Truth is the Alien

It’s the Friday leading up to a long weekend.

Colby lets off a heavy sigh as she enters the elevators of her work building. It has been a long shift of making marketing calls to strangers trying to convince them to purchase home security systems.

“I hate my life! I need to leave this job!” she exclaims to herself with an inside voice.

As the elevator door slowly closes and her head falls lazily over her neck, the doors are jammed open by Jade’s umbrella.

Colby! Happy Friday! Long day? An over-enthused Jade asks as she lets off a wide dimple-filled smile.

Colby: (letting out a sigh) Oh, hey, Jade. Yeah, you could say that!

Were you able to get the targeted customers?. Asked Colby.

Yes! And then some! Exclaimed Jade as she did a hair whip.

Now Jade was a vivacious and dynamic woman who possessed a unique and captivating flair. She was very popular on the call centre floor. From the moment she enters a room, her presence is undeniable, drawing attention like a magnet. Her lustrous, chestnut hair cascades down her shoulders in a cascade of waves. As Jade engages in conversation, her hair becomes an extension of her expressions. Each gesture is accompanied by a strategic flick of her hair, an artful punctuation that adds emphasis to her words. It's as if her hair dances to the rhythm of her conversation, swaying and swirling like a mesmerizing performance.

Colby didn’t have such presence and she gleamed with envy making the elevator ride seem longer than it was. Her foot tapping impatiently on the floor, a rhythmic beat that mirrors her eagerness to escape the elevator's confines. Her fingers drum lightly against the polished steel railing, a subtle reflection of her anticipation. 

There is a quick second of uncomfortable silence in the elevator as Colby counts down the number of floors as the elevator descends.

Hey! said Jade, breaking the silence.

Do you want to grab coffee this weekend? I feel like we never see each other outside of work said Jade.

That would be nice, but this is my birthday weekend, and I am still trying to figure out how to celebrate it. Maybe can plan for the following week? Muttered Colby

Oh nice! Happy Early birthday!. I hope you have fun whatever you decide. Sounds good. Yeah, I'm thinking of going to my parents cottage. Need a little break from the daily grind! I was planning to hang out with some friends and maybe bake some cake on Sunday. Do you have Instagram? I will add you and can send you messages on there.

Thanks! Oh sure. My Instagram handle is @colbythecobble909.

Cool! Mine is @jajajajade675. I will add you said Jade.

The elevator finally opens in what seems like eternity to Colby and they walk towards the exit and exchange their goodbyes.

Colby watches as Jade walks away gracefully, each stride taking her farther away into the darkness.

On her way to home, she walks by a homeless guy who sets off on a rant!

"Ya know," he began, his gravelly voice cutting through the night buzz, "I once read this book, said aliens been watching' us for centuries. Up there in the sky, way beyond where our eyes can reach."

We’re not alone” he said

Their eyes meet and his eyes reflected a life marked by hardship and solitude. Colby gives a short and simple smile and keeps walking briskly.

Colby finally makes it home. As the front door eased open, she steps into the warm embrace of her home. She sighed, her anticipation of being in her sanctuary palpable.

Hello? Honey? I’m home!

Silence in return.

She looks to the living room, and it looked like a life-sized racoon has invaded the house. The remnants of an array of snacks – chip bags, crumpled candy wrappers, and a half-empty soda can – littered the coffee table.

She walks down to the basement which presented an unexpected scene.

There, sprawled comfortably on the couch, sat her husband, Boris. More remnants of snacks surround his feet –The soft glow of a video game screen bathed him in a gentle blue light. Colby’ gaze moved from the screen to the TV where a program, clearly of an explicit pornographic nature, played out momentarily before she swiftly looked away, her heart sank as she caught a glimpse of the content that had absorbed her husband's attention.

Of course not! It can’t be the disgusting 32-year-old life sized racoon that has been watching porn and playing video games for hours while she was at work. It is her amazing husband, Boris.

Boris, Colby’s amazing husband - This is what everyone says and thinks.

As she took in the scene before her, a complex mix of emotions stirred within her. Disappointment, frustration, and a tinge of hurt mingled with her relief of being home. The image before her was a reminder of the divergence between her honest expectations and the reality that had unfolded. A reminder of how deeply unhappy she was with this choice of a partner. How much of a fool was she for marrying him. What possessed her into thinking he was the one?

Steeling herself, Colby cleared her throat, and Boris finally glanced up, blinking as if re-entering the real world.

"Hey," he finally managed, a guilty and embarrassed feel tugging at his lips.

"Hey," Colby replied, her voice a mixture of exhaustion and suppressed emotions. She fought to keep her tone even, to bridge the gap that seemed to have grown between them.

How was your shift? He asked

Colby: (letting out another heavy sigh) It wasn’t bad.

Soooo, I was thinking for my birthday that we should go to the mountains and canoe on the lake. I need some fresh air and a little escape.

Boris: Oh, yea sure. It should be nice out.

Colby: Ok! I am going to have a shower and call it a day.

Boris: Sure. I will be right up.

An hour passes, Colby is tucked in bed with Boris still stuck in the basement. It seemed to be the norm now with her sleeping alone. She browses through Instagram and looks at Jade's photos. A bittersweet cocktail of fascination and envy stirring within her. Jade’s photos painted a seemingly flawless tapestry of a life that sparkled with glamour and adventure. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at the seemingly effortless way Jade navigated the world, while Colby's own path felt like a series of daily struggles.

She “likes” a few photos and gazes out of the bedroom window, lost in thought.

------------------------------------------------------------

The long weekend is over. Its another day at the telemarketing office

Jade: Hey Colby! How was your weekend?. Did you enjoy your birthday?

Colby: Oh HI Jade! Yes it was nice! My husband took me to Lake Louise and we ended up canoeing on Moraine lake. It was so beautiful. We dinned at that boutique hotel by Hotel Arts and it was such a relaxing time. How about you?

Jade: Aww that’s so sweet and amazing! I am glad to hear. Yea, I ended up baking some cake and hanging out with friends.

Colby: Oh nice! I saw that on your Instagram and liked a couple of your photos having a great time with friends. You are so lucky to have such great friends.

Jade: Oh really? Thanks! I didn’t see any likes from you though?

Colby : Oh that’s odd, I liked the ones of your pecan pie bakes and one of you on the balcony in Paris and another with some friends in a club.

Jade: Oh yea? Cool. Thanks. OK! Chat later!. I got to go back to work now.

As Colby settles into her desk, a few short mins past, Jade returns with a cloud of disappointment hanging heavy in the air, casting a subtle shadow over what had initially been a lighthearted atmosphere. Her steps were measured, her expression a delicate balance of concern, anger and vulnerability.

Jade : Hey! You don’t have to be so hateful with your comments on my photos?

Colby : What? Hateful? What are you talking about?

Jade: Well, first of all, you didn’t like any of my photos. Secondly, you commented on my balcony photo in Paris saying “I wish she could fall off that balcony and that hair of hers I hope it can be burnt off in a fire. She thinks she's so perfect and better than everyone”.

Colby (stammering in shock) : What? I – I – I Never..

Just before Colby could finish her comment.

Jade (voiced raised in Anger): Just because you aren’t happy with your husband shouldn’t mean you should be hateful to me?

Colby (in utter shock ): What is going on? Where is all this coming from?

Jade: Well I can see the recent post on your Instagram where your husband is kissing you cheek. Your post says?

“What a crap of a birthday!

Today! I am reminded of my unhappy life and my husband who the rock that weighs my life down.

He has stolen so much time, life and joy from me.

I cannot wait to leave his pathetic ass.

I cannot wait for the next trip around the sun when I can finally have the chance to meet the love of my life and fix this colossal mistake, I have made by marrying this guy.”

Colby (panting in horror and disbelieve as her finger trembled while she scrolls down her phone).

Her eyes bulge in disbelief as she sees that the initial message attached to the photo reading " The best birthday ever! Thanks to my rock of a husband who makes me glow brighter everyday", has been changed.

She tries frantically to delete the post, but it doesn’t delete.

She goes to Jades photo and sees the hateful comment posted.

Colby (her voice breaking in shock) : OMG Jade, I think my account was hacked into! I would never say that, and I am so sorry.

Jade: Those were mean comments! and walks away.

Colby: I swear it wasn’t me.

Colby tries to “relike” the photo and her action is Undone. A big gulp wrestled down her throat. Her mouth felt dry, her tongue seemingly glued to the roof of her mouth. She tries again and as if someone else was on the account simultaneously Undoing her actions.

In fear, she mutters: Maybe indeed “We’re not alone”?

She returns to the photo of Jade where she is posing with her rich locks and notices that the post message reads something different.

"If they only knew that I suffer from Alopecia and have had this condition for the past 15 years of my life. If only they knew how I cannot wait to come back home; be by myself and let my scalp breath as I deal with the rashes that has formed from wearing this wig for hours. If only they knew what I would give to have natural hair fibres coming from my scalp (sad face emoji followed by a teary-eyed emoji)"

Colby’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief; her mouth slightly agape as her mind struggled to process the shocking revelation before her. The words that she read seemed to hang in the air like an unexpected thunderclap, reverberating through her mind and leaving her momentarily stunned. Her heart raced, its rhythmic beat quickening as a surge of adrenaline coursed through her veins. Time seemed to slow down, the world around her fading into a blur as her focus narrowed on the astonishing information that had just shattered her sense of reality. The snapshots of Jades life, while undoubtedly captivating, were only a fraction of the story.

Colby gasps… MY God! They are here! “We’re not alone” with fear in her voice.

Suddenly a loud scream is heard from Jade. Chaos ensues in the building with several people reaching for their phones.

In the background there is an announcement on the floor TV with a state of emergency breaking news from the President.

“Good morning citizens of the world.

We have had premonition about this day coming for a while and

It is finally upon us.

The Alien we seek is not in physical form.

It doesn’t attain a body or shape or presence.

It is amongst us, and it sees and knows our every move and being.

Its almost as if it were US.

The secretive and real side of us that we don’t want the world to know.

An Alien has been known to us globally to be a foreigner, especially one who is not a naturalized citizen of the country where they are living. It also known to be something differing in nature or character typically to the point of incompatibility.

But, what if over all these decades with our obsession and dependence on technology and the superficiality of life, the TRUTH has become Alien to us.

Yes! The "Truth" is the Alien.

We mask our lives for the world to see us in a certain way and light.

We mask our TRUE feelings and our emotions to the point where we assume a whole and new different personality.

The Alien amongst us is a mirror of ourselves. It shares with the world who we truly are.

It cancels out the lies we share or present and reveals the innermost core of who we are.

For decades and centuries, we have adopted the ability to create a façade, deceive others, so we can be accepted. We have hidden behind screens and bullied, predated over innocent young children, murdered, betrayed, and stolen. But now, we have no where to hide.

If you cannot accept who you are and share this with the world, I am afraid that with the presence of our new digital visitors, you won’t be able to survive here for long.

I suggest you let go of all you have known to be the life of lies and deceit and we accept this new beginning.

We’re not alone!

We’re not alone! as his voice breaks and fades into the background”