I’m repurposing another older post for this month’s Hop. I had something in the works, but it didn’t come together in time. Alas.
This story was originally posted as N is for News on April 16, 2019.
Evening Update
(Music)
VoiceOver: This is Channel 12 Advantage News, your news leader, with the Eleven O’Clock report. (Music fades)
Anchor Gary Kline: Good evening, I’m Gary Kline. In breaking news tonight, residents of Westfield have been shocked by what some are calling a military incursion in their town, and what others are calling an alien invasion. Kate Sanders is in Westfield tonight with a live report. Kate?
(Live Feed)
Reporter Kate Sanders: Thanks Gary. I’m here in Westfield where residents were shaken up today. First, they say, something from the sky crashed in the hills just outside of town. Now, the military has that area cordoned off, and some people are smelling a coverup.
Reporter Kate Sanders: Westfield is a sleepy little town with one gas station, one stoplight, and a lot of heart. Residents here are like things to be reliable. Predictable. They say Westfield has been the same for over sixty years. But today, something very different happened, and residents don’t seem to like it.
Jimmy Michaels: We were out on the play ground? At school? And I looked up and saw it, like a black missile thing! It was super cool! So I pointed and my friend Billy looked, and then everybody looked. But mostly it was past by then. And then we saw the smoke? And then two fighter jets went by and Miss Connelly made us all go back inside, even though the bell didn’t ring yet. It wasn’t fair. But it was super cool!
Bob Smith: Well there was this sound, almost like a motor, but screechy, you know? So I ran out of my barber shop and into the street to see what it was. And there was a trail of smoke up in the sky, and then I could feel it when everything shook. Sumpin’ crashed out there. They say it was a jet crash. That’s why the army come out. But I don’t think so. It just don’t seem right.
Reporter Kate Sanders: Major Vance Martell held a brief news conference just after Five O’Clock this evening.
Major Vance Martell: This afternoon at approximately 1:25, a military aircraft crashed. We presume both pilots on board were lost. Those names are being withheld, pending notifications. The area surrounding the crash site will be off-limits to all but military personnel as we investigate the crash. There are concerns about fuel being released, and so to ensure the safety of the public, we have blocked off roughly a one square mile area. We understand that this may cause some concerns to the local community, but as the crash site was away from all population centers, we believe that any inconvenience to residents will be minimal.
Local police are cooperating with our operations, and we ask that members of the community follow all instructions from police and military as we work to investigate and recover the downed aircraft. That’s all I have for now.
(End Video Package)
Reporter Kate Sanders: Major Martell didn’t take any questions, Gary. But we are hoping to have new information sometime tomorrow. Meanwhile, speculation continues over what, exactly, crashed in these hills.
Hold on. Jim—did you see that?
Gary, I’m asking Jim, my camera man, to zoom in on something. Can you see those lights? Those blue lights on the horizon just appeared. They seem to be hovering at or near the crash site, and the … Oh, wow. Oh my gosh. There seems to be something … something happening. The ground is vibrating, and all the hair on my arms just stood up. It’s like a massive static build up just … Jim, get that! Gary? Can you see that? There appears to be some kind of beam or laser coming from the light. The hovering … West … on the … Martell … tary action … coming down …
(End Live Feed)
Anchor Gary Kline: Kate? We seem to have lost communication with Kate Sanders, our reporter. Possibly some kind of electronic interference. We will get back to her just as soon as we re-establish that connection.
Until then, let’s check in with Stormin’ Stan Sylvester at the weather desk…
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Links
I hope you’ll take the time to read the other stories in this Hop. These are some great writers and wonderful people. And if you like what you read, I hope you’ll consider joining their lists too. The world is a richer place when there are more stories to tell.
Please note, if you find links that don’t work, try again later. Sometimes it takes a little time to get the gremlins worked out.
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