Many strange, living things have passed by Earth. A few have delved into its atmosphere. Few have landed, and even fewer have contacted those living below.

This case is one of the most troubling instances of extraterrestrial contact.

Between 2 & 3 A.M. December 16, 1957

Old Saybrook, Connecticut, USA

A flash of light startled her awake. Did she somehow sleep through her alarm? Was it noon? No. The light was too bright - so painfully bright - like stadium lights pointed directly into her bedroom. And the room was hot. Hot and dry. Groggy, she stumbled to the window and pulled its curtains aside. She easily saw what beamed from the second floor: it looked like an airplane had crashed. Jagged, torn in two, the piloting end hovered above her clothesline. ...Hovered?! Yes, it hovered above it! Shocked, confused, and on alert, she studied the object floating in midair. It was large, 6 or 7 feet thick, and three times as long, with two square windows on its side. It was…