Ultraviolet

Carolina

I swear I saw it. I was in my room, near my window, caressing my pet bunny, when that purple light lit up the sky. The night sky turned to a beautiful shade of purple. Then all of a sudden, stairs appeared.

I was so fascinated by all of it, like I always am. I tried waking up my roommate, but she sleeps like a log, there’s no waking her once she’s deep in her sleep, but I tried. “Rhea, Rhea, wake up, look at the pretty lights! There are people coming to see us. You have to wake up!” It was as if I was talking to a wall.

Logan

Here we go again, Carolina just came barging through the doors to tell me about the people that are coming to visit her. I don’t know if she got her medication for the night, I better check her file. “I know Carolina, I know. You have visitors, they’re coming to see you.”

“But you don’t understand I do have people coming to see me, I just saw them from my bedroom window. They lit up the sky for me! They know that purple is my favorite color!” she replied.

I looked out the window for a fraction of a second, as if she was actually telling the truth, but that thought disappeared when I remembered where we were. I looked at her file, she already had her medication, so another dose isn’t the best option here. I got up from my chair and walked towards her, “Come on Carolina, let me walk you back to your room" I said as I pushed my chair back and walked towards her.

“Do you believe me?” She asked with the look of a hopeful toddler.

“I believe you. We’re going to go back to your room now so we can watch the purple lights together” I said while guiding her to her room. She did this happy jump in my hold, a way to tell me she’s excited. We got to her room and looked out her window to see nothing but darkness.

Carolina

The sky was purple just a few minutes ago. I saw it! Where were the Ultraviolet People? They can't keep running away from me. I know I’m in a psych ward but I’m not crazy, I see them, they have got to believe me! I look at Logan and see that look in his eyes. He always gets that look in his eyes when he’s helping me. It’s not anger, and it’s not pettiness, it’s just compassion. He feels sorry for me. He thinks that I really am crazy. No one ever believed me, which is why I’m currently in here. I’ve been seeing this purple sky for 2 years now. Every single night, on the first of every month, the sky turns purple, stairs appear, and I see the Ultraviolet People. They look exactly like humans; they just reflect that purple light. I’ve never talked to them. Every time I see them, I run to get someone so they can tell me that they see them too, but by the time I get back, they’re always gone. Which is why I made it my mission to always be near a window every night of the first of every month. When my parents saw my devotion to this, they made me go and see a psychiatrist, and the verdict was that I am hallucinating and creating fake scenarios in my head as a way to escape reality, which resulted in me being in here today.

I don’t know what I can do to prove that the Ultraviolet People indeed exist. I tried capturing the scene with my camera, but alas, no lens can capture what is right in front of it. I don’t know why the Ultraviolet People chose me. Why do they always appear in front of me? No matter where I am, they always seem to find me. I’m tired of not knowing. Only if they can talk to me. Tell me what the purpose behind their monthly visit is, maybe then I can get out of this hell hole.

“I know that you don’t believe me, but that’s okay, I wouldn’t believe me. Look at me, I’m a mess! Why would anyone believe me.” I said to Logan as he was trying to put me to bed.

“Sometimes our eyes can deceive us, it’s not just you” he replied without looking me in the eyes. He didn’t want to show me that he doesn’t even believe what he’s saying.

“Logan, please look at me” I waited for him to look at me again before I continued “I know that taking care of me is your job, but if no one believes me soon, I will become legitimately crazy. I can’t keep doing this. Someone has got to believe me! Please promise me that the first day of the next month you will come and sit with me near my window after sunset, and I will prove to you that I am not hallucinating. I swear that I see them. I don’t know what else to do. Please! You need to believe me.” I was on the verge of tears, but I kept staring into Logan’s eyes trying to get through to him. After a few seconds that felt like decades to me, Logan sighed and said, “I’ll see if I’m on schedule.”

“Thank you.”

Logan

It’s the first of October, and I had the morning shift, which means I get off at five which is just before sunset. I look at the clock and it is quarter to five now. I can clock out in 15 minutes, but I don’t know if I want to. I promised Carolina that I’ll come sit with her if I’m on schedule. Technically I am not since I had the morning shift, but I can’t shake the feeling I got when I looked her in the eyes that night. She sounded so sincere. I still have 15 minutes to decide what to do, but right now I need to check on Alex before I leave. I walk into his room and see him sitting on his bed hugging his knees. “Hey Alex, I’m here with your night pill” I said while grabbing his cup of water and his night pill off the tray. I walk slowly towards him, he was humming, the humming sounded really familiar but I didn’t have the time to decipher what he was trying to sing now. I extend my hand and wait for him to open his palm. I drop his pill in his hand, watch him pop it in his mouth, then give him the water. He finishes his water and gives the cup back to me. As I was exiting his room he said “They’re coming. Tonight. Purple sky.” I froze in place. I looked ahead and his words kept resonating in my ears. He’s been hanging out with Carolina way too much, he’s starting to sound just like her. His words were like an electric shock to my system. Suddenly, my mind was made up. After I clock out, I’m heading straight home.

I changed out of my scrubs and into my clothes, gathered my stuff and headed out the locker room.

“Hey handsome, heading home?” Krystina asked when I passed by the front desk.

“Yeah, it’s been a long day, I need the rest. Have a good night.” I replied trying to keep the guilt at bay. I walk towards the exit, but something stops me in my tracks. What if she is telling the truth? If I go to her room and see nothing, then all what that would do is confirm that I was right all along. But what if I was wrong? I curse under my breath and turn around and start walking towards Carolina’s room. It’s already 5:15 now and sunset is in just a few minutes. I start sprinting so that I can make it there in time. Today’s sunset is happening at 5:18 p.m. so I still have a couple of minutes to make it. I can see her door from a distance. I’m almost there. I run the last few steps and open the door. Chest heaving, one hand on my backpack’s strap, the other on the door handle, little beads of sweat covering my forehead and my eyes shot right at Carolina and the sky behind her.

“Tell me you see it.”