The X-Files Monsters

Chapter One-Lawrence, Kansas

I

Matt Kerben stared at the tent.

He was concerned about the vacationers who stayed too long at the campgrounds. He started to yawn; he always rose at seven o'clock in the morning. Now, with the news that there were monsters in the area, he couldn't afford to lose any money during the winter season. Maybe bears were coming out of their hibernation; maybe sharks in the freezing waters near the nuclear radiation lab; maybe aliens were arriving by spaceship to abduct people by force; maybe...

...There was a lot of maybes.

II

Matt, who was forty, had a swim in the lake. He felt cleansed since last night he was with Trudi, his wife, who was a tour guide in Lawrence.

She would text him by I-phone, if she wanted to have some personal time with him. Then they'd talk about families.

In short, life didn't mean anything to him unless Trudi was around. Not that their friends didn't matter; they did matter, but in a different context.

When Matt was dressed, he felt that life meant something to him. He wore a blue shirt, black jeans, a brown belt, black socks, and brown hiking shoes.

His silver watch was on his right hand; his hazel eyes bore down on the sign that read: NUCLEAR RADIATION LAB-DO NOT TRESPASS-UNDER MILITARY GUARD; his face was drawn. He shook his head; he closed his blue eyes, and decided to deal with the military on his own terms. Unless he screamed that he saw a UFO; unless he was abducted by aliens, the monsters of the skies. Matt sensed that something was out there, but it wasn't from Outer Space; it was from Earth.

***

III

Matt turned on the TV.

"In BREAKING NEWS, a scientist was murdered tonight in a bizarre way in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Federal Bureau of Intelligence won't comment on the incident. What ever happened was so concerning that President Sheffield was woken from his bed, and informed of the murder. He declined to comment as to whether it was an event of non-human origin...".

Matt shook his head.

He walked towards the entrance to the dark woods. He saw several badgers hovering near an elk tree; he saw several hitch hikers smiling at him.

"Good morning".

"Good morning. Nice time of year to go out walking".

"Yeah, it is", the first walker said.

"Yeah", the second walker said.

"Did you photograph anything?", Matt asked.

"No, but some kids are taking selfies nearby", the first walker said.

"Some kids are armed with selfie sticks and drones", the second walker sighed. Matt shook his head. "There's too much technology around. I'm Matt".

"Lane, and this is my wife, Glenda".

"Are you both going to the lake?".

"Oh, we're trying to go to Abrohet Lake where the giant female lizard monster lurks near the military base".

"The lizard".

"A monster".

"We don't have a picture of the beast; we don't have anything". Glenda begun to sigh. Lane hugged her.

"Don't be too scared, Matt. The beast is over seventy meters long".

"Jesus!".

"It adapts to water, and land".

"Maybe the authorities should do something".

"They have. It is loose in the murky depths of the ocean".

"A scientist was killed on the news".

"It happens all of the time. That's why we zone out from the news. Too much death", Lane informed him; Matt nodded.

"Where did it happen?", Glenda asked.

"Las Vegas, Nevada".

"We were married there", Glenda said.

"That was a long time ago".

"Yes, it was. Anyway, nice talking to you Matt. Be safe!".

"Yeah, I will. Good bye!".

"Good bye!".

(X)

Matt heard someone nearby.

"I told you Ann not to go towards the woods".

"But it is safer, Ray".

"How do you know?", he asked.

"I know because there's monsters in the woods".

"You know that's stupid".

"It's not stupid; it's the truth".

"Look, nothing bad's in the woods; nothing". He kissed her.

"I just want to know...".

And then they screamed, and the talking ended.

(X)

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