High and Mighty Aliens

When we think of aliens we think of diminutive guys—little green (or grey) men. But there are equally as many sightings of tall aliens. Tall as in scarily tall, with equally scary agendas.

The Tall Whites

The name says it all; these beings have to duck when passing through an average sized door here on Earth. Where there are UFO sightings there are often reports of Tall White beings—pale, humanoid, and often long-haired, rather like angels who have jettisoned their wings.

Airman First Class Charles Hall was Range Weather Observer for several gunnery ranges between 1965 and 1967. In a trilogy of books titled “Millennial Hospitality” he recalls being observed by Tall White beings on many occasions as he went about his duties tracking weather balloons. His superiors apparently knew all about the presence of the aliens, and made a treaty whereby advanced scientific knowledge was exchanged.

According to Hall, “They had the usual thin frail body build, chalk white skin, large blue eyes, and nearly transparent platinum blonde hair. Like all of the tall whites, their eyes were perhaps twice the size of human eyes and they stretched noticeably further around the sides of their heads than human eyes do.”

Men In Black

There is more to the MIB phenomenon then the trilogy of movies starring Will Smith! Of course, those scripts were based on actual Men In Black reports.

Since the late Forties and the infamous Roswell UFO crash, reports of dark-suited individuals visiting UFO witnesses have entered into popular culture. Often, they would arrive in twos, sometimes driving a very official looking black sedan, and knock on a witness’s door. MIBs are described as very serious, very tall, and wearing dark glasses. Extremely no-nonsense in tone, they warn the witness to keep quiet about his or her sighting. While threats are rarely given, the MIBs presence alone is often enough to silence witnesses.

Theories suggest that these men are from a covert government group who do not want the truth about the extraterrestrial presence on Earth to be disseminated. Other theories suggest that the Men In Black are in fact aliens themselves. There have been accounts of these odd individuals coming to a witness’s house, sitting down, and then asking to be told about very mundane objects, such as candle holders or radios– as though they have never seen these things before.

The Slender Man

In recent years, accounts of the Slender Man have grown. Though often ascribed to an internet hoax, sightings of this tall, faceless being are on the increase. Over 8 feet tall, the Slender Man is said to be clothed in a dark suit and has a face that is white and featureless. Its raison d’être seems to be stalking and abducting children.

Only last month, in December, 2014, a resident of Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, UK, reported a horrifying visitation: I was awoken just before 2am by an odd scratching noise in my bedroom. ‘As I tried to get out of bed and investigate further, the shadow began to stretch towards the ceiling. It was at that point I found myself faced with the most disgusting and horrific creature imaginable. ‘It was about eight feet tall and had a white face with razor-sharp fangs.’

Accounts of lofty extraterrestrials do not end there. It  has been speculated that the man-beast of the Pacific Northwest, Bigfoot, is a visiting alien creature. Bigfoot is an 8-9 foot creature covered in black hair, and an uncanny ability to vanish from view—a trait that have led some investigators to suggest that it is inter-dimensional, popping in and out of our world at will.

People who have claimed to have been abducted by aliens have sometimes reported the presence of tall humanoid beings on board alien craft. Believed to be human-alien hybrids, these beings are over 6 foot in height, slim, and largely expressionless. Much speculation has surfaced over recently years that the Men In Black (and even the Slender Men) are in fact alien-human hybrids, created to infiltrate our world.

Bigfoot – Big Deal or Big Hoax?

Yet another Bigfoot video purporting to have captured the elusive man-beast has surfaced again (see below). But is it the real thing? A critical mind will tell you that this is a man in a shaggy black suit stomping through the snow. Videos of Sasquatch have never suitably convinced me (more’s the pity) unless, of course, were talking about the infamous Patterson Bigfoot footage, which somehow looks too sinuous and muscled to be a suit. Native Americans have plenty of tales of Algonquin-speaking giant men who have roamed the deep forests since the beginning of time. So, could there be true to this legend?

To look at this mystery scientifically naturally brings one to thoughts about our own origins. Bigfoot could be a remnant of our own ancestry. Many Bigfoot researchers have postulated that the creature is an offshoot of Gigantopithecus – an extinct hominid species that stood almost 9 feet tall.

Let’s say this creature exists. The next step is to capture and study one. But do we have the right to capture an entity that could be related to humans? There are plenty of self-styled Bigfoot hunters roaming the Pacific North West of America toting elephant guns and hoping to bag the catch of the century. Is it ethical? Is it right?

But, most importantly, is it real?

Comet 67P – An Alien Spaceship? Conspiracies Abound…

Well, here we go again.

Mankind sends yet another delicate instrument on a long journey into the inky universe for an encounter of the scientific kind with a Celestial Body. In this case, a comet bigger than New York – Comet 67P. From the moment the Philae lander fired its grappling hooks, conspiracy theories popped up like mushrooms. Why would anyone believe it is a massive coverup designed to hide the face that the Rosetta mission was to hobnob with aliens?

Today’s post comes from http://www.travelerstoday.com

Also have a look at a very intriguing video of a strange object allegedly passing over the comet…

Comet 67P Conspiracy: Rosetta Mission A Cover Up, Philae Comet Allegedly An Alien Spaceship

What Do You Believe?

I stumbled across this very interesting infographic today and am wondering what my paranormal friends think of it. Charting beliefs of Americans regarding the paranormal, it shows a very high percentage of persons having a paranormal experience. Yet belief in individual phenomena (for example, witches) is relatively low.

What do YOU believe in? Is the paranormal real, or imagined? Have you had a paranormal experience? Share it with us here!

Thanks to Fact of the Day!

What Do You Believe?

UFO Sightings Are On The Rise

Just when you thought it was safe to drive down a lonely road at night…!

Those strange glowing lights (and occasional structured craft) are showing up more and more. They have seemingly always been with us, but really exploded on the scene in 1947, just prior to the infamous Roswell UFO Crash. Since then there have  been sightings, contacts, and even abductions.

Today’s article comes from http://www.inquisitr.com.

UFO Sightings Continue To Be On The Rise

Dying Scientist: ‘Aliens are Real’ (VIDEO)

Deathbed confessions regarding UFOs and the existence of aliens are nothing new, but this particular tell-all is stirring up a firestorm of controversy in the skeptical and UFO communities.

I personally have no problem whatsoever with the idea of alien beings not only existing, but coming to earth. After all, it’s probably what we’ll be doing once our technology has advanced enough.

What do you think?

Lockheed Martin scientist on deathbed says aliens are real

Are Crystal Skulls Real?

Below is an article I wrote for Crystal Age last year – I am happy to bring it to my Supernatural Wonders readers this week!

There is a legend of thirteen ancient crystal skulls from the Mayans lost civilization, that when united will bring universal knowledge. There are today real crystal skulls in existence that range from a few inches in diameter to life size. They are in the possession of various owners, the remainder on exhibition in the British Museum, the Smithsonian, and the Musee de l’Homme in Paris.

Believers in the supernatural consider crystal skulls to be much more than simply interesting artefacts. They look to the skulls as objects of divination, that can be used similarly to crystal balls for scrying and seeing into the future.

There is still great controversy amongst believers and sceptics as to the origins of the skulls. Believers will say that they are thousands of years old, possibly relics of lost civilizations like Atlantis. Sceptics say they are fakes, carved not much longer than a few hundred years ago.

The British Crystal Skull

Famous Crystal Skulls

The most famous of the skulls is the The Mitchell-Hedges Skull. This skull was discovered in the 1920s by British adventurer Anna Mitchel Hedges, allegedly beneath a Mayan temple in Belize. According to Anna, the Mayans told her that this  quartz skull was used to ‘will death’. Anna has also claimed that she has used this skull for healing.

Art restorer Frank Dorland studied the skull for six years, claiming the sound of a choir singing coming from its structure. Dorland also said while gazing into the skull, he was able to see shifting images. Dorland took the skull to Hewlett-Packard researchers who determined that it was carved from a single piece of crystal.

Made from cloudy quartz, the British Museum crystal skull is of similar size to the Mitchell-Hedges skull though less detailed. The museum acquired it from Tiffany & co in 1898. The skull is supposedly from Mexico, of Aztec origin.

The skull kept in the Musée de l’Homme in Paris is half the size of the previously mentioned skulls, and was also thought to be Aztec, donated to the museum in 1878 by Alphonse Pinart.

Larger than any of these is the 9 inch high, 8 inch long skull now in the Smithsonian Institution in the USA. The museum received the skull in the mail in 1992 with an anonymous note stating that it was an ‘Aztec crystal skull’ and ‘purchased in Mexico City in 1960′.  Several other, smaller skulls also exist in museums. These include the clear quartz ‘Texas Crystal Skull,’ the ‘ET’ skull made from smoky quartz and found by a Central American family.

The Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull

Crystal Skulls – Ancient Wisdom?

Those who believe in the supernatural qualities of crystal skulls point to the piezoelectric properties of quartz crystal as evidence of the skulls’ power. Devotees assert that the skulls hold the history of the earth in their structure, rather like computer chips. All that is needed is the correct method of reading this information. Today, crystal skulls are very popular as ornaments and, depending on what crystal they are carved from, are said to be useful for scrying and divination.

Are the thirteen skulls true supernatural objects or are they recent fakes? It is a fact that skulls figure prominently in Mexican and Central American culture, therefore some of the skulls could indeed be ancient artefacts. Are they doorways into the past or future? Until their complex codes can be deciphered, we can only speculate.

Who or What are The Black Eyed Kids?

‘Just let us in, this won’t take long.’

What would you do if strangers appeared at your door and said this to you? Unnerving enough, but what if those strangers were children with totally black eyes and a strange air of dread about them?

The Black Eyed Kids phenomenon is happening all around the world, with incidents of these weird encounters with groups of small children (averaging 8-10 years of age) appearing at doorsteps, cars, or even out in the open, asking for help, only to vanish moments later. The most unsettling thing about these kids are their eyes – totally black, covering the iris and sclera, soulless and unblinking. But what exactly do these children want?

‘Let me in, it won’t take long…’

A Typical Encounter

Paranormal researcher David Weatherly reports many such encounters in his book, Black Eyed Children. One such incident occurred in Dallas, Texas, where a gentleman came home, placed his hand on the door handle and suddenly a child appeared out of nowhere by the steps. Startled, the man looked at the boy, noting the child’s pale skin and solid black eyes. ‘Is it food time?’ the boy asked. The man was stunned. The boy repeated his question, ‘Is it food time?’.

Glancing inside, he saw that his three-year-old Pitbull was charging at the front door. This was the most fearsome of guard animals, having bit rattlesnakes in half on many an occasion. Upon seeing the black eyed child, the dog skidded to a stop. Wining, tail between its legs, the Pitbull shot under the bed and stayed there for days, refusing to come out. The man slipped inside and locked the door. The child peered through the glass of the door and continued tapping. Eventually, the child vanished.

Black Eyed Kids dress in drab clothes, and often travel in threes

The Gruesome Details

Reports of encounters with Black-Eyed Kids have been coming in to paranormal researchers since the late 1990s, and are on the increase. A typical encounter begins with a continual knocking at a resident’s door. The home owner opens the door to see a trio of young children standing on the doorstep who are not in anyway known in the neighborhood and who are dressed in nondescript clothing – like what Amish kids might wear. Other times they wear modern clothes like jeans and hoodies, though drab brown or gray, as if trying not to be noticed. The clothes may be ill-fitting, as though they don’t quite know how to dress. There are no signs of phones, iPods, or other gadgets. The skin of the children is pasty, almost artificial looking. The eyes are totally black. Body movements are very minimal, and have been described as ‘awkward’ or ‘stiff’.

‘Please, can we come in?’ they typically ask. ‘We just want to use your phone. This won’t take long. We’re just kids.’ The voices are droning, mechanical – repeating these entreaties over and over again: ‘Please, let us in. This won’t take long.’

These encounters usually happen in the evening, just when the sun is going down.

One thing most encounters have in common is that these children want to be allowed inside or want you to follow them.

Black Eyed Kids are known for their totally black eyes and odd demeanor

Sinister Implications

But what does it all mean? Researchers such as David Weatherly and Dave Schrader agree that there does seem to be a sinister agenda. Although very few reports have trickled where people have let these strange kids inside, no real harm has yet come to anyone who has come face to face with these entitie – yet – though victims have been left in a permanently anxious state.

So what is going on? Are these demon in the guise of children? Alien hybrids? Or just children playing pranks? The way these children seem to appear and disappear seems to preclude the latter.

Case in point:

Host of Darkness Radio, Dave Schrader, was contacted in 2011 by an elderly woman from Minnesota with details of a particularly frightening encounter. One night in the middle of summer, at about 10pm, after it had been raining non-stop for several days, she and her husband heard what sounded to be children laughing and playing outside in their front yard. The woman got a very uncomfortable feeling and wondered who would let their kids out at this time of night. Looking outside, she didn’t see any children.

After retiring to bed, the woman woke at 2am to find a trio of young children standing at her bedside. They had pale skin and totally black eyes. She quickly squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath, expecting that the children would be gone once she opened them again – a dream. But they were still there.

Just as the woman opened her mouth to scream, the child in the middle of the trio put a finger to his lips and said, ‘Shhhh, we just want to look at you.’

The woman screamed, awaking her husband. Flicking on the lights, the woman looked around the bedroom… but the children were gone.

Whatever the implications of this growing phenomenon, we can be sure of one thing – it will not be giving up all of its secrets anytime soon. And just with ghosts, alien abductions, and bigfoot encounters, the run-ins with Black Eyed Kids will soon become a part of the paranormal lexicon.

Taking Time by Ellie Garratt

Fantasy author Ellie Garratt, fresh from her success with her anthology of the macabre, Passing Time, releases Taking Time and Other Science Fiction Stories! Congrats to Ellie from Written Worlds – this one looks to be another creep-tastic smash!

Taking Time by Ellie Garratt

Book Blurb

Science fiction stories of time and space…

The future of humanity must be decided in Next Phase. Winning the Planetary Lottery is not as lucky as it first seems in Schrodinger’s Gamble. An apocalypse and its aftermath threaten to tear one couple apart in Daiker’s Children. In Life As I Know It a reclusive man finds both his heart and home invaded during an alien harvest. In Taking Time a demon seeking shelter on a distant planet finds himself facing a very different kind of demon, after answering a frontier settlement’s plea for help.

Stories range from flash fiction to novelette in length.

Amazon.com / Amazon.co.uk / Goodreads / Facebook

Competition

Win one of two $25.00 (£15) Amazon gift cards and a character named after you in an upcoming novella…

>>>> Rafflecopter giveaway!

About The Author

Author Ellie Garratt

A life-long addiction to reading science fiction and horror meant writing was the logical outlet for Ellie Garratt’s passions. She is a reader, writer, blogger, Trekkie, and would happily die to be an extra in The Walking Dead.

Her short stories have been published in anthologies and online. Passing Time: Nine Short Tales of the Strange and Macabre was published in March 2013 and contains nine previously published stories. Taking Time and Other Science Fiction Stories is her second short story collection.

Author Links

Website

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Goodreads

Taking Time by Ellie Garratt

Excerpts

Schrodinger’s Gamble

They–the lottery officials–are waiting for me. It turns out the last door on the right isn’t an exit, rather a walkway that leads past the fleet relay station, now buzzing with activity, and on to lottery headquarters–a large room with a metallic desk and four chairs in one corner.
“Hi,” I say as I walk into the room. An elderly man and middle-aged woman I recognise from lottery advertisements are standing behind the desk.
“Charles Schrodinger?” the elderly man asks.
“Yes.”
“Excellent,” he says.
I hear an eruption of cheers travelling our way from the flight deck and suspect I’m being ousted from the draw after all. I glance at my ticket and begin examining it for signs of forgery.
“There are a few things we need to go over before the planet is officially yours, Charles. You understand there are matters that need to be addressed?”
I must give the impression of being vacant at that point because the old man repeats himself twice.
“But that would mean I’ve already won,” I mutter.
“Yes. We thought you’d been briefed.” The old man and woman glance at one another.
The female official, who I finally remember is called Janna Brisbane, makes a tutting sound.
“Take a seat, Charles. There are a few things we need to discuss,” Janna says with an exasperated tone to her voice. I stay standing.
Ignoring my failure to sit, she continues. “The thing is safety–your safety. We couldn’t possibly leave you out there to be savaged by the fleet. Have you any idea of the tactics those friendly-faced terraformers would use to part you with your ticket? The deceit they would employ to pass themselves off as you? No. We won’t even start talking about the religious groups. So, the draw is pre-determined in this way.”
“Pre-determined?” I ask.
“You don’t think we leave it to chance, do you? Let a random person or ship win a planet. Considerable research and thought goes into deciding who is the best candidate for the job. Of course there’ve been mistakes; the first planet and the isolationists, but on the whole I believe we got it right.”

Daiker’s Children

I picked up the heavy bundle of survival rations left for me in the exit corridor, took one last look at the door to The Facility through which one kind of future was offered, and then walked out into the yellow-tinged atmosphere of Southern England. The aliens’ offer of a safe living environment and human facsimiles stopped being an option the moment I learnt Jen had not made it to their facility. I had to find her even if it cost my life. She was my world, and a world without her was not one I wanted to live in.
During the days of alien-enforced quarantine–I have no idea how long it lasted because there were no clocks to tell the time or date–I forgot just how acrid Earth’s atmosphere had become. The toxic air outside the facility scratched my lungs like cats clawing sharp talons down my windpipe. My breathing slowed and became more laboured. I could hear myself starting to wheeze. As my eyes burned and watered and my vision deteriorated, I dropped my heavy backpack on the ground and pulled out the gas mask they gave me. A few fumbling seconds later, the clear plastic mask covered my nose and mouth, and cool, clean air refreshed me. Within seconds, my breathing returned to normal though the mask could not remove my memory of devastation’s stink–the sweet scent of burned bodies and a burnt-out civilisation.
I found it hard to believe there was ever a world, a safe world, as I gazed in horror at the toxic wasteland before me. A sea of atomic destruction blinked back. Nothing remained standing or intact except for the ruins of Exeter in the distance. I’d allowed myself to bask in a happy kind of naivety, ignorant of the destructive power our governments and military harboured. Now I faced the consequences. I vowed never to be so naive or stupid again. To find her meant questioning everything.

Taking Time

A tall, lithe woman of a similar age to Ing approached me. Her short-cropped hair was the colour of darkness, and there was a confidence to the way she swaggered up to me. She was the person in charge.
She stopped only a couple of inches from my face, almost breathing down my throat. I prayed she didn’t notice my lack of breath–the undead had no need for air in their lungs.
“You don’t look well, bounty hunter,” she said.
As I stood taller, so that my already imposing six-foot frame loomed over the human female, I knew I’d have to talk her around. “I’ve not been on solid land for a few months. I’ve been running down illegal passage ships and cargo. Illegal cargo.”
Her eyes flashed bright with something. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but the word illegal had excited her.
She held out a hand for me to shake. “The name’s McCaffrey. Formerly of any planet left to colonise.”
I took her hand and shook it, then re-introduced myself. “Victory Dead. Formerly of Earth.”
McCaffrey dismissed everyone but the scare-faced Ing, and they took me into a bar like all the others I’d passed through since travelling the frontier–a cheap and fast assembly metal-frame construction. It contained only the most basic furnishings. There were more patrons than I could count, and they went silent when we entered.
When I reached the bar, a stone-faced human male behind the counter slid a bottle towards me. I wasn’t sure what it contained but accepted it anyway–to refuse would have been rude and invited trouble. “Compliments of Daring,” he said as I placed my supplies on the floor beside me.
“Thanks,” I replied before pretending to sniff the contents of the bottle. As a vampire, I could only smell blood.
The bartender turned his attention to McCaffrey and scar-face. “Evening, Captain. Thought I told you to keep Ing away.”
Ing scowled and stepped forward, his hands balled into fists. McCaffrey placed an arm across his chest.
“You know it’s not Captain anymore. I haven’t been a captain since I crash-landed here three years ago. And Ing won’t be causing you any trouble while I’m here. You have my word.”
The owner grunted something and then moved off to serve another customer.
I wasn’t sure how long a Revelation year lasted, so when McCaffrey spoke of crash-landing three years ago she could have been talking any number of Earth years or months.
“Well it’s about time,” said a voice behind me, interrupting my thoughts.

Grey Eyes In Silver

‘Grey Eyes In Silver’, a short story about a discarded mirror that brings more than just everyday reflections.

Who, or what, exactly stares back at Penny as she gazes into an old mirror? A hallucination…or portent of death?

Part of the From Elsewhere short story collection – six tales of unearthly visitors.
Read it now on Smashwords and Goodreads.

A discarded mirror brings more than just everyday reflections.

Excerpt:

Pen stroked the child’s sweaty head. “Hey, sweetheart,” she said soothingly. “Did you have a bad dream again? Look – look at what we have…”

Taking her son in to her arms, she held him in front of the mirror.

Immediately the boy stopped crying.

“Who is that?” she asked him in a high-pitched voice. “Who is that in the mirror?”