Heart Starts Pounding: Episode 114 Summary

Title: Ghosts on the Appalachian Trail, Creature Encounters in The Backwoods, and more Listener Stories
Host: Kayla Moore & Matt Brown
Release Date: April 10, 2025

Introduction to Episode 114

In Episode 114 of Heart Starts Pounding, hosts Kayla Moore and Matt Brown delve into a collection of spine-chilling listener-submitted stories. This installment focuses on eerie encounters in the Appalachian Trail, mysterious creature sightings in secluded backwoods, and other haunting mysteries. The episode celebrates the vibrant community of listeners who share their personal tales of horror, haunting, and the unexplained, reinforcing the idea that "the truth is really stranger than fiction."

Listener Story: Angel and the Glowing Orbs ([01:58])

Matt Brown opens the episode with a haunting account from a listener named Angel. Angel recounts her childhood adventures of hunting for animal bones in her neighbor's woods. What made her exceptional was her uncanny ability to locate bones, which she attributed to mysterious glowing orbs that appeared around sundown.

Notable Quote:
"Sometimes when I was out around sundown, I would see lights in the woods, like little glowing orbs. I would follow them and they would always bring me to bones." ([03:15])

The story takes a darker turn when Angel follows a larger light to an old house and discovers a human skull. This chilling encounter coincides with the disappearance of a local boy thirteen years prior, leaving Angel fearful of what she might uncover if she continues to follow the mysterious lights.

Listener Story: Paul’s Appalachian Trail Ghost ([05:15])

Matt introduces Paul’s eerie experience while hiking the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee. During a solo camping trip, Paul encounters a man sitting by a campfire—a figure whose presence feels otherworldly.

Notable Quote:
"I had seen a ghost on the Appalachian Trail." ([11:50])

Paul describes how the man mysteriously vanishes without a trace, leaving behind the extinguished fire and no evidence of his presence. This unnerving experience led Paul to believe he encountered a spirit connected to the trail’s dark history.

Additionally, Matt shares local folklore about the Wallowa Lake monster, "Big Wally," described as a massive creature with a snake-like body and a hippo-like head, further deepening the mystery surrounding Paul's experience.

Listener Story: Mikayla and the Wallowa Lake Monster ([11:50])

Mikayla narrates her unsettling camping trip at Wallowa Lake, Oregon, where she discovers scattered leather items in the forest and experiences abnormal animal behavior. The climax of her story involves a terrifying rustling in the bushes, prompting her to flee in fear.

Notable Quote:
"There was something sent from the underworld... that's it." ([18:30])

During a campfire discussion, her uncle mentions "skinwalkers," adding to the lore. Matt supplements Mikayla’s account with tribal stories of the Wallowa monster, enhancing the spine-tingling atmosphere of her encounter.

Listener Story: Heidi and the Dormitory Mystery at Michigan State University ([23:44])

Heidi shares a harrowing story from her freshman year at Michigan State University, where an unexplained odor led to the discovery of a deceased man, Naftali Valdez Green Jr., in a locked storage room. The case remained shrouded in mystery, especially given the victim's connection to a controversial church and the timing paralleling another disturbing incident involving an NFL player.

Notable Quote:
"I don't ever recall hearing about the toxicology reports or any sort of investigation as to why Greene found his way into the Wonders dorm." ([25:15])

Despite police conclusions of accidental suffocation, Heidi remains skeptical, highlighting unanswered questions about Greene’s presence and the possible link to the church's dark reputation.

Listener Story: Ulysses and the Ranch Encounter ([25:15])

Ulysses recounts a childhood experience on her grandmother’s ranch in Mexico, where a nighttime adventure searching for a missing goat turns supernatural. She hears her sister's voice calling for help from behind a bush, but upon returning, her sister is found safe, and the goat reappears as if it was never missing.

Notable Quote:
"I don't want to be the person that says if you hear your sibling crying out for help, you should run away." ([27:00])

This unnerving episode leaves Ulysses questioning whether the voice was a spectral presence or something far more sinister.

Listener Story: Olivia and the Gnome Bandit ([28:40])

Olivia narrates her terrifying experience house-sitting, where unexplained movements of furniture and missing items lead to the horrifying discovery of a man hiding in the attic—known locally as the "Gnome Bandit."

Notable Quote:
"Please keep your personal stories with me... there's a man two stories above your head watching you." ([31:20])

The Gnome Bandit’s actions—moving furniture to block exits and hiding in tight spaces—highlight the real-world dangers lurking behind seemingly supernatural events. The story concludes with the bandit's arrest, yet the fear and unease persist.

Conclusion and Community Engagement

Kayla and Matt wrap up the episode by encouraging listeners to continue sharing their personal stories of the paranormal and unexplained. They invite listeners to submit stories through their website and join their Patreon community for exclusive content and additional tales not featured in the main episode.

Notable Quote:
"I love getting these stories from you. All stories of people being the danger of ghosts in the woods, of spooky lights that lead you to bones." ([35:00])

The hosts emphasize the importance of community in uncovering and understanding these mysterious occurrences, fostering a space where listeners can explore their darkest experiences.

Final Thoughts

Episode 114 of Heart Starts Pounding delivers a captivating blend of ghostly encounters, mysterious creature sightings, and unresolved tragedies shared by its dedicated listeners. Through detailed storytelling and insightful commentary, Kayla Moore and Matt Brown create an engaging narrative that keeps audiences enthralled and eager for more chilling tales.

For more terrifying stories and to share your own experiences, visit Heart Starts Pounding. Join the Rogue Detecting Society on Patreon for exclusive bonus content and ad-free listening.