2212

On, 22/12/2015, the time was slow-paced, and so were the people around.

It was past midnight, and while everyone else was fast asleep, I was wide awake, my mind bursting with excitement. For days, I had been looking forward to my birthday. Do you know why? My parents had promised to take me to the Kausani Hills on my eighteenth birthday. I was so excited about the trip that it was difficult to fall asleep the night before. I kept imagining the lush green hills and the delicious drink called Buransh that was unique to the area. The winding path leading to Kausani looked so beautiful that I thought I could spend my entire life there. I had been trying to sleep for the last three hours but all the trials were in vain as I closed my eyes the green views of the place interrupted me.

 At two o’clock, I turned on the lights in my room and began reading my favorite book on extraterrestrial life. The plot revolved around a couple who claimed to have been abducted by aliens. They described feeling as though time had either stopped or slowed down before the abduction occurred. Things like these are more horrifying when read at night. I couldn’t read anymore as my eyes had become heavy. The fifth chapter of the book I was reading that night was haunting, so I closed it and slid it into the drawer. When I looked at the clock again, I saw that it still read two o’clock. I wondered if the gears inside the clock were worn out. So, as I was checking the time, I noticed that the seconds hand on the clock was running a bit slow and the minutes hand was even slower. This made me feel afraid and confused. As a result, I turned to my mobile phone to double-check the time. The mobile phone also displayed two. I was momentarily frozen with fear, but then I shook myself and convinced my mind that it was just human psychology at play. Whatever we read or see can make us imagine it happening around us in real life. I made a mental note to take a break from reading such books before sleeping.

“Oh Lord, What’s happening with me? Are there some external forces controlling me?” I asked myself, in my trembling inner voice.

The night was chilling in mid-December. My hands used to turn cold if I stayed out of the quilt for too long, but this time they remained warm even though they were out of the quilt for a while as I read my book. I switched off the lights and pulled up the quilt to my face. It wasn’t a normal feeling. My eyes became incredibly heavy, and my skin was dry and burning. It felt like someone was trying to force me to sleep. I felt pressure on my shoulders, and my mind went blank within minutes. I could hear my breathing and then suddenly, I fell asleep. 

“Wake up… Wake up, Vedika,” I heard a deep feminine dark voice. My mom used to wake me up every morning. I knew she didn’t possess such a dead voice; her voice was sharp and lively. I asked myself, “Is that my mother?” I pulled myself out of the quilt and was taken aback to realize that the voice I had heard was indeed my mother’s. My mother was beside me softly stroking my head. I looked at her and found that her eyes were looking lifeless. Her gaze was fixed upon me with an unfamiliar and terrifying expression.

She hugged and greeted me for my birthday, but her embrace and words were cold, lacking warmth. I replied, “Thank you.” I was so terrified that I couldn’t even look into her eyes and say. I stepped down from my bed. My mother was still looking at me with those dark and blank eyes. I sighed, slid my phone into my pocket, and put on my thick winter jacket which was lying on my study table. Then, I walked straight down the staircase and jumped onto the lawn. As I walked on the lawn, my hands were sore and blistered, and my joints ached in the bitter cold. Despite the discomfort, I continued to stroll on the grass carpet, gazing up at the unusually dark sky. There wasn’t a single sign of life around me, apart from the trees. I quickly reached for my phone and switched it on to check the time.

“What? It’s only five. Why did mom force me to wake up so early?” I asked myself in a dilemma. I was strolling from one corner of my garden to the other. I felt like someone was peeping at me from behind the door. When I turned towards the door, I saw the shadow of my mother. As soon as I turned, her shadow disappeared into the shadow of the curtains. I was thrilled to see her keeping an eye on me.

“Mom never follows me. She has faith in me… But, what happened today?” I sighed as I thought about the dark and ominous weather on December 22nd. The surroundings were bleak as if nuclear winter had arrived. No bird chirped around and it didn’t seem it was morning; the surroundings hinted at evening. I once again looked at the door and saw somebody’s eyes. I tried to recognize the person; I was shocked when I found it was indeed my mother. Her eyes looked horrifying.

“Everything was fine till night. What happened now?” I asked myself. My hands became sweaty and my cheeks and ears turned red. I felt like I was being captured. I continued walking on my lawn thinking.

“Even Dad didn’t call me.” I thought.

As I walked alone, I thought to myself, “My dad had promised me while leaving for the business meeting in New York that he would call me on my eighteenth birthday, but he didn’t.”. Once again I looked at my phone it still flashed five. Minutes had passed when I picked up the phone last time but the time was the same. I tried to calm myself. I opened my message inbox to reply to all the birthday wishes. But, it was strange to see that there were neither any notifications nor any messages were sent. Even the signal was not available. I was more frightened. I turned around the third time and couldn’t find my mother staring.

My mind didn’t advise me to get in, but my body suggested that it could not bear the cold so it would be better to get in. I chose the second option. Chilling and dry winds were hitting my cheeks and they had turned dry. My cheeks were burning and my fingers were swelled. Without any second thought, I ran inside. I prayed that my mother would behave as usual with me. But, unfortunately, it was merely a wish. My mother was on the kitchen counter and was staring at me with a blank expression and open mouth. Her dilated iris worried me more than anything could. I was looking at her face with horror when the doorbell rang. I expected my mother would go and attend to the visitor because she didn’t allow me to go before any visitor in my night dress instead she kept staring at me. I had to remind her, “Mom, the doorbell is ringing.”

“So what should I do? You can also go.” She replied in a discourteous tone.

“But you don’t allow me to go in these clothes!” I said.

“Go! You have my permission for today,” my mother said, staring at me with an intense gaze. The bell had rung countless times and I was taken aback by my mother’s unexpected response. As the bell rang again, I rushed to the door with a hesitant expression and quickly opened it. It was my aunt. I became effusive when I saw her standing before me. I greeted her and held her in my arms. She gripped me and it was too hard. I struggled to free myself. Finally, I was free from her iron grip. The embrace was forgettable and I felt it was not hers. Mom and aunt greeted each other vaguely. They never did that way before with each other. They used to greet each other cordially.

“Today I will take you to the newly built tall tower, Vedika.” My aunt said.

“I had already been there.” Mom said. 

I was wonderstruck because, for the last few days, I had been noticing a tower. However, nobody believed me, so I considered it to be mere daydreaming, which was difficult for me to convince myself of. I frequently attempted to approach the tower, but it always appeared to be an illusion. When I first saw it, the tower appeared to be so close to my house that I assumed it must be within walking distance. I briskly walked down the street towards it, but the tower remained at the same distance every time I approached it. After walking for so long and still, I was unable to reach my desired place. I walked back to my house. Since then I had often tried to find that tower while returning from college. I could see the humongous tower very close but was unable to reach it. The situations around me thrilled me. Everything confused me.

My mother said passively, “Go and get ready.” That day, I felt like I was living in a parallel universe where everything was happening poles apart. I rushed to my room to get ready and threw myself on my bed. Everything around me seemed to be spinning, and my head ached. Despite this, I pushed myself to the bathroom to get ready.”

“Where is the mirror?’ I asked myself. As I entered my bathroom, I noticed that my elegant mirror made of Indian rosewood (Sheesham) was missing. It frustrated me because I needed it to see my face after getting ready, and I had been using it for several years. I took a warm shower and wore a set of denim jacket and pants with a vibrant red top. I took my selfie camera to substitute the necessity of a mirror. I tried to open the camera but it could not work. It flashed a white light and then the camera shut down. I restarted my phone several times but every try was in vain.

“What is happening?” I asked myself in annoyance. I wished to escape the world I had been living in since I was born. I reluctantly walked down the stairs and reached the living room.

The glazing fire of the fireplace was gradually diminishing. Chilling winds that blew in from the opposite window swayed the dying flame. My mom and aunt still stared with odd intensity at me. Their eyes shook me with terror as conspiracy flashed in them. 

“What would you like to have for breakfast?” My mother asked. 

“Anything you are convenient to cook,” I said, noticing her dark sunken eyes. Her condition worried me. 

“Are you fine Mom?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said with a grave face and growled in laughter. My aunt continued to glare at me with a dilated iris. 

“So, would you like to have a HUMAN HAND boiled and then fried in spices?” She said crookedly.

“WHAT!?”I was afraid to speak to her as she sounded more terrifying every time she approached me. I knew she despised both my father and me for having non-vegetarian cuisine, but her reply sent shivers down my spine. 

“Ha, I was just joking,” Mom said in that deep tone. 

“It didn’t seem though,” I thought. She walked into the kitchen and began to cook. The utensils clattered. Aunt was looking at me. I peeped into her eyes; she seemed dead and old from within. It was difficult for me to make out what had been happening. My spine chilled and I rubbed my hands. I sighed and looked into the kitchen, trying to make sense of the situation. 

I shivered. My mother was chopping her hand off! 

“OH LORD!” A timid voice screamed inside me. I wanted to tell about the weird situations around me to my close one, however, no one was mine that day. That world around me was yet to awake. I was trembling in terror. A hand approached me and was placed on my back with a thump. I turned to find out who was that. She was my mother! Standing behind me with a plate covered with a lid. I quickly looked at her left hand which she was chopping off. It was all fine! What is this!? I asked myself. What a nightmarish day my eighteenth birthday had been!

Mom placed the dish before me and uncovered the plate. My heartbeats all of a sudden were increased to see that the dish looked unfamiliar. It smelled of fermented cabbage and mustard. I could sense it was a HUMAN HAND! Thoughts began clashing in my mind.“Her hand is alright, then how come this dish has been prepared?” I thought. I kept staring at the horrific platter. “Eat… What are you thinking about?” My aunt said.

“Yes, eat,” said Mom. 

I nodded and pulled the plate closer to me. As I moved the dish towards the edge of the table, I planned to clean the spoon and push the dish off the table as I dove the spoon into it. My execution of the idea was smart, and luckily it succeeded. The plate made a loud clattering sound as it hit the floor, and the contents of the dish were now a mess. I glanced around to observe the reactions of the two ladies present. I believed that they might be staring at the scattered plates on the floor, but their eyes were still on me. Those dark and horrible eyes made me precarious whenever I looked into them. 

“You should cook another dish for her,” said my aunt to Mom. Her words worried me so I chimed in to save myself, “I’m not very hungry, but I’m excited to visit that tower!” I blurted out, causing us all to burst into laughter. I had made a fool of myself.

“I’m not very hungry…but I’m excited to visit the tower!” I said quickly, making them both laugh out loud. I had made myself look silly in front of them.

 They stopped laughing at the same time and again made that mysterious face. They glanced at my face with a similar horrifying expression. My mother said without blinking her eyes in a horrifying tone, “Come with us. We are excited too!” I was frozen when she said those words. 

“SHE WAS NOT MY MOM!” my inner voice screamed.

“Come!” The aunt said while opening the door. My fragile heart thumped as the door opened and the chilling air entered the living room. I could sense something ominous. 

As I stepped out of the door, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of contemplation. My mother and aunt were standing there, exchanging knowing smiles that made me feel like I was a character in a successful TV drama. They gestured for me to follow them, and we made our way out onto the streets. I was struck by how distant the tower, which had seemed so close to our house before, appeared now on this final day.

“It is an illusion,” I said to myself. We walked quietly through the thoroughfare; it was supposed to be filled with intense commotion every morning, but it was silent like us. I didn’t want to talk, but I broke the silence and asked my mom, “When will we leave for Kausani?”

She looked at me, smiled, and said, “In the evening if everything stays right.” 

“What!?” I asked in confusion. 

“I mean, that it is not necessary that the weather would be fine,” Mom said. I felt precarious that day. The neighborhood was quiet. As well as no vehicle or person passed by us.

 As I glanced at my wristwatch, I noticed that the time had come to a halt at seven. To confirm, I checked my phone and found that it was also stuck at seven. As we approached the tower, my phone stopped working and eventually turned off. While my head was buried in my device trying to restart it, it completely died.

“We’re finally here!” my aunt exclaimed. I looked up and was surprised to see that the building, which had appeared so far away, was quite close. I couldn’t resist the urge to step inside. The tower had empty balconies swirling around it in a spectacular arrangement. The air was filled with a heavenly, sweet aroma.

“Oh! What a smell!” I said. My senses were lost in the place. 

“Mom, this place smells so nice. It feels as if someone has brought this fragrance from heaven. Don’t you?” I asked. I turned to my Mom for an answer, but there was only silence. My heart racing, I looked around and realized that both my Mom and aunt had vanished. We need to find them. outflows that had sprouted in me were uprooted. I screamed in fear, “Mom where are you?” 

I heard my Mom’s voice calling out, “We are here. Come to us.” I looked up and saw her standing there with my aunt. In a hurry, I climbed up several flights of stairs until I reached the fifteenth floor. I searched for my Mom, tears streaming down my face. “Where is she?” I asked myself, feeling lost and alone.

“We are here,” I again heard my Mom’s voice from above. I looked up and saw her on the topmost balcony of the tower.

“How did she reach there?” I thought.

“Come, what are you thinking?” My aunt screamed. 

I was all out of breath however, I ran up. I had lost count of how many steps I had run up. After draining my last night’s energy I was then wholly nauseous. My head was spinning around. 

As I ran around crying and screaming for my mom, she didn’t respond. I searched for her frantically, but couldn’t find her anywhere. I looked at the road ahead of me, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

I saw my house on both sides of the tower. “What is this?” I asked, trembling. It was as if I was seeing mirror images. 

As I turned to hurry down, I suddenly came face to face with small, ugly figures that had human-like faces that looked distorted. I was immediately filled with terror upon seeing them. 

“Who are you?” I asked with a trembling and frightened voice.

“Grandma, I am from 2212 planet. I am here with my team to take your skin protein samples with me to make our people look younger.” A harsh voice said.

“What, Grandma!?” I was surprised to hear that a strange alien human was calling me his grandma.

Our planet is a reflection of your future generations, said the dwarf human from the year 2212. I was unable to comprehend anything, and everything faded to black.

It was the 7th of January when I came back to my senses. I opened my eyes and found myself on the hospital bed. I was unable to move myself. Even my fingers were numb. My mom came to me running and clasped me into her arms. I could feel the real warmth of her. 

When I asked my mother how I got there, she replied that I didn’t wake up the whole day on my birthday. They rushed to a doctor. The doctor diagnosed me and found out that I was in a coma. Where was I? Was I lost in a nightmare or was it something else? 

Still, the weakness and ache of my body is not completely gone. What happened to me on 22/12 is still a mystery that is yet to be unsolved.