Page 13 - 200908 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - August 2009

13 Travis Walton - Fire in the Sky 13 Travis Walton - Fire in the Sky An Ordinary Day human arrangement of features. But beyond the There was a curving hallway about An Ordinary Day Continued from Page 11 outline, any similarity to humans was three feet wide outside the door. The ceiling of Continued from Page 11 terrifyingly absent. the hall gave off a faint, almost unnoticeable Their thin bones were covered with illumination. I looked to the right down the white, marshmallowy-looking flesh. They had narrow, dimly lit passage in the direction the on single-piece coverall-type suits made of soft, aliens had run. There was no one in sight. swedelike material, orangish brown in color. I Seeing nothing in the passage to my left, could not see any grain in the material, such as I began walking that way. I broke into a cloth has. In fact, their clothes did not appear frightened run down the narrow corridor. The even to have any seams. I saw no buttons, cramped hallway turned continuously in a tight zippers, or snaps. They wore no belts. The loose curve to the right. I dashed past an open billowy garments were gathered at the wrists doorway on my left without looking in, only ten and perhaps the ankles. They didn't have any feet down the hall from the door I had just kind of raised collar at the neck. They wore exited. I caught a glimpse of a room but was simple pinkish tan footwear. I could not make afraid to stop. out the details of their shoes, but they had very Wait just a damn minute, Travis! I small feet, about a size four by our measure. struggled to get a grip on my self-control. What When they extended their hands toward if I missed a chance at that doorway to find a me, I noticed they had no fingernails. Their way out of this place? I saw another doorway hands were small, delicate, without hair. Their ten more feet ahead on my right. I slowed down I looked frantically around me. There thin round fingers looked soft and unwrinkled. to a walk as I neared it. were three of them! I struck out at the two on Their smooth skin was so pale that it looked Maybe this would be my way out . . . . my right, hitting one with the back of my arm, chalky, like ivory. The door was only a few feet ahead on knocking it into the other one. My swing was Their bald heads were my right, on the inside curve of the hallway. I more of a push than a blow, I was so weakened. disproportionately large for their puny bodies. slowed down, turned, and stopped in the The one I touched felt soft through the cloth of They had bulging, oversized craniums, a small opening. its garment. The muscles of its puny physique jaw structure, and an underdeveloped I looked in cautiously. I saw a round yielded with a sponginess that was more like fat appearance to their features that was almost room about sixteen feet across with a domed than sinew. The creature was light and had infantile. Their thin-lipped mouths were ceiling about ten feet high. Equally spaced fallen back easily. narrow; I never saw them open. Lying close to around the room were three rectangular outlines I lunged unsteadily to my feet and their heads on either side were tiny crinkled resembling closed doorways. staggered back against a utensil-arrayed bench lobes of ears. Their miniature rounded noses No one there. The room was totally that followed the curve of one wall. I leaned had small oval nostrils. empty except for a single chair that faced away there heavily, keeping my eyes riveted on those The only facial feature that didn't appear from me. horrid entities. underdeveloped were those incredible eyes! I looked behind me. The hallway was My action had caused the device across Those glistening orbs had brown irises twice the still empty. I slowly entered the room. I my chest to crash to the floor. No wires or tubes size of those of a normal human eye's, nearly an hesitated to approach the high-backed chair. connected it to me, or to anything else. It inch in diameter! The iris was so large that even There might be somebody sitting in it that I rocked back and forth on its upper side. The parts of the pupils were hidden by the lids, could not see from behind. rocking sent shifting beams of greenish light giving the eyes a certain catlike appearance. I circled, keeping my distance from the out onto the floor, from the underside of the There was very little of the white part of the eye chair, checking to see if anyone was sitting it it. machine. showing. They had no lashes and no eyebrows. I followed the curve of the wall to get around to My aching body would not do what I With all the screaming and the hysterical where I could see. I was ready to beat an instant told it to. My legs felt too weak to hold me up. questions I had thrown at them, they never once retreat if I should see one of those hideous I leaned heavily on the counter. The monstrous said anything to me. I did not hear them speak creatures again. I stopped every few steps to trio of humanoids started toward me. Their to each other. Their mouths never made any crane my nieck over the back of the chair. hands reached out at me. kind of sound or motion. The only sounds I Seeing nobody, I continued around to where I With the superhuman effort of a heard were those of movements, and my own could ascertain, with much relief, that the chair cornered animal, I ground out the strength to voice. was unoccupied. defend myself. Fighting the splitting pain in my Just as I girded myself to spring at them, Glancing apprehensively toward the skull, I grabbed for something from the bench they abruptly turned and scurried from the open door, I slowly went toward the chair. As I with which to fend them off. My hand seized on room! They went out the open door, turned right gradually approached it, a very curious thing a thin transparent cylinder about eighteen and disappeared. The anticlimax of their retreat began to happen. The closer I got to it, the inches long. It was too light to be an effective was incredible. The extra adrenaline that had darker the room became! Small points of light club. I needed something sharp. I tried to break squirted into my bloodstream left me trembling became visible on, or through, the walls, even the tip off the tube. I smashed the end of the uncontrollably. I collapsed back against the the floor. I stepped back and the effect glasslike wand down on the waist-high metal bench, struggling to slow my racing heart. I diminished. I stepped forward and it increased slab I had been lying on. It would not break. gulped the heavy air in ragged gasps. again, the points of light becoming brighter in I sprang into a fighting stance with my Afraid of the aliens' return, I looked contrast to the darkening background. It was legs spread wide to brace for the attack. I lashed toward the door. No sign of anyone. I needed like the stars coming into view in the evening, out with the weapon at the advancing creatures, something better to defend myself with. I only very much faster. The matte gray of the screaming desperate, hysterical threats. The noticed an array of strange instruments lying on metal wall just faded out to be replaced by the creatures slowed but continued toward me, the bench. The instruments were arranged near glinting, speckled deep-black of space. their hands outstretched. the middle of the bench, leaving either end of it I looked at the controls on the chair. On "Keep back, damn you!" I shrieked clear. There was nothing I recognized, but some the left arm, there was a single short thick lever menacingly. of the chromelike objects reminded me of those with an oddly shaped molded handle atop some They halted. In a snarling crouch I held in a laboratory or doctor's office. All of the dark brown material. On the right arm, there the tube threateningly back behind my head. I objects were too small to be effective as was an illuminated, lime-green screen about felt hopelessly trapped. I was surrounded, with weapons. I was more afraid of being hurt by five inches square with a lot of black lines on it my back to the wall. some of those instruments. I touched nothing that intersected each other at all angles. They stood still, mutely. They were a more, throwing the clear tube I still held down (Continued on Page 14) little under five feet in height. They had a basic on the floor. humanoid form: two legs, two arms, hands with I've got to get out of here, I thought Visit The ‘X’ Zone Radio Show at five digits each, and a head with the normal frantically with a surge of determination. www.xzoneradio.com