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I had certainly not seen anyone else in that field。 Had their eyes been playing tricks？ Or were there phantoms on that hilltop？
That weekend I drove into Ohio to check out some of the many weird events happening there。 One of my all…time favorites happened in the little village of Duncan Falls。 Here is the verbatim entry from my journal：
Sometime in late October 1966 （witness does not remember exact date） Mr。 Leonard 〃Shy〃 Elmore； 72； Duncan Falls； Ohio； was taking a stroll around 4 A。M。 when he encountered a strange 〃building〃 which frightened him badly。 Like many elderly people； Mr。 Elmore does not sleep well and often takes long walks late at night。 On this particular morning； he was walking along a road two blocks from his home when he saw a strange 〃L…shaped building that looked like a galvanized iron shed〃 sitting in the middle of a large field。 Since he had never noticed this 〃shed〃 before he walked closer to take a better look。 Something about it frightened him 。。。 later he could not explain why it had scared him 。。。 and he turned and started to hurry away。 Although it was dark and he could see no windows or doors in the 〃shed；〃 he claims that he distinctly heard a normal male voice e from it 〃Don't run 。。。 don't run；〃 the voice called。 〃I didn't 'sactly run；〃 Mr。 Elmore told me； 〃but I walked pretty fast〃
He hurried home and got his rifle and returned to the site。 To his astonishment； the 〃shed〃 was gone。 This incident upset him very much and； according to his wife； he was a nervous wreck for several days afterwards。 He decided to call the sheriff and report what he'd seen。 The sheriff promised to e out and take a look 。。。 but never did。 Mr。 Elmore told me his story in a direct manner without embellishments or wandering speculations。
No Men in Black came around to bother Mr。 Elmore。 I was the first reporter to talk to him。 When he showed me the field I was perturbed to find that it was right next to the Duncan Falls Elementary School。 An unusual number of sightings and Fortean （*） events seem to be concentrated around schools and the largest percentage of witnesses consists of children between the ages of seven and eighteen。 Another statistical oddity is that the majority of the adults who claim their autos were pursued by UFOs or monsters are school…teachers； especially teachers specializing in abnormal children…the very bright or the mentally deficient。 This is why I was so interested in the West Virginia 〃census takers〃 who were mainly concerned with the numbers and ages of the children living in the Ohio valley。
＇*＇ A Fortean event is any event which does not have a rational scientific explanation。 The word was coined after Charles Fort。 There is even an International Fortean Organization （INFO）； Box 367； Arlington； Virginia。
12 … Games Nonpeople Play
I
〃Woodrow Derenberger is pregnant！〃
The word flashed up and down the Ohio valley； and many people took the absurd rumor seriously。 The space people had selected Woody for a unique experiment； so the story went； and he had gone into hiding to nurture his rapidly swelling stomach。 He would soon be giving birth to a very special baby； part earthling； part extraterrestrial。 The child was slated to grow into a great leader。
The events of 1966…67 had fractured everyone's sense of credulity。 Almost anything now seemed possible。 A pregnant man was no more absurd than the winged behemoth； or the gigantic illuminated forms that cruised up and down the Ohio nightly。 A fantastic new world was taking shape； populated by spacemen who drove Cadillacs and Volkswagens； psychiatrists who heard bodiless voices in the night； and things that ate dogs and cattle while everyone was looking in the wrong direction。
Like everyone else； I was caught up in the games； mystery piling upon mystery。 Someone somewhere obviously knew every move I was making； or so it seemed。 I became very secretive； not even telling my closest friends where I was going or where I had been。 Nevertheless； something seemed to be following me。 I would drop in unannounced on a remote farm and soon after I settled down to chat with the residents their phone would ring and there would be no one on the line； or a series of loud beeps would ring out。 The farmer would act astonished。
〃We've never had a call like that before！〃
The phone would ring repeatedly until I left。
This happened several different times in several different places。
I used a system of 〃spot checks；〃 visiting homes in flap areas and talking with people who had never reported anything。 Mrs。 Hyre acpanied me on a number of these spot checks and was amazed at how much had been going on。 Her name and face were familiar to everyone in the area and her reputation as a fair； objective reporter was impeccable。 People automatically loosened up when they saw her and talked freely。 In the hills surrounding Point Pleasant we heard many stories about footsteps on the roof； strange metallic clangings （the most mon being the sound of a car door slamming outside the house when there were no cars in sight）。 One family showed us how the flap covering the entrance to their attic had been mysteriously moved。 It was a hole in the ceiling of a bedroom and could only be reached with a high ladder。 Others plained of 〃Gypsies〃 marching across their property late at night； men in bright reflective clothing and women in ankle…length dresses； all with long hair and dark Oriental faces。 （This was well before the hippie explosion of the late 1960s。）
North of Gallipolis； Ohio； I impulsively stopped at an isolated farmhouse one afternoon and when I knocked at the door a grim…faced man answered with a shotgun in his hands。 I started to show my credentials and explain who I was but he cut me short。
〃I know who you are；〃 he growled。 〃We don't want anything to do with you。 Get out of here。〃
Puzzled； I reported back to Mary and suggested that she visit the farm to see if she could find out the reason for the man's strange behavior。
The next day we went back。 I remained in the car while she talked with him for several minutes。 Finally they both came out to the car laughing。
〃You're not going to believe this；〃 the farmer began apologetically； 〃but ten minutes before you arrived here yesterday I got a phone call。 It sounded like a neighbor of mine and he said he was calling to warn me about a crazy man 。。。 a real dangerous type 。。。 with a beard 。。。 that had just been to see him。 Said I shouldn't have anything to do with him。 Ten minutes later you showed up。 After you left； I called him back。 He was out in the fields。 Had been all day。 His wife had to go get him。 He said he hadn't made that call。〃
I looked sternly at Mary。
〃Is this some kind of a put…on？〃
〃Absolutely not；〃 she answered； turning to the farmer。 〃Tell him the rest of it。〃
〃Well； about a week ago something scared my cows real bad；〃 he continued。 〃You know； we ain't told anyone about this； Mrs。 Hyre。 You aren't going to put it in the paper； are you