He hopped into a patrol car and followed Roger's car back to the TNT area。 At the edge of town they looked for the dog's body。 It was gone。
Back at the power plant there was no sign of the red…eyed specter。 Halstead switched on his police radio and a very loud signal blasted out of the speaker； drowning out the voice of the police dispatcher in Point Pleasant。
It was a loud garble； like a record or tape recording being played at very high speed。
Deputy Halstead； an experienced cop； looked taken aback but said nothing。 He switched the radio off quickly 。 and peered unfortably into the darkness； reluctant to really search the old building。 But he was convinced。
The next morning Sheriff George Johnson called a press conference。 Local reporters interviewed the four witnesses。 Mrs。 Mary Hyre sent the story out on the AP wire and that evening the 〃Bird〃 was the chief topic at supper tables throughout the Ohio valley。 Some anonymous copy editor gave it a name； spun off from the Batman ic character who was then the subject of a popular TV series。 He tagged the creature Mothman。
II。
November 16； 1966。 Three years to the day since John Flaxton and his panions had seen the ambling winged monster in Kent； England。 Long lines of cars circled the TNT area slowly。 Men bristling with guns surrounded the old power plant； poking into every bush。 There wasn't much to do in Point Pleasant； a town of six thousand people； twenty…two churches； and no barrooms； so Mothman was almost a wele addition。
A large red light moved around in the sky directly above the TNT area that night but few of the monster…hunters paid any attention to it。 （*） One carload of people was watching it； however。 Mr。 and Mrs。 Raymond Wamsley and Mrs。 Marcella Bennett and her baby daughter； Teena； studied it； puzzled。
〃It wasn't an airplane。 We couldn't figure out what it was；〃 Mrs。 Bennett said。
She and the Wamsleys were probably the only people in the crowd who were not looking for the red…eyed creature。 They were on their way to visit the Ralph Thomases who lived in a neat bungalow back among the igloos。 Mr。 Thomas was the superintendent of the Trojan…U。S。 operations there。 His wife； Virginia； was a slender； gentle woman blessed…or cursed…with second sight。 She had accurately predicted numerous accidents and local events over the years。 She was careful not to seek attention and only her friends knew of her remarkable abilities。 Deeply religious； she went to church almost every evening and on this night both she and her husband were out。 The Wamsleys and Mrs。 Bennett found only three of the Thomas children； Rickie； Connie； and Vickie； at home。 After exchanging a few words with the youngsters； they headed back to their car。 Off in the distance they could hear some trigger…happy hero firing a rifle around the power plant。
＇*＇ In one of my notebooks covering this period I find the following notation： 〃Nov。 16th…UPI man from Charleston saw low…flying object over TNT area…made humming sound…flashing red light。 Some girls with him。 They watched object for several minutes。〃
Suddenly a figure stirred in；the darkness behind the parked car。
〃It seemed as if it had been lying down；〃 Mrs。 Bennett told me。 〃It rose up slowly from the ground。 A big gray thing。 Bigger than a man； with terrible glowing red eyes。〃
Mrs。 Bennett uttered a little cry； so horrified she dropped the small baby in her arms。 The child began to cry； more insulted than hurt； but her mother couldn't move to pick her up again。 She stood transfixed； hypnotized by the blazing red circles on the top of the towering； headless creature。 Its great wings unfolded slowly behind its back。 Raymond Wamsley grabbed the paralyzed woman and the child and they all ran back into the house； slammed the door； and bolted it。 There was a sound on the porch and the two red eyes peered in through a window。 The women and children became hysterical while Wamsley frantically phoned the police。 It was 9 P。M。 Hundreds of people； many of them armed to the teeth； were less than a mile away and would not know about the episode until they read it in the local papers the following evening。
By the time the police reached the house the creature was gone。 But for Mrs。 Bennett this was just the beginning of a long and frightening series of adventures。
III。
Woodrow Derenberger was living in bedlam。 A group of local UFO enthusiasts representing the Washington…based National Investigations mittee on Aerial Phenomena （NICAP）； largely a lobby urging congressional UFO investigations； visited or phoned him daily； raising his ire by ordering him not to talk to anyone else about his experiences。
His farm looked like the TNT area。 Every night streams of cars would park all over the property he was renting and people would sit quietly in the dark。 Watching。 Waiting。 Some brought guns and hiked into the nearby hills to sit behind trees。 Widespread rumors said the UFOs planned to e back and land on the farm。 Some of Woody's visitors were determined to bag themselves a spaceman。
In the midst of all the chaos； a black Volkswagen drove up； parked； and a tanned man in a neat black suit got out He and Woody walked casually to the edge of the porch and talked。 After a few minutes； the man got back into his VW and drove off。 The great hunters continued to sit in the bitter cold behind their trees； their eyes anxiously searching the skies。
According to Derenberger； he had been suffering from a stomach ailment for some time。 Mr。 Cold gave him a vial of medicine； he claimed； which cured his problem instantly。 Cold now had a first name…Indrid。
IV。
Across the Ohio River； almost directly opposite the TNT area； a music teacher； Mrs。 Roy Grose； was wakened by the barking of her dog at 4：45 A。M。 on the morning of November 17； 1966。 It was unusual for her little pet to bark late at night； so she got up to investigate。 The moon was out and was very bright； she recalled。 She looked out the kitchen window and saw an enormous object hovering at treetop level in a field on the other side of Route 7。 It was circular； the size of a small house； and brilliantly illuminated。 It seemed to be divided into sections glowing with dazzlingly bright red and green lights。
〃I was stunned；〃 she said。 Before she could wake up her husband； the object made a zig…zag motion and suddenly disappeared。 She did not mention the sighting to anyone outside her immediate family until weeks later。
That afternoon a seventeen…year…old boy was driving down Route 7； not far from Mrs。 Grose's home in Cheshire； Ohio； when a huge bird suddenly dove at his car and pursued him for a mile or so。
On the eighteenth two firemen from Point Pleasant； Paul Yoder and Benjamin Enochs； were in the TNT area when they encountered a giant bird with big red eyes。 〃It was definitely a bird；〃 they stated flatly。 〃But it was huge。 We'd never seen anything like it。〃
Everyone was now seeing Mothman or the 〃Bird；〃 or so it seemed。 Sightings were reported in Mason； Lincoln； Logan； Kanawha； and Nicholas counties。 People were traveling for hundreds of miles to sit in the cold TNT area all night； hoping to glimpse the creature。 Those who were unlucky enough to see it vowed they never wanted to see it again。 It evoked unspeakable terrors。 Like flying saucers； it delighted in chasing cars 。。。 a very unbirdlike habit； and it seemed to have a penchant for scaring females who were menstruating； another UFO/hairy monster peculiarity。
Five teen…agers driving along Campbells Creek on the night of November 20 got the shock of their lives when their headlights bounced off a man…size birdlike creature standing beside a rock quarry。 It turned and scurried into the woods。 〃Nobody believes us because we're teen…agers；〃 Brenda Jones of Point Lick plained。 〃But it was real scary。〃
An elderly businessman in Point Pleasant found Mothman standing on his front lawn。 He stepped outside to see why his dog was barking and confronted a six… or seven…foot…tall gr