Bijetri Roy, Editor-in-Chief, Inspire Spectrum
In this short series, I imagine how AI based OTT experience would be in 2030. This series is titled WHAT’S YOUR PHOBIA?
It is a summer afternoon of March, 2030. The makers of What’s Your Phobia have approached me to review their take on AI-based horror. Join me in my journey…
Ep.3: Necrophobia
A woman parks her car outside a mansion. It is a full moon night. She enters through the gate and rings the bell at the entrance of the mansion. The door opens on its own with an uneasy screeching sound. The woman looks around then enters the mansion. She is in the hallway now. “Anyone is there?”
“Hello?” She turns around, startled. It’s her friend, Shaina. “Why did you ask me to meet you at this creepy place? What’s the plan?” Shaina simply smiles and says nothing. Something is unnerving about her smile.
Shaina leads the woman to the dining room. It is a grand room with an exquisite Lazarus dining table and eight chairs around it. “What’s the occasion, Shaina?” Shaina is still quiet and has a smirk on her face.
They are interrupted by the bell at the entrance. Shaina makes the woman sit on the 3rd chair and hurries to the door. Rhea, another common friend, joins the woman. Rhea is also quiet, only smiles like Shaina. Rhea sits on the 5th chair. “How are you, Rhea?” Just then, the bell rings again.
Shaina ushers in Sameer, Priyanka and Divya, three more common friends. “Hey, guys! What a pleasant surprise seeing all of you together”, the woman greets her old friends. They simply smile that same cold unnerving smile.
The six of them are seated at the dining table. None of them utters a word; the woman is feeling uneasy and eerie. Just then, the light starts flickering. When the light is back, the woman finds herself surrounded by five dead bodies. “Guys, where are you all? This is not funny. COME OUT”, she screams. Nobody responds. She is sweating profusely.
The faces of the dead bodies are badly disfigured. The woman starts running outside, but finds the main door locked. She turns around, trying to look for another door. She finds the kitchen. Just before entering the kitchen, she finds a staircase leading to the basement. She takes the stairs and goes downstairs.
To her horror, she finds five paintings in the basement. They look like her five friends.
Shaina (1990-2018)
Rhea (1989-2019)
Sameer (1990-2020)
Priyanka (1989-2024)
Divya (1990-2028)
As though this wasn’t frightful enough, the woman finds a painting covered with a white cover. She removes the cover and stands frozen in terror. It’s her painting.
“BJ3” (1990-2030)
Inspire Spectrum 
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