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ear on interview programs； telling you how the sinister air force has been keeping the truth about flying saucers from the public； that truth being that UFOs are the product of a superior intelligence with an advanced technology； and that the flying saucers have e to save us from ourselves。 The gods of ancient Greece are among us again； in a new guise but still handing out the old line。 Believe。
Belief is the enemy。
The people of the Middle Ages were as convinced of the reality of the little people and their underground palaces as you might be of an extraterrestrial civilization with gleaming cities of glass on some far…off planet。 One hundred years from now the phenomenon may be playing some new game with us。 The whole interplanetary bag may be forgotten。 But those lights…and that damnable procession of strange critters and nine…foot humanoids… will still be marching in our midst。 Isolated individuals on lonely back roads will still be getting caught in sudden beams of energy from the sky； then shuck their families； quit their jobs； and rocket into notoriety or plunge into the hell of insanity and bankruptcy。
III。
〃While driving toward New Cumberland； we saw a light hovering near a hillside；〃 John Vujnovic； an attorney from Weirton； West Virginia； said； describing his experience on the evening of October 7； 1966。 〃The light started ing toward the car and I guess my son was frightened and I slowed the car so that we were a good distance behind the object。
〃The object had an outer circular light that glowed； but there was no sound at all。 I stopped the car for a better look and the thing started ing down over the highway。 I think it was about four hundred feet in the air。〃
Mr。 Vujnovic was driving south on State Route 66 from Chester； West Virginia； to Weirton in the northernmost tip of the state。 His was one of the first important sightings in West Virginia that October 。。。 a month that would produce sensational incidents all up and down the eastern seaboard。
〃At one time； it looked as if there were windows in the craft and after it got past we could see a revolving light。 The outer glow of the light made a fast…flickering type of light as the object was hovering。〃
It eventually disappeared as Mr。 Vujnovic went on his way。
In the weeks that followed； the lights and some dark objects of awesome size were seen from one end of the state to another。 In Sistersville； a town mentioned in the 1897 〃airship〃 reports； local UFO fans organized an informal warning system； calling each other on party lines to announce curtly； 〃UFO…northeast；〃 etc。 The town's newspaper did not bother to publish a single report。
Every night at approximately 8 P。M。 one of these brilliant flashing lights would cruise majestically over the Ohio River； traversing Point Pleasant from north to south。 Those who bothered to notice it at all assumed it was an airplane。
Mrs。 Kelly； the lady who had seen the longhaired man standing in the sky seven months earlier； lived in a house on the edge of a deep gully。 She and her children were seeing blinding globes of light traveling close to the ground along that gully nightly。 And her telephone was behaving strangely； ringing when there was no one on the line； and sometimes emitting beeps like Morse code。
Early in November； an elderly man walked into Mary Hyre's newspaper office。 〃I've just got to tell somebody；〃 he began nervously。 The story he unfolded seemed totally unbelievable to Mrs。 Hyre； who knew nothing of UFOs at the time； but she knew the man and was impressed by his sincerity。
On November 2； 1966； he said； he and another workman were driving home to Point Pleasant from their job near Marietta； Ohio； on Interstate 77。 As they neared Parkersburg； West Virginia； an elongated object appeared low in the sky and descended directly in front of them。 They stopped their car and a man emerged from the object and walked over to them。 He looked like a normal man and was grinning broadly。 He wore a black coat and kept his arms folded with his hands out of sight under his armpits。 The witness rolled his window down and there was a very brief conversation。 The stranger asked the pair who they were； where they were from； where they were going； and what time was it？ Then he strolled back to the dark cylinder and it rose quickly into the chill； drizzling sky。
The two men had a strong emotional reaction to the seemingly pointless encounter。 They debated whether they should tell anybody； deciding against it。 But the Point Pleasant resident found himself suffering from from insomnia。 And when he finally slept he had strange nightmares。 He started to hit the bottle； something very unusual for him。
Mrs。 Hyre listened to his story； nonplused； and made a few notes。 A day or so later the man's son called on her and asked her not to print the story。 Several weeks later she repeated the story to me and we called the man on her office phone。 He verified the details and then said； 〃Look； don't use my name。 I don't want to get involved in this thing。 That scientist fella told me…〃
〃What scientist？〃 I asked。
〃A couple of weeks after this thing happened； a scientist from Ohio came to see us。 He told us it would be better if we forgot the whole thing。〃
〃How did he hear about it？ How did he find you？〃
〃Damned if I know。〃
〃Did he identify himself？〃
〃Sure 。。。 but I can't remember his name。 But he seemed to know what he was talking about。〃
I couldn't get much else out of him。 I would have ignored the whole story except for one jarring fact。 The same thing had happened that same night on the same road to another West Virginian。 Unlike the two Point Pleasant residents； he had gone to the police with his story。 A press conference was held and he was catapulted into the never…never land of the UFO contactees； the center of one of the biggest UFO stories of 1966。
5 … The Cold Who Came Down in the Rain
I。
Woodrow Derenberger is a tall； husky man with close…cropped sandy hair； twinkling blue…gray eyes； and an honest open face。 In 1966 he was in his early fifties but looked considerably younger。 His life had been normal to the point of being mundane…a long succession of modest jobs； hard times； constant movement from one rented house to another pursuing no particular ambition。 Surviving。 Feeding and clothing his attractive young wife and two children。 Now he was working as a salesman for an appliance pany and living in a simple two…story farmhouse in Mineral Wells； West Virginia。 It was a good time in his life。
At 7 P。M。 on November 2； 1966； he was heading home in his panel truck after a long； hard day on the road。 The weather was sour； chill； and rainy。 As he drove up a long hill outside of Parkersburg on Interstate 77 a sudden crash sounded in the back of his truck。 He snapped on his interior lights and looked back。 A sewing machine had fallen off the top of a stereo； but there didn't seem to be any real damage。 A car swept up behind him and passed him。 Another vehicle seemed to be following it。 He eased his foot on the accelerator。 He had been speeding slightly and thought it might be a police car。 The vehicle； a black blob in the dark； drew alongside him； cut in front； and slowed。
Woody Derenberger gaped in amazement at the thing。 It wasn't an automobile but was shaped like 〃an old…fashioned kerosene lamp chimney； flaring at both ends； narrowing down to a small neck and then enlarging in a great bulge in the center。〃 It was a charcoal gray。 He slammed on his brakes as the object turned crossways； blocking the road； stopping only eight or ten feet from it。 A door slid open on the side of the thing and a man stepped out。
〃I didn't hear an audible voice；〃 Woody said later。 〃I just had a feeling 。。。 like I knew what this man was thinking。 He wanted me to roll down my window。〃
The stranger was about five feet ten inches tall with long； dark hair bed straight back。 His skin was heavily tanned。 Grinning broadly； his arms crossed an