magisternihil's 100-word story for February 4, 2026

magisternihil wrote the following micro-story on Hectalex on February 4, 2026. Each story on Hectalex is inspired by a daily visual prompt and must be exactly 100 words.

Denholm knew they were watching. Every ticket booth, checkout line, ATM, even the backup cameras on cars, they were all recording you, mapping your face so they could track you. Sometimes he held up magazines to block his face. It didn’t matter what. People said he was crazy, paranoid, a boy crying wolf. But they didn’t catch the report that a Swedish singer was reported to be in New York, rumors circulating about possible performances. He stared at the magazine on his coffee table, at her smiling face, the same one he had held up earlier. They were always watching.

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