the time i encountered aliens on my college campus.

I know what you've all been thinking. Man, that Madeline girl is super boring lately. I know, it's fine. So I'm here to bring you some reading entertainment. This is a TRUE STORY. I'm hoping that you'll trust me, and that you won't laugh. It's also very serious. See that picture up there? With the metal bendy pipe things? This is to illustrate what I'm talking about, because mostly when I tell the story, it sounds like it was a dream.

Here's what happened.

One chilly March evening, our heroine Madeline was leaving the library wearing only a light jacket. She was in a hurry to return home after attending math class, hoping to see her fiance after he got off work. As she rushed past the smokers in the corner, holding her breath, she heard the strangest noise. "shhhh shhhhh shhhh" the noise seemed to say. Madeline kept her face forward, clutching her books. Walking alone at night had never been one of her strengths. "shhh shhhh shhhh". She heard the noise again, and couldn't help but look at her surroundings to see where it had come from. Two happy people walked arm in arm toward the library chatting, and silent skateboarder slithered slowly down the sidewalk. A glint of moonlight caught her eye. What could that be? It looked to her like two giant metal bendy tubes were shuffling around the courtyard! Indeed! They were the source of the "shhhh shhhh shhh"! Their little white feet stuck out from the bottom, but the tube bent over their faces - if they had faces - and left little to be discovered. Madeline had a decision to make. Should she take a picture? Or should she make a run for it? Madeline's fear of walking alone at night won, and she gave them a wide berth, completely turning the wrong direction and making herself have an even longer sojourn through the parking lots.

And all the while, that noise, "shhh shhh shhh" followed her, until she gave up on her pride completely and ran the last few feet to the car.

The end.

p.s. if anyone wanted to know, I have probably gone through three rolls of toilet paper blowing my nose this week.