S20 Ep12: Cannibalism, alien abduction and mysterious kids in a bubble (Sn. 20 Ep. 12)

Summary

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Monsters Among Us – S20 Ep12: Cannibalism, Alien Abduction, and Mysterious Kids in a Bubble

Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Derek Hayes | Audioboom Studios

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Episode Overview

This episode of Monsters Among Us brings listeners a tapestry of chilling and mysterious firsthand accounts, ranging from haunted couches and spectral farewells to eerie childhood encounters, military secrecy, prophetic dreams, stranger-than-fiction coincidences, and classic alien abduction motifs. Derek Hayes, as always, curates these stories with an approachable, nostalgia-laden, and slightly tongue-in-cheek tone, inviting listeners to keep things “spooky” while probing the nature and patterns behind the paranormal.

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Key Stories & Discussion Points

1. The Haunted Couch in Indiana

Caller: Mac from Indiana
Timestamp: [02:18]

• Summary: Mac recounts a scary childhood incident where both family dogs reacted aggressively to “something” behind a couch while he was in the living room. Panicked, Mac fled, and the dogs followed, scaring his aunt.
• Memorable Moment: Mac humorously describes himself turning into “the blob” sliding into the kitchen.
• Host Commentary: Derek riffs on haunted furniture and recalls a prior story about a “haunted couch” that opened kitchen cabinets and came with a sulfur smell.
  • Quote: “Could it possibly have been the couch itself?” – Derek Hayes [03:46]
  • He mentions a now-notorious haunted sofa for sale in Texas, mixing levity with the spooky.
• Concepts Explored: Haunted objects, recurring themes of “possessed” furniture.

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2. A Spirit’s Farewell in Minnesota

Caller: Vic from SW Minnesota
Timestamp: [05:56]

• Summary: After his sister’s passing, Vic experiences radio static in his car (unusual for a nearly-new vehicle) as he travels home. Upon arrival, he sees his sister in her favorite tie-dye shirt waving goodbye—then, she vanishes.
• Memorable Quote: “I truly believe that her spirit or her energy was in the car with me… And she came all the way home with me and waved goodbye to me on my porch.” – Vic [07:51]
• Host Commentary: Derek connects this to a prior account of a spirit “hitching a ride” post-accident.
  • Quote: “If it was your sister’s spirit in that car... it’s not the first time that detail was shared here on program.” – Derek Hayes [08:27]
• Concepts Explored: Spiritual visits, afterlife farewells, energy manifestation through electronics.

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3. Laughter in the Basement – Was It a Ghost?

Caller: Ankay from Utah (event in Chicago suburbs)
Timestamp: [10:44]

• Summary: Teenage Ankay and friends hear an extra, unexplained laugh in a notoriously haunted basement during a sleepover. The memory remains vivid—and creepy—years later.
• Memorable Quote: “We heard another laugh in the corner of the room… We still talk about it and how creepy it was and how we, like, knew something else was there.” – Ankay [11:10]
• Host Commentary: Derek speculates whether it was a ghost or (creepier still) an intruder living in the basement.
  • Quote: “Best case scenario… it was a ghost… Worst case, the strange man you didn’t know was living in your basement also thought that joke was funny.” – Derek Hayes [11:52]

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4. The Gliding Shadow – Generational Haunting or Alien Abduction?

Caller: Red from Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Timestamp: [14:50]

• Summary: As a child, Red repeatedly experienced a “darker-than-dark” figure—void-like, gliding, no feet—entering through a window during episodes of sleep paralysis or waking dreams. Years later, his son, in the same room, reports seeing a similar entity described as “the Hat Man.”
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “It was tall, it was dark, and it didn’t seem like a shadow—it felt like it just was the absence of light.” – Red [15:22]
  • “What’s disturbing is, now 20 some years later, [my son] has had two encounters…” – Red [18:24]
• Host Commentary: Derek connects the account to classic shadow entity and “Hat Man” lore, and speculates on shadow people, hauntings, or possible alien abduction overtones.
  • Quote: “The mention of a darker than dark entity with a hat is sort of a dead giveaway.” – Derek Hayes [20:13]
• Concepts Explored: The Hat Man, sleep paralysis, shadow figures, intergenerational hauntings.

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5. Premonition of Maritime Disaster & Creepy Coincidences

Caller: Giles from Nevada, Missouri
Timestamp: [23:51]

• Summary: Giles recounts dreaming of a cruise ship sinking—days later, news breaks of a strikingly similar real-world incident. Giles also shares other moments of apparent precognition and multiple childhood ghost encounters in a Missouri youth facility.
• Host Commentary: Derek dives into the famous Poe “Richard Parker” cannibalism story, and the “Titan/Titanic” novella, exploring the eerie overlap between fiction, premonition, and reality.
  • Quotes:
    • “So, is this a chilling coincidence or was Poe somehow connected to information that others were not?” – Derek Hayes [26:50]
    • “There you have three good reasons not to get on a cruise.” – Derek Hayes [30:12]
• Concepts Explored: Premonition, synchronicity, the overlap between historic horror fiction and real history, children’s paranormal experiences.

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6. Sunglasses at Night – A Borrego Springs Oddity

Caller: Dark Apollo
Timestamp: [31:12]

• Summary: While with family in Borrego Springs, Apollo notices all patrons at an outdoor restaurant, wearing sunglasses at night, turn to stare at them—all appearing identical. Employees are nervous; only samosas being served. Apollo speculates an underground base connection.
• Memorable Quote: “They all stared at us, all of them, at the same time… all of them were wearing sunglasses. Derek, this is the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.” – Dark Apollo [31:37]
• Host Commentary: Derek references rumors of military bases and MIB (Men In Black) style encounters in the Borrego Triangle, mentioning his own documentary work in the area.
  • Quote: “Many of these encounters with the military are described as strange or unusual, almost Men in Black esque.” – Derek Hayes [34:00]
• Concepts Explored: High strangeness, underground bases, covert operations, doppelganger effect, Men in Black.

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7. Children in a Bubble – The Deep South Mystery

Caller: Anonymous (Mother’s Account)
Timestamp: [35:25]

• Summary: In the caller’s mother’s childhood, five sisters observed a boy and girl descend from the sky, encased in a “bubble.” The children in the bubble chatted and told the sisters to look for them during “the next big snow.” Decades later, all sisters remembered the incident identically.
• Memorable Quote: “Out of the sky comes a boy and a girl in what they described as a bubble… started striking up a conversation with them.” – Anonymous [35:49]
• Host Commentary: Derek links this to a 1947 Swedish “bubble-man” UFO case and notes similar tales worldwide, hinting at a recurring, unexplained motif.
  • Quote: “There are many other stories floating around out there that are very similar…” – Derek Hayes [37:44]
• Concepts Explored: Bubble orbs, “flap” events, collective childhood memory, worldwide variants.

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8. UFO Sightings – Metal Cigar & Orange Orb

Caller: Sarah from Florida
Timestamp: [41:09]

• Summary: Sarah witnesses a metallic, cigar-shaped craft in the sky as a child; years later sees a massive, orange orb (thought to be the moon, but it isn’t) zip away at supernatural speed during a family stargazing session. Nearby, a police officer reported a similar sighting.
• Memorable Quote: “It was going really fast and there wasn’t at that time a helicopter… plus I didn’t see any kind of propellant on it or wings or anything.” – Sarah [42:12]
• Host Commentary: Derek remarks on the importance of skywatching, noting that Sarah’s multiple sightings seem tied to her habit of looking up.
  • Quote: “Because the activity is going on up there. It’s just up to you to be in the right place at the right time…” – Derek Hayes [45:22]

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9. Alien Abduction in the 80s – The Brown Man

Caller: Spencer (Location undisclosed)
Timestamp: [46:23]

• Summary: Spencer recounts a series of childhood experiences: his father’s panic during a supposed “invasion,” unexplained sensations at night, temporary leg paralysis, and a “doctor” referred to as “the Brown Man”—short, brown-haired, brown glasses—who examines him with his oddly calm parents present. Years later, family recounts the night a giant red UFO hovered over their house.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “I could tell it wasn’t human right away. Right off the rip, I could tell…” – Spencer [47:31]
  • “Everyone seemed very short. Especially the doctor… he was my size and I was like 7 or 8.” – Spencer [48:29]
• Host Commentary: Derek draws parallels to abduction lore featuring the “doctor” or “Brown Man,” citing cases from Budd Hopkins’ research and French reports.
  • Quote: “This archetype is prevalent throughout the abduction timeline… Typically described as brown skinned, short in stature, playing a medical or supervisory role.” – Derek Hayes [53:57]
• Concepts Explored: Abductions, night terrors, family amnesia/secrecy, medical “examiners,” repeating lore.

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10. The “Friendly Demon” – Sleep Paralysis with a Twist

Caller: Patrick from Connecticut (event in Utah)
Timestamp: [61:30] ("Secret Story" after main episode closes)

• Summary: After drinking, Patrick awakens to see a grinning, sharp-toothed demonic face inches from him. Instead of fear, he’s flooded with euphoria and warmth—comparable to a morphine high. He emphasizes that he could move but “chose not to.”
• Memorable Quote: “When it smiled and showed its teeth, all of a sudden my entire body felt warm… pure euphoria. Like I felt really good, which is the opposite feeling you would think…” – Patrick [62:08]
• Host Commentary: Derek relates the physical sensation to a possible fear-induced neurological response, reminiscent of stories he’s just covered (e.g., Spencer’s tingling leg).
  • Quote: “There is a chemical process that creates a similar sense of euphoria…” – Derek Hayes [65:02]
• Concepts Explored: Sleep paralysis variants, positive encounters, neurochemistry of fear.

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Notable Quotes and Moments by Timestamp

• [03:46] “Could it possibly have been the couch itself?” – Derek Hayes
• [07:51] “I truly believe that her spirit or her energy was in the car with me…” – Vic
• [11:10] “We heard another laugh in the corner of the room…” – Ankay
• [15:22] “It was tall, it was dark… the absence of light.” – Red
• [20:13] “The mention of a darker than dark entity with a hat is sort of a dead giveaway.” – Derek Hayes
• [26:50] “So, is this a chilling coincidence or was Poe somehow connected to information that others were not?” – Derek Hayes
• [31:37] “They all stared at us… all wearing sunglasses. Derek, this is the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.” – Dark Apollo
• [53:57] “This archetype is prevalent throughout the abduction timeline…” – Derek Hayes
• [62:08] “When it smiled and showed its teeth, all of a sudden… pure euphoria.” – Patrick

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Episode Flow & Tone

• Language/Tone: Conversational, sometimes folksy, always respectful of callers, with Derek moving fluidly between humorous asides and empathetic support.
• Structure: Call-in stories are the backbone, with Derek adding context, connections to past episodes, and references to broader paranormal themes or lore.
• Atmosphere: Spooky, cozy, and curious. Each story gets a fair, open-minded airing, with Derek playing the role of fascinated guide through the unknown.

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Thematic Threads

• Generational Haunting: How certain phenomena appear to track through families or over long periods.
• Physical Manifestations: From haunted objects to bodily sensations (paralysis, tingling, euphoria).
• Coincidences and Premonitions: Uncanny connections between fiction, dream, and reality.
• Classic Archetypes: The Hat Man, “doctor” figures, Men in Black analogues, UFOs and orbs.
• The Value of Story: Derek encourages listeners to gather oral histories from elders, emphasizing the power of firsthand accounts in preserving the odd and unexplained.

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For New Listeners

You’ll get a broad taste of paranormal subgenres—from ghosts and precognition to classic 1980s abduction tropes and modern folklore oddities. Derek contextualizes each story within the larger tapestry of “high strangeness,” and his openness makes even the wildest tale feel worth considering. Expect not answers, but thoughtful exploration—and maybe, if you listen long enough, a story of your own to share.

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Timestamp Index for Key Segments:

• Haunted Couch: [02:18]
• Spirit Farewell: [05:56]
• Laughter in the Basement: [10:44]
• Shadow Entity/Hat Man: [14:50]
• Premonition & Ghost Nuns: [23:51]
• Sunglasses at Night: [31:12]
• Kids in a Bubble: [35:25]
• UFO Sightings: [41:09]
• Abduction & Brown Man: [46:23]
• The Friendly Demon (Secret story): [61:30]

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Keep it spooky!

Transcript

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[Spencer]

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[Derek Hayes]

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What more could you want? Stop by AMPM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience am, pm Too much. Good stuff. Good evening and welcome to Monsters Among Us. I am your guide, Derek Hayes. Hello, everyone. Great to have you back with us here tonight. I have a whole slew of spooky stories to share with you this evening, so let's get right into it. Coming to us from the state of Indiana, please welcome Mac to tonight's program.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Hello, my name is, we'll say Mac from Indiana. And I was about 12 years old. I was at my house that my grandfather had built. One of my mom's sisters was living there. I was in the living room watching TV with her two labs beside me. All of a sudden, one of the labs stood up, looking behind me. She started to show her teeth and growl. You know, you get that feeling when someone walks up behind you slowly and quietly trying to scare you. My older brother was horrible at terrifying me, so I thought it was possibly him. And so all of a sudden the other dog stands up and she steps up on the couch with the front paws looking behind me, also not at me, directly behind me, showing her teeth. And these are two of the most docile dogs I'd ever known. I've never seen behave like this. I turned into what I would consider like the blob. I just slid off the couch, into the floor, rolled. I played sports and I dove into the kitchen onto a freshly waxed floor and picked up speed and slid headfirst into the kitchen cabinet. My aunt jumped up. I scared her. And the dogs are sliding right behind me. I told him what I'd experienced. My mom laughed at me and my aunt laughed at me. Anyway, thank you very much. I enjoy the show.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you Mac, for calling in. Sure, it could have been something behind the couch, but over the years I've received enough calls about haunted sofas to wonder, could it possibly have been the couch itself? Now, how many of you remember this gem which originally aired on this program Back on Season 9, Episode 14 A.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Gentleman Bought this couch, took it home to his house. That night, two kitchen counters opened in his kitchen and he thought it was a fluke deal. He closed them and went to bed, got up the next morning, all the kitchen counters were opened. He closed them again. The next night, the same thing. All his kitchen counters in his house were opened.

[Derek Hayes]

The story of this haunted couch is shrouded in mystery. Where it's from, who made it and what took it from a simple living room accessory and into a gateway to the dark side is unknown.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Said he had a sulfur smell in the house, like somebody had been lighting matches and blowing them out. He did it for five nights and took it out and put it in the garage. And at that point he claims everything stopped. So he returned it to our store, came in and said sell it for whatever you can sell it. He said the sofa's haunted, I don't want any part of it. Get it away from me. He came in and left in a big hurry. I've advertised it now as a haunted sofa, question mark.

[Derek Hayes]

At $249 the couch is still for sale. It comes with no warranty, just a warning. This news story will never leave my brain. It aired nearly 20 years ago on KWTX News 10 out of Waco, Texas. And no lie, if it would have fit in my office I probably would have been a buyer cuz I ain't afraid of no ghosts. Thank you again Mac for sharing the entry. Now next up we visit the state of Minnesota where Vic is waiting with a tail.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Hi Derek, this is Vic from southwest Minnesota and my story happened in 2012. Kind of a sad story but my sister was dying of cancer and I was up probably four hour trip away to visit her her last days. I got there the day before she passed away. Anyway she still could hear and chat a little bit and then the very next day my other sister and I were there and she passed away. So when I left finally I got out in my car which was a brand new car, relatively new, maybe a year old and I always had listened to the radio but when I started my car I got this static, just total static. And I thought, well, this is strange. Why is all this static? It just. I couldn't tune anything in. Well, eventually when I got going, I could listen to the radio music again and stuff. And on my trip home, of course, she was on my mind the whole time. And I pull up in my driveway and I live on a farm and to my left is the house and there's a porch. And it was an unfinished porch at the time. And she was standing there waving at me. And I knew it was her because she had this tie dye T shirt that she loved to wear. And it just totally caught my eye. And then I was looking up the driveway again and then I looked again and she was gone. I truly believe that her spirit or her energy was in the car with me. When I started the car and the radio gave me all kinds of static, I think that was her spirit or her energy, I guess, and. And she came all the way home with me and waved goodbye to me on my porch. That's my story. Keep it spooky. I love the podcast.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, Vic, for calling and I'm so sorry for your loss. Now, you know, Vic, if it was your sister's spirit in that car, it's not the first time that detail was shared here on the program. I think back to one of my favorite stories of all time, Julie from Oregon. She told a story about a car accident that occurred just ahead of her on the freeway. Unfortunately, it was a fatality, and once she'd passed the scene, she noticed the accident victim was sitting right next to her in the passenger seat. Now, to hear how that story ends, check out season 10, episode six. That's incredible stuff, Vic. And thank you so much for calling in. Imagine if edibles made you feel great instead of too high. If you're looking for something a little more easygoing, check out Lumi Gummies. Consistent, mellow, and super delicious, Lumi Gummies are specifically designed to make you feel good, not stoned. Whether you're looking for an end of day de stressor, a midday mood boost, or help getting the best sleep ever, Lumigummies has a strain that's right for you. I struggle with falling and staying asleep, but one Lumi Gummy an hour before bed makes my eyelids heavy and I'm able to get some rest without feeling groggy the next morning. Lumi Gummies are available nationwide. Go to lumigummies.com that's L U M I gummies.com and use code MAU for 30% off your order again, that's L U M I gums.com and use code MAU lumigummies.com with code MAU.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Whether or not it is true or false.

[Derek Hayes]

All right, now if you would join me over in the corner of this creepy basement, Ank from Utah has all the details.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Hi, my name is Ankay. I live in Salt Lake City, Utah. But where this happened was in northern Chicagoland suburbs. And I grew up in a really spooky, creepy house. And there was always a lot of stuff going on. But one specific memory that I have from that house is I was about 16 years old and me and my friends were all hanging out in the basement, which is where the ghosts like to hang out and turn on water and stuff like that. But me and my friends were all just having a sleepover, having a really good time. And then all of a sudden we like, laughed at a joke really hard. And then we heard another laugh in the corner of the room and me and my best friend looked at each other and we were like, whoa, did you hear that extra laugh, like in the corner? And we're like 28 now. This is like 12 years ago. And we still like to this day talk about it and how creepy it was and how we, like, knew something else was there. And we ended up just like leaving all our friends down there and then sleeping upstairs. So yeah, that's my spooky story. Thanks so much. Have a great day.

Bye.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you. Anay, here's how I see it. Best case scenario, it was a ghost infesting the darkest, dingiest corners of your basement. No, worst case, I've shared several stories over the years about people living undetected in people's attics, crawl spaces, and even between their walls. So worst case scenario here is that the strange man you didn't know was living in your basement also thought that joke was funny. Now, frankly, either of these options are terrifying, but I think I would side with the former. Thank you again, Ankay, for sharing the call. And folks, if you have a story you would like to share here on the program, give the hotline a call at 888-608-NIGHT. That's 888-608-NIGHT. Or just record a voice memo on your phone and email that file to me at monsters among us podcastmail.com Remember to call from a quiet place. One story per call only. Share your story once and call back if you need more time. And finally, true stories only. No fibs, lies, or tall tales. Around here, we only have the Truth on the line. And before I move on, I have a special assignment for all of you this upcoming Thanksgiving. While you're at dinner spending time with friends and family, take a few moments to ask the older members of your group if they have any spooky stories they might like to share. Now, if they say yes and they're willing, take them to a quiet part of the house and have them call in or just record them right then and there on your phone and email the file to me. The point here is to preserve some of these stories from a bygone era to hear from a group of folks that don't really tune in to podcasts, let alone podcasts like this one. But you know, that doesn't mean they don't have an encounter worth sharing. So you have your mission. It's up to you whether or not you choose to accept it. Good luck out there. We're counting on you. Now back to the program and back to our Next Step story, which comes to us from the state of Pennsylvania, a state we just featured on this week's Tuesday episode. If you didn't catch that one, I suggest you do, because as you're about to hear, there is some wild stuff that comes out of the Keystone State. Now, Red, welcome to the program.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Hey, good evening, Derek. This is Red from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. This was a story that I'm going to tell you that happened to me in about 20 some years ago, about 1997, 1998. I was about 10 or 12 years old. My bedroom was originally two rooms that we broke down a dividing wall and it made it sort of a 10 foot by 12 foot room. It was a 10 foot by 12 foot and an additional 8 foot by 10 foot room. So I had a very large room for a 12 year old. So that long part of that room there was a far window and the foot of the bed faced that long part of the room. It's kind of hard to piece together the details, but what I can really remember on how it started was it felt like it was a sleep paralysis. I was dreaming, but I wasn't dreaming. I was dreaming about being in my room, but I was unsure of whether or not I was actually in a dream. And I can remember sleeping in my bed and in this dream or awake state of sleep paralysis, I can remember this thing coming through that far window. It was, sorry, I'm shaking a little bit remembering this. It was tall, it was dark, and it didn't seem like it was a shadow. It felt like it just was the absence of light. It was a void, like it was there, but it wasn't there. And it kind of clipped in and out of reality. Like I could see through it, but I could still see that depth of emptiness inside of kind of floated. It had arms that had a face shape or a head shape, it had a torso, but it didn't seem to have anything below the knees. And I didn't really see that far because that was the foot of my bed. And it just kind of would creep towards me slowly. And I can remember its movement was very fluid, almost like it was just like sliding towards me, like on a rope or something, you know. I don't recall it ever doing anything. But I do remember as it got close enough, I could see the door. And I always slept with my door open. And just before it got to where it was that point where your body knows there's no escape, I was able to just lunge up and head out the door. It would almost reach me. I could feel its presence. And I would just that split second I would make it, I'd run out into the living room, I'd run across the hall and I would head to my parents room. At that point, I mean, it was bad, but I can remember it happening multiple times over multiple nights. And it was always the same way. It always came in through that window. And it wasn't like it would do anything. But it had that presence of pure evil or pure mystery. And I never wanted to get it any closer to me. I can remember my dad, when he finished my room, we were putting the door on and he put the doorknob on and he said, I'm gonna put the lock on the outside because I don't want me being inside the room and locking my door and having something happen. So I always remember the lock was on the outside. I could say this. After about a week of this, maybe more, I finally had enough and I locked my room and I barricaded it and I went out in the living room and I slept on the couch for almost as far as I can remember. It felt like two weeks, three weeks. I can remember my cousins sleeping over my house. And we would lay in the living room and watch that hallway towards my bedroom and just wait at night for something to come out. It never did. But the reason why it's so mysterious to me now is because I bought the house that I grew up in from my parents. And that room, we put that dividing wall back up and that additional 8 foot by 10 foot room is now used as just A day room for things. And the other room that was part of my bedroom is my son's room and he sleeps in there. And what's Disturbing is now 20 some years later, he has had two encounters where he's told me that something has come out of his open closet. His closet has no doors. It's just an open bookshelf with closet, hanging rack. And he said one time something came out and it was a dark figure and it scared him. And I came in. We have a video monitor that keeps an eye on him at night and there was nothing there. And the second time he said something was standing at the foot of his bed and it was wearing a hat. It was a dark figure wearing a hat. And that hit me. It almost floored me at work. I was standing there and I heard one of your callers from possibly season five or six, and I'm sure it's come up again. But that dark figure wearing a hat. The hat man. But that was my story. I love the podcasts. Keep up the work. All that jazz. Have a good evening.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you. Red, what do you think here, folks? What are these entities that Red and his son experienced? Perhaps they were ghosts. He did say they seemed to float or even glide. The figure also seemed to fade out at the feet, which in my opinion is very ghost like. Or was this possibly a shadow entity? The mention of a darker than dark entity with a hat is sort of a dead giveaway. War was as something akin to an alien abduction. I've heard countless reports from abductees in which the unearthly abductors seem to pass right through the glass in the window. Then again, was all this simply sleep paralysis of some sort of. And Red sun, too, is suffering from a similar sleep disorder. Whatever it was, it was the stuff of nightmares. And you know, somehow in that Pennsylvania episode we just did, we didn't include a single story from Bucks county, which in hindsight is sort of surprising because as Red alluded to here, that area is purportedly super active, and I have no doubt that the surrounding counties are as well. Now, like I said, whatever this was, it was nightmare fuel. But that's the kind of thing that we're after here at MAU. So thank you, Red, for taking the time to share. Now, folks, I have to take a quick break here, but I'll be right back with more spooky stories right after this. If the cold weather has you chasing that cozy feeling, Bombas has the socks, slippers and tees to make you feel all warm inside. Plus, Bombas make great holiday gifts. They have Sherpa line Sunday slippers with sink in cushioning for your parents, weighty high quality cotton tees that your brother in law will want to wear every day and baby slipper booties with gripper bottoms for the little ones on your holiday list. Bomb has really stepped up their slipper and slide game this season. They have new shapes and style. Some fluffy, some suede. There's truly something for everyone. Best of all, for every item you buy, Bomba's donates one to someone facing homelessness, which makes me feel great about my choice to shop at Bombas. For me, the quality of Bombas really stands out from the rest. It really makes sense that they offer a happiness guarantee, which means if you're not 100% into what you've got, they'll make it right. No risk, all reward. Head over to bombas.com MAU and use code MAP MAU for 20 off your first purchase. That's B O M B-A-S.com forward slash MAU and use code MAU and check out bombas.com forward slash MAU and Use Code MAU. I mean you do. You definitely do. Now last week we shared a story involving a premonition about a building that partially collapsed. And when I stumbled across this super similar entry from Giles in Missouri, I knew I had to share it.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Hello, Derek, this is Giles from Nevada, Missouri, small little town up there south of Kansas City. When I was in second grade, maybe six, seven and around there, I remember specifically like having a dream where I was on a cruise ship and it basically sunk sideways close enough to an island where it was, you know, half in the water, half out of the water. And I was living my mother, my stepfather at the time. And I remember maybe a day or two later waking up and going into the living room and seeing they had news on. And on the news they're reporting that a cruise ship, I can't remember what the name was, but I think here recently they just resurfaced it or something and that it was basically almost exactly like how my dream was like qt, the cruise ship basically sunk sideways and Apple was out of the water, lapel was completely under. So I had a dream like that. And I also had like a bunch of instances where I'll say something like without any knowledge of like it existing. When I was a kid, like, I remember thinking that it would be cool if like, you know, some of the Avengers had kids and like they had their own custom superpowers and stuff. And then I remember seeing the movie with that exact concept like maybe a week later. And when I was a kid also, there's a behavioral health place here in Missouri called Heartland for like kids and stuff that are like misbehaving and stuff. And I was put in there a couple of times when I was a kid. And I remember they had a fire and there's a cemetery, like just outside of it, like area. And it's like all for that facility. And it used to have like a bunch of nuns and stuff in it. And I remember when I was in there that we had a fire drill and had these like fade padded rooms with a door that like locked electronically. And it was open because no one was using that like area we were in. And we were all talking with the staff and it slammed shut by itself. And there was another time I was in that same one when it was being used when I was even younger. And we were looking out and you could see like up on this like little walkway balcony that had glass all over it and there was no one else there. And me and like two other kids saw like this lady in white kind of staring out the window at us. And when we went to go get a staff member to see it, the staff member came over, she was gone. And all the doors there were like specifically locked so only staff members could get to and from out of them. Love your podcast. I'm on Patreon with you. Keep up what we were doing. Love it all. Thank you. Goodbye.

[Derek Hayes]

Thanks. Giles. I don't know that you'll ever catch me on a cruise ship. Premonition or not, it's just not for me. But you know, it just might be because of premonitions like Giles that I refuse to get on one because believe it or not, predictions like his have been made before. For example, back in 1838, Edgar Allan Poe published his only full length novel, a bizarre maritime adventure about four sailors cast adrift after their ship is overturned in a violent storm. With almost nothing to eat save for a sea turtle they managed to catch. The men grew weak, confused and desperate. It and eventually they all agree on a brutal solution. One of them must be sacrificed so the others can live. In Poe's telling, the unlucky crewman is a young cabin boy named Richard Parker, who is ultimately killed and consumed. Fast forward nearly 50 years. In 1884, the English yacht Minnoet is wrecked in the South Atlantic, leaving four survivors adrift in a small lifeboat. Days pass with nearly no food except for a sea turtle. They managed to catch. Then eventually, the men faced the same impossible question that Poe explored just decades earlier. And once again, the victim in this situation is the youngest among them, a cabin boy. And uncannily, his name was also Richard Parker. Now, when the remaining three men were rescued, they were tried and convicted of murder, a case that established the legal principle that necessity cannot excuse killing another human being. So is this a chilling coincidence, or was Poe somehow connected to information that others were not? And before you start dismissing my concerns simply because of a book published almost 200 years ago, well, like I said, this does happen often. Often enough that there are other instances like this famous example courtesy of Highlight history over on YouTube. In 1898, American author Morgan Robertson published.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

A novella titled Futility, which tells the story of the Titan, a British ocean.

[Derek Hayes]

Liner described as the largest, fastest and.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Most luxurious in the world.

[Derek Hayes]

On its maiden voyage across the North.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Atlantic, the Titan accidentally collides with an iceberg.

[Derek Hayes]

Though the ship is designed to survive.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

A head on collision, the iceberg instead.

[Derek Hayes]

Strikes a glancing blow, allowing several watertight compartments to flood at once and causing.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

The Titan to rapidly capsize and sink.

[Derek Hayes]

Tragically, the ship does not carry enough.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Lifeboats for all aboard, and only 13 of her passengers and crew survived the sinking.

[Derek Hayes]

If this story seems strangely familiar to.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

You, then you are not alone. For Futility, later renamed the Wreck of.

[Derek Hayes]

The Titan, has become infamous for predicting.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

The real life 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic.

[Derek Hayes]

So there you have three good reasons not to get on a cruise. Three spooky reasons, I might add. Thank you again, Giles, for sharing your entry. Now, folks, before we move on here tonight, a quick reminder to check out the Monsters Among Us shop for all your holiday shopping needs. Just visit monsters among us podcast.com and click the Shop tab to get your hands on hats, shirts, posters, bags, pins, stickers, mugs, you name it and we can probably get it. So again, that's monsters among us podcast.com and click on that shop tab. Now. Our next entry takes us to parts unknown, but takes place right smack dab in the middle of the Borrego Triangle. Please welcome Dark Apollo back to the program.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Hi Derek Listeners, this is Dark Apollo. So this happened in the fall of 2021 in Borrego Springs. My sister had invited me to go with her two children to go see the metal statues that they have over there of animals and dinosaurs. We drove around the town and took pictures and everything like that, and at dusk we were at the dinosaur area on the outskirts of Borrego Springs and we had to Use the bathroom. And we were hungry, so we went to this restaurant, which I'm not going to say which one it is. My sister parked the car, and she went ahead of me with my niece. And I was with my nephew, who walked really slow. And we walked through the outside eating area. It was packed. So while we were walking through this crowd of people that were eating, they all stared at us, all of them, at the same time. And this is the weird part, also, it was already dark. Like, the sun had already set. It was just a little bit of orange on the mountain range. And so all of them were wearing sunglasses. Derek, this is the weirdest thing I've ever seen. I'm like, why are they wearing sunglasses? It's dark. Yeah, there was lights outside in the patio, but I'm like, we're still dim. Okay, whatever. Like I said, I was agitated that they were all looking at us. I'm like, you guys have no shame. Okay, whatever. Like, the whole time we're walking through, and even in the restaurant, it was weird. I noticed that the employees were very nervous and kind of distracted. They didn't even acknowledge us. They didn't acknowledge anybody that went through. Even people that were picking up their takeout, they were not really paying attention to them. And I noticed that the servers were taking out the same dish, which was samosas, but it was just, like, one samosa, a plate, which I'm like, okay, well, that's weird. Like, that was the only thing that was being taken out. And I'm like, okay, whatever. We did use a restroom, luckily. So we were waiting for someone to give us a table, but no one did. And my sister did finally go up to the hostess, and the hostess basically snapped at my sister, which I thought was uncalled for. And I got mad, and I didn't want to upset them any longer. They seemed upset already, so I didn't want to say anything about that. So we decided to leave. At least we got to use the restroom. But, yeah, there were these people up in the feeding area. They were wearing sunglasses at night. They all look the same, actually. Even though they were closed, they all looked the same. I thought it was really weird. And the employees inside the restaurant were also acting a little peculiar. So I'm like, okay, what's going on here? On the way back home, I was reliving this stuff, and so I got this feeling that the people outside, they work together. And this weird, crazy thought came in my head. I'm like, oh, maybe they work underground in underground bases in the Mountain range in the Santa Rosa Mountains. That's between me, where I live now, and Borrego Springs. So I would like to know what you think about that. Have a good day. Yeah, goodbye.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you. Dark Apollo. Now here's the crazy thing about that area, Apollo. There's a strong military presence there. Not only that, but many of these encounters with the military are described as being strange or unusual, almost Men in Black esque. Now when we shot our film Shadows in the Desert, Borrego Springs was actually our base camp. And while we were down there, we heard from many people that told us that there were underground caverns and passageways all throughout the area we designated as the Borrego Triangle. Now, until now, I was under the impression that these were all natural openings. But after hearing Dark Apollo's theory, I can't be so sure. Now, David and I have been kicking around the idea of going back out there and I'll certainly keep this experience in mind if we do. So thank you again, Dark Apollo, for sharing your entry. Now, sometimes a story comes across my desk that's so odd, so weird that I don't know which label to slap on it. And the following is just such an entry from Parts Unknown. Please welcome Anonymous to tonight's program.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Hey, Derek. This is a story from my mom's childhood. She and her four sisters grew up in the Deep south in an old sort of cabin like house. So my mom and her four sisters were playing around in their yard. They lived in sort of a forested.

Area back in the boonies, I guess.

And all of a sudden out of the sky comes a boy and a girl and what they described in a bubble floated down to maybe a little bit above their heads and started striking up a conversation with them. I don't think they really remembered a lot of what the boy and the girl in the bubble said. It seems like it was just normal conversation, like, how's the weather? What are you guys doing? How old are you? All kinds of different things like that. Just, you know, like kids would normally talk about.

And after a while they said something.

Along the lines of, well, we need to go now, Be on the lookout for us in the next big snow. And then they floated away. I believe in the Deep south, if you're familiar with any kind of weather patterns, big snows are not very common. However, my mom did point out that there was a big snow, I think that following year, not too long after. But they happened to be away at the time and they weren't able to go back and see if the boy and the girl in the bubble ever came.

So the sisters really thought that this.

Was just a figment of their imagination.

You know, and for years didn't really speak about it. But decades later, after they came together.

To visit and talk about ghost stories and different stories from their childhood, one of them mentioned the boy and the girl in the bubble. And they were all so surprised because they thought it was just a signal of their imagination. And they talked about it and all.

The facts seemed to line up with.

What each one experienced.

So it actually happened. So I'm curious to see if any other viewers had any other experience about.

A floating boy and a girl in a bubble. It's a very curious phenomenon, but I'm sure I'll call back later with some more stories about my mom's childhood if I can get some more permission from her, I suppose. But hope you have a good rest of your day and to the viewers out there, have a wonderful rest of the year.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, caller. Now, this sounds eerily similar to another experience that took place halfway around the world. On October 1, 1947, an 11 year old boy in Sweden witnessed a bubble emerge from behind a wood pile. The transparent bubble was 5ft in diameter and floated roughly 7 inches above the ground. Inside was a man roughly the boy's height who was piloting the bubble. In the man's hand was a rod which he used to steer the odd contraption. As the bubble continued to maneuver around the space, two more bubbles floated up from behind, also controlled by men who looked similar to the first pilot. According to the witness, they all sat in chairs and had large ears. That's certainly a weird encounter. And although we don't have time to explore them all, there are many other stories floating around out there that are very similar to both the ones I just shared. But something tells me the Mogidi another crack at them. Though I doubt that this will be the last person in a bubble story that we're gonna hear on the program. But until that day comes, a big thanks, Color, for sharing your mother's story, preserving it for years to come about.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Your immune system weakens as you age.

[Derek Hayes]

Yeah, a little bit of a holiday shopping is officially upon us and Uncommon Goods takes the stress out of gifting with thousands of unique, high quality finds you won't see anywhere else. Uncommon Goods looks for meaningful special products that are often handmade or made in the US that you won't find in the big box stores. Many items are crafted by independent artists and small businesses and. And because they're made in small batches, the best finds can sell out fast, so don't wait. For instance, there's a tiny tarot deck necklace that I know Sarah would love, several Oracle decks, and even a Mercury retrograde protection candle. She'll have to wait and see exactly what I picked out, but Uncommon Goods really has something for everyone. Whether you're shopping for book lovers, history buffs, mixologists, foodies, sports fans, or your witchy wife. I especially love that when you're shopping there, you're supporting artists in small independent businesses. And because it's the season for giving, with every purchase made at Uncommon Goods, they give back $1 to a non profit partner of your choice. They've donated over $3 million to date. So don't wait. Cross those names off your list before the rush. To get 15 off your next gift, go to UncommonGoods.com forward/MAU. That's UncommonGoods.com forward/MAU for 15 off Uncommon Goods. We're all out of the ordinary.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Zero down.

[Derek Hayes]

Well, this next one isn't people in a bubble, but it is something strange in the sky. Please welcome Sarah out of the state of Florida.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Hi, this is Sarah from Florida. Tonight I wanted to tell you about my UFO sightings. The first one was I was about 10 years old and my mom used to put all our clean clothes in this back bedroom. There's a window there. Then we'd have to find our clothes to get ready for school. And I was just kind of looking out the window. It was cloudy and at that time it was in the 60s I believe that they were having these sightings of UFOs off of Lake Michigan that they said were metal and cigar shaped. So I'm looking and I see this metal object. It was long, cigar shaped and metallic. It was pretty shiny and it was going in and out of the clouds like it dropped down and then it move around and then it was going really fast and there wasn't at that time a helicopter that I ever heard of that could go that fast. Plus I didn't see any kind of propellant on it or wings or anything. So I was staring at it and my mom came marching in wondering what was taking me so long and I pointed out to her, so we sit and watched it for a while and it just zipped in and out of the clouds and rise up and disappear and then pop down again, move around, zipping around and then go back in the clouds. So that was the first sighting and the second one it was I believe in maybe 78, 79, I'm not sure exactly. And we were staying at my aunt's farm out in Iowa just for couple weeks. So she liked a stargaze, and she lived way out in the country, so you could really see the stars and everything. And so my aunt, my mom, me, my great aunt, and my sister all walked out down the dirt road. My aunt wanted to listen to coyotes because it was going to be a full moon. So we walk out there, and we didn't see any coyotes, but there was the moon. And as we were walking, we glanced up at it. Then we noticed how orange it was. It was this brilliant, dark, deep orange. You know, when the moon's rising, how massive it is. So we were admiring that, and then I started thinking, there's no face on it. And then I realized the moon is over there. And I said, that's not the moon. And we all looked at it. And all of a sudden it just zipped back almost to the horizon behind some trees. It was still low. It was so massive, the trees were silhouetted in front of it there. And then as we continued to watch it, it just zoomed over the horizon. It was gone. We just stood there for a long time. And my sister started coming that Twilight Zone tune. And we stared at, you know, where it had gone to, and none of us said anything after that. We just all walked back to my aunt's house. Nobody ever said anything about it again. It was just the strangest thing. And years later, I mentioned to my sister and she doesn't remember it. And of course, all the other people where they were elderly in the first place, they passed on. So anyway, I ran into some friends right after when we got home, and they said that at that same time, she lived near the Mississippi River. And on the other side of the river, there was a cop who was following this orange orb for quite some time, and then it passed over the Mississippi. And I had heard that there was a woman who started a UFO project study years ago at some university. And that's what got her started was seeing these orange orbs in Iowa around that time period. And I never did call her. I just thought the whole thing was just something I didn't even want to talk about at the time. But anyway, I wanted to unload it on you. And thanks for your podcast. I'm enjoying it. Bye.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, Sarah, for the phone call. Some people have all the luck. And it sounds like you've had several awesome experiences, Sarah. And I think I know why. It's because you put Yourself in a situation where you're outside at night, or at the very least looking outside at night, that's what you need to do if you want to see something strange in the sky because the activity is going on up there. It's just up to you to be in the right place at the right time to see it. And I think Sarah can agree with that statement. Thank you again, Sarah, for sharing your call. Now, speaking of UFOs, with tonight's final entry, let's hear what happens when one encounters the occupants of these craft. Please welcome Spencer from parts unknown.

[Spencer]

Hi, Derek, my name's Spencer. I want to share my story. So it was all in the 80s. The first thing I remember was like, I don't know, it had to have been like mid-80s at the earliest, like 84. I was like a toddler. My dad woke me up. He was screaming at the doorway. Something was gonna get us. It had a net. It was gonna get us. And my mom talked him down and I didn't really understand what was going on, but she was like, bart, you know, chill out, chill out. There's nothing there. Anyway, he seemed to think something was gonna get us. And to me it made no sense or no difference. I was just afraid of his reaction. But years later, kind of made sense after that. The second incident, I woke up, I thought was in my bed. I don't know. At the time, I was under depression. I was in my bed and there was a tickling on my left leg. And I'll send a picture of it. I'm in construction. I own a construction company. I've been shocked a lot of times. And it was similar to a low voltage shock if someone put low voltage on your leg. It was my left leg on my left thigh. It was similar to that, but not the same. It was less aggressive and it was more of a tickle. And I woke up at the tickle and I scratched at it and didn't go away. And I went back to sleep. And that agitated me. Scratch at it again and it still didn't go away. So that's when I woke up. Actually, this is the most vivid memory of all this. I suddenly realized that there was something or somebody next to me, like right next to me doing something to my leg. At which point I was terrified. The horror and the terror was beyond belief. My heart was beating out of my chest and I didn't know what to do. So I kind of like faked that I was asleep and then I ignored it briefly. But at the same time, I Like, cracked an eye. Like the left eye, which is where the tickling, because it's on my left leg. You ever have someone stand next to you and you can feel them moving? You can hear them moving? It's pretty obvious. And then I cracked an eye, and I could see there was actually something to go along with the movements and the sounds. So I closed my eyes, and I was so scared. I could tell it wasn't human right away. Right off the rip, I could tell it wasn't human. I was moving. I'll have you know. I know you guys do a lot of sleep paralysis. I've never had that. And this certainly I could move. I could have sat up if I wanted to. I know I could have. I just played dead. Basically. When I woke up in the morning and it was summertime, anytime there's incidents that happen, it was always summertime. I woke up and I was like, man, oh, thank God that was a dream. Because it went straight from that to, like, boom, you're awake. And then. Anyway, let's skip to the next thing. So probably a year later, I had weird dreams, and then I woke up and I tried to get out of the bed and I fell down. The doctor told me I had flu in my legs, which I had no idea what that meant. My mom told me that I was faking it, but the doctor was like, he has flu in his legs. Because maybe I had a fever, but I got out of my bed, fell down, and couldn't walk for, like, two or three days properly. I could walk, but I couldn't walk, like, properly. But a previous caller of yours, he called in and said he thought he'd had, like, an abduction experience and they couldn't walk. I was like, what? That's the same thing I experienced. It's one of the motivators for me calling in. So let's move on to the next episode. So my parents used to party a lot. It was the 80s. We grew up in the country. You know, it was hillbilly culture. Hate to say it, but that's what it was. My parents liked to go out and party. They'd leave us home. But my brother was, like, four years older. I'd be nine. He'd be 13. And this memory is weird. It's through a haze. The previous memories were very clear. This memory is through a haze. My parents woke me up, and there was kind of like a fog. It felt like in the. They're like, spencer, wake up. We want you to meet someone. We met. He's a doctor he wants to meet you. And I'm like, why? I'm tired, I want to sleep. They're like, no, you got to meet him. So this little guy comes in, he's wearing brown glasses, he's got brown hair, he's got like a light brown shirt, he's got khakis, you know, like Dockers. They call him the brown man. And he sits down, he just kind of looks me over and he's like, I just want to make sure you're okay from last time. Are you okay? And I was like, fine. I didn't know what he was talking about. Literally had no idea what he was talking about. My parents just stood in the background. It was a very discombobulated memory. It was weird. Everyone seemed very short. Especially the doctor was like, he was my size and I was like 7 or 8. Anyway, so throughout the years I disregarded all this. You know, I never thought about any of wasn't until I was like 27 and I was at my nephew's first birthday party and my older cousins showed up and they're like 10, 12 years older than me and they're like, do you remember the red ufo? Heather is my sister. And she's like, no, he wasn't there. He was at grandpa and grandma's, which I would go to grandpa and grandma's all the time because I felt safe there. I did not feel safe in my house. My house gave me like ptsd. I felt like somebody was constantly tormenting me at that place. And they're like, oh my God, Spencer, you didn't know about this? And I'm like, heather, why didn't you tell me? And she said, well, no one wanted to tell you because you said weird stuff all the time anyway about these things. And they went on to tell me this story that. So my cousin Jennifer was next door, which was my aunt and uncle's house, she was babysitting my cousin. And then my other older cousin Jolene, girl was watching my brother and sister and a giant red light was hovering over her house. So Jolene, my brother and sister, fled my house literally under a ufo, ran to the next door house and everyone hid in my aunt and uncle's house until this thing went away. Nobody told me until I was 27. And once they told me that, then I kind of started putting the pieces together and I was like, maybe all this was real. Anyway, love the show. That's my story. Alright, later.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, Spencer. Now, could this have been a long string of alien abductions? There are many clues there that point to that sort of activity, beginning with the father's wild reaction, a reaction to something he thought was after his family. Then the strange visit from Spencer's parents and the nefarious brown man, the red UFO that buzzed by the family, or the strange sensation in Spencer's leg and the entity that he realized was touching it. Now, Spencer did mention a photograph and he did in fact send send that picture in and you can see it by visiting our Show Notes at monsters among us podcast.com and by clicking on the Show Notes tab. And it's hard to tell from the photo, but there might be a spot there. You should take a look and tell us what you think. But before we wrap things up here, let's circle back to what I believe to be the creepiest detail of Spencer's long tail, the little brown man. Now believe it or not, this archetype is prevalent throughout the abduction timeline. The doctor, as many refer to him, is typically described as brown skinned, short in stature, usually playing a medical or supervisory role during examinations. Now this character pops up a lot. In the 80s and 90s it appeared in many Bud Hopkins style abduction narratives. Often described as smaller than the typical gray alien with a more expressive face and is always described as wearing some sort of lab coat like garment. In France in 1968 an unknown doctor also experienced a little man he claimed was three to four feet in height, brown skinned, wearing a tunic or a suit. It was also claimed that this doctor like figure performed medical or diagnostic procedures. Staying in step with the other reports. Now folks, I did my best to try to find a first hand encounter of this strange entity, but I ran out of time. So for now, unfortunately I'll have to leave you all on the hook. But don't worry, once I get more information we'll revisit these reports. Besides, this likely isn't the last you've heard of the little brown man. So until then, thank you again Spencer for calling in. And folks that's going to do it for this one. Monsters Among Us is written and produced by me, Derek Hayes. Copyright Red Grow Media. Additional support is provided by Sarah Carter Hayes, Delaney Bowers and Connor Ryan. All media used in this production is done so under the protection of fair use. Join us on social media, join us on YouTube, join us in discord and leave us a rate and review wherever that sort of thing is possible. Don't forget, you can catch the show every Saturday evening at 10pm Eastern Eastern on the Annex Digital Network. Just visit onxnetwork.com to tune in, and 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, High Strangeness in the Borrego Triangle. Visit borregotriangle.com to check it out. And don't forget, for a limited time, international viewers can check out the film, visit that website and click the appropriate button at the top from now until the end of the year, which is when the window will close. Coincidentally, purchase and rental fees are slashed, so don't miss your opportunity to watch the film that I almost died making and check out our content over on the Beyond. Visit monsters among us podcast.com and click that Patreon tab. A five dollar pledge will get you days worth of back content plus each of the new after shows, and one dollar will get you all of the main show stuff completely ad free. Search us out on Patreon Apple subscriptions or visit monsters among us podcast.com and click the Patreon tab. All right folks, this is the end of the line, but for anyone looking to keep the party going, you can meet me on the other side of this final ad break.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Just like stealing candy from a baby.

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[Derek Hayes]

All right, folks, before we move on to the beyond, I have a secret story for everyone patient enough to wait. And per usual, this one is a little bit strange, but you don't have to take my word for it. Ask Patrick from Connecticut and he'll tell you all about it.

[Patrick]

Hey, Derek, my name's Patrick from Connecticut, but the story I was going to share with you happened to me in Salt Lake City, Utah. So the reason I wanted to send this in is because I always hear people call in with sleep paralysis stories, and they all sound very similar. And mine is. I feel like a play on that almost, but with a different experience. And I haven't heard anybody share a similar experience to mine, so I figured I'd pass it along. Full disclosure, the night this happened to me, I had been drinking a little bit. And I know that you've mentioned that alcohol can bring on sleep paralysis, but again, this isn't paralysis, so it's kind of interesting. I went to sleep one night and I don't know what time it was. It was maybe a few hours or less. After I fell asleep, I all of a sudden woke up. And I'm laying on my side and I'm looking, I guess, towards a wall. And right in front of my face, all of a sudden appeared this other face that I can only describe as demonic because it was a normal human face. But it smiled at me and it had this mouth filled with really sharp teeth. Pretty much your classic monster. So this face is right in front of me. And when it smiled and showed its teeth, all of a sudden my entire body felt warm. And I wasn't paralyzed. I could move, but I just chose not to. And the feeling that came over me was just pure euphoria. Like I felt really good, which is the opposite feeling you would think you would get when seeing what I was looking at. And this thing just smiled at me. And I just sat there and I think I even almost smiled back because of the feeling I was getting. I can only compare the feeling to morphine or something similar because I had surgery once. And when I came out of surgery, I remember they had me on a morphine drip or something along the lines of morphine, because that's what the anesthesiologist told me. So anyone that's ever had morphine, it makes you feel literal warmth and euphoria just like all over your body. And that's what I felt when this thing smiled at me with its mouth full of sharp teeth. And then as I stared at this thing for maybe five to 10 seconds, it just slowly faded out. I think I just went back to sleep and I just thought, wow, that was really interesting. And I thought, I'll tell my girlfriend about that tomorrow. She wasn't even in bed with me at the time. I was by myself. Anyway, I never forgot about it. Probably happened like maybe 15 years ago now. And I thought I'd pass it along because I just think it's a different twist on the whole sleep paralysis thing because I wasn't paralyzed. In fact, I felt amazing. Anyway, I love the show. Have a good one.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, Patrick. Boy, does this one sound an awful lot like Spencer's story from just a few moments ago. Not quite. Sleep paralysis and some sort of physical feeling as a result of the experience. With Spencer, it was the tingling leg. But with Patrick here, an overwhelming sense of euphoria. But there might be a scientific explanation as to why he felt that way. And it all has to do with fear. There's a neuropsychological reason we get an adrenaline rush when something spreads, spooks us, or something scary happens which releases endorphins. So put simply, there is a chemical process that creates a similar sense of euphoria. So maybe that explains the feeling of enlightenment felt. But I'm afraid it does little to explain away the snarling face that Patrick saw in the darkness. But we appreciate you sharing this strange experience with us, Patrick. Thank you again for calling in. All right, folks, prepare yourself. We're about to go beyond the after show we explore every Thursday night. An after show where I continue to share stories from around the world and discuss possible explanations. Like I said a bit ago, to join us, just visit monsters among us podcast.com and click the Patreon tab. Join the Monster Squad and hear stories like Pam's out of the state of Texas.

[Caller or Guest Speaker]

Hi, my name is Pam and I'm calling from Southeast Texas. This story that I'm going to share happened to a friend of mine, a co worker, worked at a hospital together, and we worked the evening shift, got off around 11pm and we would take a bus ride out to where the parking garage was. The hospital had their own shuttle bus. And I'm sitting on the bus waiting, and I see her get on the bus and I'm like, oh great. Hey, here comes my friend. And she comes over to me and sits down and she immediately looks at me and says, I'm not crazy. Now, she and I had always had a very good relationship, and usually she's happy and easygoing. But no, she was very serious. I realized very quickly she looked very upset and she looked very stressed. So I said to her, I said, okay, no, I don't think you're crazy. I said, what's going on? And she said, okay. Well, she worked in the orb in the operating room area, and it's a sterile area. And like many hospitals, the corridors are long and they don't have a lot of doors and no windows because it's a sterile area. Once you get dressed and head back.

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