A MAJOR DISTURBANCE occurred in outer space lasting only seconds. It lit up the darkness with swirling bright neon blues, oranges, yellows and reds. An enormous, disc-like object, shot out of it heading toward the planet fading into the haze. The neon shades sank into the dark.
Specialists across the world were left baffled. The atmosphere scanned for any-thing unusual by many nations, but nothing was found. There were no traces left behind. It was indictable by radar or any other means. One could only speculate what had happened. Theories and opinions were of plenty making no sense to the scientific world. World leaders notified. Governments were left stunned. UFO hunters were beyond excited as the news was broadcast. Something was amidst.
* * * * *
TORONTO, CANADA HEADLINES read of a disturbance at a rare blood bank. All the blood of a certain type was gone, leaving the plastic bags used to store it in, cleaned out. The bags were still sealed and there were no signs of vandalism. Speculation that it had happened during the night hours baffled everyone. The blood had been stored away in a locked refrigerated case separate from the other blood.
The blood, "Golden Blood", Rh-null. A rare blood type. It lacks the 61 possible antigens in the Rh system. Few in the world have it. Being kept under tight security for transfusions if needed for those who required it. Warnings were sent out globally to those facilities that stored it. There were five facilities left worldwide that kept reserves. Security tapes were under review.
Samantha Ward gazed at the television screen in awe as the reporter told the story. She was one of the few. Puzzled, she wondered how, and why. She couldn't understand how it was possible. According to the reporter, there were no punctures in the bags, no means as to how the blood was taken. The cabinets were still locked. Nothing was found to give authorities a clue as to what had happened.
Shivers went down her spine as though it was a premonition. Her black and white Shi Tzu named Judy sat at her side on the sofa. Judy lifted her head and barked into nowhere as though she'd sensed something unseen by the naked eye. They lived on the second floor of an apartment building and had lived there for years.
In front of the mirror brushing her light brown hair, Samantha's mind was still on the news and what it could mean. Her mind took her to dark places. Instinctively she sensed that she was not only connected by the blood, but by something else.
She spent her entire day with these things on her mind. No matter what she did, she couldn't get her mind off of it. It haunted every minute of her day. By the evening she was mentally spent, exhausted from the stress. She found some solace in listening to her favourite 50's and 60's oldies. When familiar tunes came on, she drifted, but something always brought her back.
Family and friends kept her somewhat occupied on the telephone. They all meant well, but nothing could take away the anxiety and fear she felt within. She sensed something was on its way. And from the looks of Judy's actions so did the dog. She wouldn't leave Samantha's side. Samantha felt there was something in the air. Her instincts were on alert.
That evening she tried to take her mind off things by watching television, anything to help. News of the incident dominated the airwaves. Security tapes revealed no one had entered the lab, but it was still under investigation.
She ate supper seated on the couch with Judy next to her eating as well. She took anxiety medication to help her sleep, given to her for an anxiety disorder. She needed a good night's rest, hoping tomorrow would be better. As the clock ticked the minutes away the medication took effect and, she began to feel groggy and sleepy.
By nine-o-clock she was ready for bed. She called her sister Carol before crawling between the sheets, Judy on the pillow next to her. Carol told her she'd check on her first thing in the morning. She and Carol were very close, had been all their lives. Although Carol had married and had children, Samantha chose not to. She'd lived alone since she left college. She'd had relationships. Nothing that amounted to anything serious.
It wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep. The sheer drapes on the patio doors swayed in the summer breeze of the opened doors. The moon cast shadows across the land, and through her apartment. She and Judy slept as the moments ticked the night away.
* * * * *
THE FOLLOWING MORNING Carol was at Samantha's door getting no response. She knocked but got to answer. She could hear Judy in the apartment barking and by the tone of Judy's wails she knew. Judy was not known to carry on like that. Her hand trembled as she knocked on the door again. Growing concerned she hurried to the manager's apartment on the first floor. She feared for Samantha and sensed some-thing was wrong.
The door opened. A man in his late thirties to early forties stood there rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His name was Stan. He seemed annoyed that she'd disturbed him at this early hour.
"What the hell do you want?" He spoke. "Do you know what time it is?"
"My sister in apartment 204 won't answer the door. She won't answer her phone either. Judy, her dog, keeps barking and whining. I know something is wrong. I've been trying for hours."
"Maybe she doesn't want to be disturbed at this damned hour! I know I sure as hell didn't."
"Please," Carol implored. "I know there's something wrong. This is not like Sam."
"Perhaps she's in the shower."
"At this hour? I don’t think so."
"Just give her some time. She'll show up."
"Do I have to call the police?" Carol asked him.
"Hell no! I don't want the damned police here. I'll get my keys," Stan grumbled. He was rude. He had plenty to hide.
When they entered the apartment, all seemed fine. Judy's whining came from the bedroom. Her cries sounded mournful.
"Samantha," Carol called but only heard Judy. "She's still in bed,” she said, leading the way into the bedroom.
The second Judy saw Carol, she jumped from the bed and ran into her arms exhausted from all the barking and whining. She panted. Samantha was lying in bed on her side still in her bedtime attire. She was motionless.
"Sam," Carol said, nudging her on the shoulder. Still nothing. Samantha's body didn't feel the same to the touch. "Sam!" she repeated, still getting nowhere.
She rolled Samantha over on her back and gasped. The look in Samantha's frozen blue eyes spoke volumes. Her skin was white, flushed from colour. "Sam!" she screamed. "Wake up!" She fell over her frail body in tears.
Stan reached for his phone dialling for help immediately. Moments later Carol sat in the living room with Judy on her lap. Judy had calmed down, with an occasional whimper now and then. Within minutes a medical team and the Metropolitan Toronto Police had arrived armed and ready for the worst. Samantha’s body was taken from the apartment while they did their investigation. She was in shock. Out in the hallway she held Judy close as she wept.
Before long the coroner, Dr. Lynn Grove, stepped up to her with the obvious news that Samantha was dead. Hearing those words caused an uncontrollable emotion in Carol. Reality took a whirl. Deep in her heart she knew that was the case, but hearing it was something else. Memories of their past flashed before her. Now, she had to wait for the autopsy, but to her, there was nothing left to. It was obvious what had happened to the naked eye. She would never forget the look in Samantha's eyes when she rolled her over, filled with fear and terror.
She made her way home when Samantha's body was finally removed. What next? She could only wonder. The second she stepped out of the apartment building she had a meltdown. The look in Samantha's eyes would haunt her forever. She couldn't imagine what life would be like without her. Being her only sibling, she felt completely alone in the world. She felt grateful that she had a family of her own. She needed comforting in the worst way. Tears streamed down her face. She felt she would weep forever. Judy seemed to sense her grief as she licked at her face as though to share her pain. She was still crying when she closed the door to her car and drove away, Judy on her lap.
Within hours Samantha's death swept the news around the world. No explanation. The scientific and medical worlds were baffled, and couldn't come up with anything making sense. Samantha's body was drained of blood with no signs of puncture wounds. There were no signs of a struggle of sorts, no signs of vandalism. The door was bolted on the inside.
The only thing that gave investigators pause was the opened balcony doors. There again, there were no signs of entry or disturbance. Samantha's death was the most mysterious case they'd ever encountered.