Synopsis:
A young woman is abducted by aliens and probed by tentacles.
Author's Note:
A story I wrote for a client. I welcome any feedback you may have! I hope you enjoy it!
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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS ON THE OTHER SIDE
Section I.
A proverbial midnight oil burned as a young woman scribbled furiously away at a job application. She cursed under her breath, biting her lip with disdain as an annoying moth fluttered into her flickering desk lamp. It was 11:30 in the evening. And for Kate Newell, today had not been the best of days.
"I'm sorry, Kate. You've done good work for us, but we have to let you go."
"What?" Kate cried out. "But the project--"
"Will be handled by someone else. Don't worry about it."
"But, how could you--"
"You're an excellent worker. I'm sure you'll have no problem finding another job.
She heard the man smile through the phone. And with that, Kate's career at the Grayson's Insurance Company finally ended after four years with a mere phone call.
It had also been drizzling in the streets all day long. And among other things, Kate had stepped in a puddle on the way home, soaking her Sketchers all the through to her socks. And with her roommate on vacation for the foreseeable future, Kate found herself frustrated and alone in her apartment with no one to vent to.
"I cannot believe this..."
At last, she signed the bottom of the application and set it aside. With an exhausted sigh she fell back into her chair, basking in the quiet breeze of the ceiling fan. Kate was still wearing the black tights, tank top, and the grey sweater she wore on the way home. And having decided she was not yet ready for bed, she grabbed the remote, sat on her bed, and switched on the TV.
Channel 8.
"And now! Breaking news!"
"Yes, Mitchell, what's the latest report tonight?"
"The US navy is claiming a major UFO sighting above the states. Apparently, some kind of strange object in orbit. We'll transfer to Barbara who will tell us more."
A woman stood in a grassy field with an umbrella.
"Yes, thank you Michael! We don't often report on such things. But after the sudden meteor shower a month ago, NASA has been keeping a close eye on the stars... oh! Wait a minute!"
"D-did something happen?" Michael replied.
"We're receiving a new report that the object has completely vanished."
"Do we have a photo of the object?"
"Apparently not."
"Hahah, wow. Another tabloid for the media. Maybe another weather balloon that popped."
The anchormen started laughing.
"Welp! Now, for the world of sports--"
Then, the screen lost power.
Kate, who had been watching the broadcast in silence, suddenly sat up in confusion. The ceiling fan above came to a slow stop. The desk lamp clicked off abruptly. Kate furrowed her brow in alarm as her room turned pitch black. Even the street lamps just outside her window had shut off, leaving her room devoid of any light.
Power failure? She thought. But when she grabbed her phone and found that it too had shut itself off, a growing feeling of dread began to manifest in her chest.
Something was not right.
"Uh... what?" She muttered to herself. "W-what's going on?"
Then, a blinding flash of light blazed through the window blinds. Myriad colors of white and red and orange spun and flashed and whirled in Kate's vision, as though a kaleidoscope of pastel colors had been burned into her retinas. Searchlights of a kind--ones that passed through solid walls--appeared in her room, scanning her bookshelves, dresser, dolls, and belongings, slowly moving across every surface of her abode inch by inch.
Kate wanted to scream. She clasped her hand over her mouth as she backed away from the strange lights that slowly inched toward her like water droplets coalescing into a singular bubble. The lights almost seemed to have a mind of their own, as though they were searching for something or someone.
Kate gulped. She wanted to escape, but in order to reach the door, she would have to risk passing through the light. And there was no telling what would happen if she did.
Was it a ghost? A will o' wisp, perhaps? Would it eat her? Chop her into a million pieces? Burn her alive?
As a cold sweat formed on Kate's forehead, she took a great gulp and made her decision.
With a cat-like gait, Kate knelt on the carpet. Then, she sprung forward in a last-ditch attempt to jump over the light.
The light caught her ankle.
"Ahh!"
Immediately, the light went into a frenzy. Suspended in mid-air, Kate could only watch in horror as her entire body--from foot to shoulder--disintegrated before her eyes. And the last thing she could remember before she vanished entirely was the sight of a floating object right outside her window.
Section II.
"Target acquired, Captain. She's currently suspended in the pattern buffer."
"Good, bring her in. Keep the barrier up."