After almost three years of involvement in the preparation, direction and completeion of a blockbuster movie about aliens, I dealt with press junkets and the mishaps of our leading man. I deserved a break far away from people. The wilderness called.
I drove half way across country, parked the van in an isolated area overnight, then spent the morning trekking into a desolate no-man’s-land.
After setting up my tent in the perfect spot, I followed a path that lead to a clear and gently flowing stream and sat to soak up the ambience. There was something hypnotically soothing about this place. Time seemed irrelevant. Feeling detached, I sighed as I dangled my feet in the water. I hadn’t been there long when there was a noise in the undergrowth.
“What was that?” I thought as I looked around, and seeing nothing in the vicinity, I relaxed again, but soon rustling and the sound of approaching footsteps intensified.
A stranger appeared, pushing through the greenery, and said, “Ah! They told me that I’d find you here.”
I was flummoxed, “What? Who told you where to find me?” The person ignored my questions.
“Mind if I join you?” The stranger asked.
“I’d rather…” but before I could say ,”…you didn’t.” I felt suddenly drained of energy.
Instead of blowing my top as usual, I was oddly calm. A hood covered the head of the stranger and I was unable to make out any facial features. I indicated a spot further away to where the person retreated and perched, staring at me.
Did the person want an interview? I’d given all the interviews I thought I could ever stand to give.
We waited in uncomfortable silence. Even though the stranger was doing nothing more than looking at me, I loathed the invasion of privacy. I began to feel afraid as was there was no one else around.
Finally, I said, “What do you want?”
Now that I’d asked the question, the stranger was alert and moved closer.
“Uh-uh-uh-stay there.” I ordered.
The stranger shrank back, and still facing me and said, “You’re very special. We’d like to…”
“We?" I said, “Who do you represent?”
“I can’t tell you, yet.”
“Right.”
Growing frustrated by the secrecy, I said, “Look, I just want some peace and quiet.”
“I know that…” The person began.
“I don’t think you do, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.” I said, “Just GO-A-WAY.” I pulled out my phone an began to dial. “If you don’t leave, I’m calling the police.” Perhaps by standing I might intimidate the visitor into leaving me alone but the person came towards me. There was a rustling in the brush, a commotion to the left, to the right, and from behind. Realising I was being ambushed, I turned to run, but a paralysing ray hit me directly in the chest. The attackers closed in, picked me up and carried me through the bush. The only things I could see were either directly overhead or periphally.
They threw me onto a stretcher in a vehicle, the doors of which closed silently. From the almost imperceptible movement I knew we were travelling. It was evening by the time we’d entered a building. I couldn’t make out what or where it was exactly. A long, grey corridor lit by down lights opened into a room with a domed ceiling. A brilliant spot light was thrust in my face. There was a pervading odour similar to disinfectant and garlic. My eyes were tearing up. One of the abductors, I think it might have been the one that first approached, squirted drops into my eyes.
They were many of them speaking in a language I didn’t understand. I was still unable to move but could feel them examining me, injecting me, taking samples, prodding and probing. I endured the torture for what seemed an eternity, and when they’d finally finished, the stretcher moved into an upright position and a window opened. I was able to see that we were just outside an asteroid belt. My mind scrabbled for logic but I found nothing but blind panic. From this vantage point, the Earth looked tiny and helpless. If I was dreaming, this was a nightmare.
A voice beside me said, “It is real, and you’re not dreaming. We want you to help us persuade your people. You are very influential.”
“Are you going to take over the world?”
Ignoring the question again the voice described their vision for Earth’s future in a co-operative venture. I felt as though my head would implode with the importance of the message and after hearing it, I blacked out.
A couple found me In the early hours of the morning on a city beach more than 2 thousand kilometres from my campsite. I was shaking, terrified and covered in bruises. They called an ambulance and I was taken to a hospital, examined by doctors, questioned by police and after hearing my story, government agents.
Apparently, I had been missing for over ten days (I thought I’d been gone for two.)
A week later, after thinking long and hard, I called a press conference while the events were still fresh. I told the world what had happened to me and what the aliens wanted. At the end of my speech, journalists and photographers erupted in laughter. I was headline news for all the wrong reasons.
Well, I’d expected some ridicule, and even thought I might lose cynical friends, but it seems every body I know wants to distance themselves from me. My once successful life is in a downward spiral. I’m anathema to anyone except fanatical fringe freaks.
They said I need help and maybe they’re right. Anyway, I’m here now, in this psych ward hold, awaiting assessment.
Where are aliens when you need them?
