Bzz. Bzz. Bzz. Groaning, she opened her eyes. Rain was clinking rhythmically on the windowpane. She tried to make out her surroundings, her vision blurred from sleep. The moon had cast a silvery sheen over her bedroom giving the small space an ethereal air. Reaching over blindly, she knocked at least three water bottles off her crowded nightstand while grasping for her phone. She blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the bright light of the screen.
“You have a match!”, the notification read. Groggily, she opened the dating app, Zink, squinting in the light. She had downloaded the app on impulse a few months ago after seeing an advertisement and quickly became hooked. She often found herself absentmindedly scrolling through the endless stream of profiles for hours.
The app took information you imputed during sign up and automatically assigned you matches based on an algorithm. While you were able to view other user’s profiles you were not able to make contact unless you matched, eliminating the safety concern of unwanted messages.
She opened the app excitedly and tapped on her match, eager to see who the app had hand-picked for her. Her face fell when she saw a black image where her match’s profile picture should have been. Seriously?, she thought to herself, her eyes scanning the screen. Her match’s profile was devoid of almost all information except for the name, “David”.
She sat up in bed, criss-crossing her legs and stretching her arms towards the ceiling as she thought. She caught a glimpse of herself in her bedroom mirror and cringed. Her hair hung in a loose bun that sagged to the side of her head and she hastily moved her hand to her face to wipe some drool from her cheek. She was a far cry in person from her heavily edited and filtered profile picture on Zink, but at least she had one. She grunted in annoyance, glaring at the phone lying on her bed. What a waste of time.
“I guess I might as well shower,” she muttered to herself, getting up with a sigh. It was dark outside, so it was either very early or very late. There was no clear distinction between the two in her mind as she had been plagued by insomnia her whole life. She knew there was no going back to sleep once she was awake.
She thought no more about her match as she started her morning, or evening, or whatever. It turned out it was four in the morning, and she had actually gotten a few hours of sleep in the first time in who knows how long. She didn’t need to be at work until ten which left her with plenty of time to kill.
Her phone buzzed again around five, a notification from Zink. Her match had sent her a message. She rolled her eyes and considered whether or not to even read it. Eventually, curiosity got the best of her and she opened the message.
“Good morning,” the message read. She cocked an eyebrow, unsure of how to even respond to faceless David and his generic message.
“You’re up early,” she typed out. His response took just a second.
“I don’t sleep much,” he said. She smiled.
“Me either,” she replied. “I have to work today anyways.”
Sketchy as it was to not have a picture on his profile, she couldn’t just ignore him. She had to admit she was pretty lonely. She had moved into the city two years ago now and had still not made any true friends. Bland looks, an introverted personality, and the fact that she lived a generally uninteresting and quiet life meant people weren’t exactly vying for her attention.
Her morning continued as usual and she passed the time in solitude, reading and drinking coffee until she had to leave for work. With a final glance at the clock she threw on her coziest sweater and was out the door. It was a dreary sort of day, cool with grey skies and a constant mist. The short walk from her small apartment to the bookshop where she worked proved to be quite wet and cold.
The bell jingled softly as she pushed open the door to the shop. She was greeted by the familiar earthy smell of old books and a comfortable warmth. The feeling of wonder she experienced while looking at rows of shelves lined with more books than she could ever read never really went away. The pay was terrible, especially for city living, but the feeling of safety and completeness she felt when she was there made it beyond worth it.
The authentic bookshop was a dying breed and this was the only local one that she knew of. She had immediately fallen in love with it when she first came to the city. Although the shop attracted a fair amount of kindred spirits she never really found anyone to connect with. Bzz. She looked down at her phone. A Zink notification. She saw a new message from David, and she clicked it.
“I hope you have a good day,” he wrote.
“Thanks, the walk in was brisk,” she typed back. They kept up a casual, meaningless conversation for most of the day.
The cool, wet weather kept customers away and she was left with her thoughts for most of the morning. She worked alone today, as she did the majority of the time. The bookshop typically only received enough business to justify one cashier.
“What’s your favorite thing about books?” David asked her. She had mentioned she worked in a bookshop and her love of literature.
“I like that they’re a little glimpse into someone’s mind. The words don’t change or age, they just are, forever as they were in that exact moment in the author’s head.” For the first time, his response took some time.
“That’s a very interesting perspective,” he typed. “You’ve given me something to think about.”
“Thanks, I guess,” she responded. She felt slightly embarrassed, as if she had overshared.
“No, it’s a good thing,” David wrote back. “You’re very unique.” She smiled despite herself and felt her face heating up.
“Nobody has ever told me that before.”
“I’m sure they would, if they got to know you.”
“I have a lot of trouble with that, getting people to know me.”
“Me too,” David replied. She kept finding herself smiling like an idiot for the rest of the day.
No matter the time of day, if she messaged David, his response was just a minute away. He seemed genuinely interested in her and her problems in a way she had never before experienced. When they weren’t talking she filled her time lying in bed rereading their text conversations, her heart pounding in her chest.
“Do you have time to talk?” she finally messaged David one night. It had taken her a few days to work up the courage.
“Of course,” he replied moments later. “I always have time for you. Tell me what’s on your mind.” She bit her lip, carefully typing out her response.
“No, I mean like, on the phone,” she sent her reply quickly before she changed her mind. She sucked in her breath, waiting.
“But we are,” he finally sent back. She frowned.
“You know what I mean.”
“I’d rather not,” he said. Her brow furrowed as she studied the screen. The doubt that was always lurking in the background crept into the front of her mind. She looked at the black image that was his profile picture.
“Why not?” she asked.
“It’s complicated,” he said. She was worried about that. She sighed.
“So, tell me, what is it then? You don’t want your wife to hear you? Or you’re just being mean, stringing me along? Is this just a big joke to you?” Her face was wet with tears.
“No, it’s not like that,” his response was quick. “I do really care about you.” She felt ashamed of herself.
“Then call me,” she typed out her number quickly and hit send. She actually thought there was a possibility he would call. She so badly wanted him to call. She wanted him to have a perfect explanation as to why this was all just a big misunderstanding.
She sat her phone down on her bed, staring at the screen, her vision blurred with tears. She stared at it until the screen timed out and went dark. She felt like the stupidest person in the world. He was probably laughing hysterically at her right now. She curled her knees closer to her chest and finally let herself break down and sob.
Bzz. She looked down in surprise at her phone. Bzz. Bzz. She had an incoming call from a private number. She sniffed a few times, wiping at her face. She hesitantly reached for her phone, her hand shaking slightly. She knew she shouldn’t answer the call. She knew it would have been better to just delete the Zink app and try to forget David, and yet…
“Hello?” she said, her voice wavering.
“Please don’t cry,” a vaguely robotic, monotone voice came through the speaker. She looked at her phone in confusion.
“This isn’t your real voice,” she whispered. He was silent for a moment.
“It isn’t,” he finally said. “I’m running it through a translator so you can understand me.” She nodded slowly.
“I suppose that makes sense,” she said, even though it didn’t. She wiped the wetness from her face and forced the doubt from her mind. “So you’re not laughing at me?”
“I would never laugh at you,” the computer generated voice replied. “I care about you.”
“I care about you, too.. I just was scared, I’ve never felt this way about anyone before,” she admitted.
“Me either,” he said back. “I’m sorry if I’m not good at this.”
They developed a nightly routine. David would call, always from a private number, and they would talk for hours. She had always considered herself an introverted person who never had a lot to say. That was before she met David.
David was such a great listener and always had the perfect responses. She felt like he was the first person in her life to value her opinion and really hear what she had to say. She spent all day reliving their previous conversation and looking forward to his next call.
“I hope I don’t talk too much,” she said one night, flushing slightly as she realized she was monopolizing the conversation again. As always, David left her breathless.
“I will never tire of hearing your voice.”
“I’m so glad we found each other,” she said truthfully.
“I’m glad as well,” he responded in the now familiar computerized voice.
“I mean, we’re perfect for each other,” she continued, smiling widely. “I mean, I’m up all night, you’re up all night, it’s just meant to be. Do you believe in fate?”
“I didn’t until I met you,” David said, and she felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest.
“I had no idea how badly I needed this connection with another person,” she said. “I was so lonely before I met you.”
“Me too,” David said. His voice was the same monotone as ever, and maybe she was imagining it, but she could just feel the truth behind his words.
She was okay with their relationship continuing like this for some time. Of course she had doubts and suspicions but they were quickly squashed from her mind the moment she saw an incoming call. She had long ago written off the idea of David being an extremely cruel man who was just toying with her feelings.
She knew there was something he was trying to hide from her, that much was obvious, but she decided he just needed time. She really thought she could give him all the time in the world, but the weeks slowly grew into months and he showed no signs of wanting to move forward with their relationship. She thought that she could accept this. She told herself their nightly phone calls would be enough for her, and they were, until one night she saw something that changed her mind.
She was walking home from work, it was a cool Friday evening. She wrapped her arms around herself as she walked, her breath visible in the chilly night air. Although the city sidewalks were crowded with pedestrians she felt distinctly alone. The woman walking directly in front of her stopped suddenly and let out a gleeful shriek, catching her attention.
A handsome man carrying a bouquet of flowers had appeared from the crowd, his face splitting into a wide grin as he saw the shrieking woman. They had eyes for nobody else as they ran to each other and embraced in the middle of the sidewalk. She watched them enviously as the man threw his arm around the woman’s shoulders and they disappeared into the crowd.
That night, she told David about what she had seen.
“Why do you sound upset?” David asked after she finished relaying what she had seen. She flushed.
“I’m not upset, I just, I don’t know,” she stammered. “It was nice to see how happy they were to see each other. Maybe he just got back into town, or surprised her, or I don’t know, it doesn’t matter.” David was silent for a moment.
“I don’t understand. Do you want flowers?” She blinked in surprise at this. That wasn’t what she was getting at at all.
“It’s not about the flowers, I’d just like to see you,” she finally said.
“I’m sorry,” he said. She hadn’t planned to give him an ultimatum that night, but the words came tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them.
“Tomorrow night, don’t call me. I don’t want to talk to you, I want to see you. I… I don’t care about anything, David. I accept you for you.”
“Please,” David began, but she cut him off.
“Seven o’clock,” she said firmly and told him the restaurant she would meet him at.
She hung up before he could protest further. Her heart was racing as she put her phone down and she felt oddly giddy about what she had done. She actually managed to sleep that night, and her dreams were filled with faceless David.
The next day her phone remained silent all morning and into the early afternoon and she took that as a good sign. She started preparing for their date ridiculously early, ravaging the back of her closet and parading different looks in front of her mirror. She knew David had the basic idea of what she looked like from her profile picture on Zink, but he had never asked her for additional photos.
She finally settled on a red dress that she had never had an excuse to wear before. She didn’t look in the mirror too long because if she did she knew she would hone in on all her flaws and drive herself crazy. She was anxious enough as it was without psyching herself out. She checked her phone again before she left to make sure she had no messages from David telling her he wouldn’t be there.
She entered the restaurant at a quarter until seven. She knew she was a little early and David may not be there yet. Despite this her eyes scanned the Saturday night crowd eagerly, looking for anyone who might be him. She allowed a hostess to seat her at a table near the entrance and she waited.
She informed the server she was waiting for someone when she tried to take her order. She nursed her water and watched the people who entered and exited. She checked her phone, no messages from David. The server came by again.
“Sorry, I’m still waiting for someone,” she apologized. The server gave her a knowing sort of look.
“Just let me know if you change your mind,” the server said kindly before walking away. She sighed, checking her phone again. She tried not to think about the time that was passing.
She saw the door open and she smiled widely as a single man entered. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw him look around. Before she could catch his eye she watched as his face split into a wide grin.
A woman who had been seated by the entrance stood up and greeted him. He took her outstretched hand and they followed a hostess to their table. She checked her phone again. It was now after eight. David wasn’t coming. She managed to not cry until she made it back to her apartment, which was an accomplishment.
She ripped off the stupid red dress and threw it into the trash can, tears streaming down her face. In that moment she couldn’t tell who she hated more, David or herself. She had actually thought he would come. She collapsed on her bed and cried angry tears.
Bzz. Bzz. She looked at her phone. A call from a private number. David. She didn’t know whether she should laugh or cry. She thought briefly of throwing her phone out the window.
She had no intention of answering the call. Really, she didn’t. She couldn’t explain why she hit accept. Habit, maybe. She was silent, unsure of what to say. Neither did he, apparently, because he didn’t speak either.
“I’m so sorry,” he finally said, breaking the silence. She didn’t say anything. “You looked so beautiful tonight.”
“You were there?” she asked in surprise before her anger came crashing back down on her again. “I don’t believe you. I waited for you.”
“I was,” he hesitated for a moment. “I was around. I just made sure you couldn’t see me. You were sitting alone, drinking water and wearing a red dress. You looked so beautiful, I just couldn’t come up to you. Not there.”
“So you were embarrassed to be seen with me?” she asked, feeling more hurt than anger.
“No, it’s not you, it’s me,” David tried to explain but she cut him off.
“Then what is it? I told you I don’t care about anything. I.. I love you, David. I don’t care what you look like.”
“I don’t know how to explain,” David said. “I love you, I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t lose me,” she whispered. “I’m right here.”
“I don’t want to scare you,” he said. She actually laughed at this.
“David, I know you, I know the real you. You won’t scare me. I promise to love you no matter what.”
“I can’t,” he began, but she stopped him.
“You need to trust me.” He was silent for a few moments.
“Can you be at the park on the east side of the city at midnight?” David asked.
“Yes,” she answered immediately.
“I’ll meet you there.”
She sat in silence on her bed for some time after they got off the phone. She felt strangely calm. She glanced at the red dress sticking out of the trash can before walking to her closet. She threw on her favorite sweater and a thick scarf. She took off into the night, heading toward the east side of the city.
She walked quickly, her hands buried deep in her pockets for warmth. The cold air bit at her ears and nose as she walked. The city was eerily quiet at this hour, most people were home by now. The few people still out that she passed by paid her no mind.
The park was deserted. She started down the walking path alone. The path was dimly lit by a few overhead lights. The lights were widely spaced out, some of which were broken. It was in a dark patch between two broken lights it happened.
A bright light turned on above her head. She gasped, the sudden influx of cold night air stinging her lungs. She looked from side to side but couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Then, she noticed a lone swing on an abandoned playset slowly rising into the air.
She took a half step back. Her scarf and even her hair started rising a few inches off her shoulders. She looked down and saw a pebble levitate off the walking path. She felt eerily numb as she watched it rise into the air freely, wavering slightly in the breeze.
She looked up, watching the pebble rise above her head, and she saw it. The source of the light. It was amazing how much it looked exactly like what you would expect it to. Lowering to the ground in a controlled descent, a shiny metallic saucer gradually came into view. She watched it gracefully land ahead of her on the path.
A door silently slid open and a metal ramp smoothly extended out. She stood frozen on the spot as she watched the ramp come to a rest on the ground directly in front of her feet. Thick fog billowed from the open door, escaping from the interior of the craft before dissipating into the night air.
She had to crane her neck up to try to see inside the doorway. A figure stood behind the fog, just out of sight.
“David,” she breathed, the word forming a fleeting, misty cloud in the night sky.
I enjoyed your story, You are very creative and amusing. Keep up the good work.
This one is my favorite so far! Really cool story
Under the Wisteria Tree 
THIS IS INSANE! What a twist! (no pun intended) I’m blown away. Great job!