The portal flickered. A progress bar appeared: Deleting: ghosts_s03e01.mkv (96%)

Then Flower, in a moment of stoned genius, said: “What if we corrupt the keyframe?”

Hetty, ever dignified, tried to sit on the cursed chaise lounge. She fell straight through it. But instead of the familiar cold tingle of ghostly passing, she felt a click . A digital hiccup. She landed on the floor with a soft, synthetic thud.

Then they heard it. A low, humming whirr, like a giant fan. Coming from the attic.

“So,” Alberta said, adjusting her hat. “We almost got deleted to make room for a lower bitrate?”