It was the second night in a row when I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. I kept thinking about Fatim. Something about her didn't sit well with me, but I didn't know exactly what. I had my doubts about her reason to seek me out. That wasn't all of it, though. She had an otherworldly aura. I laughed at the ridiculousness of the thought. As if sensing doom wasn't enough, I needed to see auras too.

The most important thing was I trusted Nate explicitly. After my family, he was the first person I had ever opened up to. He was honest, loyal to the fault, empathetic, kind, and everything in between. Sometimes, I wondered if he was even human or maybe he was an angel in human form. Instinctively, I was sure that Fatim didn't mean me any harm. Nate wouldn't allow that. Yet, there was something fishy about her behavior, and it had been bothering me. She got under my skin. In any case, I would spend more time with her and unravel the mystery behind her sudden interest in me. Let's face it, I was interested in her for more than mere intrigue. The attraction I felt was undeniable—not that I'd deny anything. Not to myself anyway.

"So, are you ready to listen to us?" The voice interrupted my thoughts.

And they were back. Why wasn't I surprised? Couldn't my peace have lasted longer? But then, I reminded myself, things rarely last long these days. Yet again, I wondered if the voices were a manifestation of my lonely heart. When was the last time I had someone in my life, someone I could rely on other than Nate? How depressing that my best friend—my only friend—was the one constant in my life. And I had no one else. No wonder I was hearing voices and getting premonitions. I had nothing better to do with my life. I didn't even have hobbies. It wasn't like I was a workaholic or anything. I never worked outside of the office hours.

Shaking away these depressing thoughts, I said, "Only if you are ready to explain everything." My annoyance from earlier hadn't dissipated. Even the voices in my head were keeping secrets from me. I lay straight in bed and stared at the dark ceiling of my room. The night was cool, and I didn't need AC, but the fan whooshed in circles.

"My friend, this one has no sense of humor," one of them grumbled.

"You are right. He always wants to get to the point," the other agreed.

"Guys, please! No more of this nonsense banter. Tell me everything you know. Don't leave out anything, and then I'll decide if I'm going crazy or are you for real." If I must listen to the disembodied voices, I should at least do it on my terms.

"If you insist," one said. "It's simple. We're from another dimension. Normally, we can't sense other living things, and they can't see or hear us. However, once in a while, someone like you happens. A living being who can communicate with us and call to us. When that happens, we develop a bond, sort of. In this case, it's with you, a human. You opened a door to our dimension when you wrote in that journal we saw earlier. It was so good to talk to you, Waheeb. You were such an amazing child. And, we must admit, you grew up well."

"Oh, the stories he used to tell us!" the other voice interrupted. "No wonder we loved you. Our bond with you is special, precious."

"Yes, my friend is right. You see, we have developed a bond with you since the time we first heard your call. We liked you from the start, Waheeb."

The way it said my name caused a chill to run down my spine. They pretended to like me, but I had a distinct feeling it was all a game to them. Besides, what they said didn't make any sense to me. I remembered how, as a child, I dreamed of becoming a writer. Perhaps my dormant imagination had finally woken up again. Maybe they could explain better. I said, "I don't get it, though. You keep saying I called. It's so strange, and how exactly writing stories in a journal would open doors between dimensions?"

"Not consciously, we're sure, but unknowingly, you called us. That's why every time you were in trouble or needed something, we left you hints. Oh, and don't underestimate the power of books, dear-sweet Waheeb. Books can do so much more than opening doors."

"Yes, much, much more." The dreaminess of the tone made me shudder.

"You mean my sixth sense, right? I have always had premonitions. But I didn't think they had anything to do with me directly," I said, thoughtful for a minute. It would explain a few things, but what they said created more questions than answers.

"There is no such thing as a sixth sense. It's us, and it has always been. We help out humans and all kinds of other beings from time to time. If we hear the call, we must answer."

"You mean animals, too?"

"No, only intelligent life forms can hear us and vice versa. Animals aren't intelligent in the sense that they can't have conversations. Seriously, dude, start paying attention."

"They are on some planets, my friend," the second voice corrected the first.

"What?" the first voice and I said in unison.

"Intelligent animals."

"By God! You're making it more confusing," I complained, even though I knew it would make no difference to them. Then another thing occurred to me, "Why can't I see you?"

"It's because we don't exist in your dimension. We're here, but we aren't here. If you know what we mean."

"Okay, so you're aliens who are here but not here?" I asked to confirm my ears weren't ringing. Because I didn't know what they meant. Yet, what could I say to that?

"Fine, by all means. If that helps you understand, then call us aliens."

I felt the hint of anger as if I had offended them somehow. But what else was I supposed to call them if not aliens? Though they said other dimension and not another planet.

"If we are aliens, I wonder what he would call that guy then?"

They both laughed, but I didn't get the joke. Confusion laced my voice as I said, "What are you talking about? What guy?"

"Nothing!" They both said at once. They were hiding so much that I didn't think I could ever trust them completely. On second thought, why would anyone trust their inside voices? Especially the ones you could hold conversations with.

"Don't fret buddy. We have a mission here, so we need to stay focused on that. The rest would make sense to you when it's the right time." This time, the voice was gentle, as if trying to soothe my ruffled feathers.

I was upset because what else would you do but talk to unknown voices when you couldn't sleep at night? This was fun and the voice was right, some things were more important than others. "Okay, so last time, you said something about the world being in danger, right?"

"Oh yes, that's why we are here. Bad things are coming for your planet, and you must stop them before they're here."

'What bad things and how do I stop them?' I thought but didn't say it out loud. I was torn between listening to them and ignoring them. And I wondered if they could read my mind or how much of what they said was even true. Much about them scared me just as they intrigued me and piqued my interest.

I didn't know what they wanted from me. If I believed them, then I must also believe that the world was in danger and I was its only hope. That thought alone made me shiver in anxious anticipation. But if I didn't believe them, then what? I felt utterly confused.

And in that moment, I wondered if I had gone completely mad. I was talking to the voices in my head, and they were talking back. My brain kept going back to this one thought because it was surreal. I needed time to process this. Maybe I would do some digging and find out about it. Maybe I would visit a psychologist to figure out what's happening to me. Either way, I couldn't keep talking to some faceless aliens anymore.

Without saying more, I switched off the lights and closed my eyes, hoping sleep would find me. Tomorrow would be another day. And not a good one if I didn't sleep soon. A tired sigh left my lips unbidden. I turned to my side and thought of something good. The image that appeared behind my eyelids was that of Fatim. But not the version I met in Nate's office. It was the one I dreamed of—the one I loved from afar.

"Yes, sleep now, Waheeb."

"It's okay, you need your rest."

I heard them say as I drifted into a dreamless sleep, wondering if they would leave or watch over me.