
Loading summary
Derek Hayes
Trip Planner by Expedia. You were made to have strong opinions about sand.
Dalton
We were made to help you and your friends find a place on the.
Derek Hayes
Beach with a pool and a marina.
Dalton
And a waterfall and a soaking tub. Expedia made to travel. You just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy. Just use Indeed. Stop struggling to get your job post seen on other job sites with Indeed sponsored jobs. Your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates so you can reach the people you want faster. According to Indeed data, sponsored jobs posted directly on indeed have 45% more applications than non sponsored jobs. Don't wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility@ Indeed.com kidsandfamily just go to Indeed.com kidsandfamily right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need. Sam.
Derek Hayes
Good evening and welcome to Monsters Among Us. I am your guide, Derek Hayes. Hello everyone and thank you for stopping by. I have quite the collection prepared for you here this evening. Calls about cryptids, calls about colorful UFOs, calls about the fey folk, and calls like this one that seems to depict some sort of craft out over the water. Please welcome Dalton from South Carolina to the program.
Dalton
Hey, this is Dalton from South Carolina and I just want to share, I.
Derek Hayes
Guess a UFO sighting.
Dalton
Me and my cousin, he's a park ranger at Lake Warren State park and.
Derek Hayes
It was a summer night, so it was probably 70 something, maybe a little hotter than that.
Dalton
But anyways, at the park there's a dock that leads to the lake and.
Derek Hayes
It goes out pretty far in the.
Dalton
Lake, like 10, 15ft out.
Derek Hayes
And usually we go out there and.
Dalton
We kind of just talk and stargaze and just talk about life really.
Derek Hayes
And we were out there one night.
Dalton
And we were just doing our normal thing, talking, sharing stories. And in the middle of the lake I saw this light, like underwater. And I told my cousin, I was like, hey, do you see that light there? He's like, yeah, but it's probably just the road because there's like a dam, if you will, to the right side of this and cars pass all the time back and forth. And he was like, yeah, it's just a reflection of somebody passing. And I was like, dude, there's no cars because you could hear the car over the lake because the lake echoes. And he was like, you know what, you're right. So we're looking. All of a sudden, the light just starts moving back and forth, almost like a pinball machine. Like it's going back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. So I'm like, well, water reflects light. So I look up and there it was. It was this huge white light. I thought it was the moon the whole time it was that bright. And I'm looking and I'm like, what in the world? I kind of hit my cousin on the arm to look up. And as soon as he looks up, it drops down a little bit closer to us and then it just gone. And it had this weirdest sound. I can't replicate it, but on the water you could see the ripples of, I guess like air kind of hit the water. And you know how like a speedboat is on the water? It kind of moves the water. It was almost like that. So then I pulled my flashlight out and I'm looking around the water and.
Derek Hayes
The most scariest thing that night was.
Dalton
All the alligators looking at us. And just right there at the dock. That was more scary than what I was looking at. Yeah, that was just the craziest thing I remember after it left, it was like all the sound came back. The owls, the crickets. I didn't realize at the time, like, it was just silent. But when it left, everything was just boastful, loud.
Derek Hayes
It was just like it came back.
Dalton
It was like the weirdest thing. But, yeah, the podcast is awesome.
Derek Hayes
Thank you for what you do and have a good day. Thanks, Dalton. Wow. It's pretty incredible. And the strange craft that he saw underwater sort of reminds me of some of the reports we've been receiving here off the coast of SoCal. From time to time, you hear someone mention that they saw something glowing beneath the waves, or they might have caught a glimpse of something on camera. It all stems from a supposed alien base that many researchers suggest may lay a few hundred feet off the Pacific coast. And there's a lake in Russia that also seems to have similar reports. The deepest freshwater lake on the planet, actually Lake Baikal, which is over a mile deep. But a man made lake in the Carolinas, that's not the kind of place you'd suspect an unidentified submerged object to hide out, especially knowing that the lake wasn't constructed until 1967. So if they're down there, they haven't been there very long. Now, my researcher, Delaney, did some digging on Lake Warren and its UFO USO connection, but didn't find much of anything. There were a few other experiences reported from nearby bodies of water, but nothing exactly matching Dalton's incredible claims. So let's put some feelers out. Perhaps someone listening has some insight. Maybe they know something about Lake Warren that we simply do not until that info comes to the surface. A big thanks, Dalton, for kicking us off here tonight. Now folks, I have plenty more nightmare fuel where that one came from, so don't go anywhere. I'll be right back with more spooky stories right after this.
Dalton
We're here to bring you something we believe is better 3,000 390,000 people. You just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy. Just use Indeed. Stop struggling to get your job post seen on other job sites with Indeed sponsored Jobs. Your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates so you can reach the people you want faster. According to Indeed data, sponsored jobs posted directly on indeed have 45% more applications than non sponsored jobs. Don't wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit. To get your jobs more visibility@ Indeed.com kidsandfamily just go to Indeed.com kidsandfamily right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need.
Derek Hayes
Lowe's knows you want the best for dad this Father's Day.
Dalton
Help him take any project with big.
Derek Hayes
Deals on DeWalt right now.
Dalton
Get a free XR8amp hour battery when.
Derek Hayes
You buy select DeWalt tools. That's not all. Get up to two free select tools when you buy a select DeWalt 20.
Dalton
Volt max battery kit. Maximum initial battery voltage measured without a workload is 20 volts. Nominal voltage is 18. No office visits, no pharmacy lines.
Derek Hayes
Now this next entry will find us in Indiana. Please welcome Cat to tonight's program.
Dalton
Hi, this is Kat from Indiana. I was just listening to the 13.5 episode of season eight. It had a lot of disembodied voices stories. I wanted to tell you the story of what happened to me one time where I live. It's a trailer park between a couple cornfields in middle Indiana. My friends whom I live with, they take care of the stray cats. They will catch them, vet them, fix them and then release them back into the trailer park. Anyways, I was at home and me and my daughter were just watching TV and I hear a commotion outside sounding like a couple of kids up to no good. Were chasing and harassing the stray cats. So I jump up off the couch and my daughter, she starts asking, what are you doing? What are you doing? What are you doing? Don't, don't, don't. And I just like shush the kids. They're chasing the cats. And you know how the cats get. So I bust out of the door trying to scare these kids, trying to tell them, you know, hey, leave these cats alone. They're not doing anything to you. Leave them alone. And there's no kids. There's no kids out on the road. There's one cat just sitting on the porch. And this cat, we call him Socks, he's just sitting there looking at me. And as I'm putting this into my head, my daughter, she is physically grabbing me from around the collar of my shirt and dragging me back inside saying, what are you doing? What are you doing? Get back inside, get back inside. And I didn't know why she was manhandling me like this. My 15 year old daughter manhandling me back inside. And she slams the door shut. I'm like, what are you doing? Why did you do that? I was trying to make sure the cats were okay. And she's like, no, I heard you outside saying very clearly, come here, come here. And you popped up and ran outside. And I said, that's not what I heard. I heard a couple of kids chasing and yelling and screaming outside, like kids will do. And then it hits in my mind that this obviously feral cat that only likes like one or two people was just calmly sitting on our porch after I busted like the Kool Aid man through our front door. And it really rubbed me the wrong way that he never sits still like that. I've seen him around the house for two years now. He never sits still like that. To this day, I tell my friends, I'm like, don't let that cat inside. Do not let that cat inside. He gives me the crates. There's just something wrong about him. I don't know what it was. There's a lot of things that go on at that trailer park. Just weird, weird things. But that was one of my weird ones. I've been wanting to tell this story for a while. Love to hear your opinion on it. All right, have a good one. Bye.
Derek Hayes
Thank you, cat. You know, there's something about this mysterious mimicry that gives me the chills. It could be that whatever is out there has the intelligence to employ such a tactic, but it also could be that something out there has the ability to blend in to camouflage itself so effectively, even if only audibly, makes you wonder what they're hiding. But there's just something about this phenomena that puts me on edge. And I'm not even an experiencer. I could not imagine the fear an experience like that could invoke and the sense of danger it could instill. So it sounds like it was a good thing your daughter was there to keep you in check, Cat. Who knows what would have happened had you gone all the way out there? Who knows who or what was out there waiting for you? And the last thing I'll mention about this story here is the cat Fox sounds like my kind of guy. And if you see him again, Cat, please tell him I said psst, psst, psst. Don't worry, he'll know exactly what that means. Thank you again, Cat, for taking the time to share your entry. And folks, if you too have a story you would like me to share here on the program, you can submit one of two ways. First, you can call our hotline at 888-608-night. That's 888608-night. Or you can record your story using the voice memo app on your phone and email it to me at monsters among us podcastmail.com don't forget the rules, though. Rules that I put in place to help keep your calls as crisp and coherent as possible. Don't call from a loud area. Go to a quiet room and tell your story. If you do submit from a moving vehicle, I can almost guarantee you that your call will be unusable. The background noise is simply too much. Now there's one story per phone call. You can call in as many times as you want. Just keep them separated. If you get cut off because of our five minute limit, just call back and pick up where you left off. Connor and I are pretty good at splicing these together, so we'll make it work somehow. And true stories only. No creepypastas, no bedtime stories, no fibs, lies or tales. True stories only, please. Now this next entry takes us to the woods. Please welcome Kyle to the program.
Dalton
Hey, Derek. This is Kyle calling from Michigan. My call comes from a shop I used to work at. Anybody from Michigan knows what Lapeer is. It's further east of Lapeer, in a little town called Capac. This shop is kind of in the woods a little bit, surrounded by cornfields. There's woods on the back side of it and it's got four buildings. And I've noticed whenever I started working there, I started on night shift and I Noticed that I always got a weird feeling in that shop. And I started noticing whenever I worked in the fourth building, which is over more into the woods, I would hear noises. One time I heard a woman coughing. And I was the only one in the whole building. It was like right in my ear. I've noticed shadows around the corners of the machines too. Solid black shadows kind of peeping around. Almost kind of like a hide behind. Then I was talking to a guy I work with and he said that one time he heard his name being called in the woods and he said there was a windigo and he left a tobacco offering like you're supposed to. And he hasn't had any issues with it since then, but I brushed him off though. That's nonsense. You know, I believe in the paranormal stuff, but that's a little too far fetched for me. But whenever I told him that, I started seeing a lot more shadows. I don't know if it was a windigo so much as the woods were more haunted. I'm not 100% sure, but I do know that I always felt like I was being watched. And I felt like it was some kind of old restless spirit in the woods trying to play tricks on me. Huge fan of the show and I hope you have a great day.
Derek Hayes
Well, it's not every day you get to use the W word around here. Thank you for calling in, Kyle. And normally I would be real quick to dismiss suggestions of the Wendigo, at least for a story like this, but Kyle does live in the right part of the world. The legend of the Wendigo or Wendigo began with the Algonquin speaking tribes. The Cree, the Ojibwe, the Naskape. Tribes that once roamed the lands that include present day Michigan. So given the geographical location, I think it's fair that we at least consider that option. And sure, hearing sounds like this in the woods can be spooky, scary, or even unsettling. But how would you feel if similar sounds were heard coming from your cellar? Here with that version is Chevelle out of Montana.
Dalton
Hello, this is Chevelle Gilmore from Billings, Montana. I just wanted to call about an entry I had a couple years ago. It happened when I was about six or five. It was when I was a child, but a long while ago was at my grandma's house. And this is in a residential area, an area with a lot of buildings, just the general city area. But what's weird about this house is that it was built a long time ago. I did some digging and from what I do know, it was 1960s or 1970s, around that time. And I don't know, I always got a weird feeling from that place. There's always like pictures in that house that always kind of like stare at you. You know, the weird usual feeling you get. But this was about like, believe it was in the afternoon, my dad and my grandma were just on the patio and I was in like downstairs in the basement. I heard this noise and I just kind of ignored it. I just figured it was the show because I was watching like a little creepy kid show, like Goosebumps or something. Can't remember. But I heard this like dog bark and I got really scared, but I just kind of ignored it. And then I kept hearing it and it sounded like a dog, almost like barking in your ear. Like I could feel the heat on my ear. It was really weird. And when I asked my dad about it, he said he's seen like dogs outside the window before. Other people, shadow people. He has seen like the string get pulled almost as if like one of those string lights where you pull it. And what's weird is that it wasn't no pull. It was like you had to actually like grab it. And that's what I found so weird about it. So I love your show. Absolutely love it. Thank you and bye.
Derek Hayes
Thank you. Chevelle. A disembodied dog barking from the basement. Unsettling. That is, if you don't have a dog. Maybe there was some sort of strange amplification effect from the outside. Chevelle. After all, you did say that your dad saw dogs around the window frequently. So it is possible that you simply could hear them through the glass. But of course that does nothing to explain the pull string light coming on by itself. Whatever is going on there, Chevelle, we thank you for telling us about it and we appreciate the phone call.
Dalton
You just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy. Just use Indeed. Stop struggling to get your job post seen on other job sites. With Indeed sponsored jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates so you can reach the people you want faster. According to INDEED data, sponsored jobs posted directly on indeed have 45% more applications than non sponsored jobs. Don't wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit. To get your jobs more visibility at indeed.comkidsandfamily, just go to indeed.comkidsandfamily right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need. You can't rely on blind faith to get the pregnancy support you deserve. Ritual's Essential Prenatal Multivitamin is the only leading prenatal backed by its own human clinical trial. Essential Prenatal is proven to deliver key nutrients including folate, biotin, and vitamin D during pregnancy. Get 25% off when you visit ritual.com clinical these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Largest family law firm in the country.
Derek Hayes
Now back on season 16 episode 14 I shared a call from Kate in Eau Claire, Wisconsin about an encounter she had with what she thought was a homeless woman, only to watch it transform into a massive moose right before her eyes. Well, ever since sharing that call, I can no longer look at stories involving moose the same way again. And here with a moose story of his own is B out of the state of Idaho.
Dalton
Hi Derek, this is Dee from Idaho. So this is high school friend's story that I just recently learned about because I haven't seen him since my senior year. After we graduated, he went into the military and he got stationed up in Alaska. And what he would do whenever they weren't doing anything on the base is he would go with some of his friends on base and they'd find places off base to go, you know, fishing or hiking or just generally exploring. So they were doing this one day. And what he described to me is he saw what he thought was a moose in a bunch of willows. And when this thing walked out of the willows, it was something with the body of a moose, but it had the face of like a person almost. But it didn't look like a person. Its face was all like distorted. It looked burned almost. And on top of that, it had the antlers of a caribou. Now, I've never heard of any sort of cryptid or native legend that is like this, so I truthfully have no idea what this thing could be. But I feel like it is just a really strange story from one of my buddies that I had never heard because I had just recently talked to him since he moved down here after the military. Okay, bye.
Derek Hayes
Thanks. Be this is actually an easy one. Your friend simply saw a moose mid transformation. In all seriousness, I wonder if there isn't a mundane explanation for what Bee's friend witnessed. For example, each year a moose grows a new set of Antlers. And once they've grown out completely, blood flow stops and the velvety covering begins to rot away, typically in bloody swaths of flesh and hair. Could some of this beef jerky like material have dried over the moose's face, giving it a ghastly humanoid appearance? Or it is possible that there is a yet to be named monster roaming the expanses of northern North America. Now, I'll keep my eyes and ears open for more moose calls until then though. Thank you again, Bee, for expanding this creature's territory and for sharing the entry here with us. Now, next up, we venture to Oregon, where Lumen is waiting with a tail.
Dalton
Hi, Garrick. My name is Lumen. I'm from the state of Oregon. I currently live in Portland. But this story took place in my hometown of Jervis. It was a UFO thing, which is funny because I don't really tend to like, believe the UFO stuff. Like, it's not something I tend to think about. It was a nice sunny day. Sun was slowly starting to set. I was in a car with my family. It was my mom, my dad, my three sisters and me. And we are heading home from some sort of event. And we're all in the family car. It's probably like 17 and we're driving and I look out the window and I see an aircraft. I typically don't believe in the UFO type things and I'm like, oh, maybe it's a military aircraft. Because like our farm airspace was being used by military. And I was so used to seeing all the military aircraft, but it was just this weird black oblong shape that was big on one end and tapered down to something smaller. I couldn't see any wings, no flashing lights. I was really, really confused. And honestly, I had no idea what was going on. I'm like, mom, do you guys see that? And they're like, oh, yeah, that's weird. It looks really weird. So I'm like, as soon as we get home, which was like, any minute now, I'm gonna hop in the gator and I'm going to go check that out. I'm going to take dad's binoculars. And this thing was super slow moving super low to the ground. I could see details on it, but it didn't have any military logos. Nothing, nothing going on. And as soon as we get home down a half mile long dirt road, I hop in the gator with the binoculars and I book. It took less than a minute as soon as I got out of that car to get to the end of the driveway and it was such a slow moving thing that you think it'd still be there. By the time I got to the end of the driveway, it was gone, completely gone. Like it evaporated from the sky. There was no sign of it anywhere. I looked in the skyline nowhere, and it was still light out. Like, it wasn't like super dark or anything. It was still blue sky, slightly red. But other than that, I couldn't see anything. So that is my UFO story. I don't really have many of them. That was my first time seeing a ufo. My grandmother has an experience on that property with the ufo, but then again, I ain't sure. So. Thank you so much for your time, Derek. Have a good night. Or day, depending on where you are.
Derek Hayes
Thanks, Lumen. Welcome to the club. You're officially a witness now, and we meet here every Tuesday and Thursday evening and take solace in knowing that you have our full support. Thank you again for taking the time to call in. Now this next entry also involves an unidentified flying object, but not in the way you would suspect. Please welcome Jay from my state of California.
Dalton
Hi, Derek. My name's Jay. So when I was about 8, I was walking around my neighborhood in spring or summer. This was about 12 or 13 years ago. It was warm and the sun was just starting to set. I live in the suburbs of Southern California, but we have a lot of, like, open space and trees around where I live, at least at the time that this happened. Unfortunately, a lot of it has since been destroyed. So there's one big stretch of city property, I guess along sort of a back row of houses near us. And it was covered in a bunch of, like, the tall native grass from the open space sort of grasslands. And it was shaded by this huge, beautiful oak tree, which I loved as a kid. So as I walked past, I was watching all these little insects darting around in the grass, sort of glowing with, like, the sunset. It was really beautiful. And my eye fell to, like, one figure in particular. It was larger than the small flies, but not by a ton. It was only maybe an inch or two in height, and it was clearly humanoid, but it looked very thin and spindly, sort of like it was made of twigs. I remember seeing very humanoid legs in particular. And I don't remember what the face looked like or if I even could make out details of it at the time, But I think it had wings. It was bouncing between a few blades of grass. And I somehow felt like it was dancing for me or that it was letting me see it. Like, I could tell that this Thing was aware of me and it was sort of giving me permission to see. Looked a lot like there's this video that is very clearly fake, but I thought after this experience and was shocked by how similar it looked. It's called on YouTube, like Creepy Fairy UK or something. It's a figure very much like what I described, which again, I saw this video after this experience and it freaked me out because of how similar. Anyway, so I crouched down and I was watching this thing for a few minutes and it very weirdly didn't feel shocking to me. It was exciting, but I wasn't freaking out. It felt very natural, like if I was looking at a squirrel or a bird. And this is coming from someone who loves fairies, like any kid, especially kids raised as girls, we love fairies. And I was very creative and I had a great imagination, but that's never bled into what I knew to be real. I could always tell the difference between that and I never had any other experience like this until a few years ago. It was very strange to me and I've heard a few times from other people with strange experiences that feeling of it doesn't feel shocking or scary like it should, even though it's very clearly out of the ordinary. Anyway, that stretch of grass has unfortunately since been converted into turf and a lot of the trees in our neighborhood are cut down. But sometimes I still, when I'm walking through, have that same feeling when I saw it. I don't really know how to describe what that is exactly, but I'm very grateful to have had that experience. It pushed me into further obsession with the fae and eventually into paganism. I don't know, just curious if anyone had any similar experiences. Anyway, have a great day.
Derek Hayes
Thanks, Jay. Now, first things first, here we found the video Jay referenced in his call. It's in our show notes at monsters among us podcast.com and under the Show Notes tab. I'm not sure what is featured there in the video though, if I'm honest, it looks very similar to a crane fly or something, but I can sort of see where it looks like it has two legs where its abdomen should be. But I think we're just looking at an optical illusion here. Anyway, it's in the show notes if you want to take a look. But whatever it is is very insect like and it's also very reminiscent of a creature from Greek mythology, a creature known as the dryad. Now, a dryad is a nymph, or nature spirit, who lives in trees and takes the form of beautiful young women. Emerald green eyes, hair made of vines and leaves. Your typical fairy appearance. Dryads were originally thought to be the spiritual representation of oak trees, Dryas meaning oak in Greek. And it was believed that they only lived as long as the trees they inhabited. When the oak tree died, so too to the triad. But that's all Greek mythology. That's not real life, right? Well, this is not the first fairy sighting that we've heard, and I promise you that it won't be the last either. For now, I'll just say, great stuff, Jay. We love a good fairy tale. And thank you again for taking the time to call in.
Dalton
You can't rely on blind faith to get the pregnancy support you deserve. Ritual's Essential Prenatal Multivitamin is the only leading prenatal backed by its own human clinical trial. Essential prenatal is proven to deliver key nutrients including folate, biotin and vitamin D during pregnancy. Get 25% off when you visit ritual.com clinical these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Did you know that many products for pregnant women do not have their own clinical trials for safety or efficacy? That's because pregnant women are often excluded from clinical studies. Ritual is aiming to set a new standard with their Essential Prenatal Multivitamin. It's the number one best selling prenatal and the only leading prenatal backed by its own human clinical trial. Essential Prenatal is proven to deliver key nutrients including folate, biotin and vitamin D during pregnancy. Moms taking essential prenatal had a lower overall cortisol level during pregnancy than those taking a leading prenatal. Plus, it's designed to be gentle on the stomach. Ritual doesn't just have your back, they have the receipts. Get 25% off@ritual.com clinical these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Derek Hayes
I don't know. Now next up, we hear from Beta in the Show Me State.
Dalton
Hola, Derek. Hey, this is Bessa and I am from Kansas City. Not originally, but this is where the car broke. I have a UFO story that I wanted to share with you and your listeners. So this was around 1977. My family at the time was migrant workers, so we lived in South Texas, but we would drive up to Wisconsin and Michigan and Arkansas for seasonal work. And I tell you this to go along with my story. Like I said, summer about 1977 or so my stepdad had been picked up for a dui, so my mom and his brother had to drive up to pick him up from jail. At the time, I was about 4, maybe 5 years old. And so I was sitting in the backseat. It was dark outside. It was summer. I believe we were in Wisconsin or Michigan, one of those two. And I could hear my mom and his brother chatting about whatever was going on with the incident that had occurred. Then all of a sudden, my mom's tone, her voice changed and I could tell that she was concerned. And she said to the driver, his name was Roy. She said, do you see that? What is that? What do you think that is? And so that alerted me. And like I said, I was sitting in the backseat. So I slowly crept up from the backseat to see what they were talking about. And that's when I saw it. To the right side, behind my mom, there appeared an object, a disc shape object. And it was hovering above, I want to say either corn or something very tall. And it was just hovering. I remember didn't have any noise, it didn't have anything but different colors, like brilliant colors, red and orange. And anyways, I remember my mom saying to Roy that that was a ufo. And then that's all I can recall. So Fast forward in 2019, I drove down to Arkansas to bring my mom up to Kansas City to see our new home. Go Chiefs. On the way. Coming up, she and I were listening to a creepy podcast. And I brought up this incident and I said to her, hey, Mommy, do you remember? And then she said just the same story that I'm relaying to you, that she saw the ufo, but she doesn't remember, like, what happened afterwards. She just knows that we picked up my stepdad and went about her business, but she doesn't recall, like, how long it took when it was anything like that. So anyways, I wanted to share this little story. Thank you for the podcast and thank you for giving us a venue to share our stories. Take care and be well. Adios.
Derek Hayes
Thanks, Betta. Oh, it's never good when you can't recall details after a UFO encounter. That sort of thing will make you fear things you can't even remember. Trust me, I've seen it happen. And I really appreciate the fact that you asked your mother about this sighting all these years later. And I enjoy it even more knowing that she corroborated the account. So thank you again for sharing. Beta, I don't know what you saw, but it sounded pretty incredible. Now folks, it's time to switch up Subjects here just a bit. This next entry is either mind bending or mind melting, depending on how you look at it. Please welcome this anonymous caller out of the state of Arizona.
Dalton
Hi Derek, Love the show. I'm from Arizona, but grew up in a small town in northern New Mexico. I've always had very intense dreams and nightmares. I can actually remember my first nightmare when I was three years old. So much so that at a very young age I taught myself how to lucid dream as well as how to wake myself up from nightmares and bad dreams that I cannot control. My grandmother died when I was 10 years old. It was really hard on me because like most 10 year olds, I loved my grandmother and it was the first death I had ever experienced. I have only happy memories of my grandmother as a child child. Two days after she died, I dreamt that I was at her funeral. Everything was exactly the same as it was at her funeral. Just like two days prior. I was sitting in a chair and bent over with my face in my hands, crying in my lap. Then I look up to my right and see my grandmother sitting next to me. She was facing forward but peering down at me from the corner of her eye. She looked angry and annoyed. It didn't feel good. It wasn't happy. It was a very scary dream. Two years later we moved to an apartment in Arizona. I was 12 years old and I was taking a shower. I closed my eyes to rinse my hair out and in my mind's eye I suddenly had a vision of this old scary lady wearing all black with white hair and red eyes and she was flying toward me. She was charging me. It scared the living out of me. It was my grandmother. Later in life I learned that the grandmother I loved so much had a hard life and she was abusive toward her children. She abandoned them and my grandfather when they were teenagers for a pilot and traveled around the world with him. She also struggled with alcoholism. These were family secrets for some reason my aunt decided to tell me when I was 18. Anyway, she has visited me in my dreams once since then. I walked into a Circle K, which is a convenience store and she was working there. I knew she was my grandmother, but she didn't know who I was. I just stopped to chat with her. I cannot remember what we spoke about. I like to think that because this wasn't absolutely terrifying that she was doing okay. Later on I told my mother about that dream and she told me my grandmother had worked at a Circle before I was born. So I've been meditating for 22 years. I've done all kinds of different meditations, from guided to mindfulness to working with chakras and energy. Now, I'm a total agnostic and skeptic. I don't necessarily wholeheartedly believe in energy or chakras or Celtic goddesses or wicked spells and rituals. But I definitely believe in the intention behind them. Also, it's just fun to play around with what your mind is capable of doing. So I've been meditating off and on since I was 18. Sometimes I'll go six months of daily meditation, and other times I won't meditate for weeks. But it's something I've always come back to. During the time these two encounters happened, I was meditating intensely every day. For the first encounter, I was doing these guided hypnosis meditations every morning upon awakening in an attempt to experience astral travel or an outer body experience. Let me preface this by saying that although I believe in a multiverse or possibly believe in it and parallel universes because, well, is physics, I'm not sure if what I experienced was astral travel or that I made my mind do something strange. So after about a month or so of doing this daily meditation, I finally was able to quote astral travel, unquote. I'm going to call back with that experience because it's too long. But long story short, I left my body and traveled through this tunnel of light to a different planet and was in what seemed like a military medical facility with a man who tried to grab me from behind. I was able to fly and go through walls at will. I had complete control. And I know I wasn't lucid dreaming, but it wasn't too dissimilar from that. The whole time I knew I was awake. It was crazy. Now, around this time, I'm also doing a lot of guided meditation where I'm meeting various goddesses once again. I don't necessarily believe in gods or goddesses, but I believe in the intention behind them. Oh my God, I'm so glad I'm anonymous and none of you know my name. I sound like I own a metaphysical bookstore. Anyway, they help me to understand myself and the world around me at the time. Skepticism and spirituality can both simultaneously exist. One night I'm meditating on my bed and I completely open myself up for any of the goddesses I had previously got to know via meditation to come and visit me. I completely opened myself up. That was a mistake. After about 20 minutes of mindful meditating and focusing on my, quote, third eye, I suddenly feel someone at My bedroom door. The hairs on the back of my neck stood straight on end. I listened to read about and watch a lot of paranormal stuff. Stuff. And I never knew what people meant when they say they feel a presence until this moment. This isn't what I was expecting, nor was it what I asked for. I feel this presence go from my bedroom door and to the foot of my bed where my feet were. It went around my feet to the other side of my bed where I felt a hand on my right shin as if to say, I'm here. Then boom. In my mind's eye I see a face of an old woman. It was as if her forehead was against my forehead, but I could see her whole face. Her face was really wrinkled and she had an olive complexion with dark circles around her eyes. I mean, she looked like decrepit. Like she was really, really old. If I saw her in a crowd of a million people, I would be able to point her out. I immediately opened my eyes. I could have sworn this old woman would be sitting there right in front of me. She wasn't. Now, the feelings that this woman gave off weren't necessarily bad. They felt kind of good and somewhat supportive, just like lukewarm. They didn't feel evil or bad. Like when I saw my grandmother, it could have been just the meditative state I was in and that I calm was, but I don't know. And she kind of looked like my great grandmother who died 30 years before I was born. I don't know. She just looked really old and not like really happy. I'm still not sure who she was or what she wanted. It scared me so much. I didn't meditate for months and didn't get back into it for a whole year. It's the longest time I've gone without meditation. I didn't even allow myself to think about it. Just completely blocked it out. Sometimes I wonder if I had just opened myself up enough with month long intense daily meditation to be able to see and receive people who have passed. Or maybe I've always had that ability with the dreams and visions of my grandmother and the dreams of my grandfather. Oh yeah, he's come to visit me multiple times in my dreams too. I don't know. But I'm not sure I'm willing to find out again. Who knows, maybe I'll be brave enough one day. If there is anyone out there who has experienced visions, visitations or dreams of dead people, please let me know. And if anyone out there knows anything about meditation or what I experienced by just Random people popping up in your face and scaring you. It would be cool to hear your thoughts. What was weird about it is like when I go into sleep paralysis, my body will start to vibrate and it's terrifying. And sleep paralysis. And this time my body started to vibrate, but I knew I was awake. I knew what was happening, I knew what was going on and it didn't feel terrifying, but it was the same feeling. Maybe it was my body releasing dmt, like when you die. I don't know if that's even possible. I didn't see any other weird beings that people typically see when they do dmt. I don't know. I have no idea. This whole astral travel thing, out of body experiences, I don't know what it is. Anyway, thank you so much Derek for all you do.
Derek Hayes
Thank you caller. Now there's a ton to unpack here. Firstly, it sounds like your dream knew the truth about your grandmother before you did somehow. And it also seems like whatever it is you have going on there, caller, it all appears to be connected again somehow. Now maybe someone in the audience can give us more input here. This topic isn't exactly my wheelhouse, but I'm happy to do what I can to let you know you're not alone in experiencing it. But if you would call her, allow me to point out a spot that might be a good place to search for some answers. The Monsters Among Us Discord Server as of right now There are over 500 users and we just opened the server up to everyone. So visit our show notes to get the link and I will be in and out of there some answering questions wherever I can. And if I could, I'd like to take a quick moment to thank our volunteer extraordinaire, Sarah Dinsmore for helping us get the server up and going. Sarah's help in setting all of this up has been immeasurable. So thank you Sarah. Alright, I have a couple more calls I need to get through here this evening, so let's get right back at it. Please welcome Elizabeth to the show.
Dalton
Hello, this is Elizabeth. Back in 1998, I was like 18 years old at the time. My parents live in Tennessee. Once I turned 18 I would go visit back and forth my friends in California and everything. I was young at that time. I was staying in California for a few months. I was living in a rented house with my ex boyfriend at the time. And you know, a few of our friends right before I flew over there, they had just moved into that house not that long ago. And I wasn't really on the lease, but you know how that goes. But I remember my ex boyfriend at the time, he was saying how he was in the bathroom, he just got a shower. He saw the handle of the door turn. He thought it was one of his daughters because he had two little girls. And he was like, stop it, stop it, you guys. And he opened it up and no one was there. And he was like, oh, wait, they're at school. So he had told me that before. Well, I didn't see anything in the house. But one afternoon, I was alone in the house. Everybody else was at work. One of my childhood friends, she lived like five houses down, so we would hang out all the time because I grew up in that area. Anyway, so one afternoon she walks over to the house because she's only a few houses away, and she goes, hey, do you want to come over? I'm going to go get something at my house. And I was like, sure. And I said, well, wait, I don't have a key, because remember, my name is on the lease. And I don't really have a key to the house because whenever I would come home, it would just randomly be when I knew when people would be there when my boyfriend was off of work or something. She goes, why don't you just leave the door unlocked? We're only going to be there for like, two minutes. So we literally went over there for two, maybe three minutes tops. I left the door unlocked because no one else was in the house. We walked over to her house to get something real quick. Two, three minutes. Walking back is like a minute, maybe two minutes. We come back and the door's locked. And we specifically left it unlocked. We were both like, what the. No one else was home because I rang the doorbell. I'm like, well, maybe Billy came home, or maybe Suzette came home and nobody was there. We actually ended up going through a window that was unlocked. So we kind of crawled back in the window. That was weird. And it wasn't a big deal at the time, but that was kind of weird to us because we were just shaking after that. But that was just something small. Thank you for using it. Talk to you soon. Bye.
Derek Hayes
Thank you, Elizabeth. Now, I've talked about it before. Ghosts don't really scare me anymore, but it does scare me when they do things like turn the water on, start fires, or lock people in or out of places. That's control that I'm not willing to give up. And I'm certainly not looking to surrender it to an invisible force. But it sounds like you escaped the situation unfazed, Elizabeth, and you even got a good story out of it. Thank you for sharing your experience. Now for this next entry, we visit the Great American Southwest. Rob from New Mexico, welcome to the program.
Dalton
Hi, Derek.
Derek Hayes
This is Rob from New Mexico. Just wanted to share a skin marker.
Dalton
Story that my friend told me the other night. She actually had three stories that she told me, but this one in particular really kind of stuck out. It's actually a story her dad told her, I guess, some years back while he was a fire chief slash, like, first responder. Now, at the time, they were stationed near one of the reservations in a fairly rural area of New Mexico. Her dad was the one to delegate, like, which crew went to certain calls because it was kind of a small area and it wasn't too many people out there.
Derek Hayes
And I guess two calls came in.
Dalton
At the same time. So two teams had to be sent.
Derek Hayes
Out to different locations.
Dalton
Now these guys are, you know, like, anybody, when they come back from a call, they're going to be talking about it going back and forth and letting.
Derek Hayes
Everyone know, like, oh, yeah, we did this whatnot.
Dalton
So they were sharing their stories about what the call was, and first team came back, and that's what they did.
Derek Hayes
Then the second team came, and when.
Dalton
They got back, I guess everybody was just dead silent, which was weird for.
Derek Hayes
Those kind of guys.
Dalton
Like, usually they would be willing to.
Derek Hayes
Tell you the story about what had.
Dalton
Happened and what they had to see. Kind of like battle stories and whatnot. So they came back, they were just dead silent, looked kind of spooked.
Derek Hayes
So after a while, one of the.
Dalton
Guys from the first team asked what.
Derek Hayes
Had happened and, you know, why are they acting so weird?
Dalton
So another guy from the second team, I guess they explained that the call that they went to was for a man who suffered a heart attack on the reservation. Something had caused him to have a heart attack. And so they're there, they did their thing. They gave him all the necessary medical treatment.
Derek Hayes
And they're starting to head back, and.
Dalton
They'Re, you know, those, like, fireman SUVs. And a coyote started chasing their car. And, you know, they started to pick.
Derek Hayes
Up speed and this thing was keeping up with them.
Dalton
And I guess all of a sudden the coyote, like, reared up on its hind legs and started running, like, full speed.
Derek Hayes
Like, they're.
Dalton
They're freaking out because they've never seen anything like a dog run on its hind legs like that before, especially, like.
Derek Hayes
In a full sprint.
Dalton
And they started picking up speed and I guess they looked and it let out some kind of strange noise and then did a weird flip sort of thing like I don't know. And they said that it started sprinting backwards. Like it didn't turn around, it just.
Derek Hayes
Did a weird flip and then started.
Dalton
Sprinting full speed backwards.
Derek Hayes
And that just scared the heck out of him.
Dalton
And yeah, when she told me that, I was like freaked out because in my mind I'm imagining not only a dog on its hind legs sprinting, but then sprinting backwards. So I don't know if anyone has any stories about like skinwalkers or like I've heard stories on the show before about skinwalkers or things like that, like chasing after the car and keeping up with it. But I've never heard of the backwards sprinting thing, so I don't know if.
Derek Hayes
Anyone has any stories about that. But hey, love the podcast.
Dalton
I hope you can use this. Thank you.
Derek Hayes
Thanks Rob. That's one unsettling story running backwards, you say. There's something about that that I do not like. Something tells me I'm not alone in sharing those feelings. And like Kyle's mention of the Wendigo earlier in the program, I typically do not like to use the word skinwalker, or at least I don't use the word lightly. But again, like with Kyle, Rob's story too takes place in a location where you would historically find myths and legends of said creatures creature. In other words, he's right smack dab in the middle of skinwalker territory. Now outside of that, I've got nothing. Nothing but wonder, nothing but awe, and a little bit of morbid curiosity. I love these sorts of stories, but I have no idea what to make of them. So thank you Rob for taking the time to share your your entry and adding yet another data point to our collection. It's certainly gnarly stuff. Any big thanks to you listener for swinging by, because that's going to do it for tonight. Now Monsters Among Us is written and produced by me, Derek Hayes Copyright Red Crow Media. Additional support is provided by Sarah Carter Hayes, Delaney Bowers and Connor Ryan. All media used in this production is done so under the protection of fair use. Be sure to follow us on social media, give us a like and follow on YouTube, and leave us a rate and review wherever that sort of thing is possible. Now, if you enjoy the show, you might want to catch us on digital radio. You can find the show every Saturday evening at 10pm Eastern on the Eastern Annex Digital Network. Just visit onxnetwork.com to tune in. And finally, tonight's score was provided by Iron Cthulhu, Apocalypse Co AG Music and Carl Casey at White Bat Audio. Watch our film borregotriangle.com will get you there. Check out our after show monsters among us podcast.com and click the Patreon tab. That all get you there. And stick around until after the credits if you would, because you and I need to have a quick word. Until then, keep it spooky and have yourselves a good night. Sa.
Dalton
Otherwise healthy did you know that many products for pregnant women do not have their own clinical trials for safety or efficacy? That's because pregnant women are often excluded from clinical studies. Ritual is aiming to set a new standard with their Essential Prenatal Multivitamin. It's the number one best selling prenatal and the only leading prenatal backed by its own human clinical trial. Essential Prenatal is proven to deliver key nutrients including folate, biotin and vitamin D during pregnancy. Moms taking Essential Prenatal had a lower overall cortisol level during pregnancy than those taking a leading prenatal. Plus, it's designed to be gentle on the stomach. Ritual doesn't just have your back, they have the receipts. Get 25% off@ritual.com clinical these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Just like your regular heartbeat, heart rate.
Derek Hayes
No listing, contracts and can be done.
Dalton
In as little as three days.
Derek Hayes
Now the word that I would like to share with you. Bonus. As in if you listen past the credits, you get a bonus story. Typically a super weird story as well. And tonight is no exception. Coming to us from the Golden State of California, please welcome April to tonight's airwaves.
Dalton
Hello, my name is April. I'm from Southern California. I love the podcast. So my story is this. I was riding a bus one day and there was this guy in front of me. He asked me for a pen and I had a pen on me. I don't know why. And so I give him the pen and he starts writing a piece of paper. He turns around and starts explaining to me what all these symbols mean on a piece of paper. And I'm like looking at him and I'm kind of figuring out what's going on. He's saying, oh, this is infinity. This is nothing. And they're like all over this piece of paper. One that has like a circle and a line through it. One has like little holes punched through the paper and they're all Randomly, all through the paper. Oh. And the guy just looked really normal. He seemed a little skittish. He looked kind of frightened, but, you know, he was really clean. He was kind of young, like in his 20s, and he's dressed pretty normal, but just, like I said, kind of skittish. So I asked him, I'm like, what shows you this? And he told me a thing, showed him this. So I was like, okay. And I'm like, was this thing good? He kind of shakes his head kind of weird, the way he shook his head kind of, like, really fast. I don't know, just kind of, like jerky. And so we had been stopped at a stop for a while, and he hadn't gone off yet. And all of a sudden, out of nowhere, he just gets off. And I kind of wonder if he left this thing with me or left something with me, if that's why he got off so quickly, because it just seemed really odd that he would get off that fast. And so I asked my friend, this guy I know who's really into, like, subtle energies and really clairvoyant and knows about this kind of stuff. I start to tell him about this, and before I even finish explaining what happened, he says, oh, he started saying, this means this. This means this. And I'm like, yes. And so he does this thing where he kind of goes into his zone, and I close my eyes and he kind of sees what's going on, and he tells me that I was exposed to dark forces. He got rid of it, whatever it was, but I just thought it was kind of crazy. I remember kind of like feeling a little bit more irritable than normal after this happened. And then, you know. So, yes, that's my story. Okay, thank you. Bye.
Derek Hayes
Thanks, April. We like to keep the stories weird here with the hidden entry. And April certainly delivered, but what do you think, listener? The ramblings of a mentally ill person? An elaborate joke of some sort? Or was this man trying to convey some of sort. Sort of message that only a handful of us get to understand? As always, if you have input, you know how to reach us. 888-608-night or monsters among us podcastmail.com either way, thank you again, April, for sharing the call with us. Now, folks, this is the part of the the show where we cross the line and go beyond. If you'd like to join us, it's easier than ever. Just visit monsters among us podcast.com and click the Patreon tab. From there, you can join us on Patreon or you can Join us through Apple subscriptions. Either way, five bucks a month gets you access to an extra 30 to 45 minutes of programming each and every Thursday. Plus days worth of back content. Hundreds if not thousands of phone calls, all brand new to you. And you can do all of this for free using the seven day free trial. Again, that's Monsters Among Us. Podcast.com and click that Patreon tab. It's in the beyond. That's what we call it over there that we share stories like angels from parts unknown. My name is angel and I have.
Dalton
Two stories for you guys. Now, these stories involve the shadow people. I've been listening to your podcast, I would say probably a few days now. And one thing I can't say that I've actually heard that's actually recurring a lot and a lot of these stories that they've talked about is the shadow people. I've actually had two dealings with these shadow people.
Derek Hayes
I was in high school, takes place.
Dalton
Around, I would say 2017, 2018. And I remember one day coming home from wrestling practice, you know, I said hi to my family and I went inside my room and I closed the door, locked it, turned off all of the lights and I just passed out. I woke up, I opened my eyes and I see a shadowy figure hovering over me. And as I stared at it, I just felt lots of anger. I remember it's like as if I couldn't breathe. And it was getting harder and harder. I was paralyzed. My grandmother told all of us when it comes to the things of the supernatural or dark forces, that any dark spirits or anything of that sort has to flee because they cannot stand Jesus.
Derek Hayes
And I claim the blood of Jesus over and over and over again until.
Dalton
Finally it let go and it disappeared. I got up because I wasn't even asleep. Turned on the lights, opened the doors and my family were just sitting in the living room watching tv. And that was the first. Did you know that many products for pregnant women do not have their own clinical trials for safety or efficacy? That's because pregnant women are often excluded from clinical studies. Ritual is aiming to set a new standard with their Essential Prenatal Multivitamin. It's the number one best selling prenatal and the only leading prenatal backed by its own human clinical trial. Essential prenatal is proven to deliver key nutrients including folate, biotin and vitamin D during pregnancy. Moms taking essential prenatal had a lower overall cortisol level during pregnancy than those taking a leading prenatal. Plus, it's designed to be gentle on the stomach. Ritual doesn't just have your back, they have the receipts. Get 25% off@ritual.com clinical these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Monsters Among Us – Season 19, Episode 18: Wendigos, Skinwalkers, Fairies, and a Moose with a Human Face
Release Date: June 12, 2025 | Host: Derek Hayes | Audioboom Studios
Introduction
In this spine-tingling episode of Monsters Among Us, host Derek Hayes delves deep into a multitude of paranormal encounters ranging from elusive UFO sightings to encounters with mythical creatures like Wendigos and Skinwalkers. Each story is brought to life through firsthand accounts, providing listeners with a rich tapestry of eerie experiences and supernatural phenomena.
Caller: Dalton from South Carolina
Timestamp: [02:39] – [05:31]
Dalton recounts an extraordinary UFO sighting he experienced alongside his cousin, a park ranger, at Lake Warren State Park on a warm summer night. While stargazing from a dock, Dalton observes an unusual underwater light that behaves erratically, moving back and forth like a pinball machine. Initially dismissed as a reflection from passing cars, Dalton insists otherwise, especially when the light intensifies to resemble the moon. A massive white light descends closer before abruptly vanishing, accompanied by an inexplicable sound ripple resembling a speedboat's movement over water.
Dalton: “There was this huge white light. I thought it was the moon the whole time it was that bright. And I'm looking and I'm like, what in the world?”
Derek Hayes connects this account to other regional reports of unidentified submerged objects, noting similarities with sightings off the Pacific coast and Lake Baikal in Russia. Despite thorough research, Derek's team finds minimal corroborating evidence, inviting listeners to share any additional insights about Lake Warren's mysterious occurrences.
Caller: Cat from Indiana
Timestamp: [09:16] – [13:20]
Cat describes a chilling encounter in her Indiana trailer park where she overheard what sounded like children harassing stray cats. Upon confronting the supposed culprits, only a calm, unnaturally still cat named Socks remains on her porch. This unusual behavior raises suspicions, as Socks typically doesn't exhibit such demeanor, leaving Cat uneasy about the mysterious events at her residence.
Cat: “There's just something wrong about him. I don't know what it was. There's a lot of things that go on at that trailer park. Just weird, weird things.”
Derek Hayes muses on the concept of mimicry in paranormal entities, pondering whether the intelligence behind such actions hints at deeper, concealed motives. He highlights the enigmatic behavior of Socks, suggesting the possibility of the cat being more than it appears.
Caller: Kyle from Michigan
Timestamp: [16:20] – [19:20]
Kyle shares his unsettling experiences while working night shifts at a remote shop near Capac, Michigan. He describes hearing mysterious noises, such as a woman's coughing, and observing ominous shadows lurking around machinery. A colleague’s mention of a Wendigo—a malevolent spirit from Algonquin folklore—adds a layer of indigenous mythology to the mysterious happenings, leading Kyle to feel perpetually watched by restless spirits in the woods.
Kyle: “I always felt like I was being watched. And I felt like it was some kind of old restless spirit in the woods trying to play tricks on me.”
Derek Hayes acknowledges the cultural backdrop of the Wendigo legend, which aligns with Kyle’s geographical location. He speculates on the psychological impact of such persistent feelings of being watched, contemplating whether these experiences are rooted in folklore or represent genuine paranormal activity.
Caller: Chevelle Gilmore from Montana
Timestamp: [19:20] – [22:36]
Chevelle recounts a disturbing incident from her childhood at her grandmother’s house. While downstairs in the basement, she hears incessant dog barking, feeling physical sensations like heat on her ear. Despite her father’s explanations involving visible dogs outside, the mysterious barking continues until it abruptly stops. Additionally, she mentions strange occurrences like shadow people and string pulls without visible causes, heightening the eerie atmosphere of her grandmother’s residence.
Chevelle: “I heard this like dog bark and I got really scared, but I just kind of ignored it.”
Derek Hayes considers mundane explanations such as sound amplifications through various mediums but remains open to the possibility of paranormal influences, especially given the unexplained nature of the string pull events.
Caller: Dee from Idaho
Timestamp: [24:45] – [26:31]
Dee shares a harrowing tale from her high school friend stationed in Alaska. While exploring nature, her friend encounters a moose-like creature with a distorted, almost human face and antlers resembling those of a caribou. The bizarre amalgamation of animal and humanoid features leaves Dee puzzled, as there's no known folklore or cryptid matching this description, suggesting the possibility of an unidentified monster roaming northern North America.
Dee: “It was something with the body of a moose, but it had the face of like a person almost.”
Derek Hayes speculates on possible explanations, such as natural processes affecting a moose’s appearance, but remains open to the existence of undiscovered creatures, vowing to keep an eye out for similar sightings.
Caller: Lumen from Oregon
Timestamp: [27:50] – [30:23]
Lumen narrates her sighting of a peculiar black oblong-shaped aircraft while traveling home with her family. Unlike typical military aircraft, this UFO lacked wings and flashing lights, moving unnaturally slow and low to the ground. Upon investigating with binoculars, the object mysteriously vanished, leaving no trace in the sky. This marked her first UFO sighting, later joined by her grandmother's similar yet unverified experiences.
Lumen: “It was a nice sunny day. Sun was slowly starting to set. I was in a car with my family... It was just this weird black oblong shape.”
Derek Hayes welcomes Lumen into the community of UFO witnesses, sharing camaraderie and the shared experience of witnessing inexplicable aerial phenomena. He encourages her participation in further discussions and storytelling.
Caller: Jay from California
Timestamp: [31:02] – [36:25]
Jay describes an ethereal encounter as an 8-year-old in Southern California. While observing insects in the grass under a grand oak tree, he spots a slender, humanoid figure resembling a fairy or dryad—creatures from Greek mythology. The being interacts with him in a seemingly benign manner, evoking both awe and a lasting fascination with the fae, eventually influencing his spiritual path toward paganism.
Jay: “It was very strange to me and I've heard a few times from other people with strange experiences that feeling of it doesn't feel shocking or scary like it should.”
Derek Hayes connects Jay’s experience to the mythological dryads, exploring the possibility of real-life manifestations of folklore entities. He references mythical characteristics, such as dryads embodying nature spirits, to provide context for Jay’s vision.
Caller: Bessa from Kansas City
Timestamp: [38:11] – [41:01]
Bessa recounts a 1977 UFO sighting witnessed by her mother and uncle while they were driving to pick up her stepfather. As they journey through rural Wisconsin or Michigan, a disc-shaped object with vibrant red and orange hues hovers ominously above tall corn. The object's sudden appearance and hovering behavior leave a lingering mystery, further complicated years later when her mother recalls the event but lacks detailed memories.
Bessa: “She said, do you see that? What is that? What do you think that is?”
Derek Hayes appreciates the corroboration between Bessa and her mother’s accounts, emphasizing the importance of shared experiences in validating paranormal sightings. He expresses intrigue at the colorful and silent nature of the UFO, leaving room for further investigation.
Caller: Anonymous from Arizona
Timestamp: [41:59] – [50:08]
An anonymous caller details intense and recurring visions linked to meditation practices. From vivid dreams involving her deceased grandmother to waking encounters with a decrepit old woman, the caller explores the intersection of meditation, astral travel, and paranormal manifestations. She grapples with skepticism and spirituality, seeking understanding of these inexplicable experiences that blend lucid dreaming and potential connections to deceased loved ones.
Caller: “She looked like my great grandmother who died 30 years before I was born.”
Derek Hayes acknowledges the complexity of the caller’s experiences, discussing the potential for meditation to open portals to other realms or dimensions. He invites listeners with similar experiences to join the Monsters Among Us Discord Server for community support and further exploration.
Caller: Elizabeth from Tennessee/California
Timestamp: [51:38] – [54:03]
Elizabeth shares an eerie incident from her time living in a rented house in California. After leaving the door unlocked briefly while visiting a friend, she returns to find it mysteriously locked despite their assurance of absence. Forced to re-enter through an unlocked window, Elizabeth and her friend are left rattled by the inexplicable security breach, adding to the house's unsettling history.
Elizabeth: “The door's locked. And we specifically left it unlocked. We were both like, what the.”
Derek Hayes reflects on the intrusive nature of supernatural forces, emphasizing the fear associated with lost control over one’s environment. He comforts Elizabeth by highlighting her composed response despite the unnerving situation.
Caller: Rob from New Mexico
Timestamp: [54:57] – [58:31]
Rob relays a story from a friend's father, a fire chief in rural New Mexico, who encountered a Skinwalker—a shape-shifting entity from Native American folklore—while responding to a medical emergency. As the firefighters return from a heart attack call, a coyote-like creature chases their vehicle, displaying unnatural behavior by sprinting backward after performing an unearthly flip. The relentless pursuit and bizarre movements leave the team terrified, intertwining local legends with modern-day encounters.
Rob: “Like, a dog run on its hind legs like that before, especially, like, in a full sprint.”
Derek Hayes contextualizes the encounter within the rich tapestry of Skinwalker legends prevalent in the region. He balances skepticism with openness, acknowledging the cultural significance of such creatures while pondering the reality of the reported behavior.
Caller: April from California
Timestamp: [63:29] – [65:49]
April describes a surreal interaction on a bus where a skittish man requests a pen, only to produce a sheet covered in enigmatic symbols—circles with lines, punched holes, and abstract designs. The man’s urgent demeanor and swift departure raise questions about the nature of the symbols, which a clairvoyant friend interprets as exposure to dark forces. The event leaves April feeling irritable and unsettled, prompting her to seek spiritual assistance.
April: “I was like, was this thing good? He kind of shakes his head kind of weird, the way he shook his head kind of, like, really fast.”
Derek Hayes ponders the significance of the symbols and the man's frantic behavior, suggesting multiple interpretations ranging from mental distress to metaphysical exchanges. He invites listeners to explore the deeper meanings behind such cryptic encounters.
Callers: Multiple
Timestamp: [67:35] – [68:54]
Several callers share their unsettling experiences with shadow people—dark, humanoid figures often reported during sleep paralysis or paranormal encounters. One caller describes waking up to a shadowy figure hovering over them, causing feelings of paralysis and anger until invoking spiritual protection to dispel the entity. These accounts highlight the pervasive nature of shadow people in paranormal lore and their intimidating presence.
Caller: “I just feel a presence go from my bedroom door and to the foot of my bed where my feet were. It went around my feet.”
Derek Hayes explores the psychological and supernatural dimensions of encountering shadow people, discussing possible explanations ranging from sleep disorders to interdimensional beings. He emphasizes the emotional toll these encounters can take on individuals and the importance of community support in addressing such fears.
Conclusion
Throughout this episode, Derek Hayes masterfully weaves together a series of haunting and enigmatic stories, each contributing to the overarching theme of unseen forces and mysterious creatures lurking among us. From UFOs and mythical beings to personal encounters with the paranormal, Monsters Among Us continues to captivate and intrigue its audience with tales that blur the line between reality and the supernatural.
For listeners who have their own stories or wish to delve deeper into these phenomena, Derek encourages participation through calls, voice memos, and community platforms like the Monsters Among Us Discord Server.
Stay Spooky!
Disclaimer: The stories shared in this episode are based on personal accounts and experiences. The views and interpretations expressed by Derek Hayes and the callers are their own and do not necessarily reflect objective reality.