1 00:00:17,719 --> 00:00:24,800 How legends are born August nineteen ninety seven. Tires have a way of always 2 00:00:24,839 --> 00:00:29,839 going flat when it's raining. Engines won't turn over, brakes don't function, 3 00:00:29,879 --> 00:00:34,719 and fuel gauges always lie when it's raining. It may not be the case 4 00:00:34,759 --> 00:00:40,520 for anyone else, but for Mike it was universally true, especially after sunset. 5 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:45,960 It was the first rule of tribal for him. The front passengers tire 6 00:00:46,039 --> 00:00:50,920 had fulfilled that rule with perfection. The rein saturated his hair and it had 7 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:55,000 begun to work its way down his neck like icy fingers. As he stood 8 00:00:55,079 --> 00:00:59,640 on the roadside deliberating his options. He could pull the jack out of the 9 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,799 trunk and change the tire himself, or he could get back into the car 10 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,599 and call the number on his insurance at and wait for someone to come and 11 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:12,159 change it for him. He glanced up and down the unmarked blacktop. It 12 00:01:12,239 --> 00:01:17,200 was walled in on both sides by a thick mat of old growth trees that 13 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:22,959 sprung out of an undergrowth of thorny brambles, twisted vines, and poisonous plants, 14 00:01:23,079 --> 00:01:26,519 all of which sat, he was sure, on a carpet of leaf 15 00:01:26,599 --> 00:01:30,840 matter and riding branches. In some places the forest came up to the edge 16 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,920 of the road and formed a canopy over it, and others that withdrew a 17 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:40,959 dozen feet or more to reveal small patches of tall grass. He had pulled 18 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:45,159 his car to a shaky halt at a point where a grass oasis was ending, 19 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,959 but where the trees had not yet moved forward enough to form the canopy. 20 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:55,120 He shrugged. It didn't matter. There was room to work whether it 21 00:01:55,159 --> 00:01:59,040 was him or some other guy. His flashlight had a base that allowed him 22 00:01:59,079 --> 00:02:01,319 to set it on the end so it could act as a lantern. He 23 00:02:01,359 --> 00:02:05,120 had a set of road flares, but he didn't see the need for him. 24 00:02:06,079 --> 00:02:08,879 He'd been driving this road for the past hour and hadn't seen a single 25 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:15,599 vehicle. The only houses he had passed look abandoned. If it weren't for 26 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:20,360 the power lines overhead, he would have assumed that this road led to nowhere, 27 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,479 despite the fact that his GPS assured him that he was headed in the 28 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:29,479 right direction. Ultimately, he decided that he could have the tire changed and 29 00:02:29,599 --> 00:02:34,199 be on his way long before anyone would be able to reach him. He 30 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,719 walked back to the truck and pressed the open button on his keyfob. It 31 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:43,280 took some manipulating to remove the jack from its position on top of the spare. 32 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,560 Then it took a little more elbow grease to withdraw the donut from the 33 00:02:46,599 --> 00:02:53,599 wheel. Great a donut. A gust of wind pushed the brain hard into 34 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,960 his face. He looked down the road again, hoping against hope that someone 35 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,719 would happen along. Even if they and changed the tire for him, the 36 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:06,039 company would be nice. He had a sudden need to know that he was 37 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,680 not the only human left on the face of the earth. There were no 38 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:14,360 headlights cutting through the driving rain. He turned to look back up the other 39 00:03:14,439 --> 00:03:19,759 direction. A boult of lightning split the sky open with a loud crack. 40 00:03:20,319 --> 00:03:24,039 The light momentarily turned the whirl from black to deep shades of green and gray, 41 00:03:24,439 --> 00:03:29,520 and for a second, for less than that, the dark outline of 42 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,120 a figure stood out on the edge of the trees where the road turned and 43 00:03:32,199 --> 00:03:38,680 disappeared around the bin. Mike caught his breath in shock. Who would be 44 00:03:38,759 --> 00:03:43,319 out walking in this weather? Who would be out here this late? He 45 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:46,319 looked down at his watch to confirm that it was well after ten pm. 46 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:53,479 The digital face red eleven forty three pm, and his eyes squinted as he 47 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,360 tried to focus on the spot where the figure had been, but it was 48 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,879 too dark. And shaking his head, he told him hseelf that he had 49 00:04:00,919 --> 00:04:05,400 imagined it. Maybe it was a tree that only looked human. He sighed 50 00:04:05,479 --> 00:04:10,000 again, and he was getting tired of hearing himself do that, and he 51 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:13,199 picked up the jack and carried it in the tire up the side of the 52 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:16,240 car. Then, realizing that he had left the lug wrench in the trunk, 53 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:20,319 he started back to get it. Another lightning bolt lit up the night 54 00:04:20,639 --> 00:04:25,800 and he turned quickly, hoping to see that same figure and identified as a 55 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:30,720 tree or a road sign. He wasn't quick enough. Grabbing the tire iron, 56 00:04:30,759 --> 00:04:34,839 he moved back up through the front passenger quarter panel and he knelt down, 57 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:39,800 turning the flashlight up on its base and sitting it on the ground beside 58 00:04:39,879 --> 00:04:43,879 him. As he did so, he put that figure out of his mind. 59 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:46,720 There was a tire to be changed. He hadn't done this himself in 60 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,560 quite some time. He had to think about where to place the jack. 61 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:55,639 Then he had to let the jack back down because he had forgotten to loosen 62 00:04:55,639 --> 00:05:00,199 the lug nuts first. A few minutes later, he was crawling around on 63 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,399 the ground trying to find the lug nut that he had lost when it fell 64 00:05:02,439 --> 00:05:06,439 off before he was ready, and he held the lantern high, hoping that 65 00:05:06,519 --> 00:05:12,399 it would reflect off the nut. When he heard the growl stopping, his 66 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:17,000 eyes went immediately to the trees seven feet away from him. Black on black 67 00:05:17,199 --> 00:05:23,519 looked back at him. It was so dark and raining so hard that he 68 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:29,720 could barely make out more than deep shadows on top of deeper shadows. Anyone, 69 00:05:29,759 --> 00:05:33,120 anything, could be lurking only feet away and he wouldn't know it. 70 00:05:34,639 --> 00:05:40,000 Panic swept over him. He hadn't removed all the lug nuts yet, much 71 00:05:40,079 --> 00:05:43,560 less the tire. It would take time to put the other tire on. 72 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:46,560 He would have to turn his back on the woods to do so. He 73 00:05:46,639 --> 00:05:49,600 thought for a minute that he could get in the car and lock the doors 74 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:55,959 and wait until daylight. That would be the safest thing to do. With 75 00:05:56,079 --> 00:05:59,759 a little effort, he managed to get up on his feet. Yes, 76 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:02,399 he would get in the car and wait until daylight, at least until the 77 00:06:02,439 --> 00:06:09,160 blasted rain stopped. His hand reached out to feel for the car behind him, 78 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,600 while his eyes continued to scan the tree line for the source of the 79 00:06:12,639 --> 00:06:16,160 growl. Blindly, he let his hand lead him around to the front. 80 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:21,199 He backed off the shoulder onto the road and worked his way clumsily to the 81 00:06:21,319 --> 00:06:26,720 driver's side and behind him. From the other side of the road, he 82 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:31,800 heard a loud snap. Someone was stepping on a twig. The relief of 83 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:35,920 not being alone spread across his face in the form of a smile. Even 84 00:06:35,959 --> 00:06:42,279 as he turned to see who was back there, A set of eyes stared 85 00:06:42,319 --> 00:06:46,839 through sheets of driving rain at him, glowing from some internal light. He 86 00:06:46,879 --> 00:06:50,519 looked up at them, gauging their height to be somewhere around seven or eight 87 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:55,879 feet off the ground. This was not a human being, This was an 88 00:06:55,959 --> 00:07:00,399 animal, and lightning struck and in the stroving light he saw it. It 89 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:05,600 wasn't an animal, this was a monster. Mike let out a cry of 90 00:07:05,639 --> 00:07:10,519 alarm. His hand groped for the car door, wrenching it open, and 91 00:07:10,519 --> 00:07:15,199 he spun around and tried to dive inside. He felt the claws tear through 92 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:17,959 the skin on his back, and he felt the blood flowing down his spine, 93 00:07:18,279 --> 00:07:23,879 and he felt the first bite, then the second. He knew he 94 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:30,360 was being consumed. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. 95 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:32,839 It was ten am the next morning when the squad car pulled up behind 96 00:07:32,839 --> 00:07:38,639 the abandoned car. The officer called in the out of state plates and took 97 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:44,279 the relevant information before getting out to investigate. He was silently grateful that the 98 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:48,360 rain had passed and the sun was shining. Daylight was infinitely better than a 99 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:55,240 dark, stormy night, especially when it came to these Mississippi backroads. He 100 00:07:55,319 --> 00:07:58,560 made his way up the passenger side of the car to look at the jack 101 00:07:58,639 --> 00:08:01,439 and tires on the ground, and he turned and looked at the trees behind 102 00:08:01,519 --> 00:08:05,800 him, wondering if perhaps the owner of the vehicle had wandered into the woods 103 00:08:05,839 --> 00:08:11,399 to relieve himself. A cold shiver traced his spine, feeding the goose bumps 104 00:08:11,439 --> 00:08:16,439 that blossomed on his arms. He knew he was being watched. His eyes 105 00:08:16,439 --> 00:08:22,079 scan the entire tree line, and nothing moved. No sounds emerged from the 106 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:28,600 vegetation, no animals scurrying, no insects chirping, no birds singing. For 107 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:33,080 several seconds, he stood in anticipation of something that he couldn't quite explain. 108 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:39,399 Something was beyond his line of sight. Something was going to burst from the 109 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:43,879 trees at any moment, and his hand slid to his holster. He released 110 00:08:43,879 --> 00:08:48,399 a long breath and then inhaled, slowly and deeply. It was coming, 111 00:08:48,399 --> 00:08:56,279 and mentally he ran through his training, preparing himself for something. In a 112 00:08:56,279 --> 00:09:01,399 sudden explosion of sound, the zircadas erupted into a wall of song that nearly 113 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:05,480 knocked him off his feet. His knees gave way to the shock, and 114 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:09,679 he fell back against the side of the car. A bird flew overhead and 115 00:09:09,759 --> 00:09:13,200 landed in a tree and began to sing. And somewhere a squirrel was barking. 116 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:18,600 Something crashed through the undergrowth deep inside the forest. It was moving away 117 00:09:18,639 --> 00:09:24,320 from him. The world had slipped into and then out of a trance. 118 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:30,039 It was over. Several deep breaths later, the officer's heart began to beat 119 00:09:30,039 --> 00:09:33,639 at a slower pace, and he resumed his investigation. He turned around and 120 00:09:33,639 --> 00:09:39,279 looked into the passenger's window. The back seat held a toat full of small 121 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:45,360 boxes and brochures. A suit hung from the hook over the door traveling salesman. 122 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:50,360 He noted a wallet tucked into a cupholder between the seats, but the 123 00:09:50,399 --> 00:09:54,519 passenger's door was locked, so he moved around to the other side. His 124 00:09:54,639 --> 00:09:58,559 hand touched something sticky on the door handle, and he pulled it back to 125 00:09:58,639 --> 00:10:05,279 in gate. His fingers had a dark, gelatinous substance on them, and 126 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:09,559 he thought it resembled a mashed earthworm at first. Putting his fingers to his 127 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:16,759 nose, he smelled it a sickly metallic scent assailed as nostrils. He knew 128 00:10:16,759 --> 00:10:20,879 instantly what it was, and placing one hand on his gun and looking around, 129 00:10:20,919 --> 00:10:24,799 he reached up with the other and pressed the button on the mic clipped 130 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:33,679 to his shoulder strap dispatch, we have a situation. April nineteen ninety nine 131 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:39,679 prom was a blast. It was held at the country club, the inside 132 00:10:39,759 --> 00:10:46,200 of which most of the graduating class had rarely seen. Strapless and brilliantly colored 133 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:52,279 prom dresses glittered in sequined accents, and black tuxedos boasted cumber bunch to match 134 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:58,879 their date's attire. Gausy yellow clouds of fabric dotted with rhinestones where draped over 135 00:10:58,919 --> 00:11:03,840 the walls of blue Materi burial in celebration of the themes story night, the 136 00:11:03,879 --> 00:11:09,919 air was choked with a scent of petulian musk was centrist undernoes and grocery store 137 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:16,519 carsages tacky as it was. For the teenage girls in attendance, it was 138 00:11:16,639 --> 00:11:20,399 paradise, and for the boys it was a promise of paradise, they would 139 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:26,480 find later that night. Gareth was not an athletic kid. His grades were 140 00:11:26,519 --> 00:11:31,600 a solid sea, and he worked part time at the local McDonald's, at 141 00:11:31,639 --> 00:11:35,559 which he made just enough money to put gas in his truck and pay for 142 00:11:35,639 --> 00:11:39,120 the constant repairs that the nearly fifteen year old vehicle was always in need of. 143 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:43,919 He had already applied for and been offered a job on the ground's maintenance 144 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:50,120 staff at the university, something that allowed his father to quip our boys going 145 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:54,200 to college to anyone who would listen. Most of them didn't get the joke. 146 00:11:56,679 --> 00:12:00,720 Courtney was Gareth's co worker at McDonald's, she said, gaving her money 147 00:12:00,799 --> 00:12:03,320 to pay for classes at the community college, where she planned to join the 148 00:12:03,399 --> 00:12:09,600 nursing program. She was much more interested in a career as a hairstylist, 149 00:12:09,799 --> 00:12:13,960 but her mother was a nurse's aid and she dreamed of her daughter taking the 150 00:12:13,039 --> 00:12:16,960 next step up the ladder, and Courtney didn't want to let her mother down. 151 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:22,440 The two went on their first date shortly before Christmas break, and by 152 00:12:22,519 --> 00:12:28,799 Valentine's Day she was wearing his class ring. He proposed during spring break, 153 00:12:28,799 --> 00:12:33,879 and she accepted. They planned to marry shortly after she received her associate in 154 00:12:33,039 --> 00:12:39,639 nursing, and their parents smiled knowingly and said silent prayers of gratitude that their 155 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:45,799 children had at least the good sense to wait. Courtney wore a black sinquine 156 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:50,039 gown, similar to that worn by Rachel Lee Cook, and She's all that. 157 00:12:50,879 --> 00:12:54,559 Most of the girls had chosen dresses reminiscent of that movie. None of 158 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:58,919 them looked as good in them as the actresses whose bodies were fully mature at 159 00:12:58,879 --> 00:13:05,559 the time of filming, and Courtney was no exception. Gareth was happy that 160 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:09,240 she had chosen black. It meant he could dress more like his hero James 161 00:13:09,279 --> 00:13:15,799 Bond. As they walked off the dance floor, having danced to I Don't 162 00:13:15,799 --> 00:13:18,840 Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith every time the dj had played it, 163 00:13:20,399 --> 00:13:24,600 Gareth took Courtney's hand and drew her through the door and out the Fouryer, 164 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:28,600 let's get out of here, he whispered, as he leaned in to kiss 165 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:33,240 her neck. We can't she protested. She wanted to leave too, but 166 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:37,000 she didn't want to seem rude with her friends. I'm tired, Let's go, 167 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:41,279 Gareth insisted. Courtney looked over her shoulder at the dance floor. It 168 00:13:41,399 --> 00:13:46,639 was much less crowded than it had been earlier. They wouldn't be the first 169 00:13:46,639 --> 00:13:50,000 to leave, and they certainly didn't want to be the last. Okay, 170 00:13:50,159 --> 00:13:54,320 let me go in and grab my purse and say goodbye. Gareth pulled a 171 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:58,399 small black velvet clutch out of his pocket. Courtney looked down at it and 172 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:03,159 giggled when he purchased it. She had thought she'd be lucky to get her 173 00:14:03,159 --> 00:14:07,039 lipstick in a comb in it. Now she was glad that she'd chosen the 174 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:11,600 small bag. She looked up at Gareth with a dazzling smile and nodded her 175 00:14:11,639 --> 00:14:15,360 head. They rushed out the door, like a pair of inmates making a 176 00:14:15,399 --> 00:14:20,360 prison break. Gareth was pulling his truck onto a small gravel drive that led 177 00:14:20,399 --> 00:14:24,600 down to the lake. They hoped it would be vacant. The little parking 178 00:14:24,679 --> 00:14:28,000 spot at the end of the road wasn't big enough to accommodate more than a 179 00:14:28,039 --> 00:14:33,679 couple of vehicles. Anyone who parked there, would leave their running lights on 180 00:14:33,919 --> 00:14:37,919 so anyone else could see them in time to turn around at the one wide 181 00:14:37,919 --> 00:14:41,919 spot in the road, and as they approached that point, they both heaved 182 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:46,799 a sigh of relief. It was vacant. Most of the kids could be 183 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:50,360 crowding into the local hotel that night. Someone would get a room and six 184 00:14:50,399 --> 00:14:54,360 other couples would join them. There would be no privacy, a lot of 185 00:14:54,480 --> 00:15:00,879 underage drinking, and an eventual call to the cops. Gareth and Courtney, 186 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:05,080 as an engaged couple, saw themselves as being above all that. Besides, 187 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:11,080 it would be the popular kids, Keaton Evers and Jetta Davies would be there 188 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:15,360 with their court and toe, and neither Gareth nor Courtney would be welcome. 189 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:18,840 Well, this spot was much nicer. The moon was full and the sky 190 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:24,279 was clear, and the water was smooth as glass. The radio drowned out 191 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:28,759 the strained silence around them. They pulled up to the water's edge and turned 192 00:15:28,759 --> 00:15:33,200 off the truck. Gareth knew the battery would be dead if he left the 193 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:37,720 truck running lights on, so he decided to chance it and go completely dark. 194 00:15:37,519 --> 00:15:41,000 They got out and Courtney walked down to the water while Gareth pulled a 195 00:15:41,039 --> 00:15:45,879 blanket out from behind the driver's seat. He went to the back of the 196 00:15:45,919 --> 00:15:50,320 truck and dropped the tailgate. He opened the cooler that he stowed back there 197 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:54,960 earlier and pulled out a couple of Baccardi breezers. Hey, he called, 198 00:15:54,080 --> 00:16:00,440 holding one for Courtney. She turned and exclaimed, where did you get those? 199 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:03,399 As she walked over to take the one he was offering. I took 200 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:07,440 him from dad's refrigerator out in the garage. He won't miss him. He 201 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:11,679 only keeps him around from when mom decides to come out and have a drink 202 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:15,279 with him. He slid up to the tailgate and added, which is never 203 00:16:17,799 --> 00:16:21,720 Courtney tilted hers up to take a long drink, but had to stop short 204 00:16:21,759 --> 00:16:26,120 when it dribbled down her chin onto her dress. Damn it, she said. 205 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:30,519 Gareth chuckled as if he were much older and a much more experienced drinker 206 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:36,399 before doing the same shit. He wiped the droplets of red fluid away from 207 00:16:36,399 --> 00:16:41,440 his white shirt. Courtney, too shine polite to insult her boyfriend without right 208 00:16:41,559 --> 00:16:47,879 laughter, turned her attention to the surrounding woods. It's quiet out here tonight, 209 00:16:48,039 --> 00:16:52,440 isn't it. It's too early for the bugs, Gareth said, still 210 00:16:52,559 --> 00:16:56,320 it's quiet. They sat quietly for a few minutes, and Gareth finished his 211 00:16:56,399 --> 00:17:03,080 first drink and reached for another. Courtney had barely touched hers. Gareth, 212 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:07,279 it feels weird out here, she complained. Eighteen year old boys, no 213 00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:11,880 matter how much they might think otherwise, do not hold their liquor well, 214 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:18,400 nor do they understand the importance of pacing themselves. Gareth swallowed the second bottle 215 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:22,160 in one long gulp before tossing it into the woods. Don't be stupid, 216 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:26,039 he said. We're all alone. You're not used to being alone, that's 217 00:17:26,079 --> 00:17:32,720 all. Courtney was not convinced. She surveyed the edges of the little clearing 218 00:17:32,799 --> 00:17:37,160 with wide, frightened eyes. It doesn't feel alone, she said, after 219 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:41,880 a few minutes. It feels like someone's watching us. No one's watching us, 220 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:45,640 court He told her, sitting down the third bottle that he had already 221 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:51,160 consumed half of. We're as alone as it gets. Did you hear about 222 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:55,680 that guy whose car they found out on Root seven? She asked. That's 223 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:59,960 just a myth, Gareth said, dismissively, a story they tell to scare 224 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:03,799 kiddies. No, it isn't, Courtney countered, my dad's cousin was married 225 00:18:03,839 --> 00:18:07,279 to the cop that found the car. What I mean is the story about 226 00:18:07,279 --> 00:18:11,000 the guy's a myth. Gareth argued, I know they found the car, 227 00:18:11,079 --> 00:18:15,759 but they never found him. He probably got tired of trying to change a 228 00:18:15,839 --> 00:18:19,920 tire in the rain and walked away from it. Courtney considered this before saying 229 00:18:21,599 --> 00:18:25,799 I know something that the public doesn't know. She waited for Gareth to take 230 00:18:25,839 --> 00:18:29,039 the bait, and when he finally turned and looked at her as if to 231 00:18:29,079 --> 00:18:33,039 say what, she said. My dad's cousin told my dad that they found 232 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:38,559 and she paused to find the right words. They found body tissue on the 233 00:18:38,599 --> 00:18:44,759 side of the car. Gareth's eyes widened for a minute. He stared at 234 00:18:44,759 --> 00:18:48,839 Courtney while trying to determine if she was lying or telling the truth. Somewhere 235 00:18:48,839 --> 00:18:52,039 in the back of his mind he thought she was being honest, but his 236 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:59,480 thoughts were being processed through three alcoholic beverages. He mentally argued that police officers 237 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:03,279 don't share information like that, even with their spouses. He had seen enough 238 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:08,400 CSI to know that cops don't talk period. Hey, he said, in 239 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:14,599 a soft, mildly slurred voice, I brought a blanket. His hand reached 240 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:19,400 behind him to feel around. Let's lay down. Courtney wanted to say no, 241 00:19:19,759 --> 00:19:23,319 let's leave, but she was suddenly aware that Gareth was no longer in 242 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:29,319 any condition to drive, and with a sigh, she accepted that lying down 243 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:33,599 was a better option than driving headlong into another vehicle and dying. She took 244 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:37,720 the blanket and stood up in the bed of the truck to spread it out. 245 00:19:37,319 --> 00:19:41,960 She didn't see the eyes watching them from a mere twelve feet away. 246 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:48,240 Gareth staggered to his feet and turned around to watch Courtney for a moment before 247 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:52,880 the sudden urge to relieve himself sent him into the bushes. He caught his 248 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:56,759 foot on a clump ofvines as he stepped inside the tree line that sent him 249 00:19:56,799 --> 00:20:02,240 sprawling forward onto his hands and knees. The thorns of a wild rose pierced 250 00:20:02,279 --> 00:20:06,160 the palms of his hands, and the fabric of his pants ripped. His 251 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:10,440 stomach, already struggling with the amount of alcohol that he had consumed, lurch 252 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:15,319 and expelled its contents. Gareth. Courtney called her you all right, Yeah, 253 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:19,359 yeah, he answered, not bothering to hide his disgust. I just 254 00:20:19,519 --> 00:20:25,440 tripped well, it sounds like you're sick, she said. He opened his 255 00:20:25,559 --> 00:20:29,759 mouth to deny that he had just vomited, but a low growl stopped him. 256 00:20:30,519 --> 00:20:33,000 His head shot up and he looked all around him. What what's that? 257 00:20:33,319 --> 00:20:40,039 He muttered? What Courtney asked. Gareth didn't answer. He was looking 258 00:20:40,079 --> 00:20:45,240 frantically around him, trying to find the source of the strange growl. It 259 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,000 wasn't a growl, really, it was something between a hiss and a rumble, 260 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:52,920 and he couldn't think of any animal that could make a sound like that, 261 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:57,839 Gareth, Courtney couldn't hide the concern in her voice. She stood up 262 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:03,079 and stared in the direction Gareth had gone. It was too dark to see 263 00:21:03,079 --> 00:21:07,680 anything beyond the clearing, and the shadows beyond the trees swallowed that little light 264 00:21:07,799 --> 00:21:14,640 the moon provided. Gareth, she yelled. Panic was setting in even before 265 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:18,359 she caught sight of the eyes. Three sets of them stared back at her. 266 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:23,240 The tallest pair, a good seven feet off the ground, blinked slowly, 267 00:21:25,079 --> 00:21:29,839 and Courtney felt every muscle in her body tense and then convulse. She 268 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:33,960 opened her mouth to scream. She needed to tell Gareth that he was surrounded 269 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:37,720 by something, to warn him but Shaq had sucked the air out of her 270 00:21:37,799 --> 00:21:41,559 lungs, and all she meant it was an odd sort of huff. And 271 00:21:41,599 --> 00:21:45,160 then something flew out of the tree line and hit the side of the truck 272 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:51,000 with a loud thump. Cautiously, she leaned forward and looked over the edge 273 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:55,759 of the truck to see what it was. Gareth's head stared up at her, 274 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,920 his eyes wide as mouth opened in a scream that he was not giving 275 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:07,480 time to vocalize. Courtney screamed. Then two long, agonizing whales of terror 276 00:22:07,599 --> 00:22:12,039 echoed across the lake as three hair covered bipedal beasts stepped out of the woods 277 00:22:12,039 --> 00:22:18,240 and advanced on her. In the last second, when it was already too 278 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:25,000 late, she turned and tried to run, and then they pounced. An 279 00:22:25,039 --> 00:22:29,839 hour later, two other young promgoing couples made their way down to the gravel 280 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:33,759 road to the lake. They didn't see headlights when they reached the turnaround points, 281 00:22:33,759 --> 00:22:38,400 so they continued on. The truck parked on the beach surprised them. 282 00:22:40,039 --> 00:22:44,720 Common courtesy dictated that they quietly backed their vehicle out and leave the first to 283 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:49,359 arrive alone. But teenagers never think in terms of courtesy. Wouldn't it be 284 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:53,680 fun to sneak up on the unknown couple with their flashlights and surprised them. 285 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:57,559 Wouldn't it be fun to see the shock looks on their faces when they caught 286 00:22:57,599 --> 00:23:03,799 them making out or war. They'd all have a great laugh watching the unsuspecting 287 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:07,720 couples scurrying to right themselves. It would serve them right for not leaving their 288 00:23:07,799 --> 00:23:14,079 running lights on. It wasn't fun. No one laughed, and all four 289 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:18,359 of them would spend years in counseling to help them accept and understand the scene 290 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:27,079 that greeted them that night, November two thousand and seven. Eli had hunted 291 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:32,400 the woods around the family farm since he was a kid. There'd always been 292 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:36,240 stories of buggers and werewolves, but he never believed them. It was all 293 00:23:36,319 --> 00:23:38,920 bs. In his book, the ain't no monsters out here, he would 294 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:44,200 tell those foolish enough to broach the subject, if there where, I'd have 295 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:48,480 seen them by now. He insisted that he had hunted every square foot of 296 00:23:48,519 --> 00:23:52,000 that land that belonged to his family, in most of the woods on the 297 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:56,079 surrounding farms, But every now and then someone would come along and claim they 298 00:23:56,119 --> 00:24:02,559 had seen something that didn't make sense. They tell stories of being chased out 299 00:24:02,599 --> 00:24:06,440 by something too big to be a human, but clearly on two feet. 300 00:24:07,279 --> 00:24:11,839 Some of them were hikers and kids playing around the woods. Eli figured they 301 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,319 weren't country folks, so they probably didn't know the difference between a squirrel and 302 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:18,319 a bobcat. Once in a while, it was a hunter who made those 303 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:25,039 claims to them. Eli always asked, why didn't you shoot it? You 304 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:29,519 had a gun. He enjoyed making fun of those yahoos, A bunch of 305 00:24:29,599 --> 00:24:34,359 scaredy cats with big imaginations and little common sense. That's all fighting good for 306 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:38,160 them, he would tell anyone who would listen. Leaves more room for me 307 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:42,440 to hunt. There were a few times when he heard things that he couldn't 308 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:48,599 identify. A couple of times he felt like someone was watching him. Once 309 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:52,400 he found himself walking a little faster because he felt like he was being followed. 310 00:24:52,759 --> 00:24:56,720 But he was alone when that happens, and no one ever knew about 311 00:24:56,759 --> 00:25:02,240 it. He certainly wasn't going to tell anyone. And then last week he 312 00:25:02,279 --> 00:25:06,920 came to check his deerstand and it was knocked down and torn apart. At 313 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:10,279 first, he thought it was another hunter who thought he didn't have permission to 314 00:25:10,319 --> 00:25:15,039 be on his land. He was pretty mad about that. He told himself 315 00:25:15,039 --> 00:25:17,839 he'd catch up with that guy who did it, and he's going to tear 316 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:22,839 him up. That was before he noticed the claw marks on the tree. 317 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:26,839 Eli tried to run his fingers along the marks, but they were further apart 318 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:32,160 than he could spread his fingers. It gave him a cold chill. There 319 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:37,559 were no bears in the area, hadn't been in decades centuries. Maybe the 320 00:25:37,599 --> 00:25:40,599 marks were far enough up the tree that he had to climb up to reach 321 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:45,319 them. No dog or coad he could get up that high. He supposed 322 00:25:45,319 --> 00:25:48,039 he could have been a bobcat, assuming bobcat's got as big as tigers. 323 00:25:48,559 --> 00:25:53,559 He didn't have an answer for that. By the time Eli got home, 324 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:59,279 he had convinced himself that the marks were left behind a some sort of practical 325 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:04,119 joke by SOB who tore down his stand. He figured someone knew he had 326 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:08,359 a prime location and they wanted to scare him off. Well, it wasn't 327 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:12,400 going to work. He had to make a special trip halfway across the state 328 00:26:12,559 --> 00:26:17,440 on Saturday to get a new stand. But he'd be damned if he was 329 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:19,720 going to let some so and so run him out of his favorite spot. 330 00:26:21,599 --> 00:26:25,119 While he was there, he picked up a trail cam. It took him 331 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:27,160 half the night, but he figured out how to use it, and the 332 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:30,960 next time someone came along and tried to tear up his stuff, he'd know 333 00:26:32,079 --> 00:26:37,839 exactly who it was. Sunday morning, sleep deprived and ill tempered, Eli 334 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:41,640 pulled up to the gate and parked his truck. It would be a fifteen 335 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:47,480 minute walk in and he was tired as hell. Deer season opened the following 336 00:26:47,559 --> 00:26:51,160 weekend, though, so he didn't have a choice. He couldn't miss work, 337 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:53,920 and there wasn't enough daylight after work to drive out and do it during 338 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:57,200 the week, and before he could get to the trees, he'd have to 339 00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:03,839 cross a pasture. After that he'd have to cross a narrow stream. Even 340 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:07,319 when it rained, the water was never more than shin deep and it hadn't 341 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:11,480 rained in weeks. Then he worked his way into the woods, and that 342 00:27:11,599 --> 00:27:15,079 was the hard part. He had to follow a game trail that was lined 343 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:18,960 with briars. He wasn't one hundred yards in when he began to feel like 344 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:23,200 he was being watched, and after what happened to his tree stand, he 345 00:27:23,319 --> 00:27:26,920 was sure it must be the same son of a bitch. He was now 346 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:30,640 watching him now. He thought about raising his hand up high and flipping them 347 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:34,359 the bird, but he couldn't quite tell what direction they were watching from. 348 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:40,599 He didn't want to look like an idiot. Another fifty yards and he thought 349 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:45,319 he heard a twig. Snap's a deer. He stopped and looked around. 350 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:48,440 Looked like something moved, but it disappeared behind a tree before he got a 351 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:52,480 good look at it. He was hoping it'd be a big ten point buck 352 00:27:52,599 --> 00:27:56,119 er. Maybe it was that irregular he caught sight of a couple of weeks 353 00:27:56,160 --> 00:28:02,039 ago. He was twenty five yard yards from the tree where he planned to 354 00:28:02,039 --> 00:28:06,000 put the stand when he heard the first howl. He stopped dead in his 355 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:11,480 tracks. What the hell? He ran through a mental list of animal calls. 356 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:15,799 None matched it. He had taken only a few steps when the second 357 00:28:15,839 --> 00:28:21,279 howl sounded closer this time again, he stopped and ran through the possibilities. 358 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:25,880 He couldn't come up with a match. Feeling more than a little easy now, 359 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:30,319 he glanced around him and mumbled something about nobody chasing him out of these 360 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:33,680 woods. He'd been hunting here for too long. This was his turf. 361 00:28:33,839 --> 00:28:38,839 This is my turf, he yelled, and he moved on ten more yards, 362 00:28:38,839 --> 00:28:42,400 and the sound of something moving off to his left brought his head around 363 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:47,319 with a snap. This time he got a little more than a glimpse. 364 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:52,519 Like a sleepy child. He rubbed his eyes, unable to comprehend what he 365 00:28:52,559 --> 00:28:57,039 had seen. It wasn't a deer. It was moving on two legs, 366 00:28:57,079 --> 00:29:00,960 but it was too big to be a man. Turning to look back in 367 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,440 the direction he was moving, he saw another one, and it too was 368 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:11,920 standing on two legs, and it was standing directly in his path. In 369 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:15,400 the early morning mist, it was difficult to make out any real detail, 370 00:29:15,519 --> 00:29:19,079 but he was sure that he was either looking at the tallest man he had 371 00:29:19,119 --> 00:29:26,119 ever seen, wearing a heavy fur coat, or he was seeing a Eli 372 00:29:26,279 --> 00:29:30,119 wasn't the kind of man to admit even to himself that he was afraid. 373 00:29:30,079 --> 00:29:33,799 He knew the tree he was headed for was closer than his truck, but 374 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:40,000 he also knew that thing was standing between him and his tree before he could 375 00:29:40,039 --> 00:29:44,039 turn and head back to the truck. Though he had to convince himself that 376 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:48,920 it wasn't because he was scared. Maybe he forgot a tool he didn't check 377 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:52,799 his bag before he left. Maybe he left it sitting on the bench at 378 00:29:52,799 --> 00:29:56,599 home. That was it. He may as well walk back out and do 379 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:02,039 this later. Slowly he turned and again and to retrace his path. And 380 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:07,319 it followed. He knew it followed because it wasn't bothering to be quiet about 381 00:30:07,359 --> 00:30:11,559 it. And worse yet, it was moving faster than he was. It 382 00:30:11,559 --> 00:30:15,000 wouldn't be long before it caught up with him. He stepped up his pace, 383 00:30:15,279 --> 00:30:18,160 and his heart was beating hard now, and his breath was coming in 384 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:23,480 short bursts. He felt his hand sweating inside his gloves, the stand feeling 385 00:30:23,559 --> 00:30:29,960 heavier by the minute. It was getting closer. Don't run, he whispered 386 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:36,000 to himself. Don't run, don't run, do not run. He broke 387 00:30:36,039 --> 00:30:41,000 into a run. It wasn't a conscious decision to drop the stand. One 388 00:30:41,039 --> 00:30:44,759 minute it was in his hand, and the next it wasn't. The thing 389 00:30:44,839 --> 00:30:48,440 behind him was closing the gap. He was sure he could feel its hot 390 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:51,960 breath on the back of his neck, and he jumped the stream and ran 391 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:56,480 out into the pasture. Halfway across, he realized he didn't hear it anymore. 392 00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:02,359 He stopped and turned to look it wasn't there. He bent over a 393 00:31:02,359 --> 00:31:04,839 little and put his hands on his knees. He needed to catch his breath 394 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:10,079 and slow his heart rate. After a few seconds, he allowed himself to 395 00:31:10,119 --> 00:31:14,240 look back at the tree line. It looked like it always had, no 396 00:31:14,359 --> 00:31:18,480 giant, hairy monsters in sight. And a laugh escaped him between his breaths, 397 00:31:19,079 --> 00:31:23,240 and then it built into an all out laugh. Elie, you the 398 00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:27,039 biggest iddiot on the planet, he said out loud, And you got a 399 00:31:27,039 --> 00:31:33,480 good imagination with the kind of steely determination, only a fool and muster. 400 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:38,039 He stood up right and marched right back into those woods. He paid three 401 00:31:38,119 --> 00:31:41,240 hundred dollars for that tree standing. By God, he wasn't going to let 402 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:45,880 it lay out there in the woods and rite. As he worked his way 403 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:48,079 back down to the creek, he realized that he could hear birds singing. 404 00:31:48,519 --> 00:31:53,519 It was odd, couldn't remember hearing birds earlier. A squirrel ran up a 405 00:31:53,559 --> 00:31:59,440 tree barking. He hadn't heard any squirrels before either. Maybe he had seen 406 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:02,359 something, but if the birds and the squirrels were moving around and making noise, 407 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:07,480 it was a sure sign that whatever it was was gone. Now he 408 00:32:07,519 --> 00:32:12,839 had walked the trail for two hours from the pasture to the tree three times. 409 00:32:13,279 --> 00:32:16,279 He hadn't located the lost stand yet. The trail cam was in his 410 00:32:16,359 --> 00:32:21,079 backpack, which was still on his back, but the tree stand had vanished. 411 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:24,920 He wished he could remember exactly where he had dropped it. It's funny 412 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:30,880 how fear can make a man do things he can't remember. He was frustrated, 413 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:36,799 and he screamed out several loud expletives. Angry and feeling more tired than 414 00:32:36,799 --> 00:32:39,039 ever, he gave up. The only thing left to do was to go 415 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:43,319 round up his buddy Roy and bring him out to help him search for it. 416 00:32:44,079 --> 00:32:46,799 His stomach was growling and his feet were starting to hurt. He put 417 00:32:46,799 --> 00:32:52,680 his head down and he started the long walk back to his truck. On 418 00:32:52,759 --> 00:32:54,359 the way back, he thought about the events of the morning, and he 419 00:32:54,440 --> 00:33:00,640 wondered what he had seen, if he had even seen anything. His best 420 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:04,160 to remember if he had heard the birds and the animals in on the first 421 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:07,319 trip, and as a hunter, surely he would have noticed their silence, 422 00:33:08,559 --> 00:33:14,640 silence cold. Fear twisted or not in his stomach when he realized that it 423 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:19,440 was silent. Now, you just yelled, dummy, he told himself. 424 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:22,680 You probably scared everything off. That had to be it. It wouldn't hurt 425 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:28,000 to walk a little faster, though, just in case. He could hear 426 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:31,440 the babbling water of the stream ahead of him. Wouldn't be long now. 427 00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:35,839 The pasture was on the other side of it, and his truck was on 428 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:38,640 the other side of that. He'd go home and have a good hot meal, 429 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:43,519 maybe watch a little Sunday football, and take a nap in his recliner. 430 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:46,880 He had to put this all behind him. He was starting to sound 431 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:52,279 like those scaredy cats down at the cafe. For Pete's sake, Eli hadn't 432 00:33:52,319 --> 00:33:57,599 been paying much attention. He was too tired, and too furious, and 433 00:33:57,680 --> 00:34:01,599 too frustrated to use the wilderness skin that he had spent a lifetime honing. 434 00:34:02,599 --> 00:34:07,119 There was no telling how long that thing had been standing in the path ahead 435 00:34:07,119 --> 00:34:12,559 of him. He looked up and it was just there. It was closer 436 00:34:12,599 --> 00:34:15,719 now than it had been before. It had the head of a dog. 437 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:21,440 Insanely, it had the head of a dog. His eyes were unlike any 438 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:24,960 eyes he'd ever seen on any dog, wolf, or even a coyote. 439 00:34:25,079 --> 00:34:29,679 They could have been human, or they could have been animal, but in 440 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:35,000 them. He saw intelligence and hatred. Now what was he going to do? 441 00:34:35,639 --> 00:34:38,880 It blocked his path to the truck behind. There was nothing but woodland 442 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:44,599 all the way to the river five miles away. He looked to his left, 443 00:34:44,639 --> 00:34:47,559 thinking maybe he could go around it, but to his horror, another 444 00:34:47,599 --> 00:34:52,119 creature stood a dozen yards away from him. Had it always been there? 445 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:57,599 He turned to make his escape to the right, but another stepped out from 446 00:34:57,599 --> 00:35:00,360 behind a tree there and as he spun ou around to run and the only 447 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:05,440 direction left, he came face to face with the biggest one of all. 448 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:12,119 This one was on all fours and clearly it was stalking him. With a 449 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:15,760 yelp, he backed up a step. He was surrounded, and they closed 450 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:21,599 in on him with a slow, measured movement. Something in their actions told 451 00:35:21,679 --> 00:35:24,920 him they were enjoying this. It was almost as if they were smiling. 452 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:30,760 They're real, Eli cried, I can't believe they're real. They were the 453 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:37,599 last words he would ever speak. When is the story just a story? 454 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:42,760 Is a fool the one who believes without solid evidence, or the one who 455 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:46,079 became a believer at the cost of his own life. They say there is 456 00:35:46,079 --> 00:35:50,719 some truth in all legends, no matter how far fetched they may be. 457 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:58,400 Some legends have a little more truth than others.