WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.130 --> 00:00:03.089
The monsters which lurk in the darkness are always with us.
2
00:00:03.870 --> 00:00:06.469
Throughout history man has feared the oncoming of the night,
3
00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:10.039
perhaps because of the abilities of predators to lurk in
4
00:00:10.060 --> 00:00:12.580
the shadows, to see us when we can't see them,
5
00:00:13.259 --> 00:00:16.579
and to hunt us with ease. Or perhaps it's because
6
00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:19.899
of the sudden revelation of the stars in the infinite universe,
7
00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:25.530
showing us how small and insignificant we are. Such revelations
8
00:00:25.629 --> 00:00:29.410
over thousands of generations would surely cause us to instinctively
9
00:00:29.489 --> 00:00:33.649
avoid the lightless hours. But monsters are not the only
10
00:00:33.689 --> 00:00:37.509
thing which crawl unseen through the moonlight's beams. Even in
11
00:00:37.590 --> 00:00:40.869
Los Angeles, with all its lights and activity, there are
12
00:00:40.890 --> 00:00:43.350
places which are so close to the city yet far
13
00:00:43.409 --> 00:00:47.560
from the heartbeat of the action. Valentine's Day this year
14
00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:50.880
was memorable for one resident. Heading out, they were at
15
00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:56.020
the 60 East Pomona-bound ramp intersection, just east of Los Angeles,
16
00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:59.619
coming off the Atlantic Boulevard. To the left of the
17
00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:02.700
highway is a large box and some large twisted metal
18
00:01:02.759 --> 00:01:06.420
pipes or framework or wires, and as the driver said,
19
00:01:07.060 --> 00:01:09.609
standing next to the box was something the driver could
20
00:01:09.640 --> 00:01:14.969
not explain nor identify. But it was clearly alien, its
21
00:01:15.030 --> 00:01:18.269
dark grey skin glistening in the aura of the highway
22
00:01:18.329 --> 00:01:22.650
lights and the moon, showing a leathery smoothness which seemed
23
00:01:22.670 --> 00:01:26.980
as much skin as uniform. The ribs of this creature
24
00:01:27.060 --> 00:01:31.099
were highlighted in the glare, with overly long legs and arms,
25
00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:35.560
and which seemed to be disproportionate to the body. As
26
00:01:35.640 --> 00:01:40.280
if aware it had been sighted, it stopped its activity, froze,
27
00:01:40.409 --> 00:01:44.790
and slowly turned its head towards the motorist. Their eyes
28
00:01:44.870 --> 00:01:48.290
met the curious, wonder-filled eyes of the driver, and the ancient,
29
00:01:48.390 --> 00:01:53.579
bottomless and emotionless void stared back, their gazes locked, yet
30
00:01:53.659 --> 00:01:58.319
both feeling intruders into the other's world. For almost a
31
00:01:58.359 --> 00:02:02.299
minute this impasse continued, a silent and stationary battle to
32
00:02:02.340 --> 00:02:07.060
look away by both parties. Then the creature, suddenly snapping
33
00:02:07.159 --> 00:02:10.409
out of it, be it alien or no, stood up
34
00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:15.090
and vanished like dust. It seemed to have just dissolved
35
00:02:15.150 --> 00:02:19.409
into the air, like a magician's assistant, like it was
36
00:02:19.449 --> 00:02:24.270
never there. Returning to the site shortly afterwards and driving past,
37
00:02:24.310 --> 00:02:26.930
he saw no signs of landing, no signs of the creature,
38
00:02:26.990 --> 00:02:31.099
no signs of work or life whatsoever. It remains unexplained
39
00:02:31.800 --> 00:02:32.500
and troubling.
1
00:00:00.130 --> 00:00:03.089
The monsters which lurk in the darkness are always with us.
2
00:00:03.870 --> 00:00:06.469
Throughout history man has feared the oncoming of the night,
3
00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:10.039
perhaps because of the abilities of predators to lurk in
4
00:00:10.060 --> 00:00:12.580
the shadows, to see us when we can't see them,
5
00:00:13.259 --> 00:00:16.579
and to hunt us with ease. Or perhaps it's because
6
00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:19.899
of the sudden revelation of the stars in the infinite universe,
7
00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:25.530
showing us how small and insignificant we are. Such revelations
8
00:00:25.629 --> 00:00:29.410
over thousands of generations would surely cause us to instinctively
9
00:00:29.489 --> 00:00:33.649
avoid the lightless hours. But monsters are not the only
10
00:00:33.689 --> 00:00:37.509
thing which crawl unseen through the moonlight's beams. Even in
11
00:00:37.590 --> 00:00:40.869
Los Angeles, with all its lights and activity, there are
12
00:00:40.890 --> 00:00:43.350
places which are so close to the city yet far
13
00:00:43.409 --> 00:00:47.560
from the heartbeat of the action. Valentine's Day this year
14
00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:50.880
was memorable for one resident. Heading out, they were at
15
00:00:50.920 --> 00:00:56.020
the 60 East Pomona-bound ramp intersection, just east of Los Angeles,
16
00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:59.619
coming off the Atlantic Boulevard. To the left of the
17
00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:02.700
highway is a large box and some large twisted metal
18
00:01:02.759 --> 00:01:06.420
pipes or framework or wires, and as the driver said,
19
00:01:07.060 --> 00:01:09.609
standing next to the box was something the driver could
20
00:01:09.640 --> 00:01:14.969
not explain nor identify. But it was clearly alien, its
21
00:01:15.030 --> 00:01:18.269
dark grey skin glistening in the aura of the highway
22
00:01:18.329 --> 00:01:22.650
lights and the moon, showing a leathery smoothness which seemed
23
00:01:22.670 --> 00:01:26.980
as much skin as uniform. The ribs of this creature
24
00:01:27.060 --> 00:01:31.099
were highlighted in the glare, with overly long legs and arms,
25
00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:35.560
and which seemed to be disproportionate to the body. As
26
00:01:35.640 --> 00:01:40.280
if aware it had been sighted, it stopped its activity, froze,
27
00:01:40.409 --> 00:01:44.790
and slowly turned its head towards the motorist. Their eyes
28
00:01:44.870 --> 00:01:48.290
met the curious, wonder-filled eyes of the driver, and the ancient,
29
00:01:48.390 --> 00:01:53.579
bottomless and emotionless void stared back, their gazes locked, yet
30
00:01:53.659 --> 00:01:58.319
both feeling intruders into the other's world. For almost a
31
00:01:58.359 --> 00:02:02.299
minute this impasse continued, a silent and stationary battle to
32
00:02:02.340 --> 00:02:07.060
look away by both parties. Then the creature, suddenly snapping
33
00:02:07.159 --> 00:02:10.409
out of it, be it alien or no, stood up
34
00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:15.090
and vanished like dust. It seemed to have just dissolved
35
00:02:15.150 --> 00:02:19.409
into the air, like a magician's assistant, like it was
36
00:02:19.449 --> 00:02:24.270
never there. Returning to the site shortly afterwards and driving past,
37
00:02:24.310 --> 00:02:26.930
he saw no signs of landing, no signs of the creature,
38
00:02:26.990 --> 00:02:31.099
no signs of work or life whatsoever. It remains unexplained
39
00:02:31.800 --> 00:02:32.500
and troubling.
