Brain Raiders

The steel bed, hard and cold against my back. My eyes dancing back and forth trying to focus on anything. My hands tightly clenched in terrified anticipation of the next. I hold my breathe as a presence approaches. I feel icy prickles on my temples and with the urge to scream I violently try to escape. Suddenly lightening brightens my dark room in odd range of colors. I’m in my room. In my familiar environment but I feel foreign. What a vivid weird nightmare.

The thunderstorm continues the light show. A huge thunder rambles the windows. Silence is broken with the melody of car alarms. The atmosphere feels shifted. Like if the room was crowded but now is empty. I head out towards the hallway when I hear my grandpa call out for me. I head towards my grandparent’s room to see my grandpa sitting up on his bed scared. He’s frantically asking where is he. I try to quiet him before he wakes up grandma. He is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and often becomes disoriented and forgetful. Particularly in stormy weather. I assure him that he is safe and in his bed. By the time grandma gets up, at least he has calmed down. She takes over and I resume to my way to the kitchen.

As I grab a glass of water, I noticed outside the window that there is no rain. Guess it was just lightening. Everything is eerie silent. The friek thunderstorm sure left me shook. I hurry back up the stairs for I have a feeling I’m not alone. This is what happens when I let my imagination run wild. I go back to bed and vainly promise myself I will not watch another horror movie before bedtime.

The next morning, I enter the kitchen to see my parents, little sister and grandparents having breakfast mesmerized by the news on the tv. The news anchor informing about the meteor that zoomed across the sky last night. Intrigued of this cool explanation of the weird night, I stuff a waffle in my mouth and attentively consume the information on this event. My parents and grandma’s conversation become background noise when I hear my grandpa mumble “Their coming more often now.” I try to question him when my grandma places her hand on mine and nods to discourage my questioning to him. She informs us in a low and sad tone that grandpa is not doing very well and storms leave him paranoid. I accept this fact and proceed on my morning school routine.

On one of those days soon after the meteor, I came home with a cool video that captured the fireball zoom across the sky. My mom and grandma were busy preparing dinner, dad was still working so I rushed to my grandpa. He was delighted to see me. When I showed him the video his happy face immediately changed to a concerned face. He looks at me and whispers “They come for me.” I laugh nervously and assure him that it’s just science stuff. He nods and pulls me closer. “Lightening is their entrance to capture information. Remember this for me before they get all of mine.” His eyes are fixed on mine with a steady voice. “Don’t let them make me forget.” I hold his hand and tell him that I will always be there to remind him. My mom approaches and places her hands on his shoulders and tells him how much she loves him. My grandpa starts crying and begins to shake repeating that he does not want to forget. It’s sad to see my grandfather like this.

The following night another thunderstorm is upon us. It wakes me up and I go towards my bedroom window to see if it’s another meteor. All I see is heavy rain. I become distracted when I hear footsteps in the hall. Sudden fear comes over me. Why? Not sure. I hear feet shuffle, like about 3 persons are in the hallway. I am paralyzed to open the door. Curious but paralyzed of ungrounded fear. I take steps that feel heavy and place my ear on the back of my bedroom door. Nothing. Turn my head and use my other ear and I hear...static? Static like when you try to find a radio station crossing towns.

Silently laughing at my paranoia. I return to my bed. Placing the covers over me, it hits me that it could be my grandpa. He has done this before and has been found in the backyard. Suddenly that memory gives me courage to open my door and rush downstairs to check. Feeling relieved that I acted on my instinct even if late, I see my grandpa sitting on the recliner. I call out of he is okay. He responds with a confident yes as his hand gestures invites me to sit closer to him.

My grandpa surprisingly looks well right now. His cloudy usual look of confusion has disappeared. He notices that I notice this. “I am good right now, but I don’t got much time.” I try to respond to this but he silenced me with his finger over his mouth. “This may sound crazy, but we are not alone. Raiders are among us. They seek information and vessels. Experienced, well old humans like me are their target.” With tears in my eyes, I try to interrupt once again but he looks at me with concern and hushes me. “They take me during thunderstorms to extract information and stabilize in me as their host. Eventually my mind will be gone, so they can take over my body completely. They act quickly for if their lucky, they can use this vessel for a limited time. Before my memory fades again, I have to tell someone of what’s happening.” With tears rolling down my cheeks, I tell my grandpa that I love him but he is sick and his memory failing is due to a disease not some brain raiders. He begins to tear up too. He places his hands on his face. A loud thunder rumbles though. I ask him if he wants to go back to bed. He looks up at me, something is different. His stare is foggy. “Who are you son?” He stands up and starts to look for an exit as he screams “Where am I now?” I call out for my parents who help calm him and return my grandpa back to bed.

I can’t go to sleep because my mind keeps repeating what my grandpa told me earlier. For the first time in a long time, he seemed normal for a fraction of time. Is this disease that cruel to make him that delusional? Could there be some truth to this? What am I thinking. Of course this is not true! How could it. Are these raiders ghost? Why can’t we see them. I do not get an ounce of sleep just thinking of this. The next morning I share with my dad the experience but he quickly shoves

It as result of his disease. This does not satisfy me because I saw my grandpa return to normal for a few minutes. This does sound crazy but could it be real?

The next week another thunderstorm rolls in. I stay on the couch alert for any suspicious activity. As I watch tv, the screen suddenly is flooded with white noise. I call out for my parents but notice their gone. The sliding door near the kitchen is wide open and rain is coming in. I see grandpa is in the backyard. I go to the door when a wind rapidly pushes me on the ground of my backyard. Puzzled I look around and see the blades of grass are all erected as if a giant vacuum is upon us. I see grandpa slowly lifting as a high pitch silences the noises around me. I in slow motion am lifted as well. Overwhelmed with fear, I close my eyes.

I feel cold metal around me. A white light is over a metal table. I scoot over to a dark corner. My breathing is loud and my heart feels like it’s going to jump out my chest. I try to focus on the metal table and when I do, I’m left in frozen fear. Grandpa is on the metal table. A lean thing with a slender head and ears that stand up long as antennas is placing his hands on grandpa’s temples. I gulp hard because this thing has three hands. The thing is talking which sounds like static to me as his hands are with electrical currents. Grandpa is moaning in pain. I can’t just stay there doing nothing while these brain raiders do this. With all my might I pushed that thing off my grandpa. I tumble and some more of those things hold me to the ground. Their eyes are made of other smaller eyes that all are staring at me with anger. Grandpa coughs and tells them to not hurt me. To proceed and take his body as their host. I yell no. I don’t want them to takeover my grandpa. These beings, creatures…aliens, whatever they all look at me. In a whoosh I fall back until I land on something soft. I open my eyes and I’m back on my couch. Everyone is there, except grandpa.

“Where is grandpa?” I yell! My dad looks concern and tells me he is upstairs in bed watching tv. I rush upstairs. I see grandpa is in bed. I’m glad that it was just a nightmare. I run to go hug him. My grandpa doesn’t react to my embrace. “Grandpa! What’s wrong?” I ask him. He slowly nods his head slightly towards me. With a smirk, he says “He’s gone.” I stand up frightened and tell him that he can’t take my grandpa. Grandpa starts screaming frantically that he doesn’t know me! To get out. He has so much anger and fear in his voice. I’m left crying and scared. Before my parents come rushing to the room to calm him. Grandpa giggles and quietly mumbles “We will also come back for you.”

That was the last night any coherent phrase came from my grandpa. He didn’t remember his past or any of us. Now we live with this brain raider in my grandpa’s body but nobody believes me.