Monsters Among Us S20 Ep2 Summary
"Phantom music, sasquatch and West Coast dogman"
Host: Derek Hayes
Date: October 16, 2025
Podcast Theme:
A chilling collection of first-hand reports from listeners describing encounters with the paranormal, including ghosts, UFOs, cryptids like Bigfoot and Dogman, and other unexplained phenomena. The episode weaves first-person witness reports with Derek's context, commentary, and related research.
Episode Overview
Derek Hayes guides listeners through a stormy night of supernatural stories from across the U.S., focusing on phantom music, strange orbs, Sasquatch in the Northwest, and a deep dive into a string of West Coast Dogman (werewolf-like creature) sightings. The episode’s tone remains suspenseful and empathetic, amplified by atmospheric music and Hayes’ evident enthusiasm for the supernatural.
Key Stories and Insights
1. Phantom Music Box in a North Carolina Plantation Home
Caller: Angela from North Carolina
[03:01–06:40]
-
Story Summary:
Angela recounts occurrences in a historic, Civil War-era plantation home in Winnebow, NC, owned by her husband's family. While preparing the house for Airbnb rental, her skeptical husband hears and tracks down an old, long-broken music box playing for two minutes on its own. Later, a guest logs in the guestbook that she periodically hears unexplained music, which always stops upon investigation. -
Family History:
Every family member who stays there has experienced something. -
Host Context:
Derek shares a similar legend of a haunted music box at Larundel Asylum in Australia and even plays a purported recording of its spectral tune. -
Tone:
Empathetic, intrigued—setting the night's eerie mood. -
Quote:
"Hearing disembodied music is one thing, but to hear disembodied music coming from a tiny child's music box—well, that's another thing altogether.”
— Derek Hayes [06:40]
2. Metallic Orbs over Ventura County, California
Caller: Anonymous
[12:24–13:56]
-
Story Summary:
Caller sees a 5-inch metallic sphere launch behind a mountain in broad daylight. Frustrated at missing a photo, she later provides examples. Derek contextualizes the sighting in Ventura County's UFO-rich history, citing the 1959 “basketball-sized orb” police account, and draws connections to military or even alien explanations. -
Notable Quote:
“Just picture a chrome basketball hovering in the air.”
— Derek Hayes [13:56]
3. Indoor Flash of Light: Orb Phenomena
Caller: Brittany
[18:14–22:12]
-
Story Summary:
Brittany, south of the Mason–Dixon, describes two separate late-night incidents a year apart: a blinding, unnatural flash of light appears in her pitch-black bedroom. She exhaustively rules out environmental or technological causes. She ponders whether it’s paranormal, possibly even her deceased sister (though the timeline doesn’t fit). -
Host Context:
Derek draws a line between metallic UFO orbs (previous story) and Brittany’s “ball of energy,” suggesting the latter may be ghostly in origin. -
Quote:
“It was like the equivalent of an LED headlight in pitch black... but it was in my house, in my room.”
— Brittany [18:38]
4. Eerie Camping Incident: Leash Severed
Caller: Annette from Oregon
[24:48–27:01]
-
Story Summary:
In her 20s, Annette camps in Oregon’s Cascades. After a nap, both dogs’ ropes are precisely cut, allowing them to roam. No people seen, atmosphere is deeply unsettling. -
Host Insight:
Derek highlights the unlikelihood of both ropes being severed by accident:“That’s sus, as the kids would say.”
— Derek Hayes [27:05]
5. Central Washington Bigfoot Sighting
Caller: Nick relaying stepdad’s account
[27:44–31:10]
-
Story Summary:
Nick’s stepdad recalls, with rare clarity (despite dementia), seeing a Bigfoot atop an embankment in 1990, which leapt down, stared, then disappeared into the woods. Local loggers confirm similar encounters. -
Quotes:
“Bigfoot’s looking back at him… Then Bigfoot jumps off… landed right in front of him.”
— Nick [29:03]“As soon as you start moving...he just takes off.”
— Nick, relaying loggers’ advice [30:30]
6. Brush with a Skinwalker/Dogman?
Caller: Greg from Southern California
[32:26–33:51]
-
Story Summary:
Driving at night near Idaho-Oregon border, Greg and his wife feel their truck hit something like a coyote. At the next stop, there's no physical evidence—no dent, blood, or fur. Greg wonders: did he hit a skinwalker or dogman? -
Host’s Fascination:
Derek relishes discussing stories of “dogmen, werewolves… ethereal beasts.”
7. Generational Haunting: The Little White Entity
Caller: Tina from Northern California
[36:17–43:38]
-
Story Summary:
Tina shares her late grandmother’s lifelong nightmare of a child in white following her. Family members (including Tina) report actually seeing such a small, white figure in the house, hearing unexplained footsteps, and even witnessing toys moving on their own (notably, a Pee Wee Herman doll turning its head). When the house changed ownership, new residents also encountered the spirit until a priest blessed the home. -
Notable Moment:
Tina’s cousin visits the old house and is told by the new occupant:“Oh, you mean the little entity?”
— New Homeowner (as relayed by Tina) [43:16] -
Host's Reflection:
Derek ponders: did the entity present itself differently to different people (grandmother vs. others)?
8. Dogman Sighting in Inland Empire, California:
Caller: Joe from Michigan (story from Rubidoux, CA)
[45:10–49:24]
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Story Summary:
Joe describes seeing a towering, werewolf-like creature just outside his childhood bedroom window (late 1990s, Rubidoux, CA). Despite living in a city, the creature's snout, ears, and size haunt him to this day. He questions whether he hallucinated, but remains unsettled. -
Host Context and Deep Dive:
- Derek connects this account to similar inland empires and Southern California "Dogman" sightings—including police radio chatter of someone in a werewolf mask peering in windows, and witness reports of large canine creatures.
- He shares from his personal life, even referencing movie props from his work on the "Underworld" series for comparison.
- Several other local run-ins (e.g., Devore, Redlands) are cited for similarities: the creature’s canine head, unnatural movement, peering into windows, and vanishing after being struck by vehicles.
-
Quote:
“Could someone in the SoCal region be peering in windows wearing a werewolf mask? ...No, I'm not going to close things out here with some dude in a werewolf Halloween mask. We can end on a much spookier note than that.”
— Derek Hayes [54:42]
9. “Missing Time” While Driving
Caller: Sandy from Virginia
[62:45–64:32]
-
Story Summary:
Sandy describes dozing off for a second driving at night—only to “wake up” 20 miles ahead, having no memory of the intervening drive. She compares her story to a previous episode’s mention of “jumping.” -
Host's Relatability:
“...a small version of this has happened to all of us. At some point we’ve sort of zoned out on our way home...”
— Derek Hayes [64:32]
Notable Quotes & Timestamps
-
[06:40] Derek Hayes:
“Hearing disembodied music is one thing, but to hear disembodied music coming from a tiny child's music box—well, that's another thing altogether.” -
[13:56] Derek Hayes:
“Just picture a chrome basketball hovering in the air.” -
[18:38] Brittany:
“It was like the equivalent of an LED headlight in pitch black... but it was in my house, in my room.” -
[27:05] Derek Hayes:
“That’s sus, as the kids would say.” -
[29:03] Nick:
“Bigfoot’s looking back at him… Then Bigfoot jumps off… landed right in front of him.” -
[43:16] Homeowner to Tina’s cousin:
“Oh, you mean the little entity?” -
[54:42] Derek Hayes:
“Could someone in the SoCal region be peering in windows wearing a werewolf mask?...We can end on a much spookier note than that.” -
[64:32] Derek Hayes:
“...a small version of this has happened to all of us. At some point we’ve sort of zoned out on our way home...”
Timestamps of Key Segments
- 03:01 – Phantom music box in North Carolina (Angela)
- 12:24 – Ventura County metallic orb UFO (Anonymous)
- 18:14 – Blinding indoor light/orb (Brittany)
- 24:48 – Camping, dogs’ leashes cut (Annette)
- 27:44 – Sasquatch in Whistling Jacks, WA (Nick)
- 32:26 – Collision with possible skinwalker (Greg)
- 36:17 – Generational haunting, entity in white (Tina)
- 45:10 – Childhood Dogman encounter, Rubidoux, CA (Joe)
- 54:26 – Palmdale “werewolf mask” police report (clip)
- 56:05 – Devore Dogman “run/gallop” account
- 57:46 – Redlands Dogman, hit by car (Adventure Guide, YouTube)
- 62:45 – “Missing time” on road, Virginia (Sandy)
Episode Highlights & Tone
- Listener-driven: Authentic first-person call-ins are the backbone.
- Host as both curator and investigator: Derek provides not just transitions but deep context, cross-referencing legends, history, and area reports.
- Atmospheric and suspenseful: Stormy SoCal night, references to horror movies, and local legends layer the mood.
- Empathy: Derek always respects skepticism and wonder, never ridiculing or dismissing callers' experiences.
- Engaging narrative arcs: Especially strong in the Dogman segments, with Derek’s research and personal anecdotes providing depth and connection.
Final Thoughts
For listeners, the episode delivers a satisfying blend of firsthand terror, thoughtful research, and community-building. Especially notable is Derek’s dogged pursuit of connections between disparate stories of Dogman and werewolf-like creatures in the California region, making for a memorable and spooky West Coast edition of Monsters Among Us.
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Visit monstersamonguspodcast.com
