History of the Future: A Science Fiction Anthology

Familiar Stranger

It was a dark night. Yes, most night are dark, but tonight the darkness was especially ominous. Thunder rumbled off in the distance, and rain droned on in the background. Bright light flashed. One, two, three, four, kaboom! Thunder exploded in noise. I rolled over in bed, wishing I could tell someone to turn the noise of the storm down (for obvious reasons, this is an impossible ask). I waited expectantly for the next round of lightning. After a few minutes, I sighed in relief. Finally! Now I can actually sleep! I was just about to fall asleep when I heard someone pounding on my door. I groaned. Go away! The rapping grew louder. I threw my covers angrily onto the floor and marched to the door. Who would be so obnoxious as to disturb someone at 3 am? I threw the door open in a rage.

"What do you want? It had better be important!"

A medium sized man stood there. He almost blended in with the darkness due to his long, black coat; tall, black boots; and black hat - positioned in a way that covered his face. He said nothing.

"Hello!" I screamed. "Can I help you?!" 

The man maneuvered his hat to reveal a deeply distorted face. His features were twisted grotesquely, and his eyes were like pools of swirling fire. He smiled unnaturally, showing a single, yellowed tooth.

My anger turned to terror. I stood in shocked horror. I tried to will myself to shut the door, but my entire body was paralyzed. 

We stood staring at each other for long while. After a while, he began to look eerily familiar. The man's eyebrows scrunched together with curiosity and his eyes seemed to be questioning me. He was no longer menacing; in fact, he seemed petrified himself.

"Wallace Carlzolon?" he rasped. I nodded slightly. "We have some business to discuss." I guess I had no rational thinking skills at this moment because I actually let him in.

After making the stranger a hot cup of coffee, we both sat down in at my dining room table. 

"So," I began. "What do you want?" The stranger face twisted with sorrow. 

He cleared his throat. "Don't you first want to know my name?" 

His voice was vaguely familiar; a distant memory from decades past. He grasped for words. "Johnny," he finally said. 

My eyes widened. It's only a coincidence. I kept repeating this, trying to convince myself that it was true. Johnny looked confused and hurt that I didn't appear to recognize him. I wanted to believe that it really was my old friend, but it couldn't be. No, he had died decades ago in a freak accident. There was no way this was him....or could it?

"Wallace," he said. "It really is me." I stared at him. Gradually, I realized that he was right.

"I haven't heard from you since 2043." I looked at him angrily and yelled, "I thought you were dead!"

There was a haunting silence in the room. Finally, Wallace decided to tell his story.

"I know that I haven't contacted you in a while...."

"A while?" I scoffed. "It's been forty years. I haven't heard from you since college."

"Please!" he exclaimed. "Let me finish." I sighed, and he continued.

"You haven't heard from me because I found out something that changed my life forever. You see, I'm a.... alien." My jaw dropped. "We moved in 2043 to Hefomun the planet we are from. It is a small moon off of Saturn. My parents felt like I was becoming too human-like. Especially since you, a human, were my best friend. They moved me to connect with my own kind. But I never really fit into society there. I always felt like an outsider, so ten years ago my parents let me move back to earth. Wallace, I have been trying to track you down for the past ten years. Two weeks ago I was watching the news when I saw the news story about you. You know, the story about how you have successfully redone hundreds of aliens faces to make them look human? That's how I found you. I bought the first plane ticket I could to come see you again." 

"Johnny, why are you here to see me?" I asked, slightly worried. A sad smile crossed his face.

"Wallace, I've never really fit in. Everywhere I go, I never fit in. As a kid, I was the odd one on the block. You were my only friend. I went back to my planet, but I had grown up in human society for so long that I just couldn't fit in. I came back here but...." His gaze pierced me. "Look at me, I'm a freak. No one wants to have anything to do with me. I know, aliens have been around for the past twenty-five years, but we just don't fit in. Please, make me normal. Make me like a human."

He held his breathe waiting for my response. His eyes pleaded with me to say yes. Slowly, I shook my head no. His face fell with dejection.

"It's too risky," I told him. "I can't be responsible for your death. I have helped hundreds, but just as many have died from the operation." He was at a loss for words.

"It is worth," he finally said in a noble fashion. "If I can fit in on earth...."

"No it is not," I asserted firmly. He looked like he was going to make a retort, but then he slumped over. He had no more fight left in him. "Go back home," I suggested kindly. "I will visit you, if you want." 

He paused. "I guess you are right," he conceded, although his voice was thick with emotion. He forced a smile. "I'd like it if you could visit."

I walked him over to the door. He carefully placed his hat back onto his head.

"Good-bye for now. I will visit soon," I reassured. He waved dejectedly before disappearing into the night.