious.
And it's creepy that so many unknown numbers are texting me.
I pull back my curtain.
Ethan sighs and joins me.
Our rooms face east—perfect for watching the moon rise.
The sky is clear and perfect, the kind of night where I’d typically want to go for a walk.
The moon is full and golden, hanging low in the sky.
It’s a beautiful sight.
It’s… pulsing?
As we watch, it begins to glow brighter.
Suddenly, people step out of their apartments.
They’re in their PJs.
They should be asleep, but they’re not.
The Moonlight Trance