The Dating App That Only Shows One Match

I downloaded the app on Valentine’s Day.

Not because I wanted to.

Because every other dating app had turned into the same depressing routine—swipe, match, awkward small talk, ghosted by Tuesday.

My friend Jake sent me the link around noon.

“Try this one,” he said. “It’s supposed to be different. No endless swiping.”

The app was called TrueMatch.

The description said:

One perfect match. No games.

I rolled my eyes but downloaded it anyway.

What was the worst that could happen?

________________________________________

The app opened to a black screen.

No logo.

No tutorial.

Just a single message in white text:

“Finding your match.”

A loading bar crawled across the bottom.

Then the screen refreshed.

A profile appeared.

Just one.

A woman named Elise.

No age listed.

No location.

Just a photo.

She was standing outside at night, illuminated by a streetlight. Long dark hair. Pale skin. She looked… normal, I guess.

But something about the photo made me uncomfortable.

Her eyes looked slightly off.

Like she wasn’t looking at the camera.

She was looking through it.

Below the photo was a message:

“This is your match.”

There were only two buttons.

ACCEPT

DECLINE

I tapped DECLINE.

The screen froze.

Then the same profile appeared again.

Same photo.

Same buttons.

I sighed and tapped DECLINE again.

This time a notification popped up.

“Are you sure?”

I tapped YES.

The app thought for a second.

Then the profile appeared again.

Elise.

Same picture.

Same expression.

Except now the message under her name had changed.

“You already accepted.”

I frowned.

“No I didn’t,” I muttered.

I tried to close the app.

It wouldn’t close.

I swiped it away.

It reopened immediately.

Back to the same screen.

Elise’s profile.

But now a chat window had appeared.

A message popped up.

Elise:

Hi.

My stomach tightened.

I typed back.

Me:

I didn’t match with you.

Three dots appeared instantly.

Elise:

Yes you did.

Me:

No. I hit decline.

The typing bubble appeared again.

Elise:

That wasn’t the moment you accepted.

A cold feeling crept up my spine.

Me:

Then when?

The response came immediately.

Elise:

When you downloaded the app.

________________________________________

I tried deleting it.

Held the icon until the uninstall option appeared.

Tapped DELETE APP.

The icon vanished.

For about two seconds.

Then my phone buzzed.

The screen lit up.

The app icon reappeared.

A new notification waited.

TrueMatch: 1 New Message

My chest felt tight as I opened it.

Elise’s chat window.

Another message.

Elise:

You can’t leave once you accept.

Me:

What are you talking about?

Three dots.

Then:

Elise:

This app only exists to introduce us.

I stared at the screen.

Me:

This isn’t funny.

Another message appeared.

Elise:

You looked lonely tonight.

My stomach dropped.

Because I hadn’t posted anything.

I hadn’t shared my location.

I typed slowly.

Me:

How do you know where I am?

Three dots appeared again.

Then the message came through.

Elise:

I’m outside.

My heart slammed into my ribs.

I slowly turned toward the window.

The blinds were closed.

But the streetlight outside cast faint shadows through them.

One of the shadows moved.

My phone buzzed again.

A new photo appeared in the chat.

My apartment building.

Taken from the street.

My window glowing in the dark.

Then another message.

Elise:

You shouldn’t have accepted.

I typed quickly.

Me:

I didn’t.

The typing bubble appeared.

Then disappeared.

Then came her final message.

Elise:

Everyone says that.

My phone vibrated again.

Another photo.

This one was closer.

Taken from the sidewalk directly outside my window.

I could see the outline of someone standing there.

Looking up.

Then a final message arrived.

Elise:

Open the door.

A pause.

Then one more message appeared.

Elise:

You already accepted.