The Session [TT2022]

"It's getting late, I should get some sleep," I thought to myself. The sound of crickets chirping were all I could hear amongst the silence of the night. I sat in my small room in front of my computer when suddenly I saw the reflection of a dark figure walking behind me in the shiny strip of plastic going around the perimeter of my computer monitor. This was extremely strange for a number of reasons and caused me to freeze up in a brief moment of shock.

My flat mate was asleep in another room and my door had been shut, plus I would have noticed my door opening because it's right next to me. The only way anyone could get behind me unnoticed is through the window but we weren't on the ground floor and I would have heard someone climbing through my window. I slowly swivel my chair around but everything appears to be totally normal. I was quite baffled since there wasn't anywhere to hide in my small room.

Instead of putting me at ease this only made me more panicked because I was absolutely certain I just saw a person in that reflection. "I know someone is there. Show yourself!" I demanded without knowing what to expect. Then to my complete horror a humanoid figure begins to materialize above my bed but before I can get a good look I fall unconscious. The last thing I remember was seeing those creepy eyes, then I woke up the next morning like nothing happened.

"So that's basically everything... at first I thought it was a dream but then I noticed my watch had stopped at the same time I fell unconscious. I did some digging around the internet and some people say it's a sign of abduction, so that's why I decided to come see you. I just can't shake the feeling something happened to me," I tell the regression therapist. I glance over and see her nodding as she scribbles down notes about my case.

"Mmmmhhhmmm... I see. Interesting. Based on what you've told you might have experienced something but I can't say for certain. Maybe it was just a brief hallucination due to your drowsy state of mind. If you're willing we can try a regression session to uncover any details you might have forgotten about that night, just keep in mind it can be an unpleasant experience. However you will be completely safe and I can stop the process at any time," the therapist explains.

Without much hesitation I answer, "Sure, that's what I came here for after all. But to be honest I'm not sure if I can be hypnotized, it never worked on me before."

"It really depends on whether you want to be hypnotized. If you open up and trust me to guide you through the process I'm certain it will work". Maybe it was her calming way of speaking or this couch which felt like laying on a cloud, but I was feeling very relaxed and willing to trust the process. The therapist then opens her desk draw and pulls out an old wooden metronome device with a metal pendulum arm.

"Ok close your eyes and imagine you are floating in a warm relaxing pool of water looking up at the stars," the therapist says softly as she starts the metronome ticking. "Now listen to the constant rhythmic beat of the universe. Focus on it and let all other thoughts leave your mind. The water is just the perfect temperature, you can't even feel it on your skin. Allow yourself to become one with the water, you are melting into the water, floating deeper and deeper."

"Your eyes are feeling so heavy now. You have no fears or worries because you know this is a safe place, the water makes you feel comforted like a baby in a womb. As you fall deeper the stars begin to fade away and you feel at one with the infinite expanse of the universe. Now you open your eyes and find yourself back at that night last June. You're sitting in your chair and you can hear the sound of crickets chirping outside. What do you see?"

"I'm alone... wait what is that, no way! I saw something in the reflection! I can't believe it, this is impossible... I turn around. I don't see anyone but I can sense someone is there. 'I know someone is there. Show yourself!'... oh my god there's something on my bed in the corner of the room. It's... a person. No wait, that isn't human. What the hell is that thing. Oh no it's coming towards me... no don't come near me, get away!" I scream hysterically.

"It's ok I'm here with you, you're absolutely safe. Remember that you are in control, you can pause the movie or skip ahead any time you want," the therapist reassures me. "What does this being look like, can you make out any features?"

"It's looking directly into my eyes... it's eyes are so big, I can't look away. I don't like this feeling. It tells me to sleep and I pass out. Wait, now I'm somewhere else, it looks like some sort of waiting room at a doctors office but there's something strange about this room. Me and him are the only ones here. He's sitting right next to me."

"Who is sitting next to you?" the therapist asks me.

"The one who took me. He's taller than the rest... lighter skin color. But same big head and big eyes. He's like their superior or something. But I'm not scared of him, it feels like he is my friend. Well friend is the wrong word, it's more like a familiarity because we've met before. I don't really trust him though because I know he doesn't truly care for me. They don't have emotions like us, I'm just a pawn in his experiment so he needs me."

"I see... and is he saying anything or doing anything?"

"Yes, we are having a conversation... but it's not like a normal conversation, we are talking with our minds. I don't know how this is possible, it's like he is sending me concepts with images and emotions. I know he can also feel my emotions and everything I think. I'm like an open book to him, it's almost like being naked. It's as if he can see into my mind but I can only sense his emotions or thoughts if he wants me to."

"I'm asking him what they want from me. He says I play an important role in their mission. I'm asking him why is a human important to aliens."

"Why do you assume I'm an alien," he responds.

With a cautious tone of voice I tell him truth, "Well just look at you, you don't look very human. And you don't have human emotions, no offense."

The therapist interjects as I start talking in 1st person, "Remember this is just a dream, you aren't really there."

"I'm still a humanoid aren't I, two arms and two legs, two eyes and a mouth. What are the chances humanoid life would evolve on another planet and then travel light years to visit Earth? Or how about the fact we are breathing the same air right now, what are the chances of that? And why do we always return you home safe and sound instead of dissecting you to understand your biology?"

"But... I mean how can you be human, it doesn't make sense."

"Is it really so hard to believe? Think about it, I'm basically you with a bigger brain, no offense. That's because I'm from the distant future, many thousands of years from now. That's a lot of time for the human species to change, and not all of that change is good. Even in your time scientists are witnessing a rapid drop in male fertility and increasing rates of miscarriages and birth defects. This problem only worsens over time as things like gene therapy and GMO's become common place. In my time natural conception is a rarity, and bearing a healthy child is an even rarer occurrence. That is why we need your genetic material, it's untainted by the hands of scientists who desire to control nature without first fully understanding nature."

"That's a nice story and all... but how can you criticize other scientists when you're also running an experiment without considering the human consequences. Don't I deserve a choice over what happens to my body?" I respond with a skeptical tone.

"Look at what is happening in your world right now, you are losing all of your medical autonomy and that is partly why reproduction becomes so difficult in the future. In the future everyone is considered a scientist because everyone is smart enough to be a scientist. But that is also why we might seem cold at times, we prefer rationality over emotions. We don't wish to interfere with your time line or violate your free will, but we have no other choice, our species will go extinct if we do nothing."

"So what if I didn't want to be a part of your mission anymore?" I ask hesitantly.

"Your request may be approved but I don't make those decisions. However, before you make such a request keep in mind we do take care of you. For instance, last month we removed a skin cancer which would have killed you within a year. We have the technology to cure any illness you might have, you are important to this mission and we wouldn't want to lose you."

"It's hard for me to believe you really care... you put me through painful and humiliating procedures. My life is only important to you because it serves your end goal, otherwise I'm disposable. Why can't you just leave me alone damn it! Take me back home, I don't want to be here anymore!" I yell while frantically thrashing around the therapists couch.

"It's just a dream, remember. Listen to my voice, focus on my voice now as I count up to five. One. Picture yourself walking up a flight of stairs. Two. Each step of the way you will begin to feel more awake and more alert. Three. Your eyes are feeling less heavy now. Four. You're starting to become aware of your surroundings. Five. Your eyes are opening and you are now fully awake. Are you feeling ok? That was quite the session."

After all the threads I've written on time travel, you guys know I couldn't pass up this short story contest. I also consider this story to be another in my collection of sci-fi short stories which also includes The Presentation, The Tour, and The Simulation.

Also just for the record this isn't based on a real event, but it does draw from all my knowledge relating to the abduction phenomena because I wanted it to feel like it could have been a real regression session. The reflection thing is loosely based on something that happened to me but I don't think it was related to aliens or time travelers. I also didn't make up the thing about rapidly declining fertility rates, I recently watched an interesting video on that subject:

Thanks for your submission.... Don't forget to make a link to your story in the Contest thread for everyone!


Good Luck in the Contest,
Johnny

a reply to: ChaoticOrder

Thanks CO. When I saw that you had entered a submission, I had to read it!

Cheers

Thanks for the read guys, hope you liked it. I've been on a bit of an abduction documentary binge today, two good ones for anyone with Prime Video are "Extraordinary: The Seeding" and also "Being Taken". The Seeding interviews a bunch of abductees who recount their experiences, and most of them used hypnotic regression to remember what happened to them. The female abductees provide some fairly good insight into the hybrid program. Being Taken interviews some abduction investigators and covers some of the well know abduction cases such as the Betty and Barney Hill case and the Travis Walton case.

a reply to: ChaoticOrder

Holy #! That hit me on a real visceral level. Very well crafted story. I hope it is a story. I hope you aren't going through things like this. Well done!

a reply to: ChaoticOrder

Excellent story! Left me wanting more...