Photographs and Short Story page two


				Chapter One page 2




	dna had observed closely. ‘Henry’ was about four feet tall, maybe eighty pounds, very pale and very, very ugly. He had light blond or white hair, enormous ears and nose and a receding chin. His neck was skinny with at huge Adam's apple. Even at a distance, he had seemed extremely nervous. The most astonishing thing, though, was how he disappeared. He went sideways like a rabbit or a deer and was gone without a sound. She walked to where he had been and looked into the woods. All was so silent and clearly empty that she began to think she had been hallucinating. However, the piece of paper was still there. It was a one page printed statement. She stood there in the heat and the bugs and read it through.

	“Greetings, Edna. From Henry. You have been chosen as subject in important research. The protocol for this project states that you will be permitted to interact with the researcher, which is me, Henry, and to have visual contact for a period not less than one minute. Heretofore, humans have never discovered our people. The reasons for this are our superior intellect, our ability to feel if we are being looked at or even are about to be looked at (we believe humans do not have this capacity) and our extreme quickness relative to humans. It is not, however, our intention to allow persons other than yourself to be aware of our existence. To spare you the embarrassment and ourselves the waste of time, please consider the following before attempting to tell others about us: This paper was printed on your own computer/printer. I, Henry, am wearing a pair of your shoes. We are excellent mimics. The voice I am using is not my own. We specialize in gaining entry to any and all places devised by humans. From you, we will need exact physical data. Please correct the following data: Edna, single, white, 43, 5'7", 125 lbs., short brown hair, green eyes, wears glasses. We will need a one inch long, hundred strand (approx.) sample of your hair and one cc of blood which you should extract with a syringe (such as found in your kennel) just prior to our next contact which will take place at this time tomorrow. Thank you so much for your full cooperation. Please note that failure to comply will necessitate the use of other means. Our species possesses vast experience in stealth, which includes the use of medications and, if necessary, poisons. See you tomorrow! Henry, research specialist. P.S. Henry is not my real name. Our language has proved unintelligible to humans.” hen she looked down at her shoes, there was a footprint where he had been standing that was exactly like her own. Possibly she had stepped there without realizing it. Folding the paper and putting it in he back pocket, she went back to work. But ‘Henry’ had ruined her concentration. The woods seemed spooky. She felt exposed standing out in the open. ‘Kids will play the strangest pranks’, she thought. She wondered what poor mother had nursed such a creature. Aside from his unfortunate face, he looked like he had worms or malnutrition. cont. on page three

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