Nowhere

by Joshua David

  Dr. Hays freeze framed it just as the fake Richard turned toward the store just enough to have a clear profile of the side of his face with the silver object pointed and facing his mouth. “Do you know what this is?” Hays pointed at the silver object with the corner of the remote.

  “I haven’t got a clue what that is, that’s not me Doc.”

  “Richard I think I’m being pretty reasonable here. I’m really trying to be open minded, and I want you to open up to the possibility, however minute you might think it is, but the possibility that this is most certainly you and there is something about this video that we need to realize.”

  The Doctor pushed the forward arrow once again to speed the video up. Richard watched as the video rolled time quickly through the better part of two hours. All the while, the video Richard was holding the silver object to his face.

  Then the video Richard lurched forward out of the view of the camera and rose again, this time without the silver object. The time showed 19:59:45. What happened next made him break out in goose bumps. The video Richard turned, the video still zipping by at double speed, turned directly and looked out of the driver window toward the storefront.

  From the distance of the camera, Richard couldn’t be certain whether he was staring at the store itself or directly at the camera, as if knowing what was going on, knowing that the present Richard, the one who sat in Doctor Hays’ office now would be watching this.

  For twenty seconds or so, Richard watched his video self sit motionless in the car, staring out the window towards the store. The white numbers had an hour and eleven minutes of this footage. Then suddenly the statue that was Richard got out of the car and began to walk toward the store.

  Dr. Hays froze the footage again. “After seeing this, is there anything that you remember differently about what took place inside the store?”

  “No, I told you what happened”

  Doc Hays pushed the play button on the remote and the disc began to play once more. He put it on 4x speed. The video quickly shifted from the parking lot camera outside to a new angle that Richard knew must be from the ceiling mounted camera he remembered seeing. The video Richard walked into the store and quickly back to the pharmacy. He stared at the metal grate as the time on the camera ticked quickly by. After standing there about three minutes he went back to the front of the store and began conversing with the clerk.

  After what Richard knew was said, was said, the video Richard took off at double speed back to the pharmacy. Then he began the odd bobbing motions again, this time in the rear aisle of the store. He would briefly look toward the pharmacy and then back toward the floor. All the while, he was just standing there. Richard knew that it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes that he stood there. He watched however as the time ticked by. Soon it was ten o’clock, the time that the store was supposed to close; he had been standing there well over forty minutes when suddenly he saw in the corner of the frame, the store clerk yelling at him.

  At this point he knew what she had to have been saying. The video Richard did not respond well to this, he spun around screaming, his mouth contorting in odd shapes, screaming and shouting. Then his arms sprang out like giant cleavers wrecking the elaborate placement of medicine and pharmaceuticals.

  The clerk ducked behind the counter taking the phone with her.

  The video Richard walked to the next aisle and looked toward the different hardware items. He must not have found what he needed because he returned to the medicine aisle empty handed. He stared at the pharmacy again for about fifteen minutes. Then suddenly he looked up directly at the ceiling security camera.

  This again gave present Richard goose bumps and chills. The video Richard then started moving again, walking towards the front, but suddenly hit the deck hard as he slipped on a bottle of pills and knocked over more things from the shelf.

  The video Richard left blood dripping on the floor and down his shirt as he stood back up. He walked screaming and fidgeting out of the store. When he left the camera angle switched again. Richard watched as halfway across the parking lot, a sheriff’s unit sped into the lot.

  “I don’t need to see more” Richard said. His head dropped and he suddenly saw that the blood stains on his shirt fit this scenario more soundly than the one in which Richard was dragged, bleeding from the store by some alien like creature.

  “No…, me neither.” Doc pushed stop and the TV went blue. He got up and went to the window behind his desk. He sighed as he stared out the window.

  “What Doc, what are you holding back?”

  He turned back toward Richard, took a sip from the straw of a fast food cup, and then put both hands down on the desk.

  “It could be that you have a form of schizophrenia, these moments that you think you are asleep, are actually spent awake. It could be that these people who come out after you are psychological projections of yourself. They are an interruption in your brain, a warning device if you will that interrupt the brain to prevent smooth transitions between your personalities.”

  “Don’t do this.”

  “Do what Richard?”

  “Don’t feed me this, this…this psychological projections crap. I know what I saw Doc, I know what I felt and I know that it was real.”

  “You don’t really want this to stop, do you?”

  “What do you mean? of coarse I do.”

  “You don’t want to hear the truth. You don’t want to accept the fact that your subconscious is a liar. You don’t want to take action against this Steven character that is destroying you.”

  “No, what you’re saying can’t be the truth. I’m not crazy, or schizo. This is what’s crazy,” He pointed his hand toward the TV. I know what happened, it had to have happened. So no, I don’t want to hear what you’re calling truth anymore, I just want to go home. I need to sleep. Do you think that they will let me go home?”

  “For tonight, I’ve already arranged for you to be let home, but on one condition. I need you to take this.” Doctor Hays held out a small peach colored pyramid shaped pill on the tip of his finger.

  “What is it?” Richard asked. In the past he had taken anything Hays would prescribe him in a desperate attempt to fix his issues. Tonight, however, red flags shot up. Despite what he had seen on the Television and what Hays was telling him, he didn’t feel like he needed to be fixed. He wanted answers, but he knew he would need to talk to Steven again to get them.

  “It’s a sleep aid, it will help you to calm down and actually sleep tonight, but it’s also a really strong muscle relaxant, so it will help ensure that you don’t go driving off tonight.”

  “Do I have to take it? I mean I’ll go to sleep and stay home tonight. I promise.”

  “It’s not really my decision to make, the Sheriff said it’s the only way that he’ll let you spend the night anywhere but the lockup. He essentially wants you sedated, and I said I’d do my best. I guess it’s ultimately up to you, but just know that you’ll go to jail if you don’t take this.”

  Richard took it and looked at it in his hand. He decided it best to listen to the red flags, but didn’t want to spend the night in jail. Hays handed him a bottle of water. Richard opened the bottle and while doing so he used his thumb to push the small pill securely in between his fingers. Then he pretended to throw the pill into his mouth and then drank the whole bottle for good measure. He gave the empty bottle to the doctor.

  “Open up and let’s have a look see.”

  “Are you serious?” Richard asked.

  “In this case, yea… I have to be.” Hays responded.

  Richard opened his mouth wide and moved his tongue side to side as the doctor leaned forward to peer in. Richard took the opportunity of this momentary distraction to carefully stash the pill away in his coat pocket.

  “Well that’s done I guess.” Hay’s said as he leaned back. “The sheriff wants you to stay in town tomorrow for some questions. Don’t worry, I’ll go with you tomorrow down to the station and we ca
n clear this up. Let me see, it’s 2:35 in the morning.” Hays said as he pressed his fingers under his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. How about you go home, I’ll call you at noon and we can arrange to meet at the sheriff’s station at around one.”

  “That sounds good.”

  “So let’s get going, I’ll drop you by your car, and then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Yea, well more like later today.” Richard said faking a smile.

  Chapter 9 : Getting To The Bottom Of It

  The car rolled to a stop outside the sheriff’s station. Hays reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out Richard’s keys. I will see you later, right?

  “You will… you will.”

  “You’re not feeling any effects of the pill yet right?”

  “No not really? Should I?”

  “No, I think you’ll be ok to drive home, and I’ll follow you to make sure you get there safely.”

  “Ok, sounds good.”

  “Ok. Well I have to go into the sheriff’s station and talk with the deputy to let them know the plan. I’ll come back out and wave you on when we get the all clear. You can hop in your car and warm up a bit.”

  Richard climbed out of Dr. Hays' car and into his own vehicle. He sat for a moment looking at the papers shuffled about. He watched as Hays walked into the sheriff’s office. As soon as Hays was out of sight, Richard lurched forward and began feeling under the seat.

  Nothing. There was nothing under the seat. If there had been any silver object it was gone. He pounded his fist on the steering wheel. Hays came out of the station, a huge grin on his face, and waved him on. He started the car and drove out of the lot. He passed the pharmacy as he drove down Washington. Then took a left on 4th Street, but continued on towards his apartment. Hays trailed him until he turned down his street and then the Doctor continued on. Richard pulled up to his apartment and sat there for a moment.

  First he scanned the street to see if there were any Sheriff’s units along the road, watching for him to return home. He wasn’t sure if they would put surveillance on him, but needed to be on the lookout for it either way. Then he checked his rear view mirror for a few moments making sure Hays didn’t back track to double check that he’d gone inside.

  When he was sure he wasn’t being watched or followed, he drove off, not knowing yet exactly where he would end up, but sure that he had to do something and it had to be done now. As he drove he thought about the mug and the events that had just transpired. He put his hand to his jaw to feel how sore it still was. It was a way of re-affirming that it hadn’t all been a dream.

  He looked about his car, but couldn’t find any trace of the mug in question. The Sheriff’s office must have taken it as evidence he thought, but he instantly knew that there was another explanation.

  “You have to retrace your steps…” Steven’s voice came from the backseat floorboard. Richard almost swerved off the road in shock. He turned to look, but it was too dark.

  “Keep your eyes on the road!” Steven whispered angrily. “They can’t know I’m back here. They still could be watching you.”

  “What should I do now, where should I go?” Richard tried to speak calmly and focus on the road as best he could. He kept telling himself in his head to act natural, don’t speed, use your signals, drive safely…

  “You have to get to the bottom of this, it has to be tonight.”

  “Why tonight?”

  “They think you’re at home, they think you’re heavily sedated and willing to cooperate fully in order to avoid more trouble.” Steven said. He was calm, almost emotionless. There was a mission to the way he spoke.

  “But they’ll expect to see me tomorrow.”

  “If we’re lucky, we’ll crack this whole thing open before then. We’ll let the world see them for what they really are and start the fight against the aliens.”

  “Ok, so what next then?”

  “Right now you exist in two different realities, the one you remember and the one they’ve shown you. There are truths in both, but ultimately there is only one true truth. You have to find a way to piece both together and find the true reality.”

  “How do I do that?”

  “Pull in here.”

  Richard looked to his left and saw that he was passing the same Chuckee’s station that he remembered from before.

  “But if I go in, they’ll definitely call the cops on me.”

  “Then we have to be quick. You have to stay ahead of them at all costs. They’ll be after you as soon as you make contact in that store, but you have to find answers. Pull over to the tree line.”

  Richard did as Steven said and pulled over to the tree line at the edge of the parking lot. As soon as he stopped the car, Steven opened the back door closest to the trees.

  “Remember, be quick about it and don’t stop till you figure out the truth.” Steven whispered and then he was gone into the darkness within the trees.

  Richard sat for a moment and remembered the events of the previous night. In the version he remembered he knew his car was low on gas which eventually had slowed him down. So he decided to pump his gas before going in. He pulled the car up to a pump and got his wallet out to make sure he had some cash to pay for the gas. He had twenty bucks which would give him the better half of a full tank. He pushed the pay inside payment key and held the twenty dollar bill up so the attendant could see that he meant well.

  It must have worked because the pump activated and he was able to pump. He stopped the pump just shy of twenty dollars so that he didn’t risk going over and being caught in the difficult scenario of coming up with an additional three cents or so. Then he hung the pump up and went into the store. He gave the attendant the twenty and then waved off his attempt to hand him a few pennies. The attendant instead put them into a charity bin for cancer kids.

  Next, Richard went back to the coffee station. The Chuckee’s mugs were white styrofoam at the top and bottom, with a bright orange coloring down the middle. It was tiger orange, Chuckee’s orange, but not the mugs that Richard was looking for. He went back to the front.

  It was a different attendant than the one he remembered from the night before, but he figured that wasn’t uncommon for the employees to have shifts on alternating nights.

  “Was there anything strange that happened here last night?” He asked the clerk behind the counter. It was a dark haired clean cut fellow with a yellow tobacco stain in the middle of his teeth.

  “I’m not sure Sir, why do you ask?”

  “Oh I just heard from a friend that one of the local gas stations was getting hassled by some guy last night. I think they caught him though.”

  “No, nothing like that I think. I probably would have heard about it if there was something like that. I’m the night manager, you see. I would expect that they would let me know.”

  “They?” Richard asked intently.

  “Well yea, my employee’s. They would let me know.”

  “I see…” Richard said. “Hey, I don’t suppose that you know what chain around here sells their coffee in a forest green colored mug do you?”

  “Not off the top of my head.”

  “Ok, thanks I do appreciate it.” He said and started his way back out, confident that he had successfully avoided any confrontation that might prematurely alert the aliens to his rogue status.

  “Oh Sir!” The attendant said just as Richard opened the door to walk out. He looked back. “You may try that little place on the highway. I can’t remember what the name of it is. It’s not a chain, it’s locally owned. It’s not in town, so I know it’s not really what you’re looking for, but their sign is green, so it may be worth a shot.”

  “Thanks a bunch.” Richard said with a smile and a wave as he left.

  He quickly walked back to his car, carefully scanning the parking lot for any signs of being detected as he got in. He then leaned over onto the passenger side and opened the glove box. He pulled out an old paper map of the county and th
en shut the glove box. He decided that he could work his way systematically towards where the attendant had pointed him. He would just run quickly in and check mugs and figured he didn’t have to stop and chit chat any more.

  He drove out and toward the highway. He stopped at two more stores on the way to the highway, neither of which had the mug he was looking for. Finally he turned onto the highway and drove toward the small station on the outskirts of town.

  It had a forest green sign, roughly the same color as he remembered the mug having, which was promising. He parked and went inside. Just as before, he bypassed the store clerk and went back to find the coffee station. Except when he got there, there was no coffee maker. There were fountain drinks, and refrigerators that contained Yoo-hoos and Power-aids, but in the spot one would expect to see a coffee maker, there was only an empty counter and a black outlet in the wall.

  Richard went back to the front. The clerk was a thinly built black woman who looked like she was in her twenties.

  “Excuse me Ma’am, I was wondering where your coffee station was.”

  “Oh, we don’t sell coffee anymore. We have energy drinks in one of the uprights if you’d like.”

  “You don’t sell coffee?” Richard asked in confusion. He had seen places that had nothing more than a single brewer with burnt half day old coffee sitting behind the register before, and places that said they were out or had stopped brewing for the day, but he had never once been to a gas station convenient store that just flatly did not sell coffee.

  “No, not anymore.”

  “What kind of store doesn’t sell coffee? I don’t understand, how long since you changed that?”

  “I’m sorry Sir, but we just stopped offering it. Let me get the manager, he can maybe explain the reasoning of it all to you.” She stepped back into a lounge type room that was behind the counter. She came back out followed by a short balding Italian looking man, but Richard could instantly see that his eyes had the telltale dark circles under them that made Richard panic.