WEBVTT 1 00:00:15.480 --> 00:00:20.000 The Freak of Fort Gordon, a friend and I got orders to go back 2 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:25.600 to Fort Gordon. We had recently been penned with sergeants stripes, and completing 3 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:30.239 more advanced training was one of the conditions the US Army demands to keep those 4 00:00:30.280 --> 00:00:35.759 stripes. We'd both been to Fort Gordon, Georgia before as new boots and 5 00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:41.520 fresh trainees out of basic training, but now returning as non commissioned officers would 6 00:00:41.560 --> 00:00:46.359 yield many nice benefits, the main one being staying out of reach of the 7 00:00:46.439 --> 00:00:52.119 duty rosters. The duty roster was a list of all detail. In detail 8 00:00:52.200 --> 00:00:58.320 are all small odd jobs that sprinkled the itinerary of all lower enlisted soldiers everywhere. 9 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:03.320 These little jobs were paint in the butt too. There were all sorts 10 00:01:03.320 --> 00:01:08.200 of guard duty, batguard, fireguard, roving guard, crossing guard. There 11 00:01:08.280 --> 00:01:14.159 was driver detail, where you'd chauffeur certain higher ups round the base, and 12 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:19.560 then there was kp YEP kitchen patrol, where you'd sometimes wash dishes and pots 13 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:23.480 and pans till the wee hours of the night. They really do make you 14 00:01:23.560 --> 00:01:27.640 peel potatoes too, which I always felt was one of the worst and most 15 00:01:27.719 --> 00:01:34.040 humiliating of all detail. Next to digging shiittholes. But the best of it 16 00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:38.519 was guarding Signal Tower, or so we thought, until various tales caught up 17 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:44.439 to us, reporting the Signal Tower was haunted, that all of Fort Gordon 18 00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:49.079 was haunted. This big old building sat in the back middle of Fort Gordon. 19 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:53.640 It's a big, ominous presence, and it's not unlike a step pyramid 20 00:01:53.719 --> 00:01:57.760 in South America. And it looks down on all the other buildings as if 21 00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:01.040 they were mere royal subjects, or even better, to me, it reminded 22 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:07.439 me of that Devil's Tower in close encounters. What was good about roving detail 23 00:02:07.479 --> 00:02:13.120 at Signal Tower was that our barracks sat in its shadow, a double parking 24 00:02:13.159 --> 00:02:19.400 lot away for a battalion level detail, which usually took you to some remote 25 00:02:19.479 --> 00:02:23.680 part of the fort to later be staged to another location. We were glad 26 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:28.840 there was no need to go to a remote rendezvous before being dispatched to the 27 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:32.240 tower. We were free to chill out in our own barracks as long as 28 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:36.879 we made it a few minutes early to relieve the other soldier or what we 29 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:42.400 call changing guard. That was our big exhale. We didn't have to worry 30 00:02:42.439 --> 00:02:46.919 about any of that we were Buck sergeants. Our rank excused us from any 31 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:53.199 of them minor details, but all those bets would soon be off. One 32 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:59.240 evening after formation, first sergeant called both our names out, just as giddy 33 00:02:59.400 --> 00:03:04.120 and proud. I found a little leadership duty for you Bucks sergeants, he 34 00:03:04.280 --> 00:03:08.919 grinned with sarcasm. They need a couple of NCOs to supervise the guards at 35 00:03:08.919 --> 00:03:14.120 the Amo dump, And I thought, what this opportunity. You could further 36 00:03:14.199 --> 00:03:16.840 flex those new stripes, and I can kill two birds with two stones. 37 00:03:19.120 --> 00:03:23.520 Though we stood there chuckling on the inside, we gnashed our teeth and honored 38 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:29.560 him with a gritty yes, sergeant. Twenty four hours later we found ourselves 39 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:34.960 geared up climbing inside a troop transport, a fancy name for a cattle car, 40 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:38.680 and on our way down a barely lit road. Before long, a 41 00:03:38.759 --> 00:03:44.680 glint of light appeared in the obscure seam of our canvas covered cattle car. 42 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:50.159 Looking into the sadly dim light, I could see an older troop barracks with 43 00:03:50.199 --> 00:03:53.039 a light pole that looked as though it was leaning against the barracks, holding 44 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:57.759 on with its arms of light in order not to be dragged away into the 45 00:03:57.879 --> 00:04:04.319 darkness. Dismount yelled another sergeant, flexing his slightly senior position on this detail. 46 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:09.240 Some of the guys jumped up in a hurry. They still had the 47 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:14.560 smell of basic training all over them. Poor troops are still shell shocked. 48 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:18.800 I snickered to myself, Sergeant. I addressed the NCO in charge as I 49 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:23.480 clammed out of the deuce and a half, and with no hesitation, he 50 00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:29.319 returned the respect. I walked past the small formation of soldiers that we were 51 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:32.959 more than likely replacing, and as I turned into the holding station, I 52 00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:39.319 quickly realized the reason these guys bum rushed the barracks so hot. There were 53 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:44.160 bunks in there. Not fancy bunks, but there were bunks. They were 54 00:04:44.199 --> 00:04:47.399 staking their claim on a place to rest their feet in their head until their 55 00:04:47.480 --> 00:04:54.199 name was called. I'd asked them bunks to these fives, commanded the NCO 56 00:04:54.399 --> 00:05:00.519 in charge. He was good bye me for doing that. I slung myself 57 00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:03.759 onto the front corner bunk right as a non resident private did the opposite. 58 00:05:04.839 --> 00:05:09.519 I sat there, boots on the floor and feet propped up and hands in 59 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:13.920 her lace. Behind my head. I can see clear down to the rectangular 60 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:18.040 shaped barracks, which is how I liked being positioned. It wasn't long before 61 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:24.120 the NCOIC reached me with his clipboard. You'll be in charge of the third 62 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:28.079 squad. There's going to be seven of you in total, six m O 63 00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:30.920 dumps and you roven. Is that cool? He informed me, as well 64 00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:36.600 as question. Yes, Sergeant. I softly acknowledged with respect and signed his 65 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:42.519 roster with the same. As the sergeant in charge rolled away from me, 66 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:48.079 his voice faded into inaudible garble. It mixed with the conversations of scattered privates. 67 00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:54.439 My ears would pick up flakes of these conversations, like playing cards flung 68 00:05:54.439 --> 00:06:00.240 on a card table. One such flake, however, caught my ear as 69 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:02.639 well. It tapped me on my eyelids, and it took a little effort, 70 00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:06.600 but I kept my eyes closed. I didn't want to open them, 71 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:13.040 as that would signal to my body that naptime was officially over. Quit playing 72 00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:16.720 with me, man, it's bad mojo, exclaimed one soldier. I think 73 00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:23.000 he meant juju. Another soldier laughed and chimed in, well, that granola 74 00:06:23.079 --> 00:06:26.319 bar said, it's soap you using got you smelling an all tasty boy. 75 00:06:26.759 --> 00:06:30.600 He ribbed and held his gut. A third one couldn't resist, and he 76 00:06:30.680 --> 00:06:34.959 added that which is gonna come for you? She gonna say, hand over 77 00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:41.360 that yetti bar, he finished with a cackle. They all enjoyed their life 78 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:45.439 as I heard the butt of the joke mumble man, y'all just jealous. 79 00:06:46.600 --> 00:06:49.480 It couldn't have been a minute later when the doors of the barracks busted open. 80 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:57.079 Well, this awakening rudely tugged me out of my arrest, La belted 81 00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:01.199 in an audible voice. It started just outside the barracks and was dragged in, 82 00:07:01.399 --> 00:07:06.000 kicking and screaming by four of their soldiers, each one grappling to hold 83 00:07:06.040 --> 00:07:12.319 onto the flailing arm or leg. The young private they struggled to carry in 84 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:17.360 was completely beside himself. The gibberish that spewed from his mouth verified that, 85 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:23.519 making matters worse. There were bits of English words or sentences that made it 86 00:07:23.560 --> 00:07:27.319 out of his mouth, and they didn't make any sense. I mean, 87 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:30.439 the words made sense, but what he was saying didn't. Like All that 88 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:34.839 gobbledy goook he was saying sent chills through you. And there was dog gone 89 00:07:34.920 --> 00:07:40.199 scary because you couldn't peel a sentence out of it, but then he toss 90 00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:45.680 out a couple of words that flash froze my already chilled bumps. Thank he 91 00:07:45.879 --> 00:07:49.839 screeched, well, that was one of them. The sergeant in charge responded 92 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:56.240 back to him, thank who. He questioned the poor shook private then belted, 93 00:07:56.600 --> 00:08:01.720 hay, that was all he said. That was audible anyway. The 94 00:08:01.800 --> 00:08:07.360 sergeant in charge squinched up his face, showing and flailed to make heads or 95 00:08:07.399 --> 00:08:11.000 tails of it, and then motioned for them to take the young private down 96 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:13.879 to one of the bunks. They didn't get it, I thought to myself. 97 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:18.879 I did, though, and that's when things began to click for me. 98 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:26.240 That dude didn't say thank, he was yelling the hank. I didn't 99 00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:28.279 want to believe it at first. In fact, I tried not to. 100 00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:33.320 It was a word I haven't heard since I was a young boy. But 101 00:08:33.399 --> 00:08:37.759 then he screamed out a second and that meant I was right. Hag he 102 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:43.679 said, an equally chilling word. There were two names for the same entity, 103 00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:48.480 at least in our stories, a female entity that was more like a 104 00:08:48.559 --> 00:08:54.000 witch. She feels stories told by my grandfather, my mom, and other 105 00:08:54.080 --> 00:09:00.120 elders of my family. My grandfather said, at the scariest when I was 106 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:05.759 a little boy, though a preacher friend of his encountered one before. Before 107 00:09:05.799 --> 00:09:09.480 his friend could scream, he slapped her hand over his mouth and held it 108 00:09:09.559 --> 00:09:13.519 there, And when she slowly let it go, all the words he spoke 109 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:18.679 were kind of backwards gobbledy gook, they called it. I squeezed out a 110 00:09:18.759 --> 00:09:24.840 question, How long did he speak? Ghibli, my grandfather interrupted my stutter. 111 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:30.559 That's how he became a preacher's son. He promised God he'd preach the 112 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:35.279 gospel if he'd let the speech return. And shortly after that it did. 113 00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:41.039 All right, third squad, let's go boom, the sergeant in charge, 114 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:46.960 grab your geared load from the rear. His command yanked me from my daydream, 115 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:52.000 and I was on my way to the cattle car. There wasn't as 116 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:56.360 much chatter on the ride to the m old dump. I imagine they were 117 00:09:56.399 --> 00:10:01.039 soaking in and assembling pieces of what just happened. Only moments had passed when 118 00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:05.879 the squeak of the brakes broke the silence. The soft tug left and right 119 00:10:07.080 --> 00:10:11.440 told us that we were pulling over and coming to a stop. The door 120 00:10:11.480 --> 00:10:16.799 swung open, and the soldiers filed out like Pavlov's dogs. The thick warmed 121 00:10:16.919 --> 00:10:22.440 Georgia darkness swooped around us like an old blanket as the sergeant in charge reiterated 122 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:28.240 the expectations of the duty to me. Soon after, the tail lights of 123 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:33.080 the cattle cards off, like ominous red eyes fading in the black growing distance. 124 00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:37.639 And though I was far from being alone, the Ammo dunk felt lonely. 125 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:43.120 It was me and six young soldiers, six AMMO bunkers, and that 126 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:50.240 thick Georgia night air that suddenly stunk like old people's farts. I'll take the 127 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:54.960 gate and the first bunker, injected Soldier number one as he walked over in 128 00:10:54.960 --> 00:10:58.279 a way that showed that he had done this before. When no one objected 129 00:10:58.360 --> 00:11:03.559 inside the slight pause that followed, so with my nose twitched emotion for the 130 00:11:03.559 --> 00:11:09.240 other five soldiers to follow me around as we assigned the other five bunkers. 131 00:11:09.559 --> 00:11:15.279 The Ammo dump was totally fenced in. The six bunkers faced each other, 132 00:11:15.320 --> 00:11:18.159 and a soldier could raise his voice a bit and converse with one another. 133 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:22.519 I didn't mind that at all. I imagined it would help their night go 134 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:28.279 by, and happy troops made the load light. Approaching the second bunker, 135 00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:33.919 Soldier number two stepped down into the dugout like entrance that every bunker had. 136 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:41.080 His skin glowed as it reflected that spooky light. Disciplined red as he stepped 137 00:11:41.159 --> 00:11:45.879 under the lamp to the steel heavy, navy ship like door. He tugged 138 00:11:45.879 --> 00:11:50.279 on the exaggeratedly big padlock, followed by a few big yanks on the door. 139 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:56.399 That thing is there tight, he strained, It's not supposed to budge 140 00:11:56.399 --> 00:12:01.000 a bit. He followed up instructing while letting me know that he had done 141 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:03.720 this a time or two, and then we circled around the back of the 142 00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:07.679 bunker and back to the door, completing one suite. The soldier said, 143 00:12:07.720 --> 00:12:13.480 with confidence, I could tell that Soldier two had plans to come back with 144 00:12:13.639 --> 00:12:18.279 E five stripes in a couple of years, and rightfully so. He immediately 145 00:12:18.360 --> 00:12:24.159 gained my confidence. If it's all right, I'll take six, another soldier 146 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:28.600 injected. I gave him a soft nod, and he peeled off in Bunker 147 00:12:28.679 --> 00:12:33.200 six's direction. The remaining three walked with me around the third and last bunker 148 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:37.679 of that left row, and I pointed out to Soldiers three and four. 149 00:12:37.960 --> 00:12:41.320 The third and fourth bunker. As we came around the back to the center 150 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:46.519 lane, where number five peeled off to his I thought for a second that 151 00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:52.600 the more senior guy seemed to take debbs on the uppermost bunkers like maybe they 152 00:12:52.679 --> 00:12:56.919 knew something, But maybe I was just digging too much. Well, everything 153 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:01.200 was going smooth as I made my second circuit around the dump. If we 154 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:05.679 kept it like this for just a few hours, we'd get a pat on 155 00:13:05.720 --> 00:13:11.960 the back for pulling good duty. But things didn't stay smooth though. The 156 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:16.600 summer sound of a zillion fiddling crickets was instantly cut to a silence that can 157 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:22.440 only be compared to slapping on a set of gun range ear muffs. We 158 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:28.960 didn't have time to digest the thickness of this blanketing silence when it the silence 159 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:39.879 was slashed up to this time, I've never heard such a shrill vocalization before 160 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:43.600 in my whole life. If we'd had a molly with us, that's a 161 00:13:43.639 --> 00:13:48.759 female soldier like males are called Joe's, I would have swore something from our 162 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:54.240 surrounding woods had grabbed her and yanked all her skin off all at once. 163 00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:58.519 I don't know why, but my immediate response was to duck as if the 164 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:03.399 sound was thrown at us, and as I spun on my heels, I 165 00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:07.080 could see little red lights twiddling around in the distance. It was the remaining 166 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:11.200 soldiers with their flashlights on, doing their best to duck and cover. I 167 00:14:11.399 --> 00:14:18.080 guess the next second I realized the jiggling red flashlights were coming toward me. 168 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:24.200 Soldier one and six made it to me first. As two and five approached, 169 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:30.120 the question belted from Soldier four, who was arriving fast. What the 170 00:14:30.279 --> 00:14:35.320 freak was that? He screamed, taking breaths that had clearly been driven by 171 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:41.440 adrenaline. We didn't get to answer. Another screech bellowed out from the darkness. 172 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:52.519 This one is closer, I thought to myself. It's inside the fence. 173 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:56.519 Another voice blasted. Right on top of his words, came yet another 174 00:14:56.600 --> 00:15:01.440 screech, and all of us snapped our heads in the same direction. This 175 00:15:01.559 --> 00:15:07.600 screech was mingled with a bit of mail pitch. That's a banshee, whispered 176 00:15:07.639 --> 00:15:11.120 one of us as we peered out toward the last bunker on the left. 177 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:16.279 It was a bunker number three. Were Soldier number three injected Soldier number four, 178 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:22.080 Well, I went my head around quickly and scanned only five guards. 179 00:15:22.519 --> 00:15:28.000 Three is missing, I said. The hair on my body instantly rebelled and 180 00:15:28.039 --> 00:15:33.600 stood up, turning into coarse needles that pushed against my BDUs from the inside. 181 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:37.679 I almost passed my pants, and then something inside me took off, 182 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:43.159 running down the left side back lane toward Bunker three. I didn't see anything 183 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:48.840 until I approached bunker two, but that's when I saw him. Soldier number 184 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:52.960 three was standing at Bunker three. It looked like his face was against the 185 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:58.639 bunker and he wasn't moving. He was just standing there, and there was 186 00:15:58.679 --> 00:16:03.320 a big ball of blackness right next to him. I struggled with my flashlight 187 00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:07.799 to get that red lens off, and I kept running in thinking and the 188 00:16:07.879 --> 00:16:11.639 white light would help me see a little more and help me understand a little 189 00:16:11.679 --> 00:16:15.480 more. What the hell was going on? Get over here, Soldier, 190 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:21.720 I screamed in the most menacing voice I could muster. But he didn't even 191 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:27.840 move, not even a shell shocked basic trainee flinch. Nothing moved, not 192 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:32.840 until I got the red lens off and shine the white of my flashlight into 193 00:16:32.840 --> 00:16:37.399 the blackness. And then everything moved, and all that ball of blackness it 194 00:16:37.559 --> 00:16:44.519 stood up on two legs. It was the hag it had to be, 195 00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:52.480 and its waist was just under my soldier's shoulders. Of all the pictures I've 196 00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:56.279 had in my mind of what a hag would or should or could look like, 197 00:16:56.000 --> 00:17:00.320 this thing didn't look like any of that. It was tall and slender 198 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:07.279 and black, reflecting the moonshine black. My flashlight offended it, and it 199 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:15.079 raised a big white fingered nail hand over its golf ball sized eyes. It's 200 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:19.640 ice that more resembled two ping pong balls, glowing from being back lit by 201 00:17:19.640 --> 00:17:25.720 a pen light to be more exact, and those nails they seemed to pick 202 00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:30.759 up the same ghoulish white hue. But that gave me enough time to shoulder 203 00:17:30.839 --> 00:17:36.039 my rifle with one hand and click off the safety and fire. Not only 204 00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:40.400 had blanks, but I wasn't looking to hurt anything. I just needed noise 205 00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:44.960 and that to spook this thing for one, and secondly to call the other 206 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:51.240 troops to come to my location. Post taste blam. It worked in a 207 00:17:51.359 --> 00:17:56.839 very fast but silent swooshing motion. This thing did a left face and proceeded 208 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:02.039 to glide away from Soldier number three toward the back of the Amo dump fence. 209 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:06.799 I was still running full tilt and tied myself to be right on its 210 00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:10.680 heels when it turned toward the back of the bunker. But this thing was 211 00:18:10.759 --> 00:18:15.440 moving. I didn't gain on it without effort. It maintained its pace with 212 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:21.039 me. I couldn't tell if it was floating or taking really long, graceful 213 00:18:21.079 --> 00:18:25.960 strides. I did get a look at its blackness, though it was the 214 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:30.599 shiniest silvery ast to black I'd ever seen, like a long, black flowing 215 00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:36.720 garment that went from head to toe. From where I'd started, it reminded 216 00:18:36.759 --> 00:18:41.720 me of more Tissia Adams sat in a black cake. But as I approached 217 00:18:41.880 --> 00:18:45.920 and the creature began moving away, I could tell from an elbow or two 218 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:52.480 poking through that this was hair, long flowing it like hair, but it 219 00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:57.160 was black. Arounded the corner, expecting to be able to grab this hair, 220 00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:03.200 and I was stunned and duck and stunned again. The hag wasn't there. 221 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:07.240 In fact, as I walked up to where I thought the hag should 222 00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:11.200 be, there was nothing but the smell of musk and stale armpits and funky 223 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:17.799 stink like teenager armpits, But just then I could hear twigs breaking right on 224 00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:21.799 the other side of the fence. The rest of the guys rounded the corner, 225 00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:26.480 asking where did go and also thinking that it should at least still be 226 00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:30.519 on the side of the fence. Their attention snapped to the fence as they 227 00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:36.079 too heard the crunch of twigs. Where did what go? One of the 228 00:19:36.119 --> 00:19:40.839 more senior privates poked, pointing his chin out slightly toward one that asked the 229 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:47.000 question between the lines. He was informing the asking soldier, informing us all 230 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:49.960 that we might want to think through before we spewed out what we thought we 231 00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:57.079 saw. The stretch of silence following his rhetorical question dictated how tight lipped we 232 00:19:57.160 --> 00:20:03.160 all needed to be concerned with the encounter. We all had at least slightly 233 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:07.960 higher security clearances than most soldiers, and some of us even higher. Still, 234 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:12.119 those clearances needed protection, and in many cases it came in the form 235 00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:18.359 of tight lips and great discretion. Some things are better left unsaid. One 236 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:23.960 of us co signed for twenty years. Another soldier muttered, more to himself 237 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:29.359 than to the seven man audience that we made up. I don't think he 238 00:20:29.400 --> 00:20:33.880 even realized we could all hear him. We need to head back up top. 239 00:20:33.039 --> 00:20:38.720 I belted the cattle carpie here any minute now. The guys peeled off 240 00:20:38.759 --> 00:20:44.079 and headed toward the gate, not swung back, tracing my path, sweeping 241 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:48.079 my flashlight back and forth across the ground, making sure that I had policed 242 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:52.720 up all the brass that I popped off from my rifle. And three casings 243 00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:56.799 plunged into my pocket, and I was all about catching up to the squad. 244 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:06.519 If all this wasn't jarring enough, matters got even worst. Thong thong. 245 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:11.440 The ground vibrated with some very hard thumps. I dropped my flashlight and 246 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:15.599 shocked. That allowed me to see the dust on the ground and jump up 247 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:21.160 two or three inches and turn into powder as it attempted to float back down, 248 00:21:21.279 --> 00:21:26.319 only to be suspended again with the next round of pounds. And in 249 00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:30.160 the moonlight, I could see a haze of dust hovering over the giant, 250 00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:37.799 half coconut looking Amo mound. The pounding was coming from inside Amo Dump number 251 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:42.480 three. Something was beating on the inside of the AMMO dump door, maybe 252 00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:48.960 even hurling itself. I say something and not someone, because I vibrated with 253 00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:52.640 every thump, and I skidded a little, like I was one of those 254 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:57.400 electric football men on the game board. Sergeant, are you all right? 255 00:21:57.839 --> 00:22:02.920 What the hell was that? I could hear a couple of soldiers ask, 256 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:07.079 even though it was at a distance and mingled with the choice expletives of the 257 00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:11.519 others. Stay up top, I yelled, running and trying to breathe at 258 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:15.680 the same time. As I passed the door, I could see the next 259 00:22:15.720 --> 00:22:19.359 three thumps as well as hear them, and I could feel them too, 260 00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:23.880 And they thumped like the front row of a concert, like the mound had 261 00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:29.839 the hiccups. And that thing metal door was not supposed to budge, but 262 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:33.359 well, with each pound it bulged out as if made of some rubbery, 263 00:22:33.559 --> 00:22:41.200 stretchy material. I was high tailing it, thinking I hope to God this 264 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:45.279 door was made to take such pounding. I did not want to see whatever 265 00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:51.640 was doing the banging. What the hell it sounded like you were firing grenade 266 00:22:51.720 --> 00:22:56.200 launchers, one soldier ask as I finally got to them. Well, I 267 00:22:56.240 --> 00:23:00.400 struggled to gulp down enough air to answer, Now, man, something's inside 268 00:23:00.440 --> 00:23:03.480 that bunker, and it's big, and it's pissed and it's banging on the 269 00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:07.799 door. That's what you heard. The cattle car was going to be pulled 270 00:23:07.880 --> 00:23:11.480 up all too quickly, and we were all still in a huddle, looking 271 00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:17.799 like we were planning something, and in some respects we were. Shouldn't we 272 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:22.960 report this, a soldier asked, with near panic in his voice. There 273 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:27.480 was one clear second of hesitation before another soldier belted out what we were all 274 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:33.920 thinking, didn't you hear what we said at the back fence. Ain't nobody 275 00:23:33.039 --> 00:23:38.720 saying nothing? Not for twenty years, remember? Another soldier added his two 276 00:23:38.839 --> 00:23:45.400 cents, and I tagged in on the soldiers bitter reprimand if any one of 277 00:23:45.480 --> 00:23:49.799 us spills a peep about this, we'll all end up in mental hygiene filling 278 00:23:49.839 --> 00:23:53.960 out paperwork until we all agree we didn't hear nothing but a bear, and 279 00:23:55.039 --> 00:24:00.640 then they'll reclassify us all as cooks and freak. That's right. An interjection 280 00:24:00.839 --> 00:24:06.400 ripped a hole right down the middle of our exchange. We all clammed up 281 00:24:06.440 --> 00:24:10.839 when we saw those words had come from Soldier number three. That was all 282 00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:14.640 he said. Those were two of the last five words I would ever hear 283 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:18.240 him say. Well, are you guys going to be all right? Soldier 284 00:24:18.359 --> 00:24:23.680 number one ask, and number three in myself out of true concern, I 285 00:24:23.759 --> 00:24:29.279 boughted my head yes. But the third soldier didn't say anything. He wasn't 286 00:24:29.279 --> 00:24:33.759 gonna say but three more words that I'd ever hear. He didn't respond. 287 00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:38.279 He just sat there, staring straight ahead. He was shook up. Give 288 00:24:38.359 --> 00:24:45.200 him some space, said Soldier six. Let him collect himself. As curious 289 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:49.839 as I was to hear what that thing whispered to him, Soldier number six 290 00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:53.839 was right. The kid was going to need some time to get himself together. 291 00:24:55.960 --> 00:24:59.279 But not even a full moment later we could see the blue ing on 292 00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:03.559 the hilltop ahead, no doubt from the headlights of the cattle car, bringing 293 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:07.759 our relief. All right, boys, put your poker faces on at showtime, 294 00:25:07.920 --> 00:25:11.279 I said. With the hiss of the brakes, the truck used the 295 00:25:11.359 --> 00:25:15.839 crushed gravel on the side of the road to complete its halt. The tailgate 296 00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:21.640 flung open and out popped the NCO in charge. How did it go, 297 00:25:21.880 --> 00:25:26.400 soldiers, he asked, with locking eye contact, making sure not to miss 298 00:25:26.440 --> 00:25:30.519 any conversation that may go without saying. Between the lines, he asked, 299 00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:37.079 did anything happen outside of nothing? I leaned my head in ever so slightly 300 00:25:37.480 --> 00:25:42.640 and nodded suddenly in the direction of Soldier number three and softly reported, we 301 00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:48.559 may have a shook one. The Ncoic darted his eyes to glance at number 302 00:25:48.599 --> 00:25:55.000 three Bryce and Amo, he calmly asked, Now, knowing full well our 303 00:25:55.160 --> 00:26:00.400 night was anything but mundane, I dug into my pocket and held out a 304 00:26:00.440 --> 00:26:06.000 closed fist, and I held it over his expecting palm brass. I muttered, 305 00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:10.920 so no one could hear but him and I. I extracted my magazine 306 00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:17.759 with blanks and finished my response. But no amo. The Ncoic took a 307 00:26:17.799 --> 00:26:22.200 good look into my eyes, making sure he understood what I was saying without 308 00:26:22.279 --> 00:26:26.440 saying, and then he knodded me into the cattle car. I climbed in 309 00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:32.400 and observed that my squad did the same and remained tight leapt. Every one 310 00:26:32.440 --> 00:26:38.359 of us remained eerily quiet. I took this time to reflect to chew not 311 00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:42.799 only on the events of this night, but how they put pieces into some 312 00:26:42.880 --> 00:26:48.039 of the tales my family and others have told me. I've heard these hags 313 00:26:48.200 --> 00:26:53.200 was cursed to be half woman and half animal, and sometimes half horse, 314 00:26:53.559 --> 00:26:57.759 half bare half sheep. They said, screams like a lady cries like a 315 00:26:57.839 --> 00:27:03.920 baby. My grandfather said it popped out of the Bible and it can't die. 316 00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:07.599 He said, it's but one of the things that'll come out of the 317 00:27:07.640 --> 00:27:12.960 earth and cause men's hearts to fail from fear. Military documents say these things 318 00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:18.720 escape from our laboratories. Some were even let out. If it has the 319 00:27:18.759 --> 00:27:23.519 ability to shift or disappear, couldn't it appear to have a cloak like a 320 00:27:23.559 --> 00:27:29.759 grim reaper or the Tall Man, or wings like the moth Man? And 321 00:27:29.880 --> 00:27:33.839 what about those people in the Blair Witch movie? The movie may have been 322 00:27:33.920 --> 00:27:37.880 fiction, but I now know that that witch is real. Those folks playing 323 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:45.960 or not described a hag, a hank, a banshee. I lifted my 324 00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:51.559 head up from what seemed like a lengthy conversation with myself, and Soldier number 325 00:27:51.599 --> 00:27:55.960 three had somehow made his way to sit right across from me. Now. 326 00:27:55.960 --> 00:28:00.319 I watched him a bit until he lifted his head and probably feeling my stare. 327 00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:03.480 And when the stair got awkward, I fixed my mouth to ask the 328 00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:10.079 burning question when he beat me to it with a very frank response, don't 329 00:28:10.119 --> 00:28:15.319 you dare? He said, just above a whisper, And I didn't I 330 00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:18.279 put my head down, and those were the last three words I ever heard 331 00:28:18.359 --> 00:28:25.880 him speak. I did think to myself though, someday, maybe sometime after 332 00:28:25.920 --> 00:28:30.519 the next twenty or twenty five years, somebody is going to tell the tale 333 00:28:30.519 --> 00:28:36.160 about how we met the freak of Fort Gordon, and this will be my 334 00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:42.160 only report on it. I'm sticking and staying, Sergeant j MC, and 335 00:28:42.359 --> 00:28:44.200 I am out.