A call by Husband Pax to the Deschutes sheriff's office yesterday reported his wife, M. Pax, never came home from her job at Pine Mountain Observatory. Other reports came in for the other three volunteers, which resulted in an investigation up at the observatory where they were all last seen.
Campers at the public campground, across the road from the observatory, said the staff never opened up for the public viewing. They had seen the staffers arrive and walk up to the telescopes.
"It's like they vanished," said Mike Rook of Bend.
"Since it was a clear night," Robert Lamb of Sisters said, "I thought it odd. I come up here every summer and I know the staff to be really dedicated."
"They're here every weekend without fail," said the rancher at the bottom of the mountain. "And I know they all came up last night. Saw them drive up. I know their cars. Only one road goes up to the observatory."
The astronomers' cars were in the parking lot, but no sign of M. Pax or her three coworkers was found except for a bloody boot.
"Didn't hear nothing," Robert Lamb said. "If it was a cougar attack, it was a dang quiet one."
"Despite M. Pax's suspicions my cattle are out to get her, I know my steer had nothing to do with this," the rancher said. "Not a thing."
"I did see a flash of light," said Dora Davies of Redmond. "Ms. Pax told us those stone constructions on the summit are yeti houses. Do you think-"
"I read in that Weird Oregon book," Lamb said, "those cattle mutilations took place around here. They based an X-Files on that, ya know. The truth is out there. Yup. Right over there. Just gotta know what to look for."
"Yup. Call Mulder and Scully. They know what to look for. Other people have claimed alien encounters out this way," Mike Rook said. "It's the only logical explanation."
"We're not suspecting any such thing," the Sheriff said, "but the amont of blood ... well, we don't expect to find the PMO staff alive."
"Sounds like a plot straight out of one of her stories. M. Pax writes science fiction," the rancher said. "Although, I like the tales she tells me about my gangsta cows the best. But it wasn't them. It wasn't. And anyway they're steer not cows."
If anyone has any further information on the missing astronomers, please call the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office 555-5555.
Hmmm. Maybe it was a swarm of volcanic killer ash bees. :-O
All photos taken by moi except the last which was taken by one of the security cameras at the observatory. Click on any for a larger view.
Delusional Doom blogfest brought to you by Hart Johnson, Confessions of a Watery Tart.
Thank you Hart! This was a lot of fun to do.
