Leo’s mouse hovered over the icon. His finger trembled. He realized why the jittery man had sold it for fifty bucks. Some things are cheaper to get rid of than they are to keep.

The listing was simple:

He felt a chill that had nothing to do with the rain. He opened the next file: “Next_Week_Lottery.png.”

He didn't click it. Instead, he pulled the battery, grabbed his coat, and headed back to the diner, hoping the man in the trench coat hadn't gone far.

Leo didn’t expect much when he met the seller in a crowded diner. The man, a jittery guy in a faded trench coat, handed over a scuffed 2014 silver brick and took the cash without counting it.

There were no folders for photos or tax documents. Instead, the desktop was covered in hundreds of icons, all named with dates and times. Leo clicked the one labeled “Tomorrow_0900.txt.”

Leo looked out his window. It was a clear, sunny morning. He waited. At exactly 2:14 PM, a light drizzle began to tap against his glass. Moments later, the screech of metal on asphalt echoed from the corner of 4th Street. A red sedan sat slumped over its front axle.