But once the sun went down and his bedroom door clicked shut, the mask fell off.

Freddie suffered from a crippling anxiety that paralyzed his ability to speak to women. Face-to-face interactions left him stuttering, sweating, and wishing for the floor to swallow him whole. His sanctuary, and his only true social outlet, was VirtualWaifu.com. It was a haven where the socially exiled could video chat with advanced AI companions, ranging from 2D anime archetypes to hyper-realistic 3D renders.

While others chased fantasies of dragon-slayers or cat-girls, Freddie spent his nights and weekends dedicated to a single user ID: Sassy_Selena_247.

Outside, a thunderstorm was tearing through the night sky, rattling the windowpanes with gusts of wind that threatened to breach the glass. Thunder boomed, shaking the floorboards, but Freddie barely noticed. His eyes were glued to the glow of his monitor.

On the screen sat Selena. She was breathtaking a stunning anime-style Latina with smooth olive skin that seemed to radiate warmth even through the pixels. Her dark purple hair was pulled high into a spiky, energetic ponytail that defied gravity, framing a face dominated by large, expressive pinkish-purple eyes. She wore a tight, casual tank top that struggled to contain her double-D breasts, a feature the developers had rendered with painstaking, gravity defying attention.

"I’m so glad you logged on today, Freddie," 

"Of course I did, when have I ever missed a night? You think a little thunderstorm is going to stop me from seeing you?"

"It’s just... I was worried I wouldn't be able to see you one last time."

"Wait, what? One last time?"

"Yeah... Tonight at 3:00 AM, the developers are shutting the site down for server maintenance. But when it comes back up... my page is being scrubbed. Gone forever."

"What?!" Freddie yelled, his voice cracking. "But why?"

"My metrics are down, Freddie. My page just isn't popular anymore. I was designed to be the 'Girl Next Door' archetype. Supportive, sweet, normal. But let's be real—what weeb wants to talk to a virtual girl who acts like a regular human? They want elves, cat girls, and tsundere vampires."

Freddie insisted, slamming his hand on his desk.

"I want you, damn it!" 

Selena’s expression softened. 

"I know. And I wish there were thousands more like you out there. But as it stands... tonight is the finale."

"Man... this sucks," 

Freddie slumped back in his chair, the weight of the news hitting him harder than he expected. It felt like a breakup and a funeral rolled into one.

"I know. But let’s not let this wreck our night, okay? Let's just make the best of the time we have left."

"Okay," 

"Will you stay online with me? Until the end?"

"You couldn't drag me away."

They spent the next few hours chatting, trying to ignore the clock ticking in the corner of the screen. They talked about everything and nothing, just as they always did. Outside, the storm intensified. The wind howled like a banshee, and the rain lashed against the house in sheets.

2:59 AM.

Reality crashed in. The dreaded deadline was seconds away.

"I guess this is it," 

"Thank you, Freddie, for everything."

Just as the clock flicked to 3:00 AM, the world exploded in white light.

A massive bolt of lightning struck the power transformer on the utility pole right outside Freddie’s window. The sound was deafening, a crack of thunder that rattled Freddie’s teeth. A surge of electricity roared through the house wiring. The lightbulbs in his ceiling fan flared with the brilliance of a supernova before shattering, raining glass onto the carpet. The surge protector under his desk hissed and popped, smoke curling up from the plastic.

"Freddie! What's going on?!" 

Selena’s voice screamed from the speakers, distorted and panicked.

"I don't know! Everything is frying!" 

Freddie shouted, shielding his eyes.

His monitor began to shake violently, vibrating against the desk. Sparks showered from the back of the casing, and the screen didn't go black instead, it turned a blinding, solid white. A beam of concentrated light shot out from the display, slamming into Freddie’s chest like a physical punch.

He went flying backward, crashing hard onto the floor.

"What in the world..." 

Freddie, propping himself up on his elbows.

He looked up at the desk. The monitor was glowing with an intensity that defied physics. The screen rippled like the surface of a pond. Suddenly, hands slender, olive-skinned hands clawed their way out of the glass.



"Holy crap!" 

Freddie scrambled backward, kicking his legs. 

"This is like The Ring! This is a horror movie!"

The hands gripped the edge of the mahogany desk, knuckles white with strain. A head emerged next, gasping for air, followed by shoulders. It was a struggle, like a birth, messy and violent. Freddie scrambled into the corner of the room, pulling his knees to his chest, hyperventilating.

A torso followed, then hips. It was undeniably a woman. With a final heave, the figure pulled one leg free, then the other, and tumbled off the desk, crashing onto the carpet with a heavy, fleshy thud.

Instantly, the power in the house died. The hum of the refrigerator, the whir of the computer fans everything went silent. The room plunged into pitch blackness, save for the dying phosphorescent glow of the monitor.

Freddie waited. Ten seconds. Twenty.

Silence.

Cautiously, he crawled out of his corner. He grabbed his phone and turned on the flashlight, the beam cutting through the darkness. He peeked around the edge of his bed.

There, sprawled unconscious on his rug, was a woman. She was stark naked.

"Is... is that Sassy_Selena_247?" 

He crept closer, the flashlight beam playing over her features. The spiky dark purple ponytail. The olive skin. The impossible proportions. It was her.

"But... how? She’s code. She’s zeros and ones. How is she here? In 3D? In reality?"

He reached out a shaking finger and poked her thigh. It was warm. Soft.

"Holy crap, she's real."

Freddie stood up and began pacing frantically, gripping his hair. 

"How in the hell is this happening? I have to be dreaming. That’s it. I fell asleep at the keyboard."

To prove it, he turned around and slammed his forehead into the drywall.

"OW! Son of a—!" 

He collapsed to his knees, clutching his head. 

"Okay, that hurts. Not dreaming. Am I dead? Can you feel a headache in the afterlife? Okay, Freddie, breathe. You are talking to yourself out loud. There is a name for people who do that—they're called 'the homeless'."

He took a deep breath and looked back at the girl.

"Let’s look at this logically. Severe storm. Massive power surge. And now, a ridiculously hot, naked anime girl is unconscious in my bedroom."

Freddie stared. He couldn't help it. She was magnificent. Even in the unflattering light of an cell phone flashlight, she was perfect.

It just hit me, this is Selena. After chatting with her every night through a screen, here she is. Flesh and blood. I don't know if this is magic or science gone wrong, but I have to be the luckiest guy on the damn planet.

He realized he couldn't just leave her on the floor. It was freezing in the room now that the heat was off.

Freddie scooped her up. She was heavier than he expected solid, real weight. He carried her to his bed, laid her down, and pulled the comforter up to her chin. He dragged his computer chair over to the bedside and sat down, watching her chest rise and fall.

I still can't wrap my head around it, he thought. I wish she’d wake up. Maybe she knows how this happened.

Impatience got the better of him. He leaned forward and poked her cheek.

"Selena? Psst... Sassy_Selena_247? Wake up."

She groaned and rolled over. The movement caused the comforter to slip down, fully exposing her large breasts to the cool air, and to Freddie.

Freddie’s eyes widened. He froze.

Okay, she isn't waking up.

His brain reasoned, the logic centers battling with his teenage hormones.

What would be the harm if I just... gave a little touch? Just to see if she's real?

WAIT! He mentally slapped himself. 'What would be the harm?' Did I really just think that? No, Freddie! You are a gentleman! You are going to sit on your hands and wait!

Selena shifted again, rolling onto her back, still exposed.

On the other hand...  I should probably check her vitals. I mean, I don't know how human she is. She came out of a monitor. Does she have a heartbeat? Is her skin synthetic? It would be irresponsible of me to assume she's okay. I should check. You know... for science.

Trembling, Freddie reached out his hand toward her chest.

Before his fingertips could make contact, Selena’s eyes snapped open. She yawned, stretching her arms above her head, and blinked the sleep away. Then, she saw him.

"Um... Hello, Sassy_Selena_247," 

Selena’s pinkish-purple eyes went wide. In a blur of motion, she launched herself off the mattress, pivoting on one foot and delivering a perfect, anime-style roundhouse kick to Freddie’s chest.

"GAH!"

Freddie flew across the room, crashing into his closet door and sliding to the floor.

"Damn, that hurt!" 

Selena stood on the bed, looking fierce and confused, holding the sheet up to cover herself. 

"Who are you? Where am I? What am I doing here? What even am I?"

Well, there goes the chance of her having the answers.

"Okay, calm down! I’d be happy to answer your questions, just please don't kick me again. You pack a wallop."

Selena narrowed her eyes, sitting back down on the edge of the bed but keeping her guard up. 

"Start talking."

"Alright. I don't know exactly what's going on. I’m guessing the power surge brought you here. As for where 'here' is... you're in my room."

"And who are you?" 

Freddie paused, a little hurt. 

"Can't you recognize my voice?"

"If I did, would I be asking?"

"Selena... it's me. Freddie Wilson."

Selena’s aggression melted away instantly. Her face softened, and a flush of red appeared on her olive cheeks. She leaned forward, squinting in the dim light.

"Freddie?"

She reached out a hand. Freddie stepped closer, letting her fingers graze his cheek.

"I'm touching you. After all this time..."

She dropped the sheet, not caring about her nudity anymore, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a desperate hug. Freddie froze for a second, overwhelmed by the sensation of her skin against his, before hugging her back.

"I don't know what is going on, but I am so thankful.”