Embedded Files
Post date: October31, 2025
By Finn Mcmahon
Gus loved watching scary and paranormal horror movies; however, when it came to writing them, he hated it. Unfortunately, on the week before Halloween, his teacher, Mr. Robert, assigned the class a writing project. The instructions were to create a suspenseful and detailed horror story.
“Your story should be at least two hundred words and must be handed in by the end of the week.” Mr. Robert instructed. It was already Wednesday.
Gus whispered across the back row of seats towards his friend, Adian. “Hey, you want to hop on Cod tonight? The mp40’s back, we should totally grind for its mastery.”
“Are you crazy?” Adian shouted quietly in response, “This assignment is going to take all week; we can't be wasting time like that.”
Gus gave Adien a look of disappointment, “Have you ever heard about ChatGPT? That thing can generate an entire book in a matter of seconds.”
“No way, man, I'm doing my own work.”
That night, Gus hopped on his games and began playing while letting AI generate his entire assignment. By morning, Gus had a project ready to be turned in. He sat down in the kitchen to eat his breakfast and proofread his story. In the other room, the television playing the news could be overheard in the background. His mother was watching a report on a murder that occurred last night, supposedly in a “haunted house” right in their town. As Gus continued reading, his story was lining up with exactly what he was overhearing on the news. The parallels were evident: a murder in a haunted cabin described to be exactly where Gus lived, a chill ran down his spine. He came to his senses and convinced himself it was a huge coincidence; however, he felt that, given the recent situation, he should create a new one.
Gus took out his computer and opened ChatGPT, “Create a Halloween night horror story.” Within seconds, the AI had generated a Halloween horror story. It started with a character similar to a classmate of Gus’s, Tyler, who was walking home under flickering streetlights after trick or treating.
He laughed. “Creepy.” While Tyler was walking, he realized he was being followed and began running, but by then, it was too late. A figure came up from behind and grabbed him into the woods. The attacker was wearing Gus’s Halloween mask.
Gus blinked.
He hadn't told the AI what his costume was.
He hit delete and closed the tab. The screen flickered and reappeared with the words “Tyler didn't make it home.”
Gus went to school that morning feeling really on edge. When he got to class, he searched for Tyler; he wasn't there. Mr. Robert told the class he’d gone missing while walking home from practice and to alert the police know if anyone had heard anything.
That afternoon, Gus opened his computer, already opened was ChatGPT with the words reading
“Did you like the story, Gus?”
“No,” he whispered, “That's not funny.”
The computer's screen flickered, and the words “Let's write a better one” appeared in the text box. The screen flashed, on screen was a new story, this time about Mr. Robert staying late to grade papers, and hearing footsteps in the hallway. Gus slammed his computer shut.
The next morning, the principal reported, Mr. Robert was in the hospital. Someone had broken into the school, left his classroom in ruins. Gus shook. It was exactly what happened in his story last night.
That night, when Gus opened the AI website, he had a message.
“Almost done Gus, just one more story.”
He didn't answer. He unplugged his computer, shoved it into his closet and crawled into bed. A few hours into the night, a soft glow filled his room. The computer had powered itself on. The screen showed new text, typing letter by letter, “Final Story: Gus Brooks.”
The last thing Gus had heard was the slow typing of keys, even though no one was touching them. The next morning, his mom found the room empty, the computer screen still on with the words, “story complete.”
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