The roads were dusty and filled with rubble as the hummer made its way slowly towards base camp.  Taylor sat in the back of the air conditioned vehicle and watched a woman trying to move in the distance.

  “Can’t we do anything to help her?” she asked

 The driver turned to look at her briefly before turning his eyes back on the road.

  “You know the mission, Taylor.  They chose this.  They chose to respond the way they did.  It could have been today or ten years from now and it would still be about choice for the majority.  Nothing seemed to be helping the mindset.  Please try and remember this and stay on mission, okay?  You’re just going to have to learn to let it all go, you know?”

 ”Yeah, I know.  I just never thought this day would come.  I was beginning to believe I’d imagined it all…that I’d imagined all the training.”

 The other man in the front seat started laughing, “I think we were all beginning to believe that, babe.”

 Taylor sighed and started to relax a little.  There was nothing she could do now but get on with it.  This day had been a long time in the making.  She was needed whether the outcome had been good OR bad.  Now the cleaning must begin…and the healing of a very sick planet.

 A few minutes later they were pulling into camp where beautiful domes had been set up amongst the ships extending for miles and miles.  This was their new life…the beginning of their new life.  Taylor took a deep breath and tried hard to stay focused.  “At least they didn’t have to deal with the panic anymore” she thought to herself.  She didn’t even care  if thinking that way was the wrong way to view the situation.  All she knew was that there was a feeling of peace and calmness in the air.  She liked this feeling and after all she had just witnessed a few hours earlier…the ignorance and complete lack of understanding, she knew it was all for a reason.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she listened to nothing but the sound of the ocean lapping onto the shore.  Stopping for a moment to take in the beauty of her surroundings, something didn’t seem quite right. 

Cora turned to look at the group of tourists standing together in the nearby parking lot.  They looked odd to her…like they were listening to something but weren’t quite aware of it.

As she moved closer to the group, Cora began to hear a low buzzing from above.  She reached the rear of the crowd that had grown larger just in time to see it.  A dark shiny disc shaped object was clearly out of control.  It wobbled unsteadily as it made its way toward the water.

Cora couldn’t believe her eye’s.  Could this really be happening in broad daylight for so many people to see?  Had the day really finally come?

The disc managed  to reach the shallow part of the shoreline and then quickly dove into the water.  Everyone saw it.  It did not crash, it dove as if barely reaching a destination. 

Time stood still for one brief moment.  Cora took in the energy of the people surrounding her but couldn’t get a feel for what reactions might be bubbling to the surface.  Then there were suddenly gasps and shocked tones amongst the crowd.  Everyone seemed to be remaining calm despite their shock.

Many of the tourists were able to capture the disc on film and they began to share their footage with others and move in different directions.  It happened very fast and before Cora realized it, she stood alone with only a few people chatting with each other nearby.  She thought it wise to move away from the parking lot and went back to her hotel……..

____________________________________________________________________________

THE NEXT DAY

It was all over the news. “The Crash of an Unidentified Flying Object”  said to be “a newly developed government aircraft that was being tested out.” 

No interviews were given.  Not one of the tourists who had captured the footage ever appeared on television…..they did however make it onto the internet.

“Oh the power of the internet”  Cora thought to herself.  “The government has absolutely nothing to worry about now.  The grand secret is still safe.” 

And indeed it was.

They all seemed so content as they busied themselves in the different open rooms Vanessa passed.  She had been told to go explore and make herself comfortable.  She could call for any assistance she needed with a device that hung around her neck. 

Vanessa was nervous as she entered a room where the people all sat in front of screens suspended in mid-air.  There were no keyboards.  They manipulated anything they were doing through the monitors in front of them.  She watched as some played games and others chatted with beings of all shapes, colors…….she couldn’t wrap her head around it all.

As she stood in the room observing this new world, this new existence she never could have imagined actually existed, she had to take a deep breath and center herself.  Of course she was aware of beings  not of her own planet.  Of course she had wondered over the years and made assumptions as to how they existed.  Experiencing first hand was entirely another story.  The excitement was almost overwhelming.  She had so many questions but then she remembered what an important opportunity this was.  This was why she had been chosen to observe.  She had been preparing for this almost her entire life. 

She decided to keep exploring.  The tunnels were endless with different goings on and new environments everywhere.  She made a left down one tunnel and looked up to see little oval shaped skylights decorating the ceiling.  A hazy light shone through that made Vanessa curious. “Just one glimpse” she thought to herself. “Even a few seconds of seeing the surface would be a dream come true after so many years.”

As Vanessa continued down the skylight tunnel, she noticed  it was coming to an end.  She was just about to turn around and head back when she noticed a steel ladder attached to the tunnel wall.  She couldn’t resist.  She walked over to the ladder, climbed up and opened the hatch that led to the surface. 

And there it was.  The oh so elusive side of Mars that people had only speculated about.  Same beautiful landscape but with activity.  She was suddenly five years old again walking out into a mysterious desert night.  She had known where she was on her last visit.  She had felt the energy even then and known there was something more…..somewhere close by.

Vanessa took one last look and then closed the hatch.  She couldn’t wait for her secret journey to be something considered common on Earth.  She smiled to herself as she made her way back through the skylight tunnel.  The time was coming for all to be revealed.  Soon this secret journey wouldn’t be so secret anymore and she looked forward to observing the activity on that day also.

“It’s true” he thought to himself.  “There is no safe neighborhood or area of town.  I’ve got to be more aware of my surroundings from now on.  How could I not see him up ahead?!?”

John just sat there by an old oil lamp reading a book.  He seemed content, almost peaceful as Jordan stole glimpses of him out of the corner of his eye.  He wondered what his story was.  How could this articulate and intelligent man end up living like this?

“Let’s go” John suddenly said, snapping his book shut.  He stood up and stretched, took a few things out of his backpack and then looked down at Jordan still sitting on the ground.

“Okay” Jordan said hesitantly.  “Should I just start walking and you’ll follow?”

“That’s the plan”  John replied.

They  walked out of the forest and made their way over to Jordan’s neighborhood.  It was past midnight now and almost every window was dark.  Jordan tried to make out who might still be up.  There were a few flickers hitting the glass of some bedrooms, the occupant’s oblivious to any outside activity.

Jordan saw his house  up ahead now.  He could only hope that he’d feel a little more in control once they got inside……

 ”Hand over the keys, Jordan” Johns voice demanded from behind him.  His tone was very absolute…dangerous now.  He knew exactly what he was doing.  The John from the forest had been left right there, a shadow in the dim light, reading a ragged book.

Jordan reached into his pocket and gave him his house keys.  They walked up the stairs and John reached around to unlock the door, still making sure to stay positioned behind Jordan.  As they walked inside, John instructed Jordan to turn the front hall light on and show him to the kitchen.  The refrigerator door was opened along with numerous cupboards.  Food was thrown onto the counter, and then John stopped what he was doing and looked over at Jordan.

“So, here’s what we’re going to do” he told Jordan.  “You’re going to grab whatever food and drink you would like right now and for the rest of the night, you will be down in your basement being as quiet as the little mouse that you are.  I’ve decided that I want to relax and you are definitely in my way of doing that.  Now, Jordan, I want you to trust what I’m about to say to depths of your entire being, okay?”

Jordan stayed silent keeping eye contact with John and just nodded once in acknowledgment.

“If you make one sound, I will hear it.  You will sit in one place for the rest of the night and only stand up when necessary.  If I hear too much movement…infact, if I hear anything out of the ordinary, I will kill you.  Don’t underestimate what I’m saying to you for even a second.  My hearing has become attuned to the most subtle of movements over the years and I promise I will rip you to shreds if you try anything, understand?”

“I understand” Jordan replied.  “I’m not going to give you any trouble, John.  My home is yours tonight.  Take whatever you want.  This is my own fault.”

“You’re damn right it’s your own fault but atleast you understand and seem to have learnt from it.  That’s one thing you have going for you that the others didn’t, Jordan.  I have a good feeling about you, young man.  I think you will be the first to see the light of day.  You see, the others underestimated me.”

They both stood leaning against the kitchen counters, staring at each other.  Two men with nothing in common except a new understanding.  First impressions had faded away.

Jordan spent the night lying on a couch in his basement.  In the morning, he headed up the stairs, exactly as he’d been instructed and faced a new day.  He knew he would never see John again and was thankful for that but also for what he had gained…a new perspective.  He would never look at life or the people he encountered the same way again.

Calls were made and his vacation began.  He packed and prepared the house, leaving the front lawn to be mowed last.  As Jordan pushed the mower down the driveway, he saw Abbey, his neighbor leaning into a silver Mercedes down the street.  She caught sight of him and waved.  Jordan waved back wondering who she could be talking to along the side of the road.  The car didn’t look familiar at all……..

“Hey, Abbey!  is everything okay?” He shouted over to her

“Sure, Jordan” she yelled back “I’m just giving Cindy here some directions.  She just moved in a couple of streets away.”

Jordan saw Abbey lean into the car again talking to the new neighbor.  It looked so innocent but something about the picture bothered him.  It seemed familiar in some way.  He shrugged to himself, still feeling overwhelmed by the previous night and began his last chore before he had to catch a flight out of town.

A few minutes went by before he looked up again.  Abbey was gone and then it hit him.  He stopped mowing and ran over to her house, ringing the door bell a few times.  There was no answer.  Could she have taken off somewhere with the new neighbor?  “Oh well”  he thought to himself.  “It couldn’t be what I thought! It was a nice looking woman in the drivers seat.  I’m just being paranoid.”

Jordan caught his flight, landed in Hawaii, and settled into his hotel room with a nice cold beer that evening.  It was then, turning on the evening news that he learned of Abbey’s death.   

He wasn’t paying attention.  He’d gotten used to running through this area alone with only the animals for company.  It was soothing to him………

And then he saw him.  A homeless man he’d seen many times before outside the grocery store.  They locked eyes for a moment before the nameless man stood up.  Jordan froze in front of him trying to decide whether to say something or turn back the other way. 

The man suddenly began walking quickly towards Jordan.  His long faded overcoat blew behind him with the briskness of his strides.

“I’d like some money, please.”  the man said to him. 

“I don’t have any on me at the moment” Jordan awkwardly explained. “I recognize you from the grocery store though so I’ll make sure not to miss you next time around, buddy.”

The man stood in front of Jordan for a long moment, staring into his eyes calmly.  For some reason, Jordan found he couldn’t look away.  They both just stood there, strangers in a darkened forest.  A home away from home but for very different reasons.

” No” the man suddenly said.  “I think this would be the perfect time for you to make a very generous donation on behalf of the homeless.”

 

Jordan didn’t know how to respond.  It was clear that he wasn’t going to be making a quick escape.  Up close this man was not the mal-nourished, uneducated homeless man he usually saw in a parking lot.  He knew what the man was suggesting and wished he’d brought his cell phone with him.  It was time for some quick thinking…or some very quick running.

“You know what?  That’s no problem at all.  I’ll just run home  and bring you back a check, okay?  My name is Jordan, what’s yours?”

“John.  My name’s John but I’m afraid you won’t be running home anytime soon, Jordan.  You see, I’m getting very tired of living like this and you just happen to be my lucky break tonight.  Now, would you like to have a seat and join me over there or do I need to tie you up?”

Jordan looked over at the old blankets and sleeping bag laying under a large patch of trees.  A large backpack leaned up against one with what looked like basic camping supplies scattered all around.  He wondered what his chances were if he just turned and ran.  Would it be worth the gamble?

“It won’t be neccessary to tie me up, John”  he replied, trying to sound as relaxed and casual as possible.  “I take it you would like to wait awhile to give the neighborhood a chance to settle in for the night?”

“You catch on quick” John replied with a half smile. He gestured toward his seating area as he pulled a knife out of his pocket.  “Have a seat, Jordan.  Don’t worry, I want this all to work out as much as you do but if you run I will catch you.”

 

Jordan slowly walked over and sat on the ground next to the blankets.  He looked around at the now pitch black forest seeing his afternoon escape in an entirely different light.

Most of them had been seen leaning into expensive cars, or standing close by, appearing to give directions.  Neighbors or onlookers never thought anything of their last glimpse…until much later.

Jordan shook his head in disgust at this latest trend.  “How could so many weirdos like this be out there?  Where did they get the cars and what was happening to these women?  It’s obviously way more than one person doing these kidnappings”  Jordan thought as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door.

The sun was just making its last appearance, peeking through the clouds after a grey rainy day.  Jordan began making his way through the neighborhood, grateful for the late summer cool down the downpour gifted.  He had been running through the nearby forest lately for added shade and privacy.  He lived in an upscale yet eccentric neighborhood.  Lot’s of artists mixed in with professionals added to the activity in the evenings.  Jordan enjoyed this but sometimes missed his days living a more solitary life up in the mountains.

As Jordan entered the forest, a last patch of sunlight burst through the trees.  He stopped for a moment, turning his face into the light, listening to the birds chirp happily and flutter through the trees to settle in for the night.  “What a lovely evening” he thought to himself as he took off into the shadows…..

Want more?

Will you look up?

Tonight the moon will light the way home, watching us all explore and roam

Will you look up?

Tonight the sky will remain ancient and wise, holding many mysteries yet telling no lies

Will you look up?

So, after some stories that I’d like feedback on, I will write “want more?” at the end.  This will actually give you a chance to work out in your head what you really like in storylines (yes,really! lol) and myself a chance to discover what people want/enjoy reading.

And it doesn’t have to be just when I type “want more?” at the end! Please leave a comment on anything on this page.  Do you want music for each storyline or just for the page in general?  Do you like the way it’s designed?  I’ll be switching it up now and then just because I’m terrible at design & that’s pretty much all I know how to do is switch the header.

Also, I might start posting some of my thoughts on this page.  I’ve come to realize that I’m not a very good blogger so this might not work out but I might give it a try sometimes.  As you might have guessed from my short stories, I love paranormal research.  I’ve been doing this from a very young age but I think it’s time for feedback on that as well!

That’s about it for now folks! Please leave your thoughts or just stop in to say hi! 

 The sun glimmers through the windows as it begins to set. Bright streaks stretch across the carpet and angle across the walls in a way only Kate is familiar with.  Time escapes her as she sits focusing, forgetting about the lovely summer evening.

 Before she knows it, there is nothing but darkness outside.  Kate looks around the office, suddenly aware of how alone she is, sitting in the dark.  She carefully organizes her desk in preparation for the next day, grabs her purse, and heads for the elevator.

 As Kate stands in the lobby waiting, she begins to feel the same awkwardness that washes over her every time she’s the last one to leave the office.

       “Why am I doing this?”  she thinks to herself.  “I don’t even like this job! I’m so stupid for wasting any amount of extra energy…..just sitting there like that.  This is my life!  I need to go out and enjoy it.”

Kate takes the elevator down to ground level, gets in her shiny new BMW, turns the music up loud, and speeds home with the sun roof open.  As the warm summer air refreshes her senses she begins to relax and enjoy the ride home.

 As Kate pulls into the garage of her highrise apartment, her frustration suddenly returns.

      “I’ve just got to keep busy”  she say’s to herself as she walks down the long wide hallway towards her apartment.  “I’ll cook a nice dinner tonight and take a hot bath.  This is just anxious energy, Kate!  Okay, pep talk over before someone thinks I’m crazy…..”

 The door is unlocked, cats are greeted and pampered, plants are watered.  Garlic and onions chopped and salad rinsed.  Boiling, simmering, baking……..eating.  Television blaring, every light on, every door open while bath water heats and heals………………………………………

 Bed.  Cool sheets, ceiling fan on low, cats purring, book………..lights out.

 Silence screams out through the night, waiting and listening for sound.  Minutes drift by into hours as the clock tick tick ticks in anticipation of time.

 The hissing and growling alert Kate just in time to see her enter the room.  The female doctor moves swiftly towards the bed……..

       “Ssshhhh”  is her only sound towards the cats as she paralyzes them into silence.

Kate starts to sit up as the woman walks toward the side of the bed.  She looks over to see three men standing just outside the bedroom door.  She’s seen them before.  They are military…….she knows.  Three big bad men guarding one woman from another.  Pathetic.

 Next comes the color black and then she’s sitting in the chair being asked questions again.

      “How are your eyes doing, Kate?”  asks the female doctor as she shines a light into them.

      “Good”  replies Kate as she looks around the dark room.  It looks exactly like a regular exam room, nothing special at all.

      “No blurred vision or any changes in your left?

      “No” lies Kate as she feels the woman’s energy change.  She has realized Kate is lying but Kate doesn’t care.  She just wants this “eye examination” to be finished.

 Then Kate’s wish comes true and she’s back in bed but with more figures surrounding her.  These figures aren’t big and bad but they have a job to do.  Kate feels a love for them………a love that isn’t returned in the same way.  But love is love…….right?

 Kate knows what they have to do but suddenly, she knows what she has to do too.  Machines begin to work, paralysis becomes stronger, needles start rotating above her and one is directed straight towards her left eye……..

      “Hey hey! What are you doing? Where are you going? What color are you? What’s your name? how are you feeling? Are you here to help me? Where did you come from? Do you like pasta? When are you leaving? When did you get here? Why are you here? Do you have any pets? Do you have sex? What are you doing? When will you leave? Where will you go after this? Are you married? Do you like it here? Do you like me?…………………………………………………………………………………..paralysis stops.

 Kate lifts her head off of the bed.  It still feels really heavy.  She slowly moves her legs as the yelling starts from somewhere outside her room.

        “Take care of this goddammit!” a deep sounding male voice barks out.  “Send in the teacher NOW before she kills them all!

        “I’m not going to kill anyone” kate thinks “I just didn’t want the needle stuck in my eye!”

 Kate tries to speak to let them know she means no harm but her voice hasn’t come back yet so she tries telepathing to the being surrounding her bed.  She tunes into them and suddenly feels how terrified they are just as another figure comes through the wall beside her head.

        “Kate, it’s okay” her teacher communicates to her.  “This has to be done.  It’s not going to hurt you.”

       “Are you telling me a needle in my eye won’t hurt one bit?  It won’t blind me?”  Kate asks this familiar being who has been with her since childhood.

       “That is correct” her teacher replies patiently and kindly “but this is something that has to be done and you have to lie still so we can finish the procedure.”

       “I’m so scared though.  I don’t even like the thought of something entering my eye.  I’m not sure I can lie still for this one.”

      “Don’t worry, Kate.  Just try your best and remember no matter how scary it might seem, there will be no harm done to you.  I’m with you now.  I’ll stay right here.”

 Kate feels so much better now that her teacher is back.  She hasn’t been able to communicate with her for the longest time and has missed her.  She wants to please her teacher and so she begins to calm herself and lie still.

 The machines start again and all she can focus on is the needle heading straight for her eye.  She keeps her eye open and watches as it gets closer and closer and closer and…………blackness.

Kate opens her eyes and rolls over to see the sun shining through the curtains.  She feels drained but glad a new day has begun.  She gets out of bed, stretches, and walks towards the kitchen to make coffee.  Her cats are stretched out on the couch in the living room looking happy and cozy.

       “Hi guys!” Kate calls out to them.  They squint their eyes at her in return and begin to stretch their bodies out for the morning breakfast routine.

 Kate feels the sunshine warm her feet against the kitchen tile and realizes how happy she is this morning.

       “This is the beginning of a new day” she says to herself as she looks out her kitchen window at the beautiful blue sky.  “I am alive, living this life right now and I choose to be happy.”

Kate smiles to herself for a moment, looks out the window again and then opens the refrigerator in pursuit of eggs.  It is indeed a new day with endless possibilities.   

This opportunity was quite thrilling for them all.  They  knew if this little outing was successful, it would mean more freedom in the future.  They had all taken lessons in the past with a simulator but nothing  compared to the real thing.  Zandi was just relieved there was a primitive navigator system within the government vehicle they were now speeding down a dirt road in.

In the distance, they could see the freeway that would take them into the city.  As they stared ahead, they were silent, each deep in thought and curious about walking through a world they weren’t allowed to be a part of.

“So you really were completely honest with him about what we are, Zandi?” Skolar asked from the backseat.

“Completely, Skolar.” Zandi answered as she began realizing what they were actually about to do.  Sitting at her workstation on the airship, fantasizing, was different from being so out in the open among beings that could rip them apart out of their own ignorance and fear.  She was going to have to calm down and establish some sort of comfort level with this human……let him get to know her somehow.

“So, where are we meeting him? asked Koza

“At the beach” replied Zandi. “That’s why I told you to bring the warming jackets.  The temperature out there is going to be completely different than what we’re used to but I thought it would be really interesting to take a walk on an earth beach at night and it might make the human feel more at ease. Oh yes, and his name is Christopher but he prefers to be called Chris.”

“Great, thank you for letting us know Zandi. That’s just so exciting to know what he’s called you fucking pervert” replied Skolar in a tone Zandi had never heard him use before. “I would really appreciate your telling us exactly why you’re so fascinated with the humans.  These are primitive beings we are dealing with, do you understand!?!”

“Don’t YOU understand Skolar what I’m trying to figure out about them and…..ME!  You should be trying to figure out the same thing!  Just because we haven’t been told certain things about ourselves doesn’t mean we should sit back like morons and not question them!”

There was silence again as they drove through the city taking in all the sights and sounds they had only been shown from the comfort of the airship.  They would roll down the windows now and then to breathe in new scents they were unfamiliar with yet found comforting. 

Finally, they were at the beach pulling into a parking lot where the headlights of the large SUV shone brightly upon a young man standing beside his car smiling.  Zandi put on her sunglasses and Koza and Skolar slid down out of view in the backseat.  Chris just stood there without any hesitation and suddenly waved to Zandi.

Zandi felt her heart flutter and found herself smiling back with ease.  Then, with the same ease, she took the sunglasses off.  Chris did not react in the slightest and continued to smile at Zandi while beckoning her outside.

“Go, Zandi” Skolar suddenly said from the backseat.  “You really got lucky this time.  Don’t pass the opportunity up.”

“Thank you, Skolar” replied Zandi while breathing a sigh of relief. “You do know I love you very much, right?”

“Yes” came the barely audible whisper from the darkness behind her.

Zandi opened the door and stepped out into the brisk California winter air.  She suddenly felt nervous and confused as to what to do next.  Chris began walking towards her, still beaming his friendly smile and before she knew it he was right in front of her.

“Well, hello new friend!” he said to her with the most comforting voice she had ever heard.  She felt her entire being relax as she let him envelope her in a warming hug.

“Hello new friend”  she repeated back to him.