Monsters Among Us – S19 Ep47: Prairie State Paranormal: Tales from Illinois

Host: Derek Hayes
Release Date: September 23, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special, all-Illinois episode, host Derek Hayes compiles firsthand paranormal stories and encounters from across the Prairie State. From eerie haunted houses and ghostly phone calls, to cryptid sightings, disembodied voices, spooky premonition dreams, UFOs, and mysterious signs from the beyond, this collection captures a wide range of supernatural phenomena as reported by everyday Illinoisans. The episode blends nostalgia, history, and chilling tales—showcasing Illinois’ legendary status as a hotspot for all things spooky.

Key Discussion Points and Call-In Stories

1. Introduction & Setting the Scene (02:51)

• Derek introduces Illinois as a center for all things paranormal—ghosts, cryptids, UFOs—and teases the night’s episode featuring all stories from the state.
  • "It's home to creatures like the Pyosaw Bird, the Infield Horror, the Murfreesboro Mud Monster, and many more creepy characters..." (03:27 – Derek Hayes)

2. Firsthand Paranormal Calls from Illinois

A. Mitch’s Terrifying Encounter in Tarleton Park (04:27)

• Summary: As a child, Mitch joined his mom on rural Illinois roads (near Tarleton Park) for a Halloween event. After getting lost at night, their car was approached by a mysterious, humanoid figure who tried to get in.
  • “I see something like run past the rear lights... there’s something or somebody who ends up at my mom’s car door and is motioning to open the door…” (07:05 – Mitch)
• Memorable Moment: Mom puts the car in reverse and flees, with the figure running into the woods.
• Host Insight: Derek speculates it could have been a cryptid, referencing local Illinois monsters (08:12).

B. Bev’s Ghostly Phone Calls (09:46)

• Summary: After Bev’s mother passes away, Bev receives two unexplained phone calls from her mom’s number, despite the phone being disconnected.
  • “So I don’t know if that was my mom reaching out... but it should’ve been cut off by that time. It was just weird.” (10:40 – Bev)
• Host Reflection: Derek notes, "A once in a lifetime opportunity to reach beyond the veil. And you missed the phone call... but thankfully you had a second chance at it, Bev." (11:27 – Derek Hayes)

3. Haunted Houses of Illinois

A. Patrick’s Haunted Friend’s Home (14:02)

• Summary: Patrick recounts years of growing up around a friend whose family home in Chicago was plagued by paranormal activity, including disembodied voices, unexplained footsteps, and possible poltergeist events.
  • “We heard, just the sound... of someone sprinting back and forth from one end of the house to the other... so loud that it made us turn our music down or off completely. And all of us, all 10 people witnessed this.” (16:30 – Patrick)
• Notable: House also rumored to have a baby buried in the backyard.

B. Megan’s Victorian Haunting (18:17)

• Summary: Megan shares several childhood experiences in a Southern Illinois Victorian home undergoing renovations—falling stair spindles, a basket sent flying, and a terrifying encounter in which her mother was locked in a bathroom by an unseen force.

  • “As she was getting out, the basket flew to the other side of the bathroom, and the door slammed shut... she was just in tears, and it was pretty bad.” (19:36 – Megan)

• Host's Haunted Top 10 List (21:49): Derek recaps Illinois’ 10 most haunted places, including Englewood Post Office (site of H.H. Holmes’ “murder castle”), Resurrection Cemetery, and Bachelor's Grove Cemetery.

4. "Hello from Beyond": Subtle Signs and Synchronicities

Paula’s License Plate Message (25:33)

• Summary: Paula observes a car with the plate "LEN" on the day of her brother-in-law Lenny’s passing, taking it as a sign from the other side.
  • “I kind of firmly believe that, you know, these are kind of hellos from, you know, the other side.” (26:10 – Paula)
• Host’s Take: Derek raises the value of personal comfort from such experiences, even if coincidences, "if it makes us feel better and helps us to deal with our grief, is there really any harm in believing?" (26:48 – Derek Hayes)

5. Paranormal Investigation: Cemetery EVP (28:48)

Vince’s Haunted Elgin Cemetery Recording

• Summary: Vince and friends conduct a late-night investigation and capture an unexplained raspy “you” on audio, followed by an anomalous, extremely loud train horn.
  • “It was just sharp enough... the explanation of wind didn’t really sit well with all of us. That sounded like a voice saying the word 'you'...” (30:08 – Vince)
  • “There was a loud and long train horn, as if this thing was running on tracks right next to us, clear as day, no mistaking it for the wind...” (31:10 – Vince)
• Host Response: Derek offers rational train explanations but affirms that strange, unexplained EVPs are possible (34:44).

6. Lost, Found, and Unexplained: Cindy's Key Mystery (36:10)

• Summary: In 1984, after her keys 'explode' from a keychain in her car near Chicago, Cindy later finds her unique ignition key blocks away—on a distinctive sidewalk outside a CBS studio—despite having no feasible way for it to have traveled there.
  • “I picked it up and I thought, this cannot be my car key... I took that key, fit it into the ignition and it started my car. I cannot explain this...” (39:44 – Cindy)

7. Unexplained Phenomena: Black Dot & Telekinetic Blind (42:41)

Stacy’s Family Room Anomaly

• Summary: In Huntley, Stacy and her grandmother witness a growing, impossibly black dot floating in the air, which pops out with a sound before a vertical blind moves on its own.
  • “This little flat, really super dark black dot appeared... and as it was growing I said to my grandmother, ‘do you see this...?’ ...when it disappeared, it made a popping sound...” (43:00 – Stacy)
  • “One of the vertical blinds... came out of alignment, like it was being pulled up by unseen hands ... and then slowly put back into place.” (44:00 – Stacy)

8. Shadow People and Sleep Terrors (47:56)

Ray’s Tall, Dark Figure

• Summary: After arriving early at his brother-in-law’s parents' house, Ray glimpses a 6-to-7 foot tall “shadow darker than dark” peering at him from the hallway; later he discovers no one in the household matches that height.
  • “I see this shadow lean from the corner to kind of peer at me and then it... disappears or stood there, I don’t know.” (48:18 – Ray)

9. UFO Watch: Kat’s Vanishing Lights in Rockford (50:18)

• Summary: While driving, Kat observes two strange white lights in the sky. The object seems to change direction, then vanishes into a small cloud and isn’t seen again despite clear skies.
  • “…it never came out of the cloud. There was clear blue sky on the other side… I was just wondering if anyone had seen lights in the sky that disappeared suddenly.” (51:24 – Kat)
• Host’s UFO Hotspots (52:33): Top cities for UFO sightings in Illinois are listed, with Chicago leading (469 reports).

10. Premonitions and Haunted Dreams

Rachel’s Prophetic Dream and Haunted House Rejection (55:33)

• Summary: Rachel’s dream accurately foretold her grandfather’s death, and years later she has a vivid, terrifying dream about footsteps and being trapped in the basement of a house she was considering buying, ultimately persuading her not to purchase it.
  • “Premonition dreams always feel really different... I know I'm in the basement of the house... and I hear footsteps coming down the stairs... I wake up in my own bed, covered in a cold sweat, absolutely terrified. And I just knew someone was in the house with me.” (57:04 – Rachel)

11. A Visit from Grandpa: Mary’s Alleyway Apparition (59:34)

• Summary: As a child, Mary—denied a final visit with her ailing grandfather—sees her fully-realized grandpa and his dog standing coolly by their apartment building the morning after he passed away.
  • “I looked at the corner of our building and I saw my grandpa... he looked as real as anybody else walking down the street... I guess you got to see your grandpa. He knew you wanted to see him one last time, so he came to you.” (60:00 and 61:39 – Mary)
• Host’s Reflection: “Would you run to an apparition of a loved one? Or would it freak you out so badly that you instantly run home? ...it's touching stuff, Mary, and yet another reminder for us to keep our eyes open for signs from beyond.” (62:45 – Derek Hayes)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Derek Hayes (08:12): "I don't know, it kind of sounds like some sort of cryptid to me. And there are plenty to choose from in the Prairie State…"
• Mitch (07:05): "There's something or somebody who ends up at my mom's car door and is motioning to open the door or put the window down or whatever."
• Bev (10:40): "It was just weird. So I just thought I'd share that, let Matt know he's not the only one that's had that experience."
• Patrick (16:30): "It was just doof, doof, doof, doof... someone sprinting back and forth from one end of the house to the other."
• Megan (19:36): "The basket flew to the other side of the bathroom, and the door slammed shut."
• Stacy (43:00): "This little flat... really super dark black dot appeared... it was growing and growing... and when it disappeared, it made a popping sound."
• Ray (48:18): "I see this shadow lean from the corner to kind of peer at me and then it... disappeared or stood there, I don’t know."
• Kat (51:24): "There was clear blue sky on the other side of the cloud and it just didn't come out..."
• Rachel (57:04): "I wake up in my own bed and I'm covered in a cold sweat, absolutely terrified. And I just knew someone was in the house with me."
• Mary (61:39): "He knew you wanted to see him one last time so he came to you. He said goodbye. I still believe that's the truth."

Episode Flow & Tone

• Atmosphere: Urgent, direct witness testimony, matter-of-fact, rich with Illinois local flavor, nostalgia, and spooky ambiance.
• Host Style: Derek balances skepticism with open-mindedness and empathy for the callers’ emotional journeys, reinforcing the community feel of MAU.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------------|------------| | Episode Introduction / Illinois Overview | 02:51 | | Mitch: Rural Road Humanoid Encounter | 04:27 | | Bev: Ghostly Phone Calls | 09:46 | | Patrick: Haunted Friend’s House | 14:02 | | Megan: Victorian Home Haunting | 18:17 | | Haunted Illinois Top 10 | 21:49 | | Paula: “Hello from Beyond” License Plate | 25:33 | | Vince: Cemetery EVP and Train Horn | 28:48 | | Cindy: The Disappearing and Reappearing Key | 36:10 | | Stacy: The Popping Black Dot | 42:41 | | Ray: The Shadow Figure | 47:56 | | Kat: UFO Sighting in Rockford | 50:18 | | Illinois UFO Hotspots | 52:33 | | Rachel: Premonition and Haunted House Dream | 55:33 | | Mary: Grandpa's Spirit in the Alley | 59:34 |

Final Thoughts

Derek closes the episode inviting further stories from listeners and reflecting on the value of intuition, encounters with the unknown, and the human search for connection through stories both frightening and touching. The episode weaves local legend, personal testimony, and a sense of community into a chilling but uplifting patchwork of Illinois' paranormal legacy.

Keep it spooky!