by Douglas Young
Clyde Baxter and Sedona Watts held hands driving up the rural, two-lane highway. They had almost reached the mountainous Thadeus Holtzclaw State Park where Sedona had tried to get Clyde to go camping for years. Though she loved the outdoors and had many happy camping memories, Clyde preferred nature from a distance or at least when assured he would be indoors by nighttime. So Sedona classed it as a notable victory to have at last prevailed upon her man to give camping a try, at least for one night. She even bought a new tent for the trip.
“Just beware of anything with the dreaded words: ‘Some assembly required,’” he warned.
“I’ve already put it together in the back yard, Mr. Worry Wart,” she replied with a giggle. “Hey, the next left is the park entrance,” she noted excitedly.
“Although at this pace, it may take us another twenty minutes.” He frowned at the old pickup truck ahead of them going a tad below the minimum speed limit. “Just our luck to get stuck behind Ma and Pa Kettle,” he added while veering slightly into the oncoming lane to see if he could pass.
“George Carlin warned never to get ‘behind any man over 70 wearing a hat,’” he recalled with a loud sigh.
“Have a little patience, darling,” Sedona advised with a slight chuckle. “We’re almost there.”
They soon parked in an almost empty lot near the park’s welcome center. The building was old but meant to look futuristic, albeit with Soviet-style bureaucratic features. Walking toward it, Clyde pointed at the structure and pretended to vomit before holding up his fingers to make a sign of the cross, as if warding off a vampire.
“Okay,” Sedona remarked. “So it’s a little out of date.” She grinned.
“From the 1960s – the decade architecture died,” he observed.
She took his arm to quicken their pace. Entering the building, they approached the registration desk where an old lady volunteer smiled at them.
“Here to reserve a campsite?” she asked.
“Yes ma’am,” Clyde replied as he handed her his driver’s license.
“All right, Mr. Baxter.” She returned it, along with a card identifying their campsite. “It’ll be twenty dollars a night, please.”
“Here. I’ve got it,” Sedona volunteered while opening her purse.
“Nope, I’m not dead yet and I ain’t broke,” Clyde announced opening his wallet.
“And you must be Mrs. Baxter,” the volunteer declared smiling at Sedona.
“No ma’am. I just sleep with him.” Miss Watts smiled back.
The couple drove to the campsite and were pleased it was high up Matthew Ector Mountain with trees everywhere and a lovely view of Cadmus Wilcox Valley below. There were trails close by and no one else was near them.
With an ever-growing grin, Sedona beamed at Clyde, waiting for his assessment. He returned her gaze and could not help but smile.
“It’s right nice indeed,” he decreed. She kissed his cheek before they set up the tent.
“That old gal must’ve really taken a shine to us sure enough to give us such a gem of a sweet spot,” Sedona declared.
“I’m just glad she assigned it to us before your delightful little remark.” Clyde raised his eyebrows at her.
“Oh, she got a kick out of it,” Sedona replied. “She was laughing inside.” She winked at him.
“I think we’re just lucky no one else is camping on account of the likely rain,” he added. She rolled her eyes.
They took advantage of the remaining summer sunset to explore some trails. Leaning into him and taking his arm, Sedona was delighted that her long-held dream of them camping together had finally come true. Suddenly suffused with marvelous memories of camping with her family and then with her college roommates, she was elated to be on her first romantic camping trip.
Relieved their campsite was so serene, they were all alone, there were no hiccups putting up the tent, and the rain had held off, Clyde was grateful that the trip he had dreaded all week was turning out swell after all. He put his arm around Sedona and she returned the favor while leaning her head on his shoulder. They continued walking a trail ensconced by tall trees and thick leaves, enjoying the mountainside with occasional splendid views of the forested Wilcox Valley and mountains on the other side.
When it got almost dark, they returned to the campsite and then walked down the road a bit to the public restrooms to wash up for the night.
Another old lady park volunteer was leaving the ladies room with a bucket and mop when they arrived. Seeing the couple eye her, she spoke up loudly.
“They was asking for volunteers to clean the bathrooms but ain’t nobody was raising a hand. So I figured, well, if Jesus can wash feet, I reckon I can wash toilets.”
“Amen,” the couple replied in unison and thanked her.
Back at the campsite Sedona and Clyde made a small fire and sat on lawn chairs holding hands while alternately admiring the flames and foliage. They expressed gratitude for what a placid setting it was which they savored all the more after a hectic work week. The only potentially ominous linings to an otherwise silver cloud were the increasingly frequent flashes of lightning and steadily louder sounds of thunder.
“Man, I sure hope it doesn’t rain,” Clyde noted looking skyward.
“Oh, come on, shug. Have some faith. Even if it does, we’ve got a brand new, guaranteed water-proof tent. We’ll just be cozy-cozy in our own little love nest.” She kissed his cheek.
“Okay,” he remarked. “But if it starts to rain hard, I’m headed to the car.”
“Some camper you are.” Sedona laughed.
“That’s right, and I’ll find us a nice motel too,” he added.
“Can’t you just relish how romantic all this is – and even more so if it does rain?” she asked. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and the slightest smile, prompting her to tickle him.
When the fire died out, they bedded down in the tent, holding each other silently while serenaded by a chorus of crickets, birds, and echoes of thunder. They admired the small flickers of light outside made by fireflies, as well as the streaks of lightning.
Clyde and Sedona turned to each other and grinned. Rubbing their noses together, he smiled and she giggled as he gently rolled on top of her and she embraced him. His teeth pulled her lower lip down before slipping his tongue between her lips. They kissed a long time, leisurely inspecting every part of each other’s mouth before he rested his chin on hers and held her head. After several seconds of looking into each other’s eyes, he spoke softly.
“Being alone with you is the one place I have peace. You are my sanctuary. Eternal thanks, my love.”
Staring deeply into his eyes, she took his head in her hands and kissed him eagerly, wrapping her legs around him as he ran his hands through her hair.
Though their eyes were closed, they became aware of a much brighter light on the side of the tent facing the valley. Clearly neither fireflies nor a momentary flash of lightning, this light was larger and more intense by many magnitudes and remained constant.
Clyde rolled on his side as they examined the light for many seconds before glancing at each other and getting dressed without a word. Still instinctively taking the flashlight, he walked out of the tent and held the flap open for Sedona. As soon as they faced the light, each put up an arm to block its initial brightness before looking at each other.
“You’ve camped here before,” he noted. “Have you ever seen anything like this?”
“No way, dude.” She shook her head for emphasis. “This is a whole new camping experience for me.” They stared in awe at the massive expanse of light illuminating the forest below. The light appeared to encompass the whole valley, from Stan Watie River at the bottom high into the sky. The light was so intense that it was hard to make out the mountains across the valley.
“Well, I reckon we’d have a right tough time getting lovey-dovey or trying to sleep with all this,” he remarked and she nodded slowly. Sedona and Clyde saw that the lighter parts of their clothing were glowing, as well as the tent. Looking in every direction, they were amazed at how extraordinarily well-lit everything was. After several more seconds, Sedona turned to him.
“Let’s check it out, Clyde,” she enthused as his eyes blinked and widened at her. “Come on. This is so exciting – likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Who knows what it is?”
“Exactly,” he noted. “I don’t know, honey bunny. I got a real strange feeling about this here light, and is it just me or has it now taken on a slightly greenish tint too?”
“You’re right,” Sedona exclaimed. “Oh, let’s see what it is, Clyde. The trails are sure well-lit now, and when will we ever come across anything like this again?”
Hesitating, sighing deeply, and squinting at the massive, mildly greenish, then more yellow, and finally bright white wall of light, he then looked to see if anyone else was in the area. Seeing no one, he gazed back at Sedona and they locked eyes.
They had long relished sharing a special intuitive bond, most lovingly manifested by staring into each other’s eyes and trying to communicate without words, often thrilling each other by correctly guessing the other’s thoughts, and Sedona knew precisely what was most likely to persuade him to investigate the light.
“What if it’s a UFO?” she asked with the barest trace of a smile. “Do you really want to blow your best chance to see one or maybe even … have a close encounter? Our best chance?”
Clyde blinked as his senses were flooded by feelings of intense curiosity, a desire not to appear unmasculine, and excitement at experiencing something uniquely special that he hoped would unite him still closer with the love of his life.
As she watched his eyes twinkling on his brightly lit face, his smile widened to match hers.
“Let’s do it, babe,” he declared and she slapped his back.
Out of habit, he started to turn on the flashlight before realizing there was absolutely no need. But he held on to it anyway.
“Ah! We need to document this,” he remarked as he used his phone to take a few pictures of the illuminated trees.
As they began walking down the trail in front of them, each thought it appeared as if they were entering an incredibly illuminated, slanted maze. While everywhere was an explosion of light, it seemed brightest at the base of the valley. Sedona pointed to white flowers ahead glowing brilliantly and Clyde photographed them. As they got closer, the flowers also appeared to pulsate. Clyde recalled friends describing how they saw this after taking LSD. Could we be having some kind of hallucination? He wondered. But I sure don’t recall ingesting anything remotely psychedelic for dinner at General C.C. Sanders’ Rib Shack.
“Is it just me or do these blooms also seem to be throbbing?” he asked.
“We’re still on the same page,” she confirmed.
The couple continued walking with a growing mix of awe, excitement, and dread. He became increasingly tense as he sensed something was amiss but, looking everywhere, could not discern what it was. Finally, he could stand it no longer.
“Wait. Stop,” he said placing his right hand on her arm. “There’s something else weird aside from the light. I can’t say what but I sure feel it.”
“I hear you,” she affirmed. “My spidey sense is tingling too.”
“Let’s not say anything. Just listen,” he said. They stood still, peering in every direction at the lit-up trees and bushes but heard nothing.
“What? I don’t hear anything,” Sedona noted.
“Exactly! That’s it,” Clyde replied. “No crickets, no birds, no thunder, no anything. When’s the last time you were in the woods on a summer’s night and heard not a single sound?”
“Never,” Sedona answered slowly. “Apparently something has really spooked all the critters.”
They looked around again before facing each other and continuing down the trail as the light grew still more mesmerizing. Sedona was struck by how bright even the backsides of the trees were as they descended toward the valley. Looking at the trail behind them, they realized they were completely enveloped by light.
Taking in the long lines of trees on either side of the path, Clyde remembered accounts of “life after death” experiences where people recounted walking toward a very bright light with people lined up on either side. He tried blocking out such thoughts by looking at the ground, but that only confirmed there was no escaping the brilliant light. Though completely absorbed in the moment, he could not deny his growing apprehension. On one hand, he did not want to appear scared, especially to Sedona. But he also felt an obligation to protect her and asked himself if he was risking her safety. Though he rationally could not discern any immediate threat, emotionally he sensed potential major harm ahead. Part of him hoped Sedona would ask to turn around. If she did, he knew he would readily assent.
Though still thrilled to investigate the light, an increasingly nervous Sedona was ever more grateful to have Clyde by her side. As they walked farther down Ector Mountain and the light got even brighter, she wondered if they had made a mistake. She looked at Clyde to see if he appeared ready to turn back, only to see him totally transfixed on what was ahead. Knowing how much he loved reading books and watching documentaries on UFOs, she knew how important this was to him but worried they were venturing into danger. How she yearned for one of their cherished “mind-melds” but knew she was too anxious to read his thoughts.
As incredibly illuminated as everything was, Clyde initially lamented bringing the flashlight, but as they went down the mountain and the light grew ever brighter, he found himself holding it tighter. Glancing behind them to see if anyone else had dared broach the light and seeing no one, he was at least comforted that they would have a well-lit path back to the campsite.
When he turned back around, Sedona squealed and grabbed him as a glowing rabbit darted across the path a couple of feet in front of them. Clyde felt as if his heart would leap out of his chest and worried how fast it was beating.
“It’s okay, gorgeous. It’s just a rabbit,” he pronounced with his arms around her. “You’re all right, dear. I’m right here.” Though she nodded, he thought he may have heard her teeth chatter, and Sedona could feel she was not the only one shaking.
“Why would a wild brown rabbit glow?” she asked. “And is it just me or was it pulsating too?”
“We ain’t just on the same page, babe, but the same paragraph,” he confided.
When they resumed walking, he reached for her hand and she quickly took it. Knowing the perspiration he felt was not just hers, Clyde resolved to try not to betray any fear.
With increasing regret that she had suggested they pursue the light, Sedona was nevertheless determined not to back out when Clyde seemed so captivated by their quest. But she also knew hers was not the only sweaty palm.
He moved a step ahead and to Sedona’s right so he could hold the flashlight in his right hand. She felt his left-hand grip tighten and she took it in both of hers.
As they continued descending, the light became more intense and now more greenish again. Sedona stopped and Clyde quickly turned around.
“Listen,” she said. “You hear it?”
They stood mute while surveying their surroundings. A hum could clearly be detected.
“I do,” he answered. Turning toward the light, he stared ahead for several seconds before locking eyes with her. When he moved forward, she followed, albeit both at a slower pace. She also noticed that he was now crouching slightly and holding the flashlight like a weapon.
As they continued walking, the humming grew louder. Each turn of the path seemed to indicate they were significantly closer to … something unknown but perhaps incredibly powerful.
Both jumped slightly when they felt raindrops. Since starting down the trail, neither had noticed any thunder and, with the light now almost blindingly bright, seeing a lightning strike seemed out of the question. As the rain grew heavier, both regretted not bringing an umbrella. But neither turned back.
It occurred to them that the light ahead was becoming somehow more diffuse since a somewhat foggy or misty quality was ever more apparent. Though there had been no breeze on their earlier walk along the same trail, they stopped at the sight of leaves flying in front of them. What had come to resemble a brightly lit impressionist painting was actually a cloud of dust and leaves swirling ever higher in a broad circular pattern. The rain grew heavier as well. Clyde pulled out his phone to take more pictures and record a video.
Suddenly a large flash of blindingly white lightning shot across just above them, prompting them to duck almost to the ground. Seconds later a thunderous roar like a cannon appeared to consume them and they grabbed each other tight. The noise continued for several seconds as the rain got thicker. Shivering from the water and fear, Clyde sought to comfort them.
“It’s just lightning and thunder, babe, exaggerated by an echo from the valley. We’re fine.”
Sedona buried her head under his neck and appeared unable to speak. Feeling like his heart was about to gallop right out of his chest, Clyde realized he had dropped his phone and flashlight and urgently looked for them. Picking them up, he then lifted Sedona to her feet and dared to face the enormous canvas of ever-brighter and greener light. The debris swirling within it seemed to be moving still faster, and they flinched as flying leaves and twigs began to sting them. Completely drenched, Clyde held Sedona close as he looked in every direction and realized with a start that they appeared to be inside some kind of incredibly-lit green tornado.
“I’ve got you, love.” He tried to reassure her and realized he was having to shout above the rain, wind, and ever-louder hum. When the ground began to vibrate, he felt his chest tighten.
A journey begun so promisingly had become a terrifying nightmare for Sedona. Added to her fear was guilt for convincing Clyde to make the trek. Sensing panic setting in with both of them, she understood it was critical to maintain some semblance of calm and rational thought. Concerned that Clyde still yearned to complete their quest, she was determined to demand otherwise, grabbing his face with a look of urgency he had never seen and speaking loudly and slowly.
“We have to leave, Clyde – now.”
Looking more alarmed than she had ever seen him, after a second’s pause he nodded vigorously. Holding each other fiercely, they turned around. But the intensifying greenish light, pounding rain, roaring hum, vibrating ground, and debris rushing by had thoroughly discombobulated them. Unable to find the trail back, they clutched each other like never before. For half a minute they buried their heads in each other’s necks with eyes closed to try to block out the scariest moment of their lives, desperately clinging to the one who understood, comforted, and loved them most. Each said a silent prayer.
Raising their heads as one and methodically making a visual sweep of their environment, they walked slowly in the direction where the light seemed least intense. Still gripping each other firmly, they gradually picked up speed, growing more confident as the light ahead became less bright, the wind less ferocious, flying objects no longer hit them, the ground ceased to vibrate, and the only sound was the pounding rain. Despite periodically tripping over rocks and fallen branches, their pace continued to quicken.
Standing at their full height again, they took each other’s hand. Exasperated they still could not find a trail, they stopped to look around. After a short while, Sedona tapped Clyde’s shoulder and pointed at a distant light moving toward them. As they watched it approach, the light eventually turned away and disappeared. Seconds later another light followed the same pattern. Then other lights in the distance moved in the opposite direction before disappearing.
“They’re car lights! It’s the highway,” Sedona shouted. Elated to see such happy excitement on his lover’s face, Clyde cupped her cheeks and matched her full smile before they kissed for several seconds. Taking each other’s hand, they resumed walking in the direction of the highway. As the forest grew darker, the car lights became more distinct. At one point they looked back at the greenish light to see it fading. Sedona pulled Clyde in the direction of the road.
“Darling, we need to keep moving,” she said gently but firmly, and they walked faster toward what they could now see was the edge of the forest. For the first time in a long while, they were engulfed by darkness, and it had never felt so good to them. Not only were rapidly moving car lights discernible ahead, but their engines were now heard as well. Flashes of lightning could also be seen overhead. When they emerged from the trees, the winding two-lane road was right before them. Despite the lack of limbs above making them even wetter, they rejoiced with open grins, embraced, and kissed. With the rain still pounding, they broke into a laugh and felt waves of tension wash away.
“How about our first kiss in the pouring rain?” he asked with a chuckle.
“I’ll take it, big boy,” she answered smiling.
They walked to the breakdown lane to try to catch a ride. Though it was a Friday night, few cars came from either side.
“Pull up your pants leg to inspire a driver to pick us up,” Clyde remarked.
“Oh, right, like Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night,” she noted. “You know, Stan Laurel did the same thing in Laurel and Hardy’s Way Out West – also with success.” She winked.
“Okay. If your leg doesn’t get any driver hot, I’ll show mine,” he replied.
“Where do we want to go?” she asked.
He paused before answering, started to speak, and then hesitated again.
“You think we should go straight to the police,” Sedona stated while grabbing her arms amid the downpour.
“I do,” Clyde answered. “Shug, you weren’t kidding about this being a once-in-a-lifetime happening. I mean, how many folks ever experience anything remotely like what we did? I truly believe it was some kind of UFO, and we need to report everything that happened or we’re really going to regret it. The police’ll take us back to the car … and we can see just how ‘guaranteed water-proof’ that tent really is.”
Sedona doubled over laughing.
At that moment they were startled to be consumed by light as an old pickup truck pulled into the breakdown lane to stop in front of them. They ran to the passenger side door and opened it.
“Come on in and get out of that pouring rain, y’all,” the old lady behind the wheel exclaimed. “What in tarnation are y’all doing out in this weather, and without even an umbrella?”
Sliding onto the seat beside her, Sedona was delighted when the small dog sitting by the driver jumped in her lap to lick her face.
“Oh, don’t mind General Forrest, dear. He don’t bite none. Just licks. As wet as y’all are, you shouldn’t notice none anyway,” the driver remarked laughing as she drove onto the highway.
“Oh, he’s precious,” Sedona pronounced and hugged the dog.
“Enormous thanks for picking us up, ma’am,” Clyde declared and Sedona quickly seconded him.
“Weren’t no trouble at all. Just glad the Good Lord give me the chance to be a Good Samaritan,” the driver declared.
“Well, bless your sweet heart, ma’am,” Sedona replied.
“Amen,” Clyde added.
“So where y’all headed?” the driver asked.
After hesitating, Clyde spoke. “The nearest police or sheriff’s department, please, ma’am.”
“Uh, oh. Y’all all right? I sure hope you ain’t in no trouble. Y’all ain’t Bonnie and Clyde, are you?” She laughed looking at the utterly drenched pair.
“No, no,” Sedona said chuckling. “Well, he is a Clyde, but not Barrow. We’ve just come through the most amazing experience of our lives and think we may have encountered a UFO.”
“Oh, my Lord,” the lady exclaimed. “Well, that’ll sure spice things up down at the sheriff’s department. I reckon ol’ Leroy’ll have a field day with that.” She laughed.
“I’m sorry we’re getting your seat soaked, ma’am,” Sedona offered.
“Oh, don’t pay that no mind, dear,” the lady replied. “This here’s my field truck. I reckon y’all are the first passengers that ain’t dogs or cats in a right long spell, sure enough.”
Soon after entering the nearby little town, they pulled up to the sheriff’s department, a small building also housing the town’s lone fire truck and ambulance.
“One-stop shopping,” Clyde noted before Sedona elbowed him.
“Well, it ain’t much to look at, but the sheriff’s an honest Christian,” the lady offered. “He’s a second cousin, a deacon at First Baptist, and don’t play no favorites. He’ll give you a fair hearing, and I figure he or a deputy’ll take y’all wherever you need to go.”
After thanking her profusely, Clyde offered her a twenty-dollar bill.
“No sir,” she declared emphatically with a raised hand and turned head. “Now the Lord don’t work that way. As the Good Book says, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
“Ma’am, I’m no angel,” he replied.
“Well, then you can thank me by just being a good Christian,” the driver declared with a smile.
“Well, I’ll sure try,” he replied.
Entering the one-story building, they became the star attraction as the barely-twenty-something female receptionist and two thirty-something male deputies looked at them from behind the front desk on their left. The receptionist sat at a large computer screen and the deputies were standing in the back of the room chatting and drinking coffee.
“Mercy, I guess somebody sure forget their umbrella,” the young lady got out before giggling. “Y’all all right?”
“Yes ma’am,” Clyde answered.
“How can we help?” she asked.
Clyde looked at Sedona and cleared his throat. “We’d like to report … what we think …” – he saw the deputies silently peering at him – “may have been a close encounter with a UFO.”
The young lady blinked, widened her eyes, and raised her eyebrows as the deputies exchanged glances. Sedona took her boyfriend’s arm and spoke up.
“We know it sounds crazy, but we really think this is important and needs to be investigated.”
“Sure,” the receptionist declared while nodding and picking up the phone. “Sheriff. There’s a couple here who want to report a UFO…. Uh, huh…. Yes sir. All right. I will.”
She pointed toward the sheriff’s office at the end of the hall but asked them to wait while she went to a closet to retrieve a pair of blankets. After thanking her, they walked down the short hall drying their hair and patting down their clothes.
“Leroy Walker,” boomed the large, fifty-something gentleman standing behind his desk in a sheriff’s uniform with an extended hand. “Gracious alive. Y’all fall in Stan Watie River? Have a seat, and don’t worry none ’bout getting ’em wet. They’ll be fine.”
After shaking hands and introducing themselves, Sheriff Walker smiled at them amid small talk. Sedona and Clyde sensed they were being closely examined.
“Well, let’s hear ’bout y’all’s big adventure this evening,” the sheriff said in a more serious tone. “But before we do, are you both okay?”
“Oh, yes sir,” they answered.
“Good. Well, then, let’s just start at the beginning and see where we go.” He leaned back in his swivel chair.
Sedona tapped Clyde and he began.
“We were camping in Holtzclaw State Park on Ector Mountain and had just gotten inside the tent to go to bed probably about 10:30 or so,” Clyde said, turning to Sedona who nodded. As he described the remarkable white light, Clyde noticed the sheriff’s eyes narrow slightly before widening at the mention of the light taking on a greenish tint. Sensing the sheriff was having trouble believing him, Clyde hesitated and Sedona picked up the story. When describing the windstorm and flying debris, Sheriff Walker’s eyes blinked and got big again as his eyebrows went up. Intuiting that she was losing him too, Sedona paused and shifted gears.
“Clyde, show him the pictures and video.”
“Oh, right,” he replied and pulled out his phone. “Hopefully all the water didn’t damage it.”
Clearly intrigued, Leroy Walker leaned across his desk and they all examined the pictures of the initial wall of light and the glowing flowers. They then watched the short video of what had felt like an extraordinarily-lit, greenish tornado. The sheriff took the phone and squinted his eyes replaying the video.
Though the pictures and video captured what they saw, the couple worried that, out of context, they just did not prove anything. They looked at each other wishing they had more evidence to convey how bizarre their experience had been. They then took turns finishing their story, ending with Sedona’s lament that they missed the name of the sweet old lady with cute little General Forrest in the pickup who had such warm words for her cousin, Sheriff Walker.
“Oh, that’s Cousin Darcella,” the sheriff spoke up with a full grin. “She’s sure good people.”
“Definitely,” Sedona agreed, “and I’d really like to please get her address to send her a thank-you card and a gift.”
“Oh, that’s mighty decent of you, dear. That’d make her day,” Walker declared. “Ask Addie on the way out and she’ll look it up for you. And one of us’ll take you back to the campsite – unless your nerves are shot and you’d rather go straight to a motel.” He lowered his head and smiled.
Clyde and Sedona chuckled. Both felt utterly exhausted but also enormous relief. With some hesitation, Clyde spoke.
“So what do you really think happened?” he asked Sheriff Walker, sensing their presentation had been underwhelming. He and Sedona sighed and looked at the sheriff in a hopeful yet resigned manner. Tilting his chair back while lacing his fingers, Leroy Walker looked intently at the ceiling for what felt like a long time before taking a deep breath and putting his elbows on the desk with his chin atop clasped hands.
“I do ’preciate y’all coming in here to report all y’all experienced – endured – tonight. There ain’t no doubt in my mind that y’all’ve gone through a mighty strange and downright terrifying ordeal. Most importantly, we’re all grateful y’all are okay, just a bit soaked” – he paused to smile – “and right shook up some, I’m sure,” he added sympathetically.
“That was right savvy of you to take the pictures and video, and I ’preciate it.” He paused and looked at the desk for a few seconds before continuing. “Now as to exactly what y’all saw … or experienced … or were in the presence of, who can say?” He shrugged his shoulders, raised his eyebrows, and spread his large hands. “It’s a great big ol’ world out there that’s plum full of all kinds of peculiar happenings we just can’t explain. Lord knows, I can’t. I just read my Bible, try my best, and give God the rest.”
Sedona took Clyde’s hand as they nodded and listened intently. Though frustrated they had failed to convince the sheriff of all they had seen and felt, they were too drained and relieved to be upset. They were also grateful for how kind the sheriff and everyone else they had met in the town had been.
Reading the disappointment on their faces and slumped body language, the sheriff clasped his hands on the desk, leaned forward, and lowered his head.
“Now what do y’all believe really happened?” he asked.
Looking at Sedona first, Clyde slowly spoke.
“Though, Lord knows, I certainly can’t say for certain, I honestly think some kind of UFO landed in that valley tonight, Sheriff. Based on everything we saw, heard, and felt, I just can’t come up with any other rational explanation. What else could it have been? But can I prove it? No sir. I so wish I could, but I can’t.”
Sheriff Walker nodded slowly, raised his left hand, and interjected, “But it takes a pretty big fellow to admit that. You’re an honest man, and your opinion ’bout this here thing is just as good as anybody else’s. Heck, y’all are the ones who were right smack in the thick of it.”
“Thank you, sir,” Clyde replied as Sedona smiled warmly at the sheriff.
Several people had arrived at the department talking loudly, and the sheriff asked the couple to close the door which Sedona did.
“Now this whole thing is mighty weird all right,” the sheriff continued, “and we’ll send a deputy to the park to check it out directly. Heck, it’s been a slow night. So I’m liable to go myself. Y’all can come with me if you like. I ’spect you’ll want to check on your car. Sure hope it didn’t blow away.” He grinned
“Sheriff, you don’t think there’s any possibility we could’ve encountered a UFO?” Sedona asked. “And, if not, how do you explain it all? And surely you’ll acknowledge the pictures and video are real.”
“Honey, I don’t doubt everything y’all said was real. It may all be the gospel truth,” Sheriff Walker replied with outstretched hands. “I just can’t explain it, and I sure can’t leap to any conclusion that it was some kind of alien space vehicle deciding to land in these parts on such a stormy night. No’am, I’m ’fraid that dog just won’t hunt. Now maybe with some more corroborating evidence, but not yet.”
“Fair enough,” she replied. “Thanks for hearing us out. We do appreciate your time and all your kindness.”
“And for not laughing at us after all we’ve been through,” Clyde added with a chuckle.
“No, no,” Sheriff Walker declared. “Y’all strike me as good, honest folks and I admire you for coming forward – and I want y’all to be sure and fill out a detailed report describing everything you just told me. Plus I’d ’preciate if you’d text me those pictures and video.”
“Will do,” the pair chimed together.
The sheriff’s phone rang and he picked it up as Clyde and Sedona looked at each other, exhaled, and smiled. Sedona leaned her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her.
“Do what?” Sheriff Walker asked over the phone with a perplexed look. “Um-hmm…. Okay. … All right…. Well, tell ’em we’ll check it out…. Oh, yes. Right away…. Yes ma’am. You can quote me that we’ll deal with it directly – right now, and I’ll go myself.” The sheriff hung up the phone, frowned, scribbled some notes, and quickly gathered some items before reaching for his hat.
Even with the door closed, the voices from the other end of the hall were getting louder. Addie the receptionist knocked and opened the sheriff’s door.
“Sheriff Walker, can you please come to the front desk. A whole slew of folks keep coming in all excited and claiming to have just seen UFOs, strange green lights, a tornado around Ector Mountain, and just all kinds of strange doings. I can’t keep up with it all – and the phone’s ringing off the hook with folks calling to report Wilcox Valley was completely lit up.”
Sedona and Clyde locked eyes and broke into a mutual grin as Sheriff Walker stood looking at Addie with a frozen expression and raised eyebrows.
“Well, sheriff,” Sedona spoke up. “Sounds like you got a whole mess of hunting dogs now.”