Those Among Us

 CHAPTER ONE:  The People and the Community   The community seems like an ordinary one.  If you walk or drive around this community, you’ll find a big supermarket right at the heart of it.  However, you’ll also find smaller ones, some of them specializing in various products.  You’ll see street lights; well cemented roads; and noticeably, giant blank billboards every two blocks within the community.  But, unlike the usual billboards, these ones are exactly of the same size (6 ft. x 6 ft.) and rectangular in shape. Noticeably, each community has numerous numbers of salons.  There is only one school for all levels in this community.  Talia wonders why.  Talia, in her 30’s, moved into the community with her husband Tony, in his 40’s, and their children Tom, 15 and Karil, 13.  Tony got hired in the one and only big supermarket in the community, where he applied online.  He was offered four thousand five hundred dollars monthly salary, plus benefits that is hard to resist.  He was also given an option to live within the community where half of his rent will be subsidized.  “That’s a very attractive offer”.  Talia said, while she and Tony were discussing whether to move into the community or stay where they are right now, which is an hour drive outside the community.  Finally, they agreed to move into the community. Another thing that’s unique in this community is the working hours for all employees across this place.  Everybody starts to work by 12 noon (one of the reasons why Tony got interested to work here).  He and Talia are used to sleeping late at night, so it was a struggle waking up early the next day.  Work here starts from 12 noon to 3 o’clock in the afternoon.  Everyone takes a break, and then back to work again by 6 o’clock in the evening until 9 o’clock at night, which is the end of the day’s work.  Even the one and only school’s schedule starts at 12 noon and ends at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.  Tom and Karil also like this schedule; it’s different from their previous school, and it gives them more time to sleep-in in the morning.  It’s also kind of a short schedule so they do not need to take- in too much information in a day.  On their first day in the community the family of Tony noticed that the blank billboards are all lit up red during night time, from 6 o’clock in the evening up until 6 o’clock in the morning.  They wonder why.  But they thought that they would know more as they get to know more about this community. The people here seem to live just like you and me.  Some of them works within the community.  But, most of them work outside this community.  Some works in the government sector; health industry; production; media; construction; retail, and etc., you name the industry, they’re there. They’re everywhere. Some of them even run their own businesses especially in the food industry.  Little did Tony and his family know that there are people in this community who are different from us.  These “people’s” appearance looks just like any one else.  Face, body, arms and hands, legs and toes.  But, inside, they are nothing like us.  Inside their body is hollow.  If you will put them inside an X-Ray machine  all that you will see is nothing, but the brain.  No fats.  No muscles.  No Bones.  No internal organs, but they’re breathing, walking, talking, just like us.  One break time at school, Tom noticed his classmate Dane was not eating but he was looking slightly upwards.  His hands on the table.  He is not moving either.  Tom tried to ask, “Hey, what’s going? Everything okay?”  But there was no reply, no reaction from Dane.  Tom just shrugged his shoulder, “whatever”, was what he said while walking away from Dane to go to his next class.  Meanwhile at Toni’s work, he observed a few co-workers behaving just like Dane, Tom’s classmate.  Like his son Tom, he tried to ask if something was wrong with them but he did not get any response either. One morning, Talia was on her way to the one and only big supermarket at the center of the community.  While in the bus she noticed some people lining up in three of the six salons in the community.  She wonders what they are lining up for that very early in the morning.  In her mind, she envied those people because she knows those people are for sure will be pampering themselves, while she is on her way to buy food for her still sleeping family, and then cook for them.  Little did Talia know that these people are lined up for something else. Talia planned one day to line up and see what’s going on in those salons.  “Who knows, there might be some freebees”, was what she said to herself while at the line-up.  Now it’s almost her turn.  The five people in front of her know exactly which door to go to inside the salon as they enter.  When it’s her turn, she doesn’t know where to go, so she was directed by the tall and pretty receptionist to go to door number six.  Inside the room it was dark.  As she enters she heard a seemingly recorded voice instructing her to sit down to get ready to watch a demo video.  She was surprised because she was expecting that someone inside door number 6 will ask her if she wants a haircut; or a make-over; or a manicure.  That didn’t happen.  Instead, now she is about to watch a demo video.  “A video? I did not come here to watch a video”, were her thoughts at that very moment.  As the video starts to play, to her surprise the video was projected all over the room.  The film started to instruct her to take her facial skin mask off as the model demonstrates how to go about it.  She was breathless and her eyes wide open as her jaw dropped because of what she is seeing and hearing.  The instruction continues telling her to place her mask under red beam coming out of the funnel-like machine just behind her.  The voice said, “Once you place your facial mask under the red beam, it will be repaired from any damage it may have sustained from living in an atmosphere that is extremely different from ours”.   CHAPTER TWO:  The Revelation Talia sneaked out of the salon as quick as a lightning.  Her feet and hands were as cold as ice.  She was so scared of what she saw and heard….of what she discovered.  When she arrived home her husband Tony was there for the afternoon break at work, and the kids were there too, off from school.  She went straight to their room still shaking.  Tony was right behind her.  “What wrong?  You seem terrified”.  “Yeah, I’m terrified!”.  “The people…the people….those people”, were Talia’s words.  She continues, “They’re not humans!”.  “Whoa.. whoa…whoa what are you talking about, what do you mean not humans? Who?”.  Then Talia while still shaking told her husband everything that she experienced and discovered in the salon.  Tony just stared at her wife for a moment then said, “we must report these to the authorities”.  “No no no….we might be in trouble.  There must be lots of them and if they knew we told the police about them, they might get back at us, and……”, were Talia’s response.  “Okay then, we’ll observe more while we think of the best thing to do.  But, we must be careful all the time.”  And so that’s what they did.    The following day at work, Tony was having break time with Sam, his work buddy.  Because they are also good friends, Tony thought it will be okay if he shares to Sam what Talia experienced yesterday.  And so he did.  Sam just looked at him and said, “I have something to tell you.”  “What?”, Tony asked.  “I am married to one of them.  I didn’t know when we were still dating.  But before our wedding day, she told me.  She said it’s okay if we don’t push through with the wedding”, he continues.  “I have to take some time to think it through, but I love her you know, and so we went on with the wedding.  That’s why we are adopting; of course she can’t get pregnant.”  Tony, who was listening intently to what Sam was saying, finally asked “Aren’t they dangerous?  Are we safe around them?”.  “No, they’re not dangerous at all”.  Sam continues, “In fact, they’re all around us.  Some live in this community, but most of them lives outside the city. They’re everywhere.”  Then Tony asked with an urgency in his voice, “how can we know if someone is one of them?”.  Sam replied, “It’s their eyes.  There’s something different about their eyes.  You have to carefully look at their eyes and you’ll see the difference.”  Sam revealed, “My wife said they needed to come to earth to survive but they have no plans of taking over.  They just want to live among us.  Live like we do”.  Then Tony asked, “But is there anything about them that is different from us?”.  Sam quickly replied, “Yes, a lot.  It’s true what your wife told you about them.  They look a lot like us physically but there’s nothing inside them except for the brain.  They sort of re-charge themselves by facing the blank billboards.  Those billboards get energy from the sun.  It just looks blank during the day but it is really lit up red, as you see them at night.”  “And by the way”, Sam added while getting ready to go back to work, “I know I said they’re not dangerous.  But, remember this….do not tell on them.  Make sure you and your family will not tell other people or report them to the authorities.”  “My supervisor learned about one of them and reported this to Human Resources.  Little did he know, the HR Manager is one of them.”  “What happened to him”? Terrified Tony asked.  “He disappeared with his family.  Everybody thought they just moved out of the community.  But who knows where they are right now” was Sam’s reply. Little did Sam and Tony know that someone was overhearing their conversation.  It was Suki, their company’s Japanese consultant.  Suki was having a cigarette break at the left side of the corner where the two friends were.   Suki doesn’t seem bothered with what he heard.  He was composed and calm as if he heard nothing.  After the last puff of his cigarette, he flicked the cigarette butt and started walking towards the main lobby of the building, and straight to the company President’s office at the 20th floor of the building.  The office door was slightly open, as if he is being expected.  The President was standing behind his desk, facing the entrance door.  He was indeed, waiting for Suki.  He has been informed telepathically by Suki of the two friends’ conversation.  Telepathy is one of their strengths.  Yes, the President of the company and Suki are two of ‘those people’.  “They must be eliminated immediately”, was the President’s first words.  But Suki disagreed.  “Let’s talk to them first.  If they don’t agree to be quiet about us, then they will disappear with their families”.  “Just like the HR Manager”.  “I’ll leave that to you.  I’m giving you one day to take care of that” was the President’s parting words. Tony was totally flabbergasted with what he learned from Sam.  He still has a lot of questions his mind, but there was no time anymore.  They have to get back to work.  As soon as he returns home from work he told Talia everything that he and Sam talked about at work.  They also told their children about this.  The kids were like, “That’s why there’s a lot of kids at school standing towards those billboards during break time, like Dane one of my classmates.”  Karil said, “That’s cool”.  Mom replied, “What’s cool about it?  It’s damn scary.  Keep away from those kids.”  There was silence in the room after Talia’s words.  And then, Tom asked “Should we report them to the police?”  Immediately Tony responded, “No!” And then he told his family of what happened to the supervisor at work who reported what he knows to the Human Resource Manager who is also one of “those people”.  Mom concluded that they should just be quiet about what they know.  And she added with her eyes wide open, “But beware of who you talk to, or befriend, because they might be one of them”.  Tony added, “They might not be dangerous for now, but who knows what they really are capable of doing.  Beware of who’s beside you.  They’re everywhere.   CHAPTER 3:  The Encounter One day Suki went to see Sam and Tony.  He threatened Tony of disappearing with his family, and Sam, of being separated from his wife who is also one of them, if they report to the authorities.  At first Tony became violently-scared until he was calmed down by Sam, and finally agreed to forever hold his peace.  As to Sam, of course he shall be quiet about this because he is married to one of them. Tony spoke to his family of what happened.  His wife, Talia and children totally disagreed with him this time and were determined to report this to the authorities.  While Tony was convincing them otherwise, the children were panicking that their father was against it.  They cannot understand why.  They can see their mother and father still arguing across the room.  Meanwhile, Sam talked to his wife of what happened during that day.  He assured his wife that he will be quiet about their existence because he loves her, and will never do anything that will harm her. Tom and Karil cannot sleep that night now that they know everything about “those people”.  They want to know more.  While in their small study room the sibling was talking about what their dad, Toniy, told them.  “I wonder what they really look like” were Tom’s first words that broke the silence.  “Yeah, and do they eat or sleep like we do?”, responded Karil.  “We have to find out”, said Tom, which Karil agreed to.  They thought of a plan.  They know it is dangerous as what their parents said, but they cannot help it.  The youth in them screams they want to know more about these people. The following day, instead of going straight to school the sibling went to the local spa that their mom told them about.  As mom did, they went straight into a room in the spa.  Little did they notice that they have left the door slightly 2-inch open.  The instruction and video started as their mom experienced, they saw what she saw.  They felt all the hair in their body raised because of what they are hearing and seeing.  They were beyond description scared when all of a sudden someone grabbed Karil’s wrist from the door.  She screamed.  Both of them screamed for help.  The very tall dark-faced man-looking being asked, “What are you both doing here?  Didn’t you know you are intruding?  You are invading our privacy!”  “We’re sorry, please just let us go home, please, please.”, was Tom’s plead.  The being said, “No! You will be punished for this!”.  When they heard a little voice said, “Let me talk to them, please, we go to the same school.  They’re my friends.  I will take care of them.”  Yes, it was Dane, from their school.  “Alright, Dane, I will hold you responsible for them. If they “talk”, you will suffer the consequence because you vouched for them.  Is that clear, Dane?”  “Yes, I know the consequence”, was Danes firm reply.  The tall being left the room.  Immediately Dane told them everything that they also knew from their parents’ experience.  “We promise we will not talk about this or anything about your people to anyone.  We’re scared for ourselves and our parents’ safety.”, was Tom’s sincere promise.  “And we don’t want to loose a real friend like you, Dane, thank you for saving us”, Karil added.  The three new friends left the salon and headed back to school on that scary unforgettable day.  Like their parents, since those experiences, Tom and Karil are always on the lookout of the people they see and meet everyday.  In their minds, they always think, “Are they one of those people?”. At school the three friends, Tom, Karil, and Dane are always together.  You will see Tom and Karil always alert and observing.  At the gym, though they are engaged in their sports activity they would consistently scan the surroundings and make sure each of them are safe.  For one, Tom knows that ‘those people’ mean no harm to the human race.  But, he cannot get to trust them yet.  He is always afraid that they would do something to harm them intentionally or unintentionally. While attending their science class one day, they noticed that their teacher, Mr. Max was not his usual self.  He seemed distracted, always dropping the textbook he was reading with the class.  There were moments when he would stop in the middle of delivering a lecture, and just stare at them. They also observed that Mr. Max looked out the window longer than usual a few times during their session.  This is unusual behaviour for Mr. Max.  He was always alert and focused.  After class the three friends stayed behind.  They want to tell Mr. Max what they were observing.  They remember Mr. Max encouraging this.  Speaking their mind out and asking questions if needed.  As a science man Mr. Max favours probing into things to learn and get answers to questions in their mind.  “Something is happening here in our community”, was Mr. Max’s first words.  The three friends looked at each other, and “What do you mean, Mr. Max?”, asked Karil.  “I have seen things.  Things that deviate from the normal”, he answered.  Mr. Max continued, “I have been seeing for a few days now some people including two of my neighbours standing straight and blinklessly looking at the direction of the big billboards around which were lit red when evening comes.  Tom answered, “I think we should tell you something, Mr. Max.”  And so Karil, Tom, and Dane told Mr. Max of what they have encountered and learned about in the past few days.  At first, Mr. Max fixed his eyes steadily on Dane as if telling him, “I don’t trust you.  You are not human.”  Then uttered, “Who are the people who know about this?  We should have a meeting and create a plan just in case these people (while giving Dane a sharp stare) do something harmful to the human race.”