Extraterrestrial #51

by TundraStanza

Ch. 5: Tale Of An Oath / Tale Of Redemption

---

I didn't know where I was going. I didn't know what I was going to do. All I knew for sure was that I couldn't stay there. He raised his voice against me. There wasn't any need for that. Worst of all, he turned my son... my child... against me. I just had to go. Clearly, I wasn't welcome under my own roof.

Days blurred together. My van stopped at one place and then the next. A cheap hotel or a friend's house, I didn't care. As long as I wasn't causing grief for the people I cared about, that's all that mattered.

I don't know what compelled me that afternoon, but I decided to turn on the room's television. It seemed that I had cut right into the middle of a news conference. Though, I had to wonder why it looked like one of those old-school gaming costumes that was doing the talking.

"But this will not be the case for very long," said the... white creature(?), "Everyday, someone else is affected, and this will continue until..."

Whoever was in charge of these special effects was pretty good at making this construct show worried expressions.

"Yet, the most important thing I have to say yet is this," the voice of some off-screen woman continued, "To those that find themselves changed. If any of you find yourself to be an Element of Harmony, I need your help. You need to come to New York. No further comment."

I watched the costume/creature turn around and leave followed by a darker construct of similar shape. Were those things on their backs supposed to be wings? That didn't make any sense.

"That footage was taken earlier this morning," commented one of the usual reporters, "Craig McCracken and the rest of the staff have refused any further comments on the matter. In other news..."

But I had already stopped listening. It sickened me to think about the lengths that some people went for public attention. It was kind of sad, really, the number of hours they through away for the most obscure stunts that usually had more consequences than benefits.

Oh well, I thought as I turned back to my open laptop, Maybe I can get to level 20 on Bejeweled today.

---

"I just don't get it," she shook her head.

"Don't get what?" I inquired.

"How can my calendar suddenly have a new mark on it saying that today is some nonexistent day?" she clarified, "And how can the calendar suddenly hold all 365 of these nonexistent days in a single week?"

I looked at said calendar. Sure enough, the sight was baffling and... unusual. Then, I had an idea. I could just check what the day actually was on my phone and...

"Marsday?" I thought aloud, "Is this somebody's idea of a late April Fool's joke?"

"I don't know," she replied, "But looking at that thing right now is giving me a headache. I gotta go lie down."

"You do that," I encouraged, "I'm going to take a walk."

Marsday, I shook my head, What'll people think of next?

---

My body felt numb all over. My eyelids felt so heavy that I almost couldn't bother to move. Turning to look at the hotel's alarm clock, I noticed that it was quite a bit later than when I usually wake up. Normally, I'd wake up at six, regardless of what time zone I was in. In any case, I moved to shove off the blankets so that the air could help wake me up.

That's odd, I thought, I don't remember the blankets being that heavy last night.

I had to shove against them at least three more times. Finally, I felt the restricting covers leave me. But then...

Where are my feet?

I didn't know what I was looking at. I started shaking out of confusion and fear. The bright, white things shook with me. This couldn't be! What was going on?

"W-what i-is th-this?" I whimpered.

I slowly reached a hand down to further examine the things that were attached to me where my legs should have been. Upon doing so, I saw a third white thing. Now that I was looking a bit more closely at myself, I saw a slight protrusion taking up the space of my lower sight. It moved slightly whenever I opened my mouth.

"I'm going... to close... my eyes," I said between breaths, "and when... I open... them again, these things.... will be... gone."

At least, that's what I hoped would happen. Yet, after doing that, I was still seeing the white form that was trying to convince me that it was my body.

Okay, I thought, Maybe I've just... watched too much T.V. and... now I'm seeing things.

It was a weak argument and I knew I wasn't fooling myself. I never watched T.V. even when it was available.

Alright, new plan, I decided, Arlene, you're going to get up, walk to the restroom, and take a good long look at your reflection. Then, this whole messed up vision will go away.

Everything felt so different. My fingers and toes weren't responding. When I tried to stand on the floor, I ended up falling over on my side. I tried rolling up onto my hands and knees, but my limbs were bending in places that they shouldn't bend. Worst of all, I couldn't help feeling like I was being watched. That feeling was nonsensical since I was the only one in this bedroom, but the feeling lingered anyway.

You can do this, I thought to myself, Arm, arm, leg, leg...

Slowly and awkwardly, I started getting closer to the restroom. Thank the spirits I left it open last night. Although, the sink seemed a lot higher than it used to be. Last night, I had to bend over slightly just to wash my hands. This morning, however, the top was about level with my eyes.

I reached up one of my misshaped hands to the counter top, then the other. For the first time in my life since high school P.E., I performed a pull-up. I let out an audible grunt as I was able to lift my chin up and over. Now I could see myself and finally dispel this illusion.

What is that? I thought with eyes wide open.

It was fair question. I couldn't easily identify the image that was in the mirror. It looked like it had a face with eyes and a mouth, but they weren't mine. Plus, what had that type of nose besides some kind of animal? The colors of that face and hair standing on end looked like they belonged on a ghost. Ironically, the shade of blue that the image's irises had were the only things that did match mine.

"What... is that?" I voiced my initial thought.

Foreign noises made their way to my ears that were somehow now on top of my head. They resembled hushed whispers from multiple persons, but I couldn't identify a single word that they were saying. Falling onto my rear end, I reached up to try and cover my ears. It wasn't any use. The whispers continued without pause.

Randomly, the image of an old memory entered my mind.

"Everyday, someone else is affected... To those that find themselves changed."

I...I... need... something... normal, I struggled to hear myself think with the myriad whispers still chatting.

"Home!" I shouted, "I need to go home!"

With only the harsh voices arguing for and against my new goal, I ran as quickly as I could on four legs. I fumbled a little with the hotel room's door handle, but eventually I managed to find some strength to pull that door. I ran through before it could close on itself. Panicking, I ran away from the other presences that may or may not have been there. I was too scared to look back.

---

Clackety-clack. Clackety-clack. Arms and legs tread on the concrete. I didn't know how I was making so much noise while running barefoot. I didn't even care at this point. I just wanted the whispers to stop.

The whispers. So many whispers. They were filled with malice, despair, pain, and so many other intentions that I just couldn't identify. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open in spite of the headache the voices were causing me. I really, really wanted them to be quiet. Yet, they all refused my mental plea.

Some of the whispers were becoming more coherent. I wasn't sure if I was less or more terrified now that I could understand them.

Pull me out! The fire burns!

Everything feels so cold...

You living soul... why do you get to live?

Give me your body!

The last one felt a lot harsher than the other voices. Before I knew what was going on, a blurry veil of blue overtook my vision. I could still feel my legs running, but it wasn't me moving them. Whatever it was, caused my lip to curl up in a crooked smile.

I didn't like this feeling. I wanted to scream. I wanted this weird feeling to leave. But it seemed to hold on for dear life.

"What's the hurry, little lady?"

The voice had used my mouth to talk! I really felt like hyperventilating, but whatever was possessing my body refused to allow that. The presence actually managed to slow my legs down to a walking pace much slower than my initial run.

Let me go, please, I wanted to cry.

"Aw... that's a shame."

The blue veil lifted from my eyes and I immediately gasped in extra air. I shivered a little before I continued my long journey home. I had to get back. I just had to.

---

Please...please, make it stop, I mentally pleaded to no avail. I've run marathons before, but these voices were just adding extra tension where I didn't need it. I might have found it funny back when I didn't believe in ghosts. But now there were so many practically shouting in my ears with their torturous rasps.

Living was without purpose.

The chains... they drag me down.

Have to keep trying for vengeance.

How could I have lost so much? How could I have been so foolish?

Hey, pony. Are you okay?

This one seemed a bit more gentle and less malicious as my vision was suddenly filled with a lot more yellow.

Just leave me alone, ghost, I thought wearily, I want to go home.

"You look tired," the whisper commented using my mouth.

No, really? I forced as much sarcasm as I could spare into that thought, I hadn't noticed.

"What's your name?" it asked.

Not really feeling the energy left to ignore it, I answered with, Spirit Redeem- wait, no. I'm... Arlene.

Where did that other name come from?

"Nice to meet you, Arlene," the voice used my mouth to smile slightly, "I'm Peter."

Terrific, I thought without enthusiasm, Can you get out of my body now?

"Well, I could," whispered 'Peter', "But then you'd be subject to a lot of other ghosts' voices. Some of them aren't very friendly."

I really wished I could let out an exasperated sigh right then.

"Besides, wouldn't you like to take a break from all that running you were doing before?"

Huh? If I could widen my eyes, I would have, How did you...?

"It's not hard to guess your most recent memories," he answered before I could finish, "Your legs feel like they've just finished a 5 K."

I had no idea how to respond to that.

"And I can feel the home that you've been thinking about," he continued, "So just sit back, relax, and let me help you."

How do I know I can trust you? I asked the obvious question.

"Well, if you don't, you can always kick me out," he pointed out, "Just be sure you're ready for the headache of an afterlife when the other ghosts try to attach to you."

Again, I wished for the ability to sigh.

Alright, Peter, I thought reluctantly, Lead on.

He nodded my head once and continued traversing the road.

---

It was starting to get dark out. I guess Peter was right about me being able to relax. I actually felt rested despite the fact that my body had been walking for hours on end. It was then that I saw the lights on in the house that I recognized.

It's time for you to go, Peter, I thought.

"You sure?" he asked, "It might be safer if I get you to the door first. I mean, I don't sense any other malicious ghosts nearby, but some of the curious ones might still be a nuisance."

I'm sure, I replied.

"Okay then," he whispered.

Oh, before you go, I interrupted, Why did you help me? There wasn't exactly anything to gain from doing so.

Peter used my mouth to exhale.

"Too many ghosts try to mess with the spiritually aware for their own sick pleasure," he said, "I figured the least I could do was be selfless and sort of even out the proportion."

Surely you must have had some reason beyond being a selfless hero, I urged.

"Well, alright," chuckled Peter, "I've always wanted to be a pony."

...what.

"Bye, Arlene!" he softly exclaimed and just like that, the yellow veil left my eyes and I had control of my body back.

I shook my head out of just plain confusion before walking up the path to my front door. My back felt really chilly despite it being covered in some layer of fur. I still heard some other voices, but they weren't nearly as invasive as the ones from before.

I hoped Terry would believe that I was me.

*Knock* *Knock*