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Monsters Among Us
S20 Ep19: Bizarre Arizona: Paranormal tales from the Grand Canyon State (Sn. 20 Ep. 19)
01:04:25
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- [00:00]
Rocket Money Announcer
You really want to be better with your finances. You try to put money away in savings. You look for deals. You wrote out a budget once a long time ago. You still overdraft from time to time, and you still have debt. The truth is, managing money is not easy. But Rocket Money can help. Rocket Money shows you exactly what you're spending every month. From there, the app helps you make a budget that meets your financial goals. The app even gives you real time alerts when you're about to go over your budget so you don't spend too much. With Rocket Money, you can also see all your subscriptions at a glance and cancel the ones you don't want right from the app. Rocket Money can even try to get you a refund for some of the money wasted. Plus, you can use the Smart Savings feature to start putting more money away. Rocket Money analyzes your accounts to determine the optimal time to stow away cash without going over your budget. Our members report that the Rocket Money app save more than $700 a year. Getting better with money doesn't have to be a pipe dream. Rocket Money can make it a reality. Go to RocketMoney.com cancel or download the app from the Apple App or Google Play stores. What do you think makes the perfect snack?
- [01:02]
Derek Hayes
Hmm, it's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.
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Rocket Money Announcer
Could you be more specific?
- [01:07]
Derek Hayes
When it's cravinient. Okay, like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter available right down the street at a.m. p.m. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just.
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Caller
A second at a.m. pM. I'm seeing a pattern here.
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Derek Hayes
Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.
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Rocket Money Announcer
Crave, which is anything from AM pm. What more could you want?
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Derek Hayes
Stop by AM PM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's Cravingience Ampm. Too much good stuff. Good evening and welcome to Monsters Among Us. I am your guide, Derek Ace. Hello gang. I'm super excited to have you with us here tonight because I have a dozen or so calls lined up that are sure to leave you petrified. And that's because all of tonight's calls stem from a place that's infamously connected to the paranormal, the supernatural, and the just plain strange. We're Talking about the 14th most populated state, home to 27 different federally recognized Native American tribes and part of the Four Corners area. And the location of wonders such as the Grand Canyon, the Saguaro national park, and the vortexes of Sedona. Not to mention the fact that it's home to countless legends and lore that'll leave you clinging to daylight. Tonight we're exploring the Valentine State Arizona. And to kick things off, we begin in an assisted living facility. Please welcome Cyndal to the program.
- [03:33]
Caller
Hi, Derek. This is Cyndal from Arizona again. I'm giving you a call to tell you about the paranormal activity that has happened in the assisted living facility I used to work at. So this is in downtown Mesa, kind of where Mesa used to begin in Arizona. And before it was an assisted living facility, it was low income housing and basically it went out of business and assisted living company bought it. But a lot of crazy stuff happened there. And obviously assisted living facilities, a lot of people died. So there'd always be so many paranormal activities that happened. Ghost sighting orbs on these security cameras. People would see a lady dressed in a white gown turn around a corner, and when you turn to see which resident was, there'd be nobody there. I've heard doors open and close. I've had my security screens just go, you know, off static and then just completely go black on me. I used to work through the reception desk, so I would be there from 4pm to midnight. And we'd have alert bells going off like crazy. But the one that kind of got me was I had a resident come down around 11, 11:30, and at this time, all the doors are locked to the building. Nobody's there except for the workers and myself. And she comes down and she goes, there's a little boy in my closet. You know, she's got dementia. So I'm thinking she's not seeing anything. But to make her feel better, I go up there to check. She was super freaked out. And she's never had a issue where she's seen things or said she's seen things or anything like that. So I go up there and I go into her room. I'm looking around, we turn on all the lights. I'm like, I don't see anything. Huh. Like, I look in her closet. They're not very big closets, but I move all the clothes boxes, anything like that. Like, I don't see anybody in here. And it's not like they have like a space, you know, for an attic in the closet. Like some houses do nothing like that. So I turn off the lights, I help her into bed, and she's like, can you leave the bathroom light on for me? Because I'm scared. I'm like, absolutely. If you need anything, hit the buzzer and we'll come help. She says, okay. I turn on the bathroom light and I shut the door, you know, to her bedroom. And all of a sudden I hear a giggle, a little boy giggle. I open the door and I was like, are you laughing? She says, no, that was the little boy. He's back in the closet. I turn on all the lights again, don't see anything. And I'm like, do you want to come sit downstairs for a little bit and watch TV in the lounge? She says, no, I'm just going to try to sleep. He just, he wants to play. And I'm like, okay. I shut the door again, and again I hear the giggle like a little kid playing hide and seek. That, like, you walk into the room and they think you don't see them and they just start doing that giggle. And I hear it again and just. I had to leave the room. I was completely blown away. And one of the workers there that worked since the building had opened as an assisted living facility, I asked him about it. He goes, you know where our pond is, right? We have pretty cool looking little koi pond. And I said, yes, that used to be a pool. They cemented it up, covered it. A little boy had drowned there. And I'm like, you're making this up. There's no way that happened. There's no way. And he goes, why else would we have a little boy ghost? But I did some research on it, and it actually turns out that a little boy had drowned in that pool. And that's why they cemented it up and made it into a koi pond. And that's why there's now little boy ghost that likes to play hide and seek in the resident's room. Love the podcast. Amazing. Keep up the great work.
- [07:31]
Derek Hayes
Thank you, Cindy. Could you imagine finding yourself in Cindy's shoes? You hear the reports that the elderly woman was giving, but it's hard to believe them. Knowing her condition, you do your best to comfort her and let her know that she's truly alone. Then you hear a giggle. That's the kind of thing that'll make your blood run cold. And that's also the exact kind of thing that we're looking for here on the program. So a huge thanks to you, Sindel, for getting us started here this evening. What a way to kick off this all Arizona episode. Now, folks, that first call was short enough that I think I can squeeze in one more entry before we have to take our first break of the evening. So please welcome Chuck to tonight's program.
- [08:30]
Caller
Hey, Derek. This is Chuck calling from Tucson, Arizona. This story takes place in the early fall of 2016. I used to live a good bit west of town on the southwestern border of the Saguaro National Monument, down a road called San Joaquin, off a street called Kai Anasasi. One night around one or two in the morning I got up to use the restroom and while standing there I heard five knocks on the bathroom door, very loud and very distinct. Assuming it was the girlfriend I was living with at the time, needing to get into the bathroom and being a half asleep myself, I said, come in if you need to, and after no response, I said, are you there? And after a second moment of no response, I went to the door, opened it and my girlfriend was waking up on the bed asking what that knocking sound was. Never found an explanation for that. It was just one of the weirdest things that have ever happened to me. A few days later I was sitting at a table alone in the house and a Tupperware bowl slipped off the table as if someone hit the lip of the bowl going off the table. No explanation, but anyways, figured I'd call my wife and I love the show and spend many date nights out in the desert listening to MAU. You'd love to go to work man. Thanks.
- [09:44]
Derek Hayes
Thank you Chuck. When you gotta go, you gotta go. I guess that applies to the afterlife as well. Thank you again Chuck for sharing that fun little entry. Now folks, when I come back, I have several more stories just as spooky as this one to share with you here tonight. But first, a quick word from tonight's sponsors. Select Compact tractors.
- [10:17]
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Caller
Press conference here in the Luxurious.
- [11:53]
Derek Hayes
Yeah, a little bit of a Now this next one just might keep you up at night. Please welcome Lexi out of Tucson.
- [12:04]
Caller
Hey Derek, it's Lexi. I'm from Tucson, Arizona. I have experienced spiritual stuff since I was really little. I'm going to say about four or five. This particular one is pretty creepy. When I want to say about six years old, I woke up in the middle of the night just feeling like somebody was watching me. And it wasn't a lie, it was true. Because I look up and I'm staring straight at this lady just staring down at me, looking at me, like very menacingly. She doesn't look familiar to me. I have no idea who she is. And it just like scared the crap out of me to the point where, you know when you're little and you're scared, you cover your head with your blanket until you're like so hot that you don't want to, like, breathe, basically. So you just pretty much fall back to sleep even though you're like hot and sweaty. So the next day I told my mom about it and she tried to say like, oh, it was me. I want to go check on you in your room. And I was like, no, this didn't look anything like you, mom. Like, you did not look scary at all. Definitely did not look like my mom, basically. And so I kind of brushed it aside. I would have that heavy feeling happen every now and then as I grew up. Fast forward to I want to say I was like, in my teens, I would still get that presence. Every now and then, somebody sitting on my bed, have that lady appear peering over me again. Even as a teenager, I would still hide under my covers. I feel like she followed me around even after I moved out so fast Forward again until I want to say I was 22 or 23 years old. And this was around the time my great grandmother died. But by this time I was no longer living in Tucson. I was living in San Diego. And this lady would visit me in my dreams. And this particular time, around the time when my great grandmother died, I felt like I had a dream of my great grandma. But it just didn't seem like it was her. It just seemed so off. And even in my dream, because it felt so realistic, because I was like laying down in my room, she was sitting on my bed, shapeshift, like my great grand grandmother. But the only thing that looked different was her eyes. Like her eyes were still menacing and piercing. I even mentioned in my dream that her eyes were super piercing and her face went from kind to menacing, bearing teeth, grinning almost evil. And she got a nail and stabbed it through my hand. And this is in my dream. And I woke up sheer panic. And I am freaking out because my hand is in pain and this is from a dream. So how can you explain that? I cannot and I luckily have never seen this lady again in my dreams. But when I got divorced and I moved back to Tucson, I felt her heavy presence in my childhood bedroom again, because that's where I was staying at the time. And something in me was just like, put a salt lamp in your room. So I put my salt lamp in my room, I turned my salt lamp on and her presence just left. Like quickly just left. And by this time I was working more on my spiritual practices of the metaphysics and whatnot, like with crystals and salt lamps and sage and salt and whatnot. And I have not since felt her presence. I keep a felt lamp with me at all times. I have at least three in my home. Even my mom's ex boyfriend told me that her presence would come back if I even tried to not have a felt lamp. So I don't know. I can't explain where this lady has come from, why she chose to haunt me as a child and even follow me as an adult from one date to another. It's just very strange. But I want to thank you for your podcast. I want to thank my friend Ty for telling me about your podcast. Have a great night. Goodbye.
- [16:38]
Derek Hayes
Thank you, Lexi. Any big thanks to Ty for sharing the show as well. Now, as for the pain that seemed to transfer from the dream realm into the living realm, I wonder if there wasn't some other cause to the pain, perhaps a cramp or some sort of nerve issue or even an insect bite. And sleeping, Lexie used a dream to rationalize the pain that she was feeling. Another example would be if you're having a dream that you're under a waterfall and that waterfall is splashing you as you duck underneath it, only to awake to find that pipes in the ceiling had burst and the water is leaking all over you. I tell you, the human brain is wild. But listen, if it wasn't something like that, perhaps it was what Lexie suspected, some sort of manipulation in her dream state by an unseen force. Whatever it was that went down, Lexie, we sure do appreciate you taking the time to share it here with us. And if you have a story you would like to share here on the program, give my hotline a call at 888-608-night. That's 888608, Nig HT. Or you can send me a voice memo to monsters among us podcastmail.com now let's get right back into the action with Rochelle's call. Please welcome her to the program.
- [18:16]
Hinge Representative
Hi Derek, this is Rochelle in Arizona. When I was listening to the season 15 episode 4, actually the beyond portion for Patreon members, Caleb tells a story about out of body experiences when he was a child. And I couldn't believe it. I just had to call this story in because I completely can relate to his story. So this story, I'm five or six years old and sleeping in my bed one night in my house and I woke up in the middle of the night. What woke me up was that I was tangled up in my sheets and my blanket and I was thrashing around in my bed trying to untangle myself from the sheets and the blanket. And I wasn't yelling out, I wasn't calling out for my mom yet, but I was just getting frustrated and awake and that I could not untangle myself. And so all of a sudden, the next thing I experience is that I'm no longer thrashing in the sheets. I'm up in the corner of my room, across the room, up in the corner, crunched up against the ceiling, and I'm looking down at my body, myself laying in the bed, thrashing around, trying to untangle from the sheets. So I'm up here floating. I remember that very specific feeling of floating in that corner, looking at myself on the bed and just watching and watching. I don't know how long I was floating there watching. And after a certain amount of time I recall that there is a being there with me. I knew there was someone there with me up in that corner. And I perceived this being just as like light or energy, whatever. And of course I was a spirit body. I probably didn't have any definition either. This being was communicating to me, you have to go back into your body. And I did not want to. And being six years old and probably stubborn, I said no. And then they communicated to me again, you have to go back into your body. You have to go now. And I said, no, I don't want to. And the next thing I experience is that I'm right over my body, looking down at my head and my face. I've gotten my head and my face out of the blankets and my legs and my arms are starting to get untangled from the sheets. And so I'm looking down at my head and thinking, how do I get back into my body? And I felt sort of a little bit scared, but I felt this being behind me and sort of my spirit body was pushing me from my shoulders into my physical body. I was fully aware at that time. So I could feel this sort of weird sensation of going from spirit body back into my physical body. And then that really creepy feeling. I mean, when I was six, I felt it was really creepy where you feel your fingers and your toes and your hands and your feet, they're so rubbery. And even my face, my skin, my tongue, my teeth, everything just felt so heavy and rubbery. It just gave me the creeps. And at that point, I was then fully back in my body and fully awake. At that time, then I was just really disappointed. I was scared and frustrated and I started calling for my mom. And my mom came. Of course I did not tell her what had happened. I told her that I got tangled up in the sheets, but I didn't tell her exactly what had happened to me until I was about 55 years old. And I told her the story and it scared her, of course. But after that time, somehow I knew that I was not allowed to leave my body, have out of body experiences and leave my room. So after that time, I would have my out of body experience experience. But I would only go to the either, you know, the ceiling of my room or I'd walk to the doorway, look out to the living room. But I never went further. I always knew that I was not allowed to leave my bedroom in an out of body experience. How did I know that? I really don't know. But I'd like to hear more. People call in their stories of out of body experiences.
- [23:12]
Derek Hayes
Thanks, Rochelle. You know, some people have all the fun. And although I hear reports about OBEs or out of Body experiences all the time. I have dozens of reports just like this one. But even though it seems to be a popular event, I never had an experience like this myself. Nor do I recall anyone close to me in my life ever having one either. So, like I said, some people have all the luck. Well, we appreciate the call, Rochelle, and all the details about the event. Given what you described, it sounded like quite an adventure. Now, folks, this next call just might detail a monster. Please welcome Steven to the show.
- [24:05]
Caller
Hey, Derek, this is Stephen calling from Arizona. Just wanted to share something that happened, oh, I guess a couple weeks ago now. It's currently the middle of July. I live in Northern Arizona, not far from the Navajo reservation. Whether or not that comes into play here, I don't know. But it was the middle of the night and I had woken up. And then during the summer, the room that I have, I have a balcony, so I usually leave that door open. And then the screen door closed to let in the cooler air. And I woke up and something just didn't feel right. I don't know, something told me to just close the door, just, you know, shut it and, you know, maybe not use a blanket. But I shut the door. And I remember it being very still and calm Outside. It was silent, which was kind of weird because I live very close to Interstate 40, and I can hear, you know, cars coming and going, and it's pretty much going at all hours of the night. But it was just. It was dead silent. And I was just thinking, well, that's weird. I shut the door and I figured, well, I'll forget about this and go back to sleep. Just kind of laid in bed, kind of tossing and turning. Maybe 30 minutes went by, and I went up to get a glass of water, maybe just kind of calm my nerves a little. As I stood up again, I heard this really loud sort of whooshing sound. Not really a strong wind gust, just this really loud whoosh. And I looked out the window, didn't see anything, and thought, well, that was strange. Just didn't really think anything of it until I heard this. Sort of. The best way I can describe it is kind of like a slopping noise, I guess, like a dog would make, you know, if it sees something that it wants to eat and it kind of like, you know, licks its chops, you know. And I thought that was strange. But my roommate has a pretty big dog, so I just figured it was him, you know, outside the door or something. But anyway, I decided to walk into my bathroom to fill up a cup from the sink and there's another window on the way to the bathroom. And as I walked past it, I noticed these two kind of neon yellow colored eyes just kind of peering in. And at first I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me. You know, my nerves are all amped up and so I just was like, nah, don't worry about it, it wasn't there. So I go on and get my drink of water and I come back around and it was still there. It was rather unsettling. Not just because there was something peering into my window, but I also live on the third floor. So yeah, I shut the curtains and just said a quick prayer and just kind of told it to get out. But that's my story. Thanks for everything you do with the show. Really appreciate it. Thanks, Derek.
- [27:15]
Derek Hayes
We appreciate your entry, Steven. And given the location of your home, I've driven right past it several times over the last decade. And I'll wave next time I go by. But as for those menacing yellow eyes in a third story window no less, I hope this was an owl perched somewhere outside the window peering inside. I hope that. Because the alternative would mean something large with glowing eyes that either has the ability to hover there, or dare I say, it's tall enough to peek into a window that's 25ft off the ground. Now, Arizona does have its own distinct cryptids. The Muggy on Monster, a Bigfoot like creature, the Red Ghost, a spectral camel said to roam the deserts of the Grand Canyon state. And of course, the infamous Skinwalker, a highly feared entity that is said to originate right down the road from where Steven's story occurred. So like I said, let's just hope that it was an owl. Well, regardless of what it was, we can't thank you enough, Stephen, for taking the time to share it with us here tonight.
- [28:40]
Caller
I'm watching some of the.
- [28:44]
Derek Hayes
Industry think.
- [28:45]
Rocket Money Announcer
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- [29:46]
Derek Hayes
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Derek Hayes
Price and accept for me now. Next up, we explore a story from Michelle, so please welcome her to tonight's program.
- [30:31]
Caller
Hi Derek, this is Michelle from Arizona and I figured I'd share this with you. I don't know if it counts as a paranormal story or supernatural. It's more of a light hearted and warming thing. It happened just a second ago, so I'm wanting to recall it as I felt it. But on my way to work I got into the parking lot and I sat in my car for a second just to breathe and get ready to go in and everything and the sun is obviously right in front of me. I'm facing the east and it's coming up and it's just I close my eyes and it hits me in such a way that I don't think I've ever felt the sun before. And this really warm and bright white light came onto me and I started to feel myself almost like ascend. And I honestly thought, is this what it feels like to die? And that kind of pulled me back in because obviously I wasn't dying and I'm not in any shape or position to be. But it was just so peaceful and heartwarming and I felt loved ones on the other side and I kind of wanted it to be the way I go. So anyway, thanks so much for the podcast. Keep it spooky, keep it safe. Bye.
- [32:00]
Derek Hayes
Thank you Michelle. This call is weirdly reminiscent of Rochelle's entry from earlier in the episode. It's not quite the same, but a similar vibe for sure. Now, that certainly doesn't mean I understand this phenomena, nor does it mean that I can explain it, but I can say we appreciate the entry, Michelle, whatever it means. Now, folks, when it comes to bright lights in Arizona, you'd typically be talking about a ufo, and that's exactly what it seems like. This next caller is detailing. Please welcome Sarah to the program.
- [32:42]
Caller
My name is Sarah. I'm calling from Tucson, Arizona. I was actually just hearing the podcast a girl, Ash, called regarding the lights in the sky. Well, I have seen that, too. I live around the area where she had described that she was driving. I was sitting outside one evening. This must have been maybe about eight, nine years ago. My cousin and I were sitting on our porch and while she was talking to me, I had seen some lights in the sky and they were appearing, fading out. I didn't see anything that they were coming up from the ground. It was definitely in the sky. Now, where it was coming from, there's a huge telescope. So I don't know if that has anything to do with it. I told my cousin, look, there's going to be some lights that appear. So she looked really quick and she saw them. They appeared and all of a sudden they bursted into maybe eight to 10 different lights and just disappeared altogether. So I did want to validate that I've seen what she's seen before. Thank you so much. I love this podcast so much. I've listened to it for years and I have gotten my sisters all on this podcast. Thank you so much.
- [34:04]
Derek Hayes
Thank you, Sarah. And thank you for sharing the show. That sort of thing really helps us out and helps us collect more stories that we later share with you. It's a vicious cycle that'll collapse if we don't continually get new blood. So thank you again for helping spread the word. Now, as for that ufo, you're not alone, Sarah. A lot of people in Arizona have reported UFOs over the years. Here are just a few of the more popular experiences. The 1953 Del Rio Springs encounter, which occurred just outside Prescott and preceded the Kingman crash that happened that same same year. The Tucson Triangle, a big black triangle witnessed in 1972 near Davis Monthan Air Force Base. They're outside of town. The Travis Walton abduction from 1975, which occurred outside Snowflake, Arizona, up in the White Mountains. And the infamous Phoenix Lights from March of 1997. The point here is the entire state seems to be a UFO hotspot. In fact, according to New Fork Arizona ranks seventh in the US for total UFO sightings with 5,291 reported accounts. And the top 10 cities in the state of Arizona for UFO encounters reads as number 10 is surprise number. Number nine is Sedona. Number eight is Tempe. Number seven is Glendale. Six is Gilbert. Five is Chandler. Four is Scottsdale. Coming in at third is Mesa. Second is Tucson. And the number one city in Arizona for UFO reports with 813 is the city of Phoenix. Now, no surprise here that the list of most popular populated cities reads nearly exactly the same. So we're definitely looking at correlation rather than causation. But make no mistake, Arizona is certainly a UFO hotspot. Just ask anyone that lives there and they'll happily tell you. Now, moving on from spaceships and aliens, an insurance the realm of religion, please welcome Santos to the program.
- [36:42]
Caller
Hello there. My name is Santos Coles. The story that I actually have here, it takes place in Glendale, Arizona. So the way that my family is, we're the kind of family that we always intentionally get on other's nerves. Like it's just what we do. We'll play pranks on each other. We'll, you know, push some buttons every now and then. But that's just our way of showing you that we love you. We may be picking on one another, but when it comes time to, you know, stand up and have each other's backs, that's always something you can rely on 100%. But we did have boundaries. Like for instance, my younger brother, he was really, really self conscious about a stutter that he had when he was younger. So everything was fair game to pick on him with except that. But everyone had a boundary and that's going to be really, really important here. This house that we lived in actually was built in about 1963. We moved in at about 2007. So it already had its fair share of, you know, people come and go. Anyway, it's about 2007, Halo 3 literally just came out and we were ready for it. Like my mom, she had actually bought five or six boxes of pizza that night. We had like some Code Red Mountain Dew. It was going to be an all night thing. So with that, I had just gotten home because I was playing basketball at the park and I was really starting to get into my faith in Christianity. I'm a Baptist Christian now. I was really, really getting into my faith fake at the time. Anyway, I noticed that as I'm walking to my room, everybody is ready. You know, my older brother, my younger brother and my sister we all played cable together all the time. So when the third one came out, you know, we were ecstatic about that. But anyway, I get into the room and I immediately I notice, like, this really wrong, putrid smell. I couldn't put my finger on it precisely, but it was one of those smells that just jammed your nostrils, you know. So I was like, oh, my God. I'm like, what is that? Now to my left, I had my bed, and then I had like this little shelving unit right at the head of my bed where I usually kept all my things. And I also had like a cross, not a crucifix, a cross that I actually bought not too long before that. And I look and I'm instantly just livid. What I see when I look, it's like something out of a horror movie. The cross that I had was upside down. It's sitting on my shelving unit upside down, leaning like against the wall. I'm livid. I come to back into the living room where everybody's getting set up, hooking up the Xbox. I'm furious. I'm like, who was in my room? Everybody still straight faced, looking at the game or looking at the TV screen. And who was in my room? And my older brother Francis, he's like, what are you talking about? Now, I didn't want to tell them because I didn't want anybody to be quick to claim credit for this prank. Now, the thing is, they knew this was my boundary. I kind of expressed that it's not something that I want to have made fun of and prodded with me, which is why I was so furious. And I'm just, who was in my bedroom? My young brother Pablo goes, dude, nobody was in your room. And I'm just not believing it again, Francis, like, what happened then? My mom, obviously is here. And then she comes out, she goes, son, what's going on? Why are you. I'm like, somebody was messing with myself in my room. Now, of course there was a possibility somebody was gonna get in trouble, right? So everybody gets more defensive. Nobody was in your effing room, dude. Nobody was in your room. And it got to the point to where I'm just like, maybe no one was like, I'm just thinking to myself, maybe nobody actually was. Because the way that they also are too. One telltale sign of theirs is somebody will start laughing or, you know, start getting really sarcastic about it. No one did. I'm like, oh, my God. And then I noticed when I back on it, I'm like, there was a really strong smell. So obviously me being in my faith, I kind of figured what that was started praying on it. Thank you so much for the show. You have a great day.
- [41:15]
Derek Hayes
Thank you, Santos. Look, I'm not going to pretend to know much about religion because frankly I don't. But I do know ghostly activity and manipulating or moving objects, especially trigger objects like the cross. Well, that sort of activity is right up a ghost's alley. And given the location, I could see how a ghost with that sort of connection might be expected because there were Spanish missionaries in Arizona all the way back in the 1680s. That's almost 450 years of Christianity in that region. So all the pieces are there. So maybe Santos is on to something. Either way, let's thank him again for taking the time to call in. Now folks, don't forget about our merchandise shop and if you order the day that this episode drops, you'll get all the goods in time for the holidays. Visit monsters among us podcast.com and click the Shop tab. Get that weirdo in your life exactly what they're looking for. The latest and greatest MAU merch available. Again, that's monsters among us podcast.com and click the Shop tab. Now from moving items to a noisy home, Please welcome Anonymous to the program.
- [42:46]
Caller
Hi, I'm calling about strange occurrences in my new house. It's in East Mesa, Arizona. We've lived here about four months. Our first house and the house seems to crack and pop when you're not in the front room all by itself. There is no plumbing in the area. It seems to happen when my husband is not here. It happens morning, it happens night. If you walk into the room, it stops. You can hear it from the bedroom. The dogs woke me up this morning barking and growling at nothing again. I just wondered if anybody had had some similar like somebody fussing around in their house when they're not in the room or teasing them. I know the house was built in 97 and the people that lived here before. I know her husband passed away. I don't know if in the house or not. I do refer to the popping as Walter playing around, but I don't know what else it could possibly be. It literally stops the minute you walk into the room. So kind of weird, kind of spooky. Definitely gets my heart rate going on. The dog starts freaking out, so thought I would drop it here and see what everybody thought about it. Thank you. Bye.
- [44:04]
Derek Hayes
Thank you for that entry. Now caller, it sounds like this activity might have you a little freaked out, so allow me to lay out a perfectly plausible scenario that just might explain the strange sounds that you're hearing. Now, I know the caller seemed to dismiss this possibility, but I wonder if it's not something benign. Because my walls creak and crack when the sun is blasting right on them. The wood heats up and expands, stressing the nails and screws holding the structure together, causing it to creak and pop. Our caller is right. Plumbing and ductwork are both good sources of sounds like these, but so are rodents, loose or broken floor joists, or improperly constructed walls. Whatever the reason, our witness here hears the creaking and walks into the room. And when she puts weight on a certain portion of the floor, it either adds pressure or alleviates it, causing the popping to stop. Now look, I'm not saying that is what's happening here, but I am saying that that could be what's happening here. And if that's what our caller needs to hear to sleep at night, then I'm happy to share the message. But if you need more assurance, caller, give a handyman a call and have them come out and take a look. I think that's what I would do either way. Thank you again, caller, for sharing your little mystery.
- [45:40]
Caller
Drank it and I couldn't believe the difference.
- [45:44]
Derek Hayes
The real estate market feels more uncertain.
- [45:47]
Rocket Money Announcer
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- [46:48]
Caller
Take a Teaspoon of this powder.
- [46:55]
Derek Hayes
Well, gang, this next entry takes us back in time. Please welcome Abby to the show.
- [47:05]
Caller
Hi, this is Abby from Flagstaff, Arizona. This was probably back in, like, 2008. I grew up in this spooky haunted house growing up, and we were super obsessed with this show called Tap and this, like, predated ghost Adventures. I think they had some overlap, but it was a really good show. And they had an episode on Tombstone, Arizona, which is, you know, a really old ghost town. Kind of pioneered the wild west here. So we were kind of inspired as a family to go visit this town and kind of get a feel. Because, you know, the show just was, like, really spooky anyway, so we go, and if you don't know, Tombstone, there's this really old saloon building, I believe, or it's a theater building or whatever. It was definitely entertainment, for sure. But it's this massive building, and they turned it into a museum of sorts so that you could kind of get a feel of what life was like. And so we're walking into the lobby of this building, and there's this kind of banister on the second floor with, you know, red velvet curtains in the back. And it was for, you know, the Aristocats or whatever they're called, to kind of look down at us, which is kind of cool. So we go through the museum, and it's like families going in one after another. Like, you're taking the tour together, but not, like, as a group together. It's just kind of like you're walking behind a family, a family's walking behind you, whatever. So we're going in. There's a family behind us, and, you know, we're all really excited. They also had two little kids, and, you know, it was me and my little brother. So we're all just, like, ecstatic. Like, what if we see ghosts? Like, that would be so cool. This place is so spooky. Like, we're chatting. We get to the end of the tour, and it has. You exit back out of the lobby where the banister is, and me and my family are, like, so excited. We're gonna go see the rest of the town. Like, that was the spooky. Blah, blah, blah. And the family behind us decides to take a picture with a digital camera. That's like, when this was. And so they take the digital picture of themselves, and all we hear behind us is a no way. And we turn around, and we're like, what? Like, it was pretty loud. And they look at us, and they're like, Look. And we go to look at their picture, and sure, as in the banister above us, there was like an old timey woman ghost in the picture behind them. We were so jealous. We wanted that to be us so bad. We were just so excited to see a ghost. And the fact that it wasn't us that got the picture, we were so annoyed. But yeah, it was super cool to go see. And if you guys ever get a chance to hit up Tombstone, Arizona, please do. It's like, totally awesome. Maybe you'll catch a ghost sighting. It's pretty sick. So, thanks. Bye.
- [49:51]
Derek Hayes
Thank you, Abby. You know, I think Abby is talking about the Bird Cage Theater there in Tombstone. And if she is, she's not the only one. Please welcome Kelly from the state of Arizona.
- [50:10]
Rocket Money Announcer
Hi, Derek. My name is Kelly and I'm from Arizona. My story takes place in Tombstone, Arizona, probably, I'd say maybe about six years ago at the Birdcage Theater. So it was in December, around the time of my birthday, which is in the first part of December. And I decided to take a ghost tour of the Birdcage Theater because I figured, you know, it's been around for a while, it's got to be haunted. So, you know, the guide tells you different stories, and towards the end of the tour, they turn out all the.
- [50:46]
Hinge Representative
Lights, all the air conditioning.
- [50:48]
Rocket Money Announcer
There's nothing on, no heater, no nothing.
- [50:51]
Hinge Representative
And you sit around a table, there's different equipment.
- [50:57]
Rocket Money Announcer
And so she tells the story about where there was an act with a dog. And one of the patrons ends up shooting and killing the dog. And she says that the dog still haunts the Birdcage Theater. And she had little squeaky toys for.
- [51:16]
Hinge Representative
The dog, and they weren't near me.
- [51:19]
Rocket Money Announcer
And so I was just being funny and silly. And so I was like, here, boy, come here.
- [51:25]
Caller
Here, boy, come here.
- [51:27]
Rocket Money Announcer
And the next thing I know, I'm bending forward. My lower back gets ice cold.
- [51:35]
Hinge Representative
And then I'm sitting down, so it's.
- [51:37]
Rocket Money Announcer
Kind of like in the crook by my hip. I feel this pressure. My mom's sitting next to me, so I go to her, I go, mom, did you just touch me?
- [51:48]
Hinge Representative
And she goes, no, I didn't touch you.
- [51:50]
Rocket Money Announcer
And so I just, you know, wrote it off as nothing. And then all of a sudden, I feel it again, and I get a little angry because I'm thinking, you know, what's going on here? And so I go, mom, did you touch me? And she goes, no, I didn't touch you.
- [52:07]
Hinge Representative
And so I didn't think it was a ghost. Dog didn't think anything of it.
- [52:10]
Rocket Money Announcer
So I went home and sat down.
- [52:14]
Hinge Representative
And then my dog came over to.
- [52:16]
Rocket Money Announcer
Me and put his head right there.
- [52:20]
Hinge Representative
In the exact same spot.
- [52:23]
Rocket Money Announcer
And light bulb came on and I went, oh, my God. It was the ghost dog that put its head on my lap. So that's my story. Thank you. Love the show.
- [52:38]
Derek Hayes
Thank you, Kelly. You know, Sarah and I were just in Southern Arizona not too long ago, but we weren't able to make it to Tombstone. But I am dying to visit, hopefully sometime soon. Now, I don't discuss this much, but I'm a big fan of the wild West. I love reading stories about the Southwest and the days of outlaws and cowboys, gold mines and gun fights. And the Burke Cage Theater is a place every western fan knows well. And from the sounds of both Abby and Kelly's entries, it's well known to ghost enthusiasts as well. But a big thanks, ladies, for sharing those stories and priming me for one hell of an upcoming adventure. Now, while we're on the subject of haunted Arizona history, how about a look at one of its darker chapters? Please welcome Ash to the airwaves.
- [53:47]
Caller
Hi, my name is Ash, and this story takes place in Arizona. It's one of the schools on the reservation. It's actually a private Catholic school, but I won't be saying the name of the school for privacy reasons. I attended there through my freshman. Through my senior year. And while I was there, there's actually stories about the school. So the school was built in 1902, and it used to be a boarding school for native children. And where the kids used to stay, it's, like, very on the top floor. It's now, like a sister's chapel, but like I said, it used to be, like, where the native kids used to stay. We get, like, tourists all the time to, like, come towards school and all that stuff. And there was one story where they were staying there, and they said that they heard children laughing and, like, there was nobody there. And they said that one time a ball, like, just bounced out one of the room, and there was no kids up there because it's just like a tourist group of adults. So they don't know what it was. But I'm pretty sure it was one of the spirits of the children there that used to stay there. But the school is kind of built weird, too. It's on the side of, like, the elementary, and then there's a separate building for high schoolers. And I was in that building, and my science teacher, she said that one time her and her daughter were there. She was working after hours. She said nobody was there. And she said that she heard children laughing, like running up and down the hall. And so she said that she went out and like, look, and there was like nobody there at all. And so like, maybe not too soon after that. Like, she said she heard when the locker slammed like so loud and she heard kids laughing after that. And she said that her and her daughter like got up and ran and just didn't like go back. And she actually got in trouble because, you know, she was the only one in the building. She was supposed to lock up the school, but I guess it scared her that bad that she didn't lock up the building and she doesn't know what it was. So that's my story. Keep up the good work. I love the show. Bye.
- [56:03]
Derek Hayes
We appreciate the entry, Ash. Now, for those of you that might not be privy Native American boarding schools in Arizona were part of a broader US policy beginning in the late 19th century that aimed to assimilate indigenous children into Euro American culture by removing them from their families and communities and forbidding their languages and traditions. Arizona alone had dozens of such schools, and all sorts of atrocities were committed at these places. So it doesn't surprise me one bit that some sort of energy is still hanging around there. Sad and creepy. We thank you again, Ash, for sharing your encounters.
- [56:53]
Caller
There's something you have to watch out.
- [56:54]
Derek Hayes
For.
- [56:56]
Caller
Be catching leaks with Grandma's salad bowl.
- [56:59]
Rocket Money Announcer
You really want to be better with your finances. You try to put money away in savings. You look for deals. You wrote out a budget once, a long time ago, yet you still overdraft from time to time. And you still have debt. The truth is, managing money is not easy, but Rocket Money can help. Rocket Money shows you exactly what you're spending every month. From there, the app helps you make a budget that meets your financial goals. The app even gives you real time alerts when you're about to go over your budget so you don't spend too much. With Rocket Money, you can also see all of your subscriptions at a glance and cancel the ones you don't want right from the app. Rocket Money can even try to get you a refund for some of the money you wasted. Plus, you can use the Smart Savings feature to start putting more money away. Rocket Money analyzes your accounts to determine the optimal time to stow away cash without going over your budget. Our members report that the Rocket Money app saved them more than $700 a year. Getting better with money doesn't have to be a pipe dream. Rocket money can make it a reality. Go to RocketMoney.com cancel or download the app from the Apple app or Google Play. Stores.
- [58:02]
Caller
Would die at the age of 80 in 1870.
- [58:09]
Derek Hayes
All right, everyone, down to our last two stories of the evening. And to kick off this final segment, we welcome Christine to the program.
- [58:23]
Caller
Hi, Derek. This is Christine from Arizona. So 17 years ago, I lived in Phoenix, Arizona. I rented a modest home with a friend, and there was a spirit. I never saw anything, but. But I could feel it. And at that time, I was about 19 years old, and I had been through other situations where I knew that the prickly feelings on the back of my neck weren't just nerves. Something was there, present with me. I never felt in danger. It felt weird knowing that it was there, but it was like we had made peace with each other. I felt like I was respectful of the space, and that's why that being or entity was okay with me being there. So I had dated a gentleman, and we were having dinner and a movie at the house, and I had fallen asleep on the couch. In fact, I had taken a Benadryl, and it completely knocked me out. Well, in the middle of the night, this guy was trying to wake me up. He had went to the bedroom to go to bed, and this guy was like 6 foot, ex Navy, big, strong, tough guy. And he was trying really hard to wake me up. And I was so groggy because the Benadryl. And he said, you need to come to bed. And I'm like, what's going on? He says, there's something in your room, and I don't feel comfortable there. And I had known that something, you know, had been there for a while. And so I thought, well, that's weird that he could feel it, but it doesn't sit well with him. So anyway, that guy and I broke up. And a couple months later, I started dating the man that I would end up marrying, my husband. And we would get ready to go to bed, and he liked to have the TV on during the nighttime, and I didn't like doing that. And I had asked him time and time again, hey, I can't sleep with the TV on. And he had pain. And so he was like, no, I'm going to sleep with the TV on. You'll be fine. Go to sleep. Well, my routine prior to him was to turn on the radio, but only turn it on as low as I could hear the music. And it'd be completely dark and peaceful except for that small sound of the radio. Well, I'd argued with him for about 15 minutes. Pretty soon, TV went off, radio went on to the lowest setting possible, and we were in the dark. And Brian, my future husband, goes, well, I guess we're going to sleep with her radio on. The ghost was sticking up for me, obviously, and I thought that was pretty cool. One more thing that had happened while in that house, that was a pretty pivotal time in my life. I was really trying to figure out who I was, and I was dabbling in some really hardcore drug use. And in between those two scenarios that I just mentioned, I had had some drugs stashed in the house. And originally I had stashed them in my bedroom. And for one reason or another, I didn't feel comfortable keeping them there. So I had moved them. I believe I had moved them to the kitchen somewhere where it was kind of close to the garage, but not near where I was sleeping. One day I went to go to bed, and I could not go to sleep. And something was bothering me so deeply. And every time I close my eyes, I imagine these drugs. And I finally said, okay, I've got to do something about this. And I got up. It was middle of the night, and the darkness and the fear that was gripping me was very intense. And I went to where I had stashed these drugs, and I destroyed them, and I got rid of them. And I really felt like it was that spirit urging me to do the right thing. And what was really peculiar about it in all these instances, never felt like I was in harm's way, even though some of the things that happened were weird and a little freaky. But I always felt safe. So, anyway, I just thought I would share that. I've been thinking about that for a while. I just really appreciate you and what you do. Thanks.
- [63:28]
Bye.
- [63:32]
Derek Hayes
Wild stuff. Christine. Thank you for ringing in. Now, it sounds like someone might have been sending a message, and it sounds like you might have received it, Christine, loud and clear now who that someone is. Well, it's for us to figure out. But in the meantime, thank you again, Christine, for calling in. And, folks, that takes us to tonight's final entry, a cryptid story, an alien story, maybe a Mexican witch story, or perhaps just an animal tale. We'll circle back to all of that right after this story from Bailey in the state of Washington.
- [64:20]
Caller
Hi, Derek. This is Bailey.
- [64:22]
Rocket Money Announcer
I'm from Spokane, Washington. This isn't actually my story.
- [64:25]
Caller
It is my dad's story.
- [64:29]
Rocket Money Announcer
But while I've been listening to your podcast, I kind of connected some dots so he doesn't believe in anything, you know, spiritual, magic, ghosts, whatnot, have you. He's a very committed atheist, and he's.
- [64:50]
Hinge Representative
Always told us a story that when.
- [64:53]
Rocket Money Announcer
He was like, 10, he was hunting at night. He used to live in Ajo, Arizona, which is very close to the Mexican border. And he was hunting, he was going.
- [65:07]
Caller
Through a wash, and he saw something.
- [65:10]
Hinge Representative
That looked like two huge people.
- [65:14]
Rocket Money Announcer
And he looked through his scope and. And he saw two giant owls.
- [65:24]
Hinge Representative
And my whole life he's always been.
- [65:25]
Rocket Money Announcer
Like, oh, yeah, owls can get, like, 10ft tall. And I'm like, no, they can't. That is not true. And he'll fight me tooth and nail on it.
- [65:33]
Hinge Representative
But he said, I saw two owls.
- [65:35]
Rocket Money Announcer
They were nesting underneath, like, you know how in the desert, in the washes, like, it kind of like carves out.
- [65:42]
Hinge Representative
The sides of the wash, so there was, like, a ledge overhead.
- [65:46]
Rocket Money Announcer
And after that, he'd went and he. Like, the next day, he stood underneath the ledge and he said it was probably like 8, 10ft tall. It was way taller than him, but they were almost touching the top of it. And while I've been listening to your podcast, I have been hearing about the Brujah, and I think that that could.
- [66:09]
Hinge Representative
Very well be what he saw because.
- [66:12]
Rocket Money Announcer
Like, giant owls don't really happen, right?
- [66:16]
Caller
So.
- [66:17]
Rocket Money Announcer
But he doesn't believe in any of that kind of stuff. And I brought it up to him and he's like, yeah, no, no, owls are just giant. I'm like, all right, whatever. But I kind of think that maybe.
- [66:27]
Caller
That'S what he saw because he just.
- [66:28]
Rocket Money Announcer
Saw two, like, eight to ten foot owls near the Mexican border in the middle of the night. It scared him, and he went home.
- [66:38]
Caller
And, like I said, went back the next day, and there was nothing there.
- [66:41]
Hinge Representative
But.
- [66:42]
Rocket Money Announcer
Yeah.
- [66:43]
Caller
So I just kind of think maybe that's what he saw. That's pretty cool. Thank you.
- [66:48]
Rocket Money Announcer
Bye.
- [66:51]
Derek Hayes
Thank you, Bailey. All right, let's break this all down. The world's largest owl is the great gray owl, but it only stands 33 inches, which is a little less than 3ft or a meter for our friends abroad. It also doesn't live that far south. At its most southern point, you can find it in central California, hundreds of miles from the location of Bailey's father's experience. So I think it's safe to say whatever he saw, it wasn't your normal everyday owl. At least it doesn't sound like. Like it. But here's the thing about owls. They're interwoven in paranormal lore. So deeply that this encounter can be explained by several different paranormal phenomena. For starters, writers like Mike Clelland write extensively about alien abductions in which large white owls were present. Then there's the Kryptonite aspect of all of this. There are several owl like monsters reported over the years throughout the world. The list includes, but is not limited to the Owlman of Cornwall, England, Big Hoot from the woods of Ohio, and the Kikayan of African folklore. Be sure to check out tonight's show notes for more information on each of those beasts. And of course, given the location, we have to take into account the folklore of Lechuza, the half woman half owl witch of Mexican folklore. I tell you, owls are freaky and there's no shortage of lore or stories about them being so. So this is very creepy stuff. Bailey, I have no answer answers but I do thank you for sharing your father's experience here with us and folks that's gonna do it for this All Arizona episode. And what an episode it was. The Monsters Among Us podcast is written and produced by me, Derek Hayes, copyright Red Crow Media. Additional support is provided by Sarah Carter Hayes, Delaney Bowers and Connor Ryan. All media used in this production is done so under the protection of fair use. Be sure to give us a Like and follow on our social media accounts, give us a Like and follow on YouTube, join our Discord server and leave us a rates and review wherever that sort of thing is possible. Now don't forget you can catch the show every Saturday evening at 10pm Eastern on the Onax Digital Network. Just visit on xnetwork.com to tune in. And finally, tonight's score was provided by Iron Cthulhu, Apocalypse co agmusic and Carl Casey at whitepad Audio. Alright gang, I'll catch you all back here later in the week for a brand new installment. Until then, watch our movie borregotrangle.com and visit us in the the beyond monsters among us podcast.com and click the Patreon tab now. I'll see you all soon. Keep it spooky and of course have a good night. Sa.