Where's The Teacher?

WHERE'S THE TEACHER?




By




Maryjo Holland




CHAPTER ONE




She did it again. Miss Armstrong left the classroom and her students knew she would be gone all day. Each morning since school began she arrived on time and gave them daily assignments to complete, then she would return at the day's end to send them home. Where she went all day no one knew, no one asked and nobody cared. Nobody except John. He wanted to know.

John Wright, charged with curiosity, looked out the window of the classroom and when Miss Armstrong disappeared each day he noticed she didn't leave the building. Puzzled that no one questioned where she went, one day he decided to take it upon himself and talk to others about it but no one listened except Willie Barnhill, his classmate and close friend, and he only listened half-heartedly.

John and Willie, who both recently moved here, met each other on their walk to school each day. They stopped at the convenience store/gas station to buy a treat for lunch, then passed by the town restaurant owned by Mr. and Mrs. Brand. Turning right, down at the end of the block was the school, setting by itself looking spooky with all the rooms vacant except the room that housed the students.

The children had already seen ten hot days of the new school year pass by and John sat there wiping the sweat that poured down his face. His hands and face reflected the dirt and sand that raged through their classroom windows at times, as it did this morning, lining his face with dark streaks. The classroom had just enough desks for the eleven children there, ranging from Douglas who was the third grader, to Amy and Amelia in the fifth grade, Kathryn and Charles in seventh, and he and Willie in the eighth. The others were high school age and had work assignments in Las Vegas the nearest large city.

His Reading assignment was done and now turning his paper over he tackled the Math. Whispering to Willie who sat nearby John again questioned the absence of their teacher. "Where do you think she went again? This has happened everyday now since school started."

"Who cares," replied Willie, whose face was equally streaked with dirt, "We can sit and talk when we get the work finished. I may not even do my work today."

John put his head down on the desk, weak from the heat, when the electric lights overhead flickered off and on.

"Oh, no. The power plant is on the blink again," said Willie. "Maybe the lights will go out completely and we can go home."

"What if the teacher comes back? She'll notice that you're missing."

"I don't care and she obviously doesn't either," answered Willie.

Glancing out the only window in the room, John saw a golden-colored bird land on the rounded corners of the stucco sill. Facing John directly it fluttered its wings as if to say to him, "I'm watching you. Get back to work."

Eager to do anything but schoolwork, John engaged Willie in conversation. "I wish I could have seen the plane crash last week?

"Yeah, me too but my mom wouldn't let me go," Willie responded.

Planes were often flying overhead and creating the deafening boom heard by the military jets from the nearby air force base. The prior week late in the evening the sound thundered so loud everyone within earshot of it reacted. It was like a double sonic boom. At first most thought it was thunder as it was raining hard, then realized it wasn't. People were startled from their sleep and children were crying from being awakened so rudely. Pictures fell off the walls of the town's double-wide trailers, and their entire homes rattled on their weak foundations breaking many windows with its sound. Heads jerked around at the noise and most ran out of their homes on this clear night to witness a red ball of flame billowing up into the dark, night sky like a red nuclear bomb explosion. Many wanted to view the wreck, climbing into cars to get a closer look. Roads had been washed out from the storm and cars ran off the road causing people to scramble out into the storm, but it didn't matter, as they climbed fences and got soaked just to get a look.

Not many people live in this remote desert town of Silverton but all that could rushed to the site where they knew a plane had crashed. The pilot had ejected from the plane trailing below his parachute silhouetted by the fire light, gliding to the ground and landing on the soft desert sand, but the plane was a fireball. Not having the equipment necessary in this town to extinguish the blaze the fire would have to slowly burn itself out on the sandy, desert floor, aided by the rain.

Interviewed by the townspeople immediately after the crash the pilot mentioned that he had seen a luminous object right in front of him and knew he was going to crash and quickly ejected. He said he hit something that was foreign to him causing both his plane and what he hit to crash to the ground at the same time. No one else was there to corroborate his story and they wondered if the pilot was somehow confused and addled by what happened. He swore there was a collision. The press arrived quickly from Las Vegas to question the pilot about his crash arriving even before the government officials. The pilot was quick to reveal that he had seen a weird-shaped craft and that it was not an airplane. "It was cigar-shaped," he said, ' with no wings nor tail, crossing in front of me, appearing all at once before my eyes. It blasted my vision with twinkling red, blue, and yellow lights temporarily blinding me."

Soon the investigators arrived and when they heard what the pilot was telling the press the officials rudely jerked him away and shoved him into a car that sped off in the opposite direction. The newspaper the next day had reported that a UFO had been seen by the pilot of the military jet and he insisted that he crashed into it. Government officials issued a correction in the following day's paper, stating that the pilot was hallucinating and must have seen a blimp as there was no evidence of a UFO crash at the site. Or they said he probably saw a meteor or shooting star in their clear desert skies. The reporters questioned all the remaining observers and no one said they had witnessed the crash except Mr. Yeager. He said he thought he saw the plane hit something but could have been mistaken. The crash had happened on his ranch which is about a half-mile behind the school.

School was out for the day and John and Willie wanted to see the debris field but for several weeks were unable to get close to it. Men and women in special silver suits gathered the remains of the wreckage and shipped it off to who knows where. Eventually investigators had left satisfied that everything had been removed from the area.

As soon as the yellow tape surrounding the crash site was removed the boys set out to do some exploring. They went to school that day and Miss Armstrong had again given them assignments and as soon as she left the boys did too. They rushed out of the classroom hearing pleas from the remaining children to not leave them alone. They were on a mission and didn't have time to listen to their wimpy classmates. Setting out on their bikes they had to cross the desert getting off their bikes to squeeze through a tumble rocks, then pedaling over the crunching, desert grasses before they approached the area. The site was in a low valley surrounded by a scattering of boulders and rocky areas. They parked their bikes at the bottom of the rise and climbing hand over foot to the rim. What they saw surprised them. The desert grasses had burned away a huge area of the valley leaving a large depression in the ground covered with desert sand charred black.

"Wow, it sure burned a big area and made a big hole," said John. "Do you think the pilot crashed into a flying saucer?"

"I don't know but I want to walk around. Maybe we can find something. Do you think they got all of the wreckage? "You know my mom said we shouldn't come here. There might be sharp objects left," replied Willie

"I hope so," said John wide-eyed to Willie, grinning from ear to ear.

John's parents gave their brown hair and brown eyes to both their children. John's eyes were like bowling balls revealing an eagerness to grasp all that surrounded him. His unruly hair scattered with cowlicks gave him an uncaring appearance but that was deceiving. Patty, his sister, was a lively four year old. The two children in the family were raised by their quiet, young mother, Sara and their cattle ranching father, Ted. Mr. Ted Wright, tanned and weathered from years of outside jobs, an honest and amiable man, worked on the ranch owned by Mr. Yeager where the crash occurred. It was situated close to the foothills of these rocky mountains off to the north, where Mr. Wright tended to the free roaming sheep and cattle doing the chores of a cowboy using a four-wheeler instead of a horse, charging the clear air with gasoline fumes. They and Willie's family had only moved to this town a few months ago, both families arriving from Edwardton, a much larger town. The Wright family had bought their double-wide trailer from an elderly couple who were deceased .

The boys loved the wide open spaces that gave them the freedom to run and play as far as their legs or old rusty bicycles would take them. Miles of desolate highway stretched across the huge desert valley barren of trees or buildings as far as the eye could see in three directions and Silverton was just one of those isolated towns far from big city life.

The town's few buildings attended to the necessities of life for the twenty-five residents but major emergencies, if there were any, were helicoptered to Las Vegas that invited them with twinkling lights sparkling in the distance on those crystal clear nights in the desert. The lights mixed with the stars looked so close you felt you could almost touch them.

In the nearby foothills ancient drawings like hieroglyphics are carved in the stone revealing the presence of another time and culture. Abandoned mines dotted the area where metals of all sorts were grasped from the earth. Nearby one could see old rusted machinery looking like ancient sculptures, left there by the miners who once occupied this thriving area.

Ever since the plane crash strange things started happening. This was not apparent to everyone but John zeroed in on this idea and started to keep track of these strange events in a journal he shared with Willie who was now a believer.

His father came home one evening fresh from tending the cattle and mentioned that some of the cattle looked as if they had been operated on. Some were missing legs or patches of their hair were missing, tails were cropped and ears looked as if something had been implanted in them. Guaro, John's dog, who had been named after the Saguaro plant found in Arizona, because of his prickly fur, began barking for no apparent reason on nights when there was no breeze blowing and everything was deathly still. Mr. Wright reported it to Mr. Yeager but they were puzzled as to what to do.






CHAPTER TWO




Time passed into fall. These junior sleuths had continued to notice changes around them especially after they had found what looked like aluminum foil on the ground at the crash site. They had returned several times to see if anything could be found. Walking around the darkened patch of desert the boys hoped for a souvenir to take back home. John was kicking some of the black, charred sand at his feet that dusted his shoes when a piece of shiny material uprooted itself by the force of John's shoe. "What do you think this is from, Willie and why didn't this burn along with the rest?"

Handing it to Willie he turned it over in his hand and tried to crush it thinking it was a piece of foil like his mother used at home. It bent when forced but would return to its original state unaltered and showed no sign of a crease. "That's eerie," he exclaimed. "Look when it's crushed it bounces back to its original shape." They tried to tear it and it wouldn't budge. Not knowing what to do with it, John pocketed it to view later at home.

Excited by their find they walked around the site keeping their eyes open for any more foreign materials, when Willie, not paying attention to where he was walking, tripped over something catching himself before falling. He had stumbled over a skeleton of an animal with yellow fur. "Wow that looks like Mr. Yeager's cat! I wonder what got to him? We need to tell Mr. Yeager we found his cat dead!"

Looking up ahead continuing on their investigative walk John saw a shadow on the side of the rocks that shouldn't have been there because of the angle of the sun. "What's that? Come on, let's see," yelled John.

"We'd better wait until tomorrow. It's starting to get dark and I have to be home," said Willie.

The next day was no different than the previous day. School started with Miss Armstrong at the head of the class. Everyone knew she would give directions for the day then disappear. John and Willie tried to delay her departure by raising their hands to ask questions. Their motion was ignored. John thought about asking her where she was going, but you just don't ask a teacher that, and he thought about telling his parents, but why tell your parents about having free time at school. But if he did, then maybe all this would end. Their classmates didn't seem to care one way or another.

John and Willie speculated that Miss Armstrong may have gone home and taken a nap while she wasn't at school. Who would know. The high school students in their classroom weren't due back until later in the semester. Most were working in nearby towns and in Las Vegas, learning how the business world works. Miss Armstrong, a kind and attractive teacher, prone to wearing jumpers and flat shoes, said she grew up in Silverton and went to a nearby college to get her teaching degree and that this was her first year. Her dream was to teach children like herself and said she wanted each child to go on to college as she did. "Well, she doesn't care about us," thought John.

John and Willie had discussed what they had seen and the material they had found. They rode their bikes to Mr. Yeager's ranch to tell him about his cat and to try get some information from him. They felt he was telling the truth and that he may have been the only witness to something strange happening the night of the crash.

Rushing over they found him mending a fence near his home and called out to him that they had found his cat. "Well, thanks, boys, I wondered what happened to Silly and figured she got caught in the fireball," said Mr. Yeager somewhat surprised and saddened.

"Mr. Yeager, the crash landed on your ranch. The pilot said he saw a UFO and that he crashed into it but the government is saying he must have been mistaken. Did you see anything that night?" questioned John, feeling like a newspaper reporter.

"Yes, I did. I probably shouldn't tell you this but knowing your dad, John, and Willie, I know your parents, and feel I can trust the both of you. I'm going to tell you boys something because if something happens to me someone needs to know, and I'm afraid to say anything public because the government officials came to me and actually told me that I was mistaken about what I saw. I knew better than to argue with them. And somehow I trust you two. That night I heard what I thought was a sonic boom while I was walking my dog outside. I looked up right before the crash and saw something that was not a normal aircraft. I saw a tubular-looking thing, not large enough to be a blimp, with red, yellow and blue lights flickering, and like the pilot, I was blinded by the explosion and didn't see where anything had landed. Since it was dark out and raining, and because of the fire, I didn't get to see anything else but I knew it happened on my property. The investigators sealed off the area and wouldn't let me in."

"Have you noticed anything strange happening since the explosion, Mr. Yeager?" asked Willie taking mental notes of what was said.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I have. The TV screen went blank. My watch battery exploded in my watch, blowing the whole thing up on my arm as I watched it happen. All the clocks stopped that night and none of them has worked since. Our electrical power went out and has never come back on. We are using candles until someone from Las Vegas comes and repairs it. And you know what's really strange. I have lived here all my life and know just about every creature that roams this desert but yesterday I saw a yellow bird that I've never seen before. I don't know how it got here and it's not a canary. It appeared at our kitchen window fluttering its wings. Maybe someone visiting brought it here." John and Willie exchanged glances, both thinking of the yellow bird they had seen at school several times.

Sara, John's mother, was preparing the family supper one evening in the fall. The air was becoming somewhat chillier but not at all like the fall in some areas of the country where cold air was already enveloping the town. She had prepared a chili supper with cornbread which was one of John's favorites. The children were doing their homework and their father was washing up preparing to sit down to dinner.

"What're we having, Mom?" asked little Patty.

"It smells like chili, stupee," John's silly name for his sister.

"Don't call your sister stupid," Mom broke in.

"But she is," chimed John.

"No, I'm not peestu," said Patty.

"What does that mean?" asked John.

"That's backwards for stupee," laughed Patty.

"Children let's all sit down before our dinner is cold. "Ted, we're ready to eat," she called to her husband.

The sound of everyone chattering at once was heard along with the screech of the chairs on the linoleum floor as all crowded to sit down at the same time. Everyone stopped and looked down at their food. There was complete silence for a moment. "Ugh, what's that?" "Mommy, are you trying to poison us?" "What happened to our food?" All these questions shot into the air all at once. Looking at the food one could see that it was completely covered with mold. Mom had just put the food on the table and mold had crept up the sides of each bowl and covered their meal with it.

"I don't know what happened?" she exclaimed. She quickly gathered each dish and scraped the remains in the sink running hot water over it and chasing it down the drain. Then she quickly cleared the table of everything.

"Mom, this is weird," John replied. Then the wheels started rolling in his head. This is just one more peculiar thing that has happened. He rushed to write it down in his journal so that he and Willie could talk about this and try to piece together what was happening.

Their mother puzzled as to how mold could get on her recently made food prepared cold sandwiches for her family while they stood there watching her prepare it, each grabbing one as she made it, afraid their food might get moldy before their eyes.






CHAPTER THREE




At school the next day John poked Willie while they were sitting there doing as little as possible and whispered to him about the mold event at their house the evening before. Willie was astonished then his eye caught some odd behavior in the classroom and poked John to look around at their classmates. Sara had been instructed to make a map of the continents cutting them out from one page and pasting them onto another. Instead of cutting and pasting them on the paper she was eating the paste, dipping it out with her fingers. The continents never adhered to the paper. "I've never seen anyone her age eat paste even in the school we attended last year in Edwardton," whispered Willie. Licking it from her finger she managed to eat the entire plastic cup of the thick, white stuff.

"Now look at Kathryn," answered John. "She has peeled back the paper from the crayons and is chewing the waxy sticks." There was red, blue and yellow chips surrounding her mouth.

"I can't believe it," Willie said in a loud whisper. "Look at Doug. He's eating the chalk! What is going on here?" This was said in a loud voice making everyone look up from their work. "What are you guys doing? Why are you eating that stuff?"

No one answered Willie, instead continued what they were doing. "We must be the only sane ones around here," he said. And why do they always have long sleeves on these hot days? Did you notice that? They're weird."

"This is just too spooky. It might be time to tell someone about all these strange events," added John.

It was the weekend and John and Willie had already decided that they were going to check out the large shadow they saw near the crash site. They didn't tell their parents where they were going only that they were riding into the desert. Mom had already warned them plenty of times about the desert animals including poisonous snakes that they might encounter but the boys weren't afraid. Hopping onto their bikes and riding the sandy street they passed by the school. "Let's ride around the school several times and see if we can see anything," said John.

"Instead of riding around it why don't we look around inside. You know those old unused rooms are open for anyone to go and look," responded Willie.

They leaned their bikes against the old rusted, wrought-ironed fence that surrounded the school property, giving it the appearance of an old cemetery. Climbing the one front step into the front door which was always left open, they turned to the right instead of left where their classroom was located. Nothing was ever locked in this town. Seldom were there tourists or visitors of any kind. People just didn't care about Silverton. No one who lived there had anything of any value to steal.

This was a stucco school erected early in the last century for educating the children of the silver miners who worked there but the miners had suddenly disappeared leaving a ghost town that residents nearby feared was haunted. Later the remote desert seemed to become attractive again and interest was revived with more people living there reopening the school to educate the eleven children of the twenty-five or so residents of Silverton, Nevada. John and his family lived down the street from the school as did every other family in town, clustering together for convenience and power.

The children walked the unpaved roads each day kicking up the sand along the town's Main Street. "No one has even cared to pave the streets," John told Willie. The school was large for its location and with its eleven students each child could have had his or her own room. Most of the rooms were abandoned and its only residents besides the children were tarantulas, scorpions and desert creatures. Many windows were broken in these deserted rooms but the rooms that housed the children were adequate.

Turning to the right the first thing they encountered was a stairway leading to the top floor. Ignoring that for now they kicked at the sand and an old cardboard box that was left there from a long time ago. "What do you suppose was in this box?" asked John.

"Oh, probably something left over from what was here before," answered Willie.

"What was here? Walking around scratching their shoes on the sandy wooden floors, they looked at what remained of the room. "What do you supposed this building was at one time? It really doesn't look like a school," said John.

All that was left in the room were the cracked plaster walls and broken windows and they thought there was enough sand in the room to build sand castles. Gazing around, John yelled out, "Look there's an old piece of paper tucked into the door jamb." Pulling it out trying not to tear the aged, yellow sheet, he began to read the blurred print and writing. "It says Thomas Funeral Home. It's a receipt for the price of a coffin and it's dated 1956."

"Do you think that was the time this school was built?" asked Willie. "Was this school a funeral home at one time? Eew. Wouldn't you know it. We have to go to school where dead people were."

"Why didn't anyone ever tell us or why didn't anyone ever clean up this place. We are going to school in a rundown building and no one seems to care. In fact, Willie, we're the only ones in this town that seem to care about anything," said John becoming increasingly frustrated.

Hearing a noise the boys jerked around and perched on the open windowsill sat a golden, yellow bird. It continued to face them and flutter its wings as if to say to the boys, "Leave."

Flustered, Willie said in a shaky voice, "Uh, what do you say we save this for another time and get out to the big rock near the crash site. I don't think Mr. Yeager will care if we roam on his land. Our parents might, but not Mr. Yeager," said Willie.

Agreed they left the school as it was and rode again to the spot where the crash occurred. Climbing over the rocks as they had before they again saw the shadowy spot and agreed that it looked like an entrance to a cave. As they neared it they sat down at the opening to shake out the sand in their shoes. "It feels spooky, John." While sitting there discussing what this cave might reveal, a cold wind blew out from it causing the boys to gasp and feel their hair stand on end sending shivers to their arms. "Now what could have caused that?" said John.

"I don't know. Do you think we should go in there?"

"Let's just go a little way. It may go way back into the mountain. We don't have a flashlight so we'll just inspect it until the light runs out," John said.

Cautiously they approached the entrance, the cold wind had diminished and the boys dared themselves to continue on. Something caught their eye. On the wall they noticed drawings and odd shapes that looked like graffiti. "Probably some kids came in here and marked up the walls," said Willie.

"I don't know. But it sure looks bizarre! We don't have gangs around here to have secret codes."

Walking further into the cave John noticed that they appeared to be walking downhill but thought he was confused because of the darkness. Then they noticed an odd smell coming from nearby. "Phew, what's that! Now that's bizarre, using Willie's word with a grin." John's nose twitched at the odor.

"That's the smell of death! Put your shirt in front of your nose and let's investigate," said Willie to his friend.

Faces frowned and noses covered the boys inched their way forward. They hadn't gone far when Willie noticed something shiny reflecting on the little light that was now in the cave. Wedged in the wall and poking out was another piece of this strange, shiny material like what they had found earlier in the ground. Picking it up he put it in his pants pocket to discuss later and they went in search of the deadly smell. Appearing all at once in front of them were the decaying remains of some animals. It looked like the remains of a fox, snake, badger, and a bat. "I wonder what got to them."

"I don't know and I don't want to know right now," offered John. "Let's get out of here."






CHAPTER FOUR




Knowing that they needed to search the area more they decided one Saturday to go back to their school. Riding their bikes they again approached the iron fence out front. Piles of sand had gathered high up near each post. The evening before a violent sandstorm had blasted the town leaving everything vulnerable to its effects. The front yard of the school was mostly sand and brush - nothing that could be cut with a lawnmower. As they were walking up the brick sidewalk they noticed something sticking up to the right of the school about ten feet from where they were standing. It looked like a rock protruding from the sand and they were about to dismiss it when something shiny on it reflected and a burst of light projected from it. "What do you think that is? Another piece of that foil? I don't remember seeing anything there before," suggested John.

"Oh, it probably got uncovered from the sandstorm and it looks like a rock," said Willie. "Let's just go in."

"No, I wanna' see what that is." John walked over to it with Willie behind him. John, now familiar with buried objects, kicked it with his foot and smoothed away the sand with his fingers but it didn't want to budge. Finding a piece of wood nearby John used it as a wedge and dug beneath the object. Prying it up revealed a piece of timber with right angles to it. Again using the wood as a pry bar and digging into the sand they managed to unearth all of it and both boys were astonished at what they found.

"My gosh, it's a cross. A wooden cross. There's a date on the metal plaque." Brushing aside the sand, he read the date of 1947. How do you suppose it got here? It looks to be three feet high," said John.

"I can't imagine why it was buried here," answered Willie. "Let's go inside and search some more rooms. Maybe we can find some answers."

They lugged the cross into the building and again turned right into the vacant room and placed the cross where it couldn't be easily seen.

"I want to go upstairs," said John. They climbed up the creaky steps that were barely supported, rushing to get to the top in case the whole staircase came tumbling down. Upstairs were four rooms - vacant as the others and also gathering the sand left by the storms. Looking into the last room a closed door appeared almost hidden by a hallway.

"Should we open it?" said Willie.

"Why not. Are you afraid something will jump out at you."

Willie said, "Well you never know. Something might. Finding a strange cross outside this building and having a strange teacher is something to think about."

As Willie cautiously turned the knob a slight noise was heard behind the door. "I'm not opening this," he said.

"Come on. It might just be a bat or a small animal. We're used to that," John urged.

Willie turned the knob and slowly opened the door seeing darkness behind it when a fluttering sound jumped out at them along with a yellow bird flying past their head and out the window. "What's that doing in here?"

"I don't know but this yellow bird seems to be appearing at odd moments and at odd times, doesn't it?" questioned John.

Let's look inside. There seemed to be nothing inside. "How did that bird get in here?" asked Willie. "It's time to get out of here."

"Wait! Feel around and see if there's another door in here."

This was a small closet with a pole extending from one end to the other and a shelf above, like those seen in old homes years ago when people had no need for larger ones because they didn't have as many clothes. The closet was covered with wooden panels running vertically from top to bottom. Running their hands along the walls in the darkened area and running their fingers over the shelf hoping they wouldn't touch anything strange, they could feel nothing. "This is spooky. It smells damp in here. What if I touch something I don't want to touch?" said Willie. At that time he felt a dampness at the joint of the wall and floor. "Eew, John, I just touched something wet." Standing back both boys noticed the mold creeping around the three sides of the closet at the bottom.

"Stand back Willie, let me see. There must be some reason for this mold. Mold just doesn't grow in this dry climate, does it?" said John unsure of himself. Willie stepped out and John got the bright idea to knock on each wall, doing something he had seen in a movie. As he did he noticed that the back wall sounded different than the two side ones. "Listen, Willie. Why does this one sound hollow?" Demonstrating he knocked again. "I'll bet there's something behind this wall."

"O.K. then go get something so we can tear it down," said Willie now becoming brave. "I'll come with you. But what if someone hears us and we get in trouble for doing that?"

"No one will know. Now come on let's get some kind of screwdriver or something to tear out this wall. I think that whatever strange happenings that are going on in this school are related to this wall," added John. "The only other place we saw mold was in my home. Maybe it's me. Maybe something wants me!" speculated John.

Rushing outside the wind was picking up again and when the wind picks up here it takes along with it a blanket of sand, enveloping everything. Sand spares no one, grinding into your eyes, clothes and nose. Glancing around the boys noticed something else poking up in the front yard. Since it was getting to be dinner time and they'd had enough excitement for one day, the boys thought they would return tomorrow after Miss Armstrong gave her assignment.






CHAPTER FIVE




Running to school the following Monday the boys were anxious to get started so that they could again leave. Today Miss Armstrong gave longer assignments to her students. They agreed they wouldn't do it. None of the other work turned in was ever graded and given back. Soon it would be time for report cards and John and Willie wondered what she would do about that. The boys escaped from the building telling the others they would return shortly. They had both wanted to see what was in the front yard of the school. They could do this in almost complete privacy as the school was at the dead end of a street and very seldom did anyone even venture this far. Looking at the spot where they saw something the other day they raced over to it revealing a piece of concrete with rounded corners on the top edges. This one could not be removed with their wooden pry bar so like two puppies digging in the dirt they used their hands to uncover what turned out to be a gravestone lying on it's side. "I don't believe this. Yesterday we find a cross and today a gravestone," spoke John. "Looking at this building and what we've found our school must have been a church, and at one time a funeral home surrounded by a cemetery. Reading the name on the headstone it said, "Neila Cinomed," born Jan. 1, 1938, died Jan. 1, 1947. She was only nine when she died. Look the date she died is also 1947, just like the date on the cross. There are probably a lot more bodies beneath this sandy soil," revealed John.

"I'm not sure I want to see any more of this," replied Willie. "It's time to go back in the classroom before we get caught out here." They piled sand to cover the gravestone disguising it as a heap of sand covering some brush.

They reentered their classroom but didn't stay long. They wanted to investigate the upper floor again and check the closet to see what they could find. Willie pulled an old screwdriver from his back pocket and they quickly climbed the wooden staircase when one of the steps caved in from their weight sending Willie who was trailing John upwards, back down to the main floor. Charles came around the corner investigating the noise. "What are you guys doing? You're not supposed to be in here. I'm going to tell."

"Listen, blabbermouth, get on back into the room and keep your mouth shut," threatened Willie. Charlie disappeared and Willie said, "It's time to get up there and get back out before Loose Lips Charlie tells on us."

They raced upward again avoided the broken step and turned the corner to the closed closet door. "Didn't we leave this open?" said Willie.

"I don't remember but get going and open it," answered John.

Willie turned the knob and again they saw the mold that had crept further up the wooden walls but at least this time there was no yellow bird flying out at them. Using the screwdriver as a pry they managed to tear off each piece of paneling on the back side of the closet, along with the shelf and pole and what they saw confused them. In front of them was a staircase leading back downstairs, or so they thought. "You go first, John. You're the one that got me into this."

"O.K. weenie breath, I'll go first," John said as he crept down the staircase with each step creaking making John wince with each step. Willie cautiously followed. Arriving at the bottom the boys noticed that they weren't on the ground floor like they thought but were beneath it into a cellar-like room with dirt walls showing some supports here and there. Looking around they observed the same graffiti drawings covering the supports. There was nothing else in the room except a door - a golden door, polished and shiny with a crystal door knob poised on the left.

"Wow, look at that?" observed Willie.

"This could be a trick. Someone may want us to open this. I'm not sure I want to. Get out of here quick."

The boys scrambled back up the stairs to the top floor and then back down the stairs to their classroom. No one was there but Miss Armstrong. "Where have you boys been?" she asked.

"Uh, we just went for a walk," lied Willie. "Where's the rest of the class?"

"They've all gone home. When I returned you two were missing. I may have to tell your parents about this if it happens again," she said.

"Yeah, like you care," Willie thought to himself.

Suddenly, a cold wind appeared and the rain came down hard, like bolts of lightning charging them. Feeling spooked the boys said they needed to get home and ran out the door getting soaked all the way home but glad they were away from there.






CHAPTER SIX




At home Willie's parents were anxious to see him. Something happened and his mother thought she was losing her mind and wanted to question Willie. "Yesterday I bought some apples at the convenience store and had them on the table and today they aren't here but there are oranges in their place. Now I know I bought apples and even went back to the store and asked Mrs. Turner if that was correct and she said that I did indeed buy apples. Where did these oranges come from? Did you make a switch on me, Willie?" his mom asked squeezing his arm.

"No, I didn't," Willie replied and thought to himself that another strange thing was happening and couldn't wait to tell John.

Things seemed to be coming to a head and Willie and John thought it was time to back to look behind the golden door. They just knew their answers lie there.

Willie, whose family arrived in Silverton about the same time as John's was an only child. He was happy that John and he were together again. They both had attended school together in the nearby town of Edwardton, and both parents wanted to move to a more isolated place to rear their children.

Willie and John hadn't ever discussed the foil they found at the crash site. Willie had put his piece on his dresser hoping to talk about it with John at some future time. While cleaning his room one day, Mrs. Glenn, Willie's mother, asked him about it. "Willie, what is that foil stuff I saw on your dresser today. I was going to throw it away but it wouldn't crinkle up and I wondered what it was and where you got it?" she said.

"John and I found it at the crash site, mom. We don't know what it is."

Mrs. Glenn, who worked at the nearby military base, happened to mention to her boss what her son had found. It didn't take long for the authorities at the base to escort her home and interrogate Willie about his foil. Where did he get it? When did he pick it up? Why wasn't it turned in earlier to the government authorities? Willie felt like a criminal. "All I did was pick up a piece of foil. Good grief. You'd think it was gold or a rare metal," thought Willie. He didn't want to give it up but when a serious looking government official asks for it, you give it to him.

The next day he told John what happened. Surprised that anyone even wanted it John said not to worry as he still had his piece. "I wonder what's so special about it. I'll get mine and we'll take another look at it." Examining the foil the boys lit a match to it to see if it would burn. It didn't. John decided to put it in a safe place and they agreed not to tell anyone they had it.

One day the teacher didn't appear at school at all. John and Willie were relieved but the other children didn't seem to react when Miss Armstrong didn't come. "We have to go back and check out that golden door, Willie." They agreed to leave their homes at the same time one Saturday and meet at the corner. "Have you noticed that kids don't play outside in this town. Where is everybody? Patty's too small but the other kids never play ball, ride bikes or anything. What gives?"

"Dunno, but I'm ready to check out the door," said Willie.

Following their same route into the building up the stairs into the closet and down the stairs to the cellar they again saw the mysterious door. Standing outside the door they took a deep breath.

"Are you ready?" asked John.

"I guess so but all of this is getting crazy," opted Willie. "Who's going to turn the knob, you or me?"

"I'll do it but I hate leaving my fingerprints on it." Taking another deep breath John turned the knob. Opening it they saw a small room brightly lit with shiny, golden walls. On the wall opposite them was a hologram with a rippled pattern of a brightly lit sun, and in the center of the sun was a man holding a spear and a bird. Without even having a chance to say, "wow," the floor dropped and the boys felt themselves falling downward. "Hold on, we're dropping!" Both boys scrambled to the floor and sat down holding onto the slick sides hoping if this was an elevator and it crashed, sitting might soften the hit.

All at once it stopped and both boys were surprised at the gentle landing. Then the door flew open revealing ugly, dirt walls and wouldn't you know, in front of it was another one of those golden birds fluttering its wings.

"There's that stupid bird again," said Willie. "Where are we? We have to be far below the cellar!"

"I'm scared, John. Do you think this thing will go back up? What did we get ourselves into?" yelled Willie.

They got to their feet, walked out of the elevator and immediately the door closed, frightening the boys. "We may never get out of here again. This may be our tomb, Willie."

"Gosh, don't say that. We'll go around the corner and see what this is," added Willie.

Creeping around the corner they saw a large room still with the dirt walls. They heard voices and seeing a lone table tipped over before them they crouched behind it on the dirt floor. Peeking up over the table their eyes bulged at what they saw. Across the room there was a silver, cigar-shaped craft sitting there. It looked as if it was made of the same foil the boys had found earlier. In front of this craft they saw Miss Armstrong, their teacher, seated in a chair. Standing in front of her was a bald creature in a long golden robe and it had no eyes.

"What's going on here? Why is Miss Armstrong here and who is that...that thing? Look, it doesn't have any eyes. Only big sockets where eyes should be," whispered John.

"What is this?" He could hear both voices and the creature had a female voice. " That eyeless wonder is talking to our teacher. I wonder what she's saying," replied Willie.

They strained to hear. "You know you possess powers beyond human. You know we have stolen the thoughts in the minds of the people of your town that were willing to accept them. You must convince all of them to go with us." Looking closely both boys saw the same hologram logo on the robe she wore.

Petrified the boys felt paralyzed with fear.

"Did you hear that? Miss Armstrong must be one of them. What does she mean, 'all of them to go with us'. That's why everyone is so strange," said John again whispering. "Let's get out of here." Quietly they got up to return to the elevator when John's foot tripped on the table leg and caused it to screech on the floor. "Oh, gee," he said.

"And who is that over there," came a voice from across the room. Running to the elevator the boys managed to turn the knob and immediately they rose to the floor of the cellar. The doors opened and the boys ran as fast as they could up the stairs to the top floor of the school.

"My heart is beating so fast. I think I'm having a heart attack," panted Willie.

"I know what you mean. What on earth was all of that? And who was that lady? Why was Miss Armstrong down there? Do you think she saw us?" replied John, also out of breath.

"We'll know soon enough. It's almost time for her to come back. Come on, we have to get back to the classroom, pronto," urged Willie.

They ran down the steps and skidded all the way back to the classroom and luckily Miss Armstrong hadn't returned. "What will we say or do if she did see us?" said Willie.

"We'll have to wait and see."






CHAPTER SEVEN




Pretending to attend to their studies Miss Armstrong returned shortly. The boys were still out of breath more from being scared than from rushing to get back. Apparently she didn't know that it was them because she didn't say anything to them, just dismissed everyone for the day. As they walked by her to hand in their work, John looked up to catch her eye to see if he thought she knew but there wasn't any signal there.

The boys ran in back of the school and ran and ran trying to escape from what they saw today. They ran back to the area near the crash site and near the entrance to the cave. "Can we take any more surprises today?" asked Willie. "What do ya say we go back into the cave and see what's there," he said out of breath.

"Alright, but if it gets too scary we turn back," answered John, also eager to see further into the cave. "Maybe the dead smell is gone."

As the boys approached the cave they ignored everything they had seen before and ventured further eventually approaching the dark part of the cave where the light didn't reach. They were suddenly pushed back by a gust of wind causing them to tumble backwards. Undeterred they thought they needed to know what was in there. Luckily John had thought to bring a tiny, pocket flashlight but it didn't project a beam very far. Now they could see they were walking downhill and it was getting steeper causing them to sit and scoot down. "I hope we can climb back up this dumb hill," said Willie. There was nothing to see for quite a ways and their hands were scraped raw, making them ready to give up, then a tiny thread of light emerged at a short distance. Advancing carefully and cautiously trying not to make any noise the boys got close enough to see what was up ahead. A beam of light flashed on them, blinding them for a moment. Then they saw where they were. It was the same place they just escaped from! They saw the same cigar-shaped, silver craft and saw the eyeless lady in the long robe. Only Miss Armstrong was missing. Then the lady in the long robe spotted them and in seconds they were stunned by the recognition and were immediately transformed from that place to the street in front of the school.

"Now what just happened," Willie said. "Weren't we inside that cave?"

"Yes, we were. I don't know but this is scary. Who can we tell? Our parents will think we're crazy and won't let us find out any more. We can tell Mr. Yeager. He'll listen to us," said John shaking.

Then walking down the sidewalk out of breath and panting from nervousness, they saw Miss Armstrong approaching the school. "Good morning, Miss Armstrong," said Willie. She was wearing a jumper with a short sleeved blouse. As she moved her arm to straighten her hair on this windy day, the boys briefly saw a tattoo revealed on her arm.

"Are you coming in, boys?"she asked.

"Yes, we are," John politely replied.

As Miss Armstrong strode into the front door of the school, Willie punched John and said, "Did you get a load of that tattoo? Our teacher has a tattoo! That's too much. Could you see what it was?"

"It looked like the hologram we saw in the elevator," said John. "I'm glad she didn't see us in that cellar room the other day," John said.

"Me, too! Who knows what may have happened to us. As it is I'm just scared because we were in one place at one moment and here the next," Willie added.

They followed her into the classroom where instead of giving daily instructions today she said she had some serious business to talk about. John nudged Willie's foot that was sticking out in the aisle. Exchanging glances they wondered what this could be about.

"Boys and girls you are dismissed for the day. Please tell your parents that I have an important meeting to attend and it occurred at the last moment," she said.

John nudged Willie again and whispered, "Move, we're out of here."

"Not so fast, John and Willie. I want both of you to stay."






CHAPTER EIGHT




"Why do we have to stay while the others leave?" John asked worriedly. He felt he knew that she had somehow knew they were in the room below the cellar.

"I have something to tell you. You see I know that you were in the underground the other day and that you came into the cave entrance and saw what was there. I have something important to tell you. Don't be shocked because everything will be fine in the end. You see, actually, I'm not human like you but a humanoid and I come from another galaxy far beyond the Milky Way called, Cinomed.

"Cinomed? I never heard of that. Are you joshin' us, Miss Armstrong?" Willie asked.

"No, I'm not joshin' you, as you say. We clone people from all over the universe, making replica clones, which are an immediate, exact duplicate of you, and we keep the original for awhile. We are here to learn all we can from you and, as you may have guessed everyone else in this town is different from you and your families, with the exception of Mr. Yeager. I will explain that later. You can tell we are different because we all have a distinguished marking. I saw that you both noticed my tattoo. That appears on everyone's left arm who is connected with Cinomed. We are called, "sky warriors" and that's what this tattoo means. The sun and man represents life to us. We have no sun where we come from and have found that it's necessary for survival. The spear shows we will get what we seek and the golden bird is death. If you look closely at everyone in this town, they all have this tattoo except the both of your families.

"Wait a minute. You're telling us that everyone in this town is from outer space?" inquired Willie.

"Yes, in one way or another. I can't tell you much now but I'll reveal more later. If you tell anyone about this you will be killed and so will your entire family. Do you read me?" she said seriously.

"Yes, of course," they both replied with fear making a speedy appearance.

"Then please be dismissed for the day and don't look for things that don't concern you," she added. "We will talk more later."

The boys ran from the room hightailing it out of there as fast as they could. They didn't want to have anything more to do with Miss Armstrong. Running out to the desert they ran until they could run no further and sat down to talk. They knew they would never return to that school and decided to play hooky for the rest of the year. They couldn't put their parents in such peril.

Out of breath, John whispered, "Do you think they can hear us here?"

"I don't know but we'll speak in a whisper. But, who knows, they may also hear whispers. We don't have a choice," said Willie.

"We can't tell our parents about this but we need to let someone know what's happening. And...and Cinomed was the last name of the girl in the cemetery. Remember?" asked John. We'll go see Mr. Yeager. She didn't say if he had a tattoo but if he does we won't say anything to him. If he doesn't then we'll feel him out and see if he can be trusted to hear what we have to say about these monsters!" added John.

Rushing to Mr. Yeager's ranch they saw John's father on his four-wheeler out on the desert range. Mr. Yeager was branding some cattle and was surprised when he looked up and saw the two boys. "Well, hello, young'uns! Why aren't you in school today?"

Ignoring his question, both boys looked closely at Mr. Yeager's bare arm but couldn't see under his short sleeve shirt. So they each thought they would have to devise a way to get him to reveal his arm above the elbow. Then John's lightbulb went on. "Mr. Yeager, there's a bug in your hair."

As John thought, Mr. Yeager raised his right arm and brushed the invisible bug away.

"Now what," thought John. "Mr. Yeager, I think it flew to your left arm under your sleeve. Here let me take a look. John quickly pushed up the sleeve and breathed a sigh of relief. There was no tattoo. "It must have flown away."

"We need to talk to you but we first had to know if you had a tattoo," said Willie, also taking a deep breath.

"A tattoo? Why I would never consider doing that to myself. When guys were in the military they used to do that but I thought it self-mutilation and excluded myself from that area," he said.

"No, a special tattoo. One in all gold with a sun and a man holding a spear and a bird inside it. It signifies a "sky warrior," said John.

"A what?"

"Please listen closely." He went on to tell him about Miss Armstrong and all that she told them. Also they told him that they still don't know the whole story and felt that they would soon.

"I don't believe it! But I know you boys and your family and know that you wouldn't be lying to me," said Mr. Yeager. "As a matter of fact I have felt a pull from some strange source but I won't give in to it."

"What should we do? We don't know if they are following us or are monitoring what we say right now," Willie excitedly added.

"Come back tomorrow and we'll discuss this further. I need time to think about it," he said. "Meanwhile, I'll give you some binoculars, a flashlight, and a camera and see if you can see anything else that's going on, but please don't get near them."

"Thanks, Mr. Yeager," they replied.

The boys decided to run back close to the school but not near it. They were going to observe the school and the cave and see if anything was happening. Using their binoculars they sat there for several hours with nothing stirring. Since there wasn't anything evident they agreed to go to the stores in town and see if anyone had the tattoo. Miss Armstrong had said that everyone in town was connected with them and they would all have a tattoo on their left arm and the boys wanted to see every left arm in town.

They went into the convenience store which was also a gas station and were disappointed that even on this warm spring day Mrs. Coulter didn't have on short sleeves. But in walked a neighbor of John's, a Mrs. Brand, who owned the restaurant in town. She did have on short sleeves but they were to her elbow. John whispered, "How are we going to see all these tattoos when hardly anyone wears sleeves short enough to see."

"They don't want anyone to see it. If someone saw all of the same kind of tattoos they would become suspicious," added Willie. "Do you think the students in our classroom have tattoos?"

"I don't know but we'll check the next time we see them," said John. "We're just spinning our wheels. I want to go back down the elevator or into the cave and see what's going on," spoke John.

"Where would be the best place to go?"

"I think the cave. The elevator's too risky," said John.

"I'm ready." Off they went back toward the ranch and the location of the hidden cave. Armed with binoculars, the flashlight and camera, they thought they were appropriately equipped to make their investigation. The cool wind again blasted from the cave as if it were a warning not to proceed further, but the boys were determined to get to the bottom of this and protect their families. Passing by the wall graffiti Willie, with the camera hanging around his neck, used the large flashlight that Mr. Yeager had given them and John used the binoculars.

"Once we get close we'll use my pocket flashlight so they won't be suspicious," John said.

There was no sound in the cave, and once they had gone far enough it was totally black. It was again difficult maneuvering the steep hill that trailed in a downward spiral. Willie accidentally turned off the flashlight for an instant and they couldn't see their hands in front of them. It was total darkness and they were now frightened. With the flashlight back in motion they walked on, ears perked for any sound they might hear. And there was a sound. They could hear a whirring noise ahead. Turning a corner they again saw lights blinking off and on ahead and traded the larger flashlight for the pocket one. Inching closer and trying not to let their shoes crackle under the rocks on the cave floor, as they partially slid their way down, they walked holding onto the wall for safety and assurance. Then they saw the blinking lights ahead showing that large cigar-shaped craft, only this time it seemed to be making that noise. "John, it's moving. It's coming toward us! Back up against the wall. It's moving toward the entrance of the cave!"






CHAPTER NINE




Both boys flattened themselves against the wall hoping the craft was small enough to get through. It approached with its twinkling red, blue and yellow lights. The boys thought they were had as surely that would reveal their position against the wall. It came dangerously close to their bodies. But it went on past them and out of the cave, they assumed. Now they approached the opening, peeking in and saw the lady in the long robe standing next to Miss Armstrong. They were talking to each other. The eyeless wonder was speaking English to Miss Armstrong. They couldn't see her arm because of the long robe. As she was speaking animatedly, Miss Armstrong reached out and caught her arm on a metal-looking figurine of a sky warrior on the table. The spear caught on her arm and tore a wide gash on her skin. The boys were astonished to see what happened after that. Miss Armstrong didn't bleed and immediately her gash closed and they were close enough to see that her arm looked as it did before the accident. Then they heard the eyeless wonder continue talking to Miss Armstrong and she called her "Neila." John whispered, "Did you hear that? She called her Neila. That's the name on the tombstone. At that moment wanting to capture the scene in front of him, Willie poised the camera at them and clicked the button, forgetting the camera had a flash. The brightness of it swathed the whole area in light catching the eye of the subjects.

Of course the light alerted them and both boys were like statues adhered to the spot where they were standing. They tried to run but couldn't. "She's put a hex on us, John," screamed Willie.

"Well, hello my students," said Miss Armstrong in a sickly, sweet way. "You were given a warning about snooping around. We'll have to talk now. You don't have a choice as you are stuck to the spots where you now stand. Don't talk while we tell you what we have to say."

"Please, we won't return. Let us go!" pleaded Willie.

"Listen. I told you that we were from the planet, Cinomed. Now I want to tell you the whole story and make our proposition to you. I'm from Cinomed and was aboard a ship that crash landed here in 1947. I died in the explosion and was buried in the cemetery surrounding the school. That's my tombstone that says, "Neila Cinomed." I know that you uncovered it. What you don't know is the inhabitants on the space ship before I was buried cloned me. Then I had surgery to look like people on Earth. I have been cloned from Neila. We didn't want anyone to know that. We took over the cave and cloned the miners and their families who lived in this town and sent the Earth people to our planet. The clones live in your town today - a human place to live. We took over the school and made it into a funeral home and church to make Silverton look ordinary and made our underground room for us for our convenience. We have been experimenting for years to find out your ways. We have experimented on your cattle to see if we could clone them and we have successfully done so using them also for our energy. We also know that Mr. Yeager, who is not one of us witnessed a crash of one of our space ships.

Bravely, Willie wanted to know more so he asked, "Can you turn apples into oranges?" thinking of what happened to his mother.

"Yes, we can do that and we did that to your mother to continually make everyone aware of our presence and what we can do," answered Miss Armstrong. "Also we have released the golden bird who is our inspiration for our name, 'sky warrior.' He flies to warn people that we are near and watching. We can move from place to place without traveling there. We got this ability from aliens on another planet. We call this invisible transport. My job is to recruit everyone who comes to town. I leave school each day to learn how to successfully control the new families and to try to get them to join us. Now our proposition.

John and Willie grew more fearful. They were afraid of what they were about to hear.

"Our proposition is that we can change you into a perfect being. You will have an infusion of knowledge whereby you will know all things. You will never need to work and we don't use money. All entertainment will be provided and you will never age. You will remain the age you were when you were cloned. You will be able to eat anything without gaining weight and all food and wants will be provided to you. You will always be in perfect health and will never get sick. All of your senses will be heightened as you will see brighter colors, have the sense of smell and hearing of an animal. Are you impressed?"

"Is that your proposition?" asked John.

"That isn't all. After we take you to Cinomed we will make a replica clone of you which we will send back to Earth as this clone will look just like you and no one will ever know the difference. We will tattoo the sky warrior on you so we will know you are one of us. You will never bleed, neither you nor your clone. All wounds will heal without any evidence of puncture. If you noticed we have the children eat paste and chalk. That's how we get our minerals. We also eat red, yellow and blue crayons as all colors are made from these and this provides the increased sense of color.

During all of this one-sided conversation the eyeless wonder just stood there and listened. John wanted to know who she was so he asked.

"She is from Cinomed and has not taken on human form. She is our leader and the ruler of our people. We work for her. Now more of the proposition: You both will become one of us. You'll not regret it. Mr. Yeager's will is too strong to accept us and he will live to regret it. You can have all of this if you agree to do so. But you must leave your parents and live on our planet for awhile so that we can attune you to our ways. Your parents will think both of you have been in an accident and will bury replica clones of you. They will be hurt for awhile but in time they will get used to it, then we can work on them. What do you think? You really don't have a choice. If you refuse you shall meet the same end that we have proposed for the strong-willed Mr. Yeager. We will also get your parents soon."

"We're not sure right now. Can we think it over and tell you later in school one day?" whimpered Willie.

She turned to the eyeless wonder and whispered something to her. They were whispering for a good five minutes with sometimes heated voices but the boys couldn't distinguish what they were saying.

"We have agreed to give you five days. And that is all. After that we will have to take you by force if need be, but we want to be fair and have you make the choice," Miss Armstrong concluded in a sing-songy voice. "Now we will send you back to school."

The boys again were immediately transported back to the school grounds without walking there. They were shaking and just sat down on the sidewalk shivering even though it was a warm day.






CHAPTER TEN




"It's time to go back to Mr. Yeager. Quick! Now! Since there's no law enforcement in this town we'll have to use him to help us!" John quietly screamed. His insides were jumping like frogs in a pond. Willie was also agitated and had turned pale in the face.

They had to run back into the desert. "It's a good thing he doesn't live too far," said Willie changing the subject to relieve his mind of what they had just heard.

"Mr. Yeager, Mr. Yeager, we need your help again," screamed John.

They tried to remember all that was told to them by their teacher and Mr. Yeager said it was time to go to Las Vegas and report the matter to law enforcement. "What if they don't believe us?" said Willie.

"We'll have to find a way so that they will."

"Can we go with you?"

"Yes, of course. Hop into my jeep and we'll go there now. School would still be in session if you had gone today so your parents won't miss you. I'm not trying to deceive them but I think this should just be among the three of us," suggested Mr. Yeager.

As they were getting into the jeep the golden bird flew by. Willie was now frightened beyond belief and afraid for his family but he kept his thoughts to himself. Then surprisingly, Willie said he didn't want to go and would see them later. Not knowing what to think of that, John and Mr. Yeager agreed and drove off without him.

Willie's thoughts of his parents made him want to reconsider the proposition presented to them. He walked back to the school in hopes of seeing Miss Armstrong. She wasn't there so he climbed the steps to go back down to the cellar and take the elevator to the level where the sky warriors met. Stepping off the elevator Willie presented himself to the eyeless wonder.

"I've come to take you up on your proposition. I don't want anything to happen to my family and I'm intrigued by your request to make a better life for myself. I have only lived in these small towns all my life and want to know if there is more to life than this. I saw and heard what you presented to us and am ready to go with you," said Willie, rattled by what he just said and wondered if it really came out of his mouth and that those were his thoughts and not someone else's. He wasn't sure he really meant the words that he had just spoken. He felt shock and confusion..

"We are glad you have come. Sit down and let me tell you about our world. We have been here since the time of your American Indians. Therefore we are very familiar with your people. When you are fully into our futuristic world you will be able to speak any language. We reproduce by taking human or other alien forms and cloning them making a replica clone to be sent back to Earth whereby he or she loses the ability to think for himself or herself and they follow our directions. We keep the original and best to ourselves on Cinomed then eventually they are sent back to Earth to take the place of the replica clones, who die when they're no longer useful. They will have an accident and disappear. We also never get sick like you humans and we get our energy for power from your animals. That's why you found dead ones. Can you see how this is a perfect society?"

"Could I ask a question?"

"Surely."

"Why don't you have eyes and look different than Miss Armstrong?" asked Willie.

"Miss Armstrong was a clone from a humanoid and I was reproduced from a humanoid on Cinomed. The original inhabitants of Cinomed look like me. Only the clones of humans remain on Earth." she said. "We can see through slits in our eye sockets and have perfect vision which you will have."

Curiosity about everything now entered Willie's mind. "What are those graffiti-like drawings near the entrance of the cave?"

"That is our history of events here on Earth."

"Can I say goodby to my parents?" asked Willie.

"No, you must go with us now and you must understand that you will ultimately see your parents again. Hopefully we can get them to join you. By the way, my name is Live, like live forever like you will do, and you may call me Live."

"I'm trusting you," said Willie weakly feeling all strength to resist leave his body.

"I know. Let's prepare for take-off," said Live.






CHAPTER ELEVEN




Willie was taken to the now familiar spaceship that had returned from its previous trip. Its whirring and buzzing sound reminded him of a swarm of bees. Apprehensive but determined to go through with it he stepped aboard the plank they had lowered and hurriedly walked into the craft before his mind could be changed.

Inside the craft there were a few seats, one occupied by a man who resembled Live. He was operating the instrument panel that held flickering lights. There were no knobs or buttons only lights that must have contained the energy cells needed for travel. They slowly moved through the dark tunnel and Willie thought of John and when they were there. He dismissed the thought from his mind as John would now be in his past life. Everything would be different and he could enjoy a whole new life, know everything, and never have to lift a finger!

The space travelers left the earth and soared through galaxies of suns, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, quasars and black holes on their voyage through space so far away from Earth. Live told him they could only "invisibly transport," like the movement John and Willie experienced when they moved from the cave to the school without traveling there, when not enclosed in a space ship. She said they would be traveling at the speed of light. Willie calculated that it took about several minutes to get there and if light travels at 186,000 miles per second, they were approximately over 11,000,000,000 miles from Earth. At that calculation his stomach dropped to his feet. What have I done? I can never return to Earth. Now the tears were stinging his eyes for the first time, feeling orphaned and lonely. What would his parents think? How would they feel about losing their only child? And he betrayed them for want of a better life. He wanted to be back with his family and John. Why did they ever have to move to Silverton? Live startled him from his thoughts and announced that they had arrived in her sickly, sugary, sweet voice. They were on Cinomed in a heartbeat.

Stepping from the craft on a ramp, Willie looked around. Where was everything? Where was their town? All he could see was a huge, round geodesic-type dome before his eyes, brightly lit and the only building that was visible from where he stood. Everything was lit with artificial light. There was no grass, nothing but this bright, lone shelter.

Live exited first and Willie followed her towards the dome, the ramp swaying back and forth like a swinging bridge. The ramp wasn't covered making Willie believe the gravity and oxygen makeup of Cinomed was the same as Earth. He looked over the side of the ramp, and with artificial lighting the environment looked harsh, as he could only see gray, dusty-looking matter on the ground. Looking upwards he could see the stars larger than what one witnesses on Earth, reflecting light from nearby solar systems. Glancing up he could see the vastness of this dome and wondered what it was like inside. No one was around but the door opened for them as they entered. They walked into a hall then another door opened to reveal the dome itself. Panels of glass were affixed to each other in such a way as to create this large, round structure. Surrounding the bottom inside of the circular building there appeared to be individual cubicles with glass doors, resembling a jail cell, disclosing only a small bed, sink and toilet. Willie could see people milling around speaking English from what he could hear and they were all dressed in the long, white robes with the sky warrior emblem in the center of their chest. "I guess only Live wears a golden robe," he thought. No one was talking above a whisper. All that he could hear was shuffling of feet on the white tile floor. Before he had a chance to see anything else, Live ushered him into a small room with a sign posted on the door, "Universe Room." She told him this is where experiments were conducted on any creature from any planet throughout the universe. She asked him to lie down on a bed. Looking around he saw many sets of needles and what looked like a chemistry lab. Live told him that they were going to extract his DNA which they needed to clone his being to send back to Earth. Further away from him he could see a woman lying there with a needle stuck in her skull. "She must be here to get all knowledge and increase her sense awareness," he thought.

Lying there his thoughts turned to his parents and knew they would be expecting him home from school in a few hours. Feeling the prick of the needle in his arm he then lapsed into an unconscious state.






CHAPTER TWELVE




Meanwhile John and Mr. Yeager had driven to Las Vegas where John called home and explained that he was on a business trip with Mr. Yeager and not to worry as he would be home soon. They took the film from the camera to a quick processing center to have it developed. Glancing at the only picture taken by Willie, it exposed ghostly glow-in-the-dark outlines of human or humanoid forms with the sky warrior logo appearing brightly, divulging all its detail. They also stopped at a physicist friend of Mr. Yeager's to have the foil analyzed. In a rush job the man had identified that the metal foil revealed the protons and neutrons were completely different from what we have found on Earth. Gathering all their information together it was decided that they would not talk to government officials instead went directly to the newspaper. The press would print the information and make the public aware of what was occurring in Silverton without any interference from the federal people.

The newspaper reporter was eager to hear this story as it matched what they had originally reported about the incident and promised to post it in the paper the next day. John told his entire story but was unaware of Willie's decision to betray them so this wasn't mentioned. When their entire story was told they drove back to Silverton feeling relieved that they had given someone the responsibility of knowing about what was going on without someone saying that it just didn't happen.

Eager to see Willie, John ran to his friend's house only to hear his father say he hadn't returned home from school and they were getting concerned. "He's probably out in the desert just checking things out," assured John. Suspicious, John thanked him and turned to leave. Stepping off the porch onto the path, he heard what sounded like a distant scream. Walking to the sandy street, John's thoughts were bouncing around in his brain like a lotto ball in an air-filled container. The scream sounded again and it seemed like it was coming from school. No one was outside. "Yep, no one cares in this town." Running now and picking up speed he ran to the school whereupon he saw Willie standing in front of the school with a hand raised as if he were waving to John, and then he saw him being seared and stabbed with a red light that went completely through him. The screaming then stopped and Willie slumped to the ground. John got to him but knew immediately that his life was taken from him. All he could do was to stand there and smell his scorched body. "Willie, Willie, what happened to you?" It was too late. John screamed for someone to call for help and Mr. and Mrs. Brand from the restaurant ran over to them and immediately took him inside.

Following them, John thought Mr. and Mrs. Brand must be clones from aliens. He watched as Mrs. Brand bent over Willie trying to hold him and he saw her left arm become exposed. John noticed that her left arm had the tattoo. Now he was filled with anxiety as he realized that his family, Willie's family and Mr. Yeager were the only real humans in this town.. He wanted to check on Mr. Brand's arm so he boldly asked him if he had a tattoo.

"Yes, son, I do and you would be wise to get one too. Are you joining?"

"It will all be known later," was all John said.

Seeing Willie being transported away John was left with a feelings of fear, loneliness and worry. " Did the aliens get him? They must have! But why? Are they coming to get me?" He needed to tell his parents about all of this.

Willie was taken to the funeral home in Silverton. John went to see his friend. While everyone was attending the services John's eyes couldn't stop tearing. He had bowed his head during the prayer service and looked up to see Willie in the coffin and on his folded hands was a golden bird. John gasped and the small crowd looked up to see the bird. Everyone oohed and aahed thinking this held some spiritual significance. Then the dawn came. John's mind kick-started and he knew then that Willie had decided to join Live and Miss Armstrong on Cinomed and that this was a clone of Willie lying here in the coffin. He resisted the urge to lift Willie's sleeve to see if a tattoo was there. He knew it would be. The bird was a signal that they had got to him. But if this was a clone of Willie, why did they kill it? Maybe Willie's will became too strong.

John felt he was being watched. Perhaps they would come and forcibly take him away.





CHAPTER THIRTEEN




Willie awoke to find his tee shirt and jeans had been removed and saw that he was clad in the now familiar white robe emblazened with the sky warrior. He touched his arm that stung with pain and noticed that the needle pricks had produced drops of blood that still lingered. "At least I'm not one of them, yet," he noted. Getting up and looking around no one was present in the room. He peeked around the half-opened door. What he saw amazed him. There were these people still walking around in the same robes. Men and women were milling around this large room like robots and they were in all shapes and sizes, with some old and some young and many with gray hair. I thought no one gained weight or aged here and if they have gained all knowledge they sure don't look like it." His thoughts were now gaining speed.

"Hello, Willie," said Live, giggly and pretentious. "I see you are ready to eat something." First she said she wanted to assign him to his new room and a cubicle had been set aside for his pleasure, as she so stated. After he looked over the inadequate room, she led him to the large room where it appeared everyone assembled. He sat down in a pillowy chair waiting to be served. Live had said she would be getting some food for him, and looking up he saw a large sign that spanned the distance of the large room and the sign shouted, "Cinomed." Willie sat there, all the while looking at this sign that begged to be noticed. And so he read it over and over. Cinomed, Cinomed. How did they come up with that name? Din-o-med, O-med-cin. Cinnamon medicine? No. He played with the arrangement of the letters of the word giving up on solving the puzzle after awhile. "Maybe there is no meaning," he thought. He ate his adequate food, which certainly wouldn't have put on weight, and retired to his cubicle. Tired after experiencing a day of surprises, he fell asleep.

Within the next few hours he awoke. Since there was no sun and no actual days no one slept at the same time so dressing in the same robe he walked out of his room to the masses still walking about, with some humanoids like Live and some human-looking like Miss Armstrong, and only a few were speaking to each other. Maybe you don't have to sleep here either.

He went back to sit down not knowing what else to do. "Where's the entertainment? I haven't seen a TV or a radio." Bored he began to whisper differing combinations of letters aloud. While doing so one gray-haired man who looked human walked up and just stood before him. He had been pacing back and forth with his arms tucked into the opposite sleeves of his robe looking like a monk in thoughtful prayer. Willie's eye caught the eye of the man and he stopped in front of Willie and persisted to linger facing him and then he moved his finger across his chest from right to left surreptitiously. What's he doing? The man repeated the movement over and over, getting frustrated at Willie's lack of understanding. Willie gave him an "I don't know what you're talking about," expression. The man carefully pointed upward and his eyes rolled the same way, then he walked away looking defeated when all at once it occurred to Willie what he had been doing. "He noticed I was reading the sign and wants me to read it backwards. D-E-M-O-N-I-C. Oh my gosh. It spells demonic. That means evil. Is he trying to tell me that these people are lying to me?" Then his thoughts were racing. What else had he heard that could be spelled backwards. He thought of the cemetery where he had first seen the word, Cinomed. The first name on the headstone was Neila. Spelling it backwards he realized that it spelled, "Alien." " Neila" was "alien" spelled backwards! Demonic Alien! Then he thought of Live's name and realized that her name backwards became Evil. "Evil! Why didn't I think of this before!" Now his thoughts came crashing down on him and he was aware that his life may be in danger. Also he thought he had been here a day and had not seen any of the propositions made to him and John, and brushing away thoughts of feeling sorry for himself, he decided to plot a way to escape.

Willie didn't feel any smarter and knew he never would. This was only a ruse to steal knowledge from humans then get rid of them. They probably questioned the humans about everything they could. How to get back to Earth? He knew he would have to get into that spaceship and leave for Earth before they experimented any further on him. Flashes of the cattle mutilations seared in his mind. Those promises were all lies.

After eating he got up and walked around spooked by all the downward glances, soft whispering but otherwise little social contact with each other. The gray-haired man who had spoken to him earlier casually made his way toward Willie. "Follow me carefully and come to my room to talk," the older man suggested. Willie did, thinking perhaps this man had some answers.

As they sat down they closed the glass door. The others seldom glanced in, allowing for some privacy. "Please have a seat, and by the way, my name is David, David Conway."

"Hi, I'm Willie Barnhill. Are you from the Earth? That sounds so strange to say."

"Yes, I'm from Great Britain and just arrived here yesterday."

"Excuse me, did they make promises to you too?" asked Willie.

"Shush, please. There are ears here everywhere. We are being monitored but I don't know how closely. No one is to know that but I've spoken to quite a few here. It seems they have duped everyone here. The life span of the humanoids here on Cinomed is only ten years and that's why they continue to recruit humans to experiment with and question so they can prolong their lives. I don't know when they intend to get to us. Since I've been here now approximately two days, it hasn't happened yet, so you have at least that much time."

"Well, how do they experiment on you?"

"This is gruesome and ghoulish but they insert a needle into your brain and sieve and drain all your knowledge and use it for themselves hoping they can find information that will help them extend their lives. They're too lazy to work for their knowledge as we do."

"But, David, excuse me, Mr. Conway, why would they want me? I'm young and don't have the knowledge of older people."

"You have a fresh brain that can easily absorb new information for them."

Willie added, "But I was told that just the opposite would take place. I thought I would be infused with all knowledge."

"All lies. They just wanted to get you here. Before too long we'll look like all the rest of these characters. We'll never be able to do all that they've promised. Also do you see any kind of entertainment here? This is it. These people that come here never get to go back to Earth. Most of their knowledge has been removed and they are under the total control of these demons. From what I'm told they do have a lower level here for the spaceships, kitchens and all that stuff. They import food from Earth. Remember it didn't take you long to get here so they don't need much to keep here. Just remember," said David, "don't trust anyone here as they have all had a brain drain."

"I'm scared. How can we leave here?" asked Willie.






CHAPTER FOURTEEN




After the funeral of Willie's replica clone, John asked Mr. Barnhill if he could speak to him privately. John wanted to reassure him that this wasn't really Willie and he didn't get hit with a bolt of lightning which was reported as the cause of death. Mr. Barnhill led him to Willie's bedroom where they sat on Willie's bed. John began to explain what happened. Mr. Barnhill was speechless. Finally he spoke, "Are you sure, John? Would he leave us for a better life?"

"I think they got to him, Mr. Barnhill. I don't think it was his decision to make," John explained. "I'm absolutely sure about all of this." John pulled the foil from his pocket and talked about its qualities that the physicist had explained to him. "Their spaceship was made of this material." That seemed to convince Mr. Barnhill. He was astonished at the material.

"What can we do, John?" he asked.

John felt the role reversal here. Mr. Barnhill being older was usually the decision-maker. John also knew it was time to tell his parents and after they all left Willie's home he did. Mr. Wright was stunned. "You mean all of this has being going on and we didn't know about it?"

"I'm sorry, Dad, but they told us your lives would be in danger if we said anything. We have to find a way to get Willie back. I feel responsible. I was the instigator in all of this. What can we do, Dad? The newspaper in Las Vegas was going to print all of this information but it somehow must have leaked to the government because we haven't seen anything in the paper yet and it was to all be published the following day after Mr. Yeager and I went there."

John's father called Mr. Barnhill and suggested they get together to see how they could get the ball rolling on recovering Willie. After speaking with John they realized that Cinomed was way beyond the Milky Way and impossible for our space travelers to pursue. Mr. Barnhill's shoulders visually dropped. He felt there was no way to recover his son from these evil people.

John and Willie's family immediately made arrangements to move back to Edwardton. John wanted to take one last look around, hoping for a clue. He walked towards the school and up the walk to the door, knowing that it would be useless to talk to anyone here. Looking back over his shoulder he saw the lop-sided headstone of Neila Cinomed. Looking at it from this angle he read the whole thing backwards and cried when he saw what it said: "Demonic Alien." He sat down on the steps, head in hands, and couldn't control his sobs. Finally, realizing feeling sorry for himself wouldn't bring Willie home, he stopped and decided there was only one thing he could do: Go get Willie! Go get his friend!

After making up his mind about this he knew there was no turning back and he couldn't tell his parents as they would surely keep him here. The time was right now! Not knowing what to expect he went into the school and took his usual route up the stairs, into the closet and back down to the cellar and the golden door. Opening the door he hoped the spaceship was docked below. Taking the elevator down, the door opened. Not sure how to approach this, John peered around the corner, and saw the same spacecraft that was there before. Live was talking to another humanoid, presumably the pilot, unaware of John's presence. "I need to get into that ship and see if there's a place to hide. There were windows on three sides of the craft, and in order to get to the ship he would have to either cross the room or edge his way along the dirt walls, hoping he wouldn't be detected. "I should have come through the cave entrance," he thought. Live and the pilot moved further away and were looking over paperwork on the table in front of them. "Now or never," John thought. He eased his way around the room, crouching low and inching along the dirt wall as quickly as he could. Without being seen he came within inches of the step up to the door of the craft when he heard the two coming. Scrambling inside he quickly looked around and found a net-like curtain behind the seats that contained whatever food or cargo they had stored there to take with them. He pulled back the curtain and found a corner to secrete himself. Within minutes the two had taken their places with their backs to John and he could peek around and keep an eye on things without being seen. Once they looked back, probably sensing his presence but the flashing lights and whirring and buzzing sounds distracted them and they set about for take off. They aimed the craft through the tunnel again and John could see through the front windows how dark, slanted, and curvy the cave was and wondered how they could maneuver in these conditions. Finally they were outside and John's heart beat quickly and his stomach was upset but he knew this is what he had to do. He thought about the fact that he was leaving his family and may never see them again! It was a disheartening thought but thinking of Willie spurred him on.

The flight was unbelievable. Before leaving the Earth they raised above it a few feet and zipped around rapidly, then they stopped, hovering above the ground. Then in an instant, he felt the immediate surge upward as the spaceship within no time was out of the Earth's atmosphere without feeling the quickness of the flight. He could witness the sun, then all of a sudden could see the planets surrounding it as it continued on its path. A meteor then cast it's red beam of light, and then just as quickly other space material flew by. He knew he had past innumerable galaxies and was on his way to Cinomed.

At last the craft stopped with a gentle landing surprising John as it seemed in one second they were in flight and the next they had landed. Now he knew this was a crucial time. What to do? He could see darkness outside and it was dark where he was seated so he decided to stay put and see what happened. Hopefully the spaceship wouldn't go back to Earth until he had done some investigation. Voices were heard and Live and the pilot exited the side door leaving John in deathly silence. No sound could be heard. Nothing. He nodded off for awhile not knowing exactly how long it had been, then he thought time must be different on this planet but he had no way of knowing that. Since there was no sun the days, nights and years would be completely different. Then a noise was heard and he thought they are either going to unload this thing or we're going back to Earth. He didn't know what to do but felt they were going to approach his hiding area. He saw a large box that was labeled as furniture and he quickly opened it and climbed inside. Then someone got into the front seat or so he thought, and the craft started to move. Oh, no! We're going back to Earth. But this time it stopped quickly and he wondered where they were. Am I on another planet? What have I gotten myself into? Voices were again heard, the door to the ship evidently reopened and he could hear footsteps outside the ship on the side. Then without hesitation the back door opened and voices were again heard. Then all of a sudden he was moving. He was being transported out of this plane. But where? Do they know I'm in here and are leaving me on some deserted planet? He bumped around for about a minute then landed with a thud and he almost yelled out, "ouch." Something moved beneath the large box.

Footsteps were getting quieter and he wondered if they had completely left the area. He waited for what he thought was a good fifteen minutes and decided that now or never he needed to see where he was. Standing up he rubbed his legs as the tingling feeling of having them fall asleep had set in. He opened the lid of the box and looked out. It was completely dark. No light anywhere except what he saw as a fine, pencil line of light across the room. He assumed that was a door and he was either in a cave or in some kind of storage room. Climbing out of the box he felt his way in front of him and was angry with himself for not stowing away a flashlight, even his little one. Inching his way forward he could hear voices coming from what looked like a door above the light. He then knew he hadn't been dropped off to some other planet. As he stepped in front of the door the whole thing slid open. There he was exposed to everything and everyone. Luckily the voices had disappeared and in this lighted room there was nothing but a table and chair with a machine like a computer atop it.

Another door was on the opposite side of the room but he didn't dare get near it. Finding what looked like a large closet he stepped inside to figure out what he was going to do. No voices were heard and the lights in the room suddenly dimmed. There was still some light but not much. Everything was again deathly quiet. If he approached that door it would make a noise when it opened even if no one was on the other side. So he went back to the closet where he saw an upside down jug of water. "This is probably used for the humans that are here." Tipping it over he took a drink and lay down on the floor to sleep.

As he awoke he couldn't remember for a second where he was but voices outside the closet made him aware that he was not on Earth. "I wish there was more light in here," he thought. "There might be something here I could use besides the water." He thought if he opened the door a crack he might get some light in there and see what else he could use. The voices were gone. Feeling around his hand clutched on some fabric. What luck! A robe like he had seen Live and the pilot wear was hanging on a hook. I hope it shows the sky warrior logo. Taking it to the cracked light, sure enough it did. He slipped it on over his clothes noting it was much too large so he tried to hold it up off the ground as much as possible. "Now I look like one of them, except I have eyes. I don't know what else to do except get out of here and try to find Willie." He boldly opened the door and luckily no one was in the room yet. Standing in front of the door, he waited for it to open which it did quickly. He thought if I act like I know what I'm doing they'll think I know what I'm doing! "This looks like a basement," he thought. Spying stairs nearby, he wondered what was upstairs. Climbing them he found a door at the top. Carefully turning the knob he was reminded about what trouble he got he and Willie into because of turning a knob. Opening it a crack he found a swarm of activity. People in these long, white robes were walking around, most with their heads down and their arms up the sleeves of the opposite arm, crossed in front of them. "What's this?" he thought. "I'll never find Willie in this army of people," he sadly thought. "They all look alike." Walking into the room he found a chair and sat down hoping Willie would come into view. Looking around he was in awe of the vastness of the structure which now encased him and his close friend, Willie. After awhile, disappointed and fearful he would be caught, he retreated to inside the basement door where he thought he would peek out later to try to locate Willie.






CHAPTER FIFTEEN




Willie and David decided to walk completely around this large room to see if they could find a way to escape this horror of a place. Walking the outside perimeter close to the cubicles David told Willie, "Keep your eyes open for anything that may look like a way to escape."

"You know, David they brought supplies with them but I never saw them unload anything in the front door. Do you think there's a basement?"

"I don't know but look for doors and we'll try to open them without anyone knowing."

Since it was such a large room it took awhile to walk through the crowds of people who never seemed to stop walking. Encountering a golden door with a crystal doorknob, David stopped in front of it and facing the walkers and with his hand behind his back, turned the knob. Willie was facing him and they agreed he would get a glimpse of what was behind the door while David opened it. The distant sound of pots and pans and dishes rattling convinced them that must be the stairs that led to the kitchen. Proceeding on they were about halfway around when they spotted another door. It seems this was a room housing the privileged humanoids who were lounging around talking to each other. Now they were three-fourths of the way before they would be entirely around the dome and they discussed that if there were no other doors, their idea of a basement and a way out, would vanish.

"Don't despair, Willie, we'll find a way to get out of here."

Willie was almost on the verge of tears with a desperate feeling tearing at his insides. What had to have been the last crystal knob appeared. Again David had his back to the door and with his arm to his back turned the knob and felt someone on the other side also turning the knob. David quickly removed his hand. Willie, facing him, saw the crack widening and almost screamed and fainted at the same time when he saw peering through the crack of the door, none other than John.

"Oh, I don't believe it!" Willie said in a loud whisper.

David said, "What's wrong, Willie?"

"It's my friend, John. Or are you a clone? John is that really you?"

"It's really me. I'm so glad I found you. See, no tattoo," as he exposed his left arm. " I'm not a clone. Quick, let's go. Who's this?"

"It's alright. This is David. He's one of us," explained Willie. David also exposed his left arm for proof.

"I'm here to help as I also want to escape," added David.

They inched their way inside the door which led to the basement.

"We have to find a way to get back to the spaceship so we can get back to Earth," said John.

Willie and David followed clinging to the wall, hoping they wouldn't be discovered. Retracing his steps John stood before doors that automatically opened hoping no one was on the other side. They finally reached the room with the closet where they decided to congregate until they could talk and discuss how they could get back on the spaceship to return to Earth.

David said he thought the spaceship brought new humans often but he couldn't really say how often. Time was difficult to discern. Their excitement and whispering was exhausting and they had no way of knowing if the craft was outside their door or not. The closet was large enough for all to lay down, which they did and promptly fell asleep. They were awakened by the sound of voices. John peered out the door and noticed the now familiar long robes on several men. They stood before a door which opened revealing their much sought after spaceship backed up to the opened door. After watching them load their cargo they walked back into the building leaving the door open to the craft. "It's now or never, guys. Let's go!" exclaimed John. Forgetting he still had the robe on he ran to the ship with Willie and David hot on his heels. Climbing aboard, John told them to hide in the cargo area but they would need to make themselves as small as possible. They tried their best, curling up their legs, folding their arms and making themselves into a ball.

They could hear Live speaking. "She's always traveling," thought Willie. "She's probably going back to Earth on this trip again."

Live spoke to the pilot. "I'm ready to return to Earth. We will brain drain Willie, David and Daniel when we get back."

Willie put his hand over his mouth so as not to gasp at that statement.

Within a minute they were on their way back to Earth and after a few minutes had passed they saw they were near the entrance of the cave. They had stopped here leaving the cargo occupants wondering why they weren't advancing into the cave. They heard the pilot say to Live that he wanted to stop there to make a repair in the light and they would be hidden so no Earthling could see them. Live and the pilot exited the plane and in a second were gone, evidently taking advantage of their knowledge of instant traveling.

"What luck," said John. "We're out of here."

John slipped off the robe but carried it with him. All three took off like jackrabbits being hunted. They ran to Mr. Yeager's house and screamed for him to help them. Mr. Yeager came running out hearing their voices and immediately rushed them inside. After telling him about their experiences he said he was also thinking about all of this since he heard John had disappeared. He had guessed what John had done. He decided that they must round up all the clones and get them to go to the place beneath the cellar.

"Why would you want to do that?" asked David. He was unfamiliar with what was happening in Silverton. So they all explained.

"We need to get rid of them all at once. Neither the government nor anyone else is going to do it for us. If we cripple their population maybe they won't return to Earth, at least not to Silverton. With both of your parents leaving here this place is like a ghost town.

"Our parents left? Where did they go?" asked Willie.

Mr. Yeager explained the exodus back to Edwardton. "Now we have to find a way to get all of the townspeople with the tattoos into the cellar so that we can close it off for good. I can use my tractor to move some boulders to close off the cave and we can blow up the school, sealing the basement."

"They only do what they're told. If I wear the robe I got in Cinomed they'll think I'm from there and will listen to me," explained John. "Don't you think?"

"Sounds like a good idea," added David. "You can tell them there is a meeting that they must attend and that it's being held in the underground. We have to make it sound important or they may become suspicious and John you will have to disguise yourself so they won't see a face they recognize."

"I can do that," said John.

John set out for school the following day, wearing the robe and using fake disguises borrowed from Mr. Yeager's Halloween stash. Walking into the classroom the children were surprised to see someone in their now familiar robe. John set out to explain about the meeting and told the children to have their parents there at school the next evening at 6:00. Charles, already an inquisitive child, told John he didn't believe him. "I want to see your tattoo," he said.

"It's covered with my robe, Charles. Now don't be a fool."

"I'm not a fool and I don't believe you." At that comment he rushed towards John and jumped on him sending them both to the floor. Rolling around John spied a pencil on the floor and jabbed it hard into Charles' arm. Forgetting he was a clone, he watched the skin open then close showing no sign of being damaged.

"I'll have to punch out his lights," thought John, sending a roundhouse to Charles' nose which didn't bleed but he felt the effects of the blow, causing him to fall to the floor unconscious.

"I'll have to tie him up and drag him down there," he thought.

The next day John thought about telling their parents but knew they would have to wait until their job was done in Silverton. He put on his robe and left Mr. Yeager's ranch walking to town and continued to show his presence so the townspeople would think he was for real. Six o'clock came and he saw people exiting their homes to walk to the school. Word had gotten around to even the families with no children. All were walking like robots up to the school and up the stairs which the boys fixed then down the stairs into the cellar. They took turns using the elevator and walked to the downstairs room. Live was there with her pilot and was surprised to see everyone coming in. Before she had a chance to find out why they were filling her room, the deed was done. They were all in there except Miss Armstrong. No one had seen her but it was too late to try to find her.

Mr. Yeager had been nearby and had placed dynamite around the school and was there to set the charge. With a loud boom, like the sonic kind, the school came tumbling down in an instant, burying the wickedness of Cinomed and all of its inhabitants here on Earth.

The boys knew there was no hope for those on Cinomed as they were already destroyed by having their knowledge extracted. Now they couldn't wait to see their parents.

At the entrance to the cave where the spaceship was parked, Mr. Yeager had pushed it aside with his earth-moving machine to move boulders to block the entrance. Now here was the spaceship as proof composed of unearthly material waiting to be examined. Mr. Yeager pushed it to his home waiting for the day when the government would be willing to accept that there is life on other planets and the proof was in his garage.


END