Monsters Among Us – S19 Ep49: The Trick is the Treat: Best of Halloween

Host: Derek Hayes
Release Date: September 30, 2025

Episode Overview

In this "Best of Halloween" special, host Derek Hayes compiles a chilling selection of first-hand paranormal stories that occurred on or around Halloween night, gathered over almost a decade of Monsters Among Us. The episode features a nostalgic, atmospheric trip through spooky season with true accounts of ghostly phenomena, contact with mysterious orbs, brushes with cryptids, and haunted attractions—most of them told directly by the witnesses themselves. With only brief interludes from Derek, the calls are given center stage, offering a treat for new listeners and Halloween lovers alike.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage for Spooky Season

• Derek introduces the “Best of Halloween” concept, selecting the most chilling and memorable Halloween-themed calls from the show’s history (02:00).
• Emphasizes that Halloween is when "spirits can walk" and strange things are prone to occur.

2. Paranormal Activity in the Home

• Kathy from Virginia: Shares an unexplained series of glasses shattering spontaneously throughout her house on Halloween night while the family was gathered and celebrating. Notably, all rational explanations (like pets or piano vibrations) seem unlikely, and the incident never repeated (04:10).
  • "I have tried to the ends of earth to think of a reason that this could have happened, but I can't think of one." (06:30)
• Raises the question of heightened supernatural activity during Halloween, even in places without a “haunted” reputation.

3. Haunted Asylums and Ghostly Touch

• Kyle from Pennsylvania: Describes a late-night, self-guided tour of the notoriously haunted Pennhurst Asylum, where he and his girlfriend experience tactile phenomena (unexplained shuffling, shoulder taps) in the infirmary, with no one else around (11:08).
  • "We're not alone. … There wasn’t anybody around us." (13:08)
• Highlights how historic haunted locations amplify supernatural experiences on Halloween.

4. Encounter with an Energy Being

• Paul from Detroit (Ferndale, MI): Witnesses an amber, plasma-like orb on Halloween night that seems to paralyze him and then communicates telepathically before dissolving and causing lost time—he wakes up hours later with no memory of how he got home (15:51).
  • Notable Quote: “It said, ‘I’m allowing you to see me.’” (21:25)
  • Memorable Moment: Paul notes that he always sleeps on the couch, but awoke tucked into bed the next morning.
• Raises reflective questions about missing time and supernatural encounters that feel both terrifying and “lucky.”

5. Ape-men and Bigfoot in Suburbs

• Matt from Plymouth, Massachusetts: As a child, witnesses an enormous ape-like creature jumping from trees in his backyard on Halloween—despite living in an urban setting (23:41).
  • "I saw an ape man swing from the top of my trees in my backyard." (24:45)

6. Ghostly Apparitions from the Past

• Danny from St. Michael's, Maryland: While walking near Foxley Manor on Halloween night, spots a couple in Victorian attire with an old stroller, only for them to vanish before his eyes at a locked gate (27:30).
  • Notable Quote: "It happened so quick. … It’s the strangest thing." (29:40)
• Illustrates “time slip” or residual haunt scenarios common in historic towns.

7. Moving Constellations and UFO Phenomena

• Jessica from Long Island, NY: During a Halloween party, witnesses her favorite constellation (Cassiopeia) moving rapidly across the sky—joined by friends who also observe the anomaly (33:13).

8. Electronic Phenomena and Sliders

• Monica from California: Describes the involuntary ability to affect streetlights (“sliders”) and disrupt electronics, especially when experiencing strong emotions—recounts an instance where a streetlight went out at the height of an argument following a Halloween party (35:48).
  • "It's not something I can control. … Even my husband, a skeptic, took notice." (37:25)
• Derek wonders if Halloween might amplify latent abilities.

9. Legendary Haunted Locations

• Adrian from Maine: During a Halloween event on the Queen Mary, experiences intense poltergeist activity in his hotel room—TV turns on after being unplugged, faucets and toilets operate unbidden, ending with confirmation from the front desk of frequent hauntings (40:31).
  • Notable Quote: "That room is severely haunted. Happens all the time." (42:35)

10. Orbs and Ominous Associations

• Leo from Milwaukee, WI (age 13): On a Halloween tour, sees a black "void" orb hovering near an old funeral home—the orb is linked (via research) to suicides, which matches the history of the building across from the church (45:23).
  • “There is no way that could be a coincidence.” (46:50)

11. Haunted Houses and Phantom Employees

• Michelle from Mansfield, OH: While working at the Mansfield Reformatory haunted house, she and a colleague receive feedback of another “scare actor” in an area impossible for anyone to hide—suggesting a genuine apparition participates each Halloween (48:44).
  • "The fact that a worker could be hiding in that spot … is basically impossible." (50:40)

12. Bat-Squatch in Ontario

• Dylan Sears, Ontario, Canada: During a ghost walk by the local courthouse, sees a flying monkey-like creature—brown, roughly 8 to 10 feet wingspan—possibly connected to peculiar gargoyle decorations and local legends (53:18).
  • "It looked basically like a flying monkey, but it had legs like a human." (54:15)

13. Haunted Halloween Attraction—Classic Bigfoot Sighting

• Anonymous, Massachusetts: While working as a performer (in all black) at a Halloween camp-out event in 2001, spots a huge, broad-shouldered figure (possibly Bigfoot) silently observing the site. The figure stands over 7.5 feet tall and leaves when a walkie-talkie beeps. No signs of a human intruder found (57:33).
  • “As soon as the walkie-talkie … made the beep beep noise … the figure simply turned around and walked away.” (60:00)
  • Memorable Reflection: Derek notes the plausibility of a Bigfoot being curious about the lights and noise of a Halloween attraction.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kathy on shattering glass: "I have tried to the ends of earth to think of a reason that this could have happened, but I can't think of one." (06:30)
• Paul’s orb encounter: "It said, 'I'm allowing you to see me.'" (21:25)
• Danny’s time-slip couple: "It happened so quick. … It’s the strangest thing." (29:40)
• Adrian’s Queen Mary haunt: "That room is severely haunted. Happens all the time." — Front Desk (42:35)
• Michelle on the phantom scare actor: "The fact that a worker could be hiding in that spot … is basically impossible." (50:40)
• Dylan’s Bat-Squatch: "It looked basically like a flying monkey, but it had legs like a human." (54:15)
• Anonymous on Bigfoot: “As soon as the walkie-talkie … made the beep beep noise … the figure simply turned around and walked away.” (60:00)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Episode Theme — 02:00
• Kathy – Shattering Glasses (Virginia) — 04:10
• Kyle – Pennhurst Asylum (Philadelphia, PA) — 11:08
• Paul – Amber Orb & Missing Time (Ferndale, MI) — 15:51
• Matt – Backyard Ape-man (Plymouth, MA) — 23:41
• Danny – Phantom Couple at Foxley Manor (Easton, MD) — 27:30
• Jessica – Moving Constellation/UFO (Long Island, NY) — 33:13
• Monica – Streetlight Interference/Slider (California) — 35:48
• Adrian – Queen Mary Poltergeist (Long Beach, CA via Maine) — 40:31
• Leo – Black Orb at Church (Milwaukee, WI) — 45:23
• Michelle – Haunted House Phantom (Mansfield, OH) — 48:44
• Dylan – Bat-Squatch (Woodstock, Ontario) — 53:18
• Anonymous – Halloween Camp Bigfoot (MA) — 57:33
• Closing Reflections — 61:27

Overall Atmosphere & Tone

Derek Hayes maintains a warm, nostalgic, and respectful tone throughout, focusing on giving listeners' stories room to breathe while punctuating them with personal reflections and the show's signature "keep it spooky" vibe. The episode is a Halloween treat—tinged with eerie wonder and a dash of playful mystery—offering a perfect audio companion for fans of the supernatural and those who like their October a little more haunted.

“But until then, you keep it spooky and of course have yourselves a good night.” — Derek Hayes (end of episode)