Helping The Human Race?

“I think we all got a bad wrap. We didn’t all fall from grace just because a few did. In fact, we were the ones who tried to make up for the fall. We were the ones who tried to help people. When you hear about The Watchers though, what do you hear about? These demonic creatures who got so horny they slept with Earth women. Well, we all weren’t like that. We didn’t do that and we are still watchers. We are just more subtle now. We have decided to observe by entering into the flesh ourselves and becoming human beings.”

“What do you mean by that?” I leaned back in my seat and crossed my legs. She smiled knowingly.

“You know exactly what I mean. We did the paperwork and came through as human beings. You know! You’ve done it. You’re one of us!” I lifted the corners of my mouth.

“I wasn’t aware that I was–a fallen angel.”

“No. There you go again. Not a fallen angel, an angel. A watcher. That’s what you are.”

“I must admit, Carrie, no one has ever called me an angel, or watcher or whatever”

“I must admit, Dr. John, they just don’t know who you are. Apparently you don’t either. The only reason I’m really here is to remind you of who you are. You think I’m insane?” I didn’t answer. She leaned forward in her seat. “I’m not insane. I’m more sane than most of the people here. That includes the doctors and patients." She tapped the her right temple with her fingertip. "You know why? They can’t see. And when I tell them the truth they can’t hear me. Do you hear what I’m saying? If you do, there is salvation for you. If not, you perish.”

“In that case I’m listening closely and if I can’t hear you I’ll pretend to, if it means I won’t perish. Who wants to perish?”

“Right,” she said with a nod. “Right.” She stood and there was a thundering noise and an explosion. The wall caved in on top of me. All I can remember is her standing there, the ringing in my ears, and the darkness.

I awakened in a quiet room, in a very comfortable bed. I hadn’t been in a bed like that in years, since the beginning of the “War Without End,” as it came to be known. It was World War 3. Literally everyone was fighting. One country would fight against the next for several years and then allegiances would change and the ones who had just been enemies would be the best of allies. There was no morality. People only worried about winning.

They would build coalitions who would fight together and as soon as the greater battle was won all of the little groups in the coalition would start fighting, trying to destroy the others before they could get a foothold. People were so angry and violent they were destroying themselves, mainly because they were full of hate. They hated the others to the point where they would rather destroy themselves than to see their perceived enemies prosper. Their perceived enemies were anyone not like them.

There were race wars, gender wars, class wars, religious wars, every type of war you could think of because we human beings had evolved to a point where we couldn't tolerate differences. In the name of being unified we were divided and trying to kill anyone who would not fit into what we viewed as the perfect society. It was worse than facism. Even the fascists knew what they were looking for. Not us in the year 2045. We were just looking for war.

The ones who weren’t, of course, had to go along with the others, if they wanted to live. Those pushing for peace were considered subversive and in some cases organizers who were trying to organize peace marches were labeled as terrorists and locked up without due process. The only safety many found was going off-planet, but you couldn’t just leave. You needed money. The rich left this dirtball as fast as they could, but the poor slobs like me…the ones who couldn’t afford it, were trapped in the Road Warrior World. I had almost gotten blown up. I didn’t know if I was upset about that or if I was upset about the fact that I survived.

I snuggled down in between the covers in this comfortable bed. The sheets were soft. There was a bedspread and fluffy pillows. I hadn’t seen anything like that in years. I didn’t know exactly where I was, but I was going to enjoy myself. The precarious living I had been forced to engage in most of my life had taught me well about living in the moment and enjoying small things. I guess that’s why I became a psychologist. I knew how to do it and not how to just talk about it. I leaned back into the pillow and felt myself drifting off into a deep sleep.

***

I don’t know how long I slept. I was awakened by a strange sound. It sounded like a cat meowing. I looked around the room. There was a cat there, by the side of the bed, looking as though it was about to jump up. I frowned. “You don’t like cats?” a voice from across the room queried. I looked over and saw Carrie leaning against the door jam with her arms crossed. Her thick wavy hair hung down just below her shoulders and she had the cocky smile on her face that I had become used to seeing during our therapy sessions.

She wasn’t wearing pajamas this time. She was dressed in black–black pants, a black blouse and jacket, which went well with her black hair, eyes, and dark countenance. She slowly walked toward me. When she got to the side of the bed she bent over and picked up the ginger cat who had awakened me.

“Where am I?” I asked.

“Where do you think? Do you think you're dead?”

“I hadn’t even considered that. Unless you are an angel that is. And who is the cat?”

“The cat is the angel, and you’re not dead yet.” She sat on the edge of the bed. The cat leapt from her arms to the floor and scurried away. “You could have been, had you been closer to that wall. That may have been entertaining” She lifted one corner of her mouth. She was a bit of a psychopath. I began to get nervous that she had me in her power.

“So where am I?” I repeated.

“You are in my home. We brought you here after the explosion. A major part of the city had been bombed, including all of the hospitals, so we brought you here. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I do. I want to go home.”

“Dr. John, you have no home. It was blown to bits.”

“And my wife?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You aren’t married. You don’t have a wife.”

“Are you sure of that? I remember my wife. It’s impossible. I have a wife.”

“No you don’t. If you do, what is her name?”

“I don’t remember.”

“How convenient,” she said. “I don’t know how you could have thought such a thing. Maybe in a different life.” I let the silence hang there for a moment. How had she brought me here? She had been in an asylum for 3 years, how did she have a home right here in town all this time without me knowing? Her large black eyes blinked. I felt like a mouse under the watchful eye of an owl.

“Don’t worry. I won’t eat you yet,” she said.

“What?”

“What?” She echoed back. “You heard me. I’m going to leave. You get dressed and meet me in the next room. We have a lot of work.” She stood and left the room before I could ask anymore questions.

Chapter

I drifted off again. I woke up soon, no cat, no Carrie. I wondered if it was a dream for a while, and then realized it hadn’t been. I stood up, feeling a bit weak, but good, considering I had been bombed and knocked unconscious. I walked over to a chair sitting in front of a dresser full of drawers and a mirror. I looked into the mirror. I looked okay. I checked myself for wounds. I didn’t have any, which was a surprise considering a wall had fallen on me.

There was clothing on the back of the chair. It was the suit I was wearing when the wall hit me, cleaned and pressed. I got dressed. I looked into the mirror again as I straightened my tie, and then I headed out into the next room. Carrie was sitting there with two other people. They were really strange looking.

I can’t describe what was so strange about them. I guess it was their height. I had never seen a group of people who were so tall, I had noticed that Carrie was tall for a woman, she was almost 6 feet tall. Her friends were about the same height. There was one man, a Black man, clean shaven, in nondescript, black clothing like hers also, and a woman with very blond hair–platinum, about the same height. I approached them. All eyes followed.

They were all sitting at a long table on one side, like in the last supper paintings of Jesus, with one seat on the other side. I walked over to the one seat, and placed my hand on it. Is this seat taken?”

“Now it is,” Carrie said. “Have a seat. No time for pleasantries, we have to get to work. The great war has already started.”

I pulled out the chair and took a seat. “And which great war is that?” I asked. “We must have had at least three of those in my lifetime. In fact, each one was to end all wars.” The Black man smiled.

“Of course,” he said. “And the wheel keeps turning and turning. Our question is, do we observe, or step in and do something? Our predecessors thought they could do something. All that happened to them was that they got caught up in the Karma of this planet and they were lost.”

They thought they could get in positions of power and change this place not realizing that having ultimate power among such violent beings would require them to become even more violent?”

“So what do we do, just let everything literally go to Hell?” Carry Asked.

“That’s exactly what we do,” said the blond seated directly across from me. “I am not about to spend my days locked in the bottom of a cave because I tried to help people who didn’t want it. They have their religious teachers. Let them listen to them. They don’t need us.”

“What do you think of this?” Carrie asked me.

I shrugged. “I think they’re right.”

“Well unfortunately, and fortunately, since you are a human in the flesh so to speak, that doesn’t apply to you. You stepped in so you could help.”

“Not me. No way would I be so dumb as to be born here on purpose to fight alongside these idiots.”

“Well guess what, you are one of the idiots now,” the Black man responded. There were smiles all over the room. “So, how do you want to do this?”

“I’m not doing anything,” I said.

“You go to Hell if you don’t and do it there,” the blonde said. “I am Uriel, an Archangel. I’m here to help you. All of us, your family, will help you. But you have to do something.”

“Well I choose Hell,” I said.

“So be it. You’ll do it from Hell,” Carrie replied. I opened my eyes. I was in a hospital bed this time. People were moving fast, running all over the place. It was a large tent serving as a makeshift hospital. Doctors and nurses were scurrying everywhere. One stopped and looked down at me.

“You’re awake,” He said. “Thank God. We need your bed. Nurse!* he shouted before I could answer. “Get a wheelchair. We have an open bed.” The fuckers snatched me out of there so fast I thought I would fall on my face.

They rolled me into a larger tent full of people sitting there in wheelchairs. Some were sitting crossed legged on the floor and others were standing and talking. They all looked like they had been through hell. I guess I looked like it too. I didn’t know where I had been. That strange dream that I had stayed with me.

Uriel was an angel or something, I think. I didn't believe in any of that stuff. And why was Carrie there? I guess it was because she had told me that she was a watcher right before I got conked on the head. I think. I just remembered an explosion and a wall caving in.

I guess everybody was dealing with their own crap. No one seemed to notice me. I leaned back in my chair and took a deep breath as I sought to remember that strange dream in detail. I wondered how much I would be charged for this hospital stay, yet again, I had insurance. It sucked, but it did cover catastrophes. This had to be that if nothing else.

As I began to get comfortable I was approached by a strange looking nurse. I had never seen a person so white in my life. She looked like a ghost. Her hair was even platinum. She had big gray eyes, which added nothing to her complexion. She looked down at me and smiled.

“Thank God you’re safe. I was looking for you everywhere. They told me you had survived. I was happy for you." I was silent.

“Oh. Let me introduce myself. They said you lost your memory. I’m your wife and…I don't know how to quite say it, so I’ll just come out with it. I’m your master. We each got assigned a servant after the last war. Don’t you remember? You’re my husband and servant. Much better word than slave, don’t you think?” My jaw dropped. “I promise I’ll take care of you. Don’t worry. We’ll get along well as long as you behave yourself. Ok? You did lose the war, after all. Isn’t this better than death?”

I stood to my feet. “I don’t know what this is, but no one is my master.”

“Oh hush.” She put a finger to my lips. “You don’t want to see me angry.” I tried to speak but couldn’t, and then I found that I couldn’t move. “If you wonder why I’m so pale," she said, looking down at her hands and forearms, "it's because I don’t have any blood of my own. For some reason my body burns up blood quickly. It actually digests it so I have to get it from a source outside of myself just like you need food to nourish yourselves."

She leaned against me. I could feel her teeth puncturing my neck and jugular vein and could only stand there as she drew the blood right out of me. After what seemed like hours to me, she straightened herself and wiped the blood from her lips.

“We don’t want to get carried away with that, do we? I don’t want to hurt you, but I have the right to live, don’t I? Don’t we? When we found there was a planet full of life forms who contained and replicated what we needed to live with a violent people who really didn’t care about themselves living there, we knew we had to come to save you and yourselves”. She placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you. This may seem like, what do you call it? A Hell to you, but to us, this planet is heaven. We’ve had a happy marriage. Who ever heard of a planet where the wildlife could talk, and have sex. Now straighten yourself up. I’m going to check you out and we’re going home.”

I watched her walk away, still standing, and looked around the room. No one had noticed that someone had sucked my blood. They all just sat in chairs with their heads hanging like zombies waiting to be buried. No wonder they were in there. I thought to run, but I didn’t know where to go. I didn’t know the layout, or anyone who might help. I would have to go home with this vampire thing until I learned how to escape.

Yet again, it was very puzzling. I didn’t remember this woman or anything about this place, this life. Were my other memories just illusions or dreams? What was happening to me? She quickly returned looking a little more fleshy and with a little more perk, carrying a large bag. She smiled pleasantly.

“Good. They said you were 100 percent, so I didn’t hurt you…you know?”

I could move again, so I brought my hand up to my neck and took a few steps back. “You really don’t remember anything, do you? My antibodies healed that almost instantly. They always do.” She hooked her arm in mine and led me toward the door. “We’re going home.”

“I wonder what kind of Hell that is,” I mumbled to myself.

“Oh you really have lost your memory. It’s paradise honey. Just paradise.”

“And you, who are you? What’s your name?”

“You don’t even remember that? Jesus, you are really fucked aren’t you? Well not as much as when we get home.” She gave me a wink. “I’m Carrie Darling. Don’t forget again, or you get a wack.” I looked to see if she was joking. She didn’t seem to be. After a bit too much time she smiled and laughed. “Just joking with you. I’d never use anything on you except for my open hand. It’s against the law.”

“You have laws about this sort of thing, do you?”

“For now.”

“How long have we been married?” I asked as we stepped out of the front door onto the pavement. I looked around. The city was immaculate. There were all kinds of cars zooming across the sky and many monorail trains going from here to there. We were surrounded by large glass towers surrounding beautifully sculpted parks.

For a city it was silent as per transportation. The cars and trains ran so smoothly you could barely hear them. Carrie looked at me angrily. “You want a slap or something?” She looked ferocious.

“No, Honey,” I said. “I just don’t remember.” She softened a bit hearing the word honey…the bitch.

“Ten years, Jonnie. Ten years.”

“Do we have any children?”

“You don’t remember anything do you? We don’t have children. We can’t. We’re a different species. We could create a hybrid, but you never wanted that and you didn’t want me to do it with any other men either. You remembering now?”

“I don’t remember any of that shit. That shit is weird.”

“Boy. You’ve changed. You seem like a different person. I may have to send you back.”

“Yeah Carrie, I’m afraid you may have to desert me. I don’t know…”

“I said I might, not that I would. You're right where you’re supposed to be Jonnie.” She pushed a button on her wristband and a slow moving autodrive vehicle moved toward us. “Yes. You are right where you are supposed to be and we are both going to enjoy it.”

***

I thought life was bad before. What was going on? Was my whole former life just a fantasy. It really sucked, but I was a counselor. We were at war constantly, but even in that we found ways to be happy. Here everything was beautiful, but it was a nightmare. We were living with vampires.

I wouldn’t say this to my so-called wife, of course. She and her fellow beings were as strong as horses, or oxen, or something. They were aliens. We called them Extraterrestrials, but they were aliens. And they saw no problem with draining us of blood everyday to survive. To be truthful, I could understand doing what one needed to live, but to do it with sentient beings–beings you considered animals one moment and sleeping with them and having children with them the next moment was just a bit hypocritical, if you know what I mean. How can they be animals, but you're sleeping with them.

This one slept with me and cuddled with me, but she was not human, or maybe too human. Powerful, but hard hearted. Her personality was volatile, but being a counselor I knew how to keep her from exploding. And I had a memory creeping in, from where I don’t know, about who she was and when we first met. Somehow different memories and experiences were flooding in and I was forgetting who I really was. Or was the old memory just something that happened during the coma I was in. Carrie constantly tried to convince me that was the case and she was very sincere about it. She even looked sympathetic when I talked about it.

My memories of this life began to slowly return, which pleased Carrie. I guess she thought things would go back to normal. Normal here though, was horrible. We were enslaved, and supposed to like it. Giving blood constantly to live. We only had partial freedom. We were seen as blood pumpers who couldn’t spend too much time away from our hosts and many of the humans here seemed to not be bothered by it.

They had been raised as blood pumping slaves and were fine with it. I don’t understand why it bothered me. Would I discuss it with the monster? Would it be safe to talk about it? I had to. I took the chance. I approached her cautiously, as usual.

“I have something I need to talk with you about, Carrie,” I said. “I’m scared to say it.”

“Really. This is new. You are scared to say something to me. Am I suddenly a monster?” I was quiet. “What, Jonnie. You can talk with me about anything.”

I sat in the chair across from her. I looked down at the table between us. It was a heavy, stone table. How did they get such a thing in the house? I looked up at her and met her eyes.

“This is Hell, isn’t it?” I asked. She laughed. I just sat there.

“Oh. You’re serious. You think this is Hell? Why?”

“Because we are being used like cattle. You are sucking our blood. Don’t you have a problem with that?”

“Me? No. I have to eat, don't I? And your blood is the only kind we can use on this planet? Why should I feel bad? I think it’s a blessing. And I think it's a blessing that we got here before the others. Many races had their eye on this little planet. When it was determined that you would never progress the counsel just lifted the gate and left it open to everybody. We made it first.”

We had no idea that we could use your blood, that was a bonus. We wanted to live on the land and use the fresh water. The climate, the soil, everything was good, but the animal at the highest level of the food chain was spoiling and destroying everything by fighting constant wars and causing all kinds of pollution. We stepped in to save you, and we did.”

“That’s tragic, Carrie.”

“Yes. You will find that reality is tragic, and that those who squander their blessing usually end up losing them. That is the way of nature and the gods, or whatever you may call them. So we are here, you are here, we are the top of the food chain and you are the cattle. To us it’s a good arrangement. To you, not so good. I don’t understand why. From what I’ve read you’ve been selling your souls, your blood, and your sweat to your own rulers for centuries. Why not give it to us?” It made sense in a twisted sort of way, but it wasn’t right.

“It is right,” she said. “You know it is. That’s the end of the discussion.” I frowned.

“How do you know what I’m thinking Carrie?”

“Your brain is bugged, that’s how?” I rolled my eyes. “No more discussions about this…okay?”

“Hay. If I’m going to get my ass whipped, of course I won’t discuss it–with you.”

“With no one, Jonnie. We have ears everywhere and we will know what you do no matter where you go. This is your home and you will be trapped here forever. When you get too old we’ll regenerate your body. If you kill yourself we will revive your body. You will be here always and you will always be mine. Make peace with it.” She stood. “Anything else.”

“No, Carrie. Thank you for your honesty.”

“We are honest and honorable, if nothing else. I can understand your discomfort, but…as they used to say on this planet, “that’s the way the cookie crumbles.” She stood to her feet.

I looked up at her. “I’ve never heard that in my life,” I said.

“You’ll remember it, when you remember who you are and the conversation we had once about Hell.”

“Who are you?” I asked.

“The same one I was when I talked with you about helping make a better world where you were or doing it in Hell. You chose Hell, didn’t you?”

I couldn’t believe this. I shook my head. She nodded. “Yes. You are going to fulfill your contract one way or the other. I think you should get to work, don’t you? You are going to be here a long, long time.”

“There’s no way to get out of this?”

“Pray to whatever you believe in, Fallen Watcher. Maybe it will have mercy on you.”

If that beast knew about that conversation, she knew how to get me out of here.

The End

Om Prakash Gilmore

gilmore