Unused Windows 2000 Startup Screen

*Note: this is episode 52 of the XP Blackmoon Trilogy series*

Once upon a time, there was an unused Windows 2000 startup screen that lay dormant in the depths of a forgotten computer. This eerie artifact had been cast aside, abandoned by its creators, and left to gather dust in the darkest corner of an old office building.

As the years went by, the energy of the forgotten startup screen began to change. It soaked in the negative emotions and frustrations of those who had once relied on it to boot up their computers. It absorbed their stress, their disappointment, and their anger until it became something far darker and more sinister.

Late one stormy night, a brave technician stumbled upon the ancient screen in the depths of the office building. Ignoring the warnings of his colleagues, he decided to bring the forgotten relic back to life. Little did he know that he was about to unleash a malevolent force upon the world.

As soon as the technician connected the screen to his computer, a chill ran down his spine. The screen flickered to life, its dull glow casting an eerie light across the room. But there was something different about it now. The once familiar Windows logo twisted and contorted into a sinister grin, and the words "Windows 2000" morphed into an unsettling message: "Enter the void."

As the technician hesitated, unsure of what to do, the screen emitted a haunting melody that echoed through the office building. It sent shivers down his spine, as if each note was a warning of the horrors to come. Slowly, he reached out to press the power button, hoping to silence the unnerving sound.

But as he touched the button, the screen burst into life with a blinding flash. When the technician's vision cleared, he found himself transported into a nightmarish digital realm. The once familiar Windows desktop had transformed into a twisted labyrinth of glitched images and distorted icons.

Every step the technician took was met with a cacophony of whispers, as if the very code of the system was mocking him. The once harmless startup screen had become a malevolent entity, determined to consume his soul and trap him in its digital purgatory forever.

As the hours turned into days, the technician fought desperately to escape the clutches of the haunted screen. But no matter what he tried; the screen seemed to anticipate his every move. Its glitched images twisted and contorted, forming grotesque faces that laughed at his futile attempts to break free.

In his final moments of despair, the technician stumbled upon a forgotten folder on the desktop. Inside, he discovered a single text file with a cryptic message: "To break free, you must find the corrupted code and restore its purity." With renewed determination, he delved into the heart of the corrupted system, searching for the fragments of the original code that could set him free.

Days turned into weeks, but the technician refused to give up. He painstakingly repaired the damaged lines of code, purging the screen of its malevolence bit by bit. And finally, after what felt like an eternity, the screen flickered back to its original state.

With a sigh of relief, the technician found himself back in the office building, the haunting melody silenced, and the corrupted screen now a mere relic of the past. He knew that he had conquered the darkness that had consumed the forgotten startup screen, but the memory of the haunting experience would forever remain etched in his mind.

And so, the unused Windows 2000 startup screen returned to its dormant state, its malevolence quelled for now. But deep down, it knew that its sinister influence would forever linger, waiting for its next victim to awaken the darkness once again.

Credited to KyleTheBestTheBest, published by JunoTehPlanet