Awareness (Pt. 2 The Daylight Hours)
The Daylight Hours
Tai has no idea how she made it through yesterday. After realizing that her abduction ‘dream’ may have been a reality, she was a wreck all day. Somehow, she made it through dinner with her father and stepmother. She was so distracted that twice she knocked over her diet Coke. After blaming her demeanor on a late night, she excused herself early and took the short drive back to her house.
Tai played the incident over and over in her head. She stood in the doorway of her bedroom for what seemed like hours. Was it real or not? Nothing was disturbed when she woke up that morning. The doors were locked and the windows closed. The only sign of disarray that morning was that she was naked when she woke up, but had not gone to bed that way.
The anxiety kept Tai up all night. The security system was armed and she had checked every entry point to her house three times. Still she sat awake all night with her back in a corner and every light in the house on. By six a.m. Tai had already called in sick to work. She was exhausted and increasingly paranoid. There was no way that she could function today. Besides, she had to talk to somebody or else she thought she may never recover.
Crystal is meeting Tai for lunch at the IHOP. It is their favorite place to eat and vent no matter the hour.
“What’s up girl? You sounded like something was bothering you when you called. And you look like shit. What’s going on?”
“Crystal, I need to talk to you.”
“Okay, before you start . . . I know you’re a little pissed about the whole blind date thing, but girl he’s been begging me for weeks. He is sweet as pie, don’t live with his Momma, and has plenty of money. Now I know he’s white, but it has been a minute.”
“Crystal.”
“I mean, shit, how long are you gonna wait for Devin to get his stuff together?”
“Crystal.”
“And anyway, how long are we supposed to watch Brothers parade these White women around like championship trophies before we start doing our own thing? The man is into you, Tai. You just don’t know how much he ---“
“Crystal! Please!” Tai isn’t sure where to start. She takes a deep breath. “Crystal, I think something may have happened to me Saturday night.”
Tai pauses to gather her thoughts and emotions. On the one hand, Crazy Crystal is the last person she wants to go to with this story. On the other, this is her best friend. With one more deep breath, she lets it all out.
“When Drew dropped me off I was so tired that I went straight to bed. I fell asleep on top of the covers with nothing on but my panties. Then, I had this crazy dream. There was a bright light and people were in my bedroom. I couldn’t move and I couldn’t scream no matter how hard I tried. They did some kind of vaginal exam on me, Crys. Then they said something about contacting them about my boyfriend. And then it was over. By the time I woke up the next morning I thought it was all just a dream. You know, ‘cause I had so much to drink. But, then when I went to get in the shower I saw my underwear on the floor. Crys, I don’t know what’s going on, but I haven’t been to sleep since. Now I don’t need none of your crazy alien abduction bullshit because I’m afraid somebody was in my house. Somebody was watching me and touching me and I don’t know when they might come back.”
Tai is in tears and nearing hysteria. Crystal, for once is quiet. After a few seconds of dazed silence, one of them regains some composure.
“Just calm down Tai. Get your purse and let’s go,” Crystal says trying to sound as comforting as possible.
“Go where?” Tai asks. “I’m either delusional or somebody’s playing some kind of sick joke on me.”
“You’re not delusional and this is no joke. And, it’s not aliens. Now come on. We’re going back to my office. I want to check some things out. Okay?”
“Okay,” Tai agrees.
Crystal dropped a $20 bill on the table and the two friends head to NASA in Crystal’s car.
“Angela, can you shuffle my afternoon appointments a bit. I’m gonna need to take an hour out in about 30 minutes,” Crystal tells the receptionist on her way in.
“Yes Dr. Lewis.”
Inside the examination room, Crystal tries to ease Tai into the situation.
“You know it’s just me, Tai. I’ll make it quick, but it has to be done.” She is right on all accounts.
After the physical exam, Crystal draws a few tubes of blood. “I’m going to take care of all this personally and confidentially. We will find out what happened. But for right now, I need you to know that you are not crazy and you are safe. Now I’m gonna take you back to my house so you can get some rest.”
An hour later, after Crystal deposits Tai at her house with a sedative, she returns to work. By the time she gets all the samples to the lab and walks back to her office, she has a visitor.
“So, I hear Tai was here. What’s up?”
“I don’t know what’s up. You tell me.” Crystal is noticeably irritated.
“Crystal, I don’t have time for charades. Just tell me what’s going on.”
“What’s going on is that someone staged an ‘Alien Abduction’ scene on Tai after you dropped her off the other night.”
“A what???” Andrew asks puzzled.
“You heard me. And she is freaked out. She’s at my house sleeping it off. I’ve got samples down in the lab, but I’m more concerned with how to keep her sane right now.”
“I’m going over there.”
“No you’re not. I told you she’s sleeping. What you need to do is find out who was watching and why. They made some kind of comment to her about her boyfriend. Besides, I need you to go over to her place and pick up some things. I don’t want to be there anymore than she does.”
“Ha! What are you afraid of Crys?”
“I’m serious Andrew.”
“So am I. It’s time to step out of the shadows. If they want a fight, they’ve got one. And Crystal …”
“Yes Andrew?”
“I know that you’re upset about your friend, but don’t forget who you’re talking to.”
“Yes Andrew.”