General Electric transferred my father to Ormond Beach, Florida in 1964 so… Here we are.
Some crazy killed President Kennedy last year. The Cuban missile crisis was still fresh in our memory. It was the day the world as we knew it almost came to an end and we all knew it. The United States and the Soviet Union were well under way with the arms race. The U.S. and USSR had broken earth’s boundaries and invaded space. It was a frightening yet exciting time even for a twelve year old.
The world’s population was looking for answers from both within and without. It was common knowledge Barney and Betty Hill claimed to be abducted by aliens. Many people were questioning if it all could be true.
Lola McLaughlin was an elderly gal in her late seventies we boys were fortunate enough to have as a neighbor. We lived directly across the street from her on Essex Drive just a short walk from the beach.
Lola was the grandmotherly type who shared her thoughts. She constantly encouraged us boys to expand ourselves in any direction we chose. She often took us on forays to Tomoka State Park just across the river to dig in the old Seminole Indian grounds. She would forever pry our artistic talents to the surface through encouragement and hands on projects. Mostly, Lola would just talk and listen. I loved her dearly. I wish now I’d had the opportunity to tell her how much.
I visited Lola one fine moonlit summer night. The subject this amazing night was not of archeology, nor art, nor extrasensory perception. Tonight we were not cleaning our carefully excavated finds. Tonight the subject was UFOs. Aunt Grandma, as she was affectionately called, read everything on the subject she could lay her wrinkled old hands on. In my twelve year old mind Lola was the ultimate expert on many things we discussed. When Aunt Grandma spoke I listened.
“Freddie”, she said as she rested on her aluminum walker, “if there really are visitors from outer space they are far and away more advanced than we. They can do many things we can only imagine. These beings I believe are only seen when they want to be seen.”
“Well”, I asked, “why would they want to be seen?”
She said, “Who knows? But I do believe that enough people have seen them that they must have a purpose for it. Do you know, that Mary down the street actually claims to be able to communicate with them? And that she has seen their spacecraft?
“No…!”
“Well that’s what Mary says. Don’t put too much stock in her ramblings. I’m not so sure she even believes most of the things she imagines.”
Of course for a twelve year old it was already too late, I believed them.
“Mary says the aliens come into our atmosphere with an incredibly large cigar shaped mother ship. From this mother ship the aliens send out explorers. These explorers are sent all over the world to do their surveillance and collect the specimens as needed. Actually I heard similar stories from others over the years,” she explained.
“Specimens?” I think I knew what she meant but certainly did not want to believe it.
“Yes you know, people they want to examine and that sort of thing.”
Well, Lola and I talked for hours. Hours and hours of nothing but UFOs. When I left her that night, my mind was swimming.
I’ll never forget. I left Lola about ten o’clock that evening. My parents didn’t mind my being out until ten so long as I was with Aunt Grandma. Lola’s home was truly like my home.
I stepped out into the dark to a beautiful evening. A slight sliver of moon illuminated the gray, blue black clouds. I remember this well because I could only look up. Down no longer even existed with anything close to interest.
The heat from the road could still be felt from the day’s sun.
No sooner had I hit the road….. There was a sound from above. A droning sound…Whirrrrrr…What’s that, I thought. I looked up in the sky and could see nothing. Whirrrrrr… But what is it? It’s getting louder. OH MY GOD!!!!!! Against the cloud is the silhouette of the front of a cigar!!!!! WHaaaat? OH MY GOD NO!! OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD…… Oh Lola, why did you tell me those things…..? I KNOW TOO MUCH …… OH MY GOD… Whirrrrrr… I know too much now. They’re coming to take me away……….I should have kissed Suzy today….. OH MY GOD……. Now it’s too late……. OH MY GOD……..I’ll never kiss a girl…… OH MY GOD……. Whirrrrrr…
I ran across the street to our car port and hid behind the corner of the house. OH MY GOD…. Whirrrrrr… They’re comin’ to get me!!!! Hiding in the carport, my hands were gripping the corner of the house. I tried to become very small. I must have looked like Kilroy looking over the wall.
No, this can’t be aliens, I tried to convince myself. Lola said there were lights. She said there were lights all over the mother ship. Just then another shiver went down my spine. OH MY GOD…OH MY GOD! THERE ARE LIGHTS!!!!!!!! Green and red lights… OH my GOD……It’s coming closer!!!!!! THERE’S MORE LIGHTS!!!!!! White lights?
What’s that?….. What’s that?……
There are words. There are Words on the side of the ship!!!!!! OH MY GOD,THEY WANNA TALK!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!
What’s it say? I can read it……..
The sign said — “…………………………….FOLLOW”
“…………………………….FOLLOW GOODYEAR”
“…………………………….FOLLOW GOODYEAR TO THE DAYTONA 500″
For the first time, I again became aware my heart had begun to beat yet again. My whole body felt like a massive heart pounding in my ears. Also, for the first time, I was aware of something warm and wet, running down my leg and filling my shoe.
To be afraid,
Foosis