The Mystery of the UFO

Chapter 1 one cold November afternoon Cam Jansen and her friend Eric Shelton were walking through town Eric wanted to enter a photography contest Cam was helping him look for something to photograph Cam picked up a crumpled potato chip bag from the street and held it over a litter basket take my picture she said you can call it local girl cleans up I can't take a posed picture Eric told her you know the rules

Eric reached into his pocket and took out a page torn from a newspaper here it is Eric said pointing to the page rule 3 I know the rules Cam said Cam closed her eyes and said click she always said click when she wanted to remember something my mind is a mental camera cam often explained and cameras go click announcing our first Junior News photography contest Cam said her eyes were still closed grand prize $100 entry rules 1 only 12 year olds and under may enter as Cam talked Eric looked at the contest announcement in the newspaper two photographs must be black and white three photographs must be of local interest they must not be posed 4 all entries must be received no later than November thirtieth.

you did it Eric said you got every word right people said Cam had a photographic memory they meant Cam could remember an entire scene when Cam wanted to remember something even a detail such as how many buttons were on someone's coat she just looked at the photograph stored in her brain Cam's real name is Jennifer but people started calling her the camera because of her photographic memory and because she said click so often soon the camera was shortened to Cam now check me Cam said her eyes were still closed I'm going to say the rules backwards 30th November then later no received B must entries all four posed B enough enough Eric said you're going too fast I can't keep up Cam opened her eyes how did you do that Eric asked I have a picture of the rules in my mind I just read from it Cam put her books and lunch box down it's cold she said Cam closed the top button of her coat she pulled down the knitted cap she was wearing until it covered the tops of her ears and it's getting dark Eric said I'm not going to find anything to photograph now let's go home Eric put the camera back in its case I'm never around when anything happens he complained and I'll bet if I am around either I won't have my camera or I'll be out of film or cam said you'll forget to take the lens cap off Cam and Eric often spent time together they were in the same 5th grade class

and lived next door to each other if it wasn't for your hair Cam's mother often teased I'd think you and Eric were twins Cam had what people called bright red hair even though it was more orange than red Eric's hair was dark brown Cam and Eric started walking home they walked past a row of small stores at the edge of a shopping mall then they stopped at the corner and waited for the traffic light to change Meow Cam and Eric looked up a gray and white kitten was high in a tree the branch she was standing on was shaking the kitten took a step toward the end of the branch the branch shook even more meow I think she wants to come down Eric said but she doesn't know how Cam opened her lunch box I have part of a tuna sandwich in here maybe I can get the kitten to come down Cam reached up and put a piece of tuna fish on the part of the branch closest to the trunk the kitten saw the food and turned around carefully the branch shook but the kitten didn't fall she walked down the branch and ate the tuna fish Cam reached out for the kitten

Eric was holding his camera smile he said and he took a picture just as the kitten jumped into Cam's arms I'll call the picture local girl saves untamed feline Cam turned to put the kitten down then she stopped she heard noises across the street people were shouting and pointing Cam looked to see what they were pointing at in the distance Cam and Eric saw floating green yellow blue and red lights the lights seemed to brush against one of the trees at the edge of the park Cam looked straight at the lights and said click Chapter 2 Eric aimed his camera at the lights he pressed the shutter button and the camera went click the lights were rising but they weren't going straight up they were moving from side to side and up and down it almost seemed that the wind was moving the lights Eric aimed his camera again he pressed the shutter button click he pressed it once more click I'm not sure I'm doing this right

Eric said it's getting dark and the lights are so far away I hope at least one picture comes out Cam wasn't really listening she was watching the lights I've seen lights in the sky before she said but they were from helicopters or airplanes or fireworks I don't know what these are let's go over there Eric said pointing to the parking lot maybe those people know Cam put the kitten down Cam was picking up her books when she heard the kitten cry the kitten was up in the tree again that cat doesn't seem to learn Cam said the last time she was up there you fed her some tuna fish Eric said the kitten Learned that if she climbs a tree she gets something to eat Cam opened her lunch box well all I have this time is bread Cam reached up and put the bread on the branch the kitten turned around carefully she came down the branch and ate the bread I'm going to hold on to you Cam said as she put the kitten in her coat pocket if I don't you'll just climb that tree again Cam and Eric crossed the street the people in the brightly lit parking lot were all looking up some children were taking photographs a man and a woman were looking through pairs of binoculars six lights no seven the man said three green lights two yellow one blue and two red that's eight I have to get this right if I'm going to write it down the man was wearing a big open shoulder bag a notebook and a book called Bird Watcher's Guide were sticking out