THEM!

Even as a child I suspected the presence of Them.  I remember playing outside at night,  the crickets would stop chirping, the breeze would lay,  stillness enveloped the night and a fear would come over me.  I now know it was Them watching me.  (In the interest of clarity I will sometimes use the subjective pronoun "They" in reference to Them.)
It wasn't until my teenage years when the movie "THEM!" came out that I knew Their name.  Many times since I have been aware of Them watching me.  However, I have come to realize not many people know about Them, so I'm reluctant to bring Them up in conversation.  They live in wooded areas and are so secretive as to be virtually invisible to the human eye, but animals can see Them.  When your dog barks without apparent reason, it's Them.  Or their hair stands up and they growl that low growl, it's Them.  Your cat will disappear for hours in some dark place because of Them.
When I was a paratrooper in the army, manning a listening post or point man on patrol, I would occasionally catch a vague movement out of the corner of my eye and know it was Them  watching me.  Or on our land in Texas, while sitting on the patio, our dogs would suddenly stop and stare at the tree line, hair up, I knew it was Them watching me.  Often, while hunting, I will feel the need to turn around and look behind me or look in a particular direction.  This is my sixth sense warning me of Them.  Use see,  looking at Them stops Them.  I shudder to think what would happen if one of Them got to close.
Think back on your walks in the woods when the forest would suddenly go quiet.  It gave you an eerie feeling didn't it.  The birds and animals, even the very forest itself, could see Them  watching you.  There was a time when I was a little boy I think I had Them under my bed and sometimes, if I left the closet door open, even in my closet.  During thunderstorms, I believe I caught a glimpse of Them looking in my window.
I can remember occasions when I was chased by Them.  Coming home one night from a friends house I felt Them  following me.  I was afraid to look behind me (That was before I knew you had to look at Them) and broke into a run.  They were right on my tail all the way home.  By the time I burst through the front door I could feel Them just one step behind me.  That was one of my closest calls with Them.  Another time I was swimming with friends in a pond.  Suddenly my sixth sense told me there was one of Them behind me under the water, swimming for my life I just barely made it to the bank.  I yelled a warning to the other boys and they all fled the water in panic.  Thankfully my warning saved us from Them.
Then there was the time I made the mistake of bring Them up with the real estate agent that was going to list our farm in Texas for sale.  My son, his wife, Carolyn and I  were sitting on the patio while she, the agent, asked a bunch of questions about our house for listing purposes.  She had finished so we were just chatting when my attention was drawn to the tree line.  I suddenly felt Them watching us, so I asked my son if we should tell her about Them.  She asked, "Who?"  I replied "Them" motioning to the tree line, "out there."  Looking around she said "I don't see anyone."  I told her "Of course not, nobody can see Them, They live out there in the woods, always watching, waiting. "  She was becoming visible nervous, I could tell she felt Them too.  At this point my son broke in and said "Knock it off Dad."  Then turning to the real estate lady said " Don't pay any attention to my Dad, he's just pulling your leg."  But I know she felt Them watching.  As it turned out it didn't matter, my son ended up using another agent.
  I leave you with this warning, when you feel Them watching, always look!  Don't let THEM get to close.
Kim Warren