Ann Schmidt always thought that if aliens were to invade Earth, lenticular silver spaceships, covered with navigation lights, in tight formations, and moving very rapidly, would come down from the sky.

Ann always thought that once in our planet, Martians would first supplant human life, then enslave and harvest people for food, to later exterminate the human race by destroying the planet altogether.

She always thought that extraterrestrials would be human-like beings, with small bodies and smooth grey-colored skin, disproportionate hairless heads, and large almond-shaped black eyes.

That’s what Ann Schmidt always believed until she was visited for the first time, after waking up from her afternoon nap. They were there, in her property, in her farm in Oak Grove, Alabama, on Nov. 29 1952.

However, the day they visited her, nothing really extraordinary happened.

They didn’t come down from the sky in lenticular silver spaceships, covered with navigation lights, in tight formations, and moving very rapidly.

They didn’t supplant human life, enslave and harvest people for food, to later exterminate the human race by destroying the planet altogether.

Not only that, but they didn’t even look like human-like beings, with small bodies and smooth grey-colored skin, disproportionate hairless heads, and large almond-shaped black eyes.

There was only one extraterrestrial spacecraft, and it didn’t even look like a flying saucer.

That rock was simply there, hovering, for what it felt like a very long time.

Just.

Floating.

There.

Until it disappeared, was gone, ceased to exist.

And afterwards, in Alabama cows continued mooing, armpits stinking, rain wetting, and ABC channel broadcasting weekly episodes of The Lone Ranger, Ann Schmidt’s favorite western series. Clayton Moore’s autograph would always be her second most precious photograph.

All images ©Alejandro Javaloyas