Monsters Among Us

S20 Ep24: The Best of 2025 Special Part 2

Host: Derek Hayes | Date: January 1, 2026

Episode Overview

In this "Best of 2025 Special Part 2," Derek Hayes curates and revisits the most chilling, memorable, and fan-favorite stories submitted by listeners over the past year. With calls covering everything from dark bargains and classic cryptids to poltergeists, skinwalkers, and modern pterodactyl sightings, the episode creates a spooky, nostalgic tapestry of supernatural encounters. Throughout, Derek maintains a conversational, empathetic tone—reacting to each story, inviting listener reflection, and sharing personal thoughts and research.

Key Segments & Stories

1. A Deal with the ‘Dark Side’: Tyler’s Financial Luck

[01:37–08:53]

• Story: Tyler from California recounts a series of uncanny financial windfalls after half-jokingly asking the "dark side" for help during a rough patch—finding cash in a restaurant, a $50 bill pinned at a bus stop, and an unexpected $1,700 financial aid payout.
• Self-reflection: Tyler, a skeptic, ends the experiment feeling there may be unseen costs to seeking supernatural aid. After “calling it off,” the luck ends.
• Notable Quote:
  • "There's no free lunch, so to speak, right? I just kinda get the feeling at some point I'm gonna owe somebody or something." – Tyler [07:32]
• Host Reaction:
  • "How many of you asked the dark side for help after hearing this call?... What a way to kick off the second half of this year's best of special." – Derek Hayes [08:53]

2. Werewolf at the Window: Joe’s Roubidoux Sighting

[12:22–16:35]

• Story: Joe, recalling an experience from age 7, sees a tall, hunched, wolf-like creature—resembling a “werewolf” or “Dogman”—peering in his California window. Decades later, he still struggles for closure, unsure if it was supernatural or a trick of light and stress.
• Notable Quote:
  • "I've never really had closure about it and I think that's kind of the big thing that's a draw for a lot of us with stories—there’s really no closure to these things." – Joe [16:19]
• Host Reaction:
  • Shares excitement about werewolf/Dogman tales, notes nearby location, and mentions research into local pranksters wearing werewolf masks. [16:35]

3. Nightwolf’s Bigfoot Family Encounter

[18:29–25:17]

• Story: "Nightwolf" and his brother, driving in the Colorado mountains at dusk in 1999, spot what they think is a bear—until it stands up and is joined by two others, including a juvenile. Nightwolf throws pears to the creatures, one of which reacts with a deep, chest-rattling grunt and a powerful stench.
• Details: Describes physical features (dark brown/grey fur, dog-like nose, “greasy”), Navajo background, and humorous note that Bigfoot’s face resembled his dad’s.
• Notable Quote:
  • "It grabbed the pear... then it fully erected and stood straight up and looked like a man... there’s a whole family of them.” – Nightwolf [20:32]
  • "Bigfoot's face looked just like my dad's." – Nightwolf [23:58]
• Host Reaction:
  • "Chucking pears at Bigfoot. That’s a bold choice." – Derek Hayes [25:17]

4. The Gentle Poltergeist: Kelly’s British Haunting

[26:52–38:30]

• Story: Kelly and Dan, after the death of their elderly friend Clarence, endure escalating poltergeist activity in a new flat—loud clanging, shadowy reflections, slamming doors, and even being jabbed and pulled. A spiritualist medium reveals Clarence’s spirit is behind the chaos, desperate to communicate urgent messages about family heirlooms and gratitude.
• Resolution: Following the medium's visit and retrieval of meaningful objects, the haunting stops—except for the occasional appearance of 20 pence coins, believed to be Clarence’s sign.
• Notable Quote:
  • "I kind of feel like Clarence confirmed that there is something after death." – Kelly [37:12]
• Host Reaction:
  • Appreciates the story’s warmth and the community’s engagement, highlighting the human side of the paranormal. [38:30]

5. Flying Reptile: Russell’s Pterodactyl Sighting

[39:52–42:16]

• Story: Russell from Cincinnati sees an enormous, featherless, blue-gray pterodactyl in Kentucky—wingspan 75–100 feet—soaring toward Mammoth Cave. He reports seeing Bigfoot there, too. Despite initial skepticism from others, Russell is confident in what he saw.
• Notable Quote:
  • “I looked up again and it was a pterodactyl... wingspan probably 75 to 100 ft wide... I know what I saw.” – Russell [40:16]
• Host Reaction:
  • Reveals multiple similar sightings submitted by listeners, promises a future deep dive. [42:16]

6. Shadowed by Giants: Annette’s Night in the Cascades

[44:57–49:42]

• Story: Annette, camping in Oregon, wakes to hear “elk” but quickly realizes three massive, heavy, bipedal beings are circling their tent, synchronizing footsteps. After a period of lost time, they're gone. Annette notes odd effects on her bladder—possibly due to fear or something stranger.
• Notable Quote:
  • "Every time they stepped it felt like the earth was moving. So whatever it was was incredibly heavy." – Annette [47:02]
• Host Reaction:
  • Derek muses on possible Sasquatch or alien explanations. [49:42]

7. The Trilobite Demon Bug: Texas Anonymous

[50:43–57:18]

• Story: As a child left home alone, this anonymous Texan sees a bizarre, 8-inch, domed, trilobite-like black bug with teeth and multiple legs emerge from behind a bedsheet window covering. It seems aware of her, climbs the wall, and screams telepathically.
• Notable Quote:
  • "It opened its mouth, and that thing happened where you hear something roar... but you only hear it in your head." – Anonymous [54:41]
• Host Reaction:
  • Reads out listeners’ theories (beetle, Dobsonfly, demon bug), emphasizes how unsettling the story is. [57:18]

8. Shape-shifting Owls: Justin & Peter’s Encounters

[58:42–73:26]

• Justin (Montana): In Moab, Utah, he witnesses a 3-foot-tall white owl transform into a naked Native American man, witnessed by a friend. Local lore leans toward skinwalker or lechuza interpretations.
• Peter (British Columbia): During childhood, experienced repeated dreams (or abductions) involving a 4-foot owl dragging him out of bed into another world, with consistent, conscious details—later protected by crows.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "All of a sudden, this huge white owl appears at the base of the tree... then all of a sudden, it disappears and turns into... this naked Native American looking man." – Justin [60:08]
  • "It swooped down the hallway to my bed and grabbed me by the legs. I don't know if it used its talons... started dragging me off the bed." – Peter [67:54]
• Host Reflection:
  • Draws parallels to alien abduction themes, notes personal resonance with both motifs. [73:26]

9. Ghostly Tragedy: Roy’s Phantom Collision

[74:17–82:49]

• Story: At 16, Roy, on his way to church in Louisiana, believes he strikes a little girl standing in the road. He feels the impact, hears the metal—yet there’s no body, no damage, no evidence. Others, including police, investigate and find nothing, leaving Roy traumatized and ostracized.
• Notable Quote:
  • "She hit the front of my truck. She bounced underneath the truck. I felt it in my feet. I felt it in my hands..." – Roy [75:38]
• Host Reaction:
  • "That one still gives me the chills... I'm so glad that you didn't find anything, Roy. Heavy, heavy stuff.” – Derek Hayes [82:49]

10. The Prankster Leprechaun: Sebastian’s Kansas Memory

[84:16–86:15]

• Story: Sebastian reflects on a childhood incident where his sister, while washing dishes, claims a “leprechaun” spray-painted her hands and ran off laughing. Both he and their mother hear the laughter; the terror seems genuine.
• Notable Quote:
  • "Her hands were spray painted white... the terror on my sister’s face was quite genuine.” – Sebastian [85:53]
• Host Reaction:
  • Shares show’s affinity for leprechaun tales and teases the upcoming 10-year anniversary. [86:15]

11. Pale Crawler in Nova Scotia: Chad's Story

[87:58–91:45]

• Story: As a teen, Chad and friends, with corroboration from his parents, spot a tall, skinny, white/grey, bipedal figure sprinting and leaping tremendous distances around their house at night, before it drops to all fours and vanishes.
• Notable Quote:
  • "It was like a 7 to 8 foot tall, bipedal, skinny, skinny white, really dark, like a deep white kind of gray color creature... The skin was really tight over his body." – Chad [90:04]
• Host Discussion:
  • Categorizes it as a "pale crawler/humanoid," noting increased frequency of similar reports. [91:45]

12. The Pender County 911 “Pale Humanoid” Call

[92:59–95:50]

• Highlights:
  • Portion of a real 911 call where a distressed driver in North Carolina, after seeing a bleeding figure on the roadside, finds something non-human in the bed of his truck. Caller is frightened and confused, unable to rationally explain what happened.
• Notable Quote:
  • "Sir? That's not human. That's not human." – 911 Caller [94:13]
• Host Recommendation:
  • Urges listeners to check the deep dive episode (S19 Ep50) for more on this eerie case. [95:50]

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• “There's no free lunch, so to speak, right? I just kinda get the feeling at some point I'm gonna owe somebody or something.” – Tyler [07:32]
• "I've never really had closure about it and I think that's kind of the big thing that’s a draw for a lot of us…" – Joe [16:19]
• "Bigfoot's face looked just like my dad's." – Nightwolf [23:58]
• "Every time they stepped it felt like the earth was moving. So whatever it was was incredibly heavy." – Annette [47:02]
• "It opened its mouth, and that thing happened where you hear something roar... but you only hear it in your head." – Texas Anonymous [54:41]
• "Her hands were spray painted white... the terror on my sister’s face was quite genuine.” – Sebastian [85:53]
• "It was like a 7 to 8 foot tall, bipedal, skinny, skinny white, really dark, like a deep white kind of gray color creature..." – Chad [90:04]
• "Sir? That's not human. That's not human." – 911 Caller [94:13]

Episode Themes & Takeaways

• Paranormal variety: Listeners share a wide range of claims—ghosts, cryptids (Bigfoot, werewolves, Dogmen), shape-shifters (owls/skinwalkers), time slips, poltergeists, pale humanoids, and even mysterious prehistoric creatures.
• Emotional realism: Most stories are colored by the long-term impact on the witness—uncertainty, trauma, humor, gratitude, or the relentless search for closure.
• Community: Derek’s curation and commentary foster a sense of shared experience and open discussion; listeners are invited to submit, reflect, and interact.
• No simple answers: Many stories end with ambiguity—honoring the genuine mystery at the heart of the paranormal.

Episode Flow

Each call is introduced by Derek, who provides context (season, original episode), then the witness audio is played. Afterward, Derek offers thoughts—sometimes personal, sometimes referencing further research or upcoming features. The show’s tone is warm, inclusive, and steeped in spooky curiosity.

For Further Listening

• MAU Junior: Kid-friendly stories on MAU Junior (new episodes every other Wednesday).
• Pender County Deep Dive: Season 19, Episode 50.
• Skinwalker/Owl connections, cryptid roundups, pterodactyl feature (future episodes teased).

Final Note from Derek

“One last time, I’d like to thank you all for another stellar year of spooky stories. Let’s hope the next year is even better. Now go enjoy yourselves, be safe, keep it spooky, and by all means have yourselves a good night and a happy new year.” [98:00]

Keep it spooky!