MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

Episode: We Are Not Alone Vol. III
Host: MrBallen (John Allen)
Date: November 20, 2025

Episode Overview

In this gripping episode, MrBallen explores the chilling possibility that humans may not be alone in the universe. Through two deeply unsettling stories—one set in the Peruvian Amazon and another in rural Brazil—the episode delves into encounters with unknown entities, mystery, folklore, and the unexplained. Combining immersive narrative style and real-world details, both stories leave listeners questioning what’s truly possible in the shadowy corners of our world.

Story One: "Face Peelers" (Peru, 2023)

Timestamps: [02:06] – [07:49]

Setting and Context

• Amazonian village in Peru, July 2023.
• Focus on a 15-year-old girl, Talia Davila Diaz, and the tight-knit, isolated community.
• Local rumors and fear surrounding mysterious “shadowy figures” with glowing green eyes seen lurking in the rainforest.
• Folklore of the “Pelicaras” (Face Peelers): macabre legends about foreigners abducting villagers, skinning faces, and selling body fat on the black market.

Main Events

• Talia faces her fear while attempting to harvest a grapefruit for her family ([02:45]):
  • "She wanted to go get a grapefruit and bring it inside and make juice for her family.” – MrBallen ([02:44])
  • She weighs the risks, noting the increased patrols due to rising fears.
• Sudden confrontation:
  • Talia is confronted by two enormous, dark humanoid figures with piercing green eyes, one so tall as to appear “practically the size of a tree” ([04:18]).
  • They “sort of glided towards her… almost hovering off the ground” ([05:13]).
• Attack and rescue:
  • Figures pin her to the ground, attempt to suffocate her, and brandish a knife-like tool ([05:23]).
  • “Suddenly, Talia was being grabbed and thrown to the ground. And the instant Talia hit the ground, these two figures disturbed on her and pinned her there.” – Co-host/Narrator ([05:29])
  • Talia fights back, manages to scream, attracting the attention of the nightly patrol, who begin firing at the figures.
• Supernatural escape:
  • “Instead, these dark figures… were like, levitating in the sky, and they were looking down at Talia and the night patrol with their glowing green eyes as they literally began to levitate into the sky.” – Co-host/Narrator ([06:18])
  • The figures vanish into the rainforest sky, unscathed by gunfire.

Aftermath and Theories

• The village is left in a state of extreme terror; mental trauma lingers.
• The Peruvian government launches an official investigation.
  • Official explanation: Illegal miners using jetpacks, armor, and masks to terrify locals and keep them away from mining sites ([07:08]–[07:34]).
    • “They got their hands on jetpacks, wore armor and masks, and then went into villages… and basically pretended to be aliens and then did… fly off on their jetpacks. That is the official story as of right now.” – MrBallen ([07:08]–[07:34])
  • Local residents, including Talia, dismiss this explanation, asserting:
    • “Those are no miners. Those are either Pelikaras or they are creatures from another world.” – MrBallen ([07:46])

Story Two: "The Window" (Brazil, 1946)

Timestamps: [11:15] – [31:34]

Setting and Introduction

• March 1946, rural Arasariguama, Brazil.
• Nearly all townsfolk have left for Carnival, except 44-year-old farmer Joao Prestes Filho.
• Joao stays behind to enjoy a day of fishing with his best friend in the lush (but potentially hazardous) rainforest.

The Encounter

• As Joao returns, he is “flooded with the feeling of being watched” on lonely nighttime roads ([13:40]).
• Joao enters his own house, expecting safety, but the feeling only intensifies.
• Area steeped in local legends: haunted mines, the fiery serpent Boitata, and forest demons ([15:52]).

The Attack

• Joao “feels the presence right outside his window.”

• Looking out, he sees a “dark figure hovering over the ground, staring right at” him ([16:37]).

• He is suddenly struck by a blinding, burning ray of light fired from the figure outside, causing instant agony.

  • “What he saw right outside of his property was so terrifying that for a second, Joao couldn't even breathe… and then he tried to put his hands up to protect himself, but it was already too late.” – Narrator ([16:55])

• In a desperate panic, Joao wraps himself in a blanket, staggers outside, and runs through the ghost-town village, screaming incoherently ([17:24]).

Marie's House: Escalating Horror

• Joao's sister, Marie, is the first to see him in this state.
• Joao’s eyes are described as “so alien. They were wide and totally unfocused.” – Narrator ([18:26])
• He hisses “It burns. It burns” through clenched teeth ([19:44]).
• His skin color rapidly shifts to dark purple; swelling and severe blistering spreads across his body.

Medical Mystery

• With the help of the local sheriff and doctor Arasi Gumiji, Joao is rushed to a hospital. No one has ever seen injuries like his; flesh literally falls off, exposing bone ([23:37]).
• Staff can only treat pain; Joao’s skin continues to “cook off” him in a “sight… must have just been horrific. He literally had huge chunks of his flesh just missing.” – Narrator ([24:45])
• On high doses of painkillers, Joao recounts his experience:
  • Describes “being watched,” a “floating figure,” and then being burned by a “ray of light” through his window ([25:46]).
  • “It wasn't of this world.” ([26:56]) – Joao to the doctor.
  • Water poured in his mouth leaks from a hole in his burnt face ([27:20]).

Speculation and Theories

• Joao dies a few hours later; the official cause is listed as "cardiac arrest and generalized burns" ([28:25]).
• Theories include:
  • Ancient serpent Boitata or mine demons (local folklore).
  • Accidental (or malicious) exposure to high-dose radiation (modern theory), but with no plausible source.
  • UFO or “weapon” attack: In the 1970s, multiple similar cases of deaths caused by mysterious “rays of light” led to a military probe—Operation Saucer—which officially found “no evidence that UFOs were in any way involved.” ([31:17])
• Doubt lingers among both locals and outside researchers, fueling enduring speculation about extraterrestrial involvement.

Key Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “Those are either Palakaras or they are creatures from another world.” – MrBallen ([07:49])
• “Her worst nightmare had just been realized. Now. Standing between her and her back door were these two hulking dark figures… with piercing, glowing green eyes.” – Co-host/Narrator ([04:18])
• “He saw this dark figure kind of hovering over the ground, and it was staring right at Joao… this figure shot this bright ray of light directly into Joao's home through that window, which hit Joao in the chest and the face. And immediately, Joao was blinded and confused by this light. And then it really started to burn.” – Narrator ([26:01])
• “It wasn't of this world.” – Joao Prestes Filho ([26:56])
• “Joao would not be the only person in Brazil to die from mysterious rays of light…” – Narrator ([29:32])
• After Joao’s death: "People… believe they were attacked by a UFO.” ([29:32])
• On the official investigation: “The military actually looked into this theory in 1977. It was called Operation Saucer… officially they found no evidence that UFOs were in any way involved… However, many people are skeptical that we're really getting the truth.” – MrBallen ([31:17])

Notable Timestamps

• [02:06] – Face Peelers story begins
• [06:18] – Levitating figures escape into the sky
• [07:34] – Official explanation from Peruvian authorities
• [11:15] – The Window story begins (Joao’s day fishing)
• [16:55] – Joao’s encounter with the floating figure and burning ray
• [19:44] – “It burns. It burns.” Joao’s agony and transformation
• [23:37] – Unprecedented medical injuries; Joao rushed to hospital
• [25:46] – Joao describes the attack to Dr. Arasi
• [29:32] – Link to military investigation and other cases
• [31:17] – Operation Saucer and ongoing debate

Tone and Delivery

• MrBallen’s hallmark style: tense, atmospheric, and immersive, with careful attention to folklore and the inexplicable.
• Frequent collaboration with co-host/narrator for conversational storytelling and scene setting.
• Quote-rich, using direct dialogue to amplify listener empathy and unease.
• Stories blend fact, speculation, and the eerie ambiguity of “unexplained” events.

Final Thoughts

This episode weaves together ancient fears and modern mysteries, leaving listeners ruminating on the boundaries of reality and the unknown. The striking similarities between decades-apart cases—the green-eyed “Face Peelers” in Peru and the fatal rays in Brazil—underscore a chilling message: sometimes the greatest mysteries lie just beyond our perception, looking back.

For more chilling tales, explore the MrBallen Podcast archives or visit the MrBallen YouTube channel.