Ghost in the Machine (bp coyle)

I did not need another laptop but the sign in the window said ‘reduced to clear – half price’ and it was shiny and black and neat looking. I made a withdrawal and returned to the shop.

The place was deserted except for one bored looking kid wiping a counter, he seemed happy to have some company.

He took me to the display cabinet to show me only to find it empty.

‘I think there’s one in the office,’ he said, ‘let me go check.’ He was back with one in less than a minute. ‘This was on show,’ he explained. ‘I can knock an extra twenty euros off.’ My lucky day.

When I got home with it I noticed that it was quite dusty and used looking, though it worked fine. The weird thing was that everything had been set up in the name of ‘Pam Harrison.’ I think he sold me a coworker’s computer.

I logged out of all of her accounts and deleted the passwords. I went into every program and setting and removed her name.

Yet years later she crops up claiming credit for every document I write, every email I send.

Photo by Andras Vas on Unsplash