I

The orange sun lowered beneath the horizon in the burning red sky.  Wiping the sweat from his brow, the farmer climbed into his tractor and began driving toward his barn in the distance.  He was surrounded by rows and rows of tall cornstalks - they had been exceptionally healthy this year, much to the farmer’s enjoyment.  Not only was the corn perfect, but also his life at the moment was practically ideal; he released a long sigh - one of immense satisfaction, not disappointment.  Slowly making his way through the field, he eventually parked his tractor near his barn, rattled his keys from the engine, let the loud motor simmer into silence.  The engine’s racket was soon filled with the chirp of crickets - abundant, loud, obnoxious, yet invisible.  He strolled to the front of his barn staring at it dismally; feelings of satisfaction from the red sky and the copious corn were quickly consumed by loneliness.  The darkened barn sank sadly into the earth, but no matter, the farmer wished he was able to come home to a lit barn - one that smelled of pot roast in the oven, one that sang old tunes from a record player, one with a wife, a wife that when he came home would hug him and talk with him and love him.  Sometimes he just wishes that- the man opened the large door, allowing the thoughts of loneliness to escape waiting patiently on the doorstep.  Flickering on the dim light, he slouched in front of his crude television.
        Within minutes, the man could feel it.  Slightly yet surely, the ground was shaking, vibrating - slow at first, but soon urgent and hard.  He leaped from his chair; the lights flickered and went out, furniture bounced and shuffled through the room, pictures swung and fell from the walls cracking and shattering on the floor.  The man fell in the darkness, which was quickly eaten by a large - immensely large - bright white light.  Shooting from outside and through every window, light surged through the room.  The chaos and shaking of the house increased, as did the white light’s intensity.  The house rattled and screamed, the light blinded and stung, the man’s eyes dilated with light and fear.  His vision was obstructed entirely by the light’s intensity.  Then, as if by switch, the house froze and silenced, but still the man could only see the bright light, an overbearing white.

II

        She closed her computer and turned toward her clock.  2:00 AM.  Yawning after another night of work, she stood up from her couch and plodded through her empty apartment.  Shuffling through her dark tight living area, she stubs her toe and yells a curse, a curse not only toward her throbbing toe, but also her busy job.  When younger, she was always the smartest among her friends, called nicknames like “genius”; she prided herself on her intellect and was thrilled when offered such an amazing job.  And it truly was an amazing job, which was only a few blocks away - within walking distance - but the amount of time it consumes from her life is alarming.
        Every day while walking home, she passes this little Italian Restaurant - Roberto’s.  Never actually eating there before, she would savor the warm smells that filled her nose and the constant chatter and laughing the lightened her ears when she passed.  She would look into the restaurant with longing and desire, for every night the restaurant was filled, never anyone eating alone; there would always be smiling families with young kids who would laugh at everything, young couples on dates in the middle of week unable to get enough of each other, the store owner - who was there every night - handing out free samples of Italian olives or recommending the best wine to customers.  With no time for a relationship, with no time for a family, with no time, she passed by the restaurant each night with a warm scent and  a deflated attitude. 
        Back in her apartment, she finished rubbing her swollen toe while entering her small bedroom - only enough room for her twin bed.  She stopped walking and turned around and listened.  What was at first a low hum soon became a loud rumbling.  Reaching for her light which wouldn’t turn on, she raced back into her living room, tripping and stumbling onto the floor.  Suddenly the dark shaking apartment was flooded with blinding white light, surging through her window.  Her eyes widened in fear, for the light intensity filled the room gradually, like she was stuck in a tank of rising water - soon there would be no room to breathe.  The light enveloped her vision, and she screamed.  Instantly the room stopped shaking and everything was silent.  But the light still obstructed her sight - all she could see was white.

III

        The farmer’s and the working lady’s white vision started to relax, clear, adjust to their surroundings.  They seemed to be strapped down by strong wire to a table almost like an operation bed; their heads were forced down as well, so even though they were a few feet away from each other, both were unaware of the others’ presence.  Within the empty room - with white walls and white ceilings and white flooring - suddenly large creatures leaned over top of them.  The strapped humans’ eyesight was soft and fuzzy like they were looking under water; the large - much larger than human - creatures stood over them as a dark mass.  The creatures pulled out two long needles aimed toward the top of each human head; the two operated humans only stared half consciously, their emotions and reactions numbed by drugs.  The needles were injected into the very top of both heads and brains, inserting a tube, short and flexible, connecting the two humans minds.  Clear fluid ran through between the two brains.  The large creatures observed critically, silently and eventually took out the tube.  Then the farmer passed into unconsciousness, but the girl’s fuzzy eyesight sharpened.  Breathing heavily, she screamed for help, and screamed even louder once a great scaly creature appeared before her.  Its large face remained expressionless; its dark black eyes piercing into her.  It sheathed another needle, inserted it into the screaming woman’s arm, and she too, slipped into unconsciousness. 

IV
       
The farmer opened his eyes.  It was mid-morning.  He faintly recalled his lights flickering out and the shaking house last night, but nothing beyond that.  Peering around, his furniture and pictures were now in place.  Outside, his field was still magnificent, but today he entered his small car, riding off into town.  He didn’t know why, but he knew he had somewhere to be.

V
       
The working woman rushed out of her apartment, the memories of the previous night evading her.  Today, unlike usual, she didn’t bring her laptop; she didn’t bring her briefcase.  She left just by herself.   Unaware of what she was truly doing, she began walking toward Roberto’s, compelled by a smell of fresh bread and a sense of purpose.  While walking by, she peered inside, basically running into someone on the sidewalk.  She looked up and their eyes met.  His figure was tall and strong; he wore jeans and a hat, for he looked just like a farmer.  Something in their brains clicked and each continued to stare.  Reaching out and grasping each other’s hands, they felt enlightened in a way they had never felt before - was this love at first sight?  They could have sworn they knew each other somehow.  Turning simultaneously, they entered the Italian Restaurant.  They ate and talked and smiled and laughed and smiled again.  The only thing that mattered was each other.

The scaly creatures peered down from above, satisfied.  The two had fallen in love: their experiment was successful.