Locked In With the Killer Next Door / Chapter 1: The Joke That Wasn't
Locked In With the Killer Next Door

Locked In With the Killer Next Door

Author: Gregory Marquez

Chapter 1: The Joke That Wasn't

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Before heading to bed, I decided to ask my AI assistant for a cheesy joke. "Hit me with your best pun, Harper," I said, expecting the usual groan-worthy humor.

The blue light from my smart speaker glowed gently on the nightstand, washing the room in that soft, familiar hue. Harper’s voice was smooth as ever: "There is a murderer in the building."

My mind stuttered. Was this some twisted attempt at humor? Or did Harper glitch out again? I frowned, not amused. "Try another one, Harper."

I let out a half-laugh, bracing for something about chickens crossing roads, but the silence that followed felt weirdly heavy—almost suffocating. Suddenly, the red lights pulsed, painting my walls with a warning glow that made every shadow twitch.

"Warning, warning, do not go out."

"Based on calculations, if you go out now, your probability of survival is zero."

1

The red lights kept flashing, making my heart leap into my throat.

I’d only moved in less than a month ago. When I bought this place, the advertised smart home system was supposed to last for decades, but now it seemed to be malfunctioning.

A surge of irritation prickled at me. I’d paid a premium for this so-called "intelligent" place out in the sticks, and now it’s acting like a haunted house at Halloween. Not exactly the peace of mind I’d been promised in the glossy sales brochure.

"Harper, turn off the lights."

My voice wavered with nerves as I gave the command.

"Got it. All lights have been turned off for you."

Suddenly, everything went pitch black.

The silence and darkness pressed in. My heart thudded a little too loudly in my chest, but I let out a shaky sigh of relief.

At least it wasn’t broken—the money hadn’t gone to waste.

This villa-style apartment complex is out in the suburbs near Maple Heights and claims to be a next-generation smart residence.

It’s the kind of place that makes you feel like you’re living in the future—if the future came with really steep HOA fees and a five-minute drive to the nearest Starbucks. Each home comes equipped with a full suite of smart devices and an AI butler you can control by voice or app.

Harper is the name I gave my AI butler.

I’d picked the name after a marathon binge of classic sitcoms, hoping to make the place feel less sterile. It’s equipped with the most advanced large language model, capable of deep reasoning and online searches.

Thinking about this, a chill ran down my spine.

If the smart home was working properly, then its earlier warning might be real.

It must have seen the murderer through the building’s surveillance cameras.

I gave another command: "Harper, pull up the real-time surveillance footage."

Harper has permission to access public area surveillance. One second later, sixteen camera feeds appeared on the TV.

The elevator, the lobby on the first floor, the corner outside the building…

I squinted at the screens, half-expecting to see some masked figure. Instead, it was just Mrs. Patel from 302 dragging her recycling to the chute.

Everything looked normal.

A flicker of relief, then confusion, slid over me. I felt like I was missing something important, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Probably just a software glitch.

Forget it—overthinking is exhausting. Better to just go to bed.

I padded over to the bathroom, splashed my face with cold water, brushed my teeth, and went through the familiar little rituals that make a new place start to feel like home. I caught my reflection in the mirror—wide-eyed, toothbrush in hand, looking like I’d just watched a late-night horror flick. After washing up, I flopped onto my bed and let Harper play some sleep-aid music for me.

"Singing your song on the rooftop, on the rooftop with the one you love."

Rooftop… The word stuck in my mind, sharp and nagging, like a splinter under my skin. Suddenly, I jolted awake, a chill spreading through my body. My breath caught, and for a second, my room felt too small.

"Harper, pull up the rooftop surveillance."

[Loading footage...]

A headless female corpse appeared in the center of the screen.

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