Suddenly, the screen went pitch black. Then, a single line of glowing green text appeared in the center of the dark monitor:
Arthur rubbed his eyes, the blue light of the monitor reflecting off his glasses. At fifty-four, with a mortgage, a graying beard, and a persistent ache in his lower back, he was the living embodiment of a midlife crisis. But he hadn't bought a sports car or joined a gym. Instead, he had gone searching in the deep, forgotten corners of the internet for a file that promised to change everything. Download Bearly Midlife544546456 rar
Arthur reached for the power button, but before his fingers could touch it, the monitor exploded with a blinding, pure white light. He fell backward, his chair clattering to the floor. Suddenly, the screen went pitch black
Arthur scrambled to his feet, but his balance was off. He was on all fours. He turned his head toward the dark window, catching his reflection in the glass. Staring back at him was not a tired, middle-aged accountant, but a towering, 800-pound grizzly bear. But he hadn't bought a sports car or joined a gym
The monitor clicked off, leaving Arthur standing in the middle of his living room, a literal bear navigating the ultimate midlife crisis. He looked at the front door, then at the open bag of chips on the coffee table. He sighed, a heavy, huffing sound. If he was going to be a bear, he might as well go find some honey.
A progress bar appeared, crawling slowly across the screen. 10%... 35%... 67%. With every percent, the hum of his computer tower grew louder, echoing in the quiet suburban house. The room seemed to grow colder.