jak.themothmanprophecies-第11部分

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　stand　empty。　Others　were　sold　to　the　Trojan…U。S。　Powder　Co。　and　the　LFC　Chemical　Co。　Some　were　leased　to　American　Cyanamid。
　　
　　The　years　washed　away　the　camouflage　and　now　the　igloos　stand　out　starkly　on　the　landscape；　row　upon　row　of　white　mounds　with　deer　and　rabbits　running　between　them。　The　old　factory　buildings　are　broken　shells。　The　big　generator　plant　near　the　entrance　to　the　area　still　stands；　its　boilers　rusting；　its　windows　gone；　water　dripping　shyly　across　its　floor　while　the　wind　rattles　the　high　steel　catwalks　and　pigeons　flutter　in　its　rafters。
　　
　　Local　teen…agers　use　the　decaying　dirt　roads　for　drag　strips；　and　further　back；　where　the　woods　thicken；　lovers　park　in　the　deep　shadows　during　the　summer　mating　season。　While　the　TNT　area　had　witnessed　many　biological　events　over　the　years；　it　had　no　reputation　as　a　haunted　place。　The　local　police　cruised　through　it　every　evening；　occasionally　flashing　their　lights　into　a　darkened　car。　Everyone　raised　in　the　area　knows　every　corner　of　the　place。　Sportsmen　clubs　have　built　an　archery　range　and　picnic　area　there。
　　
　　At　11：30　P。M。　on　the　night　of　November　15；　1966；　two　young　couples　from　Point　Pleasant；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Roger　Scarberry　and　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Steve　Mallette；　were　driving　through　the　TNT　area　in　the　Scarberrys'　1957　Chevy。　They　were　looking　for　friends　but　no　one　seemed　to　be　out　that　night。　All　of　the　twisting　back　roads　were　deserted。　The　few　homes　scattered　among　the　igloos　were　dark。
　　
　　Roger；　then　a　strapping　blond　eighteen…year…old；　was　driving。　They　aimlessly　made　the　circuit　of　the　roads　around　the　igloos；　returning　to　the　old　generator　plant　near　the　unlocked　gate。　As　they　pulled　alongside　the　plant；　Linda　Scarberry　gasped。　They　all　looked　into　the　blackness　and　saw　two　bright　red　circles。　They　were　about　two　inches　in　diameter　and　six　inches　apart。　Roger　slammed　on　his　brakes。
　　
　　〃What　is　it？〃　Mary　Mallette；　a　strikingly　attractive　brunette；　cried　from　the　back　seat。
　　
　　The　lights　bobbed　away　from　the　building　and　the　startled　foursome　saw　they　were　attached　to　some　huge　animal。
　　
　　〃It　was　shaped　like　a　man；　but　bigger；〃　Roger　said　later。　〃Maybe　six　and　a　half　or　seven　feet　tall　And　it　had　big　wings　folded　against　its　back。〃　〃But　it　was　those　eyes　that　got　us；〃　Linda　declared。　〃It
　　
　　had　two　big　eyes　like　automobile　reflectors。〃　〃They　were　hypnotic；〃　Roger　continued。　〃For　a　minute　we　could　only　stare　at　it。　I　couldn't　take　my　eyes　off　it。〃
　　
　　It　was　grayish　in　color　and　walked　on　sturdy　manlike　legs。　It　turned　slowly　and　shuffled　toward　the　door　of　the　generator　plant　which　was　ajar　and　hanging　off　its　hinges。
　　
　　〃Let's　get　out　of　here！〃　Steve　yelled。
　　
　　Roger　stepped　on　the　gas　and　they　shot　through　the　gates；　spun　onto　the　exit　road；　and　headed　for　Route　62。　Suddenly　they　saw　it；　or　another　one　like　it；　standing　on　a　small　hill　near　the　road。　As　they　hurtled　past　it；　it　spread；　its　batlike　wings　and　took　off　straight　up　into　the　air。
　　
　　〃My　God！　It's　following　us！〃　The　couple　in　the　back　seat　cried。　Roger　swung　onto　62　on　two　wheels。
　　
　　〃We　were　doing　one　hundred　miles　an　hour；〃　Roger　said；　〃and　that　bird　kept　right　up　with　us。　It　wasn't　even　flapping　its　wings。〃
　　
　　〃I　could　hear　it　making　a　sound；〃　Mrs。　Mallette　added。　〃It　squeaked　like　a　big　mouse。〃
　　
　　〃It　followed　us　right　to　the　city　limits；〃　Roger　went　on。　〃Funny　thing；　we　noticed　a　dead　dog　by　the　side　of　the　road　there。　A　big　dog。　But　when　we　came　back　a　few　minutes　later；　the　dog　was　gone。〃
　　
　　Panic…stricken；　the　red　eyes　still　burning　in　their　minds；　they　went　directly　to　the　Mason　County　courthouse；　charged　into　the　sheriffs　office；　and　blurted　out　their　story　to　Deputy　Millard　Halstead。
　　
　　〃I've　known　these　kids　all　their　lives；〃　Halstead　told　me　later。　〃They'd　never　been　in　any　trouble　and　they　were　really　scared　that　night。　I　took　them　seriously。〃
　　
　　He　hopped　into　a　patrol　car　and　followed　Roger's　car　back　to　the　TNT　area。　At　the　edge　of　town　they　looked　for　the　dog's　body。　It　was　gone。
　　
　　Back　at　the　power　plant　there　was　no　sign　of　the　red…eyed　specter。　Halstead　switched　on　his　police　radio　and　a　very　loud　signal　blasted　out　of　the　speaker；　drowning　out　the　voice　of　the　police　dispatcher　in　Point　Pleasant。
　　
　　It　was　a　loud　garble；　like　a　record　or　tape　recording　being　played　at　very　high　speed。
　　
　　Deputy　Halstead；　an　experienced　cop；　looked　taken　aback　but　said　nothing。　He　switched　the　radio　off　quickly　。　and　peered　unfortably　into　the　darkness；　reluctant　to　really　search　the　old　building。　But　he　was　convinced。
　　
　　The　next　morning　Sheriff　George　Johnson　called　a　press　conference。　Local　reporters　interviewed　the　four　witnesses。　Mrs。　Mary　Hyre　sent　the　story　out　on　the　AP　wire　and　that　evening　the　〃Bird〃　was　the　chief　topic　at　supper　tables　throughout　the　Ohio　valley。　Some　anonymous　copy　editor　gave　it　a　name；　spun　off　from　the　Batman　ic　character　who　was　then　the　subject　of　a　popular　TV　series。　He　tagged　the　creature　Mothman。
　　
　　II。
　　
　　November　16；　1966。　Three　years　to　the　day　since　John　Flaxton　and　his　panions　had　seen　the　ambling　winged　monster　in　Kent；　England。　Long　lines　of　cars　circled　the　TNT　area　slowly。　Men　bristling　with　guns　surrounded　the　old　power　plant；　poking　into　every　bush。　There　wasn't　much　to　do　in　Point　Pleasant；　a　town　of　six　thousand　people；　twenty…two　churches；　and　no　barrooms；　so　Mothman　was　almost　a　wele　addition。
　　
　　A　large　red　light　moved　around　in　the　sky　directly　above　the　TNT　area　that　night　but　few　of　the　monster…hunters　paid　any　attention　to　it。　（*）　One　carload　of　people　was　watching　it；　however。　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Raymond　Wamsley　and　Mrs。　Marcella　Bennett　and　her　baby　daughter；　Teena；　studied　it；　puzzled。
　　
　　〃It　wasn't　an　airplane。　We　couldn't　figure　out　what　it　was；〃　Mrs。　Bennett　said。
　　
　　She　and　the　Wamsleys　were　probably　the　only　people　in　the　crowd　who　were　not　looking　for　the　red…eyed　creature。　They　were　on　their　way　to　visit　the　Ralph　Thomases　who　lived　in　a　neat　bungalow　back　among　the　igloos。　Mr。　Thomas　was　the　superintendent　of　the　Trojan…U。S。　operations　there。　His　wife；　Virginia；　was　a　slender；　gentle　woman　blessed…or　cursed…with　second　sight。　She　had　accurately　predicted　numerous　accidents　and　local　events　over　the　years。　She　was　careful　not　to　seek　attention　and　only　her　friends　knew　of　her　remarkable　abilities。　Deeply　religious；　she　went　to　church　almost　every　evening　and　on　this　night　both　she　and　her　husband　were　out。　The　Wamsleys　and　Mrs。　Bennett　found　only　three　of　the　Thomas　children；　Rickie；　Connie；　and　Vickie；　at　home。　After　exchanging　a　few　words　with　the　youngsters；　they　headed　back　to　their　car。　Off　in　the　distance　they　could　hear　some　trigger…happy　hero　firing　a　rifle　around　the　power　plant。
　　
　　
　　
　　＇*＇　In　one　of　my　notebooks　covering　this　period　I　find　the　following　notation：　〃Nov。　16th…UPI　man　from　Charleston　saw　low…flying　object　over　TNT　area…made　humming　sound…flashing　red　light。　Some　girls　with　him。　They　watched　object　for　several　minutes。〃　
　　
　　
　　
　　Suddenly　a　figure　stirred　in；the　darkness　behind　the　parked　car。
　　
　　〃It　seemed　as　if　it　had　been　lying　down；〃　Mrs。　Bennett　told　me。　〃It　rose　up　slowly　from　the　ground。　A　big　gray　thing。　Bigger　than　a　man；　with　terrible　glowing　red　eyes。〃
　　
　　Mrs。　Bennett　uttered　a　little　cry；　so　horrified　she　dropped　the　small　baby　in　her　arms。　The　child　began　to　cry；　more　insulted　than　hurt；　but　her　mother　couldn't　move　to　pick　her　up　again。　She　stood　transfixed；　hypnotized　by　the　blazing　red　circles　on　the　top　of　the　towering；　headless　creature。　Its　great　wings　unfolded　slowly　behind　its　back。　Raymond　Wamsley　grabbed　the　paralyzed　woman　and　the　child　and　they　all　ran　back　into　the　house；　slammed　the　door；　and　bolted　it。　There　was　a　sound　on　the　porch　and　the　two　red　eyes　peered　in　through　a　window。　The　women　and　children　became　hysterical　while　Wamsley　frantically　phoned　the　police。　It　was　9　P。M。　Hundreds　of　people；　many　of　them　armed　to　the　teeth；　were　less　than　a　mile　away　and　would　not　know　about　the　episode　until　they　read　it　in　the　local　papers　the　following　evening。
　　
　　By　the　time　the　police　reached　the　house　the　creature　was　gone。　But　for　Mrs。　Bennett　this　was　just　the　beginning　of　a　long　and　frightening　series　of　adventures。
　　
　　III。
　　
　　Woodrow　Derenberger　was　living　in　bedlam。　A　group　of　local　UFO　enthusiasts　representing　the　Washington…based　National　Investigations　mittee　on　Aerial　Phenomena　（NICAP）；　largely　a　lobby　urging　congressional　UFO　investigations；　visited　or　phoned　him　daily；　raising　his　ire　by　ordering　him　not　to　talk　to　anyone　else　about　his　experiences。
　　
　　His　farm　looked　like　the　TNT　area。　Every　night　streams　of　cars　would　park　all　over　the　property　he　was　renting　and　people　would　sit　quietly　in　the　dark。　Watching。　Waiting。　Some　brought　guns　and　hiked　into　the　nearby　hills　to　sit　behind　trees。　Widespread　rumors　said　the　UFOs　planned　to　e　back　and　land　on　the　farm。　Some　of　Woody's　visitors　were　determined　to　bag　themselves　a　spaceman。
　　
　　In　the　midst　of　all　the　chaos；　a　black　Volkswagen　drove　up；　parked；　and　a　tanned　man　in　a　neat　black　suit　got　out　He　and　Woody　walked　casually　to　the　edge　of　the　porch　and　talked。　After　a　few　minutes；　the　man　got　back　into　his　VW　and　drove　off。　The　great　hunters　continued　to　sit　in　the　bitter　cold　behind　their　trees；　their　eyes　anxiously　searching　the　skies。
　　
　　According　to　Derenberger；　he　had　been　suffering　from　a　stomach　ailment　for　some　time。　Mr。　Cold　gave　him　a　vial　of　medicine；　he　claimed；　which　cured　his　problem　instantly。　Cold　now　had　a　first　name…Indrid。
　　
　　IV。
　　
　　Across　the　Ohio　River；　almost　directly　opposite　the　TNT　area；　a　music　teacher；　Mrs。　Roy　Grose；　was　wakened　by　the　barking　of　her　dog　at　4：45　A。M。　on　the　morning　of　November　17；　1966。　It　was　unusual　for　her　little　pet　to　bark　late　at　night；　so　she　got　up　to　investigate。　The　moon　was　out　and　was　very　bright；　she　recalled。　She　looked　out　the　kitchen　window　and　saw　an　enormous　object　hovering　at　treetop　level　in　a　field　on　the　other　side　of　Route　7。　It　was　circular；　the　size　of　a　sma