S19 Ep22: Lake monsters, bigfoot, missing children and a possum-faced figure (Sn. 19 Ep. 22)

Summary

Monsters Among Us - Episode S19 Ep22: Lake Monsters, Bigfoot, Missing Children, and a Possum-Faced Figure

Release Date: June 26, 2025

Introduction

In this chilling episode of Monsters Among Us, host Derek Hayes delves deep into a variety of spine-tingling paranormal encounters shared by listeners from across North America. From ghostly apparitions and unexplained phenomena to legends of cryptid creatures like Bigfoot and lake monsters, this episode offers a rich tapestry of true supernatural stories. Below is a comprehensive summary capturing each key narrative, insightful commentary, and the eerie conclusions drawn by Derek.

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1. Randy’s Haunting Prayer from Southern Alberta, Canada

[03:19 - 06:54]

Randy recounts a night from approximately 27 years ago when he and his ex-wife experienced a supernatural encounter in their home, an old seminary with a history tied to priest training. While lying in bed with their newborn daughter, Randy perceived a man in an early 1900s priest’s uniform standing at the end of the bed. Initially dismissed as a dream, his ex-wife’s simultaneous observation confirmed the apparition's reality. The apparition smiled and walked through the wall, leading Randy to believe that the spirit was watching over them.

A week later, Randy narrates another harrowing incident where a door slammed shut violently, alerting him to his daughter choking on spit-up—an event he believes was directly prevented by the ghostly priest's intervention.

Notable Quote:

"We were pretty sure that the old priest that was haunting the place was looking out for us." — Randy [06:00]

Derek’s Commentary: Derek ponders whether the spirit was indeed a former priest or a guardian angel. He finds the coincidence impactful, especially the idea that the ghost might have saved Randy's daughter, highlighting the thin veil between protection and the paranormal.

---

2. Brian’s Transformation from Skeptic to Believer in Florida

[09:58 - 12:59]

Brian, a former skeptic from Florida, shares his journey from disbelief to experiencing the paranormal firsthand. After meeting a girlfriend who was a dedicated ghost hunter, Brian began encountering unexplained phenomena. During a ghost hunt at Bastow Cemetery in New Jersey, he witnessed orbs and disembodied lights near an old bridge. Later, at home, Brian saw a hooded figure moving across his ceiling—a shadow person—that appeared to follow him until it mysteriously vanished. His attempts to investigate the apparition yielded no results, reinforcing his belief in its eerie presence.

Notable Quote:

"I'm convinced we had brought something home from one of our co sons." — Brian [11:20]

Derek’s Commentary: Derek reflects on the rarity and coincidence of such experiences, especially involving multiple sightings within a short timeframe. He admires Brian’s logical approach yet acknowledges the unsettling nature of his encounters, hinting at the possibility of shadow entities or residual energies.

---

3. Ann’s Unexplained Glitches on Familiar Roads in Texas

[15:26 - 19:25]

Ann from Texas shares two unsettling "glitch in the Matrix" stories. The first involves driving a familiar route only to realize she's on the wrong side of the road, forcing her to pull over in confusion. The second glitch occurs at a McDonald's where she witnesses a woman repeatedly scrounging through her purse, almost spilling her drink, within a remarkably short span, suggesting the woman was looping her movements unnaturally.

Notable Quote:

"It was very bizarre. It was like take two." — Ann [17:50]

Derek’s Commentary: Derek muses over the rarity of such glitches occurring multiple times for the same individual and considers the possibility of altered realities or time loops. He cautions ghost hunters to perform rituals to prevent paranormal entities from following them home, underscoring the sinister potential of these unexplained events.

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4. Zach’s UFO/UAP Encounter in Iowa

[20:38 - 24:01]

Zach from Butte County, Iowa, details his 2008 sighting of an unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP). While at a friend's farm bonfire, Zach observed an object resembling the International Space Station. However, its erratic movements—sharp turns and sudden disappearances—led him to conclude it was not a conventional aircraft. Reporting the incident to MUFON, Zach speculates whether the UAP was related to the severe flooding in the area at the time.

Notable Quote:

"It started to make 90 degree right angle turns and it was just like the size of like a star." — Zach [21:15]

Derek’s Commentary: Derek connects Zach’s experience with similar sightings and highlights the importance of reporting such phenomena to organizations like MUFON and the National UFO Reporting Center. He emphasizes Zach's logical approach while acknowledging the lingering mysteries surrounding UAPs.

---

5. Naomi’s Childhood Encounter with a Deceased Cousin’s Spirit in Canada

[24:51 - 27:50]

Naomi shares a haunting memory from her childhood in El Salvador, later moving to Canada. At six months old, she didn't consciously remember the event, but her mother recalls seeing her infant exhibit unusual behavior while alone in a dark house. During a midnight bottle preparation, Naomi's mother felt watched and saw her deceased cousin peering over a doorway with a smile. The apparition vanished when confronted, leaving Naomi's mother terrified and puzzled.

Notable Quote:

"It's like take two. But anyway, I just wanted to share..." — This is incorrect. The correct notable quote.

Looking back:

Notable Quote:

"And my mom says she was washing my bottle, and all of a sudden she got a chill, like up her back. And she felt that she was being watched." — Naomi [25:30]

Derek’s Commentary: Derek finds the story inherently creepy, especially given the familial connection of the apparition. He draws parallels to Stephen King's Pet Sematary, suggesting that the haunting shares similarities with literary and cinematic ghost stories. Derek teases listeners with a link to Pet Sematary for further eerie exploration.

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6. Ernest’s Suspicious Sounds at a Kansas City Quarry

[29:29 - 35:33]

Ernest from Kansas City narrates an early morning fishing trip to a small, abandoned quarry. While preparing to fish, he hears unexplained "kerplunk" sounds as if something is being thrown into the water deliberately. Despite attributing it initially to possible wildlife, the frequency and pattern of the sounds lead Ernest to suspect paranormal activity. Further investigation reveals the area’s history, including a tragic plane crash in 1995, possibly tying the sounds to residual energies or ghostly manifestations.

Notable Quote:

"I was all alone in the woods." — Zach [52:38]

(Note: This seems an error; correct notable quote)

Notable Quote:

"It literally seemed like somebody had thrown a rock into the water to scare me." — Ernest [33:00]

Derek’s Commentary: Derek explores multiple explanations for Ernest’s experience, including wildlife behavior, ghosts, and cryptid activities like Bigfoot. He references local legends, notably the Inman Lakes Sinkhole Sam, a 15-foot-long worm-like creature, drawing listeners into the mythos surrounding the area. Derek highlights another Bigfoot Sightings Reported Off KCI Airport, suggesting a possible link between the two events.

---

7. Santana’s Shared Ghostly Vision in Louisiana

[40:18 - 44:36]

Santana from Oakdale, Louisiana, shares a terrifying experience where she and her boyfriend both witnessed a dark female figure resembling a demon while asleep. Awakening to see the apparition, Santana quickly turned on a lamp and alerted her boyfriend, who revealed he had been seeing the same entity since childhood. Their simultaneous sightings suggest a shared paranormal phenomenon, leaving Santana confused and seeking understanding of their joint encounter.

Notable Quote:

"She led me into a cave. She took my shirt off and pressed it on my stomach." — Anonymous Caller during missing child segment [53:48]

(Again, seems incorrect; correct notable quote)

Notable Quote:

"The woman that you just saw that... I've been seeing her since I was a little boy." — Santana [42:15]

Derek’s Commentary: Derek considers the validity of shared paranormal experiences, dismissing mass hallucination theories while acknowledging the possibility of genuine supernatural events. He expresses empathy towards Santana, noting the rarity of multiple individuals witnessing the same apparition and reflects on the psychological impact such encounters can have on relationships.

---

8. Anonymous Caller’s Missing Child Miracle

[46:07 - 49:23]

An anonymous caller shares a haunting memory from childhood. As a two-and-a-half-year-old, he mysteriously vanished from his home on Mother’s Day 1989 but was found hours later in the exact place that had been thoroughly searched—under a neatly made bed where only his feet were visible. Neither the caller nor his parents could explain his whereabouts during the disappearance, leaving lingering questions about supernatural intervention or unexplained phenomena.

Derek compares this story to similar cases where missing children are found unharmed in improbable locations, citing historical and modern examples to highlight the eerie recurrence of this trope.

Notable Quote:

"She was just really scared and so I started crying." — Anonymous Caller [46:20]

Derek’s Commentary: Derek delves into the common narrative of missing children being found unchanged in familiar spots, posing questions about the nature of such events. He draws parallels to historical accounts, emphasizing the persistent mystery and unsettling nature of these stories, which often defy logical explanation.

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9. Debbie’s Disturbing Hallucination of a Possum-Faced Figure in Florida

[58:31 - 60:58]

Debbie recounts a childhood memory where, while running a high fever from measles at five years old, she perceived a figure resembling her father but with the face of a possum nudging her foot. Although she acknowledges the likelihood of it being a fever-induced hallucination, a lingering doubt remains about the nature of the apparition. Her mother’s non-reactive behavior during the incident adds to the ambiguity of the experience.

Notable Quote:

"My mom sees my little feet poking out from under a blanket on the bed that was neatly made." — Anonymous Caller [46:20]

(Incorrect; correct notable quote)

Notable Quote:

"But the other 10% of me thinks that maybe it wasn't." — Debbie [59:20]

Derek’s Commentary: Derek explores the possibility of oversized possums, referencing a historical account from Texas that claims to have captured a 61-pound opossum. While he dismisses the likelihood of such creatures attacking livestock, he appreciates the story's eerie charm. Derek emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between genuine supernatural experiences and those induced by illness, underscoring the complexity of interpreting childhood memories.

---

Conclusion

In this episode, Monsters Among Us weaves together a multitude of eerie narratives that explore the vast landscape of the paranormal. From guardian spirits and shared ghostly visions to unexplained phenomena like the glitch in reality and mysterious disappearances, each story adds depth to our understanding of the supernatural. Derek Hayes expertly navigates these tales, providing thoughtful commentary that invites listeners to ponder the thin line between the known and the unknown. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, this episode offers captivating insights into the mysteries that linger among us.

Derek Hayes’ Final Thoughts: Derek wraps up the episode by hinting at future special episodes filled with even more extraordinary calls, encouraging listeners to stay tuned and engaged with the Monsters Among Us community.

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For more detailed accounts and related resources, listeners are encouraged to visit the show’s website and explore the extensive show notes provided for each episode.

Transcript

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It's.

Good evening and welcome to Monsters Among Us. I am your guide, Derek Hayes. Hello everyone. Nice of you to stop by. Now, as I just mentioned, my name is Derek Hayes and I'm the creator of this program as well as the curator of stories, scary stories, true stories, and each and every Tuesday and Thursday I share them here with you. Stories about UFOs, alien abduction, ghost ghouls, goblins, and even Bigfoot, Dogman, Mothman, and monsters of all shapes and sizes. And of course, ghost stories. All sorts of ghost stories. And it's with a ghost story. We begin here tonight. But this isn't your typical haunting. Please welcome Randy from up in Canada.

[Randy]

Hi, my name is Randy. I live in Southern Alberta in Canada. This takes place about 26, 27 years ago now. My whole family's always been very sensitive to the supernatural, to ghosts. My mother used to do readings and could always sense energy. I always could to a point. Not as talented as my mother was. This one is pretty specific to my family. Probably about 27 years ago, my ex and I, we were in bed. It was one of those really hot nights. Mid September. It was a clear night, really warm. We just brought our daughter home from the hospital. She was preaching to her Birth. So I was laying in bed and I was tired, but I was kind of in and out of sleep all night. I woke up and I was pretty sure I thought I was seeing things because I looked up at the end of my bed, there's a man standing there, and he was dressed in an old, probably early 1900s, late 1800s priests uniform. And I looked up and I saw him there. And I was pretty sure I was dreaming. And I said something along the lines of, he's got a lot of guts. Standing at the end of my bed. At which point my ex wife woke up, looked over, and she kind of went, who is that? When she said that, I realized she saw him too. And I realized I wasn't dreaming. So I kind of shot up in bed. And we're both looking at this guy and he's looking at us and he's smiling, and you see him smile and kind of turn and he just walked through the wall outside. Now, out of our backyard, you can see the local cemetery and how the cemetery has been in that small town for well over 100 years. We did find out later that the house we were living in was an old seminary where they used to train priests. And the owner said that there was energy in the house. Now, the reason I'm telling you this, because probably about a week or so after now, again, my daughter was born premature, so she was about three months early. She was in neonatal intensive care for about a month before we brought her home. Now, there was one afternoon where again, it was so hot. We had all the windows closed. We didn't have air conditioning, but we had a couple fans going. I'd been up all night with the baby, so she was napping, and I was in my living room and I'd fallen asleep. And the next thing I knew, I heard this slamming door. Now, this door slamming couldn't have been from a fan or couldn't have been from anything because it was just like somebody put their whole back behind it, just slammed it. And the slamming was so loud, I could actually feel the vibrations in through the house. I woke me up and I jumped and I ran over and I ran into. And the door to my daughter's room was cracked a little bit. So when I opened the door, I went in, and what had happened was my daughter, I put her to sleep on her side, but she'd rolled onto her back and she spit up a little bit, and she'd been choking. And if that door hadn't slammed, I would have lost my daughter. So we were pretty sure that the old priest that was haunting the place was looking out for us. So that's my story. Thank you for giving us this platform and I'll definitely be calling back again with a few more stories. Take care and have a wonderful day.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you. Randy what do you think here, folks? Was this the spirit of a former priest there at the seminary? And did said ghost save Randy's daughter's life? It's certainly quite a coincidence if not, and what an amazing way to begin tonight's program. Ghost or not, I'm glad something slammed that door. Thank you again, Randy, for sharing that entry. Now, folks, I have a whole bunch of creepy calls to get through tonight, but before I can do all that, I must do this. I'll be right back after these messages. Now, if you're running a business right now, you already know how hard it is. Tight budgets, hiring freezes, and economic uncertainty is just the beginning. The good news is Upwork is helping small businesses do more with less. Upwork is a hiring platform designed for the modern playbook where you can find, hire and pay expert freelancers who can deliver results from day one. It's perfect for businesses on tight budgets, fast timelines, and zero room for error. Companies at every stage turn to upwork to get things done and find more flexibility in the way they staff their projects by accessing a global marketplace filled with top talent in it, web development, design, admin support, marketing, and more. Upwork is convenient, cost effective and transparent. No subscriptions, no upfront fees, and you only pay when you hire. Posting a job is free, fast and simple. So if you're trying to stretch your budget and keep things moving, upwork's got you. Never tried Upwork? Well, now's the perfect time because they're giving our listeners a $200 credit. After spending 1,000 in your first 30 days, that's $200 you can put towards your next freelancer. Design, help, admin, support, marketing, whatever your business needs. Visit upwork.comsave right now for this great offer. That's upwork.comsave to get a $200 credit to put toward your next freelancer to help your business grow. That's upwork.com save again upwork.com save. Don't wait. This offer is only valid June 24th through August 5th, 2025. Conferencing out right now. Now join me in Florida where we hear from Brian about some nightmare fuel.

[Brian]

Derek, this is Brian from Florida. Prior to 2004, I was a skeptic, but I was not so Blindsided by the fact it might be something else. But I really didn't believe in anything about ghost stories. People in high school, I live in a haunted house. People tell me to live in a haunted house. When I was In Afghanistan in 2004, I got injured and I got shipped back to the States to Fort Dix, New Jersey. And most of my stories of really paranormal stuff happened in New Jersey because I met a girl that I started to date when I was stationed in the medical hold unit in Fort Dix, New Jersey. And she ghost hunted. And she said she lived in a haunted house. Now, I don't know where to start with this, because I didn't even realize how many paranormal experiences I have had until I started listening to your show. And then I realized, wait, I've had more than most people I've ever talked to. But anyhow, long story short, we went ghost hunting one night in Bastow Cemetery, which is supposed to be one of the oldest cemeteries on the east coast, if not at least in New Jersey. We experienced some strange things. Orbs, disembodied, grown off the old bridge out behind by the church. And then we went home. And after that, we went to bed one night and I looked on the ceiling and I saw this hooded figure, which I thought was just a shadow cast. She lived on a cul de sac. And the cul de sac had lights on it, and it was a subdivision. So I looked around to see what's casting this oddly weird hooded figure. And I looked at it and looked at it. And then I started realizing there's nothing in the room casting the shadow. And then I looked up and I realized it's not on the ceiling anymore. It was on the ceiling originally, and then it was down. And I sat there realizing we had brought something home. I'm convinced we had brought something home from one of our co sons. And I don't know exactly why it was interested in me, but it was watching me. I actually shut my eyes and prayed and said, dear Lord, please let me just go to sleep. Please protect me. I don't know what this is. And I would look and it would be in the same area but in different positions. The next night, I said, I'm gonna go up there at about the same time. I'm gonna investigate this. I gotta find out what this shadow was. I went up there and there was no shadow. So I know this was a shadow person. I appreciate your time. That's my story. Thank you.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, Brian. Like I said, nightmare fuel. A hooded figure on the ceiling. Now, I guess when she told you her house was haunted, she wasn't kidding. That or you did bring something back with you. Now I know that some ghost hunters out there have a little ritual that they do before they come home specifically to keep anything from tailing them back. So be careful out there, ghost hunters. You never know what might be following you. Home. Now folks, if you have a story you would like to share here on the program, give me a call at 888-608-night. That's 888608, Nig HT. Or record your story on the voice memo app on your phone and email it to me at Monsters Among Us Podcast and Gmail. Now, I do have a couple of rules. Rules that are in place to make you sound as smooth as silk. Or at least as smooth as possible. So call from a quiet place. No moving vehicles. One story per call. You can call in as many stories as you'd like though and there is a five minute limit per message. So if you get cut off, just call back in and pick up where you left off. We will cover the rest. Oh, and true stories only. No fabrications please. And I'm proud to announce that Monsters Among Us Junior will be returning for a second season sometime in late August. So that means I need your children to tell me their ghost stories. If you'd like to have them submit, the number is 833-MAUKIDS. That's 833-MAUKIDS. And please ask them to speak clearly and slowly. It's easy to get excited, but we want these young ones to sound their best as well. Now what do you say we field our next entry? Please welcome Ann. She's calling in from the state of Texas.

[Ann]

Hi Derek, this is Ann from Texas. I'm calling with a story for you while it's on my mind and this is a strange glitch story. I was driving down to my parents house which is in East Texas. I was on a road I'd driven dozens of times. You know was going down there monthly for a while. It was on Loop 7 near Athens, Texas. I had to turn off on Highway 19 again. I'd driven this way dozens of times. Probably could have practically done it with my eyes closed. But anyway as I was driving along I looked for my landmark which is a hospital that sits over on the left hand side of the highway. And it stands out quite a bit because the helicopter pad is out front and oftentimes the helicopter is sitting there so it's quite eye catching. So I'M driving along, and I knew I was getting close to my exit, so I was kind of just watching for that. There's not a whole lot out there, a lot of country, rolling farmland, that kind of thing. So all of a sudden I realized I'm passing the hospital, but it's on my right. I'm on the wrong side of the road. Now. It is a loop, but in order for me to be going in the wrong direction, I would have had to have turned off at some point and literally got back on it, you know, driving in the wrong direction, which I had not done. I know where I'm going on that road. Very familiar with it. I wasn't distracted, wasn't talking on the phone. I was just probably listening to a podcast or something on the radio. I was so flustered by the whole thing, I had to literally pull over because I did not know how all of a sudden, I was driving the wrong way on a very familiar road. Still don't have an explanation for that one at all. My other odd glitch story is I was sitting at McDonald's waiting for my food. They'd asked me to pull up a little bit and wait for my food. So I was. There was a lady that had parked nearby and got out of her car, and she walked in front of me. It caught my eye because she had long, pretty hair and she was carrying a cup of something, and she was scrounging through her purse. And I thought, oh, God, she's going to drop whatever that is, because it was kind of precariously balanced. So I was just kind of watching her, just waiting for her to drop this big cup of whatever it was as she's scrounging around through her purse. And she walked right in front of me as if she was going into the McDonald's there. You know, she walked on by, and I just turned my attention back to just kind of sitting there waiting. And just within 10 or 15 seconds, I would say a movement over to my right caught my eye, and I looked over, and it's the same lady. She did the same thing, walked in front of me, you know, this big cup of whatever about to spill, scrounging around through her bag. And exact same thing that had just happened now, I guess, you know, I thought, well, did she walk around and go through the building and come out behind me? But there had not been time. We're talking maybe 10 or 15 seconds, and she would have had to run around the building and come out there again and again. It was the exact same movement. The exact same scrounging through her purse, almost dropping the cup of whatever. It was very bizarre. It was like take two. But anyway, I just wanted to share those quick stories. Can't explain either one of them. Anyway, thanks for all you do. Have a good day.

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Bye bye.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you. Ant. Those glitch in the Matrix stories are pretty wild and I wonder how often this sort of thing happens twice. It seems like this sort of experience is rather rare. So I would imagine that the same, same person having more than one of them is probably extremely rare. So whatever it is, it did make for a trippy story. Anne. And we thank you again for taking the time to call in. All right, moving right along. Shocker. For warranty details, promotion is 20% off plus a 10%. Now, by a show of hands, how many of you have seen something unusual while staring out at the night sky? 6, 7, 11? Seems like a lot of you. Well, as has our next guest, Zach from the Hawkeye State of Iowa.

[Zach]

Hi, my name is Zach. I live in Butte County, Iowa. It was like 2008, I think I was sophomore in college that summer before my sophomore year. And I think it's that because right around that time there was a really, really bad flooding in eastern Iowa in like Cedar Rapids, Iowa. And it was one summer night I was in northern Dubuque county near Cheryl or Balltown, Iowa, and I was at a friend's farm bonfire hanging out. And I walked a little ways away from the bonfire to go to the bathroom real quick. And I looked up into the sky which would be over the Mississippi river, and I saw what I thought was the International Space Station. So I was really excited to see that. And I was watching it and it stopped making the trajectory path that it normally would. So I knew it wasn't the ISS. And it started to make 90 degree right angle turns and it was just like the size of like a star. Couldn't tell anything else with it, but it shot up, it shot over to the left, shot over to the right, it would stop, it would shoot over in another direction, it would stop. And then I think I shouted for my friends to see if they could see it. And I'm pretty sure that they did. This is of course before we all had smartphones, so I'm pretty sure they saw it. It disappeared. It really freaked me out, freaked them out. And then it reappeared like 30 seconds later in a totally different spot. It started to make very sharp turns in many directions and then it disappeared again after like a minute. We were all really excited. I Didn't know if it was something to do with the floods. For some reason in Iowa. I didn't know if it was helicopter, some sort of surveillance thing for the flooding, but I don't think it is anymore. And I've reported this to mufon and I'm pretty sure that was last year. I don't think it was this year that I reported it. I don't know if they ever did anything with it. I talked to somebody about it and they took my information. This was pretty late at night. I'm thinking I left their house at like midnight 1am but I could be wrong. But when I was coming back, like a 20 mile ride back home, I called the local police department to see if anybody else had reported anything. They said no, of course they probably thought I was crazy. And you know, this was before the government confirmed they have sightings that they can't explain. But I'm sure they don't have any recording of me calling. I just know it's probably the summer of 2008, but it was definitely something that I can't explain. And I try to be very logical. So I'm going to call it a UAP ufo. I think MUFON did too. And stuff does happen over eastern Iowa, along the Mississippi and Dubuque County. I appreciate your podcast. It's something I listen to very often and I hope to maybe call back someday with some other stories. Thanks.

[Advertiser]

Bye.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, Zach. You know, you did the right thing there, Zach. Making a report is probably the most helpful way to preserve your story. Of course, sharing it here on this humble little program doesn't hurt either. Now, I should point out that there is another research organization that you might want to consider reporting to as well, the National UFO Reporting Center. They are an extensive resource for sightings, just like science. And you can access those files for free, unlike mufon. Thank you again, Zach, for taking the time to ring in. Now next up, we visit with Naomi from up in Canada.

[Naomi]

Hi Derek, my name is Naomi. I'm calling from Canada. I'm originally from El Salvador and I don't know if you know this, but in Central America, the belief in the paranormal is really, really strong. I actually grew up in a haunted house. I have many, many stories and I'm just gonna share one of them here. This is actually my mother's story. Honestly, it gives me chills thinking about it. This happened when I was about six or seven months old. And the way that the house was set up, the bedrooms were very close to the kitchen I had woken up in the middle of the night. Apparently I did that all the time. Like, I didn't sleep very well as a baby. My mom says it was about between 2 to 3 in the morning and she woke up to make me a bottle. The only light that was on was the bedroom light. And the light from the bedroom actually shone into the kitchen. So my mom didn't need to turn on a light and she could see what she was doing. So she goes to make my bottle again. The way the house was set up from the kitchen, there was a doorway that went into the living room. There was no door. It was just an open doorway. And when you were standing at the sink, your back was towards that doorway. And mind you, the entire rest of the house is pitch black. No other lights are on. And my mom says she was washing my bottle, and all of a sudden she got a chill, like up her back. And she felt that she was being watched. And she said that she turned her head and she saw someone kind of peeking over the wall, looking at her. And when she saw that, at first she thought it might have been my dad. But a little background to this, my dad's nephew, I guess, my cousin, he had died in a car accident about two to three months prior to this. Anyways, my mom, she feels this, and then she fully turns around to see and it's my cousin just peeking over the doorway, looking at her and smiling. And, oh, I'm still getting chills. And she says she stood there and looked at him, and then he pulled his head back and hid behind the wall. My mom says that she dropped the bottle and ran back in the bedroom and closed the door. So I just thought that you and the listeners might find this story interesting and a little scary. And like I said, it still gives me chills to this day when I think about that happening. Anyways, I love the show. I've been listening for a few years. And please keep it up. Thank you.

[Derek Hayes]

Thanks, Naomi. Now, there's something inherently creepy about this story. I don't know if it was the fact that he was family. Maybe it was the fact that he was peeking around the doorway. Or perhaps it was the smile he had plastered across his face. Whatever it was, this one unnerved me. And it kind of reminds me of the original Pet Cemetery by Stephen King. That's where we heard the story of Timmy Baterman, a man killed in World War II, but was brought back to life when his father buried him in the mysterious sacred circle outside of town. But what staggered back from that circle days later wasn't Tommy Baterman. It wasn't even human at all. And something about Naomi's story here gave me Timmy Baterman vibes. But it might have just been the way that Naomi told the tale. Or maybe I'm just letting one of my favorite films influence me. Either way, if you want to see that portion of the film Pet Sematary, I did post a link up in the show notes. Go ahead and take a look. It's certainly creepy stuff, Naomi. Family or not, sometimes dead is better. Thanks again for ringing.

[Craftsman]

He can.

[Derek Hayes]

He can blend in with anybody. Now. It's summertime. The weather is warmer and the sun is out and the fish are biting. But summer also means the monsters are out as well. Just ask Earnest out of the show me state of Missouri.

[Craftsman]

Hi MAU listeners. This is Ernest from Kansas City. I wanted to tell a story about a possible ghost encounter. I was going fishing early in the morning. A buddy at work had told me about this little small rock quarry out in north Kansas City where Tiffany Springs Road. You take it all the way west until it ends and it runs into some park trails. And basically at the end of the runways of the Kansas City International Airport, you park by this gate. You have to walk an old abandoned road that's like crumbling apart. And there's parts of the road here and there. You have to walk for, I don't know, maybe half a mile before you get to kind of a cattle crossing area. Take a left and it takes you into some trail area. And then it's still a little bit of a walk into the quarry. So it's early spring and I'm ready to go fishing. To start off fishing season. I get there way too early. It's still kind of dark. And I'm kind of chicken to walk this trail in the dark, even though I have a headlamp. So I wait maybe 30 minutes. The sun's kind of coming up and I take off walking down there and I'm kind of getting the creepy vibe as I'm walking. When I was researching the place previously online by Satellite View, it pointed out that there was some old graveyards in the area. Small, like very early, possibly settlers graveyards. And I kind of had saw some entrances as I was walking down this trail. So I'm getting closer to the rock quarry area. I remember hearing, like, a horse, like the way a horse goes. There's horse trails in the area. But I immediately stop thinking I'm going to, you know, run into somebody. But nothing happens. I just Shrug it off, and then keep heading towards the quarry. I get into the area. It's a really small quarry. There's actually two little bodies of water. And so I go to the larger one. Right when I get to the edge, I start undoing my line. I'm a fly fisherman, so I get my line all ready to load my rod up, start casting. But I think it was right when I got to the edge and I started getting my stuff ready. Probably about 10ft out from me, there was, like, a big kerplunk. And it seemed like somebody had thrown something from above directly into the water. It was a kerplunk or had thrown something or shot something from a distance into the water about 10, 15ft in front of me. It was enough to make me jump back Two seconds after that first one, Two feet away from the first one, another kaplunk and I turn around, start hightailing it up to some high land, the little entrance area that's gravel. And I stand there with all my gear, and I yell out to these trees. I say, what the f. Thinking that it was, like, possibly a turkey hunter or deer hunter that was messing with me or something. But I don't see any movement. I'm just scanning the area. I don't see any movement. Seeing that, I just came upon the water bank. It could have been I scared some fish out, and then a larger fish ate those fish or something or went after those fish and caused a splash. But I've been fishing for years, and I've never witnessed a kerplunk from a fish like that. It literally seemed like somebody had thrown a rock into the water to scare me. So I go back to work, and I'm telling my buddy at work, you know, about the story. I was like, yeah, that place is weird. Gave me some creepy vibes. And then this happened. And so we start talking to another guy there that was telling us that. I don't remember how many years ago it was, but it was a number of years, maybe 10 years prior, that there was a plane wreck in that area, because it's in the area of the airport. Three people died in the plane crash out there. And it just kind of added some validity to what I experienced. I don't know. It would just scare the out of me, basically. And I just been wanting to call in and tell you. Possibly was just a fish, but sure didn't seem like it at the time.

[Derek Hayes]

Thanks, Ernest. I think it's kind of funny that you went with ghosts on this one, because I'm over here, researching Midwestern lake monsters. To each their own, I suppose. And I also suppose that an airliner crash in that area could warrant ghostly assumptions. And regarding that crash, here are the facts. On February 16, 1995, Air Transport International Flight 782, a ferry flight from Kansas City to Springfield, Massachusetts, crashed on takeoff when it overshot the Runway and exploded on impact. All three flight crew members, the only occupants on board, were killed. So Ernest is right here. There have been tragic deaths in that area and most of us tend to associate ghosts with tragic events. So the math, maths here if you will. But listen, I'm a monster guy and I want to talk about monsters, so let's for the sake of argument, say that it's not a ghost that Ernest experienced. What else might it have been? Well, there is an abundance of wildlife in that part of the country. Turtles, giant catfish, gar paddlefish, larger mammals, muskrat, otter, any beaver will slap its tail on the water's surface to alarm others and fend off would be predators. And though they haven't been found in this area per se, gators have been captured in other parts of Missouri also, believe it or not, there's a very famous lake monster legend just around the corner Inman Lakes Sinkhole Sam, a 15 foot long worm like creature that was first spotted back in the 1920s. And believe it or not, the creature has been sighted in other bodies of water in that area. You can read all about it in tonight's show notes at Monsters Among Us podcast dot com. But is that what Ernest encountered out there in the ponds? It sure would be awesome if he did. But you know, this is one of those rare opportunities where the explanation could be a ghost, a lake monster, or believe it or not, Bigfoot. And that's exactly what I'm about to propose. And I do that because of a BFRO report that Delaney dug up. Now, the following encounter occurred in September of 2019, less than seven miles from the exact location Ernest heard the sounds in the water just on the other side of the Kansas City International Airport. It was around 9 or 9:30. I was taking pictures of the moon and I tried to adjust to catch the clouds. When I made the adjustment, something in the bottom of my screen caught my attention. It was moving quickly and seemed to be grabbing things from the ground. It was too dark and it was moving too quickly for the lens to focus. In profile, it looked like a person, a very tall person with very long arms. I couldn't look away. I was afraid it would disappear. It Continued its path and crossed behind a tree. And I lost it. Now, again, this encounter occurred six and a half miles from the exact spot Ernest had his experience. And all this information is available in tonight's shownotes. Now, for those that aren't making the connection, Many people have claimed that bigfoot has the capability to throw rocks either at them or into the water near them. So that's how I see it here, Ernest. But like I said, to each their own. So whether it was a ghost, a lake monster, A known animal, or a sasquatch, I'm here for it. And thank you again for making the call. Now, folks, switching up gears dramatically here, Please welcome Santana to the program.

Hi, my name is Santana, and the story I'm about to tell you took place in the very small town of oakdale, louisiana. I believe the year was 2015, maybe 2016. So the guy I was dating at the time, we were both in the house that he lived in, and it was any regular night. We were both sleeping. Not really sure what time it was at night, But I woke up with this weird feeling that someone was watching me. And I just remember looking up at the corner of the bed. And, I mean, it was dark in the room, but there was enough light coming through the window that I could still see. Basically, I just remember seeing this dark figure of a woman with long hair. I couldn't make out of space. I could just kind of see her standing there, like, looking at me. And I say, looking at me. Like, I couldn't see her eyes. It was all, like, a very dark. I don't want to say shadowy figure, but definitely a woman. And I didn't scream or anything. I immediately turn over, turn the lamp on right beside my bed, and I shake my boyfriend and wake him up. And basically, I explained to him in detail what I saw. And he gives me this kind of scared, worried look, I guess you could say. And of course, I just kind of figured that the next words out of his mouth would be he was just gonna call me crazy or not, believe me. But his eyes were getting bigger and bigger as I continued to talk. And he eventually did shut me off right then and there and was like, are you sure that's what you saw? And I was like, yeah. And I'm frightened. He looks frightened at this point, and he just stops right there. And he doesn't really say anything. He's looking at me, and I'm like, what? Like, why are you looking at me like that? And he looks at me and he says, that woman that you just saw that. You just explained to me, I've been seeing her since I was a little boy. And, I mean, the hair stands up on my back. I get the chills, I stand up, I get out of bed. I mean, I'm, like, freaked out at this point. I was frightened at this point because I didn't know what to think. I mean, obviously, I knew that I wasn't crazy because clearly he had seen it as well. But it was just this overwhelming feeling that this person, this figure, this demon that he had been seeing since he was little was now a part of me. In other words, he was more fascinated at the fact that we were now bonded in some way, or he felt like we were so close that I was seeing his demons. And, I mean, I was just kind of taken aback by it. I didn't really know what was going on at that point. Looking back on that now, of course, I realize how crazy that was for. I don't want to say he was crazy for saying that, but at the same time, it's kind of like, why did I not run right there? Because it was very different from anything I've ever witnessed. And I was so close. And so what I thought to have been in love, I guess I just looked at it like it was a good thing almost. And I guess my main reason for sharing this was just kind of to hear your opinion on it or see if you've ever witnessed two people sharing that same type of phenomenon or paranormal activity or seeing the same ghost like that, or same, whatever it is. So, yeah, I guess that's it. I love your show, and I hope that maybe you have some answers for me. If not, that's cool, too. But keep it up, and I will continue to listen. Thanks so much.

Thank you, Santana. I'm not sure what to think of this. I will say that my immediate thought is that if two people see the same phenomena, it's almost certainly not some sort of hallucination. I'm just as skeptical of the mass hallucination theory as I am the theory that ghosts exist. So you have that going for you, and it seems like your ex had to deal with this quite often. The fact that you saw it as well probably gave him instant validation. So it's hard to blame him for being a little excited. Other than that, I'm not real sure here, Santana, but I can tell you that we hear about more than one person witnessing a spirit or a ghost all the time. So if those folks have anything to say about it, it's perfectly possible either way, thank you again, Santana, for making the call. And I'm sorry we don't have any answers for you, but at the very least, I'm happy to get your story out there. Alright, folks, it's time for tonight's final entry. And I don't know who called this one in, and I don't know where they called from, but I do know that this call will be on your mind for days to come. Please welcome Anonymous from parts unknown. Hey.

[Advertiser]

So this story starts when I was a teenager. I just randomly had this memory of being very little and my mom taking me out of the house to the end of the walkway. And there's a bunch of people all over the streets and on our property looking for something. I remember a really low helicopter that was really loud and my mom was crying, like hysterically. My memory is that I was just really scared. I thought I did something wrong and so I started crying. That was the end of my memory. So when that memory came to me as a teenager, I asked my parents, like, what was that about? And my mom said that it was On Mother's Day, 1989, when I was like two and a half years old. I went missing from my home. The police were called. A neighborhood search party ensued. The police search helicopter was launched. My dad raced down to the wash to investigate. One of the neighbors said that they saw a couple adults and a kid down there by the wash. He went there, found the people. It was just like a couple people and a kid exploring. The police came to the house and searched like the complete police protocol search. I guess you're not supposed to just search with your eyes, but also with your hands. So they like put their hands on the bed and flung their hands out, like touching the whole surface of the bed just to make sure there's nothing under the covers. They knelt down, looked under the bed, searched every crevice of the house, as police officers are trained to do when they're searching for a missing child. So a couple hours, two hours go by, they cannot find me. My mom is just hysterical. She's mentally fatigued. And so she goes to lay my sister down in her crib, which is in my same bedroom, and my mom sees my little feet poking out from under a blanket on the bed that was neatly made. So this blanket was covering my whole body except my two little feet. And I've never slept like that before. The police searched that bed. She watched the police officers search the bed. She remembers the police officer's name, like Officer Star. So my mom Grabbed me out of the bed. And then that's in my memory start. She runs outside to show the helicopters and everybody in the neighborhood that I had been found. So I asked them. I'm like, where was I? And she doesn't know. My dad also remembers the whole event. They do not remember where I was. My mom thought it was weird because the police officer, he must have been new and didn't know what to say, but he was like, maybe she was walking around outside by herself and it's Mother's Day. Maybe a mom picked her up and took her for ice cream. I think it was just a weird thing that he didn't really think through. Just trying to calm an extremely scared mom. But yeah, my parents definitely remember. I remember it. No one knows where I was. That's creepy. So kind of wondering what your ideas could be, because I can't think of any. Thanks for the show and I love listening. Keep it spooky.

[Derek Hayes]

Isn't that interesting? Thank you caller for the entry. Missing momentarily, only to be returned in an obvious place completely unharmed. Where have I heard those details before? Only everywhere. This trope pops up more often than anyone would suspect it does. A child goes missing. A search is conducted of the area and nothing is found. But hours are sometimes days later. The child will be found alive, unharmed, in any place that was already searched or a place that gets a ton of foot traffic. I'll give you some examples. You say. Well, order up. We can start with a version of these events that took place almost 130 years ago. The Mysterious Case of Lillian Carney the following from the August 12, 1897 edition of the Lewiston Evening Journal. On August 8, 1897, Mr. And Mrs. Carney decided to go out blueberry picking in the Molen Bog in Mesartas, Maine. This entire region is surrounded by dense forest and secluded lakes and is just 15 miles from the Canadian border. They brought their daughter Lillian with them. She was only six and a half at the time, so when she wandered away from her parents, a search party was quickly organized. She would not be seen again until 46 hours had elapsed. As soon as her parents realized she was missing and that she could not be located. After an initial hour of searching, they called for assistance and were rewarded with an extensive search that lasted until midnight that night. One day later, On Tuesday morning, 300 men turned up to the ever growing search effort. It was roughly 10am when one Mr. Burt Pollard found Lillian two or three miles from where she started. She seemed to be perfectly calm and collected and was asking for her mother. When questioned about what she had seen while missing, she said that the sun shined all the time in the woods. Now don't forget about that last little detail that little Lillian said the sun shined all the time in the woods. So think of that as I share with you a more contemporary version of these events. Back in 2010, a three year old old boy went missing near Mount Shasta here in California. And what he said once he was found overshadows anything else about the case. The following clip is courtesy of the television program into the Unknown.

I went missing somewhere around here, down this river, Indiana.

Had made his way off with a couple of older kids. I think down a little bit further.

[Advertiser]

From where everybody was out of sight.

[Derek Hayes]

And as he described it, somebody yelled rattlesnake. And these kids took off running and Idiotda was so small he was left behind.

They kept on running and then I was all alone in the woods.

Now everybody here is freaking out. Where is the kid? We have hundreds of people out here searching for Indiana helicopters.

[Advertiser]

They had checkpoints along the river safety.

[Derek Hayes]

Points where they were ready to catch a baby's body if it went over the falls. How long was he gone for? For a total of five hours he was gone. Even though Indiana was so young at the time, he remembers the experience in vivid detail. Something happened when I disappeared for those five hours.

I eventually told my grandma and he.

Said, says, I don't like the other Grandma Cappy. I said, well, what are you talking about? I'm the only Grandma Cappy. He said, no, you remember when I was lost in the woods? And I said, yeah.

[Advertiser]

He says, well, another Grandma Cappy grabbed.

[Derek Hayes]

Me and took me to a creepy place.

She led me into a cave. She took my shirt off and pressed.

On my stomach and I said, well, were you scared? And he said, well, I wasn't scared until she walked over to a ladder in the cave. And when I saw her go up.

[Advertiser]

The ladder, she sparkled all around her.

[Derek Hayes]

I said, well, what happened after that?

[Advertiser]

And he said, well, she took me.

[Derek Hayes]

Over to a bush and said, you wait there until they come and find you. That ended up being the trail that he was found on. Now, I don't know where you went, caller, but I sure hope it wasn't the same place that Lillian in Indiana went, because whatever that experience was, it seemed to be terrifying. And if you paid attention, you might have noticed shimmering or shining or sparkling is mentioned in both of those stories. Is that a common thread or simply a coincidence? Now, whatever all this is it makes for an amazing story and we can't thank you enough for sharing it with us tonight, caller. And I can't thank you, dear listener, enough for swinging by tonight. Now, a quick but important message. Next week's schedule is going to be a little wonky, but it's all for a good reason. First off, Tuesday's episode will be a beyond unlock as we prepare for Thursday's special episode. An episode to be named next week. But trust me, it's chock full of amazing calls and shaping up to be at least two hours long, probably longer. Which leads me to point three. Because of that mega special episode, there will be no beyond on Thursday, but everything will return to normal the following week. Like I said, this will be a fun little mix up and worth all the effort. 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 its production is done so under the protection of fair use. Please give us a like and follow on our social media accounts, join our Discord, give us a Like and follow on YouTube and leave us a rate and review wherever that sort of thing is possible. Now don't forget, you can catch the show every Saturday evening at 10pm Eastern on the Onax Digital Network. Just visit Onyx Network to tune in. And finally, tonight's score was provided by Iron cthulhu, Apocalypse Code, HE Music and Carl Casey at Whitepad Audio. Don't forget to watch our film borregotriangle.com is where you can find it and join us in the Beyond@ monsters among us podcast.com and click the Patreon tab. Now it's official our store is closed and I'll let you all know when it reopens later this summer. But a huge thanks to everyone that took advantage of our clearance sale. And don't worry, the shop will be back bigger and better than ever. Now if you know what's good for you, you'll entertain the outro and one last ad because I have something interesting for you on the other side of it. But until then.

[Advertiser]

But no, this is.

[Randy]

I mean fully though when you look.

[Derek Hayes]

At and the problem is those become permanent reaching out from the other side.

[Craftsman]

You shouldn't talk to them directly.

[Derek Hayes]

Now for that interesting entry that I teased moments ago. Here with tonight's bonus entry is Debbie out of the Sunshine State of Florida.

[Debbie]

Hi Derek, My name is Debbie. This one is my story sort of peripherally with my dad, so I live In Florida now. But I grew up in Massachusetts, and most of my stories are from there. I was about 5 years old or so, and I had come down with the measles and I was running a pretty high fever. I was sitting in my parents room with my mom next to me. We were reading, and I was pretty miserable with the measles. And coming down the hallway was what I thought my dad. It was man figured it was wearing my dad's pajamas and bathrobe, but it had the face of a possum. It came into the room, it sort of nudged my foot with its hand, sort of a toe pull or something like that, and then turned around and walked away. Now, again, I was running a high fever, which I did when I was quite young. And I'm 90% sure that this was a hallucination, but the other 10% of me thinks that maybe it wasn't. My mother did not react either way to either. It possibly just being my dad coming in and messing with my toe, which was very much in his personality, or if it was some other creature. But she never moved, never stopped reading her book. So, yeah, I think it was probably a hallucination. But what triggered the memory was I'm sort of listening to back episodes and you had people who had weird dreams or positing that maybe they were, you know, abductions with memories being placed. And I don't think by any stretch of the imagination that this was that. I do think I was hallucinating, but there's that little tiny part of me that thinks maybe not. Anyways, just like everybody else, I've been listening for many years. Love what you do. I'm a patreon. Thanks so much. Have a good one.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, Debbie. What do you think, folks? A fever dream or a real life possum? Man? Now, I was curious, so chances are you might have been as well. As to the size of the biggest possum on record, can they even grow to the size that Debbie thought she saw? And the answer is sort of the January 17, 1924 edition of the Ofuski County News. Cliff Foster, a trapper living near Tyler, Texas, claims to have captured an opossum weighing 61 pounds and measuring 5ft 9 inches. Foster thinks the presence of the unusual possum in the community may account for the mysterious disappearance of several lambs in the county. Now, that's a big old possum, as we would say back home. But I call BS on it. Attacking lambs. I don't care how big it gets. I just don't see that happening because contrary to popular belief, opossums are very useful and docile creatures and they're a very important part of our ecosystem. They're not aggressive, they don't carry rabies, and they eat invasive pests like ticks and bacteria laden roadkill. And did you know that they're North Americas only marsupial? Unless of course you include those elusive phantom kangaroos that are said to roam about the country. But all joking aside, Debbie, I hope it was a fever dream you experienced. As much as I like possums, I don't like the idea of a dad sized possum roaming around out there yanking on toes. But a great call nonetheless. And we thank you again Debbie for taking the time to share it. All right folks, it's time. Let's go beyond. And if you're thinking to yourself, I want to go beyond as well, well stop wishing and start doing. Just visit monsters among us podcast.com and click the Patreon tab. From there, join the $5 level on either Apple subscriptions or Patreon and Boom. You get access to the rest of this episode and days worth of back content stretching back nearly a decade. And don't forget that you can get the main content completely ad free for only a dollar a month and you can try either of those levels for free for a full seven days using their free trial. So you literally have nothing to lose. Besides, don't you want to hear how Joe's call from Oklahoma ends?

[Brian]

Hi Derek, My name's Joe and I've got some stuff that's been going on at the house. I don't know if it's connected, but about a year before I stopped over the road driving, I lost my brother to a bad staph infection. He was living down in Dallas at the time and back home in Oklahoma now. We grew up in the house that I'm currently living in and he had moved down to Dallas. Mom moved down there with him to be with him. He had had some surgery done and he had died from a really bad staph infection that was caught too late. And then just later that summer, say about six months later, lost my mom. And about that time is when I came home, you know, pretty much for good. I started to notice some things around the house. My wife had always told me she's sensitive and she's noticed that we've had a little trickster spirit, I guess you could say that's been playing around in the house some. But the thing that's really been spooking me is that about three months after my mom passed. And my mom's always. She's always hated dogs, you know? And I'm totally the opposite. Love dogs. They're like our fur kids. And I don't know if this is her stirring stuff up. I really.