S21 Ep1: Paranormal Animals: When man's best friend comes back (Sn. 21 Ep. 1)

Summary

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Monsters Among Us: S21 Ep1 – “Paranormal Animals: When Man’s Best Friend Comes Back”

Date: May 12, 2026
Host: Derek Hayes (Audioboom Studios)

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Episode Overview

Kicking off its 21st season, Monsters Among Us returns with a special “All Animal” episode, curated by host Derek Hayes, exploring the boundary between the animal kingdom and the paranormal. Listeners’ true, first-hand stories—ranging from cryptid encounters to poignant tales of pets returning from beyond—are woven together, reflecting on the comfort, warnings, and mysteries that animals (and their spirits) bring into our lives. The episode’s tone balances the eerie with the heartfelt, celebrating the bond between humans and animals and the enduring power of their presence—even after death.

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Key Segments, Stories & Discussion Points

1. Parallel Perceptions & Paranormal Snakes

[03:37] Chris from Texas

• Chris recounts walking with his wife on riverfront property when they both spot a water moccasin (cottonmouth) in the grass.
• Both witnessed the same snake but saw it differently: Chris’s wife saw an aggressive, open-mouthed snake staring at her, while Chris saw it with its mouth closed, looking sideways.
• Chris reflects, “We believe snakes and other things like that are demonic. They're not right sometimes. And so that just made us feel that that's what it was.” (04:47)

Host Insight [05:58]
Derek explains the defensive nature of water moccasins opening their mouths, but empathizes with the unsettling feeling of shared but divergent perceptions.

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2. Signs from the Other Side: Animal Reincarnation and Phenomena

[07:07] Anonymous from Idaho (calls about South Dakota)

• Shares a family legend: her great-grandfather always said he’d come back as a buck after death.
• While visiting his grave as a child, she lays flowers and a large white-tailed buck appears—an event never repeated in subsequent visits.
• “I feel like that means that his dream did indeed come true of coming back as a buck.” (08:14)
• Also describes lights flickering whenever the family reminisces about him—a recurring, meaningful “visit” validating continued presence.

Host Reflection [09:16] Derek muses: “He’ll make his presence known one way or another.”

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3. Saved by a Shapeshifter: Werewolf or Ghostly Protector

[11:50] Pistol from East Texas

• After her husband’s grandfather’s recent death, Pistol experiences unexplained phenomena at work and at home—phantom scents and malfunctioning electronics.
• The most dramatic event: She sees the deceased grandfather on a rural road who morphs into a wolf to warn her, causing her to slow down. Her car’s wheel bearing then fails; had she been driving faster, she and her children could have been killed.
• “...When I do, he transforms into a wolf and starts running towards the woods... The whole front end just smashes to the ground. I just have this realization that this thing, whatever it was, just saved me and my children.” (14:27 / 15:02)

Host Take [16:09] Derek: “Whatever, whoever that thing was, it just might have saved your lives. Was the husband's grandfather involved, or was his image simply used to get Pistol's attention?”

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4. Ghostly Companions: Pets That Return

a. [17:25] Mike from Southwest Florida

• Tells of the loss of his 16-year-old pit-bull/mastiff mix, Gage, during a vacation. Upon returning home, he and his wife vividly hear the unique sound of Gage’s paws on tile and his choker chain—though Gage has passed and the other dogs are asleep.
• “I've heard this sound for, you know, like I said, 16 years of his life... I know it was him.” (20:23)

Host Response [21:32] Derek expresses empathy for Mike’s pain, noting the dog’s attempted “goodbye,” and launches into folklore of ghostly dogs—Kuabe (Hawaii), Cadejo Blanco (Central America), the Ghost Hound of Goshen (South Carolina), and Cassie of the Stanley Hotel (Colorado).

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b. [25:44] Amanda from Brooklyn, NY

• Shares the story of two family cats, Marble and Tangerine, kept at separate houses. After Tangerine's sudden passing, Amanda hears unfamiliar meowing and discovers a stray orange kitten—a possible sign or reincarnation—outside her window the next day.
• The same day, her parents discover a dead bird (a typical cat “gift”) outside their late grandmother’s house, Tangerine’s old home.
• Later, strange noises reminiscent of Tangerine's habits convince Amanda the beloved cat is checking in from beyond.
• “...it kind of felt like that was also him once again visiting us and being like, 'I'm here, and I'm still rubbing my head against your bottle.'” (30:58)

Host Note [32:14] “I hope that it is him coming back, because if Tangerine can do it, maybe Jack and Annie can too.”

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c. [33:02] Sam from North Wales

• During heightened anxiety, Sam sees a "gray shadow cat" (possible mental projection or paranormal companion) running through the house.
• Shares a sleep paralysis story experienced by both Sam and his mother involving a spectral woman in a white dress.
• “I was over the course of about two weeks... seeing a gray shadow cat or a cat made of smoke running through the house. Only ever out of the corner of my eye.” (33:22)

Host Analysis [35:52] Derek commends Sam for openness to multiple explanations, noting the rich history of ghostly cats—from death omens in WWI trenches (Peronne), the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse, to Louisiana plantation curses.

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d. [37:57] Henri from Johannesburg, South Africa

• After moving in with her boyfriend, Henri begins seeing a large, dark “shadow cat” flitting at the edge of her vision, even when a real cat is present.
• A spiritually-inclined friend claims she has long seen this animal around Henri, and calls it a “familiar,” a spiritual companion.
• “There was never any fear around it. It was just kind of there... Maybe, just maybe, I really did have a familiar. Or maybe I still do...” (41:12)

Host Reflection [42:21] Derek wonders, “Would you want the friend to tell you right away... or would you rather not know about it?” and finds the idea of a familiar appealing.

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5. Messages from the Skies: Birds as Omens and Comfort

a. [44:42] Jennifer McCain, West Texas

• Grieving for her recently-passed dog Mo, Jennifer asks for a sign. She and her partner witness an uncommon bald eagle circle overhead—extremely rare for her region.
• “There are no bald eagles in the desert in West Texas... but it was a bald eagle 30 foot above our head.” (45:20)

Host Context [46:10] Derek confirms bald eagles’ rarity in that region, underscoring the event’s potential as a meaningful sign.

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b. [47:16] Anonymous from Mississippi

• Shares a deeply personal account: her late husband, agitated by the appearance of a crow (traditionally a death omen), dies by suicide days later.
• “...I said, look, a single crow is a symbol of death, like an omen... And then late Friday night, early Saturday morning, he committed suicide.” (48:00–49:00)

Host Note [49:51] With compassion, Derek reviews corvid folklore, discussing their reputation as omens of death and “soul guides,” connecting ancient funerary practices and belief systems.

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6. Insects and Divine Retribution

[52:10] Joanna from Philadelphia, PA

• As a teenager, Joanna’s group of friends visits a cemetery, where one urinates on a statue of Jesus; seconds later, they’re swarmed by bees—a mysterious and overwhelming attack that changed her worldview.
• “It got so bad that we had to run to the car... Bees flying themselves into the windshield and the windows. That was a turning point in my life.” (53:11)

Host Insight [55:08] Derek delves into beekeeping folklore: “telling the bees” customs in Europe, where hives are kept apprised of major family events.

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7. Cryptids: The Alien Big Cats

[58:23] Cam from the UK

• Describes seeing a large, black, panther-like animal near Barwell—a phenomenon known in the UK as “ABCs” or “alien big cats.”
• Cam’s brother recounts a similar sighting by railroad tracks. Neither finds a mundane explanation.
• “As it backed out of the hedge, it had got a really long tail... When it pounced, I could clearly see that it had the hindquarters of a cat, but a big cat.” (59:14)

Host Take [63:36] Derek classifies out-of-place animals (like British big cats) as cryptids and applauds Cam’s detailed report.

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8. Equine Apparitions: Ghost Horses of Kentucky

[65:40] Annabelle from Kentucky

• On a horse breeding farm, a young Annabelle loses her first foal, Twister, to pneumonia. A week later, she sees a silvery, glowing foal in the field who vanishes when she calls another witness.
• Her mother later shares a story of seeing “starlight horses” after a tragic barn fire, describing spectral horses running and playing where the deceased animals were buried.
• “She called them starlight horses, like as if they were made of starlight...And from that point on, occasionally... we will see their spirit. Sometimes once, sometimes many times, and sometimes not at all.” (68:45–70:14)
• Annabelle concludes that the land itself may allow these horse spirits to return.

Host Reflection [70:44] Derek suggests the land’s unique “energy” may facilitate these apparitions, making the account even more poignant.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Chris (on divergent perceptions): “We're both looking at the exact same thing, but seeing completely different at the exact same time.” (04:31)
• Pistol (on shapeshifting grandfather wolf): “He transforms into a wolf and starts running towards the woods... whatever this creature was, saved our life.” (14:27 / 15:02)
• Mike (on ghost dog): “I know it was him... It was the distinct sound of that dog walking across the tile with his nails. And then the shake he would do, and then the choker chain rattling.” (20:23)
• Amanda (on signs from Tangerine): “But just because it was still relatively soon after Tangerine, it kind of felt like that was also him once again visiting us and being like, 'I'm here, and I'm still rubbing my head against your bottle.'” (30:58)
• Henri (on her familiar): “I was never scared of this shadow cat. I never felt threatened. It was just kind of there.” (39:27)
• Annabelle (on ghost horses): “She called them starlight horses... dancing in the moonlight or whatever. Sometimes our most beloved horses do not come back to see us, which is how I know that I’m not making it up or just manifesting or wishing that it would happen.” (68:45, 70:14)

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Thematic Highlights

• Shared Hallucinations or Parallel Sightings: Many stories feature multiple witnesses perceiving distinctly different phenomena or corroborating each other's strange sightings.
• Animal Spirits as Comfort & Warning: Spirits often visit in times of grief, acting as protectors (the wolf), comforters (pets), or omens (crows).
• Cultural Folklore: The episode is interspersed with legend—ghost dogs and cats tied to warning, death, or protection, and insect beliefs like “telling the bees.”
• Cryptids & Out-of-Place Animals: British “alien big cats” and horses revisiting sites of tragedy make space for broader discussions on the overlap of the unexplained and the natural.
• Emotional Resonance: Listeners’ genuine emotions—grief, awe, hope, and fear—infuse the stories, making them reflective as well as spine-tingling.

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Timestamps by Segment

• [03:37] Chris: Parallel snake encounter
• [07:07] Anonymous (Idaho): Grandfather returns as a buck, flickering lights
• [11:50] Pistol: The lifesaving wolf/shapeshifter
• [17:25] Mike: Beloved dog returns via signature sounds
• [25:44] Amanda: Signs from a family cat
• [33:02] Sam: Shadow cat, shared sleep paralysis
• [37:57] Henri: The familiar/shadow cat companion
• [44:42] Jennifer: Bald eagle as a sign from a deceased dog
• [47:16] Anonymous: Crow omen before tragedy
• [52:10] Joanna: Bee swarm after disrespect in a cemetery
• [58:23] Cam: Black panther sighting (UK)
• [65:40] Annabelle: Ghost horses on the family farm

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Final Thoughts

From shadow cats and phantom horses to guardian spirits and cryptid felines, Season 21’s opening episode blends the mystical with the personal—reminding listeners that, whether as omens, comforters, or protectors, animals sometimes return in extraordinary ways. Derek Hayes guides the exploration with empathy and curiosity, grounding these otherworldly events in folklore, cultural context, and the universal emotions that bond people to the animals they love.

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Keep it spooky!

Transcript

[Derek Hayes]

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[Conspiracy Theories Podcast Host]

Join me and follow the podcast Conspiracy Theories where we explore what's really going on behind the official narrative. Like what if the Loch Ness Monster isn't a monster at all, but an elephant? What do the richest 1% know that we don't? And why are they building all those bunkers? And really, what the heck is going on with the Denver Airport? Join me every week to see just how high up this goes on the Spotify podcast Conspiracy Theories. Listen on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sam]

Sam

[Derek Hayes]

Good evening and welcome to Monsters Among Us. I am your guide, Derek Hayes. Hello friends and welcome back to a brand new episode. I can't tell you how excited I am to be back on the airwaves, and I can't begin to describe how great it feels to be starting season 21 of the program. We have some big things planned for this season and I bet it'll be our best yet. So let's kick things off, shall we? And to do so, I'm dusting off a theme we've already attempted once before, maybe even twice, the All Animal episode. And I have an array of stories all centered around our four legged furry friends, farm animals, wild animals, and even snakes. And it's with the latter that we begin here this evening. Chris welcome to the program.

[Chris]

Good afternoon. My name is Chris from Texas. I'm calling in regards to Anne Marie's report from season 20, episode 37, your Washington state episode, how she was talking about her and her cousin were walking down the street and split as a car went by and she Saw a nice, smiling younger lady and her cousin. Saw old hag snarling at her. Both seeing the same individual, but different faces, different things. Well, that reminded me of a situation that happened with my wife last year, which would be 20, 25. At that time, my wife and I were walking down to the river. She had some riverfront property, and we were just going for a nice walk, go look at the water and just enjoy the day. But we got down there. Grass was not maintained, but it wasn't tall. It was nice, but we got down there, enjoyed walking around, talking. Well, she saw something moving, and there's a water moccasin in the grass. And she's terrified of these, or she's terrified of snakes in general, but she's always had a thing with these because they've always been attracted to her. Well, we're both looking at the exact same thing. And I managed to get her out of her frozen, scared state. We just kind of quickly run off. Well, we start talking about it, and she's like, did you see that? Did you see that? It was looking at me with its mouth open, looking straight at my eyes. I'm like, honey, the snake was looking sideways and its mouth was closed. I saw its portrait. We're side by side, but we believe snakes and other things like that are demonic. They're not right sometimes. And so that just made us feel that that's what it was. It wasn't a normal snake because we were looking at the exact same thing, but seeing completely different at the exact same time. Thank you for everything. You do love the podcast and goodbye.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, grass. Now, just plain devil's advocate here. Water moccasins, or cottonmouths, as they're often called, got that name because of one of their defense mechanisms. They open their bright white mouth to look more intimidating. So it is possible that the snake opened its mouth in your wife's direction, Kress. Perhaps you just didn't see it, but I don't know that that makes the animal demonic. Just defensive. Now, don't get me wrong, though, that is an animal to fear. One of the most venomous snakes in the United States. Danger noodle, as folks like to say. So I'm glad that you and your wife gave it a wide berth, Chris, And I'm also glad that you took the time to call in. Now, folks, real quick, let's run one more story. So from the state of Idaho, please welcome Anonymous to the program.

[Anonymous (Idaho Caller)]

Hello. So I would like to remain anonymous, but I am from the state of Idaho, and this story takes place in the state of South Dakota, where my mother is from. So my great grandfather, he passed away in 2014. He had always said that when he died, he will come back as a buck. He was a big hunter, so he always says he would come back as a buck, a deer. And I had gone to the cemetery that he had been buried at. It's way out in the country and are surrounded by cornfields. I was young, I was probably 8. I went up to his grave and I laid a flower down on it. And I had said, you know, maybe your dream will come true. And then as soon as I said that, a big white tailed deer popped up from some bushes behind the church in that cemetery. And it stared at me for a good, felt like an hour, but it was probably about 10 or 15 seconds. And then it bounded over the fence and out into those cornfields. And I've gone there since. But I've never seen that particular whitetail buck again. I've seen a lot of deer back there though, which I feel like that means that his dream did indeed come true of coming back as a buck. And then I have another story from my mother. So in 2014, she went to South Dakota to visit my great grandmother. And they were playing cards just to cheer everybody up after his death because everybody was a little bit sad after that. And then they started playing cards and they started talking about memories with them. And the chandelier above them started flickering. And every time they talk about them, the lights would flicker in that house. It still happened. It happened to me a couple of times too. Whenever I went there. The lights will flicker. Whenever you go there and talk about them, the lights in that apartment will flicker. So not particularly spooky, but I wanted to put it out here and hopefully I hear this on an episode of the podcast. See you, Derek.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, caller. You know, it sounds like your grandfather was, or perhaps still is, a determined guy. He'll make his presence known one way or another. Now, thank you again for taking the time to share those experiences. We appreciate the phone call. Now gang, it's time to take the first break of the season. But when I come back, if he werewolf waiting for you, don't go anywhere. And then they would just outwardly talk

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[Mike]

Is it a thousand years which is one day for God?

[Derek Hayes]

No. As promised, a Werewolf Story Please welcome Pistol from Texas back to the program.

[Pistol]

Hey Derek, this is Pistol Pistol from East Texas. The story that I'm going to be talking about happened today, but first I need to backtrack about a week. So a week ago my husband's grandfather passed away and me and his grandfather were pretty close. He liked me really well, which was a huge thing because his grandfather did not like anybody. And yesterday at work I kept noticing little things like we have a sensor at work that you wave your hand in front of and it beeps to open the door to go out into the warehouse and I was the only one in the room and it started beeping and I felt really chilled. So then I also was smelling phantom smells that were always associated with him. So I get home and I'm telling my husband about it and he's like, well, you know, Pops really did like you, so it wouldn't surprise me. He said, I've also been smelling those smells. And when we were sitting there talking about him, my 3 year old's toy was sitting beside us on the table and we had been sitting there for well over an hour and it never went off. But as we were sitting there talking to each other about Pops, it started going off. We just looked at each other and we kind of smiled. We knew it was him. So Back to this morning, I got in our vehicle and I was taking the kids to daycare so that I could go to work. And we lived back out in the woods. So, you know, I was going to about 45 and I get ready to start slowing down to make my turn, but I'm still going a pretty decent speed. And I see something in the road. And as I get closer, I can tell it's a human. It's not uncommon for us to see people jogging and running and walking on the back roads. So I slow down and as I get closer, I realize that it's his grandfather standing in the middle of the road. And you can tell he's trying to slow me down. He's waving his arms and going crazy. So I slow down and I get closer to him. And when I do, he transforms into a wolf and starts running towards the woods. And I'm just like, okay, that was weird. And as I did, I'm making my turn and the wheel bearing falls out of my jeep. My entire front end just smashes to the ground. It flattens my tire. And I'm in the vehicle with my two children, my three year old and a three month old. And I just have this realization that this thing, whatever it was, just saved me and my children. Because had I been on the main road going 70 miles an hour,

[Anonymous (Idaho Caller)]

sorry,

[Pistol]

we would have died because the force of how fast it stopped us. I don't know exactly what it was, but whatever this creature was saved our life. So I get out of the car and I start looking around because I'm just like, what the heck just happened? And I look towards the woods and this wolf is sitting right inside the tree line. So I'm like, oh, I gotta take a picture of this. No one's gonna believe me. And I took my phone out and I started like putting it up, like I was gonna take a picture. And this wolf just started shaking its head like, don't do that. And then it disappeared. And I was just bewildered. I mean, I don't know what it was, if it was a ghost, because how does a wolf just disappear? I mean, I don't know if anybody else has any stories like this. I would love to hear it. Yeah, thanks. Bye.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you. Pistol. Incredible. And I completely understand why all of this upsets you. You and your children could have been seriously injured or even worse. So I agree, whatever, whoever that thing was, it just might have saved your lives. Now the real question here is, was the husband's grandfather involved or was his image simply used to Get Pistol's attention. Like I said, incredible. And we thank you again, Pistol, for taking the time to share. And folks, 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 888-608-NIG HT. Or you can email a voice memo to monsters among us podcastmail.com either way, we can't wait to hear from you. Now moving on, this next entry takes us to the sunshine State of Florida. Please welcome Mike to the program.

[Mike]

Hey, Derek. This is Mike from southwest Florida. My story involves my dog. He was older. He was almost 16 years old with a big, you know, 85 pound pit and bullmaster mix. Just a big dog. It was brown with a black face. His great dog, his name was Gage. He was getting older. And I had my cousin watching my dogs while I was on vacation. So I was going for a week and at the beginning of my vacation, my cousin called me and said, hey, something happened. Gage is not doing too good. He's not wanting to eat. And I'm like, great. I knew this was coming and I said, just watch over them and if you need to take him to the vet, let me know. I'll give you my credit card number and we can get him there. So a day or two later, she calls me and says, hey, he's going to have to be put to sleep. He's not doing good. So she takes me to the vet. I was put to sleep. It was real sad, you know, it's kind of ruined our vacation. This was a dog that I had from the day I turned 18. I got this dog. So he was with me my whole adult hood, you know, starting off. And he was just my little buddy, you know, tough times when you're young, trying to survive and live on your own. He was there with me, so it affected me. I was with my wife at this time. So I come home and there's a box on my kitchen table with a card. My cousin went and had him cremated. Had a little box made with his name on it. It was very thoughtful. So I opened the box and there's obviously, you know, his ashes and a little like velvet bag. And his collar, he had like a choker chain type collar. He was an inside dog, but he didn't like regular collars, so I always left the choker chain on. Well, we lived in a house that had tile floors and one night my wife and I were laying in our bedroom. We're watching tv and the Way our bed space. We're looking at our TV straight ahead, and to the right of the TV is our bedroom door. I also had two other dogs at this time. They were like puppies. They were, you know, about a year old or less. And I hear on the floor, I hear, you know, the distinct sound of nails on tile. Just I can hear him kind of coming through the living room, and he's gonna, like, coming to the bedroom. And right before the dog gets to the bedroom, I hear the distinct sound of a dog shaking with the choker chain ratted on. And, you know, obviously, if you've had a dog for a long time, you've heard these sounds in your sleep, you've heard them at night. You know, you ever have the sound of, like, your dog just gets up to, like, reposition and does that shake, and then, you know, find a spot to go lay down or whatever. I've heard this sound for, you know, like I said, 16 years of his life, I've heard this sound. It's very distinct. And I stop and I. I look at the door because that's what made me realize, like, wait a minute, what dog is wearing a choker chain? And I look over to the side of my bed, and my two puppies are sleeping. They're on their little dog bed, and they're sleeping. And I look at my wife and I said, hey, did you hear that? She goes, yeah, yeah, it was one of the dogs. I said, well, I know it was one of the dogs, but what dog is wearing a choker chain? And right when I said that, she sat up real quick and just looked. And we're both just looking, and I'm like, hey, the puppies over here sleeping. I go, you did hear a choker chain, right? And she said, 100%. That was the distinct sound of that dog walking across the tile with his nails. And then the shake he would do, and then the choker chain rattling. I've heard that sound so many times. I know it was him. And we were just like, whoa, I love your show. I've been a fan for many, many years, probably since the beginning. I just love what you do, and I look forward to all your shows.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, Mike. What a terrible series of events. You weren't even able to say goodbye to him, which I'm sure was just as difficult for Gage as it was for you, Mike. It's no wonder he came back. Gut wrenching. But we thank you for calling in, Mike, and we thank you for tuning in all these years. It's always great to hear from a long time listener. Now, before we move on here this evening, let's cover some ghostly canines from around the world, beginning with the ghost dog of Nuanu. Hawaiian legend says that the Nuanu Valley on Honolulu is home to a shadowy dog who trots quietly across the highway or through neighborhood front yards. Known as Kuabe, this dog of death was an omen of disaster and would readily maul any man or woman who crossed his path. Then there's the Cadejo blanco. In Central American folklore, the cantejo blanco is a benevolent spirit that appears to travelers who wander the roads at night. The white cadeo protects folks, most notably drunks and vagabonds, from harm or danger during their journey home. Then there's the ghost hound of Goshen, a legendary ghost in South Carolina said to haunt a road in the Sumter National Forest and believed to be the spirit of a dog who killed his master. And finally, we have Cassie the golden retriever, a ghost dog reportedly seen at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, known for bringing guests newspapers and picking their favorite guest to curl up next to. Further proof that they never stop being man's best friend.

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[Chris]

And a bad precedent of picking and

[Derek Hayes]

choosing is now in play. Well, now we featured a few canine stories, so it's time to give the opposition equal time with a cattail. Please welcome Amanda out of New York.

[Amanda]

Hi, Derek. This is Amanda from Brooklyn, New York. So when it comes to these experiences, this happened in the fall of 2022, around October. Ish. So I had at that time two cats spread over two houses. So I live with my parents and at the time we were living in the house I had grown up in. And my grandmother had owned a house about a 15 minute drive away from us. And she had passed away, but her cat, who we call our cat as well, he was still living in that house that otherwise was empty except for some house plants. And we were in the process of inheriting the home, but at the time it was still empty. But, but because my grandmother's cat Tangerine and my cat Marble had never met before and they were both adults, we worried that they would be territorial and have fights, especially if we brought Tangerine to my childhood home, which is much smaller than my grandmother's home. So we didn't want two cats in that space. So we just kept it up where the cats were in two separate homes. And every day one member of my family would go and spend some time a tantrum and feed him. So he was probably around like 11 years old, which for a cat isn't too, too old. And he was a bit heavy, but he otherwise was in decently good health. And one day when my mom was there, he unfortunately just passed away. It was very sudden. It was super hard on all of us because he was like the sweetest cat ever. He was this big orange cat who never wanted to stop being petted. He never, you know, growled or anything. He was just the sweetest cat all the time. So it was really hard for us when he unfortunately passed away out of nowhere. And so the very next day, I was alone at my house with my own cat. My parents had gone to my grandmother's house to do some stuff there. And when I'm alone, I started hearing this really loud meowing, but it wasn't my own cat. Who was sitting, like, next to me in the living room, who was just being completely silent unless she learned to meow with her mouth closed. And so I started going crazy looking everywhere, like, where is this coming from? And I'm looking out the window. We're on the second floor of a two family house. So I went on our balcony. I'm looking, and finally I realized I noticed there's a very small orange kitten across the street under the neighbor's car. I quickly, like, I went downstairs, I ran out. I was looking at the cat. He was, you know, he just kept meowing. He was very vocal. And I lived there my whole life at this time and never heard a cat meowing from outside. And so I was out there for like an hour trying to, like, you know, get the cat to come out bringing it food. I didn't get it to come out, but I was really hopeful. I was like, oh, my God, maybe this is Tangerine. You know, like, either it's him reincarnated or another thing could be that it's him letting me know, like, hey, he's okay. But another part of me really just wanted to take in this kitten as our new second cat. After that, we never saw him again. It really was just a one day after Tangerine passed away. And so at the same time, where I'm alone at home with this little kitten, my parents are at my grandmother's house, which was Tangerine's house. And while they're there, they go out into the backyard to take out the trash or something like that. And right in front of the back door is a dead bird. So for people who aren't super familiar with cats, that is a very common behavior of domestic cats, because when a cat is outside, of course, they're killing animals to eat and share with their family or their litter, whatever, for food. Domestic cats are inside someone's house. If they're indoor outdoor cats, they might still kill bird, kill a mouse and bring it to their owners as a gift. Because, of course, to them, that's a nice thing to do. It's food to us. It's kind of gross. But Tangerine, I don't remember, did that when he was alive. But that's not a normal thing that we would see dead animals in our yard. That's not to say there aren't strays that would come through our yard. There definitely are, but we had never had a dead bird be gifted to us from a cat before. And so this was the day after Tangerine passed right at the doorstop and Another thing, I guess, kind of connects to Tangerine is that he actually was a stray from the yard that we took in. So this bird was literally right in the door where we used to let him in and out. Because at first he was an indoor outdoor cat, and eventually he just became solidly an indoor cat. So it really felt like Tangerine was giving us both messages, me and my parents and being like, hey, guys, I'm okay. And then a little bit, like, time later, my mother and I were the ones at my grandmother's house. My mom and I were in the kitchen talking about something, and I, at the time, had this metal water bottle, and the lid had a bit of a plastic handle. And if I left the handle, like, in the up position, pointing to the ceiling sometimes, eventually gravity would pull it back down and it would fall to the side and thud against the. The metal side of the bottle, and you would hear a light little ding sound. And that was left in the dining room, which is the room right next to the kitchen, the doors open between them. So we were talking, and all of a sudden, we both heard that sound and stopped, because even she heard it. And I, of course, immediately knew what it was. But we were the only ones in the house. And at this time, of course, Tangerine has already passed, so there's no animal in the house either. But Tangerine, like I said, had been an extremely affectionate cat. And sometimes he would bump into my war bottle, like, with his head, you know, he would rub his head on my laptop, all these different things. And when he would rub his head onto my bottle, the handle would clang against the bottle and make that little sound. So am I making something out of nothing? Maybe. But just because it was still relatively soon after Tangerine, it kind of felt like that was also him once again visiting us and being like, I'm here, and I'm still rubbing my head against your bottle. And I believe it was that same day when I went in to check out the water bottle, I heard a creak on the stairs that were leading from the dining room to the second floor with our bedrooms and stuff. And now, could that just be the house settling? Yes. But of course, in this situation, I obviously want to ascribe meaning to these sounds and make it be my beloved pet who had died, because, like I said, he was quite a chunky cat. So you would hear him on the steps sometimes, and he would make the stairs creek when he walked down them. I know, all together. I would like to think it's Tangerine who's coming a few times and just being like, hey, guys, I'm still okay and I still love you guys. And I'm just checking in. So, yeah, thank you so much for listening. Have a great day. Bye.

[Derek Hayes]

Thanks, Amanda. Poor Tangerine. But it sounds like he still might be hanging around, just like Gage from the previous call. And having lost many pets myself, most recently two black cats, Jack in 2019 and Annabelle in 2023. I hope that it is him coming back, because if Tangerine can do it, maybe Jack and Annie can too. Thank you again, Amanda, for sharing that hopeful story. All right, here with another feline fable, please welcome Sam from Wales.

[Sam (Wales Caller)]

Hey, this is Sam from North Wales. And I had kind of a bit of a rebuttal. I've been binging your monsters among us beyond stuff recently, and I was listening to MAU beef episode 31, where two callers were talking, talking about ghost cats. A little bit of background. I had some significant trauma recently which has left me with quite a lot of anxiety. And during these anxiety panic attacks and stuff like that, I was over the course of about two weeks, three weeks, something like that, I was seeing a gray shadow cat or a cat made of smoke running through the house. I was only ever seeing it out of the corner of my eye. It was pretty consistent when this kind of all came to a head in the worst panic attack I'd had, which was I was convinced that there was a shadow man in the house. I went hunting through the house looking for him. And this rebuttal was kind of supposed to be about what the effects of mental health can do on our brains and our perceptions. But I brought this up with my mum last week, and she reminded me of kind of the importance of ghost cat sightings around the death of loved ones, things like that. The same evening that I did have this shadow man experience, I also had a very unusual experience with exploding head syndrome, which I normally have as women's voices speaking to me. But in this instance, it was the sound of a boar, like a huge, huge, deep, guttural grunting. That happened three or four times as I was trying to fall asleep. Each time during the same conversation with my mom. We somehow got on to talking about ghosts, and she'd never heard of sleep paralysis before. So we were talking about that a little bit as well. And it turns out that we had actually the exact same sleep paralysis experience in the same bedroom in the same house. And that was of a woman in a white Victorian or Georgian dress with very long hair, sat on our lower legs that's the only time my mom's ever experienced sleep paralysis. And she did actually say that it was only her legs that were paralyzed, it wasn't the rest of her. The other short growth story that she gave me was that when I was very young, she had seen the ghost of a Crimean era soldier appear, sat in the chair next to her bed, watching her, and then he faded away over the course of about 30 seconds or so. And she still has that chair. Nothing else has happened to it. So maybe it was the other house, not the chair itself. Alright, love the chair. And the MAU beyond is definitely keeping me sane. I am binging that pretty much every single day. So yeah, have a good one.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, Sam. A ghost and a possible shadow cat. The byproduct of a mental issue or some sort of premonition. Good on you, Sam, for not making an assumption either way. But whatever it was, it certainly was strange. Now, we just went through a quick list of famous dog ghosts, so let's do the same for our feline friends. Beginning with the ghost cat of Peronne. During World War I, French and British soldiers reported a ghostly white cat wandering the trenches near the Somme in France. It was seen as an omen of death, since whoever spotted it was believed to be killed in battle soon after. Then there's the ghost cat of Fairport Harbor Lighthouse. On the shores of Lake Erie sits the lighthouse that is home to the spirit of a long deceased gray cat. According to legend, the wife of the original lighthouse keeper lost her child to a mysterious illness and in the depths of her grief took in multiple stray cats, one of which was gray. Visitors claim to hear the cat's quiet meows and have even seen the phantom cat dart around the lighthouse grounds. And finally, there's the ghost cat of old Mathis Plantation in Louisiana. This plantation once had an abusive owner. A former enslaved person allegedly sent a black cat to haunt his master. Eventually, the plantation owner died and the black cat came out to circle his coffin. It went on to harass the plantation owner's son too. And still to this day, allegedly haunts the ruins. Now, I do have one more cat story to share, but this one's a little different than the others. Please welcome Henri, all the way from South Africa.

[Henri]

Hi there, Derek. This is Hanri, all the way from Johannesburg in South Africa. So my story starts back in 2019. My then boyfriend, now husband, and I moved into a cozy little house together. And that's when things got strange. So almost immediately, I started noticing something odd just out of the Corner of my eye, I'd catch a glimpse of what looked like the shadow of a cat. It was always fleeting and always just beyond full view. But every time I turned to actually look at was nothing. It was gone. And this wasn't some cute little kitten silhouette either. As far as cats go. It was pretty large, and it was dark, and I kept seeing it. And I remember telling my boyfriend something like, you know, I think I'm going mad, or, we have a ghost cat in the house. And he just laughed it off. So he doesn't believe in anything supernatural. He said it was probably just my imagination or my eyes playing tricks on me with the lights or, you know, maybe one of the neighbor's cats who came to visit. And sure enough, not long after, a real cat from next door did start visiting us. It is a very small black and white cat, very friendly. And eventually, this cat moved into our house. He claimed the couch, and he claimed my lap. You know, typical cat behavior. But then it gets even weirder. So even with the real cat curled up on my lap, and he would be purring like it's nobody's business, I'd still see that other cat, the shadow one, slipping past the edge of my vision. And when I glanced over, it would be gone. But the actual cat, the real cat, would stop purring when this happened, and he would stare right where I'd seen the shadow go, like, you saw it, too. So if I thought the shadow cat was coming down the stairs, and I would look, and the actual cat would also be looking at the stairs or at the corner or whatever. So it went on for months and months and months. And then one day, a very good friend of mine came to visit. And she's the type who's deeply into all things spiritual and supernatural. Think crystals and energy and tarot cards and Ouija boards. You name it, she's into it. So I just casually mentioned this shadowy cat that I kept seeing and that our new cat was looking at. And I was expecting her to just kind of, like, you know, raise an eyebrow or think whatever, but instead, she just smiled at me, and she said, you know, I've seen that thing around you for years. I just didn't want to freak you out. Obviously, I freaked out in that moment. But apparently she believes it's something called a familiar. And she explained it's a spirit companion that I guess in folklore takes the form of an animal. And she said traditionally, they were linked to witches, and they were serving as spiritual guides or protectors. Now, for the record, I Am not a witch. Not that I know of anyways. Maybe somewhere my ancestry there were witches. Not that I know of. But to be clear, I was never scared of this shadow cat. I never felt threatened. It was just kind of there. And I just found it a little bit odd that it was there, but there was never any fear around it. So this friend of mine told me that this familiar had been with me since the day we met. And that was at this stage over a decade ago. Why I suddenly started seeing it after moving into that house, I have no clue. And neither did she. Maybe it was just something about the space, maybe the light or the energy or who knows? But we lived in that house for about a year and then we moved. And just like that, the shadow cat was gone. And I haven't seen it since. It's been about five years now and it's just nowhere to be found. So I don't know, maybe that house was some kind of a spiritual antenna. Or maybe my eyes were playing tricks. Or maybe, just maybe, I really did have a familiar. Or maybe I still do have it, even though I'm not seeing it anymore. Anyway, that's my story. Thank you for listening and thank you for keeping me company from the other side of the world. Bye.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, Henri. Now there's a question for you. Would you want the friend to tell you right away that there was a shadow cat following you around? Or are you like Henri here and you'd rather not know about it? You know, I think I would want to know on the off chance that it's one of my buddies come back to say hello. I sure wouldn't want to miss them. And I also wouldn't mind a feline familiar either. I wonder if there's a sign up sheet for that sort of thing. I love the story, Henri, and the long distance entry. So thank you again for calling in

[Sam]

the Last of Us Part two.

[Derek Hayes]

Definitely this Crazy things happening here in California Things Monsters Among Us is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you can save some cash? Well, Progressive makes it easy. Just drop in some details about yourself and see if you're eligible to save money. When you bundle your home and auto policies, the process only takes minutes and it could mean hundreds more in your pocket. Visit progressive.com after this episode to see if you can save Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

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[Derek Hayes]

play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details. All right, we've heard from the belly crawlers. We've heard from the four leggeds. Now let's explore the skies with the winged. Please welcome Jennifer from the state of Texas.

[Sam]

Hi, Derek.

[Jennifer McCain]

My name is Jennifer McCain and I am born and raised in West Texas. My son, you know, he was a dog, but he was my son. He recently passed away and he would have been 11, you know, coming up this next month. But the thing is, I take my other son who's a healer to the park every day. You know, it's like what we do every single day. You know, I'm sitting there and I'm talking to Mo.

[Derek Hayes]

His name was Mo.

[Jennifer McCain]

And my partner Landon, you know, we're talking about Mo. And I had asked for his fine, you know, and I look up and it was not more than 30 foot. There was a bald eagle and he circled around us. He was gliding around us. And this went on for like two minutes. I just, I fell to my knees because the eagle doesn't come around me. There are no bald eagles in the desert in West Texas. If they are, they're not where I live. They're just not prominent from this area. If you know anything about West Texas, you know, it's dirt and tumbleweeds basically, and mesquite trees. So eagles are just not common. And yeah, it was a bald eagle 30 foot above our head. So I wanted to share my story. I know it's not like, creepy, but anyways, thank you so much and God bless everyone and bye.

[Derek Hayes]

Thanks, Jennifer. I'm sorry for your loss. Now, just to be clear here, and I think Jennifer sort of alluded to it, but bald eagles do in fact live in West Texas. Places like Devil's river and Lake Amistad have populations, but as Jennifer mentioned, they are very rare. So for her to see one, the chances are sort of slim. So maybe that does mean it was a sign of some sort. A message from Mo, perhaps. Like I said earlier. I sure hope so. Touching stuff, Jennifer. We thank you again for sharing. Now this next call also features a bird, but also discusses the topic of suicide. So ye be warned and please welcome Anonymous out of Mississippi

[Sam]

Hey, Derek. I have a very personal story, but it's a little creepy. I'm not sure what you'd want to categorize it as, but I do live in Mississippi, and my late husband, he was having some issues back in 2020, and there was one night where our daughter stayed with his parents so that we could have a night to ourselves. The weeknight, I'll never forget. It's a Tuesday night, and, you know, we were having some beers, and I think we were playing, like, just poker with poker chips, just having a good time. And he lays out on the floor, and he's very intoxicated, so that might be why he was laying on the floor. But he laid on the floor, and he said, I was at work today. He was a construction employee. And so he said he was at work, and he said that a crow landed on the hood of his equipment. And he said it looked dead at him and squawked. And I said, oh, what? I didn't really believe him. I thought maybe he was just being overdramatic. I was like, was the equipment running? And he said, yeah, he's like, it was running. He's like, I wasn't moving yet. I hadn't started working yet. So he said it was running, and the crow landed on it, and it squawked at him. And he seemed really, you know, messed up by it. I wasn't gonna lie to him. I said, look, you know, a single crow is a symbol of death, like an omen. There's different symbols for 2 and 3. I can't remember what it was, but I know one is a symbol of death. And so he said, oh, gosh, you know, he kind of got freaked out. And I told him. I was like, well, look, it's probably just coincidence. Probably doesn't mean anything. And then late Friday night, early Saturday morning, he committed suicide. And it seemed out of the blue, we had plans Saturday and all that. But I haven't told a lot of people this story, just a couple close friends. I was very picky about who I told this story to. So, you know, just take it as you want, whether it's coincidence or whatever you want to think. Thank you for the podcast. It's great. I love it. Hope you have a great day.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, caller. And I'm incredibly sorry to hear of your loss. What a difficult thing to not only go through, but to discuss here with strangers. So your bravery here tonight is duly noted. I'd heard similar folklore about crows myself, but I never knew the official lore, So I asked Delaney to dig some information up and this is what she delivered, courtesy of folklore Thursday.com Crows and other corvids have long been considered an omen of ill luck or even death. This derives from their tendency to scavenge carrion and their tendency to devour the dead on battlefields. Now, carrion eating birds have long been considered soul guides carrying the dead to the next world. This dates back to ancient prehistory when the dead were excarnated or left for carrion eating birds to devour. The crow and the raven are traditionally considered wise. They are, in fact among the most intelligent birds, and this wisdom stemmed from their connections to the other world as the divine laws of harmony. And finally, jackdaws, a smaller, lesser known corvid, were considered sacred because of their tendency to nest in church steeples. I don't know, those tidbits might have raised more questions than they answered, but I've linked to the article if you'd like to explore further. I have a funny feeling that these wives tales or legends vary from place to place and culture to culture. But one thing is for certain, everyone takes notice when one of these birds flies by, and that's gotta mean something. Now our thoughts are with you and your family, caller. We thank you again for bringing in. Now folks, our next entry takes us to Pennsylvania. Please welcome Joanna to the program.

[Joanna]

Hello, my name is Joanna. I'm calling from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I was listening to the podcast and someone had been swarmed by bugs and was wondering if it had happened to anybody else. And my story is a little bit on the paranormal side. I was about 14 and I was with a group of friends and we were in a cemetery. There was me and my one girlfriend and then two guys. But one of the friends I was with had to urinate and it was a guy. So he decided that he was going to urinate on a statue of Jesus. At the time we were all edgy and atheist and at that time I was still not a believer yet. And still though, something in me told him not to do that. But he did it anyway. He peed on the statue like a stone statue of Jesus. Well, not even a minute later we start noticing bees. And these bees are coming at us and then more start coming. They start like flying into us. It got so bad that we had to run to the car. So we run to the car with still more bees coming at us and flying into us. We get in the car and the bees are flying themselves into the windshield and the windows. And ever since that day, other things have happened that have made me a believer in God, and I'm very thankful for those experiences because I was going down a really bad path. But that was a turning point in my life because it was really a clear message was being sent. So yeah, that's my story. Hopefully this can answer any question as to if anybody else has been attacked by insects, because we certainly were. Every one of us was getting pelted by those bees that day. So anyway, thank you so much. Your podcast is amazing and yeah, so thank you.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, Joanna. Well, it certainly seems like those bees were pissed off. Probably because they were pissed on. I'm sorry I had to do it. But you know, bees are weird and there is some strange folklore surrounding them as well. For example, have you ever heard of someone telling the bees? Telling the bees is a European tradition in which bees are told of important events, including deaths, births, marriages and departures, and returns in the keeper's household. If the custom was omitted or forgotten and the bees were not put into mourning, then it would be believed that a penalty would be paid, such as the bees leaving their hive, stopping the production of honey or dying altogether. So weird creatures, those bees, and you can read more about that in tonight's show notes or by exploring the monster missive released every Friday on Patreon. What do you think here, folks? Divine retribution? Or did he simply pick the wrong place to be? Either way, it made for a great tale and we thank you again, Joanna, for sharing that entry. Okay, let me take this last ad break of the evening, but when I come back I have a few more tales to tell. Or share more accurately. So don't touch that dial. I'll be right back.

[Anonymous (Idaho Caller)]

Number one for music, radio and podcasts

[Derek Hayes]

Monsters Among Us is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you can save some cash? Well, Progressive makes it easy. Just drop in some details about yourself and see if you're eligible to save money when you bundle your home and auto policies. The process only takes minutes and it could mean hundreds more in your pocket. Visit progressive.com after this episode to see if you can save Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states, whether it's

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play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more detail. Now, it wouldn't be an all animal episode without a call about one of my favorite Cryptids. The abc. Please welcome Cam, all the way from the uk.

[Cam]

Hi, Derek, it's Cam again from the uk. This one's not necessarily of Cryptid. It's what, you know, we regard as black panthers or big cats that said to roam loose. And it's quite unusual in our country because we don't have anything more predatorial these days than a fox. Back in the day, obviously, we had bears and wolves, but they're all gone now. But on this particular day, I'd been with my brother to Birmingham, which is in the Midlands, and that's west of where I live. And I was heading back with my brother because I'd picked him up at his house, which is in a small town called Barwell, and it's between where I live and Birmingham. And the reason we'd been to Birmingham is because at the time, we were both officiating American football in this country. So I was dropping him back at his house after doing this game in Birmingham, and he lived on the edge of the town. As I pulled up to let him out the car, he was talking and I was kind of just staring into the distance, actually down a sort of farm track, because I'd pulled up at a gateway because literally his house was more or less the last one before it headed. You know, you're heading off into the fields, so all. Everything to my left is fields as I'm gonna drive away from him. But while he was still talking, before he was getting out the car, something had caught my attention. And it looked at the time to be something about the size of a black dog, like a black Labrador. We have a lot of those kind of dogs in this country, and they're quite a big dog. And I was staring at this thing that seemed to have its head in the hedgerow, and it was rooting around and all I could see was its rear end. At this point, it's probably about 60, 70 yards from where we are. Well, as I continue to look at it, I'm looking for an owner. I couldn't see. See anybody with it. And it started to intrigue me a little bit because this dog, as I believed it to be, had got its head halfway in this hedge. And then I suddenly realized that as it backed out of the hedge, it had got a really long tail. I only ever really saw its hindquarters because its back end was facing me and it was looking the other way. And it was behaving like a cat, almost as though it got something out of the hedge or, you know, it managed to chase something down and had finally got it in its grasp and it actually pounced as well. That's what really sort of like took me by surprise, is that I know a dog can do things like that if it's being playful, but this thing seemed to have cornered something. And then when it pounced, I could clearly see that it had the hind quarters of a cat, but a big cat with a long tail. I said to my brother, did you just see that? He said, what? I said, there's something in that gateway in that field. And then it disappeared, literally, as he looked where I was looking, it had gone out of view. And I said, I think I've just seen a big cat, you know, like a panther. And to my surprise, he said to me, do you know what? I believe you, because I think I've seen it myself. And I said, really? When? He said, well, I was waiting at Hinckley train station, which is another small town not far from where he lives, and he said, I was leaning on the platform waiting for the train, and there was very few people about, and he was staring down the railway line, just basically minding his own business. And. And then he said he suddenly saw this creature, as he described what he thought was a big cat, suddenly cross the railway line. And he said what surprised him was that when it got between the tracks, it was literally the width of the railway tracks from those two hind quarters. And then the tail obviously made it even longer still. And he turned to look to see if anybody else had seen it, but it had gone by the time he turned around. He kind of looked around to see if anybody had seen what he'd seen, but nobody was looking in his direction and didn't seem too concerned. So he thought to himself, well, it was only me that saw it. But he agreed with me that I had seen what he'd seen. And I've often heard of things, you know, of that nature in the area, that you have them all over the country. But some years ago, there was always couple of accounts of what they used to call the Leicester Panther, which used to be spotted in various places, and one time by a police officer actually in his patrol car. But he didn't have, you know, sort of video evidence, because I don't think it was at the time when they carried that kind of equipment in the cars. But appreciate what you do. Keep up the good work, Derek. It's a great show and thanks for listening. Bye for now.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you Cam for the phone call. Now I disagree with you, Cam. The ABC or alien big cat is very much part of the cryptid conversation. It's considered an out of place animal, a known creature living, thriving, breeding in a place that it shouldn't be in big cats in England, pythons in Ohio, camels in Arizona, and kangaroo in the state of Oklahoma. Now what makes these stories particularly scary is the fact that one of these creatures could eat you at any moment if it really wanted to. And that sounds like a cryptid to me. And it sounds like Sam and his brother saw something large and feline that day. And we thank him for sharing those experiences. Now, before we push play on this final entry, a reminder that you can pick up some super cool merchandise over in our shop. Visit monsters among us podcast.com and click on the Shop tab. We have all sorts of fun stuff available. You'll have to visit the site for the the full rundown, but one item you might not want to miss is the brand new Dogman design by Jonathan Dodd. That one was just released last month and is a loose homage to the first 10 years of the program. So again, visit monsters among us podcast.com and click that shop tab to get yours today. All right, well, since the Kentucky Derby was just last week, I figured we should slip a horror story into the episode. And we get bonus points because the call also comes to us from the state of Kentucky. Please welcome Annabelle to the show.

[Annabelle]

Hi Derek, my name is Annabelle and and I am from Kentucky. I have a story about ghosts on our family horse farm. So my family used to run a breeding facility, breeding, training, owning, showing horses, American Saddlebreds to be exact. And at the time when I was a little kid there were upwards of 75 horses here on our 100 acre farm. When I was about 8 I started getting into to an understanding the breeding process, the birthing process and all the joy that came with that as far as raising all the babies that we had born yearly on the farm. When I was again 8 we had a horse born that I named Twister and Twister was the first birth that I was present for. I guess they deemed me old enough to be able to stay in the barn situation, stay quiet and witness that sort of thing and be ready for it. So about three months after Toys was born, he unfortunately contracted pneumonia and he passed away and Because a lot of our stock was younger. This was also the first death that I was a part of. And so I had no notion of the afterlife or ghosts. And we weren't particularly religious, so it was just. They told me that Twister had passed away and that he was dead. And I understood that, you know, death is a part of a farm. So about a week later, I was walking up to one of the barns. It was about dusk. It was a spring evening. And I looked down towards the field where Twister used to be turned out, and I saw a gray horse standing in the field. And at first, I thought that it was the other gray horse that was actually in that field, and her name was Saki. But then I saw Saki over away from this other animal. So I kind of walk a little closer, and I take a closer look, and this horse is standing at the bottom of the field, and I realize that it's a baby. And I'm like, well, we don't have any other babies. I don't have a gray baby, certainly. And then I kind of realized that it's sort of silvery and glowing, and it's standing there, and I'm just staring at it. I'm pretty far away because I'm at the top of the hill and it's at the bottom, but it's switching its little baby tail and stomping its foot and shifting its weight as a horse would do if it was just resting under some trees. And I come to realize as I keep looking that it's Twister. You know, same ears, same head shape, same everything. And I have no notion of what's happening. So I turned my head to tell our stall cleaner to come to me. And I was like, bri, Bri, come here. And, like, now I'm 8 years old. She comes running. And so I look back, and Twister's gone. So for about two months after that, I didn't tell anybody. I didn't know what to say to Bree at the time. I was just like, oh, never mind. You know, I just thought I saw a horse out, which is what I thought. But two months go by accumulating it from my mom. I don't really want to do that. So I say, mom, I need to tell you that I think I saw a ghost. And she looks at me super strangely, and she asked me to tell her about it, so I do. And she then goes on to tell me that when her foundation Mayor and six others were in a barn fire in 1991, when I was not born, she Stayed here at the farm to take care of the other horses because my grandmother couldn't face seeing the empty barn or the burned barn and somebody had to take care of all the livestock. So my mom stepped up and stayed. And so one night she couldn't sleep because it was just awful. We lost, at the time, the majority of our horses before we went and bought more and bred more stock. And so she looks out from the farmhouse up to the hill where the barn was, and they had buried them on this nice little hill next to the barn. And she told me that she saw the horses in that adjacent area running and playing and just. She called them starlight horses, like, as if they were made of starlight. They weren't. They were kind of see through. You almost couldn't see them, but they were, you know, dancing in the moonlight or whatever. So she had never told me that story before, but she wanted to let me know that she also, you know, sees ghosts. And from that point on, occasionally when a horse will pass away, we will see their spirit. Sometimes once, sometimes many times, and sometimes not at all. Sometimes even our most beloved horses do not come back to see us, which is how I know that I'm not making it up or just manifesting or wishing that it would happen. But that was the beginning of our horse spirit journey, and I just wanted to share that. Thanks very much. Really appreciate the podcast.

[Derek Hayes]

Thank you, Annabelle. I like that philosophy. If none of your favorites ever returned, then you probably can throw out wishful thinking. And I have zero evidence of this claim. But the thought popped into my head, and since this is a paranormal podcast, I'm gonna share it. I get the hunch that this particular piece of land plays a large role in helping these horses to return, if only briefly, from the afterlife. Again, I have no proof to back this up, just a gut feeling I got when listening to the tale. But that would also help explain why the same thing doesn't happen on each and every horse farm in the world. All theories aside, it's a beautiful story, Annabelle, and we thank you again for telling us all about it. And folks, that's gonna do it for this one. Scales, fur, antenna and feathers. We covered a lot here tonight. Some touching, some terrifying. All were a great time. Now I want to quickly thank you all for joining us here this evening, helping us to kick off season 21. Now I'll be back here on Thursday with a brand new installment and I pulled some thrillers for this one one and you won't want to miss it. And you also don't want to miss our bonus content over on the Beyond. Visit monsters among us podcast.com and click the Patreon button for more information. Now 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 has done so under the protection of fair use. Follow us on our social media pages, give us a Like and follow on YouTube. Join our Discord server and leave us a rate and review wherever you can do such a thing. Don't forget you can catch the show every Saturday evening at 10pm Eastern on the ON X Digital Network. Just visit visit onxnetwork.com to tune in. And finally, tonight's score was provided by Iron Cthulhu Apocalypse Co EG Music and Carl Casey and White Bat Audio. Now watch our movie. Go to borregotrangle.com to learn how. Join us in the beyond and join us next week for a brand new episode. Until then, you all keep eye Spooky and have a good night.

[Sam]

Foreign.

[Derek Hayes]

What's up baby?

[Mike]

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[Derek Hayes]

Spin Quest.com Spin Quest is a free to play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

[Annabelle]

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[Derek Hayes]

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[Annabelle]

Hey everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this your first date?

[Progressive Insurance / Spin Quest Advertiser]

Oh miss no.

[Derek Hayes]

We help people customize and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual together. We're married. Me to a human, him to a bird.

[Annabelle]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league.

[Derek Hayes]

Anyways, get a [e-mail] or with your local agent. Liberty Liberty.

[Henri]

Liberty Liberty.