UFOs Over Varginha
In 1996, something strange happened in Varginha—a quiet, isolated town. Lights moved across the sky, humanoid creatures roamed alleys and farmland, and the local authorities, military, and hospitals all behaved unusually.
Though I’ve been away for years, I was born and raised in Varginha. When I saw the recent news, I felt a pull I couldn’t ignore. Unexplained phenomena have always fascinated me—ever since my own encounter as a child.
I remember it vividly. My brother and I saw a figure crouched by the roadside, scooping dirt into bags. In a town where everyone knew each other, this man didn’t belong. His limbs were unnaturally long, his black eyes too large, and his mouth stretched impossibly wide. A forked tongue flicked as he stood to his full, towering height. Terrified, we ran. Later, the news reported missing cattle nearby. My brother told me to forget it, but I’ve never been able to shake what we saw.
Now, as a philosophy professor, I’ve returned to Varginha seeking answers. I’ve spoken with five witnesses, each sharing something strange:
1.A friendly farmer reported seeing a silent army entering the forest at dusk. “We’ve been seeing a lot of new folks in this quiet little town lately. Didn’t know why, but we just hoped they’d settle in fine. But two days ago, right at dusk, I saw something I can’t shake—a whole army creeping into the forest. And not like you’d expect, with tanks and trucks. No, they were quiet, sneaky, like they didn’t want to be seen. I’m telling you, it’s got me terrified. Why isn’t this on the news? What’s going on out there? Are they doing some kind of nuclear experiments near my farm?”
- The man seemed sincere—less interested in attention, more in sharing what he’d seen. Whatever the military is doing, it’s secretive. What are they hiding, and why?
2.An angry recluse and podcaster claimed he saw a UAP “A week ago, around 2ish I stepped out of my caravan to get groceries and saw a UAP—mind you, not a UFO, a UAP—flying overhead. It was rainy, but I saw it clear as day, sparks of light all around it. I took a picture and sent it to the scientists —no reply. Sent it to the media, and they dismissed me as some conspiracy nut who photoshopped an aircraft. So, I’ve been talking about it on my podcast, ’cause nobody else will. The media’s corrupt, probably shut down by the government. That’s how it works.” He showed me a photo of a hazy, cylinder-shaped object over the city. “I swear it was it. I didn’t make this up! Why would I? I’m busy enough with my plants.” I glanced at his overgrown weeds, then back at the photo.
- A UAP sighting a week ago—could this be what the military is after?
3.A wealthy couple described a shared dream “I don’t know if this counts as a witness, but last Tuesday, I had the strangest dream. I clearly remember it was Tuesday because that’s when we had fog like never before. I was looking in the mirror, and in it was a tall, slender figure instead of my reflection. It slowly shifted into me and smiled back at me. Suddenly the side I stood became a void. From the darkness, I watched it act like me, replacing me. I screamed, but no one could hear me. The helplessness was unbearable. When I woke up, Sue was drenched in sweat—she’d had the exact same dream. Later, we learned others had it too. The sadness and helplessness were overwhelming.” Looking at Sue, her sleepless eyes told me the dream had left its mark.
- The timeline fits: after the cylinder-shaped UAP, people began dreaming of being replaced by something alien.
4.A shy old lady with many cats said her pets has been bizarre since last week “A week ago, after bingo—around 4 or 5—my cats started crying like crazy. They get noisy on rainy days, but this was different. Some were outright shrieking. Since then, they’ve gone feral, hiding all over the house.” As she spoke, wary eyes watched me from every corner. When I asked if she’d had strange dreams, she admitted to a nightmare—her reflection replacing her.
- That same afternoon, when the UAP was sighted, animals across the village began acting aggressively, as if something had unsettled them all.
5.An impulsive young man described an encounter with a humanoid “Last week, on one of those rainy nights, I was walking home from work—9 PM, end of my shift. In the alley, someone bumped into me, and I dropped my phone, shattering the screen. I shouted, but the second I did, I regretted it. Something felt off. When I got a good look, I knew it wasn’t human. Its eyes were too big and black, and its tongue—it licked its lips, and the tongue was forked, like a snake’s. I didn’t stick around. I just ran.” Though his excitement made him seem less reliable, his description matched what I saw as a child.
So far, the accounts align, and the timeline adds up: A week ago, during the rain, a cylinder-shaped object was spotted. That afternoon, animals became restless. That night, a humanoid was seen. Two days later, the shared dream began, and soon after, the military moved in, most likely to investigate these aliens.
It was already dark when I stepped out of the coffee shop, the weight of the day’s thoughts still lingering. Suddenly, the sky lit up, bright as if some great cosmic bulb had been switched on.
And there they were—hundreds of lights hovering above, scattered across the heavens like fireflies caught in a strange, coordinated dance. People poured into the streets, their faces painted with equal parts wonder and fear as the lights began to drift closer, roaming the night sky like watchful sentinels.
In that moment, standing beneath the brilliance, I couldn’t help but ask myself: are the nightmares about to step into the world of the waking?
Review
The whole time I played UFOs Over Varginha by Nekyia TTRPG, I thought Varginha was a playful wordplay on Virginia or Vagina. But after playing the game and doing some research, I was surprised to find that Varginha is a real place, and there was indeed a UFO sighting there. I wish I knew before playing it. Knowing the historical context could have deepen my experience.
Nevertheless I had a fun creepy night. The narrative prompts were incredibly engaging, from character creation to interacting with witnesses. What really stood out to me was the variety of options—33 different choices to roll for. I also had the iconic X-Files themes playing in the background. While the theme song is now widely memeified, it used to be seriously unsettling when I was younger.