And That's Why We Drink

Listener Stories: Vol. 113
Release Date: March 1, 2026

Episode Overview

Hosts Christine Schiefer and Em Schulz dive into their 113th batch of Listener Stories, this time with a theme: Full Moons. The episode orbits the eerie intersection of murder, the paranormal, and eerie lunar phenomena, as listeners share tales of strange experiences during full moons and other celestial events. Expect everything from uncanny roadside encounters and possible alien abductions to shape-shifting cryptids, haunting hauntings, and even a poetic ode to the kelpie. As always, the hosts balance chilling tales with comedy, authenticity, and plenty of banter.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction and Theme Setup (01:11–03:25)

• The episode kicks off with Christine and Em grappling with the passage of time, “It’s March. We are a sixth done with this year. Thank God." (01:11–01:19, Em)
• They discuss the peculiar feeling of the year truly setting in by March and riff about time’s confusion, setting a whimsical, relatable tone.
• This month’s Listener Stories theme is Full Moons, suggested by listener “B.” The conversation turns to favorite moon phases — waxing gibbous (Christine) and classic full moon (Em) — reflecting the quirky energy inside the podcast’s community.

2. Banter: Friend Dates, Quirkiness, and the Art of Being Weird (03:44–06:42)

• The hosts share stories about friend dating as adults and the challenge of finding someone who vibes with your quirks. Em: “I wanted a weirdo.” (06:21)
• The conversation is self-aware, playful, and sets a safe space for the weird and wonderful experiences to follow.

Listener Stories

Story 1: “Everything Has a Ghost, Even the Moon” (by Ryan, he/him)

Timestamps: 07:51–20:04
Main Points:

• Ryan recounts a surreal drive home from grad school through rural Midwest cornfields under what appeared to be a massive, impossibly enlarged full moon.
• As he passes through a wooded area and over a bridge, the moon swells to five times its usual size, the surroundings darken unnaturally, and all cars and cell service disappear.
• He drives in this liminal space for 15 minutes; upon returning to normal reality, he finds he’s lost significant time, and his mom’s calls never came through.
• Twist: Upon researching, it wasn’t even a full moon night—it should have been a new moon.
• Ryan links the experience to a folk belief about a “ghost moon” from his friend’s Arizona grandparents: “Some type of ethereal cosmic presence that came out during new moons and played tricks on anyone going out under the night sky.” (19:24, Ryan as read by Christine)
• Em and Christine immediately jump to abduction/UFO theories and discuss “screen memories”—the idea aliens implant false memories after abductions.

Notable Quotes:

• “The moon had grown what seemed like five times its normal size. It was like if you took an apple or baseball and held it up instead of a coin.” (11:21, Ryan)
• “According to every source, last night... the phase was supposedly a new moon, not a full moon.” (18:42, Ryan)

Story 2: “Little League Alien” (by Mare, she/her)

Timestamps: 23:01–33:50
Main Points:

• Mare tells of her rural New York hometown’s little league field—always a bit…off. At 12–13, Mare and her cousin both think they’re chasing each other in the woods, only to emerge from opposite sides, leading to a “doppelganger” scare.
• A decade later, Mare and a boyfriend spot a figure resembling a friend in the field during a bright full moon. Approaching, they see a humanoid with a “long... beak and enormous black eyes.”
• The entity morphs from friend, to signpost, right in front of them: “It changed shape from a human figure with a weird-ass face to a signpost.” (26:42, Mare as read by Em)
• Other weirdness in the field is recounted—unsettling noises, overgrown grounds, and stories about friends climbing on concession stands to escape night terrors.
• Hosts discuss theories: poltergeist, doppelgänger, puckwudgie, skinwalker, or ultra-trickster entity; suggestions that the field is a “portal” for the bizarre, especially during full moons.

Notable Quotes:

• “Every time I ever hung out with John ever again in my life, I’d be like, reveal yourself to me.” (27:25, Em)
• “It’s like inviting anyone…bad energy can probably get through there and just show up and like, scare you and harass you.” (48:12, Christine)

Story 3: “Full Moon Spirit Capturing” (by Katie, she/her)

Timestamps: 34:17–37:01
Main Points:

• Katie shares a gentler story: after losing her beloved cat, she uses crystals, a selected rock, and full moon meditation to try to “capture” her cat’s spirit.
• After moving her ritual items to her room, she experiences signs her cat is present: the sound of self-licking, scratching at her door, purring as she drifts to sleep.
• The ritual seems to give closure and comfort: “It was comforting knowing that somehow I had allowed him to stay with me a little longer before he decided to go.” (36:16, Katie)
• Christine and Em are relieved for a “palate cleanser.”

Story 4: “Laughing Ghosts and the Full Halloween Moon” (by Sarah, she/her)

Timestamps: 39:50–48:07
Main Points:

• Sarah lives in a 100-year-old house with intense paranormal activity—especially in her guest room—with wild spikes during the full moon.
• Leading up to Halloween 2020’s “blue moon/harvest moon,” activity explodes: footsteps, shadow figures, pacing, a knock at the bedroom door, scurrying under the bed, and even her own laugh echoed back through her speaker.
• Her mother, a spiritualist, helps her cleanse the house remotely—but struggles as “something” seems to interfere with even drawing the floorplan on paper.
• Mother suspects a “portal” has opened in the guest room during the full moon.
• Sarah eventually escapes to her mother’s for the weekend.

Notable Quotes:

• “As the week continued, things became more and more intense. One night, the sound of someone walking around was so loud...that I searched my home for an intruder.” (42:04, Sarah)
• “And two seconds later, my exact laugh came through the speaker like an echo. And this is where I drew the line because now it’s copying her.” (46:23, Em narrating Sarah)

Story 5: “Wine Stealing UFO” (by D, they/them)

Timestamps: 49:30–56:45
Main Points:

• D recounts a secondhand experience from their grandmother, whose brother-in-law and friend were walking home by moonlight after a late train ride in the 1980s.
• A second full moon appears in the sky, grows rapidly, then abducts them in a flash of blinding light. They awaken hours later with missing time, missing clothing, and their homemade wine completely gone.
• Both develop a nasty rash after returning to the abduction site and refuse to speak of it again, convinced it will bring the aliens back.
• Parallels are drawn between D’s family’s story and Ryan’s: anomalous moons, lost time, and rural isolation all under highly unusual lunar conditions.

Notable Quotes:

• “A second full moon suddenly appeared low in the sky in front of them. It started growing bigger...and they realized it was coming at them at great speed.” (52:00–52:10, D as read by Em)
• “Maybe they were just flung somewhere in the fields. But I like thinking that the aliens developed a taste for homemade red.” (56:33, D)

Story 6: Cryptids Unscripted Poetry Slam: “Seaweed, Queen of the Underworld” (by River, they/them)

Timestamps: 57:52–60:35
Main Points:

• River submits a dark, atmospheric poem about a kelpie under the full moon, luring a man to his watery demise.
• Christine and Em both appreciate the creative shift and haunting literary vibes, admitting it’s a welcome twist to their moon-mad lineup.

Notable Quotes:

• “Through the dark, murky waters, the kelpie swims, seaweed trailing through her mane, hooves and fins. The time to feed is ebbing near. The full moon will shine...” (58:31, River as read by Em)

Other Notable Quotes & Moments

• Em on weirdness compatibility: “If you have a favorite moon and didn’t say ‘that’s not for me,’ then maybe you and Em would be friends.” (06:27, Christine)
• On portals and moon magic: “I do know the new moon is a portal—or, no, sorry, eclipse season is a portal, I believe. And we are in an eclipse season right now.” (48:41, Christine)

Flow of Topics / Episode Structure

• [01:11–07:51] Intro riffing, moon banter, and listener story setup
• [07:51–20:04] Story 1 – Impossible moon, missing time, and “ghost moon” folklore
• [23:01–33:50] Story 2 – Little league field shenanigans, shape-shifter encounter
• [34:17–37:01] Story 3 – Full moon cat spirit ritual
• [39:50–48:07] Story 4 – Haunted house, Halloween, and echoing spirits
• [49:30–56:45] Story 5 – 1980s UFO abduction, parallel full moon experiences
• [57:52–60:35] Story 6 – Moonlit kelpie death poem

Themes & Recurring Ideas

• Full Moon as a Supernatural Catalyst: Nearly every story features either a full moon or anomalous lunar event as the trigger for high strangeness or paranormal phenomena.
• Screen Memories and the Unreliable Senses: Hosts theorize about alien “screen memories,” doppelgängers, and altered perceptions—blurring lines between conventional ghost/cryptid/UFO experiences.
• Portals and Liminal Spaces: Whether abandoned fields or guest rooms, certain spaces double as potential paranormal gateways, especially under the right celestial circumstances.
• Validation through Shared Experience: Both hosts and listeners express relief/solidarity that others have experienced similar unexplainable phenomena, reaffirming the podcast’s community aspect.
• Playful Banter/Empathy: Hosts deftly balance humor with sincere empathy, making even the creepiest stories feel communal and cathartic.

Memorable Moments

• Story 1’s chilling twist: “According to every source...the phase was supposedly a new moon, not a full moon.” (18:42)
• Signpost Doppelgänger: “It changed shape from a human figure with a weird-ass face to a signpost.” (26:42)
• Haunted House Echo: “Two seconds later, my exact laugh came through the speaker like an echo.” (46:23)
• Abduction Parallels: “A second full moon suddenly appeared low in the sky...it started growing bigger.” (52:00–52:10)
• Cryptid Poetry: “She offers her back to this doomed stranger, so unaware of the depth of this danger...” (59:41, River)

Closing and Call to Action (61:06–61:48)

• The hosts encourage listeners to submit stories for upcoming episodes (“ghost pranks,” “pranked by a ghost,” etc.) via their website.
• Episodes release every Sunday and the hosts sign off, as always:
  “And that’s why we drink.”

If you love chilling tales touched by lunar magic—and equal parts laughter and empathy—this episode is a must-listen.