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〃There's something to it；〃 he assured me。 〃The people who have seen this Bird were all mighty scared。 They saw something。 I don't know what。 Some say it's just a crane。〃
I asked him if there had been any flying saucer reports in the area。
〃No； we haven't had any of that。 Just the 'Bird。' That's enough！〃
He told me how to find the McDaniel home and I drove out to do the thing I hated most…knock on the door of a total stranger； introduce myself as a hotshot writer from New York； and invade the privacy of people already weary from the publicity； reporters； and self…styled investigators。 Mabel McDaniel came to the door； an attractive woman not at all like the frail； drawn sparrowlike women I so often met up in the hills of Appalachia。 It was early evening and within an hour Mabel had made a series of phone calls and the little house was filled with people。 Roger and Linda； Steve and Mary Mallette； and Connie Carpenter and her fiance Keith； and Mrs。 Mary Hyre all arrived。 My first reaction to Mrs Hyre was negative。 Every town has a local busybody and I pegged her as that； erroneously it turned out。
Connie's eyes were red and swollen； as I have already noted； but she was the only one who had experienced this telltale reaction。 She seemed to be an emotionally fragile girl； but down…to…earth。 Roger and Steve； lifelong buddies； talked with great enthusiasm about their great adventure。 But I had learned long ago that young men usually tend to color their experiences with rich imagination and heroic posturing。 However； there were no false heroics here。 They had been genuinely frightened out of their wits and were not ashamed to admit it。
Later Mary Hyre told me she had heard them recount the episode dozens of times to innumerable reporters and investigators。 〃None of them have ever changed it or added a word；〃 she noted。
Since they had viewed the creature only briefly and in the dark； their descriptions were understandably lacking in significant detail。 Even Connie； who had seen the creature in broad daylight； could not describe the thing beyond the fact that it was gray； huge； and flew。 Its face； she said； was 〃science…fiction…like。〃 The glowing red eyes had made the biggest impression on her； as they had on the others。 And the overriding sense of unreasonable fear was the main reaction。 There had been no smells in the areas of the sightings。 No footprints or droppings or other tangible evidence。
After taping their individual stories； we decided to go out to the TNT area so I could have my first look at the site。 At about 9 P。M。 we drove to the old ammunition dump。 The police had now locked the old gate leading to the power plant； but it was no problem to squeeze through the fence。 The night was dark and overcast and the rickety building was just a huge； black lump on the landscape。 We gathered outside the main entrance。 The crowds who had swarmed there weeks earlier had given up so we were alone 。。。 ten people。 I carried my powerful six…cell flashlight。 To me； this was just another broken； deserted building in a remote spot。 I was used to prowling around such places alone in the dark； but I was troubled by the fear that now seemed to be gripping our little expedition。 Their nervousness was real。 Only Connie and Keith volunteered to enter the building with me。 The others clustered outside。
The three of us went into the ruin。 Connie was joking and in good spirits。 Keith was sober and quiet。 The interior of the building was filled with debris and silence except for the soft sound of dripping water。 Large rusting boilers stood on the ground floor。 I peered into them with my flashlight。 Mothman wasn't hiding there。 I climbed the steel ladders and strolled the catwalks。 Even the pigeons seemed to have deserted the place。
Satisfied that the building was empty； we started for the exit。 I preceded the other two with my flashlight。 As she stepped through the door which led into the smaller chamber where the main exit was located； Connie glanced over her shoulder and let out a horrified gasp。
〃Those eyes！〃 she screamed。 〃He's there！〃
She dissolved into total hysteria； crying uncontrollably。 The brave； cheerful girl of a moment ago was now a blubbering wreck。 Keith and I rushed her outside。
〃I saw those eyes…two big red eyes…by the wall in the back；〃 she managed to choke out
While everyone gathered around her and tried to calm her； I turned and rushed back into the building。 The wall at the far end of the boiler room was blank。 There was nothing there that could have reflected the light from my flashlight。 Again I searched the building from top to bottom and found nothing。
When I got back outside I found a police officer； Deputy Alva Sullivan； had joined our group。 Like the others； he had been reluctant to enter the building and help me with my search。 They were all looking through a fence facing a field that went behind the power plant。
〃We thought we saw something back of the plant；〃 Mary Hyre explained。 〃A tall figure running。 Was it you？〃
〃No 。。。 I never left the building。〃
〃What was that noise while you were in there？〃 Mabel McDaniel asked。
〃What noise？〃
〃It was metallic and hollow。 A loud noise。 Like a piece of metal had fallen all the way down from the top or something。〃
Everyone had heard the sound 。。。 except me。 And I hadn't done anything to make such a noise。
Keith led Connie； still crying； to their car。
〃Please； let's get out of here；〃 she begged。
〃I'm bleeding；〃 Mary Mallette suddenly exclaimed； cupping her hand to her ear。 I flashed my light into her ear。 A small trickle of blood was oozing out。
〃Did you hear anything else？〃 I asked。 Everyone shook his head。
〃No； but it doesn't feel right here； does it？〃 Mary Hyre observed。 〃It feels oppressive 。。。 heavy。〃
I had to agree with her。 Something did seem to be out of whack。 Steve Mallette led his wife away。 Now we had two hysterical women on our hands！
〃Did you really see somebody back there？〃 I asked Deputy Sullivan quietly。
〃It's hard to say。 Might have been an animal。 A deer or something。〃
The whole group was now in a state bordering on sheer panic。 I could see that their feelings were real。 This was not just some kind of act being staged for my benefit。 I'm no hero； but I did not share their fear。 Mrs。 Mallette's bleeding ear was a sign of concussion； meaning the air pressure had changed suddenly。 Connie had apparently had an hallucinatory or psychic glimpse of those frightening eyes。 The metallic clang could not have e from inside the building or I would have heard it； too。 It may have been associated with the sudden change in air pressure。 I scanned the black skies。 There was not a star； not a light visible。
We all filed back to our cars and returned to the McDaniels' home。 Mary Mallette's ear stopped bleeding。 Keith drove a still…shaking Connie Carpenter home。 And； being an all…time idiot； I returned to the TNT area for another look。 It was well past m