As One

“Hurry up Bob! You’re going to be late!”

“Ugh, I know. Hold on.”

“I’ve already got your coffee on the island for you. I’m leaving for work. I love you.”

“Thank you Mandy. I love you too.”

Bob Collins finished putting on his tie as his wife Amanda (Mandy for short) backed her black Camry out of the driveway. He knew he was going to be late for his sales job, but he really didn’t care. He could blame traffic. Maybe the starter was going out on his car. He couldn’t miss work altogether, it was he who was giving the presentation to the potential Chinese investors. He wasn’t crazy about it, but he couldn’t lose his job, not with a baby on the way.

“Every day, the same thing. The same black coffee. The same ‘Bob you’re going to be late’. The same blah blah blah.” He sighed while grabbing the briefcase and Yeti filled with coffee.

He would be the first to admit that his life was quickly turning mundane. He closed the front door, made sure it was locked, and climbed in his gray Solara. He made sure the street was clear before turning right and beginning the half hour drive to his office.

RINGRING....RINGRING....RINGRING

Bob connected his bluetooth headset. Unknown number.

“Hello? Yes, this is Bob Collins.”

He listened intently as the voice spoke on the other end. The line suddenly went dead and Bob turned, driving opposite the direction he needed.

**********

“Good boy. You did so good, maybe mommy will give you a treat.”

Lisa Mitchell was the only veterinarian remaining in the clinic Monday night. Her last patient of the day, a brown Llasa named Buddy, bounded back and forth between his owner and Lisa.

“I can’t thank you enough Doc. The medicine you gave him last week caused a complete

turnaround. I don’t know what we would do without our Buddy. We can never thank you

enough.” Buddy’s owner beamed as she bent down to pet him.

“You’re so welcome.” Lisa replied. “Buddy’s been a model patient. I love his energy, you just need to remember to leave him plenty of water around the house. He’s so active he’ll go through it before you know it.”

“Okay, we’ll do that. Thank you again so much, we love you doc.”

“Thank you for the kind words. You and Buddy are why I do this. I love my patients, I

consider the animals mine to an extent, and I hope they love me too.” Lisa said as she picked up Buddy for one last animal hug. He sniffed and licked her chin in the process.

Laughing, Buddy’s owner replied “Yeah, I’d say he does love you.”

“Be careful going home, it looks like it’s starting to sprinkle out there.”

“Have a good night doc.”

Lisa locked the clinic doors as she watched Buddy and his owner drive down the street in the light rain. She was the only staff member remaining in the building.

“Ugh, finally, peace and quiet.”

Even though she loved her patients, it had been a long day. There were only two vets for the clinic, and Lisa often worked 12-13 hour days. This was one of those days. She cut off all lights but for her office and sat down at her computer.

“And I still have all these charts and records to finish. I don’t know how much more I can handle. I...I...” She couldn’t finish her sentence before the stress of the day hit her full force and she began to cry.

RINGRING....RINGRING....RINGRING....RINGRING....

The ringing of the clinic phone startled her, but she took a few deep breaths to calm herself and answered anyway, worried it might be an emergency with one of her patients.

“Park Street Animal Clinic, can I help you? Yes, this is Dr. Mitchell.”

Lisa remained silent. The voice on the line spoke for no more than a minute before the call hung up. She closed her computer, rubbed her eyes, and left the building. She turned left out of the parking lot, despite her apartment being to the right, and drove off into the rain.

**********

After being lead by the hand through a pitch black doorway, Bob Collins was seated. The chair was quite comfortable and at least felt expensive. He guessed leather with hardwood legs and arms.

“I can’t see anything, what is this place?” Bob almost whispered.

“Shhhh, not so loud. He doesn’t want us talking yet.” Said the female voice immediately to his right.

“Who is ‘he?’” Bob turned in the direction of the voice.

“I don’t know.” She said. “When I was brought in and seated, I tried to ask questions and that was all I was told.”

“Are there others here?”

A smattering of whispers echoed around Bob and the woman, affirming there were other people in the mysterious room.

“How long have you been here?” Bob asked.

“I think since last night.” She said. “I’m really not sure. We don’t have our phones, and it’s been dark like this the whole time. What’s your name?”

“Bob. Bob Collins. What’s your name?”

“What do you do Bob Collins?”

“I’m a sales rep for an electronics manufacturing company.”

“That sounds fun. I’m Lisa Mitchell. I’m a veterinarian.”

“Nice to meet you Lisa. I wish we knew why we were here.”

Before Lisa could respond, a loud buzzing sound began followed by 5 clangs of what sounded like a giant gong. A booming yet soothing voice came through the air.

“Your lives are empty! Your lives are nothing!”

Bob and Lisa looked around, although the darkness was still where they could see nothing. The whispers began again.

“SILENCE!!!!!” Shouted the disembodied voice. “You will all have your turn at some point, but that time is not now!!!!”

In unison, the whispers stopped.

“You hate your jobs. It’s the same thing every day. The same routines. The same schedules. Every. Single. Day. That isn’t a problem anymore. Your vehicles are no more. You are here now, and you are safe. Safe from the monotony of your existence. Safe from the everyday dangers you still face in your mundane commutes. You are here now. You are safe. You are here now. You are safe.”

Lisa was strangely calm, even though the voice’s words would have been frightening to some. Bob was the same way. A strange sense of relief washed over them both as the last seven words repeated on a loop.

The words stopped and there was silence before the voice began again.

“Beneath each of your seats you will find a duffel bag. Reach down and unzip that bag. There is an outfit for each of you in the bag. You cannot see the bag or the clothes, but trust me, I have selected these things specifically for you. All sizes are correct. You will change clothes in this darkness, going only by feel. You have 5 minutes.”

A rhythmic ticking began as soon as the voice stopped, accompanied by the sound of bags being moved and opened.

“Did you find your bag?” Bob asked Lisa. “Mine is right where it was supposed to be.”

“Mine too. But how?”

The ticking continued. “4 minutes!!!”

Bob and Lisa quickly removed their clothing and dug into their duffels. They were quiet but their amazement of everything being in perfect order was evident. The t shirts were the exact size they would buy on a normal shopping trip. The pants were loose fitting but not baggy. The shoes easily slipped on, almost like loafers.

“30 seconds. Please be seated.”

The sound of bags and clothes changed to people sitting down at the same time. The seven words began again.

“You are here now. You are safe. You are here now. You are safe. You are here now. You are safe.”

Neither Lisa nor Bob knew how much time had passed, but the room slowly started speaking as one, emotionless.

“We are here now. We are safe. We are here now. We are safe. We are here now. We are safe.”

“Good. Good. Yes, you are safe. You have no worries any longer.”

The voice seemed different somehow. Had it moved? This time it appeared to come from the very room Bob and Lisa and the others were in.

“Silence now. Please, stand up with your backs to your chairs.”

The crowd got quiet in an instant.

“Are you ready?” The voice asked.

“Yes. We’re ready.” The crowd responded.

A solitary spotlight suddenly illuminated in front of the room. In it stood a man. Clothed in a long flowing dark blue robe, the man surveyed the darkness.

“I am Kinev. I am going to help all of you now. Your former existence will be forgotten and we will be as one. You are here now. You are safe.”

“We are here now. We are safe.”

At that moment the darkness disappeared and the room was awash in light. It was a large room with enough space for the 300 members of the crowd to be seated comfortably. On either side of the room hung 4 large banners. On the right, they were a solid blood red with black borders. On the left, the colors were reversed. Everyone in the crowd wore all white.

“This looks like some kind of old barn.” Bob thought to himself as he glanced around.

“Do not concern yourselves about the banner flags right now. That knowledge will come in time.” Kinev spoke. “You are all clothed in white. You will be renewed in your new lives, perfectly pure, like babies.”

Bob and Lisa looked around to the others, making eye contact with a few. They didn’t

recognize anyone.

“It is time.” Kinev said, raising his arms in a welcoming fashion. “It is time to go. It is time to see and begin your new lives as one. Follow me.”

Kinev stepped down off of the stage and walked towards a large wooden door in the corner. It had a strange circular symbol on it.

“Come. Do not be afraid. You are here now. You are safe.”

Kinev opened the door and stepped through. Behind him was only shuffling feet and the 300 voices speaking in unison as they followed him through.

“We are here now. We are safe. We are here now. We are safe. We are here now. We are safe.”

**********