Edward and Fred May are all grown up now, but speak of that fateful night often. The green monster they saw that night with friend, Tommy Hyer, was now known by millions around the world by many names. "The Braxton County Monster", "The Phantom of Flatwoods" to name a few - but to the boys, he is just a thing of nightmares. That is at least until two nights ago.
Edward and Fred were visiting the Flatwoods Outlet Mall picking up cheese at the Amish Farms - Bulk Foods & Cheese, while Tommy rode along to try out a new mattress at Mattress Warehouse. As they were about to head over to China Buffet for dinner they heard a faintly familiar sound and a flash of light. None of them mentioned it, afraid it was just their imagination. Minutes later, it had been forgotten, that is -- until they left the restaurant to go to their cars.
Being the late partiers they were, the parking lot was empty. Empty, except for a strange, lone figure wandering around. He seemed to be in part shadow and part glowing, rather tall and it's head bore an uncanny resemblance to... a turnip! He had come back!
Having escaped the creature unharmed years before, Edward, Fred and Tommy calmly approached their old green monster. "He wasn't as green as I recall. Maybe it was the parking lot lights, but he seemed paler. And wrinkled."
Tommy added, "As a kid, I know I'd never forget the sickening, burnt, metallic odor. Only this time it was mixed with something else. I think I caught a whiff of "Ben-Gay" and Talcum Powder."
Sure enough, the creature had all the signs of aging. More than that, he seemed disoriented and lost, as if wandering the parking lot looking for where he might have parked his car... er, spaceship.
Fred, being the leader of the three since childhood, stepped forward, place a hand on the monster's arm and immediately there was a glimmer of recognition in the two large orbs he used as eyes. Fred said, "I'm sure it was probably condensation from the heavy fog that night, but... I'd swear he shed a tear upon seeing us again."
"We could tell he was weak and lost, so we took him back to the China Buffet and fed him, " Tommy said. "He seemed to enjoy the Sweet and Sour Chicken as well as the Pork-on-a-Stick, or whatever kind of meat that is. Afterwards, he seemed to perk up a bit, so we took him outside to find his ship."
Edward got his flashlight from the trunk of his car, but as they walked behind the Outlet Stores, he found he really didn't need it. There was the same brightly glowing ship they had seen some fifty-nine years ago. "It was bitter-sweet, kind of like the chicken," Edward chuckled. "Never in a million years did we expect to ever see him again. It was like he came back just too see us one last time, like a galactice reunion.
"He stood at the ship entrance just staring at us. I thought he might offer us a ride like that Cocoon movie, but... he just waved, got in, and flew away."
Tommy added, "I guess I should have taken a picture, but I could never figure out how to use this phone."
SEE ALSO: Phantom of Flatwoods, by Kathy Ferrell
