Original subtitles

(HAUNTING MUSIC)

Sometimes there's things that change

your whole perspective on life.

Did you see that?

It was incredible. We couldn't believe our eyes.

(BUZZING)

(TOY SIRENS BLARING)

(SCREAMS)

(INTENSE MUSIC)

(LOUD THUMPING OVERHEAD)

(SCREAMS)

Sync and corrections by btsix www.addic7ed.com

(VOICES WHISPER INDISTINCTLY)

I was extremely nervous about telling our story to a stranger.

Can we trust this person to do the right thing?

(POLICE SIREN WAILS IN DISTANCE)

So my office is just on the left, over here.

So we can step inside.

My colleague had referred this couple to me,

and had told them that they were ideal candidates

for the experience of hypnotic regression.

- Please, take a seat. - Thank you.

There's no question that people are able

to remember things under hypnosis

that they had been unable to remember

using conscious attempts to retrieve memory.

We are going to use what is called the forensic model.

This is the way hypnosis is used in legal proceedings.

I think I had a lot of doubt and skepticism

about hypnosis in general.

When I first met the Hesses,

they struck me as normal,

educated, young professional people.

Articulate. Intelligent.

But I could see that they were apprehensive

about what we were about to do.

My understanding is that we have to focus

on a period of time of four hours

that you have little recall of, is that right?

Yes, that's correct.

We were missing at least four hours of our lives.

I was nervous about the unknown.

I'm not sure I wanted to know.

(ACOUSTIC MUSIC)

Dawn, hurry up, honey. They'll be here soon.

- We got to go. - Okay, okay, I'm almost done.

Dawn and I first met in college.

I was a sophomore and he was a junior.

- Five minutes, okay? - I said okay.

I was attracted to his athleticism,

but he just had these warm, caring eyes.

- Watch out. - (LAUGHS)

We would just have little smirks, little flirty smiles,

and it was sweet.

After we had gotten married, we had our two children:

Steven and Bethany.

Steve, are you sure you got the steaks?

Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure, honey.

We got everything. Relax.

Work had been getting hectic a while,

and I knew it was time that maybe Dawn and I

carved out some time for ourselves.

I came up with the idea of spending a weekend alone,

out in the desert, doing a little camping.

Thought about taking Dawn out to the Mojave reserve

to spend a nice weekend out in the desert.

You guys don't need anything else?

You good?

I did this really as a favor to Steve.

I wanted to make him happy,

and I wanted a quiet getaway.

- Have a good time. - Thanks, guys.

Don't worry about a thing. We've got it covered.

Thanks, Dad. We'll see you in a couple of days.

- You bet. Have a good one. - We'll miss you.

(ENGINE STARTS)

I arranged to borrow my dad's camper for the weekend,

and I used that for our hotel on wheels.

We did hit the road...

feeling good about things.

It was really great to get away.

It had been a long time since we had

that real quiet together time.

So we were excited.

(OMINOUS MUSIC)

I made the plans to go up to Mid Hills Campground.

Stayed there many times.

I learned and loved the peacefulness and tranquility

that's out there.

There's no other place in the world like that.

Let's see what's going on here.

We arrived to the campsite.

- (TRUCK DOOR CLOSES) - Hey.

Is the camp open?

We're open, but we're full to bursting here.

Full?

We don't have another spot.

You're kidding.

I couldn't believe it.

That's never happened up there before.

I'm now faced with a little bit of a dilemma,

and I had to come up with a better plan,

which was probably going to be more remote,

and see if I could sell it to Dawn.

That's weird.

Now what?

Uh...

you know what?

Actually, I know the perfect place.

It's just a little ways further on.

(SIGHS)

The road was getting tougher and tougher.

Steve, please, I don't want to keep going.

It's not much further. Don't worry.

I was worried about getting stuck in the sand

and not having a way back.

I didn't like being out there,

where no one could see us or hear us.

She was getting a little bit nervous

as we got deeper and deeper into the canyon.

(ACOUSTIC MUSIC)

About an hour and a half of a bumpy ride down the canyon,

we finally arrived.

It really was pretty perfect.

And I felt safe.

You were right.

This is...

This is beautiful.

(HAWK SCREECHES)

(WOLF HOWLING)

Got the fire going, and then get the steaks grilling.

He started prepping for dinner,

and it was dusk.

And it was so relaxing.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye,

I seen this while light above the horizon.

As soon as I looked at it again,

it disappeared just as quickly behind the mountain.

I looked back a couple different times,

and glanced up there to see if it would reappear,

but it did not.

Hey.

- (LAUGHS) - You made me jump.

- How's it going? - It's good.

What was that for?

Just because.

(HAUNTING MUSIC)

As we got done with our dinner,

we were sitting there, and looked at

some of the stars above, and some of the planets.

It was very nice. Very clear.

You could see them all.

Suddenly I saw these bright lights.

What are those ones? They look like they're...

Look like they're moving.

Yeah, I don't think those are stars.

All of a sudden the desert became eerily quiet.

(CRICKETS STOP CHIRPING)

Just dead silence.

Everything was quiet.

No crickets, no birds.

Deafening silence.

Oh, my God, Steve. Look.

The lights, they seemed to be blinking

in some kind of pattern.

We couldn't believe our eyes.

Probably just a weather balloon.

Are you sure?

(OMINOUS MUSIC)

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Did you just see that?

All of a sudden the lights seemed to move,

and they kind of formed a big "M" formation in the sky.

Just like this.

They seemed to be doing something very precise.

That is definitely not a weather balloon.

- Oh, my God. - (GASPS)

(OMINOUS MUSIC)

(GASPS)

I'm watching these lights fall down from the sky.

Just glide. Not a rapid fall,

but just glide, like they were parachuting.

There were hundreds and hundreds of them.

It's the Russians.

We thought it was a military invasion

paratrooping right out of the sky.

They were quite off in the distance still,

but we almost seen, you know, these red lights.

Like military night vision gear.

What is that?

(CREATURES CHITTERING)

All of a sudden, we see them advancing towards us

at a fairly rapid rate.

- What's happening? - Hey.

Oh, my God.

Dawn was transfixed. Watching.

Dawn, get back in the truck.

What are those things?

I could see them coming closer.

Steve runs around and grabs his rifle.

We had to protect ourselves.

- (CREATURE ROARS) - Oh, my God!

(CREATURE SNARLING) (LOUD THUMPING OVERHEAD)

(WHIMPERING) Oh, my...

All of a sudden I heard this thump-thump-thump.

It sounded like something was running across

the top of the camper.

(THUMPING CONTINUES)

What is that?

(CREATURE ROARS)

(SOBBING SOFTLY)

(CREATURE SNARLING)

(PANTING)

(SHRIEKS AND WHIMPERS)

(SOBBING) Oh, my God!

What's out there?

(OVERHEAD THUMPING RESUMES)

They appeared to be very impish,

elfish-looking creatures.

(THUMPING OVERHEAD)

They were so alien-like.

(CREATURES SNARLING AND GROWLING)

(CREATURE HISSES SOFTLY)

(SCREAMS AND CRIES)

We were completely surrounded, and there was no way

we could get out.

We were trapped.

(CRYING)

Oh, my God!

(HYPERVENTILATING)

What's happening?

Steve, he wanted to communicate with them.

What's happened?

No, Steve. (SOBBING)

Steve, don't.

And I leaned forward like this.

Then all of a sudden, pow!

- (WEAPON FIRES) - Oh, my gosh!

- Steve! - I felt the shock.

Steve, Steve, Steve...

It propelled me back.

It's okay, it's okay.

(CREATURES ROARING)

(LOUD CRASH)

(DEEP RUMBLING)

I could hear a low hydraulic hum.

(LOW-PITCHED PULSATING HUM)

The sound was getting louder and louder.

(PULSATING HUM CONTINUES)

The noise.

Intensified vibrations.

(HUMMING CONTINUES)

(HUMMING STOPS)

All of a sudden,

everything was quiet.

We felt like it was over.

I think... I think they're gone now.

(INTENSE WHIRRING HUM)

(RUMBLING)

Oh, my God.

(DISHES CLATTER) (DAWN SCREAMS)

The camper shook violently.

Like an earthquake tremor.

That drilling sound,

it felt like it was right under us.

(INTENSE RUMBLING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

All of a sudden this mist just rolled into the camper.

(OMINOUS MUSIC)

I can't breathe! (GASPS)

Mist hits us. (BOTH COUGHING)

We were both helpless.

Couldn't breathe.

Couldn't move.

(COUGHS)

We thought we were done for.

No way out.

I thought, "We're going to die."

I remember waking up very clearly.

Steve was holding me.

Wake up.

Both woke up at the exact same time.

We were like, what has happened to us?

We didn't know how much time had passed,

what day it was.

The question was, what had just happened all night long?

Had we went mad? Did we dream this?

Was it some kind of fantasy?

Steve went into the cab of the truck

and turned on the radio.

And we were expecting to hear that the world had been invaded.

Here's your national forecast...

Nothing seemed to be different.

And the storm system out in the west...

The world was as it should be.

Hey, come here.

I noticed there were two small, red dots

on the side of her neck

that were very strange-looking.

They looked like two distinct, small puncture wounds.

It doesn't matter. It's fine.

(OMINOUS MUSIC)

I just wanted to get back to the children...

Instantly.

If what happened happened to us,

I would think there'd be a strong possibility

that someone would have saw something.

Before we got back on the main road,

we did encounter an older couple.

Asked them if they had seen or experienced

anything unusual last night.

Excuse me?

Did you guys stay here last night?

Yeah, we did.

Did you see anything in the sky?

No, we turned in pretty early last night.

We didn't see or hear anything.

Okay, well, thanks for your time, sir.

It's all good.

I couldn't bring myself to tell this couple

what happened to us.

I was still searching for my own answers why,

and if it did actually happen.

So I didn't share it with him.

It made me question my sanity, for one,

that this even happened.

The next thought on our mind is, you know,

who do we tell?

Who would believe us?

Do we even share this with anybody else?

On the way home,

we were in shock.

There was a lot of self-doubt. There was a lot of questioning.

There was a lot of internal struggle.

One of the biggest thoughts I'd had

after we got back from the desert

was the missing time period.

I wondered, but couldn't recall what had happened.

But I had a feeling it wasn't a good thing.

You okay?

By the time we got home,

we tried to put on a happy face.

I know I was in still shock and disbelief

that this happened to us.

And before I was going to share it with anybody,

I at least wanted to get a grip on it

in my own mind.

Let's just try and keep it together, okay?

Let's just try and act normal.

We can't tell anyone about this.

(SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC)

- Mama. - Hi.

I was so grateful to see those kids.

You know, Stevie came running,

and I lifted him up and hugged him.

It was a very emotional experience.

(HAUNTING MUSIC)

Over the next few days,

we just tried to get on with our lives.

I would tuck the kids in...

Go to the windows, and just search the skies.

And make sure everything was normal.

I was so grateful to be home,

but I was worried

that it wasn't over.

(OMINOUS MUSIC)

(LOW-PITCHED PULSATING HUM) (TOY SIRENS BLARE)

(BUZZING)

(PULSATING HUM CONTINUES)

(PULSATING HUM CONTINUES)

(PULSATING HUM CONTINUES)

I woke up abruptly,

and all of a sudden I hear little Steven.

(WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY)

(HUMMING STOPS)

Steve? Steve.

What are you doing down here? Are you okay?

Please don't let them get me.

He said, "Don't let those guys get me."

And I said, "What guys, honey?"

The little guys with the red eyes.

It's okay. Nobody's here, okay?

It's just a dream.

I now knew, not one of us is safe.

People who had came out and talked about UFO experiences,

the ridicule and the labels and the things that came with it,

it was extremely, extremely difficult

for me to talk about it.

- There you go. - Thanks, man.

Paul Moran is my best friend as I went through college.

We became extremely close.

So, what's up?

There's something I need to get off my chest.

Okay. Uh, you running away with a cheerleader?

No.

You remember a couple weekends ago,

Dawn and I went off just on a little camping trip,

just a little getaway type thing?

(EXHALES)

Well, um, something happened out there.

I haven't told anyone about this yet.

He knew how difficult it was for me to share it with him.

But yet I trusted him.

I know he would never do anything contrary

to our trust.

(PHONE RINGS)

- Ron Felber. - Ron, it's Paul.

- Hey, Paul. - How are you?

I'm fine, thanks.

Paul was sort of sworn to secrecy about a story

that he had heard from his best friend, Steve Hess.

But he thought I was in a unique position

to help these people.

So I told him about a book I was working on.

It was about soldiers that came back from Vietnam

with post-traumatic stress.

I think it jarred Paul's memory and clicked

that I had some contacts at the time

that worked with people that had trauma.

These were top-flight people that he thought

could do a lot of good for the Hesses.

Yeah, touch base with them and let me know what works.

All right, take care.

Bye.

- Mr. Hess. - Yes.

Paul, in his concern for me,

recognized that he had to help us deal with our situation.

This is my wife, Dawn.

Hi, Dawn. Nice to meet you.

When I first met the Hesses,

my first impression was that they were quiet people.

I want to reassure both of you

that I won't do anything without your approval.

Steve was, you know, a fellow with a great job.

You know, had a career going.

Dawn was also a college graduate.

Had two young children.

So, I mean, these are people more interested

in building a life, paying off their mortgage,

sending their kids to college

than anything that had to do with aliens or UFOs.

Well, why don't we start with you

just telling me everything you both remember from that night.

Well, the whole night?

Uh, yes, please.

The sense that I got from them

was that they were not just reluctant to talk,

but that they were scarred.

I thought it was important to make certain

that the Hesses were credible in every way.

One of the first things I wanted to do

was to put them in touch with a contact of mine,

a very well-respected psychiatrist and medical doctor.

He specializes in regression therapy.

His name is Dr. Anixter.

Please, take a seat.

Thank you.

Steve.

Okay. So, my understanding is that we have to focus

on a period of time

of four hours that you have little recall of.

Is that right?

Yes, that's correct.

There was a specific period of time

that they were unable to remember.

That was the reason they had come

all the way across the country.

So I decided to go after that.

Who would like to go first?

I felt the proper way

to conduct these hypnotic investigations

was to hypnotize them and interview them individually.

It's gonna be fine.

I promise.

Okay.

You can start the video recording, thanks.

(CAMERA CLICKS)

Take a deep breath

and think back on the whole story now.

I was kind of a fly on the wall.

I was listening, I was observing.

I want you to count backwards from ten.

- Ten... - Ten...

- Nine... - Nine...

BOTH: Eight...

- Seven... - Seven...

Six... five...

Four... three...

Two... one.

They're sucking us up into the sky.

The mist is clearing.

There's a drilling noise.

(METALLIC WHIRRING)

Then it's gone.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(OMINOUS MUSIC)

Both of them said they became aware

of being in the craft.

They were on an examination table...

and prevented from moving.

Steve described

being taken to a room in the craft.

(INTENSE MUSIC)

- (PIERCING HIGH-PITCHED TONE) - Steve struggled.

You could see him struggling in the chair.

(PULSATING HUM AND PIERCING HIGH-PITCHED TONE)

(SCREAMS)

(GRUNTING)

Steve was just disturbed.

(SCREAMING)

It was like his mind was being torn apart.

(RAPID HEARTBEAT ECHOING)

(SCREAMING)

(GRUNTING)

It was a physical and mental collapse.

Steve looked like he was fighting someone.

Like, literally he was fighting for his life.

Struggling every moment of the way

to get back to Dawn.

When Dawn was under hypnosis,

she could remember being put on this operating table.

(RUMBLING)

(ELECTRONIC BUZZING)

(WHIRRING)

She remembered the faces of these aliens

looming over the table.

Please stop. Please stop.

Please!

(SOBBING)

(INTENSE DISTORTED WHIRRING)

(CRYING)

(GASPING) Please.

Make them stop!

(GASPING)

She started pawing at her... At her neck.

(DISTORTED SCREAM)

(GASPS)

They're piercing my neck.

(CRYING)

(INTENSE MUSIC)

They're putting something inside me.

Please make it stop.

(SCREAMS)

(DEVICE WHIRRING)

(SLOW HEARTBEAT ECHOING)

(HAUNTING MUSIC)

We didn't see or talk to each other

since we separated in the morning.

Are you okay?

Yeah.

So we hadn't talked. And he was concerned about me.

So he just held my hand and said, you know, "Are you okay?"

And I said, "Yeah, I'm okay."

I said, "Are you okay?"

He said, "I think so." (LAUGHS)

I have no doubt that you believe

what you told me happened to you.

I saw no evidence of falsification.

I had no sense I was being manipulated or played in any way

by these people.

Dr. Anixter was convinced that we did have a close encounter,

and that what we described as happening did happen.

We were grateful

to fill some of that void of missing time.

It validated what we thought we already knew:

that other things happened that we didn't remember.

Is there anything you haven't told me?

I'm pregnant.

(HAUNTING MUSIC)

She said this was not a time in her cycle

that she would have anticipated being able to conceive.

I'm worried that something's going to be wrong.

I was pregnant.

But my concern was,

we didn't know if this was just our baby.

We were definitely worried

during that pregnancy

that the baby wouldn't be completely ours.

That perhaps they had had some kind of a...

Some kind of a hand in it.

(GENTLE PIANO MUSIC)

We gave birth to a healthy baby girl in the summer.

Her name is Amber Lee.

A little tiny pink face came out,

and her sweet little tiny human eyes.

I was so relieved.

I know, we all...

we all took a deep breath.

And we're so grateful.

She was a perfect baby.

The sweetest, gentlest little soul.

And I could look into her eyes...

And that baby brought me such peace.

It's taken 25-plus years to really feel comfortable

about talking about it,

and to coming to terms with it.

I never had... doubts

about... the events.

If we think that we live in this world and universe by ourselves,

I think we're badly misguided,

because I don't think that's the case.

And there's something bigger that's out there.

(HAUNTING MUSIC)

(LOW-PITCHED PULSATING HUM)

(BABY CRIES LOUDLY)

Sync and corrections by btsix www.addic7ed.com