Chapter 3: Mass Shopping

Day 3

William

As the thud sounded, I heard something shatter. I wanted to go and see what had happened, but I was scared, not knowing what was out there. I started to kneel when I heard Sandi start cussing.

"GOD DAMN IT TO ALL THE HELLS! THAT BASTARD HIT MY SHELF OF UNICORNS. I'M GOING TO CASTRATE HIM IF I GET MY HANDS ON HIM!" Sandi snarled out as I heard a metal clack, and then she continued, "William, I am sure 911 has been called, but make sure for me."

I reached for the phone that Sandi kept on the wall by the kitchen. My hand slid up the wall until I felt the cord, and I picked it up off the receiver. I felt the keys and pressed 911.

"911 operator. Do you require police, fire or ambulance?" said the male operator.

"We need the police at the Century Apartments, apartment 54. We have had shots fired," I said.

"Is anyone injured?" the voice asked.

"I don't know. I'm blind. I could go feel for some if you want me to?" I asked.

"Let me get this straight, you're blind and you're firing a gun?"

"No, my friend fired the gun at someone who fired at her. We woke up and heard a scream. She went to investigate and someone fired. Then she fired her shotgun. So please send help," I said.

"I am dispatching police units now. Please stay indoors, and leave your front door open and the shot..."

Sandi came over and took the phone from me and said, "This is Sandi Bedford. I need police and an ambulance here for a rape victim. The victim is Nancy Holland, 23, African American. The suspect is a black man, six feet three inches, about two hundred pounds. He is wearing blue jeans, and a white muscle shirt. He has a red bandanna around his left arm and one around his head. I peppered his ass with rock salt, so he may think he is dying, so check the hospitals. He is armed with some type of automatic pistol, so I would advise extreme caution," Sandi said.

I could hear crying, so I went into the bedroom and pulled the blanket off the bed. I came back out, and Sandi was still talking on the phone. So I followed the crying, and found her on the couch.

"Nancy, it's me, William. Don't scream, but I have a blanket for you. I want to cover you, if you want me too," I said.

"Thank you, William," she said and took it from me as I sat down.

I started to get up, but she wrapped her arms around me, so I wrapped mine around her, and held her. She started bawling in my arms. I just stroked her hair and rocked her. I noticed she wasn't wearing a shirt, so I tucked the blanket around her shoulders as she cried. I felt the couch shift, and then Sandi was there talking to Nancy.

"It's ok, we are here for you. It's what friends are for. You don't have to worry about him, he won't be forgetting what happened to his ass, when he has to have the rock salt pulled from it," she said as we waited for the police.

Four hours later, I was dozing on the couch waiting for Sandi to get back. She had gone and gotten some clothes for Nancy from her apartment. She then drove over to the hospital after talking to the police and giving her statement. Traveler was lying on the couch with his head in my lap when I heard the lock turn, and I snapped awake. I was sitting up when Sandi came in, and I knew she wasn't alone.

Getting up, I said, "Nancy, are you ok?"

"I will be, thank you for asking," Nancy said in a quiet voice as she stepped up and hugged me.

I held her in my arms and she started crying again. "It's going to be ok, you gave them his name and where he lives. They will catch him," I said.

"Only if they catch him before he comes after me again," she replied.

"Nancy, you can sleep on the couch, or bunk with William and I if you want," Sandi said as she started yawning.

"Sleep with you both? Ahh, I don't know about that," Nancy replied in shock at Sandi's suggestion.

William was a good-looking guy, but she had never been with a white man. Then she remembered something, from earlier.

She blurted out, "Wait a minute. When did you two hook up? The last time I knew, you were saying that after Doug Jackson, you were going on a break from men."

"Since yesterday, when William's place was broken into, and Traveler was injured in a car accident..."

"Traveler was hurt?" Nancy asked and looked around for him and spotted him lying on a blanket in the corner.

Nancy walked over to him, and knelt. She started petting the golden retriever, and he licked her hand and laid his head back down. "Will he be ok?" she asked.

"Doctor Suri says he will be fine in a few days," I said as I sat down.

"That's good, now what about you two? How are you going to make it? You know how the public opinion is, especially when your family is in politics," Nancy asked as she came over and sat in one of the chairs.

"Like I care what the public thinks. If they don't like the choice of whom I'm dating, they can say it to my face," Sandi replied.

"It's not like I will be around for much longer anyways ... Oh shit! I don't believe I just said that," I said.

"WHAT? What's wrong, William," Nancy asked as she got up and walked over. She sat beside me as she grabbed my arm and checked my pulse, as her nursing training kicked in.

"Nothing," I replied as I pulled my arm away.

"Don't give me that shit. I saw it in your face and Sandi's. Now what gives and don't give me any honky jive either," she snapped.

I looked over to where I knew Sandi was standing, tried to say something, then just shrugged.

"You tell her, Sandi. I need to use the bathroom," I said as I got up and walked to the bathroom.

Sandi

I watched William leave the room. Looking over at Nancy I sighed.

"William is going to be dead in a week..."

"What do you mean, dead? What's wrong with him?" Nancy asked with concern in her voice.

I walked over, sat down, and thought for a second.

Looking over at her I said, "It started two days ago. William got a notice in the mail saying he was going to be laid off from work. Well we went down to Social Security so we could get his SSDI reinstated for his blindness. Well while we were down there they started giving him a hard time and I got that straightened out with the help of my uncle. Then on the way out, Traveler was hit by some punk asshole. So we had to run Traveler over to Doctor Suri, and leave him with her as she helped him.

"When we got home, I noticed that William's apartment had been broken into, and I called the cops. Well, William spent the night, that night. Around four am, he got up and went out into the living room. That's where it happened..."

I rubbed my hand through my long golden hair, and tried to figure out how to explain the rest.

"What happened?" Nancy asked.

With a small sigh, I said, "That was when Nadil appeared..."

"Who is Nadil? Some Arab person?"

"Nadil is a woman who looks like she's about nineteen years old. She has silver skin. She is an alien from..."

"Get real. You're saying a nineteen year old alien with silver..."

"I am actually three hundred and nine of your earth years old," Nadil said as she appeared behind Nancy.

Nancy flew off the couch with a screech, as Nadil's voice spoke behind her. Stumbling away from the couch, she put her back against the far wall and looked at the woman standing there. She felt dampness spreading down her pants. She started shaking as she looked at the silver woman.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Nancy Jenna Maria Holland. We are here for William. He will be traveling to a new world, where he will start a new life with the inhabitants there, as he teaches them to grow into a civilization," Nadil said.

"Uhh ... what..." Nancy began.

Her eyes rolled up into her head, and she hit the floor in a dead faint before anyone could move.

"Oh, dear! I didn't mean to cause that," Nadil said.

She looked at the girl lying on the floor, and then she transported her to the couch. Nancy's clothes vanished and a new set appeared on her.

"It's ok. She's had a rough day. She was almost raped and killed by her ex-boyfriend. Or I hope it will soon to be ex," I said as I checked on Nancy.

She was ok, so I sat down beside her. Nadil walked into the other room, and started talking to William.

A few minutes later, Nancy woke up and I smiled down at her.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

"Yes, I am. I don't know why I passed ... Wait! Did I really see a silver woman?" Nancy asked as she sat up.

"Yes, you did. She is talking to William, and will be out in a few minutes ... or I hope she will," I replied.

"I'm here. I'm sorry I scared you, Nancy. Are you ok?" Nadil asked from the doorway.

Nancy

I looked over at the woman standing there, and except for the silver skin and hair, she was quite beautiful. She was wearing a body suit that hugged an athletic frame that was to die for. Her small breasts were about a B-cup, but could be larger because the outfit was so tight.

"Thank you, you are quite lovely, too," Nadil said.

"What! I didn't say that," I said in shock.

'No, but we can 'read' your surface thoughts. As I said, you are quite lovely, as well. Now to tell you what is going to happen. In one week, William will be murdered. There is no way to change that. What we will do is transport him off the planet, just as he dies, and revive him onboard our ship. He has agreed to help us with our project. We will cure his eyesight, make him stronger and healthier.

"We will then transport him to a planet that is far away from here and set him up on that planet with supplies. Each year we will give him a container of supplies to last the next year and for each thing, he teaches the inhabitants, he gets a bonus supply drop about the size of one of your POD brand cargo containers.

"Sandi and William have already started gathering the supplies for the trailer and his motor home to live in. Even though we will supply him with a cave already set up as a home for him. We will allow him to take the travel trailer because we want him to be out meeting the inhabitants around him, ' Nadil said with her thoughts.

"That is so weird. I can actually hear you. But why William? Why us? I mean humans," Nancy asked.

"Because the inhabitants on the other world are humans in their primitive stage of evolution, they are the equivalent of Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals of your world. We want them to survive. To do so, they will need skills that will help them. They do not, at present, possess these skills. William has agreed to teach them," Nadil said.

"This is insane! Why not just save his life, if you know he is going to die," I asked.

"Because we are not allowed to interfere in your lives. Here on this planet, your decisions are yours to make. All we can do, is take what's left of the remains, and revive it. Then we can give them the life and equipment that they need, and let them go on to the planet..."

"But you are. You said you are going to save him, and then take him to this world..."

"You don't understand, Nancy. He is going to die. What we're going to do, is replace his body with a replica. Then we will cure his wounds, and send him to the other world. His clone will be found, dead, and will be buried, here. His life on this planet will cease.

"A new life will grow on the other planet. This includes any children he may sire. We just supply the means, so they can have what they need to survive. What I mean is, we give them a credit card with unlimited funds to buy the items they need. Just a second," Nadil said.

She stopped, touched her ear, and then continued, "I must go. I'm needed aboard ship."

I sat there trying to take it all in, as she vanished before my eyes. I was still stunned.

Shaking my head I said, "What can I do to help?"

"I need medical supplies. You would know what to get, wouldn't you?" Sandi asked.

"Damned right I do. And I know where to get them legally, too," I said as I stood up and stretched my back.