by Logan Castle
I glanced toward the TV at the image of the earth, but you’d never have known it because the sky was covered in a thick, creamy, white quilt of clouds. The clouds resembled cotton balls that appeared to be glued onto a huge piece of paper. However, breaking up what would otherwise have been a perfectly cloudy sky were large, ominous-looking holes. Lots of them. It looked as if something had been punching holes into the clouds…repeatedly.
What the hell is going on out there?!
After a small tap at the door, it began to open, drawing my attention back to my surroundings. A uniformed hospital worker appeared in the doorway, short and stout with thick spectacles balanced on his wide nose. His hair was covered with a hospital cap and his mouth was shielded by a medical mask.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Kent. How are you feeling?”
It took me a moment to answer, as if I had to learn how to use my voice again. “I’m…sore. My head feels like I was hit with a two-by-four and I have no idea why I’m here.” Goddammit! My throat was killing me.
The man shook his head. “That’s to be expected. You took quite a fall on that head of yours. Amazingly, you still have all your teeth. Can’t say much for the rest of your body at the moment, though. You were definitely a little worse for wear when you came in.”
His words did nothing to jog my memory. The man was watching me closely as he continued. “I’m Dr. Lee and you are at UCLA Trauma Center in Los Angeles. You were brought here early yesterday morning. You gave us quite a scare, Mr. Kent. We were all a very worried that you wouldn’t make it.”
“Make it?!” I asked incredulously, taking a deep breath. “No offense, Doc, but I don’t have the first goddam clue as to how or why I’m here.” I was annoyed. My memory had never been a problem before but, for the life of me, I couldn’t recall anything.
“Well Mr. Kent, apparently you enjoy mass quantities of cocaine with your alcohol. According to what we’ve heard from the young lady you met in the bar, it sounds like it took a few people to hold you down just to get you under control.”
The bar. I remembered the bar. And like that, all the memories began to come back to me. I was at a bar getting shitfaced. I remembered the cocaine, the countdown and…the girl. Kelsey. I remembered her. We started doing coke in the bathroom together and then? And then I couldn’t remember. I was completely embarrassed at my next question. “Did I overdose?”
“We actually aren’t sure of anything yet. You tested positive for cocaine, of course. And you exhibited all the signs of an overdose but…” The doctor trailed off.
“What? But what?” I pressed.
“Mr. Kent…we aren’t sure exactly what happened. When you came in, your situation was extremely critical. Your body was in code three distress and your breathing stopped for a couple of minutes. We managed to resuscitate you but…” I could feel my eyes growing wider as the doctor continued to speak. “It’s the damnedest thing really, but your brain activity did not register for over twenty-four hours.”
“What…does that even mean?” I was stunned. I wished it were a prank of some kind, but I knew it wasn’t. Wrapping my mind around what I was being told was an act that was easier said than done.
“You were brain dead. During that time, you were sustained by machines that kept you breathing and your heart beating. However, fearing the worst, we contacted whatever family members we could.” The doctor took a long breath. “And then, about four hours ago, your brain just turned back on! Just like a switch, for lack of a better description.”
I needed a moment to digest the news. I was brain dead?! The absolute absurdity of it made me want to laugh and cry both at once. I broke eye contact with the doctor and stared at the door blankly. “I was brain dead.” I repeated, aloud this time. “What does that even mean? Was I brain dead? Am I… is there something wrong with me?” God, I sounded like an idiot but I couldn’t help it.
The doctor studied me and shook his head. “Mr. Kent, I’ve been a medical doctor for over thirty years. And in that time, I have never seen anything like this. Whatever happened to you is beyond any medical explanation I could give you. You should feel extremely, utterly fortunate to be alive, Mr. Kent. A miracle is the only explanation I can offer. You must have someone looking over you upstairs,” he said, pointing upwards with one finger. “That is, if you believe in that sort of thing.”
I didn’t believe in anything. Or at least, I never had before. But after being told that you were brain dead only four hours ago, even the staunchest of atheists might reconsider their position. I wasn’t a believer in divine providence by any stretch but only about two seconds away from dropping to my knees and thanking the responsible parties.
I took a moment to process the information Dr. Lee had just told me. “So… am I going to be okay?”
The doctor picked up the chart that was hanging from the end of my cot and began to flip through the pages. He cleared his throat a couple of times and answered, “All your vitals are normal and steady. We have no reason to keep you here any longer.”
I released a very nervous, unsteady laugh. “So I’m going to be released soon?”
The doctor nodded. “We will monitor you for another hour or so, process your paperwork and have you out of here as soon as we can. And you should know,” he started before clearing his throat and looking uncomfortable. “You should know that the police took down your information. I’m not sure if they are still here but they will probably contact you to discuss your… (ahem) extracurricular activities.”
Ugh. Dammit. Perfect. Just fucking great! I shook my head, angry more at myself than at hearing the doctor’s news.
“We are switching to our correspondent, Margo Feldman, who is in Downtown Los Angeles on Sunset Boulevard where a group of people are gathering and obstructing traffic. It’s beginning to become a very unruly situation down there. Margo, what can you tell us?”
“Hi, Allen, yes, I’m in Downtown LA where the events that all of us have been witnessing and talking about all morning are causing tensions to run high. With one of the Fallstreaks directly ahead, a group of people have gathered behind me. This group started out pretty small but has begun to swell as more and more people join. If you can get the camera to zoom in, you’ll see people carrying signs with some pretty apocalyptic messages written on them. I interviewed one of those involved who claimed that these formations are the handiwork of aliens. I can also tell you that a large contingent of people here believe these things are a divine sign of the end times. Many have been calling for people all over the world to pray. I’m going to try and get in front of a few of them now to ask some more questions…”
I nodded towards the TV. “What’s going on out there?”
Dr. Lee glanced up at the monitor and stared at it for a long moment. “Looks like real wrath of God stuff to me. Dogs and cats living together. Mass hysteria.” I couldn’t help smiling at that. Had the doctor really just quoted Ghostbusters? Dr. Lee turned his head and looked at me squarely in the face, his eyes cold and tired. “A lot of things have happened in the last twenty-four to thirty hours, Mr. Kent. Things that I can’t even begin to explain.”
Then the doctor started to leave but he stopped just short of walking out the door. He turned his head sideways to address me. “By the way, someone is here to see you. We tried to locate contact information for people associated with you but only managed to uncover two. One was for a Plum Larou,” he said and an image of Plum appeared in my mind. I suddenly wished I could see her. Just one gaze at those bottomless, blue eyes and her sweet smile would make me feel okay. “The other was an Elizabeth Kent. We left messages for both.”
Oh shit. My kids. “My ex-wife?” I asked even though it was a rhetorical question. “Do you know if she’s coming?” I was nearly gasping for air. The thought of my children getting a phone call from the hospital telling them Daddy was hurt nearly brought tears to my eyes.
Dr. Lee didn’t even turn around. “We tried ca
lling her but received no answer, so the nurse left a message. From what I was told, however, we haven’t had anyone by that name call back or come in. If I may say so though, Mr. Kent, it seems you have people who care about you. Perhaps you will consider that in the future. I would really hate to see you back here under similar conditions.”
Embarrassed by his final words, I stared down at the floor and I was sure my face was turning red. “Yes. Thanks, doc,” I assured him.
With that, he left the room, closing the door swiftly behind him. I was alone again with just the sounds of the TV to keep me company. It did little to ease the massive waves of guilt and self-loathing I was currently enduring. I only wished I could run far away and hide. I didn’t know how to even begin to explain any of this.
“We have one of our weather experts here now. Dr. Haggerty, thank you for joining us. What are your thoughts about what we’ve seen today?”
I glanced up and focused on the TV again.
“Thank you for having me,” Dr. Haggerty started. “What we are seeing is something that neither I nor any of my colleagues can possibly explain. The current number of these phenomena around the world is something that has never been seen before or reported in history. While this formation itself is rare, the sheer number we’re observing and the fact that they are all occurring at once defies all scientific explanation.”
“Well, then, Doctor, that raises some questions that lots of people must be asking themselves by now. Is there perhaps, a not-so-scientific explanation for what is happening? Some people are calling this the work of extraterrestrials. A few claim they’ve even seen UFOs flying out of several of the formations. Still others seem to think this is the start of Armageddon. I’m curious to hear what you believe.”
“I can’t say that I am… er… comfortable endorsing any of those hypotheses individually. What I can say, however, is that plenty of lore exists regarding these specific kinds of formations.”
“Oh, really? Can you tell us what some of that lore is?”
“These types of cloud formations have always been associated with stories of aliens and other strange things. Another one I’ve heard attests they are openings to heaven or perhaps another time dimension or alternate reality. Plenty of fascination follows events such as these and people seek answers where none may even exist.”
“You sound rather skeptical, Doctor.”
“If that’s how you perceive me, but I want you to understand that is not my intent. In all honesty, I am a man of science and I believe a scientific explanation must exist for everything. But again, this defies everything that I, and everyone in my field, have ever witnessed. I believe now and I will continue to believe that the scientific reason for all of this is out there; but in the face of something so wondrous and unexplainable, let’s just say that I do not begrudge anyone from drawing their own personal beliefs from the evidence.”
“Dr. Haggerty, we in the media have been referring to these things as formations. I have even heard them referred to as Fallstreaks. But you called them a different name while we were talking off the air. Can you share that name with the audience?”
“Of course,” he started before clearing his throat. “They are also called Skypunches.”
The sound of a small knock rapped on the door.
“Come in,” I shouted.
The woman who walked through the door was a sight for sore eyes, indeed. Her blond hair was a mess and barely pulled together in a sloppy bun on the top of her head. She had clearly been crying, judging by the red puffiness of her eyes. And sleep was obviously eluding her if the bags underneath them were any indication. She wore a grey hoodie that was barely zipped up over her large breasts and pink sweatpants with black Ugg boots. It was an outfit that was hastily put on. She could have passed for a homeless person and yet, she was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“Plum?” My voice shook.
I watched her eyes focus on mine before they immediately began to fill with tears. I wanted nothing more than to go over to her. But I couldn’t. I was still hooked up to this damned IV! Instead, I stretched my arms wide and she wasted no time in running across the room before she fell into them. I savored the warmth of her body as I enclosed her in my arms and shut my eyes, feeling strangely home again. She wrapped her arms around me and began shaking as she sobbed.
“I’ve got you babes. I’ve got you.” I whispered gently. “Are you ok?”
“Me?!” She cried into my chest, her arms wrapping around me even tighter and I just barely contained a grunt from erupting through my lips at the sheer force of her vice-like grip. “Forget about me, you big jerk! They told me you nearly died! That you’d overdosed or something! I’ve been losing my mind out there, Isaac, so no. YOU tell ME if you’re ok!”
“I’m okay, Plum. The doctor said I am going to be okay,” I assured her quietly. I was running my hands up and down her back, combing them into her hair. She felt so soft and smelled so wonderful—that crisp, sweet, clean aroma that belonged only to her. Holding my Plum in my arms, it suddenly dawned on me just how lucky I was to be alive.
She still said nothing. Her breathing was labored and her face was buried in my chest. I could feel it getting damp with her tears.
“Plum… I’m fine,” I reassured her again.
She finally looked up at me as she stroked my face, her eyes hinting of regret and depression. “I was so worried about you. I haven’t slept. I haven’t eaten. I’ve been here the whole time. When they told me you were… beyond help…” Her voice cracked as she said the words and new tears rolled down her sweet face. “I thought I lost you. I didn’t know what to do.”
“I’m so sorry,” I sighed as I shook my head and considered how idiotic my actions were. If I’d died… I couldn’t imagine what that would have meant for Plum. “I’m so ashamed.”
She pressed a finger to my lips, shushing me. “Babe, please. You’re okay, that’s all that matters. But I’ve been a wreck for the last day-and-a-half thinking that I wouldn’t be able to see you one last time, or tell you how I felt, how I feel.” She choked up before talking again. “And how sorry I am.”
Then it hit me. The memories of what happened on New Year’s came rushing back in a flurry. They just forced themselves back inside my brain all at once without any regard for what I’d just been through. The images pierced my mind and gave me a throbbing pain that drilled itself deeper and louder into my head. My hands flew to my temples and my eyes clamped shut as I tried to force the ruthless pain away.
The bar, the night alone, the vision of her.
I exhaled sharply. The physical pain was nothing compared to the visuals provided by the memories.
“Babe! What’s wrong?!” Plum cried out. “Should I get someone?”
“No… no… I’m fine,” I managed through clenched teeth.
I didn’t want any attention from anyone except Plum. I just wanted to get the hell out of there. The pain itself was fleeting, but the memories were everlasting. I opened my eyes and looked at her again. In her face, I could see the hurt I was experiencing reflected in her eyes. I felt a moment of regret as I studied her. I was wishing I could go back in time and undo all the damage I had caused. But what about all the damage she caused?!
Suddenly, my pain vanished as if it were shot through a cannon, only to be replaced by a deep, dark and overwhelming anger. An uncontrollable, seething fury came over me and although it made little sense, I was captured by it all the same. So much so that it seemed to be pouring out of my eyes when I opened them again to look at Plum. She was sitting next to me, completely unprepared for what was coming. She was the subject and the cause, so it couldn’t be controlled.
“You were with someone else on New Year’s,” I stated as a matter of fact. My voice was cold and distant. I immediately detected the shock in her eyes. From deep down inside, I yelled to stop what I was doing – to stop feeling, thinking and speaking that way. But I could not re
sist it. I surrendered to the roiling tempest churning inside of me, spewing horrible images of Plum’s naked body as she was being taken by another man.
She began to sob again. “Babe, please! Don’t do this. Not right now. Not after everything we’ve been through.”
“SAY IT!” The forcefulness behind my voice caused her to jump back. She stumbled onto her feet and I could see real fear in her face. At that moment, I didn’t care. My body seemed to move on its own and I sat up suddenly, fixing my eyes on her menacingly. Perhaps my mind was playing tricks on me, but I felt the air around me crackling and my anger was becoming something more. Hatred. It was uncontrollable and limitless now. I could see her face twisting with pain as she watched me. I was convinced all the emotions that were sweeping through me were on clear display for Plum to see. I wanted to reach out and grab her, even hurt her. I wanted to hurt her every bit as much as she hurt me.
“Say the fucking words!” I yelled without even realizing it. Even though I was completely shocked to hear myself, nothing could hold me back. “I know you fucked someone. I watched you!” I shouted, raising a finger and pointing directly into her face.
Her eyes grew wide as saucers and the tears fell again as she shook her head, obviously not understanding how I could have watched her when I wasn’t there. Her entire body shook as she crumpled to the floor, her chest heaving with her labored breathing.
“Please don’t do this, Isaac,” she whispered to me, her chin trembling.
At the sight of her, twisted and shaking on the floor, the anger inside me suddenly melted away. It was replaced by horror. Horror over what I’d just done to her. “I… I’m sorry,” I stammered, completely flabbergasted at my cruel behavior. I didn’t know what got hold of me. That wasn’t me. I wasn’t the angry type. In fact, I could count on one hand the number of times in my life when my temper raged out of control. “I don’t know what just happened, Plum,” I hesitated. “I’m so sorry!”