The Rock

I’ve packed up my little world, my car ready to go. I’m relaxing having my last cup of coffee in the oak covered canyon, next to the river, in Sedona. One last sit this early September morning. Listening to the river and birds he, my neighbor for the last week, comes over to say he wanted to share something with me for all I’d done for him. I guess the coffee and sewing pants was generous for him. We walk over to his table and he points to an old stainless steel pot and starts to tell me a long tale that happened about 25 years ago in Area 51. THE Area 51. Back in the seventies you could still sneak in by taking a long hike, climbing a fence and then some more hiking, so he did. After roaming around for a short while he hears someone call his name. He looks around and no one is there. He’s freaked out and figures “they” have caught him and are coming to get him. He hears his name called again and keeps looking around. He wonders what kind of technology they have that can know who he is. He hears someone say “Ron, over here.” He walks in that direction and all he can see is rocks and dry earth for a distance. He looks down to see a rock, the same one sitting in the pot, in front of us, as he’s telling me this story. He says to me “ I know this is crazy but the rock is talking to me.” He/It, the rock, tells Ron that he is an alien that has been put in the rock by some technology we, the U.S., now has because of the aliens. I’m listening. It sounds out there but I was raised by a mother where out there was close to normal, so I’m hanging in there with the story. He had a lot more information about the few interactions over the years. The rock insisted he take him that day and not leave him for who knows how long before someone else would come by. He tells me he is in Sedona to try and sell it so he can move to Costa Rica and live out his days alone so no one can bother him. He’s probably in his 50’s and living close to the edge.

I haven’t said much. I asked a few questions of which he always answered. I asked how many people knew about this he said only one other besides me, his cousin. I also asked if he asked the rock about being sold. “No” was his quick reply.

The conversation was winding up when he said “Are you ready to see this?” I thought I was already looking at it so I said “Sure”. He takes the rock out of the water and turns it over. There were two absolutely perfectly shaped eyes, exactly as you would draw them if you were making one of those alien pictures. Two perfect large almond shapes but in the purest of white crystal. I was speechless at how exact and perfectly formed. I’d never seen anything like this. He says “Pretty amazing, huh”. I pause and say “I think you should check in with him/the rock before you sell him. You are his caretaker and should be sure he ends up in good hands.” He turned the rock over and put it back in the pot. We said our good byes and I drove off thinking how amazing this world is. If I hadn’t seen the rock with my own eyes I would not have believed him. But I did believe him.
Mary