Honeydew.mov

Leo, a freelance video archivist, is hired to clear out the digital "junk" from a defunct 2000s-era media company's server. Among thousands of corrupted files, he finds a single, un-played video titled HoneyDew.MOV .

The screen begins to leak. A thick, pale-green syrup starts seeping from the edges of Leo’s monitor, dripping onto his desk. The smell is now unbearable—the scent of sugar mixed with something metallic and rotting. HoneyDew.MOV

The thumbnail is a bright, oversaturated image of a ripe honeydew melon sitting on a pristine white marble counter. There is no description, no metadata, and the file size is inexplicably large for a three-minute clip. Leo, a freelance video archivist, is hired to

As Leo watches, he begins to smell it. The scent of cloyingly sweet, overripe melon fills his small apartment. It’s so strong it makes his eyes water. He pauses the video, but the smell remains. A thick, pale-green syrup starts seeping from the

Leo tries to close the player, but his mouse cursor vanishes. The video continues. The hands stop carving the fruit and begin carving... something else. The camera zooms in until the green flesh of the melon looks like a vast, porous landscape.