A Streak of Bad Luck
The wind whispered through the dark, empty trees like a warning in a language Sean couldn’t understand.
Winter was coming—or maybe something worse. Chaos… or silence.
Sean was hoping for silence.
But lately, his life had been anything but.
Since moving into his new apartment, everything had been going wrong. The shower head broke. The doorknob snapped and locked him out. His car wouldn’t start.
A streak of bad luck.
“If I keep my cool, maybe things will change…” he muttered.
Then he sighed.
“Yeah… or maybe I’m just getting pissed off.”
That, more than anything, felt strange.
“And to top it off, Jason isn’t picking up his phone.”
Sigh.
“So much for a childhood best friend. When I need him most… nowhere to be found.”
Sean had always been patient. Calm.
But lately?
Every little thing set him off.
His mood shifted constantly—anger, frustration, sadness—like something inside him was slipping out of place.
Work wasn’t any better. The smallest inconvenience felt unbearable.
And Jason not answering?
That was the worst part.
They had been inseparable since kindergarten. Always there for each other. No questions asked.
Now?
Nothing.
“Ugh… I’ll just wait and see him later.”
“Why am I so angry all the time?”
“…Am I going mad?”
The thought lingered longer than it should have.
And then, one night—
Something changed.
As Sean stepped out of the shower, the bathroom lights flickered.
He noticed… but brushed it off.
It had happened before.
(I really should change the lightbulb.)
“You should change the lightbulb.”
The voice came from behind him.
Soft. Low.
Impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman.
Sean froze.
He had been about to respond—
“Ye—”
He stopped.
Slowly, he turned.
Nothing.
No one.
He stepped out of the bathroom, checking the hallway. The apartment was empty.
He knew it was empty.
“…Huh.”
A faint sound came from the TV.
“…breaking news…”
Sean let out a breath.
“I almost freaked out over the TV…”
The next morning felt normal.
Too normal.
But outside his office building, a crowd had gathered. People stood in clusters, whispering.
As he approached the entrance, he spotted someone familiar.
Jason.
“JASON!”
Sean waved.
Nothing.
“JASON!”
No response.
“…Guess he can’t hear me.”
Sean shrugged it off and went inside.
The office felt… wrong.
Too quiet.
Everyone looked tense. Sad. Like they were holding something in.
As Sean walked past each desk, a chill ran down his spine.
“Why does it feel like they want to cry…?”
No one looked at him.
No one spoke to him.
“I’ll just ask Jason what’s going on.”
If he could find him.
But Jason was nowhere.
Not at his desk. Not at lunch.
Gone.
At the end of the day, Sean finally saw him.
“Hey—last night something weird happened—hello?”
Jason walked right past him.
Didn’t even look at him.
“…Really?”
Sean frowned.
“Don’t be childish.”
For a split second, as Jason brushed past him, he stopped… and turned.
Their eyes almost met.
But Jason said nothing.
That night, Sean went home exhausted.
“Shower… food… bed.”
As he stepped into the bathroom, the lights flickered again.
This time—harder.
“What is happening…?”
Then—
Darkness.
The lights went out completely.
Only the TV remained on.
A faint voice echoed again.
“You should change the lightbulb.”
This time, it was clear.
Sean turned sharply—
A shadow moved down the hallway.
Fast.
Gone.
“Hello?! Who’s there?!”
No answer.
The lights snapped back on.
Heart racing, Sean grabbed his phone—
Then stopped.
The TV.
He could hear it clearly now.
“…the last victim of the tragic subway collapse has been identified…”
Sean stepped closer.
“…Sean Hart, a 36-year-old male…”
Everything stopped.
“…No.”
His breath caught.
“This… this is wrong.”
His vision blurred.
Then—
It all hit him.
The crowd that morning.
The silence at work.
Jason.
Everything.
“…It’s been five days…”
Memories crashed into him all at once.
Jason helping him move in.
Laughing together.
“You’re a magnet for bad luck, Sean.”
They had planned dinner.
Jason’s last words—
“Hey… don’t forget to change those lights.”
—Bright lights—
—A crash—
—Screams—
Darkness.
Sean stumbled back.
“…Why am I still here?”
Ding.
The doorbell rang.
Sean froze.
“…Who would ring the door of someone who’s dead?”
Jason stood outside.
Tears in his eyes.
“…Why did I even come here…?”
The door creaked open.
“JASON!”
Sean ran toward him.
But Jason walked past him.
Straight inside.
Sean tried to speak.
To reach him.
Nothing worked.
He couldn’t touch him.
Couldn’t be heard.
“…I’m a ghost…”
Jason walked slowly through the apartment.
The TV still on.
The bathroom light still flickering.
“…Why didn’t he turn anything off…?”
His voice broke.
“Jason…” Sean whispered.
Jason froze.
A chill passed through him.
The lights went out.
All of them.
Except one.
The bathroom.
He walked toward it.
“…Sean?”
The TV turned on again behind him.
“…Sean Hart…”
Jason’s chest tightened.
“…Sean…”
“I’m here, you dork.”
Jason turned—
For a split second—
He saw him.
“SEAN?!”
Under the flickering light—
Sean stood there.
Faint.
Fading.
“Jason…”
Sean smiled softly.
“…can you change the lights for me?”
Jason laughed through tears.
“What are you—my mom?”
They both laughed.
Just like before.
Sean felt lighter.
At peace.
He looked at his hands.
Fading.
“…See you soon, my friend.”
“…See you.”
The light flickered one last time.
And Sean was gone.
The next day, Jason returned.
He fixed the light.
Clicked it on.
Off.
On again.
“…There you go, Sean.”
A small smile.
“…Lights are done.”
At the door, he paused.
Looked back.
“…Goodbye, friend.”
