Podcast Summary: "Introducing our spooky sister podcast: MONSTERS AMONG US JUNIOR"

Monsters Among Us | Host: Derek Hayes | Audioboom Studios
Guest/Co-host: Delaney Bowers
Release Date: October 20, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special episode, Derek Hayes announces the launch of Monsters Among Us Junior, a new companion podcast aimed at younger audiences and families fascinated by the paranormal. The focus is on firsthand supernatural stories as experienced and recounted by children themselves, capturing the nostalgia, magic, and imagination that comes with youthful brushes with the unexplained. Co-hosted by recurring MAU contributor and “folklore expert” Delaney Bowers, the episode offers a sample of MAU Junior, featuring chilling kid-called stories and some atmospheric folklore connections.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Childhood Wonder & The Lack of Outlets for the Paranormal

[00:36] Derek Hayes:

• Derek reflects on his own childhood fascination with all things mysterious—books, TV specials like Unsolved Mysteries—noting how few resources existed for kids on paranormal topics.
  • “If you were anything like me, you were a little weirdo, but in the best way possible. I absorbed every scrap of paranormal information I could get my little hands on” [00:36].
• The motivation behind MAU Junior: creating a safe and fun place for young enthusiasts to share and hear stories, filling a void for “little monsters.”

2. Introducing Delaney Bowers and the Child’s Perspective

[02:25] Delaney Bowers:

• Delaney jokes about the “folklore expert” title, adding warmth and personality with her “Meemaw” persona.
• Highlights the idea that kids are more sensitive to the paranormal because of their innocence and openness:
  • “There's a prevailing theory that children are somehow more attuned to the realm of the paranormal…less cynicism, more openness.” [02:38]
• Stresses the fun, goofy, and spooky energy brought by child narrators and how this project feels “fresh and inviting” [03:49].

3. MAU Junior Preview—Showcasing Firsthand Kid Encounters

A. Wyatt’s Bigfoot Sighting - Oklahoma

[04:54] Wyatt:

• Wyatt, age five, describes seeing a huge (8.5–9ft), red-eyed creature walking through his mom’s garden shortly after moving to a country home.
• Vivid sensory details highlight how alarming the experience was (“I felt like I crap myself… ran to my parents room” [06:30]) and how he tried to investigate the following morning.
• Wyatt connects his sighting with local folklore and shared stories, referencing a Bigfoot festival’s talk about glowing red eyes.

[07:14] Derek Hayes:

• Derek contextualizes Wyatt’s story, noting that Oklahoma is a Bigfoot hotspot and drawing parallels to another local legend (shared via a Beavers Bend cabin tale):
  • “Peeking in a cabin, then slowly walking away when it was caught. Awfully similar to Wyatt's entry.” [08:32]

B. Libby’s Haunted Coat Encounter - North Carolina

[09:24] Libby:

• Libby retells her 2024 scare after moving into her sister’s room: a coat on a closet door grows into a 7ft “black entity” with sunken, angular features. The figure slowly approaches her in the middle of the night, prompting her to flee.
  • “A black entity was growing into the coat and it was like 7ft tall. And then it slowly got out of the coat and took two steps toward me… I looked at it for a second and… booked it out of that room” [09:34–10:10].
• Libby distinguishes the figure from typical “shadow men” by noting its visible, detailed body.

[10:51] Delaney/Libby:

• Delaney affirms Libby’s storytelling and connects it to a folktale about a haunted coat in New York in the late 1800s, highlighting the universal fear and folklore of haunted garments.
  • “Strangely enough, Libby, your experience brought to mind that of Mr. Shea's secondhand shop…” [10:54]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Derek Hayes [00:36]: “If you were anything like me, you were a little weirdo, but in the best way possible.”
• Delaney Bowers [02:38]: “There's a prevailing theory that children are somehow more attuned to the realm of the paranormal. And it stems from the belief that their innocence makes them the perfect little antennae…”
• Wyatt [06:20]: “It had glowing red eyes… and this thing looks at me and I felt like I crap myself. Like I jump out of bed and just run to my parents room.”
• Libby [09:34]: “A black entity was growing into the coat… it slowly got out of the coat and took two steps toward me… booked it out of that room and ran into my bedroom.”
• Delaney Bowers [10:54]: “Strangely enough, Libby, your experience brought to mind that of Mr. Shea's secondhand shop…”
• Delaney Bowers [12:53]: “While I have to get Dracula to his orthodontist appointment, I hope to see you around these parts again soon. Until then, happy hauntings, Hooligans.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:36] — Derek introduces MAU Junior and the motivation behind it
• [02:25] — Delaney’s reflections on why children’s paranormal encounters are special
• [04:54] — Wyatt’s Bigfoot call from Oklahoma
• [07:14] — Derek’s analysis, Oklahoma Bigfoot context, and related folklore story
• [09:24] — Libby’s chilling entity sighting in North Carolina
• [10:51] — Delaney connects Libby’s story to historic haunted garment folklore
• [12:18] — Episode wrap-up, how to find MAU Junior, sign-offs with signature warmth and silliness

Tone & Style

The episode is infused with a friendly, nostalgia-rich, and slightly irreverent tone—balancing genuine spookiness with warmth, kid-friendly fun, and a sense of communal curiosity. Listeners new to the series are welcomed into a “campfire” of sorts, where both young story-sharers and adult hosts honor the magic and mystery of paranormal lore, threaded with affection and playful banter.

Summary for New Listeners

Monsters Among Us Junior stands as a welcoming, creative extension of the original podcast—making space for kids' voices and perspectives on the paranormal. The episode offers a taste of the uniquely compelling atmosphere cultivated when children tell their own ghost, cryptid, or weird tales, and how Derek and Delaney serve as enthusiastic guides, treating even goosebump-raising accounts with empathy, imagination, and a well-timed folklore anecdote. If you're searching for a podcast the whole (brave) family can enjoy this spooky season, MAU Junior is the perfect haunt.