Gnome. Italy

A 100-year old farmer, Giovanni Aquilante, departed his home to go to work. He would not return. The evening of the second day following his disappearance, two of Aquilante’s sons and another relative were returning home from searching the area for the old man when next to their home they encountered two odd looking figures hiding beyond a low wall. The beings had phosphorescent eyes. The three men were utterly petrified by the vision—but after a number of seconds one of Aquilante’s sons (Andrea) managed to move and run towards the two “phantoms”. By the time he got to the rear of the wall, the figures had vanished. The following day at about 6am, the elder Aquilante returned home. He was in shock and hungry, yet not tired. He did not respond to the many questions of his wife and sons. Despite the fact that it had rained over the previous two days during which he went missing, Aquilante’s clothing was completely dry, even his shoes. A few hours later, one of Aquilante’s relatives was told a story by him. The morning, on which he had left his house, he was passing the village’s railroad bridge when two “dwarves” suddenly emerged from behind a bush. They wore suits, “having colors like the rainbow.” Both beings took the man by his hands and lifted him skyward. The creatures appeared extendable; they alternated between resembling “dwarves” and then “giants”. Aquilante didn’t recall how he had spent the 48 hours away from his home. He communicated that he continued to fly in the sky—then the creatures left him right next to his house telling him that they would return to get him again. According to one of his sons, Paolo, his father suffered much from the experience; Aquilante lived in a nearly perpetual “confused state” and had difficulties speaking. The old man was regularly frightened that “they might come back to get me.”