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Soon after that I discovered that another 〃John Keel〃 had been phoning people around the country； imitating my voice and mannerisms exactly。 Mary Hyre received one such call。 I phoned her a few days afterward and she said； 〃I'm glad you're feeling better 。。。 you sounded sick or drunk the other night。〃
〃What other night？〃
〃When you called a couple of nights ago。 Remember we talked about your letter and what you thought was going to happen on the river。〃
I had not called her and discussed the letter。 Nor had I discussed the disaster prediction with anyone other than the contactees who were told about it。
Jaye P。 Paro called me one morning to plain。
〃You must think I'm crazy。 I wouldn't go up to Mount Misery alone at midnight。〃
〃What are you talking about？〃 I demanded。
〃Last night。 You called and told me to meet you on Mount Misery。〃
〃I didn't call you last night； Jaye； and I certainly wouldn't ask you to do such a thing anyway。〃
〃You're putting me on。 It sounded exactly like you。〃
I spent most of March 1968 in Washington； D。C。 While I was gone an old army buddy； a serious； quiet man who worked in advertising； stayed in my apartment。 He was totally reliable and not a practical joker。 When I returned I found a stack of messages from phone calls he had received while I was gone。 One was from George Clark； a UFO enthusiast in New Jersey。 He had called on March 23 and asked for me to call him back。 I never got around to it。 So a few days later he called again and I apologized for not returning his previous call。 There was a stunned silence on the other end and then he slowly told me that I had called him back around 10 P。M。 on March 27。 A voice that sounded exactly like mine had talked to him at length； using my pet expressions and nonmittal statements such as； 〃Well； we'll just have to wait and see what happens next。〃
Two days later George said he called my number again around 8 P。M。 and a 〃hippie〃 answered。 〃No； man； Mr。 Keel ain't here right now 。。。 but he ought to be back soon。 Would you like to leave a message； man？〃 George left a message with him。
That particular evening I was back in New York and sitting next to my phone。
Three months earlier； on January 18； 1968； my phone went dead again。 The main office of my exchange could find nothing wrong； so a repairman was dispatched to my apartment。 He examined my telephone but it seemed okay。 I acpanied him to the basement where he unlocked the telephone room and began examining the maze of wires。 The multitude of connections are coded in such a vague way that only a real expert can pick out an individual line。
〃This is where your line is connected；〃 he explained to me。 〃And you see 。。。〃 He stopped and stared at the wires。 〃Look at this。 This wire has been cut。〃 He waved a neatly snipped wire。 Someone had managed to single out my telephone line in that maze and cut it with a pair of pliers！
As soon as the wire was spliced and my phone was working again I called my friendly telephone representative。
〃This I must have in writing；〃 I snapped。
A few days later I received a letter from her stating that my phone had bee disconnected on January 18 because a piece of solder in the main office had loosened。 I knew there was only one piece of solder on my line in the main exchange and I had examined it personally only the month before。
Between the IRS； the phone pany； Apol and his gang； and flying saucers I was rapidly being a candidate for the funny farm。
18 … Something Awful Is Going to Happen 。。。
I。
Mrs。 Virginia Thomas was working in her kitchen deep inside the TNT area when she heard a loud squeaking sound unlike anything she had ever heard before in her years there。
〃The best way I can describe it；〃 she told Mrs。 Hyre and me； 〃is that it was like a bad fan belt 。。。 but much louder。 I stepped outside。 It seemed to be ing from one of the igloos。 Then 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