“Hey, Mia. And Leo, if you’re peeking – I see you.”
Then, the percentage jumped to 100%. The video player launched.
The video glitched. Blocks of pixelated snow filled the screen. Leo’s heart sank. Then the image returned.
Their father, a documentary filmmaker, had died in the spring. On his old hard drive was a folder labeled "Dear Santa – 2024." It wasn't a movie. It was a time capsule: a video diary he’d been making for Mia, to be opened on the first Christmas without him.
The download bar on Leo’s laptop had been frozen at 97% for eleven minutes. The file was named DEAR_SANTA_2024_Proper_HD – a copy he’d found through a maze of sketchy links after his little sister, Mia, had begged him to recover their late father’s old Christmas video.
“97%...” Leo whispered, rubbing his tired eyes. The screen flickered.