has been no bleeding on or around the animal。 Some believed the cattle were drained of blood。 No human tracks have been detected near each mutilation； even in fresh snow。〃
In December 1973 and January 1974 there were wholesale disappearances of pet dogs from Connecticut to California。 Small towns like Voluntown； Connecticut； lost a large part of their dog population in a few days。 Fifteen dogs vanished from Woodstock； New York； in the Catskill Mountains during the same period。 As in previous waves of animal mutilations and disappearances； authorities tried to blame witchcraft cults； cattle rustlers； and dognapers； who sell the poor animals to hospitals for experimental purposes。 But the total absence of evidence of any kind seems to rule out these conventional explanations。
Europe has been plagued with phantom animal killers for generations。 Sweden had a plague of this sort of thing in 1972。 The extensive vampire legends of Middle Europe were undoubtedly based on such incidents。 Vampires were cloaked beings； often acpanied by strange aerial lights； who could paralyze humans and animals in their tracks。 As recently as twenty years ago there were a series of 〃vampire〃 killings in Yugoslavia。 Four bloodless human bodies were found with slashed throats in a field near Klek Mountain； according to one report。
As I have noted； UFOs； hairy monsters； and Mothmen all appear to have the ability to ferret out human females during their menstrual period。 I began to seriously wonder if blood and flesh were not vital ingredients in the mysterious transmogrification process。 Did energies from the superspectrum need earthly biological materials to construct temporary entities？ It does seem as if many UFO and monster sightings are staged as distractions； luring crowds of people to places like …the TNT area while animal mutilations and disappearances are taking place almost unnoticed only a few miles away。
Soon after the Mothman's first appearance in November 1966； police found the body of a dog in the TNT area。 It was pletely charred； yet the surrounding area was un…burned。 I wondered if it might not have been sacrificed in some secret magical ritual by some unknown local warlock： a ritual that brought Mothman into being？
The UFO waves of the 1960s were acpanied by the occult explosion…the rapid spread of witchcraft and magical practices。 An interesting side effect of the flying saucer phenomenon is that many of the people attracted to the subject； people with very materialistic and pseudo…scientific outlooks； gradually drift into the study of psychic phenomena； abandoning the extraterrestrial theory along the way。 In retrospect； flying saucers were partly responsible for the occult explosion。
The most confusing feature of the phenomenon is its use of allegorical situations and plicated diversions meant to cover up some more covert activity。 Hairy monsters are seen carrying dead dogs； so people assume other missing dogs provided dinner for the smelly apparition。 Actually the dogs may have served some other purpose altogether 。。。 a purpose that might turn our hair gray instantly if we knew the full details。
In messages passed along to Italian contactee Eugenio Siragusa； the mischievous entities have tried to explain their 〃volumetric logic〃 in cosmic double…talk。 Dr。 Jacques Vallee has called it 〃metalogic；〃 suggesting that the entities have a logic system quite different from ours and when they try to translate things on our level their statements e out absurd。 He does not consider their need for deceit which is based upon their urge to manipulate us through beliefs and what the British call 〃acceptances。〃 Once Woodrow Derenberger accepted Indrid Cold's existence； and the existence of Lanulos； his view of reality could be manipulated to include those beings and places。
In March 1967； a truly astonishing UFO 〃attack〃 took place in West Virginia； apparently supporting the vampiric theories I was entertaining at the time。 While other UFO investigators had been collecting endless descriptions of things seen in the sky； I was out examining dead animals in remote fields； pondering the real meaning behind the bloodless carcasses。
On the night of March 5； a Red Cross Bloodmobile was traveling along Route 2； which runs parallel to the Ohio River。 Beau Shertzer； twenty…one； and a young nurse had been out all day collecting human blood and now they were heading back to Huntington； West Virginia； with a van filled with fresh blood。 The road was dark and cold and there was very little traffic。 As they moved along a particularly deserted stretch； there was a flash in the woods on a nearby hill and a large white glow appeared。 It rose slowly into the air and flew straight for their vehicle。
〃My God！ What is it？〃 the nurse cried。
〃I'm not going to stick around to find out；〃 Shertzer answered； pushing his foot down on the gas。
The object effortlessly swooped over the van and stayed with it。 Shertzer rolled down his window and looked up。 He was horrified to see some kind of arm or extension being lowered from the luminous thing cruising only a few feet above the Bloodmobile。
〃It's trying to get us！〃 the nurse yelled； watching another arm reach down on her side。 It looked as if the flying object was trying to wrap a pincers…like device around the vehicle。 Shertzer poured on the horses but the object kept pace with them easily。 Apparently they were saved by the sudden appearance of headlights from approaching traffic。 As the other cars neared； the object retracted the arms and hastily flew off。
Both young people rushed to the police in a state of hysteria。 The incident was mentioned briefly on a radio newscast that night but was not picked up by the newspapers。
In cases like this we have to ask： Did the UFO really intend to carry off the Bloodmobile？ Or was it all a sham to 〃prove〃 the UFO's interest in blood。 Later I tried to check to find out if any Bloodmobiles had actually vanished anywhere。 The Red Cross thought I was a bit nuts。
But I often found myself seriously wondering if we only hear about the people who get away！
V。
A few nights after the remarkable Bloodmobile incident； Point Pleasant police officer Harold Harmon was making a routine patrol through the dismal； unlit TNT area when a dark object hovering a few feet above a small pond caught his eye。
〃It was definitely a solid machine of some kind；〃 he told me later。 〃I could even see what appeared to be windows in it。 It rocked unevenly like a boat hitting waves； and then it floated silently away over the trees。〃
Another nationwide UFO wave was underway that March； but the now…jaded national news media ignored it。
Scientists from the newly missioned Colorado University UFO project trotted around the country trying to investigate new reports while the project's head； Dr。 Edward U。 Condon； plained that it was like a fire department that answered only false alarms。 That spring some of the scientists spent weeks in the Harrisburg； Pennsylvania； area observing the 〃meandering nocturnal lights〃 that busied themselves there nightly。 Their learned conclusion was that the Pennsylvanian skies were 〃most remarkable。〃
Ships in the Atlantic were reporting huge luminous 〃cigars〃 discharging small globes of light which sailed toward New York and Long Island。 And on Long Island and neighboring Connecticut； those globes were cutting nightly capers。 During my frequent treks out to Long Island； I saw several of the objects myself and I collected some eyewitness testimony that boggled my already much…boggled mind。 One family of seven people swore they had seen a circular object land near a wooded area on Long Island。 They stopped their car to watch and were astonished when they saw two figures； normal…human…sized beings； exit through a door in the object as a large black car crossed the field and stopped nearby。 The two beings got into the car and it drove off。 The object took off quickly and disappeared into the night sky。 Similar incidents had been reported in South America； France； and Eng