“Tansy’s not in her room.” Kevin announced as he sat down to breakfast.
That caused their parents to freeze for a moment, silently panicking.
“But it just looks like she was taken again.” Kevin added quickly.
“Your sure?” Their mother asked, sounding like she wanted to be certain of this.
“Now that I think of it, I thought I saw a light last night.” Their father spoke up, “But I assumed they had come for someone else.” After they both breathed a sighed of relief, he added, “I’ll give Sheriff Carter a call, tell him to be on the lookout for her.”
“I hope they bring her back in time for prom.” Their mother commented, as she sat down, “She’s really been looking forward to it.”
And with that, they had breakfast as if nothing was wrong.
#
Meanwhile, a few miles away on the McGuire farm, Sheriff Carter was dealing with a possible case of cattle rustling.
“And you heard nothing?” Carter asked, making sure he had his facts strait.
“No, sir, nothing at all.” Old Man McGuire, an elderly man with a thick head of gray hair, confirmed.
After a moment, Carter asked, “Mr. McGuire, are you sure it wasn’t an abduction?’
“Don’t be ridiculous, son.” Old Man McGuire scoffed, “They haven’t taken a cow since 92. I’m telling you, this was good old-fashioned human cattle rustling.”
That was when Carter got a call on his radio. “Sheriff, we got a 10-19 at the Robinson resident. Tansy Robinson was abducted last night, over.”
“I’ll keep a lookout for her, over.” Carter replied.
As you night have noticed by their rather blasé reaction to a missing teenager with no history of running away, the town of Reading was a unusual town. See, you know all those kooks who said they were abducted by aliens or saw alien spaceships back in the sixties through the eighties, maybe a little bit of the ninnies? Yeah, they weren’t kooks. And those types of adductions and sightings are still happening here. Like to half the town. And this was Tansy’s sixth. Hence the blasé reaction.
#
Two days later, there was no sign of Tansy. Sheriff Carter was in his police car, patrolling the town, when suddenly he was blinded by a bright yellow light. “Seriously?!” He groaned, as he thought he had a good idea what it was.
His vision cleared enough to see that the bright light was actually three bright lights, coming from a large triangle-shaped vessel. The vessel flew over head ignoring him. Carter took after it, trying to follow it where it was going.
He followed the vessel for a good twenty minutes, and then he lost it somewhere near the woods. “Crap.” He breathed, stopped in the middle of the road. He wasn’t sure exactly sure what he intended to do if he was able to keep up with the dang thing, anyway. How did you arrest ET?
He was about to take off when something told him he had to go look in the woods.
Carter pulled over. Taking a flashlight out, he walked into the dark forest. “Hello?!” Carter called out as he walked, “Anybody here?!” The wind blew, sending a chill up his spine. The sun was setting and in the dense forest, the only light available to him was his flashlight. “Can anybody here me?!”
The silence was deafening as he trudged on, but trudged on Carter did, determined find whatever it was that was out here. Suddenly he broke through to a small clearing with a river and saw something that stopped him dead.
Standing before him was a girl of about seventeen, naked and soaking wet, long onyx colored hair sticking to her face. She seemed in a daze just standing at the riverbank staring at him with dead eyes.
“Tansy?” Carter asked, “Tansy Robinson?”
The girl slowly nodded.
“Tansy, are you hurt?” Carter asked, approaching the girl gingerly ask if approaching a wounded animal, his hands out in front of him.
“I don’t think so.” Tansy spoke finally, her voice horse.
“Okay,” Carter soothed, taking off the brown jacket of his uniform and putting it around her, “Let’s get you to a doctor anyway, just in case.”
Carter walked Tansy through the woods, still in a daze, and Carter deposited her in the front seat of his cruiser. “What day is it?” She asked as he got into the driver’s seat.
“Saturday.” Carter answered.
Tansy groaned. “Those gray jerks really couldn’t wait until after prom? They had to go and do this now?”
“You probably can still go.” Carter assured her, “When exactly is prom?”
“Tonight.” Tansy answered flatly.
“Oh.” Carter responded. That complicated things a bit.
#
A short drive later, Carter was waiting at the front desk while Tansy was being examined by the doctor. He was watching front door when one of his deputies, a dark-haired young woman by the name of Moretti, walk in with small white box in her hand.
“Ah, Moretti,” Carter began slowly, “Whatcha got there?’
“A make up case.” Moretti answered, “They explained to me that Tansy’s running the risk of missing a milestone I figure this is the least I can do. The least anyone can do, really, the crap this town goes through.”
Carter was silent for a moment. Everyone in this town had been through so much that what would be met with disbelief or at the very least horror was met with acceptance and annoyance. Maybe Moretti was onto something. “Alright, go see if that doctor’s done with her.”
#
Five minutes later, Moretti was painting Tansy’s face with stick foundation, followed by green eyeshadow.
“You sure you don’t want your parents?” Moretti asked, dipping the brush back in the little square.
“No,” Tansy replied, “I know that must sound horrible, but, if you’re nice enough to do this— “Her voice trailed off a minute, then she asked, “Do you really think I can make it in time?”
“Well, you might be fashionably late.” Moretti admitted, “But we should be able to get you there for most of it.” Moretti was silent for a moment before asking, “So do you remember—anything?”
“No.” Tansy responded, “No, it’s all blank. I’ll probably be nightmares about it for weeks thought.”
“I hear ya.” Moretti replied, “I’m still having nightmares from my last abduction.”
That took Tansy by surprise. “They take you too?”
“Yeah.” Moretti confirmed, putting the brush across the teen’s eyelid.
“But…you’re a cop.” Tansy told her in disbelief.
“No kidding.” Moretti quipped, “Apparently aliens don’t have a concept of law and order. Which would explain the multiple accounting of kidnapping they keep racking up.”
Tansy burst out laughing. That was actually pretty funny.
#
Meanwhile, Carter was keeping guard in the lobby when two men in blacks suit walked through the door. Oh, no. He thought walking off to the men. “Hey, Bob. “He greeted them, “Steve.”
Yes, it happened so often the Carter was on a first name basis with the actual men in black.
“Thomas.” The Man in Black to the left greeted him, “We’re here about a girl you brought in, Tansy Robinson?”
“Why?” Carter asked.
“You know why.” Bob replied.
He did have a pretty good idea. “Look, she’s not gonna tell anyone.” Carter told, “No one ever tells anyone.”
“We still have to talk to her.” Steve spoke up.
“Why?” Carter demanded, “Why her?”
“We just have our orders.” Bob answered.
“Look guys, you had no way of knowing this, but Tansy prom is tonight.” Carter told them,” You know what prom is, don’t you?” When they nodded, he continued, “We were hoping we could get her to it, considering all she’s been through, but if you take half an hour questioning her or intimidating her or whatever it is you do that’s gonna be a whole lot harder.”
“I promise you, we’ll be brief.” Bob assured him, trying with Steve to push their way past him.
Inspired by Moretti’s seemingly inconsequential act of kindness, Carter stood his ground. “Do I ask for much?” He demanded, “I fact, doo I ask for anything? Ever? No. So can’t you just give me this one thing?”
Bob and Steve froze then exchanged looks. “I’m sure we could just not and say we did just this once.” Steve reasoned.
“But just this once, Carter.” Bob warned, “And you owe us.”
“I can live with that.” Carter agreed. I hope.
#
And with that, Bob and Steve left without a word.
Fifteen minutes later, after Tansy’s mother arrived with the dress, the girl stepped out of the office in a, empire- waisted, long flowing, emerald green off-the shoulder gown, her dark hair in a braided bund, looking absolutely radiant.
“Oh, look at you.” Her mother beamed, giving Tansy a hug, “You look absolutely gerogus!”
“Thank you.” Tansy replied, before pulling back and looking at the group, “Thank all of you.”
“Don’t thank us yet,” Carter cautioned, “We still have to get you there.”
#
Perhaps it was an inappropriate use of police sirens, they managed to get her there just when everyone was going on. Her date, Chris, was anxiously waiting outside for her.
Tansy immediately leapt into his arms. “Are you alright?” Chris asked.
“Yes.” Tansy answered, beaming at him.
“Thank God for that.” Chris sighed, “I so worried. I thought…”
“I’m fine.” Tansy assured him, “I’m fine and I’m here, thanks to them.” She turned back and Carter and said sincerely, “Thank you so much Sheriff! Deputy Moretti.”
“It was our pleasure.” Carter told her, before starting to get in the car, “Have fun you two.”
As Carter got into his cruiser and drove away, a call came through on a radio. “Sheriff, we have a ten nineteen at the McCluster farm. Ethan McCluster was just beamed up. Also, a five-ten, two new crop circles on the Johnson farm. Basically, they have a thing for farms tonight.”
Carter sighed. Just another day at the office.