Spooked – “A Friend in the Forest” (Classic)

Podcast: Spooked
Host: Glynn Washington
Date: September 12, 2025

Episode Overview

This eerie Spooked classic, told firsthand by social worker and author Shane Dunphy, recounts a chilling, real-life encounter in rural Ireland between a lonely young boy named Gregory and his mysterious “friend” Thomas. What begins as a case of a child’s imaginary friendship takes a dark turn, leading Shane and Gregory’s family into a tangle of unsettling local legend, tragic history, and supernatural possibility. The episode delves into themes of childhood isolation, trauma, and the haunting power of unresolved tragedy.

Key Discussion Points & Story Beat Breakdowns

[00:00-04:14] Introduction & Host’s Own Spooky Story

• Glynn Washington introduces the concept of imaginary friends, recounting a personal childhood experience with a mysterious knocking well.
• Sets the tone of uncertainty: “Question everything. And, of course, this goes without saying: Never open the well.”
  — Glynn Washington [03:51]
• The stage is set for a story about dangerous friendships with the unknown.

[04:15-08:32] The Case Begins: Gregory and the Woods

• Shane arrives in a remote, wood-surrounded Irish town for a routine house visit.
• He describes the Finnegan home as “something out of Grimm's Fairy Tales…quite eerie.”
  — Shane Dunphy [04:53]
• Gregory, a withdrawn and isolated boy, admits to sneaking out at night to play with a friend named Thomas, who his mother has never heard of.
• Shane suspects an imaginary friend, an outlet for the lonely Gregory after his father's departure and his mother’s long hours.

[08:33-09:59] Gregory’s Disappearance & Unexplained Evidence

• Weeks later, Gregory goes missing overnight and is found deep in the woods.
• He claims to have been playing hide and seek with Thomas.
• Police discover two sets of clearly child-sized footprints outside Gregory’s window—one larger, one smaller.
• “My heart dropped because I thought, oh, my gosh, Thomas is real. And that really frightened me.”
  — Shane Dunphy [09:59]
• The possibility emerges that ‘Thomas’ may be more than imaginary, maybe a real boy—or something with more sinister intentions.

[10:00-16:33] Escalating Encounters & The Sound of Two Voices

• Shane becomes more involved with the family, seeking to bond with Gregory and gently probe about Thomas.
• Odd details surface: Thomas purportedly owns a ZX Spectrum, loves ‘Manic Miner’ and ‘The A Team’—all from the ‘80s.
• “He said, I pity the fool who doesn't like the A team.”
  — Shane Dunphy quoting Gregory [12:03]
• Shane is unsettled when Gregory claims “Thomas is getting in,” appearing in Gregory’s room at night.
• Gregory’s mother presents a chilling audio recording with two voices—Gregory’s and another, older child’s—recorded while Gregory was alone.
  “She said the window was open, and on the rug...was soil and pine needles and little twigs, as if somebody who had been walking around in the woods had been standing there.”
  — Shane Dunphy [14:51]
• Shane struggles for rational explanations, but the evidence points toward something inexplicable.

[16:34-19:43] The Local Legend & Dark History Uncovered

• Gregory describes Thomas as “from the woods, almost as if he was a part of the woods.”
  — Shane Dunphy [16:40]
• Shane consults the local school principal, who recounts a folk legend: a young woman isolated in the woods after abuse, rumored to have birthed a child—perhaps killed by her.
• Old newspaper clippings confirm the existence of this tragedy and the boy’s father—named Thomas. In a photo, a ZX Spectrum sits in the shack’s living room.
  “What the hell is going on? This is just too weird.”
  — Shane Dunphy [17:58]
• Shane begins to doubt his grip on what’s real and what’s imagined.

[19:44-22:59] Gregory’s Final Disappearance & Direct Confrontation

• Gregory vanishes again. This time, his mother sees another boy dragging Gregory into the woods.
• Shane and the principal follow tracks to an abandoned shack, finding Gregory asleep inside.
• In a harrowing scene, Shane describes seeing Thomas—first distant, then impossibly close, accompanied by a deafening sound of crying.
• “It was like a rope had been tied around his waist, and suddenly it had been pulled back through the trees. He was gone. Just whoosh… The sound stopped. The crying wasn't there anymore.”
  — Shane Dunphy [22:28]
• Gregory asks if Thomas is gone; Shane can't answer.

[24:00-26:33] The True Story and Ritual of Farewell

• Father Malone, the local priest, finally confides: The woods woman had confessed to killing her son named Thomas.
• Authorities never investigated, dismissing the boy as a hallucination.
• Malone surmises that Thomas’s restless spirit has sought companionship and release.
• “What we were seeing was the unquiet ghost... of this little boy who had been murdered.”
  — Shane Dunphy, relaying Father Malone [25:11]
• Together, Shane, the priest, Orla, and Gregory hold a candlelit ceremony to bless and say goodbye to Thomas.
• “I think he felt glad that Thomas had gone somewhere where he was happy and safe.”
  — Shane Dunphy [26:38]
• Thomas never returns.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Question everything. And... never open the well.”
  — Glynn Washington [03:51]
• “It was quite eerie. So I arrive out and I meet Gregory.”
  — Shane Dunphy [04:53]
• “Gregory has an imaginary friend.”
  — Shane Dunphy [08:31]
• “Two sets of footprints...they both clearly belonged to children.”
  — Shane Dunphy [09:52]
• “It sent a chill right down my spine.”
  — Shane Dunphy, on hearing Thomas “getting in” to Gregory’s room [12:50]
• “What the hell is going on? This is just too weird.”
  — Shane Dunphy [17:58]
• “It was like a rope had been tied around his waist, and suddenly it had been pulled back through the trees.”
  — Shane Dunphy [22:28]
• “What we were seeing was the unquiet ghost... of this little boy who had been murdered.”
  — Shane Dunphy, relaying Father Malone [25:11]

Key Timestamps

• 00:03 — Glynn Washington’s “well” story and introduction
• 04:14 — Shane Dunphy arrives in the Irish village
• 05:33 — Gregory admits to meeting “Thomas”
• 09:12 — Gregory’s disappearance and discovery of prints
• 12:03 — Thomas’s '80s references and catchphrases
• 14:51 — Chilling tape: two voices, but one child
• 16:40 — “Thomas is from the woods”
• 17:58 — Local legend and ZX Spectrum connection
• 20:27 — Gregory is seen running into the woods with Thomas
• 21:58 — Encounter with the spectral Thomas at the shack
• 24:13 — Father Malone’s full confession and the legend’s truth
• 25:46 — Candlelight ritual to help Thomas pass on
• 26:38 — Thomas is gone; closing reflections

Tone & Atmosphere

• Calm, candid, and measured—underscoring the everyday reality of the supernatural.
• Deeply empathetic to the struggles and vulnerabilities of children.
• Intensely atmospheric, evoking the oppressive woods and the boundaries between the living, the imagined, and the haunted.

Conclusion

“A Friend in the Forest” is a haunting meditation on the intersection of childhood loneliness, community trauma, and the supernatural. It leverages the raw intimacy of personal testimony to blur the lines between psychological coping and literal haunting, leaving listeners to ponder: what do we owe to the unquiet spirits of the past, and to the vulnerable children of the present?

For more on Shane Dunphy’s work, visit spookedpodcast.org.