It was late in the evening when Eli Boschetto and his wife, Mitzi, pulled into a campground in Northern California’s redwoods. The forest seemed to enjoy a sinister game, as chilly coastal fog mixed with campfire smoke swirled through the trees, casting strange shadows in the canopy and undergrowth. Tired, they found a spot to set up camp under the lights of their car’s head lamps. In the distance, muffled voices and laughter from unseen campers wafted through the filtered darkness. Focused on getting an early start the next morning, they opted to skip a campfire and went about bedtime routines.
Conveniently, the restrooms were only about 100 yards down the road, a short walk for washing up before retiring. With bag in hand, Eli set off down the black pavement, his headlamp’s light reflecting off the drifting smoke and fog. Suddenly a movement caught his eye.
At the side of the road, something stood there looking at him. Through the haze and darkness, he tried to discern what the creature was before him. It stood about 2 feet in height, completely gray, with a large round head and curious eyes. “It must be a raccoon,” he thought
But … no. There was no mask. And no fur. And no tail! The creature cocked its head, looking back. Eli took a tentative step closer to get a better look. The creature withdrew slightly, peering cautiously back. What was this thing?
Time seemed to halt as the two stared at one another. Remembering his head lamp, Eli reached up to set the light brighter. The movement startled the creature, and Eli particularly noticed that the creature walked off on two legs, dissolving into the misty, shadowy darkness.
Every hair on his arms and neck was electrified, and chills ran down his spine. What had he just seen? He scanned the underbrush with his head lamp, seeking to comprehend what he’d just witnessed, but the small, gray, upright creature with no fur and no tail was nowhere to be seen. Had he just seen an alien?
It was a sleepless night, as every creak and crack in their pitch-black tent seemed to alert him to the possible presence of interstellar beings, watching them from the woods nearby …
Sasysquatchgirl 