Alexa Haunting: Michigan, 2024

Summary

Sightings Podcast Episode Summary: "Alexa Haunting: Michigan, 2024"

Release Date: December 16, 2024
Host: McLeod Andrews & Brian Sigley
Produced by REVERB | QCODE

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Introduction

In the December 16, 2024 episode of Sightings, hosts McLeod Andrews and Eileen delve into chilling supernatural experiences shared by listeners. Moving beyond the usual tales, this episode focuses on personal encounters with the paranormal, presenting three spine-tingling stories that explore haunted homes, mysterious creatures, and unexplained maritime phenomena.

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Story 1: The Haunted House in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Narrated by Eileen (Transcript Timestamp: 04:07 - 14:41)

Eileen recounts a harrowing experience of purchasing a seemingly perfect house in Grand Rapids with her family. Initially thrilled by the home's features—such as a grand wooden staircase and a window seat that made her daughter Amy feel like a princess—the family soon encountered unexplainable disturbances.

Key Events:

• Electrical Anomalies: "the kitchen lights would dim for no reason, then come back up" (05:59)
• Poltergeist Activity: Unwilling to ignore the escalating events, Eileen describes the TV turning on by itself to static and doors opening and closing autonomously.
• Whispers and Electronic Failures: "the Alexa said to me, I see you" (11:18), accompanied by mysterious childlike laughter captured on recordings.
• Paranormal Cleansing Gone Wrong: A friend’s attempt to cleanse the house with sage exacerbated the disturbances, leading to erratic electronic behavior.

Conclusion: Faced with undeniable supernatural activity, Eileen and her family decided to leave the house, abandoning their smart home devices in favor of simpler, non-digital solutions. The severity of the haunting led to their relocation, highlighting the profound impact of living with unexplained phenomena.

Notable Quote: "Whatever was in our house didn't like that [cleansing] very much because every single electronic device we owned went crazy." – Eileen (11:18)

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Story 2: The Enigmatic Elk and the 15-Foot Creature in Colorado

Narrated by Kyle (Transcript Timestamp: 16:50 - 37:12)

Kyle, an ecologist from Oregon, shares his unsettling winter research experience in Colorado. While conducting fieldwork in a remote cabin, Kyle encounters peculiar wildlife behavior and a mysterious, towering presence in the forest.

Key Events:

• Unusual Elk Behavior: "the elk's stance was unnaturally rigid, like a taxidermy mount" (18:19). The elk's haunting gaze and stillness unnerved Kyle, differing from typical wildlife behavior.
• Appearance of a 15-Foot Creature: Kyle describes seeing a massive, fluid-moving shadow in the woods, significantly larger than any known animal in the area.
• Violent Attacks on the Cabin: "the entire cabin shuddered as something rammed the north wall" (22:03). These attacks left no physical evidence, such as footprints or damage to the snow, deepening the mystery.
• Bermuda Triangle Connection: The incident occurred near the Bermuda Triangle, suggesting a link to other unexplained maritime and aerial phenomena.

Conclusion: After enduring multiple nights of aggression from an unseen entity, Kyle abandoned his research, forever haunted by the lack of explanations for the events. The absence of physical traces left him questioning the nature of the creature, pondering whether it was a forest spirit or something far more sinister.

Notable Quote: "Whatever had attacked hadn't left a single track." – Kyle (23:03)

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Story 3: The Solo Sailor's Caribbean Nightmare

Narrated by Mark (Transcript Timestamp: 28:15 - 37:12)

Mark from Boston recounts his solitary sailing journey around the Caribbean in the late 1990s, during a tumultuous period in his personal life. Seeking solace and a fresh start after a failed marriage, Mark's voyage becomes a nightmarish encounter with unexplained phenomena.

Key Events:

• Encounter with Strange Lights: "I saw something that wasn't a satellite, plane, or star" (30:35). The lights exhibited erratic movements, including zigzags and sudden disappearances.
• Persistent Following: The mysterious light appeared to monitor Mark's vessel, adjusting its distance despite changes in course.
• Final Confrontation: On the third night, unable to tolerate the pursuit, Mark chased the light, only to experience disorienting phenomena.
• Unexplained Relocation: After consuming rum to calm his nerves, Mark awoke the next morning in his dinghy—stranded 15 miles from his intended location with no recollection of how he got there.

Conclusion: Mark's abrupt and inexplicable displacement highlights the mysterious powers lurking in the Caribbean waters, possibly linked to the infamous Bermuda Triangle. The experience left him with lingering questions about the nature of his encounter and its implications on his understanding of reality.

Notable Quote: "I was either going to figure out what this thing was or go nuts trying." – Mark (35:15)

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Hosts' Reflections and Discussion

Following the listener stories, McLeod and Eileen engage in a thoughtful discussion, analyzing the shared experiences:

• Technological Supernatural Interference: Eileen reflects on how modern technology, like Alexa devices, can become conduits for paranormal activity, as seen in the Grand Rapids case.

• Possible Explanations for Unseen Entities: The hosts ponder mythological beings like the Wendigo and the concept of forest spirits that can manipulate or manifest through animals and natural phenomena.

• Bermuda Triangle Mysteries: Highlighting Mark's story, they consider the Bermuda Triangle's notorious reputation for unexplained disappearances and anomalies, suggesting it as a potential backdrop for supernatural activities.

Notable Quotes:

• "This is insane." – McLeod Andrews (13:22)
• "It's never knowing if something actually happened to him and maybe he'll never know." – Eileen (36:27)

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Conclusion and Call to Action

As the episode concludes, McLeod and Eileen encourage listeners to share their own supernatural experiences. Emphasizing the show's commitment to uncovering unique and terrifying stories, they invite the audience to contribute, promising to feature the most compelling accounts in future episodes.

Final Thoughts:

• "We love sharing these unique things that, to our knowledge, have never been shared before with anyone or on a podcast at least." – Eileen (37:12)
• "You can continue emotionally draining me." – McLeod Andrews (38:18)

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Production Credits

• Hosts: McLeod Andrews & Eileen
• Producers: Brian Sigley, Chase Kinzer, McLeod Andrews
• Music: Mitch Bain
• Mixing and Mastering: Pat Kickliter of Sundial Media
• Artwork: Nuno Cernatos
• Presented by: Reverb and QCODE

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If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and share it with fellow supernatural enthusiasts. Stay tuned for more mysterious tales next week!

Transcript

[McLeod Andrews]

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[Brian Sigley]

Give it a [e-mail] switch $45 upfront payment required equivalent to $15 per month new customers on first 3 month plan only. Taxes and fees. Extra special speed slower above 40 gigabytes on unlimited. See mintmobile.com for details. This episode is brought to you by United Airlines. When you want to make the most of your vacation, book with United. They're an airline that cares about your travels as much as you do. United is transforming the flying experience with Bluetooth connectivity screens, power at every seat, and bigger overhead bins to help fit everyone's bag. And with their app, you can skip the bag check line, get live updates and more. Change the way you fly. Book your next trip [e-mail].

[McLeod Andrews]

Have you ever experienced the supernatural for yourself? It might be subtle, like noticing an unusual light in the sky or hearing something strange in the night that sends chills down your spine. Or having the unplaceable feeling that perhaps you aren't alone in your quiet bedroom. Big or small, these feelings are often more than just hunches or sightings. They're very, very real. And maybe with a bit of luck and one podcast that reaches all the way around the world, these stories of the supernatural may come to captivate an entire generation. Welcome to Sightings, the series that takes you inside the world's most mysterious supernatural events. I'm McLeod.

[Eileen]

And I am Brian. And since this is our episode of the year before our holiday break, we're doing something a little bit different. We're taking you inside your stories.

[McLeod Andrews]

That's right. You've probably heard us asking for your tales of up close and personal encounters with the supernatural. And we've had an outpouring of incredible stories, far too many to share in one episode.

[Eileen]

So we're going to bring your stories to life right here on Sightings. Starting right now.

[McLeod Andrews]

Anything and everything is game. Will we encounter ghosts, aliens, creatures or bumps in the night that will haunt us for the rest of our lives? Find out on this episode of Sightings.

[Eileen]

All right, we have got three amazing stories that you guys sent in. McLeod, you have not seen these stories before.

[McLeod Andrews]

I have not. Anything I should know ahead of time before I dive in.

[Eileen]

Well, we're gonna kind of bring these to life in real time here. So we're gonna have some music going, a little bit of atmosphere. You know, you can bring in different accents. You know, just have fun with it.

[McLeod Andrews]

I'm nervous now. You're putting me on the hot seat here. But, you know, on the other hand, it's a glimpse behind the curtain for our listeners.

[Eileen]

Absolutely, absolutely. They can see how we these every day for every episode of Sightings. And for our first story, though, we are going to head to Michigan for a story from Eileen. And all I'm gonna say about this one is it is a haunted house story unlike anything I think you're gonna have seen before. So, McLeod, before we go, do you have any kind of Midwesterny kind of twang you can put on this just to give it a little bit of flavor or.

[McLeod Andrews]

Oh, man, I feel like I'm gonna get in such trouble if I, like, mess this up. So I'll go light, I guess. And obviously I won't do a female V because no one needs that.

[Eileen]

No, no. So you're gonna give us that little bit of voice. I'm gonna put on some nice, atmospheric, creepy music. Here we go.

[McLeod Andrews]

Oh, okay. All right. I'm getting in the mood. Here we go. My name's Eileen, and I have a story about the worst house I ever bought. And it's kind of funny. Oh, well, not funny. It's terrifying, actually. When that's funny, it's a funny line, Eileen. No, it's great.

[Eileen]

Okay, okay.

[McLeod Andrews]

But when we bought it, we thought we were so smart for getting the house at such a great price. The real estate agent kept going on about how the market in Grand Rapids was adjusting, and my husband Mark was just thrilled we could afford a four bedroom in such a nice neighborhood. That should have been our first warning sign. Of course, we moved in last September, just in time for the kids to start at their new school. Amy's 8 and Jack had just turned 5, and they were actually excited about the move. If you can believe it, the house had this big wooden staircase that they thought was like a castle and this window seat in Amy's room. She said it made her feel like a princess. But she stopped saying that after a while. The first three weeks were totally normal. Just figuring out where everything should go, setting up all the boxes and light switches and stuff. Mark's kind of a tech geek, so we had the whole place rigged up with smart lights, smart thermostats, cameras, you name it. And of course, we had too many Alexas because I used to love having them around for cooking or laundry or music or whatever. So the weird stuff started with the lights. Just little things at first, like the kitchen lights would dim for no reason, then come back up. Or the living room lights would turn on in the middle of the night. Then the TV started acting weird. It would turn on by itself, usually late at night and always to static. Go.

[Eileen]

That's the poltergeist right there.

[McLeod Andrews]

That's so poltergeist. Woof. Okay, so we'd wake up most mornings to find it on, just hissing away. Mark called the cable company, but they couldn't find anything wrong. And then one night, I was helping Amy with her homework in a room, and her tablet started playing this old music. Like, really old. Like the kind of scratchy recordings you hear in documentaries about the 1920s. We hadn't even been using the tablet, not even touching it. And the weird thing was, when I checked her tablet's history later, there was nothing there. No record of any music playing at all. That's when other things started happening, too. The garage door would open and close on its own, and the security cameras started showing static for exactly 7 minutes and 18 seconds at random times each night. Mark spent hours trying to figure out the problem, but he couldn't find anything wrong. And then it started up with the Alexas. I knew they were coming into this. And then it started up with the Alexas, and that's when things got really messed up.

[Eileen]

Wait, wait, pause. Eileen, you have the highest threshold for messed up in the world. If this is when things got messed up for you.

[McLeod Andrews]

Oh, I would have been gone. I would have been in the. I would have been gone.

[Eileen]

I love it. Okay, let's take a quick second, though, to thank our sponsor, HelloFresh, who's helping keep this episode free for all of you listeners.

[McLeod Andrews]

That's right. We know the holidays are coming up, and you're probably stressed out. And if you're anything like me, maybe you've got little monsters running around your house. And of course, they're hungry, as monsters are. But, I mean, who are we kidding? You're hungry. You're famished. You're so hungry. So let HelloFresh take this stress out of mealtime, saving you from searching for recipes or doing endless grocery shopping. Just pick your meals, and everything you need is delivered right to your door.

[Eileen]

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[McLeod Andrews]

Oh, even the chickens are hiding under their blankets after listening to our stories.

[Eileen]

It's not that kind of blanket though, McLeod. But right now you can get 10 free meals using our exclusive sightings link at hellofresh.com freesightings 10 free meals from.

[McLeod Andrews]

America's number one meal kit. Oh, count me in again. Get 10 free meals at hellofresh.com freeSightings applied across seven boxes. New subscribers only. That's 10 free HelloFresh meals. Just go to hellofresh.com freecitings thanks HelloFresh.

[Eileen]

For keeping this episode of Incredible Stories free. And speaking of stories, let's get back at it. You ready, McLeod?

[McLeod Andrews]

I don't know. I'm kind of afraid too, but here we go. Okay. Yeah. I started hearing these sounds coming from them. Not like normal glitchy electronic sounds. These were different. At first I thought maybe it was just picking up interference or something. But then one night, I was in the kitchen alone cleaning up after dinner, and I heard it clear as day. A whisper.

[Eileen]

You got this.

[McLeod Andrews]

I'll try to keep it together so that you can just enjoy the story. And yeah, I thought I was losing my mind. I mean, who wouldn't? So I didn't tell Mark at first. I didn't tell anyone. I just kept listening. And the whispers started getting more frequent. Always when I was alone, Never when Mark was around, Never when the kids were in the room. Then Jack started talking about his new friend that would talk to him on his tablet at night, which was impossible because we have those parental lock things and the tablet won't even turn on after six. But yeah, I took the kids tablets away for good after that. And of course Mark thought I was a lunatic. So I told my friend Rachel about what was happening. She's always been into that paranormal stuff. You know, she does tarot readings, has a million crystals, that kind of thing. And I used to think it was kind of silly, but at that point, I was willing to try anything. So she came over with her Sage and her crystals and said she wanted to do a cleansing or something. And I don't think whatever was in our house liked that very much because while Rachel was walking through the house with her burning sage, every single electronic device we owned went crazy. The TV started flipping through channels by itself. All the Alexas started playing different songs at full volume. Even our Phones started calling each other. Rachel's phone, which had been at 100%, battery completely died. Just went black. Needless to say, she left pretty quickly after that. Told me she'd never felt anything that angry before. So I guess right then was when I was feeling most alone. And that night, after I put the kids to bed, I decided to do a little experiment to see if this was all really something or if someone had hacked into our house or, I don't know, something explainable, you know? So I turned off our Internet router, completely unplugged it. Then I set up my phone to record near the Alexa in the kitchen. And then I just waited. It took about 20 minutes before the whispering started. And since I was right there listening for it, I was close enough to hear the words. And I swear it, swear to God, the Alexa said to me, I see you.

[Eileen]

You okay? McLeod.

[McLeod Andrews]

You gotta be kidding me. This came in from a listener. Holy. And that freaked me out, of course. And I played back the recording from my phone, and the voice was there. This raspy, horrible whisper that said, I see you, clear as day, with no Internet connection. But that wasn't even the worst part. When I played the recording for Mark later, we heard something in the background we hadn't noticed before. Behind the whisper, there was a sound like children laughing. It sounded exactly like Amy and Jack. But they'd been asleep in their rooms when I made the recording. And I think after that, Mark finally believed me that something was wrong with that house. And maybe it'll sound silly to people who haven't gone through something like this, but. Yeah. We took the kids and stayed with Mark's parents. And the next day, we started looking for a new place.

[Eileen]

It's not supposed to be funny, McLeod.

[McLeod Andrews]

No, it's not that kind of funny. The kids were confused, but kids are resilient, you know? Oh, God, they adjusted. They are resilient. I have three. They're very resilient. Oh, and Mark sold all our smart home devices. Yeah, we don't have any Alexas anymore. Good on you. Just a regular old alarm clock by the bed. Sometimes simple is better. Oh, no way. Oh, my gosh.

[Eileen]

I'd even read this story before when she first sent it, and I still have goosebumps. This is.

[McLeod Andrews]

I think I'm crying a little.

[Eileen]

Okay, so we aren't going to dive into these stories in the way that we do our own. This is not a skeptical Gecko moment, because, Eileen, you deserve all the belief you can get on these, because this is insane.

[McLeod Andrews]

You Know what? If it's not true, then you need to come work for us. Cause you are a good storyteller.

[Eileen]

Absolutely. Any thoughts beyond sheer terror, McLeod?

[McLeod Andrews]

No. No. This is just the worst. This is just the worst. The worst. The worst.

[Eileen]

What I found really cool about it was so many haunted house stories or so many people who report experiencing hauntings. Or like, oh, I saw a weird thing out of the corner of my eye, or the floorboards were creaking. But like, this seems to have been. Your entire house was possessed by something in the electrical wires or something.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah. And I mean, I know there's like, I don't know much. I just am aware of sort of electronics being a conduit for supernatural activity and ghosts. You know, it's that whole the old ghost in the machine thing, I guess. But the kids in the background laughing is too much. It's like it captured them or something and I just can't deal with it.

[Eileen]

Well, thank you for sharing this story, Eileen. I hope we did it justice. And I hope that all of you listening at home don't go looking for that house. In what city was this?

[McLeod Andrews]

Grand Rapids.

[Eileen]

Grand Rapids.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah. Sorry for my accent, Eileen. I think I started swerving into like Jersey or something.

[Eileen]

I don't know. Okay. But thank you for sharing. And we're going to be back with another one in just a moment.

[Brian Sigley]

This episode is brought to you by United Airlines. When you want to make the most of your vacation, book with United. They're an airline that cares about your travels as much as you do. United is transforming the flying experience with Bluetooth connectivity, screens, power at every seat, and bigger overhead bins to help fit everyone's bag. And with their app, you can skip the bag check line, get live updates and more. Change the way you fly. Book your next trip [e-mail] this episode.

[McLeod Andrews]

Is brought to you by Amazon. The holidays are here and you know what that means. It's time to get your friends and family the gifts they deserve. Take the stress out of shopping with Amazon's great deals and low prices on a huge range of items from toys to tech and much more. Whoever you're gifting for Amazon has great prices on everything you need this holiday season. Shop last minute deals now. All right, we are back. Now that I've had a moment to breathe. Not nearly long enough.

[Eileen]

Well, we're heading right into story number two, McLeod.

[McLeod Andrews]

So I wish I could say I was looking forward to.

[Eileen]

This one's different, but it's also terrifying. So this one comes from Kyle from Oregon.

[McLeod Andrews]

Okay.

[Eileen]

And the story takes place in Colorado, though I don't know if that matters.

[McLeod Andrews]

Okay.

[Eileen]

So I think this is just. I'm from Colorado. This is what we talk like.

[McLeod Andrews]

Oh, okay. So I'll do my best. Brian, accent. Hello, I'm from Colorado.

[Eileen]

Exactly that. And sorry. And Kyle, again, thank you for sending in this amazing story. And let's just go for it. We gotta get the music going.

[McLeod Andrews]

Oh, the music going. All right. Yeah. I have to say I've been hesitant to share this story. Oh, quick question right off the bat. How old is Kyle? Do we know?

[Eileen]

We don't. But from the stuff he wrote around the actual story, I think he said that he'd been doing this for a few decades, so I'm guessing he's at least 40 or 50.

[McLeod Andrews]

Oh, okay.

[Eileen]

All right, let's get the music. Here it goes.

[McLeod Andrews]

I have to say I've been hesitant to share this story because as a scientist, you learn to question everything, to look for rational explanations. But what happened during my research trip to Colorado last winter, I still can't explain it. I'm an ecologist specializing in vertebrate adaptations to winter environments. My work focuses on how different species survive under snow cover. So last January, I rented a cabin near the Continental Divide to conduct field research. It was remote, the nearest town was about 40 miles away, and my closest neighbors were probably the lynx and elk I'd occasionally spot from my window. The cabin itself was basic but comfortable. One main room with a kitchenette, a small bedroom and a bathroom. The owner had installed a reliable heating system and satellite Internet, which was great for uploading my data. And the first few weeks, things went great. I'd wake up before dawn, have my coffee, then trek out to my research sites, measuring snow depth, tracking animal movements and collecting samples. I'd spend hours documenting how different species, from tiny voles to massive elk, adapted to the harsh conditions. Sometimes I'd come across mountain lion tracks and marvel at how these predators managed to move so efficiently through deep snow. While the intellectual part of me was fascinated by this, the human part of me was grateful I never encountered one. Face to face, I'll say, oh, well.

[Eileen]

You spoke too soon, McLeod, that.

[McLeod Andrews]

Okay, okay, I spoke too soon. That changed about three weeks into my stay. It must have been around 11pm I was sitting in bed, reading through some papers. I remember reaching for the bedside lamp when movement caught my eye through the window. And there, about 10 yards from the cabin, stood an elk. Which, I will say, this elk doesn't sound like a very scary thing. But these things are huge.

[Eileen]

They're gigantic. I've seen one.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah, my brother ended up near one, sort of on, like, the back of a ski slope once. And then there was just. It was a moose, not an elk. But he was like, oh, they're both huge stuff. They're both enormous. Yeah, so that's actually pretty freaky. Now, elk aren't unusual in Colorado, but what unsettled me was its behavior. It was just. Oh, it was just standing there, perfectly still, staring directly at my window. I'm used to observing wildlife. I've spent countless hours watching animals in their natural habitat, including elk. But this was different. The elk's stance was unnaturally rigid, like a taxidermy mount. Its eyes, I could see them clearly in the moonlight, were fixed and unblinking. Steam rose from its nostrils in the cold air, the only sign it was even alive. Five, maybe ten minutes passed, and the animal didn't move a muscle, didn't even twitch an ear. And I found myself holding my breath, afraid to move, caught in this bizarre standoff. Then suddenly, the animal's whole body shuddered, like it was coming out of some kind of trance. It blinked rapidly, looked around as if confused, and bolted into the darkness. I barely slept that night, and the next day, I tried to rationalize it. Maybe the animal was sick, or maybe it had been startled by a predator and frozen in fear. But deep down, I knew this wasn't normal behavior for any wild animal I'd ever studied. Especially not for an elk. In all my years of field research, I'd never seen one behave like this. A few days later, I was out taking measurements at one of my study sites. I usually tried to finish before dark, but the winter days are short and I needed to complete my data set. The sun had set about an hour earlier, and I was working by headlamp, recording snow depths near a stand of lodgepole pines. That's when I heard it. A rustle in the woods behind me and not the normal sounds of nighttime forest creatures. This was different. Heavier. Deliberate. I turned slowly. My headlamp beam hit the trees, and the light caught a shadow moving between the trunks. My first thought was moose, but no. This was much, much bigger. Easily 15ft tall, and it moved with an eerie fluidity for something its size almost like it was gliding. I'd love to say I stayed to investigate, to get a better look, but I left my equipment behind and rushed back to the cabin as quietly as I could. And it's hard to describe, but the whole way, I could feel something watching Me. Following me just outside my headlamp's beam. But that wasn't even the worst of it. That came about a week later, around midnight. I was getting ready for bed and I heard a strange sound again. Like something heavy moving through the snow outside. Not the light crunching of deer or elk, but something that made the snow creak and compress under its weight.

[Eileen]

That's the 15 foot thing you just saw clearly. What? There's nothing that big in Colorado.

[McLeod Andrews]

Hmm. So I killed the lights and moved to the window. And even though the moon was behind clouds, there was just enough ambient light reflecting off the snow to make out shapes. And at first I saw nothing unusual. Then I noticed how some shadows around the tree line seemed wrong. Like they were shifting in a way that didn't match the wind and the branches. Then I heard that sound again. That heavy movement in the snow. And much closer now. And before I could move, bam. The entire cabin shuddered as something rammed the north wall. Then it came again. Bam. This time against the east wall. And whatever was doing it was big. The attacks continued like whatever was out there was testing the walls, looking for a weak spot.

[Eileen]

Oh, my gosh. Wait. I'm thinking of Jurassic park right now, where the raptors are testing the fences.

[McLeod Andrews]

The sounds bigger than a raptor.

[Eileen]

No, this is the T. Rex testing the fences.

[McLeod Andrews]

Exactly. T. Rex. I've got no clue what's going. I'm just going to keep reading because I am. Like, I've got nothing. The attacks continued like whatever was out there was testing the walls, looking for a weak spot. And it was chaos inside with me. Books fell from shelves, mugs broke. And the entire cabin felt like it might cave in at any moment. And I ran from my computer to try and send a message for help, but of course, the Internet was out. So I grabbed my hunting knife. What else could I do? And I stood there waiting as the attack continued for another 10 minutes. Then it just stopped and the night went silent. I obviously didn't sleep that night. And as soon as dawn broke, I went outside to check the damage. And it's crazy. There were no marks on the walls, nor scratches. And the snow around the cabin was undisturbed except for my own footprints. I'm serious. Whatever had attacked hadn't left a single track. Now that I'm home, I've gone over that winter countless times in my mind, trying to find logical explanations. Maybe the elk was sick or injured. Maybe the shadow in the woods was a trick of the light. Maybe the attack was some kind of weather Phenomenon, I can't. But deep down I know that what I experienced wasn't natural. And maybe it sounds silly, but some nights when I'm lying in bed, I still think about that elk's empty stare. And I wonder, was it really watching me or was something else watching me through its eyes? Probably. Yeah, that sounds like. That sounds like a good explanation.

[Eileen]

It's an unsettling thought though, that there's something in this forest that is manifesting itself in all these different. Like through the elk and then through this 15 foot thing that's gliding through the forest and then whatever attacked without leaving footprints.

[McLeod Andrews]

I mean, I didn't think about it that way. Like, almost like a forest spirit that can like manifest all the creatures of the. Or not manifest, but like go and see through and live through all of this creatures of the forest.

[Eileen]

That's one potential explanation.

[McLeod Andrews]

I guess I've got no analog for it.

[Eileen]

It's strange. The thing that most comes to mind, and we'll do an episode on this eventually, I'm sure, is the Wendigo. But that's kind of. And I guess that's kind of a shape shifting thing too. But you know, just the fact that there's no footprints, that there's weird behavior among these animals tells me that there's some kind of entity or supernatural thing going on here that's just beyond our understanding.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah, it's not. It can't be a creature because like you said, footprints, maybe it was just really good.

[Eileen]

Had like the perfectly shaped tail to swish up the snow after. Oh, that's interesting. That was in jest, but I don't, I don't, I don't know. But this was, this was a decidedly unsettling where the first story was kind of really frightening because it was our house. Yeah, this one was a little removed in that, like, you know, I mean.

[McLeod Andrews]

That didn't scare me as much as the, the ghost one. If only because I'm not going out into Colorado in the snow to be around this thing.

[Eileen]

That's valid.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah, the poltergeist one. I'm like, okay, I've got kids, I've got a house. That could happen to me. Oof.

[Eileen]

Great story though, Kyle. Thank you for sending that in. And we are excited to do one more. And we will be back right after this with Uber reserve.

[McLeod Andrews]

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[Eileen]

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[Eileen]

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[McLeod Andrews]

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[Eileen]

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[McLeod Andrews]

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[Eileen]

I don't have to do the work here.

[McLeod Andrews]

So I feel like your guys experiences are far more scary than any of the things we've done on a show.

[Eileen]

These are good.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah.

[Eileen]

Well, this one is perplexing. I'll put it that way.

[McLeod Andrews]

Okay.

[Eileen]

It is from Mark from Boston, but we aren't going to be in Boston. We are going to the Caribbean here. But he's from Boston, so you can give it a slight. Boston.

[McLeod Andrews]

Can I, though? That's the question. That's like the story of my life is can I the slightest, slightest.

[Eileen]

The slightest little bit? Slightly older gentleman? It seems so, because the story was happening back in the late 90s when I'm assuming he was in his 40s, 30s. So.

[McLeod Andrews]

Okay.

[Eileen]

Yeah. So give it a little bit of gravity.

[McLeod Andrews]

Oh, man, it's weird talking about this. It's wicked weird talking about this.

[Eileen]

Let's kill that pack. Maybe just a smidge. Let's go like 10% Boston.

[McLeod Andrews]

All right. All right. Man, it's weird talking about this unexplainable thing that happened to me in the Caribbean after all these years, you know?

[Eileen]

Hang on.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yep.

[Eileen]

This is feeling a little bit too much like Barney and Betty Hill. What you were doing for Barney Hill, he kind of had that New Englandy interesting. So maybe just change the timbre, give him a little more resonance.

[McLeod Andrews]

Okay. Like deeper.

[Eileen]

A little more pensive. A little more. Yeah, a little deeper. A little more pensive, maybe.

[McLeod Andrews]

Okay. All right. Man, it's weird talking about this unexplainable thing that happened to me in the Caribbean after all these years. I've probably told this story maybe three times in the last 25 years. And every time I do, I get that look, you know, as if they're trying to figure out if I'm crazy or lying or what. But, yeah, it is what it is. And look, I was a mess back then, I'll admit it. My wife had just walked out after 15 years of marriage, and I was having a midlife crisis moment, I guess. So I needed to get away, like, really away. So I chartered a boat and decided to sail around the Caribbean by myself. Yeah, it's crazy, I know. To put that in perspective, I'd been sailing my whole life. My old man had this sweet 13 footer that was basically my second home growing up. But going solo, that was new. Still, those first couple weeks were exactly what I needed. Island hopping, meeting random people, getting drunk in beach bars, then moving on. Gosh, I can't even remember everywhere now. I started in Puerto Rico, worked my way down to St. Thomas. But it was cleansing, the sailing. It made me feel like myself again. Like maybe life wasn't completely over just because my marriage was. But this story is about weird stuff, not my ex wife. So let's do it. Let's bring on the weird. It started between the British Virgin Islands and. Brian, how do we pronounce this? Anguilla. Anguilla.

[Eileen]

Anguilla apparently is the correct pronunciation of this island.

[McLeod Andrews]

Okay, it started between the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla. That was easy sailing, nothing fancy. Real postcard, perfect Caribbean weather, steady trade winds, clear skies. And I'm kicked back in the cockpit with a beer, just watching the stars like I'd done a million times before. Then I spotted it. This. I guess it was just a light, but something wasn't right about it, if that makes any sense. You spend enough time on the water, you get to know what belongs out there and what doesn't. Things like aircraft, satellites, planets, etc. Etc. And this definitely didn't fit any of those. It was too bright for a satellite, too stationary for a plane, too low for a star. So at first I figured maybe I was seeing things. You know how your eyes play tricks on you at night, Especially when you're drunk. I added that in. Sorry, folks. Especially out on the water where there's no light pollution and the stars are so bright they almost hurt to look at. But then this thing started moving, doing these crazy zigzags, stopping dead in the air, then shooting off in another direction before disappearing altogether. And I remember thinking, well, shit, I finally lost it. But it got even weirder the next night when the thing showed up again. And this time it was closer. As in, close enough that I could tell it was something solid, something real. And I swear it on my father's grave, this thing was following me. I'd change course a little and it would adjust to keep the same distance. I even tried cutting the running lights to see if it would lose track of me. But nope. It knew exactly where I was. So let me tell you something. Being alone in the middle of the ocean is already pretty intense. Add a UFO to the mix. Pretty cuckoo, right? And I couldn't even radio anybody, because, first of all, who's gonna believe me? And second, what are they gonna do about it? And this was 98. Did I say this already? Anyway, no cell phones. Or at least I didn't have one yet. Not yet. So on night three, when the light appeared again, I had enough. I was either going to figure out what this thing was or go nuts trying. So I came about and headed straight for it. Dumbest thing I've ever done, probably, but there you go. And of course, it just kept backing off, keeping its distance. But I chased that thing for nearly two hours, burning fuel, until I realized I couldn't lose any more before the next port. And I swear it, as soon as I came about and raised the sails again, the light vanished. So by then it was late and I was off course. But there was this tiny island. More of a sandbar, really. No one else for 20 miles. So I dropped anchor and got ready to pack it in. But then I made my second dumb decision of the night. I broke out the rum. Not my proudest moment, but, hey, if aliens were gonna abduct me, I figured I might as well be nice and relaxed about it, right? I remember sitting, drinking straight from the bottle, trying to write down everything that happened so I'd have some kind of record. My handwriting got worse and worse as the rum started hitting me. And the last clear thing I remember is the water getting really choppy out of nowhere. So I stumbled up on deck to check things out, but there was nothing. No waves, no wind. The calmest I've ever seen the water. I swear it. And that's the last thing I remember before waking up the next morning. Buck naked in the dinghy. That's a great phrase, buck naked in.

[Eileen]

The dinghy, for our listeners who don't maybe know sailing. The dinghy is like the little motorboat that you trail behind a sailboat.

[McLeod Andrews]

Oh, all right. And my head felt like I'd been drinking for a week straight. And I thought that was it. I'd hit rock bottom. But once I got back in the boat, I realized I wasn't anchored off that tiny island anymore. In fact, my GPS said I was 15 miles from there. 15 with the anchor down. And that is something I don't think I'll ever be able to explain. Not now, not ever. I finished my trip after that, went home, got my life back together. Never saw anything like it again. But Late at night when I'm out on my porch and the stars are out, I still catch myself looking up, wondering what really happened that night. Wow. Hmm.

[Eileen]

I really liked this story because there's so much weird intrigue and uncertainty. Kind of, I think, because we've got this guy being stalked, basically by a ufo, which I thought was pretty cool.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah.

[Eileen]

And then he's chasing it the next night, and the thing was basically playing games with him. I felt like.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah.

[Eileen]

Then he loses time, which, as we know from the Barney and Betty Hill abduction story and certainly others that we're going to do in the future, when you lose, when you see a UFO and you don't remember what happens, all of a sudden, that's a point to be concerned, right?

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, he mentions the booze even if you're drunk.

[Eileen]

I feel like that is a lift to sail yourself in the night.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah. Because, I mean, sailing's no joke. It's a pretty active endeavor.

[Eileen]

Yeah. So. So, I don't know. I mean, I, I. What I found really cool and compelling about this story was that, you know, this guy was just alone in the sea with this thing chasing him, and then something might have happened and he doesn't know what it is. And I, I think that's scary in and of itself is never knowing if something actually happened to him and maybe he'll never know.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah. No, that's heavy.

[Eileen]

Yeah. And this just came to mind. But I do wonder if that stretch. I have to look at what island he said. I mean, he was sailing. It started when he was between the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla. Anguilla. Thank you. And he could have been anywhere after that. But that's where the Bermuda Triangle kind of is.

[McLeod Andrews]

Right. That came to mind earlier. I forgot about that.

[Eileen]

So I wonder if we've got our first Bermuda Triangle story on the show with this one and this, you know, we don't even know it, so that's pretty cool.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah.

[Eileen]

So, Mark, thanks for sharing this story. This was certainly a compelling and cool and unique take on an alien story.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah.

[Eileen]

I guess. Listeners, if any of you have had similar Bermuda Triangle esque Caribbean or anywhere boat abduction stories, send them to us. And if you just have any supernatural stories, send them our way. We're looking for these cool, unique, really fun and interesting and terrifying stories of what might have happened to you that we can share with the world.

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah, but they don't have to be like big, huge, like, knock you on your socks stories either. We want to hear about the simple stuff, too.

[Eileen]

Absolutely. Absolutely. In a perfect world, you know, we'd love it if your story takes more than a few minutes to read, but.

[McLeod Andrews]

Maybe we could embellish it.

[Eileen]

I guess we could talk to the author and juice it up a little bit for everyone here, right? But absolutely, we'd love to keep doing these kind of listener story episodes. Like we said, we've already gotten so many from you guys. Keep them coming because we love sharing these unique things that, to our knowledge, have never been shared before with anyone or on a podcast at least. So please keep them coming so that.

[McLeod Andrews]

You can continue emotionally draining me.

[Eileen]

Well, well, good news for you, McLeod, is you're gonna have a couple weeks to recuperate because we're taking two weeks off for the holidays. But we will be back with new episodes every week of 2025, starting on Monday, January 6th. We cannot wait to see you. But until then, happy holidays. Was that Santa?

[McLeod Andrews]

Yeah. Boy, I've got little kids. I've got to do better.

[Eileen]

There you go. That was a good one.

[McLeod Andrews]

That was pretty good. All right.

[Eileen]

Nice job. Nice job. Sightings is hosted by McLeod Andrews and Brian Sigley. Produced by Brian Sigley, chase Kinzer, and McLeod Andrews. Series music by Mitch Bain. Mixing and mastering by Pat Kickliter of Sundial Media. Artwork by Nuno Cernatos. Sightings is presented by Reverb and qcode. If you like the show, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you're first to hear new episodes every week. And if you know other Supernatural fans, tell them about us. We'd really appreciate it.