BIGFOOT FROM OUTER SPACE! A WEEKLY WORLD NEWS EXCLUSIVE!

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"You're looking for a what?" One of the local forest rangers of the Yambaru mangrove reserve blurts out in disbelief.

"Bigfoot."

"You're joking right?"

"Your country gets trounced by kaiju and space aliens on a regular basis but for some reason the existence of the Sasquatch is difficult for you to swallow?"

"What did you say your name was again?"

"David Thompson, scientist, crypto-zoologist, anthropologist and biologist."

"I hope you're not expecting any support from the reserve personnel or the Rangers Commission."

"No, I just want access if you don't mind to all of the documented accounts of the recent encounters and sightings of the creature."

"There are none I'm afraid, such claims are dismissed as nonsense by the Rangers Commission and are therefore not recorded in any form."

*Sigh* Another non-believer.

"Very well, can you at least direct me then to the general area where most of the sightings have taken place?"

"Sure, but if you want my opinion you're wasting your time."

"Opinion noted." And disregarded.

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After parting ways with the Forest Ranger, David found himself in an area of the mangrove forest not too far from the village of Gesashi, which made sense since it was residents of that village who claimed to have seen the creature. Both the village and the Yambaru forest reserve was the largest expanse of Mangrove trees in Okinawa and a perfectly suitable hiding place for a Gigantopithicus or whatever this creature was, despite the fact that it was believed by many experts that tropical climates are not Sasquatch territory. The year is 1976 and the Bigfoot craze worldwide is at a fever pitch. How David would love to be the scientist to blow the lid off of this thing and provide something far more concrete than the often scoffed at Patterson film which was currently the closest thing to proof of the creature's existence that there was. If he did find something, his college professor was going to owe him a big apology, and David would also win a very serious wager. If he returned with something that proved the existence of Bigfoot, the professor had promised to address the university about making crypto-zoology a legitimate and certified course.

Damn it! I am using the if word again! Not if I find something, when I find something!

After traveling for a few miles David comes across something interesting, a series of footprints that could possibly belong to the specimen he sought. He leans down to take measurements and quickly wonders if he is perhaps mistaken as the prints measure out to a rather skimpy 10" inches in length. They also lacked the necessary depth to be a full grown Sasquatch, whose near 800 pound mass would cause a far deeper impression in the soil. Sure it could be perhaps a juvenile of the species, but it could just as easily be one of the local villagers who had decided to trek through the forest barefoot, thusly, David continues on.

Later he comes across more of the same footprints, but as he looks closer he suddenly spots something else as he slowly steps towards what appears to be a strand of hair fibers clinging to some shrubbery. David carefully pulls it free for further inspection as he examines it closely. Having studied and researched the various ape species that exist in this part of Japan which included hair samples he is able to immediately deduce that what he is currently holding does not match anything indigenous to this area. His mind begins to wonder, does this coincide with the footprints? Could he be dealing with an entirely new species here? Immediately thoughts of Arkansas Fouke Monster enter his mind. Though its existence had not yet been proven, it is believed to be an alternate species of Sasquatch, with varying differences from its cousins in the Pacific northwest United States. It is believed to be of a far smaller stature, being around 6 feet tall with differing hair type and of course its odd three toed footprints which were around 11" inches in length. Upon further examination he sees that the plant the strands had been stuck to were aonokumatakeran, a lush berry plant native to Okinawa that normally this time of year would be in full ripening bloom, yet all of them in this area had been apparently picked clean. David then remembers complaints from the villagers that fruit and vegetable harvests from the native wildlife had been scarce in recent months and that they blamed it on the creature. It would indeed be consistent with what was believed of most Sasquatch species and their feeding habits and was something to consider, but at the moment still rather circumstantial, he needed something more, and he planned on finding it.

David eventually reaches an area where the highest number of eyewitness accounts were supposed to have taken place and decides to bed down for the night behind some thick brush cover. With him are a pair of night vision goggles and a motion sensor night vision camera, if there was something here he was going to get it on film.

Bah! What does the scientific community know, they were wrong about the Coelacanth!

As the hours drag on David tries to stay awake, but he is seriously jet lagged from his flight and instead of checking into a hotel to rest had rushed out into the field the first chance that he had, eventually David loses his battle with his falling eyelids much to his chagrin.

It is the morning sun beating down upon his face that eventually awakens him at last as his eyes slowly flutter open and he takes account of his surroundings as he realizes what he had done cursing under his own breath. But it was not a total loss, he still needs to check the motion sensor camera. But as he looks over in its direction he sees that it is not where he had set it up the night before. In a panic David quickly springs up as he begins to search frantically, Professor Pierce would kill him if he allowed anything to happen to any of the equipment that had merely been borrowed for the trip. Immediately though David spots more of the footprints he had seen yesterday right where the camera had been, something had been here after all! Following them he eventually does find the camera, literally smashed and torn to pieces nearby. David is overcome by a wave of nausea, not only had the equipment been damaged but the discovery of the century may have just been made and lost all in one fell swoop on a camera which may now no longer function as he snatches it up looking it over desperately to see if it still worked and or if the film was salvageable.

The professor is going to kill me.

But as David fumbles with the camera he suddenly hears a rustling off to his right as his head snaps up. David takes note of the fact that the footprints in question seemingly lead to the direction that the sound is coming from. Quietly and cautiously David slowly creeps towards the location of the sounds until he almost on top of the disturbance, his pulse racing! He gently reaches forward to spread apart the brush, only to have the crap scared out of him by a leaping Mongoose as a startled David staggers back and then falls square on his rump. Though his heart is practically beating out of his chest David can't help but laugh at himself. Given a chance to calm down and think clearly David tries to suss it all out in his head. Obviously a Mongoose was not to blame for the smashed camera, so what was?

David's question is suddenly answered as a large shadow suddenly looms over him causing him to turn his head up at an angle from his sitting position. Standing before him was truly a horrifying sight. A large bipedal humanoid standing close to 7 feet tall and covered in short black fur. But what chilled David was its face, similar to that of an ape but an odd dark green color. The face however was badly scared and burned as was the rest of its body upon which patches of its bare green skin could be seen. That was when it hit him, a green skinned ape? This thing was a Simeon alien! A survivor of the Black Hole invasion force that had created Mechagodzilla and made two failed attempts to conquer the Earth, the last of which was only a year ago! David's epiphany is abruptly interrupted however as the rather angry looking alien roars and then reaches down grabbing him and throwing him through the air as he lands hard breaking his left forearm on impact! Shocked back to reality David realizes the danger he is in and pulls himself up as he takes off running!

He moves as fast as his legs can carry him as he hears more of the inhuman howls coming from behind him signifying that the creature had apparently given chase. David keeps going rushing blindly through the foliage until he stumbles across a steep incline that he is moving far too fast to be able to avoid as he tumbles over the edge. He rolls painfully all the way down until he falls into a rushing river that begins to whisk him away as he quickly grabs on to a half submerged fallen tree from the opposite bank with his right arm to keep himself from being swept away. He hunkers low, barely visible in the water while partially hiding behind the fallen tree as the Simeon finally reaches the river's edge searching for his quarry. David remains unmoving as the Simeon actually begins to sniff the air. Finally still and hopefully well hidden David has an opportunity to think.

If this thing was a Simeon, why was it acting in this way? They were an advanced and intelligent alien race with mastery of technology beyond anything that Earthlings could begin to dream of. Why was this one running around naked screaming and grunting like a gorilla foraging for berries in the Yambaru forest reserve? And why was it so badly burned and scarred? As David watches it closely the Simeon turns around for a moment, revealing something to David that he had not noticed before. There appeared to be something shinny sticking out of the back of its head that was catching the rays of the sun as they reflected off of it. Upon closer scrutiny David sees that it is a piece of metal of some kind. But why was it there? It certainly didn't look like it belonged there, the tissue around where the piece was appeared to be partially scabbed over from an attempt to heal. But that made no sense, what could it me-

Just then David has another sudden realization…

Such an injury would cause catastrophic damage to the brain if the victim survived. Could it be…shrapnel?

Yes! The Simeon was perhaps someone who had been attempting to escape the destruction of one of their ships or bases during the midst of its destruction. The location of the first Simeon secret base was in Gyokusendo cave, which was just a few miles from here! He managed to escape but a stray piece of shrapnel hits him in the head. He survives with that injury and his burns but is forever brain damaged resulting in his mental faculties reverting to that of an animal! It all made sense now!

The only problem was that in his excitement David suddenly realized that he had yelled every word that he had just said out loud as the Simeon's head snaps in his direction!

"Oh **** !" David swears as the Simeon starts to come into the water but then quickly scampers back out.

It doesn't like the water, it can't come in after me!

But just then the Simeon begins to look around as it lumbers over to what appears to be a massive rock that had to weigh around 300 pounds and then proceeds to lift it up off the ground!

Oh you have got to be kidding me!

As the alien heaves the boulder through the air David is forced to let go of the tree as the river rushes him out of harm's way at the last second right before the rock smashes down through the water-logged wood where David had been floating. If that had hit him he would've surely been killed! The creature howls in frustration as the river sweeps David far away and out of his reach.

A couple of days later…

David sits quietly in coach onboard a plane heading back to the United States. He had no idea how he was going to explain what had happened to him or the equipment he had promised to take good care of, but he'd be damned if he was going to go back for it that was for sure! Though he had made an amazing discovery, he had nothing to show for it other than the sling his broken arm was in, it was pretty much a total bust. Who could he tell, who would believe him?

Maybe Weekly World News?

THE END