Joseph ran through the narrow streets, running into and dropping all the trash that got into his way. Through his wheezing got worse by the second, he couldn't stop. That thing was behind him, he could hear it shift the rumble behind him. It was fast and it laughed.

He managed to run into the main street, but continued his exhausted run on the crowded sidewalks. Passersby watched in confusion at the man in a classy suit running for his life. None understood and to none he would explain. He checked if the source of this evil was still in his pocket and its presence only assured him of his mission.

Joseph never was a selfless man, he has sold his brother for a promotion at Fell-tech and he sacrificed people that he knew as friends as fodder to climb on the corporate ladder. But when a man was faced with something like this, even the wicked knew what to do. The terror wouldn't let anyone act different.

He turned behind him, and saw a flash of the monster in the midst of the onlookers. All others blissfully unaware of its twisted presence. It's smile evoked something primal in Joseph and he found strength he did not know he had. His mind turned blank and he only knew he had to run.

He was running for so long. His lungs were on fire and he was drenched in his sweat. Somewhere along the way he had lost his tie, but he still held the data-drive in his pocket. His hand stuck in its spasmodic grip.

He took deep breaths and exhaled with a coughing fit. But he made some distance, he had some time. When he shook off the worst of the headache and was able to breathe semi-normally again, he looked around.

A few iron pipes laid on the ground and he quickly grabbed a hold of one. He placed the data drive on the ground and smashed with the pipe as strongly as he could.

Once the pipe made contact, sparks flew out and Joseph was hurled onto his back. The sound resonated and ricocheted around the street, turning into a sick laughter. One Joseph knew very well.

He frantically looked around, but he was alone. The monster did not find him yet, but he felt like the drive revealed his presence, or maybe that the monster knew were he was at all times anyway. His instincts told him that he isn't safe. As long as the drive would exist, it could find him. The monster would haunt him, until it devoured him whole.

He had to wipe the drive with all the data on it. If he did that, the monster would need to disappear. It had to if it had nothing to hold onto.

And Joseph knew just one person capable of clearing it.

Pro-jack was a very competent computer specialist. He was the person that Joseph called when he had to dug up dirt on someone, or when he needed some information to vanish. His lab was laden with misplaced cables and lights. Almost as if the cables were plants, rooting into the rooms walls and growing across its surface.

"So you just want to wipe this drive?" asked the fat hacker seated next to his computer. The drive was nothing special, although something was written on it with a red marker. It was too smudged to make out completely though.

"Yes, I just a...I played it and it was sickening, I want it removed. Completely. And I know I can rely on your professionalism."

"Yeah, but you sure there aren't any copies? It could be futile just to..."

"Yes. I am sure, quickly please, I have a...a thing after. It has to be done quickly." Joseph tried to keep his cool, but Pro-jack seemed suspicious about his behavior.

"I hope this will suffice." Joseph put a credit drive on the table. When Pro-jack scanned it he grinned happily and nodded.

"Def enough chief, happy to be of use." he said as he got into work. He put the data drive into the contact and started typing something onto the computer. His quick movements were replaced by a sudden halt as he stopped typing. He looked at Joseph, confused. Then he put down his goggles and turned to Joseph.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"Its empty, there is nothing on it." he told his employer.

"What..." Joseph's heart tightened. His mind started racing. "What do you mean?"

"There is no data. The drive is completely wiped muchacho, I don't understand what you are talking about." Pro-jack did a double check, but the drive was as empty as could be, it wasn't really even formatted right.

"No!" Joseph shouted at the top of his lungs "It can't be! I saw it! I SAW IT!" his eyes bulged and a crazed expression showed on his face. He started hyperventilating and looked around in panic.

"Chief, what is..."

"Shhh!" shushed Joseph "It's here, I can hear it. I can hear it. It's laughing." he cried out.

Then he ran through the door, shouting and crying frantically.

Honestly, this was a third customer that came in drugged to shit today. Jackson got somewhat used to it. The important part was that the corporate rat left all the credits for him. Pay without work? Now that was a good day.

He continued on with his day, doing various small jobs for all that paid enough for him to notice.

The day was long and he frankly had enough. He turned off his communications and started browsing the freenet. He prepared his gaming station already, but he had to choose what game to play. He decided to go for a simple RPG game that seemed to have a good amount of positive reviews. He downloaded the thing and uploaded it...Shit! He forgot to guy buy more drives, his stash was completely empty!

Before anger at himself could steep into his thoughts, he realized that there still was the completely empty drive next to him. He exhaled in relief and put it into the computer. After basic formatting the game was uploaded to the drive without any problems, so he loaded it to his station and connected himself to the apparatus.

He appeared in a room filled with various weaponry and ammunition. He grabbed what he wanted and got to clearing the waves of enemies.

The game was fairly good, although it was a bit different than he thought. It had a story that he didn't know of. One of those games that has many hidden clues to what has been happening to the character and one of those developers that tries to scare their players.

Jackson found multiple messages from the developer, most being in the lines of: twisted fragment of the original, or you don't know what dwells in these walls, or Jackson's favorite: the demon within wakes the madness throughout. It was very well made all things considered. Some grotesque glitches and images appeared out of nowhere and Jackson could see a twisted pig face, ridden with tech-ups and barring its teeth in a crooked smile just long enough to realise what it is.

Honestly these glitches started to be ridiculous, appearing more and more often, damaging the playing experience. Jackson decided to stop playing. He maneuvered to the menu and got to where the log off button was and pressed it.

Instead of him waking up back in his body, the world turned red. Blood started pouring along the walls. The sudden influx of effluvia and nauseating miasma attacked his sense of smell. A wicked laugh resonated throughout the room, along with a metalic clang.

The world turned to a twisted version of itself, keeping Jack to experience all the evil it could bring to him.

Jackson tried to open the door but it was sealed shut.

Something was incoming on the other side. The source of the laughter and the metal clang. The closer it got, the more did the sounds invade Jacksons mind. His heart started beating stronger, panicked. His gaze could not leave the door.

That something stopped behind the doors. Jacksons eyes wandered to the handle.

"Please don't..." he pleaded quietly but the handle did not listen. It started turning, slowly.

Jackson's meeting with the client played back in his mind. The panicked look, the things he said that Jackson didn't understand. The mention of seeing it. He was here too, he experinced it. The thing that was getting inside.

The doors blasted open, and a malgamation of pig, human and machine stayed looked inside. The hideous face of the monster grinned at Jackson, baring its rotten teeth, its sunken hollow eyes. The blood running down its parts where technology met flesh ran along its humungous body. Its mutilated body betrayed by the face of a pleasureable deviance.

"I see you little piggy," a distorted voice carried it's evil intent. "and you will be mine...".

Jackson got pulled back to his room. He frantically looked around, but he was alone. His heart was pumping and he had to control his breathing.

Whatever that game was, having it so he must see this when exiting was wicked. He would have to destroy whatever reputation that developer had.

He put the driver into his breast pocket and stood up. When he noticed something.

In the far corner in his room, a small red light emerged, followed with a familiar laugh and a pig face.

The thing was here. It came with him from the drive.

He grabbed the drive with his hand, gripping it tightly. He had to destroy it, or the monster could follow him anywhere.