You must have heard a lot about me by now. A few truths, some falsehoods, and an excess of wishful thinking. Let me introduce myself, then.

I have many names. I am known as the Mothman, the Owlman, the Black Bird, the Smiling Man, Indrid Cold, among other, more unkind terms. You, of course, will be calling me sir.

Before we begin, know that what we do here is the most important work in the world. There are about one hundred million of us scattered around the globe, one hundred million lives in constant peril. This may seem to you like a lot, but consider: the human population, as of this year, is nearing eight billion. There are eighty thousand humans for each of us, and should our kinds ever clash, make no mistake: whatever follows, our extinction awaits.

This is why you have heard of me. I am the red line. When every other backup fails, I step in, solve issues, and take the heat.

I erase witnesses. I divert public attention. I manufacture hoaxers. I claim human lives, however many it takes to protect our kind for another day. This may seem monstrous to you, as it once seemed monstrous to me. But consider, for a moment, the math.

Humans are short-lived. A healthy human is lucky to reach the triple digits, while even the frailest among us can live to see centuries, if not more. A human dies, a few decades are lost. One of us dies, and the squandered potential is infinite.

Their deaths are tragedies; ours are calamities. An open conflict is unacceptable, so our only chance of survival rests in plausible deniability.

So when you see me mentioned in human fringe publications, or as a blurry photo, or as a vague shape against the moonlit sky, remember that I am much too old to make mistakes, and that I am perceived only when I wish to be. Human superstition might have made me an omen, but that is a misconception. What I am is a harbinger. The sight of my outstretched wings is not for those in danger; those marked for death will die, by my hand or another’s. I am a warning, yes, but a warning to the humans who know the truth.

I am their continued silence.

Humans have short lives and shorter memories. They must be taught the same lessons over and over again. This is what we do here: the most important job in the world.

It is our eternal burden to remind them, to not allow them to forget that we are always watching, and that if anyone speaks out, there will be hell to pay.

I am the Mothman. When I spread my wings, a human dies, and a hundred zip their lips.

And I am offering you a job.