S20 Ep1: A Veil of Darkness Volume 4: The Shadow People Files (Sn. 20 Ep. 1)

Summary

---

Monsters Among Us: Season 20, Episode 1

A Veil of Darkness Volume 4: The Shadow People Files

Host: Derek Hayes | Date: October 14, 2025

---

Overview

The 20th season premiere of Monsters Among Us dives into its fourth volume of chilling “Shadow People Files,” centering on first-hand accounts of encounters with mysterious shadow-like entities—figures often described as malevolent, elusive, or harbingers of misfortune. Host Derek Hayes serves up a series of listener voicemails, each recounting unsettling brushes with shadow people, the infamous Hat Man, and other dark apparitions. Themes of grief, forerunners of doom, sleep paralysis, and even shadowy interventions with pets thread through these real-life tales.

---

Episode Structure & Key Discussion Points

1. Introduction: The Shadow People Files Return

• Derek Hayes ([01:32]) reflects on the challenges of producing special episodes, introduces the Shadow People as tonight’s focus, and notes the self-sustaining terror of these stories.
  • Quote: "There’s one subject in my mind that fits both of those descriptors. The entities we’ll be covering…are super spooky, and there’s not much to be said about them that I haven’t already. In other words, the stories sort of speak for themselves."
• Atmosphere: Hayes mentions writing the episode by his aquarium’s light, enhancing the episode’s reflective and eerie tone.

---

2. Story Highlights

Wesley’s Luminous Visitation – “Ceiling Light and the Phantom Figure”

• Location: Parts Unknown ([03:48])
• Story: At age 12, Wesley sees a bright blue light and a tall, featureless figure investigating his fish tank at night. His mother later confirms seeing an unusual light and feeling compelled not to check on him further, urged by an inexplicable voice.
• Themes:
  • Shared family experience, mother’s intuition
  • Light as a motif in shadow encounters
  • Grief & podcast listener support
• Quote:
  • Wesley ([06:48]): "You continue to help and I really appreciate this. This is a great thing that you’re doing."
• Host commentary:
  • Derek finds it unsettling that Wesley’s mother complied with a voice telling her not to check on her child.

Alaric’s Hat Man in the Mirror – “The Watcher in the Farmhouse”

• Location: Cleburne, Texas ([09:39])
• Story: Recalling his youth in an 1800s farmhouse, Alaric describes seeing a six-foot-tall shadow figure—wide-brimmed hat and all—appear beside him and reflected in a mirror. Follow-up sightings include a shadow in an upstairs window.
• Themes:
  • Persistent feeling of being watched
  • The recurring “Hat Man” motif
  • Mirrors as portals/conduits for apparitions
• Quote:
  • Alaric ([11:49]): "I saw my shadow, and…I saw that same six-foot figure…with a large, wide-brimmed hat on."
• Host commentary:
  • Derek notes, “Watched by a shadow figure. That’s not something I would like to experience.”

Brandon’s Ohio Woods Shadow – “Black Figure by the Creek”

• Location: Canton, Ohio ([14:39])
• Story: As kids, Brandon and friends spot an unnaturally black, textureless figure across a creek in sunlit woods. Attempts to interact (throwing rocks) fail; later a friend sees a humanoid shape dash across a trail.
• Themes:
  • Outdoor/woodland shadow entities
  • Childhood perceptions vs. later understanding
  • Creature is “blacker than black,” defying normal shadow physics
• Quote:
  • Brandon ([15:29]): "It was, like, straight black, like, no texture, no detail, and then no depth…"
  • Derek ([17:23]): "I do like that you chucked a few rocks at it, though, Brandon. I’m not sure that that was a smart move…"
• Host commentary: Admires the curiosity but warns of potential consequences.

Mackenzie’s Garden Omen – “Figures Before a Loss”

• Location: Washington State ([18:14])
• Story: Living in a yurt, Mackenzie encounters a blacker-than-night, two-person silhouette near a tree planted for a deceased partner. The night after, her mother dies tragically.
• Themes:
  • Shadow people as forerunners or omens
  • Grief and interpretation of the paranormal
  • Non-human explanations of comfort
• Quote:
  • Mackenzie ([19:19]): "There was a horrible accident and my mom died at work."
  • Derek ([19:45]): "What if they're harbingers of doom? Part of the paranormal phenomena of forerunners… Predictors of peril, a warning system that something bad is about to go down."

Brad’s Family Doppelganger and the Dog – “Who Let Rhea In?”

• Location: Hopewell, Virginia ([21:40])
• Story: On his birthday, Brad and friend Ricky witness a silhouette on the porch, lights flicker on/off, and somehow his dog appears inside—though all humans are accounted for and should have been asleep. Grandma later claims she heard them laughing and playing games inside, though they were outside at the time.
• Themes:
  • Shadow entity manipulation of environment (e.g., lights)
  • Possible “bilocation” or doppelganger phenomena (audio and visual confusion)
  • Pets involved in paranormal episodes
• Quote:
  • Brad ([25:11]): "Who let Ray in? Who was in my room laughing? Who did we see on the porch staring dead at us when everybody else was asleep? I don’t know."
  • Derek ([26:28]): "Shadow man turning on the lights. That might be a new one for me."

---

3. Additional Accounts – Unsettling Incidents and New Twists

Josh – Shadow Bust by the Bed

• Location: Austin, Texas ([28:03])
• Story: Sick in bed but awake, Josh sees a hazy, profound darkness shaped like a human bust hovering beside him. He moves and the shape vanishes. Makes a humorous observation about “just going back to sleep.”
• Themes:
  • Shadow person during vulnerable, ill state
  • Sleep-panic vs. genuine dread
• Quote:
  • Josh ([29:43]): "It was just there for a few seconds right above me… I blinked and it went away. And then I just kind of went back to sleep…"

Anonymous Call from Montreal – Classic Hat Man on the Stairs

• Location: Chatham, Ontario ([32:35])
• Story: Teen sees a tall, broad figure with a wide-brimmed hat and trench coat fill the doorframe after the sound of deliberate footsteps up a creaky staircase. Family confirms they were all asleep; caller’s fever had passed.
• Themes:
  • Auditory approaches heightening anticipation
  • Shared Hat Man archetype (wide-brimmed headgear, trench coat, no face)
• Quote:
  • Caller ([37:23]): "My door frame was filled with this tall, broad dark human shaped figure… blotted out the white poster behind it from my view."
  • Derek ([40:01]): "Do you think the ancient prophecies are true? That a dose of cold medication Nyquil will usher you to a realm where the Hat Man lurks?"

Hallie – Horned Shadow During Sleep Paralysis

• Location: Arizona ([40:48])
• Story: In a sleep-paralysis state, Hallie hears stomping, then sees a 6ft-tall horned shadow form with animal features enter the room. She calms herself, the being vanishes, and she later questions if anyone else has seen similar forms.
• Themes:
  • Horned shadow beings (unusual detail)
  • Fuzzy line between sleep paralysis hallucination and unexplained encounter
• Quote:
  • Hallie ([42:23]): "It had horns, like really wide horns, which was super strange… It was all just in shadow…"
  • Derek ([44:20]): "What is the deal with the horns? ... Perhaps the Hat Man wears a hat to cover up those horns."

Gracie – Demonic Procession, Angelic Rescue (Sleep Paralysis?)

• Location: Thousand Oaks, California ([45:25])
• Story: Gracie is paralyzed in her childhood room as it transforms into a marble hall, with a demonic procession and three black, pointy-hooded figures. Overwhelming dread turns into release when a white, angel-like figure appears and saves her. She emphasizes the realness vs. dreamlike nature.
• Themes:
  • Overlapping themes of demonic entities, angels
  • Out-of-body/liminal experiences
  • Sleep paralysis with hyper-real characteristics

---

Savannah – Shared Encounters and Confrontation

• Location: San Diego, CA ([48:47])
• Story: Over a decade, Savannah, her dog, sister, and eventually, her skeptical father all encounter a tall shadow figure in their 1950s-1980s hybrid house. After her father openly confronts the entity, demanding it leave and not harm her soon-to-be-born child, sightings and sensations abruptly stop.
• Themes:
  • Multi-witness, cross-generational experiences
  • Pets’ sensitivities to supernatural presences
  • Confrontation and boundary-setting as solution
• Quote:
  • Savannah ([52:32]): "He is very tall, well over 6ft... He never did anything. I would just see him walk across the living room."
  • "[My dad said:] You are not going to touch that baby…And ever since then…we have not seen anything."

---

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps & Speaker)

• Derek Hayes ([01:32]): "The show must go on…It just so happens that we're due for another visit with this phenomena."
• Wesley ([06:48]): "You continue to help and I really appreciate this."
• Alaric ([11:49]): "I saw that same six-foot figure…but I think it was possibly…a shadow man because it had a large, wide-brimmed hat on."
• Brandon ([15:29]): "It was, like, straight black, like, no texture, no detail, and then no depth."
• Mackenzie ([19:19]): "The next morning, there was a horrible accident and my mom died at work."
• Brad ([25:11]): "Who let Ray in? Who was in my room laughing? Who did we see on the porch staring dead at us when everybody else was asleep?"
• Josh ([29:43]): "It was just there for a few seconds right above me... I blinked and it went away. And then I just kind of went back to sleep."
• Anonymous, Montreal ([37:23]): "My door frame was filled with this tall broad dark human shaped figure…"
• Hallie ([42:23]): "It had horns, like really wide horns, which was super strange."
• Gracie ([45:25]): "I felt I was meeting the devil and he was calling me in... For a second I wanted to go to him."
• Savannah ([52:32]): "He is very tall, well over 6ft... He never did anything. I would just see him walk across the living room."

---

Main Patterns & Theories

• Hat Man Archetype: Recurs in different settings and geographies; often perceived as male, tall, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, and sometimes a trench coat.
• Mirrors and Portals: Mirror placement (often culturally or superstitiously intended to block spirits) seems connected to certain sightings.
• Sleep and Vulnerability: Many accounts take place during illness, sleep, or sleep paralysis—heightened states of vulnerability.
• Shadow People as Harbingers: In some cases, such as Mackenzie’s, shadow figures precede tragic events, entering folkloric territory as forerunners or omens.
• Pets as Witnesses: Animals, especially dogs, react strongly to these entities, reinforcing the idea something tangible is present.
• Multiple Witnesses and Shared Experiences: Numerous callers recounted family or friends noting the same entity, or classic “group illusion” phenomena.
• Confrontation and Banishing: Deliberate confrontation—setting boundaries out loud—sometimes coincided with shadow activity ceasing.

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Description | Timestamp | |---------|-------------|-----------| | Introduction & Theme | Derek sets the episode’s tone | 01:32 | | Wesley’s Story | Luminous shadow and family confirmation | 03:48–07:00 | | Alaric’s Story | Hat Man in the farmhouse, mirror encounter | 09:39–13:14 | | Brandon’s Story | Black figure in Ohio woods | 14:39–17:23 | | Mackenzie’s Story | Twin silhouette before family tragedy | 18:14–19:42 | | Brad’s Story | Porch shadow, dog anomaly in Virginia | 21:40–26:28 | | Josh’s Story | Shadow bust during sickness in Texas | 28:03–30:49 | | Montreal Caller | Classic Hat Man, creaky stair encounter | 32:35–40:01 | | Hallie’s Story | Horned shadow, sleep paralysis in AZ | 40:48–44:20 | | Gracie’s Story | Demonic sleep vision, angelic rescue | 45:25–47:59 | | Savannah’s Story | Family-wide sightings, dog warns, confrontation | 48:47–56:50 |

---

Tone and Atmosphere

The episode is nostalgic, eerie, and personal—rooted in the direct, sometimes confessional style of callers, interwoven with Derek’s reflective, wry but respectful commentary. Derek’s own asides (“Don’t even get me started on what might happen if you look into a mirror…”) add levity, while also amplifying the underlying dread.

---

Conclusion

Episode S20 E1 offers a compelling cross-section of modern shadow people folklore: stories of darkness, boundaries, and the persistence of the unexplained. From glowing room-filling lights to horned shadows and mirrored phantoms, the tales reflect deep human encounters with the unknown—whether as a shared hallucination, paranormal phenomena, or an expression of collective fears. Derek Hayes leaves listeners with more questions than answers, but also a sense of kinship (“keep it spooky!”) for all who dwell on the shadowy edge between waking and dream.

---

For the full effect, listen with the lights out—but keep a mirror pointed away, just in case.

Transcript

[Dutch Sponsor]

Time is precious, and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24. 7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care.

[Derek Hayes]

Good evening and welcome to Monsters Among Us. I am your guide, Derek Hayes.

[Caller from Montreal]

And.

[Derek Hayes]

Welcome to season 20 of Monsters Among Us. Now, if you would have told me 10 years ago that we'd still be doing this show, and not only that, but it would still be growing, I don't think I would believe you. But sometimes I'm happy to be wrong. Now, folks, I'll be the first to admit I have a bit of a hometown legend hangover. Those special episodes coupled with the previous week's 911 special, which everyone seemed to really enjoy, and we're working on peppering more of that content in. By the way, we heard you loud and clear. But putting those special episodes together took its toll on myself and my crew. So what I'm getting at here is that this episode came at us pretty quick this week. But we have a motto around here, a motto that we live by. The show must go on. So here we are. And since we're still recovering from those hometown Legends episodes that seem to take twice as long to produce the regular episode for whatever reason. So I decided to assemble some stories tonight that A, I don't have to do too much to discuss, but B, still deliver the scares. And there's one subject in my mind that fits both of those descriptors. The entities we'll be covering the ceiling are super spooky, and there's not much to be said about them that I haven't already. In other words, the stories sort of speak for themselves. And, you know, it just so happens that we're due for another visit with this phenomena. Anyway, so that's my long winded attempt at introducing tonight's subject. It's our latest installment of the Shadow People Files, Volume 4. And to kick us off here this evening, we begin in parts unknown. Please welcome Wesley to the program.

[Wesley / Brad (multiple callers labeled D)]

Hey, Derek, this is Wesley. I was gonna go ahead and tell you about a really strange thing that happened to me when I was like 12. I had a fish tank in my bedroom when I was growing up and My bed was on the back right hand wall of the room. And then in the center of the room, on the opposite side was a fish tank and left of that was a TV at an angle facing me. One night I woke up in the middle of the night and I noticed that there was just this like blinding blue light. It was so, so bright. Like everything was fully illuminated in my room. And there was a figure, very tall, long fingers. With the brightness of the light, it was like more of a silhouette, but it wasn't like a shadow person. It was just hard to tell features. I was like half asleep and I leaned up, I remember, and I said, mom. And it didn't move. It was looking at the fish tank and it was bent over and it was touching the glass with its fingers, you know. And then the next thing I remember I went back to sleep and I woke up the next morning, I thought it was a dream, you know, I was 12, so must have been eighth grade. And I had a baseball game. My mom took me after she got off work. And my parents don't drink. I've seen my mom have like a glass of wine, I think in my whole life. And as we were getting on the interstate, she said, did something happen to you last night? And I said, yeah, I had a really weird dream. And she was like, well, that's funny because I woke up in the middle of the night and something told me to check on you. And she went to the door and she said there was this light like reaching halfway out into the hallway, just really stretching out like it was super duper bright. And then she said she felt a moment of panic and she grabbed the handle to the door and then she said something, told her, he's fine, he's okay, go back to bed. And she did. My mother told me this. She's a social worker, you know, and I, I was pretty perplexed about that. I was like, that's just another thing I don't understand. Later on in life I really started to re examine that and I asked my mom about it and she confirmed everything. And I just don't really know what to think about that. But it's a good story. So I wanted to thank you, man. Because my 18 month old son passed away December 1st, and you and the kryptonite guys were key in helping me maintain my peace while I was there. We were there for 30 days before they let him go. And I mean, they have just the best people in the whole wide world working there. And I just. You continue to help And I really appreciate this. This is a great thing that you're doing. All right, man.

[Alaric]

Have a good night.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you. Wesley, I'm so incredibly sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you and your entire family. And of course, we're happy to offer up a bit of an escape at least twice a week. And coincidentally, I'm writing this very episode by the light of my aquarium. I have a 40 gallon set up here in the office, live plants and everything, which is an excellent choice if you need a room to be completely quiet for recording purposes. I really didn't think that one through, but the way the light dances on the walls when the bubbles pop or a fish ripples the surface, it can catch you off guard when you see it out of the corner of your eye. Now, of course, I'm not saying that's what happened with Wesley here. It's just my experience. And one last thing about the call that I will say is just how weird it was that Wesley's mom just went along with the voice that she heard. You'd think she would still want to check on young Wesley, especially since she was seemingly already close to his door. I found that odd, intriguing, and borderline unsettling. So thank you again, Wesley, for taking the time to make the call. And folks, speaking of unsettling, I have several unsettling stories to share with you here tonight. But first, a quick word from our sponsors.

[Dutch Sponsor]

Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24. 7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care.

[Derek Hayes]

Now, next up, we venture to Texas, where we meet with Alaric for our next story.

[Alaric]

Hey, Derek, it's Alaric. I live in Texas. This is a story of a haunting that I had. And it was whenever I lived in Cleburne, Texas, near Waco and Fort Worth and stuff like that. It was in an old house I used to live in with my mother. I was about 13. So this was in 2012. And pretty much what happened was I've always felt like I was being watched for some reason. I don't know why, but the layout of the place was there was like a farmhouse and then Right next to it was a storage unit building that my grandfather owned. He also owned the house. It was a really, really old house from like 1800s old. So I always felt that there was some sort of presence there. And it was a two story and the upstairs definitely always felt like I was being watched. And it always had an uneasy feeling. And there was a door going straight to the attic where the air conditioning unit was. And I never liked being near that door or in the room that the door was connected to. And the main experience that I had that I can at least remember is that every single time I walked inside the house, I always felt like I was being watched from the right side. And the way it was was like whenever you walk up to the front porch, there's like the main door right in front of you for the entrance of the house. And then to your right was where the storage unit and everything was. And I was always feeling like I was being watched from the right side. And one day I walked up onto the porch and then I saw something really fast flash like right next to me. And whenever I say right next to me, I mean like maybe five feet away. So I looked to the right real fast and I didn't see anything. And I looked around, try to see maybe it was the cat or anything like that. But the size of the shadow or whatever it was that flashed by me was at least 6ft tall and I was 12. So I was pretty short. And even now I'm still short. So I saw it flash by me. And then like I walked and I got sort of freaked out and I started shaking a little bit. I'm actually shaking right now just thinking about it anyway. But I walked up into the house and like I opened the door and we had like a sort of entryway and then we had two doors inside the entryway, one to the left and one to the front right sort of that you'd go through to go to the different rooms. And my mother always felt that if she put a mirror in front of the doors, then it would ward away bad spirits and stuff like that. She didn't necessarily believe in ghosts, but she does believe in spirits anyway. She always had a mirror facing towards the door or towards larger windows. I walked inside and the mirror was right in front of me. And it wasn't like I just saw my own shadow, but whenever I walked in I saw my shadow and I saw the reflection of me and my facial features and everything. And then behind me I saw that same six foot figure. But I think it Was possibly. I'm pretty sure it was a shadow man because it had a large, wide, brimmed hat on. It was definitely larger, male, I'm assuming. I actually got really freaked out and I just froze. And I didn't know what to do exactly. He was standing behind me and then I just like, I blinked. And in the time that it took me to blink, it was gone. And then ever since then, I never really had any more sightings or anything like that towards that close to me. But whenever we drove up into the driveway one day, I saw a figure in the top story window. And I only saw out of the.

[Brandon / Mackenzie (multiple callers labeled F)]

Corner of my eye.

[Alaric]

And whenever I looked up, it was gone. So I don't know if I was imagining it or what exactly. Anyway, that was my story. I love the podcast. I've actually been binge listening to it for a while now. Anyway, yeah, have a great day.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, Alaric. Watched by a shadow figure. That's not something I would like to experience, but now that I've heard about it, I bet I'll never stop thinking of it. Now, the next time you feel yourself being watched, good luck not assuming that it was some sort of tall, dark, mysterious figure, just like I will. And don't even get me started on what might happen if you look into a mirror. Thank you again, Alaric, for sharing the call. Now folks, if you have a story you would like to share here on the show, call my hotline at 888-608-NIGHT. That's 888608 N I G H T. Or you can record your story as a voice memo using your phone and email the file to me at monsters among us podcastmail.com. we're getting more and more stories submitted this way and I have to say the sound is considerably better. So keep that in mind when you make your choice. Now let's work our way north to my old stomping grounds of Ohio. Please welcome Brandon to the program.

[Brandon / Mackenzie (multiple callers labeled F)]

Hi, my name is Brandon, I'm from Canton, Ohio. I'm calling because I got an unusual story of the Shadow man. And to set up the story, I guess I gotta start with location. So it takes place in Canton, Ohio, where I'm from. And me and my friends, we'd always go to this park and behind this park there is some woods, like only a few acres or something. So we'd go in there and do kids stuff like chop trees, build forts and all that. So this one night, it was like summer. I had to been like 11, 12, 13. I'm 20 years old now. So this was a long time ago. We went in there. And how this, like, little patch of woods work was, you go in these woods a little bit, like 30 yards, there's a clearing. Then they'll drop down to a creek. And drop back up bushes and then the rest of woods. So we go in there this one day, and for some reason, this little figure catches my eye across this creek. And my friend saw it, too. I confirmed it with him a while ago that I wasn't just, like, making this up. He saw it, too. But how this figure was, it was, like, behind these bushes, and then, like, these bushes, probably, like, 3 or 4ft tall. And then it was, like, straight black, like, no texture, no detail, and then no depth. So, like, you couldn't really see through it, like, to the woods, pass it. So I know it's not a regular shadow or anything like that. And it was really sunny out, so you would for sure see something behind, like, a shadow, you know, I mean, so it was just standing there. We threw, like, rocks or sticks at it, and it didn't even move. It just, like, stood there behind the bushes. It just was a little bit above it. And it was just weird because we weren't scared at all. And then there's nothing really to it other than it was just a figure, like, no texture, no depth. You couldn't see through it. And that was just weird to me. And when I was a kid, I was like, oh, it's bigfoot, or whatever, Because I was big into that. But it doesn't add up to be, like, bigfoot or nothing like that. And then another time we went in there, probably that same summer or whatever, we're going in there. We were walking some of the deer trails, and my one buddy who was there that previous time, he saw something run right across the deer trail, and it scared the absolute hell out of him. Later on, he says it wasn't a deer. It looked like a figure of, like, a person or something. So I guess that's my story. Thank you.

[Derek Hayes]

Thanks, Brandon. A shadow man outside in the woods of Ohio. And it sounds like this occurred only about an hour from where I grew up. Boy, am I glad I never ran into anything like that now. I do like that you chucked a few rocks at it, though, Brandon. I'm not sure that that was a smart move, But I like that you were curious enough to try to get it to move. No, it's scary stuff, whatever it was. And we thank you again, Brandon, for sharing the details here. With us. Now. Let's squeeze in one more entry Here I have a shorter one from Mackenzie out of the state of Washington.

[Hallie / Gracie (multiple callers labeled G)]

Hi, my name is Mackenzie. I live in a small island in Washington state. Last summer is when this happened on my island.

[Brandon / Mackenzie (multiple callers labeled F)]

I moved back home with my mother like a lot of people did during COVID And because I'm on an island, I actually built a yurt on my mom's property. And one night I went out to pee because you have to pee outside when you live in a yurt.

[Hallie / Gracie (multiple callers labeled G)]

And I looked up into my garden.

[Brandon / Mackenzie (multiple callers labeled F)]

Area, and I can see a perfect outline, blacker than the night, of what.

[Hallie / Gracie (multiple callers labeled G)]

Looks like a tall man standing next.

[Brandon / Mackenzie (multiple callers labeled F)]

To a shorter shape of a person. Almost as if they were like, holding their arm around the person. At first I thought it was a deer, and I wanted to scare it away from eating my garden because it was leaning over a garden that I.

[Hallie / Gracie (multiple callers labeled G)]

Had built with a tree I just.

[Brandon / Mackenzie (multiple callers labeled F)]

Recently planted for my partner who had passed away.

[Hallie / Gracie (multiple callers labeled G)]

And I stared at it, and I.

[Brandon / Mackenzie (multiple callers labeled F)]

Recognized that it wasn't moving, it wasn't.

[Hallie / Gracie (multiple callers labeled G)]

A deer, and it looked like two people. It scared me enough that I went.

[Savannah]

Inside and just forced myself to go back to sleep.

[Brandon / Mackenzie (multiple callers labeled F)]

The next morning, there was a horrible accident and my mom died at work. And I looked at my partner at the time who I had told about the shapes of the people. And he had said, well, that was probably your mom and your partner who.

[Wesley / Brad (multiple callers labeled D)]

I had planted the tree for.

[Brandon / Mackenzie (multiple callers labeled F)]

And so I thought that was pretty interesting.

[Wesley / Brad (multiple callers labeled D)]

I don't know if you called a forerunner.

[Brandon / Mackenzie (multiple callers labeled F)]

Thank you.

[Derek Hayes]

Thanks, Mackenzie. Wow. I'm sorry for your loss. Now, as far as the story is concerned, there's another angle here that we could explore. An angle that might give purpose to these shadowy shysters. Bear with me here. But what if they're harbingers of doom? Part of the paranormal phenomena of forerunners, as Mackenzie had suggested, Predictors of peril, A warning system that something bad is about to go down. Now, I'll keep an ear out for that detail as we push forward here tonight. Maybe it was just a coincidence or maybe it was something more. But until that information comes in, thank you again, Mackenzie, for sharing the story.

[Wesley / Brad (multiple callers labeled D)]

Sometimes those people grasp onto it, for.

[Josh]

Taking time to weigh in.

[Dutch Sponsor]

I was Time is precious, and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24. 7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care.

[Caller from Montreal]

I got two vets of the weekend.

[Derek Hayes]

Now if you would please join me in Virginia by way of Los Angeles, Please welcome Brad to the show.

[Wesley / Brad (multiple callers labeled D)]

Hey Derek. My name is Brad out of Southern California. But my story actually comes from my hometown, my grandparents house where I grew up at in Hopewell, Virginia. If you know anything about Hopewell or Virginia itself, it's a state full of culture and history, especially early American history. And personally quite a lot of spirit and ghost stories come from my area. Now the specific story I got for you is from my 22nd birthday. Me and my best friend Ricky, we were gamers. You know, we stayed up late, just hanging out, you know, never much of a partier. So it was just him and I, you know, sitting at the house. We had this habit of smoking. Thankfully we're both done with it. But in that time period we would every hour or so go out for a cigarette or two and just hang out, listen to music. Now my grandfather was also a smoker and he was a insomniac. He didn't sleep well. So oftentimes we would all meet out on the porch and smoke. This particular night we would go on walks, you know, and sometimes we'd sit in my car just to not disturb anybody. Well, one of the times that we went to my car, Ricky and I are sitting there again just talking, listening to music. And we happen to glance off towards the porch now to kind of set the tone. That's a little enclosed porch on the house where everybody goes to smoke just so that nothing gets inside the house. And we have a place to comfortably sit. My car is parked directly in front. We gaze off towards the porch and we see what looks like a silhouette of a man just inside the door of the house. My only issue with this was that when we left, when we went outside not five minutes before, everybody was asleep, Ricky and I just assumed he was my grandfather. And we were afraid that we woke him up. So we were all concerned, you know, we were like, oh shit, isn't it? We may have disturbed the man. Let us go inside and talk to him. We go back inside and the only person awake is my dog Rhea, my husky. Like, okay, well maybe we just missed him. Maybe he's already back in bed. No worries. So we go back to our business, go back inside, play our games. Whatever. About 45 minutes later, we go out for another smoke, go back out to the car again. This time the light flickers on on the porch and we're like, oh, it's definitely Pop this time, but we don't see anybody there. The lights on, but no one is outside. So, you know, we go ahead, we finish up our smoke and we're like, alright, let's go talk to Pop, make sure that was him. Go inside. And once again, nobody's awake. The house is silent. Grandma's asleep, pops asleep. We don't know what's going on. Who turned the light off? I don't know. So we're sitting there at this point, we're, you know, getting inside of our imagination a little bit. We know what we've been through before, we know the history of the area and we're, you know, letting our brains play a little bit. But we try to calm down about it. We let my dog Rhea, we let her outside, she goes out and running. We have another cigarette on the porch. This time just so that we are not mildly interrupted with more confusion. We kind of forget about the moment. We get caught up in our regular conversations, you know, the happy birthdays, what does it feel like to be 22, all that nonsense. And then I look to my right and my dog is at the door on the inside of the house. Just to clarify, the porch is enclosed on the outside and we let her out on the porch door, but now she's inside the house.

[Alaric]

How?

[Wesley / Brad (multiple callers labeled D)]

You know. So at this point, we are really, truly spooked out. You know, we're sitting there talking, trying to figure out who let Ray in, who let the dog in. Everybody's asleep. I know I definitely just let her outside. At this point, my grandma has woken up because again, both of them are insomniacs. And she comes outside, we're like, hey, Grandma, did we bother you? Did we wake you up? She said, no, sweetie. I just heard you guys inside playing games. No worries. Ricky and I look at each other with full realization that at this point, we've been outside for at least 30, 45 minutes. I asked Grandma, I said, grandma, we've been outside. Are you sure? She said, yeah, honey, I heard you both laughing, you know, just having a good time, playing your games. We go inside. My TV and Xbox were off. We were outside. Who let Raya, who was in my room laughing? Who did we see on the porch staring dead at us when everybody else was asleep? I don't know. To this day, I still think about it, you know, I live out here in California with my little girl and my old lady, and I still talk to Ricky from time to time. And it's kind of funny that anytime we experience something that we simply cannot explain, him and I just look at each other and we say, who let Ray in? Anyway, thank you so much for all you do, sir, and keep us fishing.

[Derek Hayes]

We appreciate the call, Brad. Shadow man turning on the lights. You know, that might be a new one for me. I don't recall ever hearing that detail before. And is it possible that this shadow entity let the dog in as well? Or, you know, it could be possible that there's an unrelated dog doppelganger situation happening here congruent to this Shadowman activity. Or perhaps it's just me connecting dots that shouldn't be connected. Well, either way, we thank you, Brad, for this series of unusual events. Now, folks, if you haven't already considered it, you should mosey on over to our merchandise shop at monsters among us podcast.com and by clicking on the shop tab we have all sorts of items. Most, if not all, have been designed by artists in the paranormal realm, artists that we particularly enjoy. And with the holidays fast approaching, now is the best time to get an order in. The shop is fully stocked and we all know it's a one stop shop for all the MAU fans in your life. Again, that's monsters among us podcast.com and click that shop tab. Now. Up next is a call from Josh, and for this one we head back to the Lone Star State.

[Josh]

Hey, Derek, this is Josh from Austin, Texas. So this happened in 2022. Basically, I was asleep in bed and I want to say I had been sick like the day before, maybe even that day, but I was asleep in bed and my partner was asleep next to me. And at some point in the middle of the night, I woke up and I had the distinct feeling that somebody was standing next to me on my.

[Wesley / Brad (multiple callers labeled D)]

Side of the bed.

[Josh]

And so I kind of assumed that maybe she was up and she was just kind of checking to see how I was sleeping because I hadn't been feeling good. And just as I was about to kind of like start to drift back off, I felt her move in the bed next to me. And so at this point I was like, oh, that's weird. And I open my eyes. I looked kind of over to the side where I thought. I kind of felt like somebody was standing. I opened my eyes and what I saw when I opened my eyes was basically like the outline of a person from like the shoulders up Like a bust of a person. But it was totally black and kind of hazy looking. Kind of the classic how people describe shadow people as being, like darker than the dark around them. And it was just there for a few seconds right above me, kind of.

[Brandon / Mackenzie (multiple callers labeled F)]

Like to the side.

[Josh]

And then I blinked and it went away. And then just like people say in a lot of stories, I just kind of went back to sleep, which made me laugh in retrospect because a lot of times I listened to these stories where people are just like, yeah, and then I just threw the covers over my head and went back to sleep. And I'm like, how did you do that? But that's exactly what happened. And I don't think it was sleep paralysis because one, I've never experienced that before. And I was able to move. I kind of rolled a little bit to the side and moved my head to look where I thought I felt something.

[Wesley / Brad (multiple callers labeled D)]

So maybe.

[Josh]

But usually people report not being able to move or feeling like they can't move or speak or do anything. And I definitely didn't feel that way, nor did I feel any kind of malevolence or dread or anything like that. It was just kind of there and then it was gone. And then I was like, okay, going back to bed. So that's the story. And yeah, talk to you next time.

[Derek Hayes]

Thanks, Josh. And that's not the first time tonight that we've heard that detail that an experiencer just went back to sleep because MacKenzie, too did the exact same thing. You know, the human brain is an incredible machine and it wouldn't surprise me if there was some sort of self preservation mechanism at work here. But it's also possible that whatever these entities are have that effect on us as well. Thanks, Josh, for sharing tonight. Now, folks, I have plenty more to share, but it's time for another pause in the action. We have mouths to feed after all. Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back.

[Savannah]

Be afraid to be scared.

[Dutch Sponsor]

Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24. 7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care.

[Wesley / Brad (multiple callers labeled D)]

I don't know what the plan is.

[Derek Hayes]

Now. If you what Meet me in Canada, where we rendezvous with an anonymous caller up in Montreal.

[Caller from Montreal]

Hello again, monsters among us. I'm currently living in Montreal, Canada, but I'm originally from southwestern Ontario in a small town called Chatham, Kent. Now, if you're driving southwest on the 401 highway, it's pretty much the only slightly significant stop between London, Ontario, and the Windsor, Detroit, border crossing. So, while growing up, my family lived outside of town in an old country farmhouse out on a long, dusty dirt road. The house itself is on a plot of just under two acres fronted by a long gravel driveway running along the right side of the property and up to the house, which was nestled back perhaps 70 to 80 yards from the road. Now, the property was also all lined with trees, which gave us quite a nice bit of secluded privacy growing up, but also, you know, no direct communication or line of sight with neighbors either. So the house is quite old, built sometime in the early 1900s and served as a farming homestead for the majority of its lifetime. My bedroom in this house was up on the upper floor, which required a climb up an old wooden staircase. Now, the staircase is important, so I'll describe it here. It started with four steps up to a landing, where you would then turn to the left 90 degrees and climb up another 50 into the upper floor. Now, because it was so old, the staircase was exceptionally creaky. And unless you mapped these creaks like my siblings and I had, it was nearly impossible to make it up or down the stairs silently. So this was good and bad good because we would always get a bit of a warning if my parents were coming up to check on us, and that because it was hard for us to sneak down without my parents hearing us, as their bedroom was right underneath part of the staircase. So my bedroom was at the top of the staircase on the left on the second floor, and I had a wooden door with a white poster on the outside. My bed and my bedside light was in the corner of the bedroom facing the door. And my door opened into my bedroom. So when it was open day or night, I could clearly see the white poster on my bedroom door.

[Alaric]

At night.

[Caller from Montreal]

My parents also kept a light on downstairs that would beam up the staircase and slightly illuminate my doorway, making this white poster stand out in the darkness quite clearly. So my encounter took place during my early teenage years, maybe about 20 years ago or so now, but it's still as vivid in my memory as if it was yesterday. Because it's been so long, I can't quite place the time of year, although I know it had to have been in the winter months as I was quite ill with the flu at this time, and this tends to only really ever happen as the seasons change. This bed had been considerably debilitating and I recall on this specific day I had been rather bedridden with an impressive fever somewhere between 1:03 and 1:04 throughout the day. So I'd spent most of the day in bed and had finally managed to fall asleep sometime in the early evening. It was about 3:32am when I suddenly awoke from sleep, and I remember this time specifically as I had one of those old retro style red numbered digital alarm clocks. And this time seemed to have just somehow burned itself into my memory as I noticed the clock through the darkness. So after waking, I sat in bed thinking of how strange it was to have randomly awoken when I heard something stirring on the ground floor of the house. Now, as I had been sick, I had suspected it was one of my parents getting up to come check on me. So I sat in silence for a moment listening to the footfalls on the ground floor, when suddenly I heard the stereotypical creak given off by the first dare on her staircase. This is soon followed by a gap as the second stair didn't creak, but then a second and third creak as the third and fourth stairs did, and then a hard thud as someone landed on the landing. So thinking it was one of my parents coming to check on me, this is when I called out mom. Which got no reply, and then dad. And the same thing again silence. Then again I heard the footfalls on the staircase ascending from the landing to the second floor, and as each step landed came with it the expected creak that's given off by each stair as you climb. I again called out mom as the footfall climbed the stairs, but still didn't receive an answer. So I sat in darkness listening to the feet on the stairs until finally I heard the second hard thud of a foot landing on the landing on the second floor at the top of the stairs. At this point, having not received a reply from either of my parents, I sat slightly confused but no longer half asleep, staring from my bed in the corner of my room towards my open bedroom door. As I listened to whoever climbed the stairs approaching my room, I stared at my open doorway waiting to see which my parents was to come check on me. Now I don't remember seeing anyone progressively fill the doorway, and in my memory.

[Wesley / Brad (multiple callers labeled D)]

It seems almost as if I had.

[Caller from Montreal]

Merely blinked when suddenly my door frame was filled with this tall broad dark human shaped figure. The encounter seemed to me as almost hypnotic as I couldn't take my eyes off of what I was trying to discern was standing in my doorway. It seemed to be a man where I gave it a male identity and it was tall based on the size of the door frame, like we close to six and a half feet feet broad as well as the torso of the figure spanned across my door and obscured the white poster behind it from my view. And I mean blacked out this poster. The most peculiar feature of all was its apparent clothing, which included some sort of wide brimmed hat like a gambler, a Havana or a safari style hat, and it was wearing a long trench coat style, knee length or longer cloak or coat. The figure was dark, black, blacker than the darkest corner of my room and it had no discernible facial features. The figure simply stood in my doorway.

[Wesley / Brad (multiple callers labeled D)]

Staring at me staring at it from my bed in the corner of my room.

[Caller from Montreal]

As I mentioned, I was entranced, but whether it was fear, surprise, confusion, or something entirely different, I somehow managed to urge myself to act and swiftly swung my body around to my bedside light to flick it on. But when I whipped back, I found that whatever had been in my doorway.

[Wesley / Brad (multiple callers labeled D)]

Was no longer there.

[Caller from Montreal]

Totally freaked out at this point, I ran through the house, knife in hand, through all the rooms, flicking on all the lights, searching for whatever or whoever could have just been at my door. After waking my entire family and seeing they had all been soundly asleep, I was dumbfounded. Everyone was adamant it hadn't been them, and I'd quickly grown to accept after realizing everybody had been asleep, that it wasn't. Now it was only recently that I came across other stories of the Hat man and the Shadow man here on Monsters Among Us and explored me, as I believe my story might very well have been an encounter of my own. And I'll add before you cite my fever, at the time I awoke, I had checked with my family and I no longer had a fever as I believed at the time. As most of you would, that was likely a fever induced hallucination. Thanks so much for letting me share my story. I love the podcast and all you and your team do. Thanks again and I'll be listening.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you caller. Now, since I'm looking for patterns here, I should point out that this is at least the second time the experiencer was sick during a sighting. So do you think the ancient prophecies are true? That a dose of the cold medication Nyquil will usher you to a realm where the Hat man lurks. Or maybe that's just an Internet meme. Well, it's creepy stuff no matter how you slice it, caller, and we can't. Thank you enough for sharing tonight. Now our next entry originates out of the state of Arizona. Please welcome Ollie to the platform.

[Hallie / Gracie (multiple callers labeled G)]

Hi Derek, first time caller here. This is Hallie calling from Arizona. I'm calling to tell everybody about my definite sleep paralysis story. I find it a little bit different than what others have described and it's also the first time I've ever experienced sleep paralysis. So this happened two nights ago. I was having a hard time sleeping because I think I drank too much coffee during the day earlier. So I was kind of in this weird state of being tired but not able to sleep. Went to bed around 11. And I think in the next two to three hours is when I had the sleep paralysis experience. So sometime around 1 to 2 in the morning, it started off by me hearing the sounds of something clomping up the stairs. And at the time I thought maybe in my sleepy state that it was painters on the roof because we're getting our condo painted right now. So at first I didn't register it, but it was so loud and it's such a weird time of the night that I finally registered that it was not normal. And I started getting really freaked out thinking that something or somebody was coming up the stairs. At this point, I open my eyes and when I'm in my bed, I'm facing the doorway. The thing I saw walking through my doorway was at least 6ft tall. The best way I can think of describing it is very tall. And it had horns, like really wide horns, which was super strange. And it looked like it had like animal skins on its head. Kind of like it was wearing a skull, I guess, or something like that. I couldn't see the face. It was all just in shadow because we do have a low light hallway light that would be behind this thing. So at that point I started screaming in my sleep or trying to kind of that silent scream that's super frustrating because you can't do anything. Which at this point I realized I was experiencing sleep paralysis because I couldn't get up, I couldn't move. I was trying to scream for my partner that was sleeping right next to me. Obviously he didn't hear me.

[Brandon / Mackenzie (multiple callers labeled F)]

At this point.

[Hallie / Gracie (multiple callers labeled G)]

When I realized that that was what I was experiencing, I closed my eyes and took a couple deep breaths and it was like all the stress just kind of left. And then I opened my eyes and the thing was gone. And I guess I just went back to bed after that. So super short experience, but the description of it was very different than what I've heard from anybody else ever explain when they have sleep paralysis experiences. So I thought I should call that in. Be interested to see if anybody has seen anything similar to that in any other context at all. Thanks for taking my call and keep.

[Wesley / Brad (multiple callers labeled D)]

Up the good work.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you Holly. What do you think folks? Sleep paralysis? Or was this a genuine shadowman encounter? And what is the deal with the horns? I sort of remember hearing that detail a time or two on past episodes. I vaguely remember commenting that perhaps the hat man wears a hat to cover up those horns. If that rings any bells for anyone, please let me know now. I have tons more to share with you, so keep it right here for more shadow entities. Don't touch that dial. We'll have that coming up during the commercial break. I think is what we're no problem. Now this next story takes us to California. Gracie, the mic is yours.

[J]

Hey, this is Gracie. I currently reside in Los Angeles, but the story I'm about to tell you happened in my childhood bedroom on my parents home in Thousand Oaks. Just to give you some backstory, I always had trouble sleeping when I was younger in that room especially. I've had many sleep paralysis bowels and still get them here and there, but this case was the worst. I went home to visit family with my boyfriend. We slept in my room and around 3am I woke up and when I looked around my room it had turned into a pure white marble space that must have been ten times in size. My wall to my left was gone and now was two big open french doors leading into my backyard which also changed drastically in size like a wide open field with a fire pit in the middle where I saw multiple non human like troll creatures dancing and chanting around the fire. To the right of them stood three tall black pointy hooded beings with slits for eyes. When looking at them I felt an overwhelming heat and pleasure, almost sexual. I felt I was meeting the devil and he was calling me in. For a second I wanted to go to him. I got very frightened. I turned to my boyfriend who was facing me sleeping. I tried to wake him but couldn't get my strength to move or talk. He woke a little and said I love you in a whisper and rolled to the other side. I felt helpless. I tried to think about my parents being in the next room for some sort of ease and safety. When I did this a white angel like spirit came from the field past the hooded and trolled like beings which I felt were demonic and I floated straight to her. My body released, I could move and talk and my bedroom was back to normal. I know this may seem very dreamlike, but I've dealt with sleep paralysis on and off my whole life and never experienced something this akin to to waking life. It's really hard to convey or help others understand how non dreamlike this was and utterly real it felt to me. I quickly woke up my boyfriend a bit upset that he rolled over and didn't see me struggling. I told him all about it and he convinced me to submit it here. Anyways, we love the podcast and appreciate the time you devote to it. Thanks.

[Derek Hayes]

We appreciate you calling Gracie. What do you think folks? Was this simply a bout with sleep paralysis or did Gracie get a glimpse into the dimension from which these ominous voids originated? Trolls, the Devil Home Remodeling and possible Mirrored man this call had everything and everything it had sounded downright terrifying. So thank you again Gracie for sharing the phone call. Well that brings us to tonight's final entry. Savannah, also in California. Welcome to the show.

[Savannah]

Hi, my name is Savannah and I am from Southern California, specifically San Diego. So I live in a house where the front half of the house is a cottage and it was built in the 1950s and the back half of the house was built I believe in the 1980s. We aren't really sure because it was built illegally so there's not really any building records on the house, but that is our guess just based off of how the house looks and all its fixtures. Anyways, I have lived in this house for the past 10 years. I've lived with my dad, my sister and I have a 4 year old son and he's lived there his whole life as well. When we first moved in there we didn't really have anything weird go on. But as time progressed we've had some strange sightings. So one night and it's happened multiple times since then, I will be walking in the second half of my house. So in the front half you have the living room. On the left side you have a bedroom, on the right side you have a bedroom and on the right side.

[Brandon / Mackenzie (multiple callers labeled F)]

You also have a bathroom.

[Savannah]

That's the cottage that was built in 1950s and that is where I've always seen a tall dark figure. Never seen his face, never seen his clothing. All I can tell is that it is a man and he is very tall, well over 6ft because I'm 6 foot and he's probably 6 foot 5 if I had to guess. Whenever I've seen anything that I couldn't explain, I always kept it to myself. So when I would see him, I obviously would be a little kind of thrown off and be scared. I never mentioned it with my sister or my dad or anyone like that. So I just kind of kept it to myself. He never really did anything. I would just see him walk across the living room. And when I was 15, we've been living in a house for two years now. I got a dog and her name's Lacey. She's a golden retriever. But everybody, you know, tells you that dogs are more susceptible to telling you where and what things are that you can't see. She was in the living room. It's a year later. So I'm 16, and she does not want to go in my father's room, which is the room on the right when you walk in the front door. And she does not set foot in that room. She will not get near it. Not because it's a male and alpha, but she just kind of looks at the room and kind of walks away in a scared way. And she won't go in what we consider our office, which is the bedroom on the left hand side in the front of the house, which was built in the 1950s. And that room, I only go in that room during the day. I don't go through it at night. I don't go on that side of the house. I stay on my side of the house because I haven't had anything happen. Well, a couple years later, after the dog started noticing some things in the front of the house, I walked into my sister's room. I'm like, hey, have you ever felt anything in this house or seen anything? My sister is a very spiritual person and she loves Wiccan, pagan stuff. She's not religious, she's just very spiritual and one with nature. And so she's mentioned when I said down with her and asked her this, she said, well, when I meditate, I have someone come to me and I don't know who the person is. All I know is it's a tall male figure and I can't see his face, I can't see what he's wearing. And when I heard that, I was like, oh, well, I see him too. I see him in the front half of the house. Our bedrooms were in the second half of the house, built in the 80s. So it was kind of weird to me that she would feel slash see him because she was in the back half of the house. And that's not where I would see him. But since the house is connected, I would think, you know, there is a shadow person. He probably could go in between, between the different sections, because it's wide open. There's no doors or walls separating the two sides of the house. And so she continues to say, well, I've never really gotten any bad feeling from this person. I just see them and then they just come up to me and then they leave. And I'm like, okay. I haven't ever gotten a bad feeling either. It's more of just say, okay, you're there. You're walking across living. I feel like I'm seeing things, but I've seen it so many times. I know I'm not saying things. So a couple years pass, I become pregnant, and I'm pregnant with my son. So I am 18 at the time, and I'm about to give birth, and I'm gonna bring my son home into this house. You know, I'm just relaxing. I'm still seeing the shadow person. This exact same person. There's no changes. And there's only one, one this tall male. And I'm just sitting on the couch, and my dad comes up to me and he's like, hey, have you had anything happen in the house or feel anything? And it kind of caught me off guard because my father's not a spiritual person. He is religious in the fact that he will go to church if someone invites him, but he usually doesn't believe in those sort of things. And so it was weird that he kind of came up to me and asked me just this random question out of the blue while I'm pregnant. And I said, I've seen, like, a shadow or like a person. And my dad's like, I felt that. I felt a evil, kind of mean feeling when I'm in the front half the house. And I've seen this person. I've seen this tall male in the house as well. And I just wanted to bring it up because last night I felt this heavy, mean presence. It wasn't a happy presence. I felt it in my room. And I told him, you are not going to touch that baby. You are not going to go in the back room and you're not going to touch that baby. And I kept repeating myself until it went away, until that feeling of dread and mean spirit. Whatever was in my room. This is my father talking. Whatever was in my room. I told him, you do not, not touch that baby. That baby is good. And ever since then, my son was born. You know, a couple months later. We have not seen anything. We haven't seen any shadow people. We haven't seen this tall male. My father hasn't felt or seen any evil or mean spirit. And my dog actually will go in the front room and she will go in my father's room and the office, which is part of the 1950s house. Ever since he talked to whatever that was, we have not felt or seen anything. That's my story. I really enjoy your show and keep up the good work. Thanks for life.

[Derek Hayes]

Incredible stuff Savannah. Thanks for calling in. Now you know, it's not lost on me that so many people in the house had experiences, nor that people that normally wouldn't believe in activity like this had surrendered and admitted they too experienced it. It's compelling anecdotal evidence, which sadly is the most common evidence available in this field. So we take what we can get. Now, as thrilling and terrifying as Savannah's call was, like each of the others here tonight, her call does little to solve the mystery. It only intrigues us more and adds lairs to the lore. A big thanks to Savannah for calling in. I'm glad to hear someone was sticking up for the little guy. Any big thanks to you listener for swinging by here tonight. The Monsters Among Us podcast is written and produced by me, Derek Hayes. Copyright Red Grow Media. Additional support is provided by Sarah, Sarah Carter Hayes, Delaney Bowers and Connor Ryan. All audio used in this 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 server, give us a Like and follow on YouTube and leave us a rates and review wherever that kind of thing is possible. Now don't forget, you can catch the show every Saturday evening at 10pm Eastern Eastern on the UNAX Digital Network. Just visit on xnetwork.com to tune in. And finally, tonight's score was provided by Iron Cthulhu, Apocalypse Co AG Music and Carl Casey at whitepad Audio. Now don't forget to watch our film Shadows in the desert. Visit borregotriangle.com to tune in. It's a great, great spooky season watch and it's 100% free on Tubi and I'm pretty sure Amazon prime and international folks. You only have until December 31st to rent or buy Shadows in the Desert. After that it'll no longer be available. And lastly, be sure to join us in the beyond. Five bucks a month for days worth of bonus content and only a dollar a month for ad free regular content. Just visit monsters among us podcast.com and click the Patreon tab and we'll catch you all back here on Thursday with a brand new installment. But until then, you keep it spooky and you have yourselves a good night.

[Caller from Montreal]

Sa Sam.