jak.themothmanprophecies-第15部分

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d；　being　an　all…time　idiot；　I　returned　to　the　TNT　area　for　another　look。　It　was　well　past　midnight　as　I　drove　aimlessly　up　and　down　the　dirt　roads　among　the　igloos。　Mothman　did　not　pop　out　of　the　bushes　to　cry　〃Boo！；〃　but　I　did　have　one　curious　experience。　As　I　passed　a　certain　point　on　one　of　the　isolated　roads　I　was　suddenly　engulfed　in　fear。　I　stepped　on　the　gas　and　after　I　went　a　few　yards　my　fear　vanished　as　quickly　as　it　came。　I　continued　to　drive；　eventually　returning　again　to　the　same　spot。　And　again　a　wave　of　unspeakable　fear　swept　over　me。　I　drove　quickly　away　from　the　place　and　then　stopped；　puzzled。　Why　would　this　one　stretch　of　road　produce　this　hair…raising　effect？　I　turned　around　and　slowly　headed　back；　trying　to　note　trees；　fenceposts；　and　other　landmarks　in　the　dark。　Once　again；　when　I　reached　that　particular　point　the　hair　tingled　on　the　back　of　my　neck　and　I　became　genuinely　afraid。　When　I　emerged　from　the　other　side　of　this　invisible　zone　I　stopped　and　got　out　of　my　car。　The　air　was　perfectly　still。　There　wasn't　any　audible　sound　。。。　not　even　a　bird　call。　I　was　reminded　of　the　hour　of　quiet　that　settles　inexplicably　over　the　jungle　in　early　morning　when　suddenly；　usually　around　2　A。M。；　all　of　the　animals；　birds；　even　the　insects；　bee　totally　silent　for　about　two　hours。　If　you're　not　used　to　the　jungle　and　its　ways；　this　sudden　silence　can　wake　you　from　a　deep　sleep。
　　
　　I　walked　back　to　the　〃zone　of　fear〃　slowly；　alert　for　any　rustle　of　bushes；　measuring　my　own　breathing　and　emotions。　I　was　perfectly　calm　until　I　took　one　step　too　many　and　was　back　in　the　zone。　I　almost　panicked　and　ran；　but　I　forced　myself　to　look　around　and　proceed　slowly。　By　now　I　had　figured　out　that　I　was　probably　walking　through　a　beam　of　ultrasonic　waves　and　really　had　nothing　to　be　afraid　of。　After　I　had　gone　about　fifteen　feet　I　stepped　outside　the　zone　and　everything　was　normal　again。　Now　I　had　to　walk　through　that　damned　spot　again　to　get　back　to　my　car！　It　was　too　dark；　almost　pitch…black；　and　I　was　too　unfamiliar　with　the　TNT　area　at　the　time　to　attempt　to　go　around　the　zone。　Although　I　knew　it　was　harmless；　I　dreaded　re…entering　it。　I　actually　considered　remaining　there；　only　yards　from　my　car；　until　daybreak。　But　I　finally　steeled　myself　and　walked　once　more　through　that　invisible　stream；　scared　out　of　my　wits　in　transit　yet　privately　pleased　with　my　discovery。
　　
　　In　daylight　I　returned　to　the　same　spot。　The　zone　of　fear　was　gone。　I　searched　for　power　transmission　lines；　telephone　microwave　towers；　and　anything　that　might　have　radiated　energy　through　the　area。　There　was　nothing。　Nor　did　a　daytime　exploration　of　the　power　plant　reveal　anything　Connie　might　have　mistaken　for　red　eyes。
　　
　　Mrs。　Mallette's　bleeding　ear　and　my　discovery　of　the　ultrasonic　zone　of　fear　convinced　me　that　UFO…type　phenomena　were　present　in　the　TNT　area　even　though　the　police　and　press　had　not　received　any　reports。　I　asked　Mrs。　Hyre　and　the　McDaniels　to　be　alert　for　any　rumors　of　sightings。　Within　days　I　tracked　down　dozens　of　UFO　witnesses　throughout　the　Ohio　valley。　At　2　A。M。　on　the　morning　I　was　first　prowling　the　TNT　area；　a　young　man　living　further　up　the　Ohio　River　got　up　to　go　to　the　bathroom　and　saw　a　brilliantly　illuminated　object　floating　in　the　air　just　above　the　water。　It　was　circular　in　shape　and　appeared　to　have　windows　in　it　covered　over　with　curtains　like　crumpled　aluminum　foil。　Two　hours　later；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Charles　Hern　of　Cheshire；　Ohio；　saw　something　very　similar。　Their　home　was　directly　opposite　the　TNT　area　on　the　Ohio　side　of　the　river。　Mr。　Hern　was　walking　his　dog　when　he　noticed　a　red　light　on　the　opposite　riverbank。　At　first　he　thought　it　might　be　a　trapper　in　a　boat　checking　his　muskrat　traps。　Then　he　realized　it　was　on　the　bank；　not　on　the　water；　and　in　the　glare　of　the　light　he　could　see　figures　moving　about。　He　called　his　wife　outside　and　they　both　watched　for　several　minutes　trying　to　figure　out　what　it　was。　The　figures　seemed　to　be　very　small　in　stature。
　　
　　Dazzled　and　disbelieving；　the　Herns　woke　up　their　neighbors；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Walter　Taylor；　who　joined　them。　Red　and　orange　lights　flashed　on　and　off；　and　one　light　seemed　to　be　directed　toward　the　water　most　of　the　time。　Finally　the　lights　went　out　and　a　bright　greenish　light　came　on。　Then　the　object　rose　straight　up　into　the　air　and　disappeared　into　the　sky。
　　
　　〃I've　lived　on　this　riverbank　since　I　was　twelve　years　old；〃　Mr。　Hern　told　Mary　Hyre　and　myself；　〃and　I　know　every　boat　light；　but　this　was　definitely　something　I've　never　seen　before。〃
　　
　　〃It's　a　funny　thing；〃　Mrs。　Hern　added。　〃We　were　so　stunned　we　didn't　even　talk　about　it　afterwards。　We　just　sat　silently　at　the　kitchen　table。　We　even　forgot　to　say　our　'thank　you's'　that　morning。〃
　　
　　As　soon　as　Mrs。　Hyre　began　publishing　UFO　reports　in　the　Messenger　dozens　of　other　people　came　forward　with　their　own　stories。　She　was　able　to　print　only　a　small　percentage　of　all　the　reports　she　received。
　　
　　IV。
　　
　　Dr。　Morgan；　the　Parkersburg　psychiatrist；　was　watching　a　football　game　on　television　in　his　home　in　a　suburb　of　the　city　that　December　when　he　was　overe　by　a　strange　sensation。　A　voice　began　to　speak　to　him；　announcing　that　it　came　from　a　spaceship　somewhere　overhead。　He　was　being　a　contactee！
　　
　　（A　year　later；　Woodrow　Derenberger　was　a　guest　on　Long　John　Nebel's　radio　talk　show　in　New　York　and　I　was　one　of　the　panelists。　Long　John　phoned　Dr。　Morgan　on　the　air　and　he　described　his　experiences　in　a　beeper…phone　conversation。）
　　
　　While　Dr。　Morgan　was　tuning　in　to　that　phantom　reality　of　the　superspectrum；　Woody　was　entertaining　more　interesting　visitors　at　Mineral　Wells。　A　man　identifying　himself　as　Captain　Bruce　Parsons　of　the　NASA　security　police　at　Cocoa　Beach；　Florida；　called　on　him　and　invited　him　to　Cape　Kennedy；　home　of　our　space　program。　Shortly　after　Christmas；　Woody；　his　wife；　and　children　flew　to　Cape　Kennedy　to　spend　a　week　with　Captain　Parsons。　By　day　they　toured　the　great　rocket…launching　installation。　But　each　evening　Woody　was　taken　to　a　room　somewhere　on　the　Cape　where　he　was　questioned　for　hours；　covering　every　detail　of　bis　visits　with　Indrid　Cold。　One　of　his　questioners　was　a　man　identified　as　the　head　of　NASA　and　called　simply　〃Charlie。〃　（*）
　　
　　According　to　Woody；　at　the　end　of　the　week　his　interrogators　showed　him　a　star　map　and　pointed　to　a　speck　on　it　telling　him；　〃That's　where　they're　from。〃　They　said　they　had　interviewed　several　other　contactees；　all　with　stories　similar　to　his　own。　When　he　asked　why　they　didn't　release　their　UFO　information　to　the　public；　they　allegedly　replied　that　it　would　only　cause　panic。　Women　would　mit　suicide；　throw　babies　out　the　window；　and　this　kind　of　panic　could　sweep　the　world；　they　said。
　　
　　Derenberger　brought　home　a　flock　of　souvenirs　as　proof　of　his　trip：　photographs　and　even　a　scrap　of　the　material　used　in　our　astronauts'　space　suits。　This；　Woody　says；　is　the　same　kind　of　reflective　material　worn　by　Indrid　Cold　under　his　coat　on　that　rainy　November　evening。　
　　
　　
　　
　　＇*＇　The　head　of　NASA　at　that　time　was　Dr。　Thomas　O。　Paine。　
　　
　　
　　　8　…　Procession　of　the　Damned
　　
　　1。
　　
　　While　Mothman　and　Indrid　Cold　attracted　all　the　publicity　and　turned　everyone's　eyes　to　the　deep　skies　of　night；　the　strange　ones　began　to　arrive　in　West　Virginia。　They　trooped　down　from　the　hills；　along　the　muddy　back　roads；　up　from　the　winding　〃hollers；〃　like　an　army　of　leprechauns　seeking　impoverished　shoemakers。　It　was　open　season　on　the　human　race　and　so　the　ancient　procession　of　the　damned　marched　once　more。　A　doctor　and　his　wife　driving　along　a　country　road　in　a　snowstorm　saw　a　huge；　caped　figure　of　a　man　struggling　through　the　snow；　so　they　stopped　to　give　him　a　ride。　He　vanished。　There　was　nothing　but　whirling　snowflakes　and　night　where　he　had　stood。
　　
　　Black　limousines　halted　in　front　of　the　hill　homes　and　deeply　tanned　〃census　takers〃　inquired　about　the　number　of　children　living　with　the　families。　Always　the　children。　In　several　instances；　the　occupants　of　the　big　black　cars　merely　asked　for　a　glass　of　water。　The　old　fairy　trick；　taken　up　from　the　Middle　Ages　and　dusted　off。　A　blond　woman　in　her　thirties；　well…groomed；　with　a　soft　southern　accent；　visited　people　in　Ohio　and　West　Virginia　whom　I　had　interviewed。　She　introduced*　herself　as　〃John　Keel's　secretary；〃　thus　winning　instant　admission。　The　clipboard　she　carried　held　a　plicated　form　filled　with　personal　questions　about　the　witnesses'　health；　ine；　the　type　of　cars　they　owned；　their　general　family　background；　and　some　fairly　sophisticated　questions　about　their　UFO　sightings。　Not　the　type　of　questions　a　run…of…the…mill　UFO　buff　would　ask。
　　
　　I　have　no　secretary。　I　didn't　learn　about　this　woman　until　months　later　when　one　of　my　friends　in　Ohio　wrote　to　me　and　happened　to　mention；　〃As　I　told　your　secretary　when　she　was　here　。。。〃　Then　I　checked　and　found　out　she　had　visited　many　people；　most　of　whom　I　had　never　mentioned　in　print。　How　had　she　located　them？
　　
　　There　were　other　weird　types　on　the　loose。　In　early　December　one　of　them　tried　to　waylay　Mrs。　Marcella　Bennett；　one　of　the　ladies　who　had　had　the　frightening　meeting　with　Mothman　in　the　TNT　area　on　November　16。　She　and　her　small　daughter；　Teena；　were　driving　along　a　deserted　back　road　outside　of　Point　Pleasant　when　she　became　aware　of　a　red　Ford　Galaxie　following　her。　It　was　driven　by　a　large　man；　a　stranger；　she　said；　who　appeared　to　be　wearing　a　very　bushy　fright　wig。　She　slowed　down；　expecting　the　vehicle　would　pass。　Instead；　it　tried　to　force　her　off　the　road。　She　accelerated　and　the　other　car　raced　around　her；　shot　down　the　road；　and　disappeared　around　a　bend。　When　she　circled　the　bend　she　was　alarmed　to　find　that　the　Ford　was　now　parked　crossways　on　the　narrow　dirt　road；　blocking　it。　Badly　frightened；　she　warned　her　daughter　to　hold　on　and　jammed　the　gas　pedal　to　the　floor。　The　other　driver；　seeing　that　she　didn't　mean　to　stop；　pulled　over　hastily　and　let　her　pass。　She　had　never　seen　the　man　before。　And　she　never　saw　him　again。　Molestations　of　this　sort　were　rare；　virtually　nonexistent；　in　Point　Pleasant　before　Mothman　arrived