The Mystery of the U.F.O. Read Free

wrinkled silver skin ran out. It had a head, arms, and legs and was about the same height as Cam and Eric. Its hands were green and its feet were blue. It was holding something long and thin.

    Then a second creature ran out. It was carrying a pile of colored objects. Both creatures dropped what they were holding and ran back behind the wall.

Chapter Five
     
     
     
    C am and Eric stood still. They were afraid to move.
    “What do we do now?” Eric whispered.
    “I don’t know. Let’s just wait.”
    Cam and Eric waited quietly. They saw one of the creatures run out again. It was holding something.
    “Get back here, Cindy,” a voice called out. The silver creature dropped what it was holding and ran back behind the wall.
    “Did you hear that!” Cam said. “They speak English. Now how would a creature from outer space learn English?”
    “Well, maybe they studied it in school,” Eric said. “Or maybe they’ve been here before.” Eric thought for a minute. “Or maybe they’re wondering how come we speak their language.”
    “Or maybe they’re not from outer space,” Cam said. “Come on. Let’s get closer.”
    Eric didn’t want to get closer. He wanted to go home. But before he could tell Cam, she ran ahead.
    She ran from one tree to the next. Eric followed her. They tried to run quietly, but the dried leaves made noise when Cam and Eric stepped on them. Neptune made noise, too. She meowed inside Cam’s pocket.
    Cam and Eric stopped running when they reached a large tree close to the wall of the handball court. There was a pile of leaves next to the tree. Cam put her lunch box and books down. She tried to hide behind the leaves. She couldn’t. The pile was too small.
    “Help me,” she whispered to Eric. “Let’s build this up.”
    Eric passed leaves to Cam and she placed them on top of the pile. When the pile was high enough, Cam and Eric crawled behind it.
    They waited. They watched the wall, but nothing happened. It was quiet.

    Cam took Neptune out of her pocket. She stroked the back of her neck. Neptune purred softly.
    “If we could see what they dropped behind that wall,” Cam said, “we might be able to find out who they are.”
    Cam put Neptune back in her pocket. Cam crawled around the tree. She got closer to the wall. Then Cam stopped. She heard voices on the other side of the wall.
    “Cindy,” a boy’s voice said, “fold your arms like this. And, Steven, you stand like this.”
    There was a flash of light on the other side of the wall.
    “Steven, you hold the ray gun. Cindy, you sit down next to Steven.”
    “Oh, Bobby, why can’t I hold the ray gun?”
    Cam crawled closer. She could see a pile of colored objects ahead, behind the wall.
    “Don’t smile,” Cam heard Bobby say. “Look curious.”
    There was another flash of light.
    Cam crawled closer to the wall. The pile of colored objects were children’s sneakers, two jackets, an empty box of aluminum foil, and the wrappings from two pairs of green rubber gloves.
    Sneakers? Cam thought. Aluminum foil and rubber gloves?

    Cam sat there. She looked at the sneakers and the coats. These aren’t creatures from outer space, Cam told herself. They’re children covered with aluminum foil.
    Cam reached into her pocket. Neptune was still there. She licked Cam’s hand and purred.
    Then Cam looked back at Eric. He was signaling for Cam to come back. She didn’t. She crawled along the back of the wall. There was a large tree just at the edge of the wall. Cam hid behind it and looked out.
    A car was parked facing the handball court. Its headlights were on. There were two children covered with aluminum foil. They were both wearing blue wool socks and green rubber gloves. One was holding a toy ray gun. The children’s faces were hidden behind silver masks with holes for their eyes and mouths. An older boy, the one called Bobby, was there, too. He was about eighteen. He had a camera and was taking pictures.

    It was hard for Cam to see