jak.themothmanprophecies-第22部分

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gion　for　a　month；　Mrs。　Hyre　and　the　police　could　not　find　out　where　they　were　staying。　They　were　always　on　foot。　Apparently　they　did　not　have　a　car。
　　
　　Mrs。　Mabel　McDaniel　worked　in　the　local　unemployment　office　on　Main　Street　in　Point　Pleasant　and　during　the　second　week　in　March　a　strange　man　blundered　into　the　office。　He　wore　a　black　coat　and　black　cap　and　behaved　in　a　most　peculiar　manner。
　　
　　〃He　didn't　look　like　a　colored　person；　but　still　was　very　dark；〃　Mrs。　McDaniel　said；　〃and　his　English　was　so　poor　I　never　did　really　figure　out　what　he　wanted。　His　eyes　were　funny…looking；　kind　of　starey　and　glassy。　From　what　I　could　get　from　him；　he　was　looking　for　an　insurance　pany；　only　he　kept　saying　he　wanted　'trip　insurance。'〃
　　
　　He　told　her　he　had　also　visited　the　office　of　the　Messenger　（he　did　not；　according　to　Mary）。　He　spoke　in　the　garbled；　singsong　manner　of　so　many　of　our　weirdo　visitors　and　moved　in　an　unsteady；　almost　drunken　way。
　　
　　It　seemed　to　me　that　something　phenomenal　was　building　up　in　the　Point　Pleasant　area。　I　decided　to　shelve　my　other　projects　and　return　to　the　Ohio　valley。　This　time　I　was　acpanied　by　Daniel　Drasin；　a　young　movie　producer　who　was　planning　to　do　a　UFO　special　for　the　Public　Broadcasting　Laboratories　（PBL）　of　the　educational　television　network。　Don　Estrella　also　asked　to　go　along。　Both　men　knew　very　little　about　the　UFO　situation　at　that　time；　and　in　keeping　with　my　habit　I　told　them　nothing。　I　wanted　them　to　see　for　themselves　the　incredible　scope　and　plexity　of　the　thing。
　　
　　So　late　that　March　our　little　entourage　hopped　into　rented　cars　and　took　off　on　an　eight…hundred…mile　journey　into　the　twilight　zone。　
　　　
　　
　　　10　…　Purple　Lights　and　April　Foolishness
　　
　　I
　　
　　〃My　phones　have　gone　crazy；〃　Mary　Hyre　noted；　〃even　my　unlisted　numbers。　Strangers　call　me　at　all　hours　of　the　day　and　night。　Sometimes　I　get　funny　beeping　sounds。　Did　you　ever　hear　about　anything　like　that？〃
　　
　　I　had　to　admit　I　had。　However；　it　had　bee　my　policy　to　say　very　little　about　these　matters　to　anyone；　even　close　friends。　After　Mary　and　I　had　concluded　our　interview　with　Charles　Hern　and　his　wife　in　Ohio；　Mr。　Hern　had　escorted　us　to　the　door　and　remarked；　〃You　know；　we've　told　you　about　everything　we've　seen　。。；　and　you　haven't　told　us　a　damned　thing！〃
　　
　　I　was　so　taciturn　that　the　UFO　buffs　had　surrounded　me　with　an　aura　of　mystery　（they　tend　to　surround　everything　with　mystery）。　James　Moseley；　editor　of　Saucer　News　（now　defunct）；　once　told　Gray　Barker；　〃He　gives　you　the　impression　of　not　only　knowing　as　much　as　we　about　flying　saucers…but　actually　knowing　a　lot　more…a　lot　that　he　is　not　telling。〃
　　
　　The　truth　was　more　mundane　than　the　mysterious。　I　was　keeping　many　of　my　findings　a　secret　to　prevent　pranksters　from　setting　up　hoaxes　（many　of　those　findings　are　being　revealed　here　for　the　first　time）。　I　maintained　a　〃low　profile〃　to　curb　rumors　and　prevent　possible　panic　in　the　areas　I　was　visiting。　I　avoided　personal　publicity；　unlike　most　of　the　other　self…styled　UFO　investigators　who　spent　most　of　their　time　staging　press　conferences　and　building　up　scrapbooks。　Finally；　some　of　the　things　I　was　studying　seemed　so　absurd　on　the　surface…especially　to　the　hardcore　believers　in　extraterrestrial　visitants…that　revealing　them　would　only　produce　more　gossip；　controversy；　and　nonsense。
　　
　　Dan　Drasin　and　Don　Estrella　expressed　growing　amazement…and　some　fear…as　they　traveled　with　me　up　and　down　the　valley；　listening　to　my　strange　questions　and　the　even　stranger　answers　we　were　getting　from　witnesses。　A　young　woman　in　Point　Pleasant　was　having　telephone　problems。　Every　night　when　she　returned　home　from　work　at　5　o'clock　her　phone　would　ring　and　a　man's　voice　would　speak　to　her　in　a　rapid…fire　language　she　could　not　understand。　〃It　sounds　something　like　Spanish　。。。　yet　I　don't　think　it　is　Spanish；〃　she　plained。　She　protested　to　the　phone　pany；　but　they　insisted　they　could　find　nothing　wrong　with　her　line。
　　
　　We　visited　her　home　and　I　examined　her　phone　in　a　manner　that　had　bee　routine　for　me。　I　took　it　apart。　Drasin　and　Estrella　watched　me　silently　with　a　〃he's　really　gone　bananas〃　expression。　What　did　telephones　have　to　do　with　flying　saucers？
　　
　　When　you　unscrew　modern　telephone　earpieces　you　will　often　find　a　small　piece　of　cotton　which　serves　as　a　cushion　for　the　magnet　and　diaphragm。　You　shouldn't　find　anything　else。　But　when　I　opened　this　woman's　handset　I　was　startled　to　find　a　tiny　sliver　of　wood。　She　said　no　one；　not　even　the　repairmen；　had　ever　opened　up　her　phone　before。　The　wooden　object　looked　like　a　piece　of　matchstick；　sharpened　at　one　end　and　lightly　coated　with　a　substance　that　looked　like　graphite。　Later　I　showed　it　to　telephone　engineers　and　they　said　they'd　never　seen　anything　like　it　before。　I　put　it　in　a　plastic　box　and　stored　it　away。　Years　later　while　visiting　a　magic　store　in　New　York　（sleight　of　hand　is　one　of　my　hobbies）；　I　glanced　at　a　display　of　practical　jokes　and　discovered　a　cellophane　package　filled　with　similar　sticks。　Cigarette　loads！　Somehow　an　explosive　cigarette　load　had　gotten　into　that　Point　Pleasant　telephone！　Who　put　it　there；　when；　how；　and　why　must　remain　mysteries。
　　
　　Soon　after　my　investigation；　the　woman's　phone　calls　ceased。　Maybe　I　exorcised　the　phone　by　removing　the　stick。
　　
　　Another　family　was　having　telephone　problems；　and　many　other　troubles　besides；　on　the　Camp　Conley　Road　on　the　southern　edge　of　the　TNT　area。　The　woman　in　Point　Pleasant　who　suffered　the　calls　from　a　bizarre　metallic　voice　speaking　in　an　inprehensible　language　was　their　daughter…in…law。
　　
　　〃It　didn't　take　us　long　to　learn　that　when　our　TV　started　acting　up　it　was　a　sure　sign　that　one　of　those　lights　was　passing　over；〃　James　Lilly；　a　no…nonsense　riverboat　captain；　told　us。　〃I　didn't　think　much　of　all　the　flying　saucer　talk　until　I　started　seeing　them　myself。　You've　got　to　believe　your　own　eyes。〃
　　
　　At　first　the　Lillys　kept　their　sightings　to　themselves。　But　gradually　rumors　began　to　circulate　and　carloads　of　people　gathered　on　Camp　Conley　Road　every　night　to　watch　the　space　people　fly　by。
　　
　　〃We've　seen　all　kinds　of　things；〃　Mrs。　Lilly　said。　〃Blue　lights；　green　ones；　red　ones；　things　that　change　color。　Some　of　them　have　been　so　low　that　we　thought　we　could　see　diamond…shaped　windows　in　them。　And　none　of　them　make　any　noise　at　all。〃
　　
　　Automobiles　near　the　Lilly　home　began　to　stall　inexplicably。　And　the　Lillys'　little　ranch　house　became　haunted　soon　after　the　lights　started　their　nightly　fly…overs。　Kitchen　cabinet　doors　slammed　in　the　middle　of　the　night。　Once　their　living　room　door；　which　they　locked　with　both　a　chain　and　snaplock　at　night；　was　standing　ajar　when　they　got　up　in　the　morning。　They　heard　loud　metallic　sounds；　〃like　a　pan　falling；〃　and　Mrs。　Lilly　heard　〃a　baby　crying。〃　〃It　sounded　so　plain；〃　she　said；　〃that　I　looked　around　the　house　even　though　I　knew　there　was　no　baby　here。　It　seemed　to　e　from　the　living　room　。。。　only　a　few　feet　away　from　me。〃
　　
　　One　of　my　sillier…sounding　questions　is：　〃Did　you　ever　dream　there　was　a　stranger　in　the　house　in　the　middle　of　the　night？〃　When　I　directed　this　question　at　the　Lillys；　Jackie　Lilly　urged　her　quiet　sixteen…year…old　daughter；　Linda；　to　tell　about　the　〃nightmare〃　she　had　had　that　March。　She　was　reluctant　to　discuss　it；　but　with　a　little　coaching　from　the　sidelines　she　explained　how　she　woke　up　one　night　and　saw　a　large　figure　towering　over　her　bed。
　　
　　〃It　was　a　man；〃　she　said。　〃A　big　man。　Very　broad。　I　couldn't　see　his　face　very　well　but　I　could　see　that　he　was　grinning　at　me。〃
　　
　　〃Jim　was　working　on　the　river　that　night；〃　Mrs。　Lilly　added。　〃And　Linda　woke　me　up　with　a　terrible　scream。
　　
　　She　cried　out　there　was　a　man　in　her　room。　I　told　her　she　was　dreaming。　But　she　screamed　again。〃
　　
　　〃He　walked　around　the　bed　and　stood　right　over　me；〃　Linda　declared。　〃I　screamed　again　and　hid　under　the　covers。　When　I　looked　up　again；　he　was　gone。〃
　　
　　〃She　came　running　into　my　room；〃　Mrs。　Lilly　said；　〃She　cried；　There　is　a　man　in　my　room！　There　is！'　She's　refused　to　sleep　alone　ever　since。〃
　　
　　When　I　asked　for　a　description　of　the　stranger；　Linda　said　she　thought　he　had　been　wearing　a　〃checkered　shirt。〃
　　
　　Bedroom　phantoms　in　checkered　shirts　are　old　hat　to　investigators　of　psychic　phenomena。　I　have　e　upon　this　again　and　again。　So　often　that　I　have　written　long　articles　about　it。　In　some　cases　these　ghosts…in…plaid　are　acpanied　by　the　odor　of　hydrogen　sulfide　and　sudden　chills　or　sudden　blasts　of　heat；　while　other　episodes　are　probably　purely　hypnopompic。　That　is；　they　are　the　residue　of　dreams　which　overlap　briefly　into　the　waking　state　。。。　a　phenomenon　well…known　in　psychiatry　and　parapsychology。
　　
　　I　once　enjoyed　a　hypnopompic　experience　myself。　In　the　winter　of　1960…61　I　contracted　walking　pneumonia　。。。　and　I　walked　with　it　until　I　dropped。　Early　one　morning　while　I　was　still　quite　sick　and　my　system　was　laden　with　antibiotics　and　drugs　I　woke　up　and　saw　a　large　black　form　hovering　at　the　foot　of　my　bed。　It　wasn't　a　man　in　a　checkered　shut　but　was　roughly　the　shape　of　a　Coca…Cola　bottle。
　　
　　〃What　do　you　know？　I'm　having　an　hallucination；〃　I　told　myself　as　I　lifted　my　head　and　studied　the　apparition。　The　blob　slowly　receded；　growing　smaller　and　smaller　until　it　disappeared。　The　experience　was　never　repeated。
　　
　　II
　　
　　Drasin　and　Estrella　returned　to　New　York　City　in　late　March　while　I　decided　to　remain　on　in　Point　Pleasant。　Dan　was　convinced　that　something　exceptional　was　happening　in　the　Ohio　valley　and　he　planned　to　collect　a　camera　crew　and　return。　We　had　seen　a　number　of　odd　aerial　lights　but　the　oddest　of　all　was　so　bewildering　I　didn't　even　bother　to　take　notes。
　　
　　We　were　standing　on　a　hilltop　outside　of　Point　Pleasant　one　night　when　Mrs。　Hyre　called　our　attention　to　a　bright　red　light　slowly　moving　toward　us。　It　had　the　shimmering；　prismatic　appearance　of　the　classic　UFO　light　and　Dan；　who　was　a　student　pilot；　agreed　it　wasn't　a　plane。　No　normal　wing　lights　or　taillights　were　visible。　The　sky　was　crystal…clear　and　ther