Same link, same picture every time, all grainblurr and smudge swipes. A long time ago in the 90s–oof, try to ignore that part but the figure all grunge hang and parted bangs bursting the woods in the pic won’t leave you at night. Always someone’s cousin, but no they don’t live around here anymore. Ask three people what’s chasing him, get five answers. 2 a. m. and your brother forgets the time difference and wants to know which cryptids you think are really spirits, which would explain why nobody’s caught any of them of course. Lack of data leads to bit rot. Copypasta boils in the airwaves between bro country hits on KLAW 101. Library microfiche a dry lakebed, mud-mouthed corpses drained from Deep Red Creek. Now the story goes full Bloody Mary: If you turn off all the lights and open the picture on your phone he’ll show up behind you. You ask your brother if he remembers woodsy.jpeg. Oh yeah, he says, that’s me. You both know he’s too young, but then you remember the time he followed the dog into a neighbor’s woods, how they found him in their yard with a big stick “for the beasts.” Whoever’s trying to run out of that picture, maybe the beasts found him instead. Maybe he made it home, a flat half-empty can of Surge on the floor next to his bed. I don’t know who burned what sigil into our backwoods alone, but don’t forget to subscribe and thanks for watching.

Seth Copeland