Bored in the middle of the night, I opened a new AI fortune-telling app I’d just downloaded. I typed in: “When will I get rich?” But my thumb slipped, and I hit “RIP” instead. Before I could correct it, the AI instantly replied: “2:00 AM. Mauling by a bear.” I froze, then burst out laughing. A bear? In the middle of the city? Plus, I live on the 23rd floor. Was the bear going to take the elevator? Just as I was about to delete the app, my best friend called, her voice frantic: “Zoey, listen up! The new Himalayan Black Bear at the zoo broke out!” “The tracking device shows it’s right near your place! You have to run!” 1 It was 1:30 AM when I stumbled upon the AI psychic app in the App Store. The reviews were suspiciously glowing: “OMG! So accurate! I bought a plane ticket and fled town that night! Saved my life!” “I got into a fight with a client, and I asked if my boss would fire me. It said no, and she didn’t! Seriously next-level!” Curiosity killed the cat, so I downloaded it immediately. I tapped out a question in the input box: “When will I get rich?” But in a moment of clumsy typing, "rich" came out as "RIP"—as in, R.I.P. I cursed under my breath and frantically tried to backspace the morbid mistake. The AI shot back instantly: “Calculation Complete. Today, 2:00 AM. Death by mauling. Countdown: 28 minutes and 17 seconds.” I paused, then scoffed. Are you kidding me? This is downtown, and the nearest wilderness reserve is a hundred miles away. Besides, I’m on the 23rd floor. Does this bear have a jetpack or something? I rolled my eyes. “What a garbage app. Total waste of time.” Just as I was about to hit Uninstall, my phone vibrated so violently it nearly gave me a heart attack. It was my best friend, Ashley Song. She's an early bird. Why was she calling me this late? A strange sense of dread washed over me, but I answered anyway. Before I could speak, Ashley’s voice, thick with tears, spilled from the speaker: “Zoey, something awful happened! The new Himalayan Black Bear we got—the one you saw the other day—it broke out!” My breathing hitched. I had a terrible feeling. “What? I thought the cage was locked! Where’s security?” Ashley’s voice was shaky and broken: “I don’t know! All the cameras went down! The tracker shows it’s in your general neighborhood, and it’s still moving!” “Look, I remember you said you were working late tonight. Can you just crash at the office?” “Please, don’t go home. That bear is just… it’s too smart.” I froze, realizing my mistake. I was supposed to work late, but the project got postponed. If I’d known this was happening, I would’ve stayed out! When I didn’t reply, Ashley went silent for a second, then spoke faintly: “Zoey, you didn’t already go back, did you?” Then, she quickly tried to reassure me: “The Animal Control team is on the way, and my little brother, Kyle, the firefighter, is with them.” “Don’t panic, just lock your door tight, be quiet, and turn off your lights. You’ll be fine…” I numbly agreed, my hands and feet turning icy cold. I couldn't hear a word she said. Panic brought back the memory of the AI’s terrifying prophecy. 2:00 AM. Death by mauling. The image of my visit to Ashley’s zoo a few days ago flashed in my mind. That new bear, a Himalayan Black Bear, was terrifyingly huge. It was sitting quietly in the corner of its enclosure, but its eyes were fixed on me. The thick iron bars looked pitifully thin in front of it. I shivered and complained to Ashley: “Are your zoo cages sturdy enough? That bear is massive, I feel like it could bend those bars with a little effort.” “Also, when it stood up a while ago, facing away from me—that silhouette, it seriously looked like a person standing there. It freaked me out!” Ashley had just laughed, telling me I was paranoid and needed glasses. “These bars are special alloy, super strong. Besides, he’s been very mellow.” “Looks like a person? You’re watching too many horror movies…” Swallowing hard, I felt utterly lost. I was about to ask Ashley how smart the bear was, and if it could figure out an elevator. If it was just wandering the bushes downstairs, maybe I was safe. But before I could speak, BANG, BANG, BANG—a loud, heavy knocking sounded on my apartment door. I instantly went rigid, nearly dropping my phone. The sound was jarringly loud and sinister in the dead of night. Ashley heard it too, all the way through the phone. She urgently whispered: “Zoey, what was that? What’s going on?” 2 I stood frozen, covering my mouth, terrified to make a sound. Survival instinct eventually overwhelmed my fear. I pressed myself against the wall and slowly crept to the door, stood on my tiptoes, and pressed one eye to the peephole. In the dim hallway light, a huge, bulky figure was blocking the door, almost filling the entire peephole. It was wearing a bright yellow and blue delivery uniform, a helmet pulled low, making it impossible to see the face. A powerful, musky, animal smell seeped through the door crack. I gagged, fighting the urge to vomit. Just then, a robotic voice, distorted by static, came from the hallway: “Your delivery is here. Please open the door…” Did my boyfriend, Matt, order me food? But through the peephole, the hulking delivery guy didn't have anything in his hands! Suddenly, Ashley’s hushed voice came through the phone: “Zoey, don’t open it! It has to be the bear!” “It’s incredibly smart, and it can mimic human voices! Step back, get away from the door!” I gasped, my blood running cold. My legs buckled, and I nearly collapsed. I scrambled backward, crawling back into my bedroom. Is this it? Is this the bear from the AI’s prophecy? The one that’s going to kill me? It was almost 2:00 AM. I gripped my phone tight, my voice shaking uncontrollably. “Ashley, what do I do? It’s knocking and… and talking…” “When is Animal Control coming? What if it breaks the door down?” Ashley’s voice was tearful but she was trying to sound steady: “Soon! My brother Kyle said they’re close to your apartment building—ten minutes max!!” “Zoey, listen to me. That bear is smart and strong, but it shouldn't be able to break through a steel security door. Just don't open it, and it can't get in!” “Find a sturdy place to hide! Kyle has tranquilizer guns, they’ll stop it!” But I was terrified. The knocking stopped abruptly. Outside the peephole, it was pitch black. I couldn’t see a thing. What was it doing? Looking for another way in? I couldn’t just sit here and put all my faith in a rusty security door and a slow-moving rescue team. My mind raced back to that creepy AI app. If it could predict my death, could it maybe tell me how to survive? I remembered a reviewer saying the app helped them escape danger. What did I have to lose? Desperate times. Even if there was only a one-in-a-million chance, I had to try. I opened the app again and typed in a new question: “There’s a bear outside my door! How do I survive? Tell me now!” The AI replied instantly: “Self-Rescue Plan Generated.” “Plan A: Create massive noise to attract neighbors’ attention and trigger mass intervention.” “Plan B: Attempt to climb from your window onto the adjacent balcony.” “Plan C: Use household flammables to create a makeshift incendiary device for deterrent throwing.” 3 Create noise to attract neighbors? It’s the middle of the night. Most of my neighbors are 9-to-5ers who are fast asleep. Even if someone wakes up, who’s going to come out and face a giant beast that can stand upright and mimic human speech? What if it just makes the bear angrier? Climb to the next balcony? I’m on the 23rd floor, it's dark outside, and it’s starting to rain. I get dizzy just looking down. Climbing out there is just a slow way to jump. As for the incendiary device, I have half a bottle of cheap vodka and a few cans of hairspray. But even if I make a Molotov cocktail, how do I throw it with a security door in the way? And what if I don’t scare it off and accidentally set my own apartment on fire? This isn’t a rescue plan; it’s a death warrant! This AI isn't trying to help me; it's pushing me straight into more danger! As I frantically paced, a CRASH came from the other side of the door. Not knocking—it was charging! The bear was hitting the door! The impact was huge. My rusty security door was rattling violently. It wouldn't hold for long! I couldn't hold back a scream. Ashley yelled into the phone: “Zoey, what’s wrong!” I choked back tears: “It’s… it’s hitting the door…” “Ashley, where’s Kyle? That bear… it’s going to break in…” Ashley quickly reassured me: “Almost there! My brother says they’re downstairs at your complex! Zoey, you have to hold on…” Before she could finish, the phone gave a low battery warning. Then, the call disconnected. The terrifying impact noises from the hallway stopped. The silence was deafening. A heavy, slow walking sound moved away from my door. A small spark of hope flared in my chest. But the quiet lasted only for a few seconds. A short, choked-off grunt, like someone being throttled, came through the door gap. Then, a thick, coppery smell of blood. Did Kyle and the rescue team subdue the bear? I summoned my courage, crept back to the door, and whispered: “Kyle? Is that you?” Silence. Then, a chilling sound broke the quiet. Crunch, slurp… It was the sound of teeth tearing flesh and bone, of chewing! Something warm and viscous began to seep under the door. My stomach churned. I clamped a hand over my mouth, my body shaking violently. My pajamas were instantly soaked with cold sweat. Kyle, Ashley's little brother, the firefighter, who used to call me his big sister. Did the bear just eat him? I collapsed onto the floor, sliding down the wall. Despair and terror were drowning me. It was five minutes to 2:00 AM. Am I really going to die, just as the AI predicted? My face was ghostly pale. I stumbled toward the window, ready to follow the AI’s terrible advice and climb. If I was going to fall, at least this way would be quicker. Just then, my phone vibrated again. I looked down. It was a notification from the couple's app I shared with my boyfriend, Matt. It showed that the distance between us was rapidly shrinking. Less than 500 yards. He was supposed to be out of town on a business trip. Why was he here? Then, the phone rang. 4 Realizing Matt might be downstairs, I snatched the call. Before he could say anything, I screamed: “Matt! Don’t come up! There’s a bear in the hallway!” “It’s really smart, and it mimics human voices! If you come up, you’ll be killed!” Matt was silent for a moment, then sounded annoyed: “Zoey, are you half-asleep? Where would a bear in the city come from, let alone one that talks?” “I cut my trip short and came home early. I figured you'd be up, so I brought your favorite takeout. I wanted to surprise you, and I’m at the elevator, and you’re pulling this on me?” “Tell me the truth—do you have someone else in there, and you don’t want me to come up?” I was hysterical, tears streaming down my face: “No, I don’t!” “Matt, you have to believe me! I’m telling the truth! Ashley can confirm it—her zoo’s bear escaped! It’s right outside my door, and it was ramming it!” “Ashley’s brother is already…” The sheer grief made it impossible to finish the sentence. But Matt scoffed. He didn't believe me: “Ashley Song? She was trying to set you up with Kyle before! Why would I trust her?” “Zoey, we’re about to get engaged! And you’re making up ghost stories in the middle of the night, trying to make me look like an idiot!” “Are you hiding some random guy in there? I'm coming up right now to see what that asshole looks like!” I shouted in desperation: “No! If you don’t believe me, I can show you proof!” “The news about the escaped bear is already trending! I’ll send you a screenshot right now!” As fast as I could, I sent him the news link and a photo. Matt was quiet for a few seconds. His tone finally softened a bit: “I saw the news, but Zoey, I’m your boyfriend. How can I let you face danger alone?” “Don’t worry, I have my stun gun in the car. I want to see how tough this bear really is!” I was terrified: “Matt, are you insane? That bear is unbelievably smart and strong! You’ll be killed if you come up!” But Matt wouldn’t listen: “No. I can’t leave you. Wait for me!” Then, I heard the sound of the elevator door opening. I was furious, almost fainting: “Matt! Listen to me…” The line went dead. I sank to the floor, my mind blank. The crunching sound outside had stopped. It was silent again. Time crawled by. I clutched my phone, dialing Matt’s number over and over. No connection. Just when I was giving up hope, Matt finally called me back. I quickly answered, wiping my tears, and cried out: “Matt, you scared me to death! I thought the bear got you!” There was a moment of silence on the other end, then Matt’s familiar, joking voice: “See? I told you. How could there be a talking bear in the city? Only you would fall for it!” “Ashley was just playing a cruel prank on you. There’s nothing outside.” “Zoey, open the door. I brought your favorite Lobster Mac and Cheese…” I froze. The tears in my eyes instantly dried up. A prank? There was no bear outside? Was this all fake? Was Ashley really just messing with me? But if it wasn't a joke, and there really was a bear, how could Matt talk to me so calmly? A huge weight lifted off my chest. I sighed in relief, ready to unlock the security door. Just then, an unknown number called me. I answered, confused. Ashley's urgent voice came through the line: “Zoey, don’t open the door! I’m with the Animal Control team hiding in the stairwell! That person outside is not Matt!”
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