It started as a normal day in the Scott household, just outside of Chicago. Mathew Scott’s wife made breakfast, while his son sat nearby, waiting to be fed. Mathew hadn’t slept well the night before. He’d wandered aroundthe house a bit, which was when he’d seen the shadow fall across the moon. Maybe it was a dream; that was what he told himself on his way to the office.That afternoon, Mathew was put in charge of a large amount of company money. He was supposed to deposit the money in the local bank, but he never did. That afternoon, hedisappeared without a trace-to be gone for a year before he returned.Upon his arrival back in Chicago, Mathew finds himself the target of an embezzlement lawsuit, but that isn’t the worst of it. Mathew also comes to realize he has been abducted by aliens.How do you prove an alien abduction in a court of law? Is it possible, or will people write you off as a madman? Does Matthew have enough evidence to present to a jury in an attempt toconvince them that his story is even plausible? He can only hope so. If not, he will face a guilty verdict and time in a federal prison.

THE RETURN OF MATTHEW SCOTT

By Kenneth Spoerl

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Kenneth Spoerl
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4502-8530-8

Chapter One

Matt offered his hand as George Armstrong entered the room and the two men exchanged greetings.

"So, how are you Matt?" Armstrong asked.

"Okay I guess, just trying to adjust to life after ... It's kinda tough. I just feel like I'm on display and I've got to be careful about everything I say and do"

Armstrong smiled as Matt paused briefly, and then continued.

"I keep getting weird looks from people. It's like everybody looks at me like I'm some kind of nutcase. I don't know, maybe it's just my imagination."

"I think you're probably a bit sensitive to the situation right now. Give it some time. It hasn't been that long," Armstrong said reassuringly.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I was actually surprised to get your call so soon. I figured you'd take more time to let everything sink in."

"So did I, but after the trial, it didn't take me too much time to figure out that I needed to get my story out there. Maybe there's a chance that people won't think I'm crazy if they get the whole story, not just what they read in the newspaper."

"Yeah, I think I understand how you feel. I've got to say, it's a pretty compelling story. For what it's worth, you made a believer out of me. I'll do my best to present a convincing account of your adventure to the public."

"I'm sure you will George. So where do we start?"

"Let's start at the very beginning. Pretend that I know nothing about your story. I want to hear it from the morning of your disappearance, to the decision of the jury. Whenever you're ready Matt," Armstrong said as he removed a pen and note pad from his brief case and placed a voice recorder on the table.

Matt leaned back in his chair and tried to get in a comfortable position as he began to recount the details of his extraordinary life changing ordeal.

"Okay George, here goes. I think it actually all started the night before. I thought that I was probably just dreaming but, well here's what happened ..."

Chapter Two

The early morning sun cast its rays through the kitchen window where Amy's five year old son, Jason, sat at the table waiting for his breakfast. The aroma of bacon and eggs drifted into the bedroom where her husband, Matt, was getting ready for work. He sluggishly made his way to the kitchen table. Amy poured a cup of coffee as she observed him grimace while easing himself onto a chair.

"Are you in a lot of pain today Honey?" she asked.

He straightened up as best he could and nodded yes in response to her question.

"Yeah, I didn't sleep very well last night. I kept tossing and turning. Just couldn't get comfortable."

"I thought so. I heard you get out of bed in the middle of the night."

"I got up to take a pain pill. I don't know if I was still half asleep, or dreaming, or what, but I was standing at the kitchen sink, staring out the window and I saw something really weird."

"What's that?" Amy asked.

"There was a full moon last night. I was looking out the window while I was drinking a glass of water, and all of a sudden this huge shadowy object passed by and completely blocked it out. I tried to get closer to the window to get a better look, but it passed by so fast. Then it just disappeared."

"Probably just clouds, or your imagination," Amy responded.

"Yeah, I guess, but I could swear I saw like, navigation lights or some type of lighting on it."

"Maybe you just saw some stars through the clouds."

"You're probably right. Like I said, I was half asleep. Anyway the pills helped. At least I got back to sleep. Don't feel very good today though."

Matt, at only 38 years of age, had premature deterioration of the disks in his lower back. This condition put pressure on the sciatic nerve and at times he would suffer excruciating pain. Simple tasks such as rising from a sitting position or walking could be very difficult for him.

"I'm leaving work early today to meet with Dr. Rayford. He's going to go over the results of my latest MRI and discuss the surgical options."

Noticing the painful expression on Matt's face Amy responded with a concerned tone in her voice.

"I just hope that you listen and take his advice this time. Every time you see him, he tells you that you need surgery and you just brush him off."

"Yeah, I know. I just hate the thought of getting cut open. There's no guarantee that it's going to work you know."

"Well, you need to do something. It seems like your pain gets worse from day to day. I hate to see you like this."

"I know," Matt said as he braced himself against the table and gingerly rose to his feet. He gulped down the rest of his coffee, then leaned over, kissed Amy, and patted Jason on the head.

"I've gotta run," he said as he put an egg and some bacon between two pieces of toast. "I'll eat this on the way. I should be home early today. Got an early meeting at the office, then my appointment at one o'clock. I know the routine. He's gonna show the X-rays to me and try to convince me to let him schedule the surgery. He'll probably be surprised when I finally agree to have it done." Matt Paused and looked back at Amy before walking out the door. "Do you need me to stop for anything on the way home?"

"Yeah, I almost forgot that I was going to take your bonus check to the bank. Can you do that, and will you pick up a loaf of bread? My car is making those strange noises again and I'm afraid to drive it anywhere."

"Sure," Matt said as he picked up his brief case, kissed Amy goodbye, and limped out to his car.

Matt's daily commute from his house in suburban Creekview to the Willis/Cooper advertising agency in downtown Chicago routinely took about 30 minutes. Usually he would spend that time bouncing ideas around in his head as to how he would deal with clients that he would be in contact with throughout the day. Today however, there would be no sales calls. He would attend a meeting to hopefully close a deal with a new client, and then leave the office for an appointment with his doctor. All he could think about on the drive in to work was the course of action that he knew his doctor was going to recommend. Stories of failed back surgeries and the fact that there was no guarantee that the procedure would be successful, made him apprehensive of getting the operation that he had been putting off for months. The severity of the pain that he suffered had intensified lately, and along with the limited mobility it caused him, was enough to convince Matt to accept his doctor's advice, roll the dice, and hope for the best.

Matt drove along the rural road leading to the highway; his thoughts thoroughly entrenched on the day's agenda when he was startled as the sun was suddenly blocked out and a shadow was cast over him by an object much like the one he had seemingly imagined the night before. He hit the brakes and as he came to a stop, he rolled down the window and poked his head out to get a better view of the object, but just as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone. The momentary darkness gave way to bright sunshine. He gathered his thoughts as he tried to come up with a rational explanation for what had just happened. He looked for clouds that could have blocked out the sun, but the sky was clear as far as the eye could see. All that he could come up with was that maybe his lack of sleep the past evening had caused him to hallucinate, or that he had actually blacked out for a second or two. He took a deep breath, put the car in gear, and continued on his way.

Matt reached the office of Willis/Cooper and as he exited his car, he spotted his boss, Alan Cooper. Cooper saw Matt and waited for him and the two men entered the building together. Cooper noticed Matt's limp as they passed through the revolving glass doors.

"How's the back today Matt?"

"Not very good; it's got my whole body out of whack. In fact do you see this little spot right here?"

"Yeah," Cooper responded, as Matt drew his attention to his left arm and pointed to his elbow.

"That's the only spot on my body that doesn't hurt."

Cooper laughed, "At the least you've still got your sense of humor. After you get settled in, come to my office and we'll go over a few things for the meeting today."

"I'll get some contracts from my desk and be there in few minutes." He paused, and then quizzically asked Cooper, "Hey Alan, you didn't hear about any strange weather conditions for today, like an eclipse or anything like that did you?"

"No. Why?" Cooper responded.

"Oh, no reason really, I just thought that I saw something kind of strange in the sky on my way in. I'll see you in your office in a few minutes," Matt said as he limped down the hall to his office to collect the documents he would need for the meeting. He returned to Cooper's office and Cooper waved him in. As Matt took a seat Cooper noticed the pained expression on his face.

"Are you sure you want to be at this meeting Matt? You seem to be in a lot of pain."

"I'll be 0K, but just a reminder; I'll be leaving to see my doctor right after the meeting is over. By the way, I got my bonus check in the mail. I wanted to thank you for that."

"You've earned it Matt. It's because of you that we were able to land the Forman account. That one brought in a lot of dollars. As far as your doctor appointment goes good luck. I hope he gives you some good news. I need you to get healthy enough to swing a golf club so you can be my partner at the company tournament in a couple of months."

"If I'm going to play golf in a couple of months, those surgeons better be miracle workers."

Cooper's secretary knocked on the door and interrupted the conversation to remind him that the meeting would be starting in a few minutes. She then placed a large bundle of cash piled on top of a silver serving platter on his desk and left the room. Cooper pulled the platter close to him and arranged the money into five separate stacks on the tray.

"$30,000 in cash looks pretty impressive sitting right there in front of you, doesn't it Matt?"

Matt raised his eye brows as he responded.

"It sure does. The pitch we're making today is serving up the cash. I'd say this gets the point across. I gotta tell you Alan, with the physical condition that I'm in right now, I wouldn't mind taking that cash along with the bonus that you gave me and just disappear to some secluded beach in the tropics for a while. Just sit back and take life easy."

Cooper laughed as the two men got up and made their way to the conference room. The meeting started as Cooper and Matt presented the firm's ideas to the prospective clients. The presentation was successful and a contract was signed for Willis/Cooper to handle the account. After the meeting, Matt returned to his office to get his brief case and car keys. On the way out of the building he stopped by Cooper's office to say good bye. He opened the door and leaned in.

"Hey Alan, I'm leaving for the day. Another successful campaign huh."

"That's for sure. I had a good feeling about that one. Now I've got to get this cash in to the bank before I'm tempted to spend it."

Matt glanced at the bundles of cash piled on Cooper's desk.

"Alan, I'm going to stop at the bank on my way to the doctor's office to deposit my bonus check. It's the same bank that has our company account. If you want, I'll deposit the money for you."

"You won't be tempted to run off to that tropical beach with it will you?" Cooper asked jokingly. "But yeah, I'd appreciate it. I'm kind of busy here."

Cooper gathered up the cash and handed it to Matt. Matt put the money in his briefcase and looked back at Cooper as he exited his office.

"See you in the tropics ... I mean tomorrow morning," Matt joked as he walked out the door.

Matt left work and started driving to the doctor's office. He remembered that Amy had asked him to pick up a loaf of bread on the way home. There was a particular type of bread that was sold in an ethnic specialty store near his office. It was the only store that sold the bread that was a staple with the family meals. Matt stopped, bought the bread and continued on his way. He glanced at his watch and noticed that he was running late and would not have time to stop at the bank before his appointment. Rather than be late, he decided to make his deposits after leaving the doctor's office.

He arrived at the medical building and entered Dr. Rayford's office. A receptionist directed him to an exam room where a few minutes later the doctor joined him there.

"Hi Matt, how are you doing today?"

"Well doc I've been better. The back pain seems to be worse than ever. It travels through my hips, down to my legs, and the pills aren't helping as much as they used to. I can't even walk straight anymore. It looks like I've had one too many cocktails the way I hobble around."

"That doesn't surprise me Matt. The results of your MRI show the deterioration in your disks has worsened dramatically since I saw you last."

"I'm only 38 years old and I feel like an old man. I'm even starting to look old with my receding hairline and this bald spot on the top of my head. Even the hair that I do have is turning gray. Of course my wife is nice enough to tell me that the gray makes me look more distinguished."

Dr. Rayford laughed as he leaned back in his chair and opened a manila folder that contained Matt's file and x-rays.

"Well there's not much that I can do about your hair, but your back is another matter. I know that you're tired of hearing this, but I strongly suggest that you consider the surgery that we had discussed months ago. I'll be honest with you, there are no guarantees, but I feel confident that the procedure will at least alleviate your pain, as well as help you to move around more freely. I'm not saying that you'll be able to go out and run around like a kid again, but I think you'll notice some significant improvement."

"Sounds like I don't have too many options Doc."

"Yeah, well if you elect not to have the surgery, I'm almost certain that before too long you're going to need a cane for assistance when walking. As your condition deteriorates even more, it's entirely possible that you'll end up being confined to a wheel chair. I hate to give you these gloomy scenarios Matt, but that's just how serious your condition is, and it's only going to get worse with time."

"Okay Doc you can stop trying to convince me. I've decided to have the surgery. I figure no matter how successful it is or isn't, I can't be any worse off than I am now. Can we get this scheduled as soon as possible, before I chicken out and change my mind?"

"I'll work on scheduling it right away." Dr. Rayford said as he rose from his chair.

"Oh, one other thing Doc; I've got this mole on my neck and I keep nicking it when I shave. Is it anything to be concerned about?"

Dr. Rayford leaned over and examined Matt's neck.

"Let me see. No, these things commonly pop up on people as they age. It's nothing to worry about but I can remove it for you if you'd like. It'll only take a few seconds and it will heal within a couple of weeks. There won't be any sign of it ever being there once the scar heals."

Dr. Rayford performed the quick procedure and told Matt that he would contact him as soon as the surgery could be scheduled.

Matt left the doctor's office. As he drove toward the highway leading home his thoughts were consumed with feelings of fear and anticipation regarding the upcoming surgery. He was relieved that he had finally made a decision, but the fact that there were no guarantees of success weighed heavy on his mind. He reached out to turn on the radio, hoping the music would take his mind off of the operation, and out of the corner of his eye he saw his brief case lying on the passenger seat. He realized that he had been so absorbed in thought of the surgery that he had forgotten to deposit his check and the company's funds in the bank. He was already near the highway exit to the rural road that led home, so he decided to continue on and deposit the money at the local branch of the bank near his home. Matt turned off the highway and as he drove down with the desolate country road, the bright sunny sky turned dark, as if a storm was rolling in. It happened suddenly; not unusual for a summer thunder storm, although he had never seen one approach this fast. He turned his head lights on. They immediately started to flicker and then died out as the engine stalled. The engine failure caused the loss of the power steering. Matt held the steering wheel tight and managed to coast to the side of the road, grazing a guard rail as the car came to an abrupt stop. He leaned forward, clutching the steering wheel as he peered through the windshield. He expected to hear thunder and see lightning, but instead everything was perfectly still outside the car. Then just as sudden as the darkness fell, a blinding light enveloped his car. The car began to shake violently. It felt as though he was resting on railroad tracks and a train was bearing down on him. The chaotic moment passed before he could react to it and the sensation of gently floating on air replaced the violent movements that he had experienced seconds earlier. His vision was completely impaired now by the overwhelming light. A warm tranquil feeling came over him and as the bright lights dimmed, he drifted off to an unconscious state.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from THE RETURN OF MATTHEW SCOTTby Kenneth Spoerl Copyright © 2011 by Kenneth Spoerl. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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