Today we have Michael Matson guest blogging.  Michael is from a mid-sized town in the southwestern part of the USA.  He is 47 years of age and a firefighter for 26 years now. He is married and has three kids.  In his spare time, Michael enjoys playing golf, fishing and working on his '58 Oldsmobile.  

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My story is probably going to be short in comparison to the first story here on the paranormal.  I don't have any real supernatural or paranormal experiences to share but this one story.  This took place in a small town in Arizona.  I was 14 years old at the time.  One of the things we enjoyed a great deal back then was exploring the surrounding area.  It didn't matter if it was rocks, hills, valleys or anything that struck our fancy.  My best friend in the whole world was another 14 year old named Jodie Weston.  I was really attracted to his 16 year old sister.  But, she considered me just a punk kid not worthy of her.  But, that didn't stop me from vying for her attention!  Jodie and I enjoyed playing baseball and really met that way.  We soon discovered we had a lot of things in common.  We both enjoyed exploring.  Jodie often told me we probably had ancestors who were aboard the Mayflower centuries ago.  Jodie and I lived near the northern part of Arizona, pine-covered high country of the Colorado Plateau in the north-central portion of the state.  It was in direct contrast with the image most people have of a desert, arid Arizona .  This was high country and pine trees galore.

On a late April day, Jodie and I were in my backyard throwing a baseball, just talking the talk of young teens.  Suddenly, we both saw a bright light about 5 miles north of us.  It was even brighter than the sun.  We both just knew it had to be a meteor.  But, neither one of us saw it streaking down from the sky.  At the time, we didn't/' think about that. It was about 3:30 to 4PM when this happened.  Mom always warned me to never go up into the pine-covered hills after noon.  But, Jodie and I could not let this go without investigation.  So, off we went to God knows what.  It took us about 45 minutes to get to the approximate area by dirt bikes that we had.  It was rocky going that route.  When we got there, we heard a slight chirping noise, not unlike that of crickets.  But, this was louder.  Suddenly, I remember seeing a bright light, an incredibly bright light that knocked me unconscious.  Unfortunately, that is the last thing I remember of what happened.  I don't know exactly how long I was out.  But, when I regained consciousness, Jodie Weston was gone. Not a trace of him in fact.  I thought Jodie had left to go get help.  Maybe he couldn't wake me up.  That was my thought at the time.  But, that is not what happened.  I screamed for Jodie for several minutes as I continued to look for him in the quickening darkness of the day.  After about 20 minutes, I decided this was fruitless.  I took my bike home in the hope Jodie was there.  That was not to be.  I advised my father of what had happened.  Dad called the Sheriff's office and a search and rescue was soon underway.  But, after 5 days of searching, no trace of Jodie was ever found.

To this day, Jodie has not ever been found or any trace of him.  Nothing, not one thing has been found. Jodie just disappeared completely off the face of the earth.  Suspicion was on me for many years afterward.  But, I was never charged.  Nothing was ever discovered from the bright light that I related to law enforcement that day.  Nothing was seen on radar at nearby military bases.  I have nightmares about Jody even to this day.  I see him floating, reaching out to me from strange places that defy description.  Jodie is always asking me for help.  In those dreams, Jodie is always 14 years old.  I've gone to many doctors about this.  But, the nightmares continue to this day.  Was it a UFO? Was Jodie abducted?  I've thought that many times in my life. I have no idea.  I have no memory after the bright flash.  I've undergone hypnosis several times.  But, each time I get to the bright flash and I immediately wake up. I fear I will go to my grave never knowing what happened to my childhood friend who disappeared that one fateful April day.  But, that appears to be what is going to happen.

Addendum:  I decided to use false last names for myself and for Jodie to protect surviving family and friends of Jodie.

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