More Harry Hogan stories!
George Riley has been wrestling with a problem for several months now and he's unsure what to do about it. So he decided to talk to his childhood friend and confidant tonight, over dinner. It's something they have been doing on the first Saturday of every month since their college days. Both are married but this was something they had promised they would always do.
He works in the city, driving back and forth each day. Since early spring he's frequently seen lights over the swamp. He's never seen anything like it before, and they look out of place. He's trying to convince himself it's some kind of reflection, something simple.
They weren't there during the summer, when the days were long, but with the days getting shorter, it's darker when he drives home. The lights are back, and the strange shadows floating over the swamp. Now George is about to share his dilemma for the first time.
It was the first Saturday of October, and George had just told Tom what he'd been seeing since the spring. "It's a relief just to say it out loud."
"Back up a minute," Tom said. "You saw what?"
"I know it's impossible... but it's real. I'm not sure if you'd call it an apparition, a ghost, or whatever, but there's definitely something out there."
"Are you sure you weren't dreaming?"
George shook his head. "I was driving home from work, remember?"
"How do you know if it's real?"
"I don't... not really. Maybe it's some kind of illusion. But anything that big out there in the swamp is strange, no matter what it is."
"It sounds like something from science fiction," Tom said.
"Yeah, it sounds crazy - even to me - and I saw the damn thing, whatever it is." He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Maybe someone's making moonshine out there, " Tom said. "Did you consider telling the police?
"And tell them what? That I've seen something floating over the swamp? They'd want a breathalyser test!"
"Well, sorry, old chum... but you just told me that you saw things."
"I told you that in confidence, but I'm not about to tell the police."
'Then, perhaps you should tell Harry Hogan."
'Nope, I'm not telling anyone. I'll just have to get to the bottom of this myself."
"You're going to investigate it yourself. Are you crazy? There's dangerous wildlife out there, black bears and bobcats hang around there, not to mention snakes in the water.
"I'll be careful."
"It's not safe." Tom shook his head. "You should talk to Hogan. He has a reputation for solving unusual things."
"What if he doesn't believe me? Or thinks I'm trying to pull a prank?"
"I guess he could look at it that way, but you'll never have an answer if you don't do something."
"Okay, I'll give it some thought."
Tom frowned. "Have you told Sandy about this?'
George shook his head. "I don't want to worry her."
"I think you should. She could help you research the area, maybe find something that could explain what you're seeing."
"As I said, I'll think about it."
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