'They' Were Only Observing

I recently received the following account:

A number months ago I wrote to you detailing my encounter with the MIB. At that time I said the encounter was because of an incident I had about three weeks prior. This is the incident, but I have to give a little background. I am a two-tour combat former Marine, two tours in Vietnam. College graduate and 25 years on a major metropolitan Police department where I worked patrol, vice, narcotics and 4 years homicide.

After retirement my wife and I settled into an area 25 miles outside of the city, however, my wife passed away three years into what was supposed to be a relaxing period of our lives. I couldn't live in our house because of the memories, so I sold the house, both vehicles, furniture and donated almost all of our possessions.

I bought a new truck and a house 50 miles further away from town that came with 20 acres of land. The house is surrounded by a large ranch in a very heavy wooded area. There is a electronic controlled gate, with intercom, CC cameras and sensor lights at the gate and along the driveway leading to the house and cameras and sensor lights around the house. The house can not be seen from the road because of the heavy woods and undergrowth.

Thanks to the previous owner I became friends with the ranch owner and the county Sheriff. The previous owner and the Sheriff suggested that I keep a rifle and handgun near at all times because of mountain lions, bears, snakes and other unwanted guests.

A few days after I moved into the house I was walking around checking for any repair that might be needed when I noticed that the woods at the ends of the house and the back where very open. The underbrush had been cleared and the tree limbs trimmed to about 7 feet up from the ground allowing a very clear view into the surrounding area for over 100 yards. On some of the trees there were light reflectors attached and evenly separated. This was a trick we did in Vietnam, it gave the distance from the perimeter outward to given distances so an accurate artillery strike could be conducted on an attacking force. I laughed because the previous owner was probably using these markers to take deer. Sly fox!

About three months after I moved into the house I was in my office doing a paper for a friend that had a security company when the alarm went off telling me a set of lights were triggered. I turned on the monitor but did not see anything, but what I considered was perhaps a deer. About 15 minutes later another set of lights came on and this time I saw what appeared to be someone moving away from the house through the trees.

I turned the lights off, grabbed my handgun and rifle and slipped out of the house and into the woods hoping to catch the SOB so I could teach him not to trespass. As I moved through the trees I noticed this intruder was moving effortlessly and countered every move I was making. After a 5 minute chase I was thinking of putting a round into his butt. The person stopped when he encountered a very large stand of brush that a rabbit probably couldn't go through. I couldn't get a clear view of them but I could see an outline of him standing behind a tree. I called telling him to come out or I was going to shoot. As soon as I said that I heard a very clear voice pleading for me not to shoot because he meant no harm. The voice was so clear I thought there was someone behind me and I almost wet my pants, but when I turned there was no one there.. Again I said for him to come out and again the voice said they were not there to harm me, only to observe. When I heard "they" I really began to feel uncomfortable for I did not see or sense anyone else. I asked who they were, but the person said it didn't matter just that he was there to observe only. I began to feel very vulnerable and decided to let this person or persons go before things got out of hand and perhaps that I may not be able to control. I basically hollered out that if he wants to observe me then come to the house as a normal person and not sneak around in the dark because accidents could happen. I then slipped away as quietly and as quickly as I could.

The next day I talked with the Sheriff and rancher and told them about the night time incident. They looked at each other and the rancher asked me if I saw the lights in the trees on his side of the property line. I told them no, that I just went back to the house and had a drink and went to bed an hour later. He said keep an eye open and you will, but don't worry about it because incidences like this happen at times.

To date that was the only incident I have had, and I hope I never have another. HO