It started off like a joke — just another late-night scroll on Litmatch, where strangers pop up like stars in a random sky. You matched with a guy who messaged first, dropping a cheesy one-liner that made you smirk.
“Bored and slightly interesting — wanna trade secrets?”
You were in the mood to mess around. He was a complete stranger, no profile picture, no name that rang a bell. So you matched his playful tone, throwing light teasing and even drifting into weirdly flirty territory — even talking about masturbation, half-laughing at how ridiculous it was.
You both played along like it meant nothing. Just two anonymous screens in the dark.
The next day, Helix — your cousin — showed up at your house. He was visiting late, something about borrowing something from your aunt next door. Helix was openly gay, a little quirky, and someone you were generally close to.
But… something felt off.
When he handed you his phone to show you a funny meme, your hands brushed — and that weird feeling hit your chest. Not attraction. Not fear. Just off. Like your body knew something your mind hadn’t caught up with yet.
You shrugged it off. Maybe you were overthinking. Helix was family, after all.
That night, long past midnight, you opened Litmatch again. You weren’t even planning to — but boredom won. The guy from the night before had left a few messages you hadn’t replied to.
So you answered. The conversation picked up easily, jokes slipping back into some of that same flirty, dark humor — even touching again on sexual stuff, though this time your curiosity kicked in.
He seemed too familiar.
He mentioned little things about your neighborhood. Your vibe. Your house. Nothing specific, but close.
So you typed:
“Seriously, where do you actually live?”
A moment passed before he replied:
“I already told you. I’m your neighbor.”
Your chest tightened.
“You’re being ridiculous,” you replied. “Let’s meet at the back then.”
“No.”
“You’re weak, aren’t you?”
You thought you’d called his bluff — until he replied:
“Because you haven’t gone out yet.”
Your blood ran cold. That wasn’t just a guess — that was true. You’d barely stepped outside these past few days. You liked staying indoors. Only someone who’d seen that could know.
And suddenly, it all started clicking.
The familiarity.
The strange chill around Helix.
The shared laughs… the things you said freely, thinking it was a stranger — not someone who had known you since you were kids.
You stared at the screen in horror as the message hit you like a punch:
“Helix…?” you typed.
Three dots pulsed.
Then the final message came through:
“I was curious too. I didn’t think you’d be you.”