The 13th Notification

The 13th Notification

You only get twelve. The thirteenth means you're next.

Every morning, the city woke to the same digital rhythm—notifications pinging on phones, watches, tablets, a steady stream of reminders and alerts. It was a fact no one questioned: everyone got exactly twelve notifications a day. No more, no less.

Twelve was normal.

Thirteen was a death sentence.

That’s what they said, at least. Rumors spread like wildfire, whispered in office break rooms, late-night bars, and school hallways. Some said it was a government test. Others blamed a rogue AI. The conspiracy theories didn’t matter—because those who got the 13th notification disappeared within 48 hours.

Mia didn’t believe it.

Her phone vibrated—once. Twice. Three times.

She checked. Twelve notifications. As usual.

She smiled, dismissing the paranoia. People needed stories to explain the unexplained.

Her best friend, Leo, texted: “Careful tonight. The 13th thing’s been popping up more lately.”

She laughed. “I’m fine. It’s just a myth.”

But that night, as she walked home through the empty streets, her phone buzzed.

One.

Two.

Twelve.

She was about to put it away when the screen lit up with a new notification—one she hadn’t seen before.

“13th Notification Received.”

“RUN.”

Mia froze.

Her heart slammed in her chest. Was this a prank? Someone hacking phones? She looked around. The streetlights flickered. Shadows shifted.

“RUN.”

She started jogging, her breath ragged in the cold air. The city felt different—heavy, watching. People passed by, heads down, phones glowing in their hands, oblivious or afraid.

Her phone buzzed again. A message from an unknown number:

“They’re coming. Don’t stop.”

Panic surged through her veins. She had to find Leo.

She called him.

“Leo! I got the 13th notification. What do I do?”

Static. Then his voice, tense and low: “Get somewhere crowded. Don’t be alone.”

Before she could reply, a scream echoed down the street. Mia spun around, eyes wide.

A man staggered out of an alleyway, clutching his chest, blood seeping between his fingers.

“Help me!” he gasped.

Mia stepped back, her phone lighting his face.

“Did you get the 13th notification?” she asked.

He nodded weakly. “It’s... real. They’re after us.”

“Who? What?” she demanded.

Before he could answer, the man collapsed.

Sirens blared in the distance.

Mia’s phone vibrated again.

“You’re next.”

She dropped the phone.

“Stop it,” she whispered.

Her mind raced. If this was real, if the 13th notification meant death, who—or what—were “they”?

She ran toward the nearest café, packed with late-night patrons. People stared as she burst inside, breathless and wide-eyed.

“Has anyone else gotten a 13th notification?” she asked urgently.

No one responded.

Then a woman in the corner lifted her phone, trembling. Her screen showed the same message.

Mia looked around. Fear was in every face.

The door slammed open.

Dark figures slipped inside—shadowy, almost invisible except for faint glints of light reflecting off their forms. They moved with unnatural speed.

People screamed and scattered.

Mia grabbed the woman’s hand. “We have to get out.”

They darted through the back door, but the shadows followed, gliding silently.

The woman whispered, “They’re... data ghosts. Leftover code from the system that controls all our devices. They want to erase the glitches—you and me.”

Mia shook her head. “This isn’t possible.”

The woman’s eyes were desperate. “It’s the only explanation.”

Mia’s phone buzzed again.

She looked down.

“Last chance. You can’t hide.”

Her breath hitched.

Behind her, a shadow stretched, reaching.

She ran blindly through alleys and streets, the cold biting at her skin. The city had become a maze—hostile and alien.

Her phone buzzed—again and again.

Each notification a step closer.

Until the screen went black.

She stumbled and fell.

The shadows closed in.

Then—

Her phone lit up one last time.

A message from Leo:

“Meet me at the tower. It’s the only safe place left.”

With trembling hands, Mia got up and ran.

Hours later, they met on the rooftop of an abandoned telecom tower.

Leo looked pale, eyes bloodshot.

“They can’t get us up here. Too much signal interference.”

Mia nodded, clutching her phone. No new notifications.

“Why?” she asked. “Why us?”

Leo sighed. “Because our phones showed anomalies. We’re glitches in the system. They want to erase us before we break everything.”

Suddenly, Leo’s phone buzzed.

“13th Notification Received.”

He stared at the screen.

“Looks like it’s my turn.”

“No,” Mia said, grabbing his hand. “We fight.”

The tower hummed with static.

Mia and Leo looked at each other.

They had no idea what was hunting them—but they knew one thing:

They weren’t going down without a fight.

The End