Qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm Qazwsxedcrfvtgbyhnujmikolp Asdfghjkl ' - Mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsapoiuytrewq

It said: “You touched the pattern. You’re the ninth. Goodbye, Elena.” And the keyboard in the attic typed one final sequence — asdfghjkl — the home row, the resting position of hands before they begin to lie.

Behind her, the empty chair rolled forward. The keys began to depress on their own — slow, deliberate, spelling nothing human. It said: “You touched the pattern

She typed back: qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm — the full keyboard in order. It said: “You touched the pattern

She pressed the home row: asdfghjkl .