"You know it's dark. It's like a little man with a hood on or something. It looks almost like this —- y'know, there's no head... he's covered in something. And comes over to the bed and he starts like sucking something in-not into my head, y'understand, but like it was sticking into my mind. It would make a noise like a voice. It was terrible! [Demonstrates noise: a smacking, squeaking sound.] Like that. Going into me. It was just ('rod-awful horrible. He was standin' there Join' that."

"What was he doing?"

"You know, I can't. I'd have to be hypnotized again if I was ever gonna find out what that thing was saying. It was something that was being said inside me. Like it had a little thing it could touch to my head and it would make a voice. That's what I think it was."

"While he was talking to you, you weren't shouting then?"

"I was shouting. No, I was." (I was confused by this question, because, as will be seen in a moment, the figure was not in fact talking to me.) "I have absolutely no idea why the other people had — didn't remember because I'm damned sure I was shouting."

"Do you remember what your wife was doing?"

"I don't see her, because I'm turned toward the thing. Am I still hypnotized?"

"No."

"I swear to God. I just can't believe that this happened. But it did happen. I'll tell you the light comes down past the window, then I see a glow in the front yard. I thought I had gotten up, but I don't think now that I did. I thought I had seen the glow against the roof of the living room, but I don't think I did. I think I knew all along it was coming in the window, the glow, and I just didn't somehow want to say that. Because it was very obvious even then that it wasn't a fire. And he was-I just don't know what he was doing And I'll be frank with you all. I can't uh, I just can't figure it out. It was very scary. But he wasn't . . He was wearing a cover, like, he had a cover on. I'm shaky."

"Perfectly understandable."

"You know, I can't understand it. Yes, I guess of course I understand why an experience like that could be so scary. But, you want to keep on?"

"If you'd like to."

"I do. Definitely,"

"OK."

"I mean, I think I may have gotten right at the beginning through the worst part of it, frankly. Because whatever it was, when it first came to me that night it was ultimately terrifying."

Budd Hopkins responded. "It's often like this. Beginning moments are the worst. And after that, it gets easier."

"Was I a good hypnotic subject?"

"You were excellent."

"Good. It didn't seem to take very long. It felt very nice."

"It always feels nice."