The TV, however, stayed on. The man in the fedora turned around. His face was a blur of static, but Arthur knew the shape of the jaw. The slope of the shoulders. His father, thirty years younger, stared out from the cathode ray.
He pressed SET again. Then MUTE.
The man mouthed one word: Help.
Arthur looked down at the manual. Page 42, another scribble: His thumb hovered over the number pad. The static-man on TV reached a hand toward the glass. The Chunghop’s LED began to pulse red, faster and faster, like a panicked heart. Chunghop Rm-l688 Universal Remote Manual
He walked into the kitchen, the Chunghop still in his hand. The indicator light was now flashing rapidly. He pointed it at the living room. The ceiling fan started spinning. He pointed it at the hallway. The bathroom light flickered. The TV, however, stayed on
Arthur raised the remote. He didn’t know why. He pointed it at the screen. The slope of the shoulders