Chapter 40

". . . George, who heard it from his cousin Juanita on the base, swears, this time, it's real. Aliens have landed, and they're not friendly."

The word "alien" caught her attention. Maya turned to the petite Latina woman who spoke. "What's going on at the base?"

Eager to tell her story again to a new avid listener, Marcia spoke quickly. "Apparently their radars didn't catch it, but this object, unknown object," she said with a wide-eyed whisper, "landed by the white sands. My cousin says the military sent out a detachment, and they found a circle like the ones you see in them crops. The dog unit was called in, and last I heard, they were chasing some giant alien, and he's heading toward us!"

Several of the listeners crossed themselves, and excited babble broke out. Maya shook her head. She knew better than to listen to gossip. How often had so-and-so's cousin, sister, or uncle made the same claim, when the truth usually ended up being something benign? The last false a