Read Online Sky People by Ardy Sixkiller Clarke - Free Book Online Page B

to water everything down. It has little to no alcohol. I am fully aware of what I am telling you.”
    “I don’t think you are drunk, Enrique. I’m concerned that this conversation may be difficult for you.”
    “No, no. I want to tell this story, although, unlike you, most of my friends laugh at me. They tell me I fell asleep along the highway and that I made up this story so I wouldn’t get in trouble with the boss. That is not true, but the image of these creaturesis forever in my brain. I think that if I had met them in the jungle, I would have thought they were some kind of a bug and probably killed them. Chopped their head off with a machete and probably carried them to the village. Maybe even ate them.” He laughed at his statement and looked around the bar to see if he had attracted attention.
    “Were you late returning from your trip?”
    “I didn’t make it back for the dinner crowd. The boss was angry. I tried to explain, but he told me that he would fire me if I told that story again. I have six children and a wife, Doctor. I could not take the chance. So I never told him the story again, nor did I talk about it with any of my friends at the hotel. But they heard the story in the village, and they teased me about it. They call me ‘the insect man’.”
    “You said the creatures looked like insects. Can you tell me anything else about them?”
    “They were wearing strange suits. They blended with the environment some way. If they stood in front of a bush, they looked like the bush. If they stood in the dirt, they looked like the dirt. Whatever was behind them, they blended. I knew they were aliens, and I ran for the van. That’s when the balls of light appeared, and the creatures disappeared. The UFO moved over me and stayed there, a few feet above me. There was a sickening smell and I think I lost consciousness.”
    “What is the next thing you remember?”
    “I was behind the wheel of the van. I had a terrible headache. I was sweating but I was cold. I tried to pray, but I could not find my voice.”
    “What do you mean, you couldn’t find your voice?”
    “My throat was sore. I couldn’t speak to pray to God. I opened the door to the van and tried to get out, but I was too weak to move. I sat there for a long time and when I finally managed to open the door, I got out of the van and collapsed to the ground. A passing car came by and slowed. They laughed. They thought I was drunk.”
    “What did you do?”
    “I sat on the ground until I was able to pull myself up and stand. I crawled back into the van, and I got out my cell phone and tried to call the boss. When he answered, I could not speak. I drove to the city, picked up the restaurant supplies, and drove back to the hotel. Along the way, my voice came back. When the boss saw me, he was angry. That is when I discovered that I had been gone most of the day. The trip should have taken me no more than six hours. I was gone more than twelve.”
    “Do you have any memory of what happened to you during that time?”
    “None. But I know what I saw, and I swear that I speak the truth.” He made the sign of the cross, paused, and lit a cigarette. “Do you believe me, Doctor?”
    “Yes. I believe you.”
    “Would you tell my wife you believe me?” he asked.
    “I’m not sure I understand your request.”
    “My wife thinks I’m crazy. She thinks I have a girlfriend and that I went to see her. She’s a jealous woman. She’s a simple woman from the village. She knows nothing of UFOs and aliens. But if you told her you believe me, she might think I’m not crazy.”
    “I will be happy to explain to your wife that I have heard many stories about UFOs, and that yours is not that unusual. I will tell her I believe you.”
    A broad grin crossed his face. “Thank you, Doctor. But I must warn you: My wife is a very jealous woman.”
    The next day, I agreed to accompany Enrique to his village after the lunch crowd left. Buddy accompanied me to