Podcast Summary: Spooked – "Rougarou: The Crossroads"
Host: Glynn Washington
Guest: Beldrin Forrest
Release Date: October 31, 2025

Overview

In this atmospheric episode of Spooked, host Glynn Washington takes listeners deep into the bayous of South Louisiana, where ancient curses, family warnings, and the legendary Rougarou haunt the marshes. The main story is told firsthand by Beldrin Forrest, who recounts a harrowing childhood encounter with the creature at the dangerous crossroads between belief, tradition, and the supernatural. The episode explores how generational stories, rituals, and personal experience intersect to reveal both fear and a deeper lesson about good and evil.

Key Discussion Points & Story Highlights

1. Setting the Stage: The Crossroads & Witch’s Bargain

[00:08] - [04:56]

• The episode opens with Glynn Washington reciting a haunting parable about a witch’s bargain and a sacrificial ritual at the crossroads. It’s a cautionary prelude, setting an ominous tone.
• The narrative weaves themes of consent, fate, and the weight of generational curses:

  “I turned the curse into a spell. But what I spoke found me as well.” (A, 00:08)
  “My mother’s echo. Be careful who you love. Don’t break young girl’s heart.” (A, 03:46)

• The story establishes that “some people carry marks, whether they know it or not,” dovetailing into the idea that supernatural stories and creatures are inextricably linked to family and community.

2. Introducing Beldrin Forrest and the Bayou

[09:44]

• Beldrin shares his upbringing in Chauvin, Louisiana, highlighting a self-sufficient lifestyle bounded by swamps and family tradition:

  “To us, if you went to town, that was like taking a vacation.” (Beldrin, 09:56)

• The family’s adherence to Catholic rituals and lore, especially the spiritual significance of All Souls and All Saints Days, is emphasized as Beldrin recalls his mother’s warning:

  “My mom had told me to never kill any animals on those two days. Because when the spirits were on the earth, you wouldn’t draw blood and take a spirit.” (Beldrin, 12:01)

3. The Rougarou Encounter

[~17:00 – 26:00]

• On a chilly November evening, young Beldrin ventures into the woods with his dog Misty, feeling invincible with his new shotgun.
• An eerie silence falls: no birds, insects, or rustling—unusual in the normally teeming bayou.
• While stalking a rabbit, he’s paralyzed by the sudden appearance of a monstrous figure:

  “The rabbit was probably about maybe 60 feet from me...the blood reeds opened up and there was a hand, like a human hand, but it had like big claws sticking out...then this foot stepped out, but it was a dog foot.” (Beldrin, ~19:40)

• Beldrin’s description of the Rougarou is terrifying—“at least 9 to 10 foot tall...body covered in fur...face like a long dog...eyes were red...fangs the size of his hands.” (Beldrin, ~20:45)
• A physical and metaphysical chase ensues, with Beldrin sensing the creature’s growl and breath on his neck:

  “Could feel this hot breath on the back of my neck...I kept playing it over and over again. This thing’s gonna get me.” (Beldrin, ~22:30)

• Bursting from the woods into his yard, he realizes “I ran clean out of one of my boots.” His mother immediately discerns what happened—no words needed.

4. The Legend and Its Lessons

[~27:00 onwards]

• Beldrin’s mother asks if he drew the Rougarou’s blood, referencing an old curse:

  “Legend had it that if you saw a rougarou and you drew his blood, his spirit was released from the curse. But if you spoke of it, what you saw before a year and a day, your spirit then accepted the curse.” (Beldrin, 27:36)

• She shares a family story: as a child, her sister was saved from a snowstorm by a mysterious animal—possibly the Rougarou in a kinder form.

  “That little girl was my aunt, my mama’s sister. My mom said, it’s okay. It didn’t hurt you. But she said, it’s trying to teach you a lesson.” (Beldrin, 29:27)

• Beldrin reflects on the Rougarou’s duality—at once both a feared enforcer and a potential protector:

  “Hearing the story, I knew that the Rougarou wasn’t just a bad spirit. Sometimes it did things to help people…this thing was stopping me from doing something wrong.” (Beldrin, 30:09)

5. Aftermath, Reflection, and Contemporary Resonance

[~31:30 - End]

• Beldrin describes a lasting change in his outlook:

  “Today, when I go in them woods, I feel this thing. I can still feel that…groan, that growl, the vibrations that I felt that day when I walk in them woods...at any given time, this thing can come back.” (Beldrin, 31:56)

• Glynn Washington closes with an invitation to the Rougarou Fest, a celebration started by Beldrin in Houma, Louisiana—a communal reframing of fear into tradition.
• Glynn offers meta-commentary on monsters—“not because of who they are…but because of what they do”—drawing a parallel between supernatural infection and the insidious spread of intolerance, dehumanization, and moral transformation in society:

  “They infect. One bite, one scratch, and now you are them…People I’ve known my whole life…turn and casually insist to me why it is good to lock children in cages...And I wonder, where was the bite that made the change?” (Glynn, 35:07)

• A final note of hope and vigilance:

  “The only thing we can do is to never, ever…turn out the light.” (Glynn, 37:23)

Notable Quotes

• [00:08] Glynn Washington (A): “I turned the curse into a spell. But what I spoke found me as well. You’ve almost reached the crossroads from Spooked. Stay.”
• [20:45] Beldrin Forrest (B): “This thing was at least 9 to 10 foot tall. It had human form, but its body was covered in fur...its face, it was like a long dog face. The eyes were red and it had long fangs like a wolf.”
• [27:36] Beldrin Forrest (B): “Legend had it that if you saw a rougarou and you drew his blood, his spirit was released from the curse. But if you spoke of it, what you saw before a year and a day, your spirit then accepted the curse.”
• [35:07] Glynn Washington (A): “They infect. One bite, one scratch, and now you are them…People whom I love turn and casually insist to me why it is good to lock children in cages.”
• [37:23] Glynn Washington (A): “The only thing we can do is to never, ever…never ever turn out the light.”

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|----------------------------------------------| | 00:08 | Haunting prologue: The crossroads | | 09:44 | Beldrin’s childhood and the bayou | | ~17:00 | Entering the woods & ominous silence | | ~19:40 | Sighting of the Rougarou | | ~22:30 | The chase | | 27:36 | The Rougarou curse explained by mama | | 29:27 | Family legend: Rougarou as protector | | 31:56 | Lessons learned and lingering presence | | 32:18 | Rougarou Fest & credits | | 35:07 | Glynn’s reflection: Monsters across worlds | | 37:23 | Closing message: Don’t turn out the light |

Memorable Moments

• The moment Beldrin’s mother immediately senses his encounter—“You saw it, huh?”—without a word said. (24:39)
• The family story of the Rougarou protecting a lost child in a blizzard, reframing the monster myth. (29:30)
• Glynn’s closing meditation on monsters within society, and what it means when neighbors “turn.” (35:07 – 37:23)

Tone and Language

The episode maintains a hushed, reverent, and intimate tone—rich in Southern cadence, lore, and immediacy. Beldrin’s storytelling is plainspoken but vivid, while Glynn’s narration is poetic and philosophical, weaving together family history, personal terror, and broader reflections on the dark and light within communities.

In summary:
"Rougarou: The Crossroads" is a chilling yet deeply human episode about facing the unknown, the power of ancestral warnings, and reconsidering the nature of the monsters—both supernatural and in our own hearts. It tugs listeners between fear and hope, folklore and insight, reminding us that sometimes the darkness is not just outside, but something we must navigate within ourselves.