I watched myself hug a ghost. Watched the camera pan left—a camera I didn't install—and saw the second front door. The one painted red. The one the military manual said to look for.
Not a movie. A feed.
End of piece.
I looked at my own hands. Same hands. Different man.
I never did find out who recorded it. But every night since, the MKV syncs itself to my desktop. Same title. Same resolution. Welcome.Home.2020.1080p.HD.DesireMovies.MY.mkv
But the timestamp in the corner didn’t lie.
There I was, walking through the front door for the first time after deployment. My wife’s smile—too wide, too still. The kid’s arms open. The dog barking. Perfect. DesireMovies perfect. 1080p. HD. I watched myself hug a ghost
“Welcome home, soldier.”
