jak.themothmanprophecies-第12节
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6 … Mothman！
I。
High explosives were manufactured in Point Pleasant during World War II。 Seven miles outside of town part of the 2；500…acre McClintic Wildlife Station； an animal preserve and bird sanctuary； was ripped up。 Miles of underground tunnels were dug； linking camouflaged buildings and factories。 One hundred 〃igloos〃 were scattered across the fields and woods…huge concrete domes with heavy steel doors where the finished explosives could be safely stored。 Dirt and grass covered the domes so from the air the whole area had a harmless； pastoral appearance。 A few scattered buildings linked by unimproved dirt roads with no suggestion of all the activity going on below ground。 It looked like nothing more than what it was supposed to be； a haven for birds and animals in the Ohio River valley。
After the war most of the explosives were carted away。 The factories were dismantled。 The entrances and exits of the tunnels were plugged with thick concrete slabs。 Some of the igloos were given to the Mason County government as possible storage vaults。 They still stand empty。 Others were sold to the Trojan…U。S。 Powder Co。 and the LFC Chemical Co。 Some were leased to American Cyanamid。
The years washed away the camouflage and now the igloos stand out starkly on the landscape； row upon row of white mounds with deer and rabbits running between them。 The old factory buildings are broken shells。 The big generator plant near the entrance to the area still stands； its boilers rusting； its windows gone； water dripping shyly across its floor while the wind rattles the high steel catwalks and pigeons flutter in its rafters。
Local teen…agers use the decaying dirt roads for drag strips； and further back； where the woods thicken； lovers park in the deep shadows during the summer mating season。 While the TNT area had witnessed many biological events over the years； it had no reputation as a haunted place。 The local police cruised through it every evening； occasionally flashing their lights into a darkened car。 Everyone raised in the area knows every corner of the place。 Sportsmen clubs have built an archery range and picnic area there。
At 11：30 P。M。 on the night of November 15； 1966； two young couples from Point Pleasant； Mr。 and Mrs。 Roger Scarberry and Mr。 and Mrs。 Steve Mallette； were driving through the TNT area in the Scarberrys' 1957 Chevy。 They were looking for friends but no one seemed to be out that night。 All of the twisting back roads were deserted。 The few homes scattered among the igloos were dark。
Roger； then a strapping blond eighteen…year…old； was driving。 They aimlessly made the circuit of the roads around the igloos； returning to the old generator plant near the unlocked gate。 As they pulled alongside the plant； Linda Scarberry gasped。 They all looked into the blackness and saw two bright red circles。 They were about two inches in diameter and six inches apart。 Roger slammed on his brakes。
〃What is it？〃 Mary Mallette； a strikingly attractive brunette； cried from the back seat。
The lights bobbed away from the building and the startled foursome saw they were attached to some huge animal。
〃It was shaped like a man； but bigger；〃 Roger said later。 〃Maybe six and a half or seven feet tall And it had big wings folded against its back。〃 〃But it was those eyes that got us；〃 Linda declared。 〃It
had two big eyes like automobile reflectors。〃 〃They were hypnotic；〃 Roger continued。 〃For a minute we could only stare at it。 I couldn't take my eyes off it。〃
It was grayish in color and walked on sturdy manlike legs。 It turned slowly and shuffled toward the door of the generator plant which was ajar and hanging off its hinges。
〃Let's get out of here！〃 Steve yelled。
Roger stepped on the gas and they shot through the gates； spun onto the exit road； and headed for Route 62。 Suddenly they saw it； or another one like it； standing on a small hill near the road。 As they hurtled past it； it spread； its batlike wings and took off straight up into the air。
〃My God！ It's following us！〃 The couple in the back seat cried。 Roger swung onto 62 on two wheels。
〃We were doing one hundred miles an hour；〃 Roger said； 〃and that bird kept right up with us。 It wasn't even flapping its wings。〃
〃I could hear it making a sound；〃 Mrs。 Mallette added。 〃It squeaked like a big mouse。〃
〃It followed us right to the city limits；〃 Roger went on。 〃Funny thing； we noticed a dead dog by the side of the road there。 A big dog。 But when we came back a few minutes later； the dog was gone。〃
Panic…stricken； the red eyes still burning in their minds； they went directly to the Mason County courthouse； charged into the sheriffs office； and blurted out their story to Deputy Millard Halstead。
〃I've known these kids all their lives；〃 Halstead told me later。 〃They'd never been in any trouble and they were really scared that night。 I took them seriously。〃
He hopped into a patrol car and followed Roger's car back to the TNT area。 At the edge of town they looked for the dog's body。 It was gone。
Back at the power plant there was no sign of the red…eyed specter。 Halstead switched on his police radio and a very loud signal blasted out of the speaker； drowning out the voice of the police dispatcher in Point Pleasant。
It was a loud garble； like a record or tape recording being played at very high speed。
Deputy Halstead； an experienced cop； looked taken aback but said nothing。 He switched the radio off quickly 。 and peered unfortably into the darkness； reluctant to really search the old building。 But he was convinced。
The next morning Sheriff George Johnson called a press conference。 Local reporters interviewed the four witnesses。 Mrs。 Mary Hyre sent the story out on the AP wire and that evening the 〃Bird〃 was the chief topic at supper tables throughout the Ohio valley。 Some anonymous copy editor gave it a name； spun off from the Batman ic character who was then the subject of a popular TV series。 He tagged the creature Mothman。
II。
November 16； 1966。 Three years to the day since John Flaxton and his panions had seen the ambling winged monster in Kent； England。 Long lines of cars circled the TNT area slowly。 Men bristling with guns surrounded the old power plant； poking into every bush。 There wasn't much to do in Point Pleasant； a town of six thousand people； twenty…two churches； and no barrooms； so Mothman was almost a wele addition。
A large red light moved around in the sky directly above the TNT area that night but few of the monster…hunters paid any attention to it。 （*） One carload of people was watching it； however。 Mr。 and Mrs。 Raymond Wamsley and Mrs。 Marcella Bennett and her baby daughter； Teena； studied it； puzzled。
〃It wasn't an airplane。 We couldn't figure out what it was；〃 Mrs。 Bennett said。
She and the Wamsleys were probably the only people in the crowd who were not looking for the red…eyed creature。 They were on their way to visit the Ralph Thomases who lived in a neat bungalow back among the igloos。 Mr。 Thomas was the superintendent of the Trojan…U。S。 operations there。 His wife； Virginia； was a slender； gentle woman blessed…or cursed…with second sight。 She had accurately predicted numerous accidents and local events over the years。 She was careful not to seek attention and only her friends knew of her remarkable abilities。 Deeply religious； she went to church almost every evening and on this night both she and her husband were out。 The Wamsleys and Mrs。 Bennett found only three of the Thomas children； Rickie； Connie； and Vickie； at home。 After exchanging a few words with the youngsters； they headed back to their car。 Off in the distance they could hear some trigger…happy hero firing a rifle around the power plant。
＇*＇ In one of my notebooks covering this period I find the following notation： 〃Nov。 16th…UPI man from Charleston saw low…flying object over TNT area…made humming sound…flashing red light。 Some girls with him。 They watched object for several minutes。〃
Suddenly a figure stirred in；the darkness behind the parked car。
〃It seemed as if it had been lying down；〃 Mrs。 Bennett told me。 〃It rose up slowly from the ground。 A big gray thing。 Bigger than a man； with terrible glowing red eyes。〃
Mrs。 Bennett uttered a little cry； so horrified she dropped the small baby in her arms。 The child began to cry； more insulted than hurt； but her mother couldn't move to pick her up again。 She stood transfixed； hypnotized by the blazing red circles on the top of the towering； headless creature。 Its great wings unfolded slowly behind its back。 Raymond Wamsley grabbed the paralyzed woman and the child and they all ran back into the house； slammed the door； and bolted it。 There was a sound on the porch and the two red eyes peered in through a window。 The women and children became hysterical while Wamsley frantically phoned the police。 It was 9 P。M。 Hundreds of people； many of them armed to the teeth； were less than a
