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The day that changed my life was my birthday, and when a stranger gave me a birthday gift.

The surprise; I was handed this brown paper box with a beautiful, brownish ribbon wrapped around it. The only thing that the stranger said to me when he handed me the gift box was, "Nobody else but you can look inside," and then walked away from me. Who gives someone they don't know a gift, but knows that it was my birthday too? Someone who obviously must know you or know of you because they have been watching you.

My friend started to laugh and bug me about having a secret admirer, and she wanted to know who I was seeing behind her back? She was determined to who I was with and why I wouldn't come clean and tell her. I had to laugh, and all I could say was, " It's so secretive that I don't even know who the secret admirer is." My friend laughs at my response and shakes her head at me. We continue eating, and my friend reaches out towards the gift box. I slap her hand away and tell her that it's for me, and I remove it off the table. She gives me this dirty look and laughs while saying, "What are you hiding? Why won't you let me take a look at your gift? I didn't know what to do, and I say that it's a surprise and when I'm ready to open it, I will.

My friend looks at me and rolls her eyes, and smirks it off. She knew that I was not going to give in and let her see. I didn't want to be the bad guy, and I had to distract her with something, and it had to be good. All I could come up with ways to start talking about her job. She was a police officer and worked with the most dangerous gangs around. She also was part of the missing person's unit. She had all kinds of things going on, so that was a good distraction, I thought.

I ask her, "Hey, so, what's going on with your exciting job?

She looks at me and laughs, then answers, " Are you trying to distract me from asking you about your mystery gift, or are you interested in what I do?" I did not know how to answer her, and I reply, "I'm always interested in what you do; it's exciting." She knew me better than I knew myself, and being her friend was always interesting, from her crazy relationships to her dangerous late-night stakeouts. She was essential to me, and we have been friends for many years; I cared about her so much.

This gift was a mystery, and I didn't know what it was, but all I knew was that the person told me to keep it to myself. That's what I was doing. I didn't listen to anyone in my life, but I thought it was in my best interest to hear. My friend and I continue eating and talking about her job, and then suddenly, she gets a call. She answers and looks at me with this refined, worried look. I felt her worry, and I knew she was going to be leaving our lunch date early.

She finished her call and grabs her coat, tosses some cash on the table, and says, "Hun, I'm so sorry, but I have to run, they found a woman who is going crazy downtown and they need me, she has been missing for a few years, so they need me." I think to myself how crazy that sounded; some woman found after been missing in years, that's big stuff. I tell her to go, and she can call me later. She goes, and I sit a bit longer, finish up lunch and pay for the lunch. I grab my gift and head out the door, I had some other things to do at home, and I wanted to know what was inside this gift box. It was crucial to understanding who gets gifts from strangers on their birthday?

I make it home and put the gift on my counter; I have laundry to do and some house cleaning that I had put off in a while, so I had my hands full for at least a couple of hours. I was planning to open the gift box after I did the chores, but as I started to clean and organize things, the pack began to shake rapidly; lights came from it, bright lights as if there was a flashlight or something in it that suddenly turned on. I backed away and didn't know what to do. I grabbed a blanket off the couch and tossed it on the shaking box, thinking that it would stop. That didn't work at all, it just kept shaking, and then suddenly, it stopped. I walked up to the mystery box and stuck my hand out slowly towards it. I lifted the cover and peeked inside. There was this bright light as I fell into a trance. I couldn't turn away. I was trapped in this light as I felt myself lifting off the ground and then sucked into the gift box.

It was a huge black hole, with these blue and white lights like a glowing tornado. It was beautiful, and it was the scariest thing that I have ever experienced, but it was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I won't forget this moment if I make it out alive. I didn't know what was happening to me, but I wasn't hurt, and I didn't feel any pain. I trusted my gut and just let things be for the time. I wasn't going to worry, and I wasn't going to fight what was happening. I felt my whole body being carried through this black hole until it got dark for a few seconds, then I was placed gently down on the ground. The lights came back on, but I wasn't in something; I was taken and transported to another world. It was similar to earth but not so blue; it was pinkish. The world was beautiful and full of unique, and the trees were like those warping trees, and the sky was pinkish purple, and it was so warm there.

Where did I end up? Why was I chosen to go there? What was the purpose of this? These were the questions that had been running through my mind. It was the strangest world, but it was beautiful and calm there. It was quiet, and I felt safe. I didn't feel threatened; nothing around seemed to want to harm me, and I didn't hear anything either, just the sound of birds chirping. Well, I think they are birds. The sound was like chirping sounds but differently. It was not like the earth birds chirp, it sounding like a chorus to a song. They all had a chorus to sing, and they were in sync. Taking turns to sing, they made this beautiful tune altogether. They kept me calm, and the color of everything was a calming color. This planet's pinkish-purple replaced the blue from planet earth. Some of the trees and plants were fuzzy. That's all the changes. So far, anyway, you never know what could be around the corner.

I walked around for a little bit until. It came up to me and not in a fighting way; it was amicable, like a puppy. It was blinking, and I swear I could see it smiling. I didn't know what to do when it came to me, but I asked it what it wanted. It blinked and started to respond. " I'm sorry, I am learning your earth language at the moment; please give me a moment to completely download it into my system."

The little drone had to hear me speak before it knew how to communicate back to me. It listened to my earth language and uploaded my earthly language. That was how we shared. We became friends after a while, but there was something strange about my little friend. The little drone named Robbie was leading me to safety, it said. I was not sure what safety meant to Robbie, but what other choice did I have? I followed him up to a big dome-like shaped building. The dome looked from the distance to have been made of clear glass or plexiglass. I wasn't sure until we got a lot closer so I could touch it. I stuck my hand out to touch it, and Robbie zoomed over to me quickly and said to me, "Don't touch human, that will shock you so bad, you might die or be injured badly, please human, don't touch it again."

I pulled my hand away quickly and nodded my head to Robbie. I then reply to him, " Okay, I won't touch it at all. Why is it like this, Robbie? Robbie starts zooming around and saying, " Oh no no no, not allowed to say, can not say, no no no!" Robbie, reacting strangely and without calming down at all after I asked him that, just kept zooming around faster and faster. Then he drops to the ground. I run over to Robbie and bend down to see what happened; at that moment, I hear voices off in the distance. I looked up and noticed humans; I think they were human. They looked like humans, but they were blue. I was so confused now. They came running up to me and didn't speak English, but some strange language of their own. I told them that I would not harm them, and the gift box brought me to these blue people through this black hole from a gift box I received, and I didn't know why I was brought to their planet. They talk amongst themselves and turn to me and say, " Please, give us a moment to process your language; we can not talk yet, a moment, please." They look at each other, and then their eyes lit up for a few minutes and then turned off. They look at me again and say, " Welcome human from the earth, we are glad you have come. Let us explain to you your mission." My mission? What the heck is going on? I thought to myself.

They explain that a stranger had given me a gift box and it was for my birthday. Then they said that the mission was to be given to me because I was the only one that can save them. I had to defeat the thing called " the cloud," and it was to be completed by me and me alone. I didn't know what the cloud was, and I had no clue how to stop it, but these guys said I did. I didn't know what to do. I ask them, " How am I supposed to defeat this cloud thing? I have no idea what you are asking me to do here? " They turn away from me and whisper amongst themselves before turning back to me and replying," You are the "Light" you are the only one that was born today on your planet, and today is the day. I had to defeat the cloud alone. It will take over our people, and we all will be no more. We all will fade away, and nothing here will be left. You are our only help human."

I was shocked; I was the only one born today from all the people on earth? Great, I thought to myself. What was I to do about this? They brought me here to defeat this cloud thing, and I didn't know how to do this. Suddenly, the ground started to shake, and these blue humans looked scared; they tell me to follow them and do it now. I look at Robbie on the grass and pick him up before following these blue humans. I had no idea what was going on, but whatever it was, it had to be wrong.

I follow them, carrying Robbie the drone in my hands and running for my life. We all ran to the glass-like dome; it started to open like a garage door; the blue humans yell at me to get inside now. I listen and run inside. Once we all were inside the dome, the door closes and locks. The blue people told me that I had to make the ultimate sacrifice and that they were all so proud of me for saving their kind. I was the greatest gift they could get.

I had no idea what that was supposed to mean. but I agree as I am being taken to another part of the dome. They show me what I had to face as they prepared me for the big fight. I had little time to learn but it was going to be better than not knowing how to defend myself against this dark cloud. It was just that, a dark cloud, but this cloud was nothing like the dark clouds on earth where I came from. This one had something inside it that would make all living things turn to ash. It was going to come today and kill everyone and everything in its path, so I had to do my part and save these beings. I just didn't know why they chose me, but it didn't matter, I had to do my part. I was going to be their superwoman. Not exactly, but to me, it was just like that.

I was prepared and ready for anything after they dressed me in a white gown and gave me a crown of flowers that were intertwined together and then placed on my head. They gave me hugs and Robbie after he was repaired for my fight. I had a friend at least to go along so I wasn't so afraid. I had Robbie, and I thought to myself, it couldn't be that bad. I wasn't given anything else, I didn't get any swords or a gun, nothing. It was a bit strange, but I thought they would give me something to protect myself. Nothing was given to me and they tell me that my sacrifice was going to be remembered for all time. Then it hit me. Sacrifice? I know what that meant, I was the sacrifice, and I had to give myself to this cloud thing and it was going to be defeated then.

I had no idea if I ever was going to be leaving their planet and head back home, or if that was my destiny and I had to give myself to this cloud to be free. All I knew was whatever was chosen for me was the path I had to face. I and Robbie took off into the unknowing and I tell Robbie that I was so scared, he tells me that he was scared for me, but he was not leaving me alone. he was my friend. I take a deep breath and step outside the dome. There I saw the dark cloud as it came for me. It was nothing like I imagined, it was fierce and dark, and it was hungry for me. I closed my eyes as I walked toward it and Robbie held my hand. I felt the anger and the hate from this cloud and it was not going to change its mind, it was mine and it wanted me. I kept walking and then suddenly, I was gone. Robbie was left behind and forced to the ground. He was not allowed to come.

I have whisked away and tossed into the darkness, not knowing where I was or what was going to happen to me. Then I felt this pressure, it was squeezing me tight, it just kept squeezing the life from me and all I heard was laughing and thunder. The cloud was alive, and I was its dinner. I had to give myself to this cloud so that those blue people could live. I thought it was the best choice to make and it was for the better. I was only one life, they were many, and doing this for another species to live, I was doing my part. I was to be remembered forever. Not like on earth, where I would have nothing. I was like their God. I was important.

The cloud continued to squeeze the life from me until I was no more. I turned to ash and was scattered all around. The cloud disappeared and the blue people and their planet were saved.

Back on earth, time had gone by so much faster. I was missing for years. My friend never gave up the search, and she searched for me and for anything to lead her to me. But there was nothing. Not even the gift box. It was gone too. There was nothing left behind for her to even know what or who did this. She searched for the man that brought the box, but he was never located. The crazy lady that day she left our lunch date, she was telling everyone that there was a planet with blue people who needed a sacrifice a light to save them. Nobody believed her. She was telling everyone from the doctors at the mental hospital to the police officers that arrested her and put her there. Everyone thought she was crazy. She couldn't be the sacrifice, the blue people tried to use her, but she had some kind of illness that would be no good for the cloud monster and nothing would happen. Only the deaths of all the blue people and their planet, so the blue people sent her back. That's why she came back years later. The time goes much faster there. It slows right down back on earth.

The ultimate sacrifice was me and I had to make a choice to save the whole planet for these blue people and to save them with myself as their shield. I was the gift. It was me the whole time, and not what was inside the box. I was the light and the savior to these people from another planet. I was special and going to be remembered forever.