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hen I saw a huge shadow spreading across the grass。 It was just after noon so there shouldn't have been any shadow like that。 Then this figure appeared。 It walked erect like a man； but it was all gray； and it was much bigger than any man I ever saw。 It moved very fast across the field and disappeared into the trees。 It didn't seem to be walking exactly。 It was almost gliding 。。。 faster than any man could run。
〃It was the hunting season so I knew it wasn't a hunter。 No hunter in his right mind would dress in gray。 Around here they all wear red coats and red caps。 And it wasn't a bear or anything like that。 It really scared me。〃
Since that sighting on November 2； 1967； Mrs。 Thomas had been plagued by bad dreams。
〃I see a lot of strange people around the river；〃 she explained。 〃It's like some kind of invasion or something。 They e over the bridge in trucks and they pour into the TNT area。 We grab the kids and run。 I can't figure out what it means。〃
I had flown to West Virginia after a trip to Atlanta and a quick tour through the Carolinas investigating some UFO landings。 Mrs。 Hyre had picked me up at the Charleston airport； and as we drove to Point Pleasant she told me about her own dreams。
〃Just before I got your letter；〃 she said； 〃I had a terrible nightmare。 There were a lot of people drowning in the river and Christmas packages were floating everywhere in the water。〃
〃Maybe you were just picking up my thoughts somehow；〃 I suggested。
〃Maybe。 But I've covered a lot of drownings on that river； but never anything like this dream。 There were so many people。 I've been feeling uneasy ever since。 And everybody else feels the same way。 You can't really put your finger on it 。。。 but it's like something awful is about to happen。〃
Perhaps it was only suggestion and an emotional hangover from all I had been going through； but when we reached Point Pleasant I could feel a heavy atmosphere of foreboding。 I wandered around the village under an oppressive cloud。 One by one； old friends confided in me。 〃You know； Keel； something is wrong here。 I don't know what。 Ever since all that flying saucer business last spring things just haven't seemed right。〃
〃We don't get many UFO reports anymore；〃 Mary told me。 〃And except for that thing Mrs。 Thomas saw； Mothman seems to be laying low。 Everything is quiet。 Too quiet。〃
Toward midnight on November 19； Mary and I were cruising through the TNT area。 The sky was heavily overcast。 It had been raining earlier and no stars were visible。 The cloud ceiling was probably below five thousand feet。
〃Don't look now； Mary；〃 I said lightly。 〃But there's one of our friends straight ahead。〃
A brilliant light was bouncing around in the blackened sky over a row of hills far to the east。 Mary stopped the car and we watched it silently for about ten minutes。 It dropped down； then shot upward again。 It slid from side to side； moving several degrees and then returning to its original position。 Finally； Mary started her car again and drove slowly along the dirt road； hoping to find a better vantage point。 We passed through a wooded section and when we reached another clearing the object was gone。
〃Well； what do you think？〃 she asked laconically。
〃It definitely wasn't a star or a plane；〃 I observed。 〃It was so low somebody else was bound to have seen it。 Let's wait and see if we get any reports。〃
We didn't have to wait long。 At 12：45 that morning Mr。 Albert Brown； a shift superintendent at a mine near Elmwood； West Virginia； was driving home from work when he； too； noticed an unusual light weaving around the sky。 He stopped his car and watched。
〃It seemed to turn colors；〃 he told us later。 〃First it was white； then blue； then orange。 It looked like it was going down on top of a hill。〃
Mr。 Brown was northeast of the TNT area on Route 35； approximately twenty miles from our position in a direct line。 After watching the object for a few minutes； he tried to find a road that might lead him into the hills where the object seemed to be 〃playing。〃 But he couldn't find such a road； so he simply parked and watched； enthralled。 Finally he went home and called the Civil Defense in Charleston。 They told him to call the state police。 A police car was sent to the area but the thing was gone by the time they arrived。
Who or what was on that remote hilltop； I wondered？ Was some little cabin being bathed in an eerie light？ Was some lonely person there staring fixedly； paralyzed； into the night？
II
From West Virginia I went to Washington； D。C。 Al Johnson； an old army friend； was working for Voice of America and he had been doing a series of broadcasts on flying saucers； covering every aspect。 （VOA is our official propaganda outlet and Johnson's pro…UFO programs were heard around the world。） In the VOA studios we taped an hour…long discussion on the subject； covering everything from purple blobs to contactees。
Finally I returned to my New York apartment at 2 A。M。 in early December； nursing a heavy cold； a souvenir of the freezing West Virginia rains； exhausted。 Before I even had a chance to take off my coat the telephone jangled。
Dan Drasin Was on the line and I had never heard him in such a state。 His normally calm voice dripped with terror。
〃How can I stop all this； Keel？〃 he cried。
〃Stop what？〃
〃All the things that have been happening。 I want to quit。 I want out！〃
〃Look； I just got in。 What's wrong？ What's been happening？〃
〃Everything。 I can't take it anymore。〃
I knew Dan didn't drink or take drugs； and I certainly never expected him to go to pieces。
〃There's only one way 'out；' Dan。 This damned thing bees an obsession 。。。 a fixation。 The only way to stop all the nonsense is to stop thinking about UFOs。 Get rid of all your files。 Take up stamp collecting or chasing women。 The UFO business is emotional quicksand。 The more you struggle with it； the deeper you sink。〃
I finally calmed him。 A few days later he gave me part of his files and destroyed the rest。 I returned his files to him a year or so later。 I asked him many times about what prompted that frantic phone call but he would never discuss it。
The day after I returned； Al Johnson called。 The tape of our interview had been accidentally erased； he said。 He wanted me to e to Washington and do another one； which I finally did several months later。 An engineer had accidentally placed the first tape on a pile to be erased。 Such errors were being routine to me。 On one occasion； a German reporter came to my apartment with a camera crew to interview me for German television。 Originally he planned to shoot about fifteen minutes of film； but I was so brilliant； charming and informative that we ended up doing a full half…hour。 A few days later he phoned me。
〃We can't understand it； Mr。 Keel；〃 he began； with dismay in his voice。 〃But the footage we shot in your apartment isn't usable。 Parts of it are overexposed and sections of the sound track are filled with s